Aladdin Movie

Jasmine has always been one of Marina’s favorite Disney characters. So she was very excited to see the new Aladdin movie. Our tickets were for the 3D version.

Both of us really enjoyed the movie. We loved Jasmine’s costumes, the small changes to the storyline and Will Smith as the Genie. And, of course, Marina loved Rajah, the tiger!

Festive Fun with Fish and Friends

Breakfast with Santa has become an annual tradition for us. Once again, we invited our friends to join us. Marina wore her elf dress again. We all met at the aquarium.

This year our seats were in the middle of the dining room. However, several of the tables near us were not occupied which