A Night at Santa's Village

This evening, we to Santa’s Village at the botanic gardens. As soon as we were inside we bought hot chocolate. It was chilly, but not overly cold and there weren’t many people there. The schoolhouse building was open and we found Frosty the Snowman inside. The next building had Santa in it. There was no line so we got photos with him and his elf.

Just outside the building were two reindeer in a pen. They were both sleeping. They looked so cute! The lights were very pretty as we walked to the barn. The activity in the barn was decorating a coffee mug. Marina was happy to do that.

After her mug was done, we walked past the elf village. There was no line for the wagon rides, so we got on board for that. The ride was shorter than last year but it was fun. After the ride we were ready to go home. We took a different route back to the entrance which took us past one of the old houses. We were surprised to find it was open for tours. So we looked around there before going back to the car.

The Science of Pixar

Marina had the day off from school, so we went to the nature and science museum. We had tickets to see the Science of Pixar exhibit. We arrived a bit early, so we checked out the other temporary exhibit – Beyond Human Limits. This one contained examples of extreme sports. The activities included a paragliding simulation, copying a cat’s movements and a Ninja obstacle course. Marina enjoyed trying these activities.

We had a little time before our Pixar entry, so we wandered through the animal dioramas, we especially liked the African animals.

When it was our time to enter the Pixar exhibit, we got in line. It started with a short video explaining the process of making a Pixar film. Then we entered the exhibit. It contained many activities which demonstrated the many steps it takes to make the movies. Since the exhibit wasn’t too crowded, Marina got a chance to try most of them. She also enjoyed posing with the life size models of the Pixar characters.

Snowy Superstar

This evening we had tickets to see Jesus Christ Superstar with friends. We were concerned about the road conditions after a big storm today, so we took the light rail downtown. Once we arrived in the theatre district we walked to our favorite downtown restaurant. Marina and Sabrina ordered hot chocolate to drink and we all decided to have hot sandwiches for dinner.

After we ate we walked to the theater. We settled in just a few minutes before the show started. It was presented without an intermission. Marina and I had seen Jesus Christ Superstar before. She and I agreed that we didn’t care for this production. But our friends
enjoyed it.

After the show we ended up with a long wait before the train home finally showed up. We were so glad when it finally showed up. It had been a cold wait! Fortunately it was a quick ride home and we were glad the trip had been a safe one despite all the snow.

New Frozen Friends

Last month we took our friends for Dinner with Villains. They enjoyed it so much we invited them from Dinner with Anna and Elsa. They were both looking forward to it. Marina and I decided to wear our costumes from Frozen 2.

We arrived a bit late but our table was waiting for us when we got there. We were all hungry so we all ordered salads. Marina really likes the wedge salad. She and I also got chicken wings for our entrées.
While we were waiting for our food, Anna and Elsa came to our table. This time, they used a new company to supply the actors, so we didn’t know either of them. They loved our costumes and made a big fuss over Marina. They even asked Marina how old she is – I think they were trying to recruit her!

When our food arrived we were all ready to eat. Marina only ate a few of her wings. Then she went to join in on the activities with the princesses. When it was time to leave, we all agreed we’d had a great time.

Early Zoo Lights

It’s become a tradition for Marina and I to start the holiday season with Zoo Lights. As a University of Colorado Alumni, I am invited to their private event each year. This year since Thanksgiving falls to late in the year, they had to schedule it before. But we decided to go anyway.

We arrived a bit later than our entry time, so there was no line to get in. Our first stop was to pick up hot chocolate and cider to drink. Then we headed out into the zoo. The lights change every year and they were really lovely this year. We stopped to hear the CU Buffoons sing and went through Tropical Discovery.

After we went through the entire display, we went back to the Santa line. It was much shorter than when we arrived, so we refreshed our drinks and got in the line. When we reached the front, the mascot Chip and his family were right by us. So we invited them into our photos. They turned out awesome!

After our pictures we were ready to go home. We’d had another fun evening at the CU Alumni Zoo Lights.

Frozen 2

It’s been six years since Marina and I saw Frozen for the first time. We’ve both been excited to see the sequel which officially opens tomorrow. However, tonight was the preview night. So we decided to go see it tonight.

We arrived at the theater early – too early since the movie before it hadn’t gotten out yet. Once it was ready we went to our seats and placed our food order. Shortly after we settled in, a group with three little girls in costume came in. They reminded me so much of Marina when she was little!

Our food arrived just before the previews started. Marina was very excited. Frozen 2 was action packed and emotional. We both enjoyed it. Marina wasn’t happy about staying for the last scene after the credits but it was cute.

After the movie was over we found it was snowing lightly outside. that seemed appropriate somehow.

Fairytale Tea

A tea house we have attended a few times this year scheduled a Fairytale tea for today. Marina and I were looking forward to it. We decided to wear our costumes from the new Frozen movie.

When we arrived we were greeted by Olaf. The tea parts was an intimate gathering of mothers and daughters. Most of the girls were small, but Marina didn’t mind. At first we were served a plate of decorative sweets. But eventually they brought out sandwiches. Marina was of course thrilled when they brought out the cucumber sandwiches. After we ate, we took turns taking photos in front of their Christmas tree. It was a short party, but we’d had fun.

The Phantom Returns

This evening we had tickets for the evening performance of The Phantom of the Opera. We saw it two years ago and Marina really enjoyed it. So she was excited to see it again. At intermission Marina talked with the girls who were seated near us. They were seeing it for the first time and Marina suggested some things to look for.

The show was as good as we had remembered. But we were very tired when it was over. Fortunately we had a good parking spot and we were able to get home quickly. After a very full day we were ready to rest.

Christmas Eve and Other Stories

For a few years now Marina and I have wanted to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra when they perform each November. When the date was announced we already had plans for the evening, so I bought tickets for the afternoon show. We knew it would be a full day.

We left for the concert after lunch. It was a good thing too. When we arrived at the arena we were 45 minutes early, but there was already a huge line to get in. We stood in that line for over half an hour.

Once inside we picked up drinks. Marina said she was hungry, so I got her a hot dog and fries. The concert did not start on time, so she was able to finish it. The man sitting next to us is a huge fan of Trans Siberian Orchestra, so he told us a bit about what to expect.

Once the show started it was incredible. It featured great music with amazing special effects. We both really enjoyed it.

The Thanksgiving Play

A friend of ours is currently performing in The Thanksgiving Play. We hadn’t been to this theater before, but, of course, we wanted to support her. So we bought tickets for this evening’s performance.

When we arrived we found it was located inside a former church. The updates to the space were really cool and we enjoyed looking around before the show.

Marina likes sitting up front and tonight our seats were right in the front row. Marina was excited to see the show. It turned out to be a ridiculous comedy about political correctness. Marina laughed throughout, so clearly she got most of the jokes.

After the show we met our friend in the lobby. Marina gave her the flowers we brought her. We talked there for about 20 minutes. After talking for a while we headed home.

The Necromancer’s Stone

Marina and I have become regulars at the Bitsy Stage. Their current show is The Necromancer’s Stone – a show about voodoo. We’ve been looking forward to seeing it for a while.

We arrived early, so Marina had a chance to talk with one of our friends for a while. She even got to try on a snake puppet they created for the show but ultimately didn’t use. We picked out seats, but Marina stayed in the lobby until just before the show began.

The show was filled with fun special effects and crazy characters. We both enjoyed it. After it was over we caught up with our friends who were acting in the show. Before we left we took our traditional photo with the cast. It was a fun evening.

Spooktacular Music

Marina and I have always enjoyed going to the Colorado Symphony’s Halloween Spooktacular in the past. We haven’t always been able to fit it into our schedule however. So this year when they decided to schedule it after Halloween we were able to make it work.

Marina decided to wear her Mulan costume for the show. I wore my new Elsa dress. We left the house early but ran into Bronco traffic downtown. Fortunately, we still arrived on time.

We took a look around the pre show activities. It was jam packed with people so we didn’t stay long. We decided to order chai lattes to drink during the show. The barista decorated the top with Jack O’Lantern faces.

The show was fun. It featured music from Star Wars, Jurassic Park and the Harry Potter movies. There were also a few classical pieces mixed in. Of course, Marina and I enjoyed looking at all the costumes just as much as the music.

The Barber of Seville

We invited Ainsley to join us this evening at the opera The Barber of Seville. Ainsley was excited and she even had a new dress for the occasion. She helped Marina to get ready as well.

We ate dinner downtown, then we walked over to the opera house. It was opening night and they had rolled out the red carpet. We had time to pick up drinks before heading to our seats.

The Barber of Seville is a romantic comedy and it was very funny. Both girls enjoyed the silly shenanigans of the characters. They said they had a good time watching it. It was late when the show ended and the girls fell asleep in the car on the way home. Fortunately, the clocks went back an hour, so we were able to get more sleep.

Day of the Dead

It’s become an annual tradition for us to go to the botanic gardens Day of the Dead festival. It has become a popular event and parking is difficult. We had to park fairly far away but the walk wasn’t too bad. I had already purchased our tickets, so we went right in.

We started by going into the café and picking up drinks. Once we had those, we went to check out the activities. We started by looking over the crafts. Marina decided to look into them. She came back a few minutes later with a paper flower for me.

We stopped for a while and watched some of the Mexican dancing. The woman next to us knew quite a bit about it. It was interesting to hear what she was saying. Next we went into to look at the frames created by school children around the area. We also looked at an elaborate alter set up in a greenhouse in the Japanese Garden.

We walked through the gardens to get to the Community Alter at the front. We each wrote down the names of those we lost, including some pets and added them to the alter. It seemed appropriate to have Mexican food for lunch, so we stopped by a restaurant near home.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Marina has been a fan of the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas for many years. I’ve never seen it however. Over the past few years, the symphony has presented it in concert right around Halloween. We’ve wanted to go but hadn’t been able to make it happen in the past. So I decided to buy tickets this year.

Marina wore her Sally dress and drew stitch marks on her face. She decided not to have her hair colored red like Sally’s however.

We left the house early to deal with rush hour traffic. Once we were inside the concert hall, we decided to check out the activities they had set up. Marina decided to try one of them out.
Once her craft was done, we bought drinks and went tour seats. The symphony has a new screen set up that made it much easier for us to see.

Marina loved seeing the movie again. After it was over she said it “took me back to my childhood.”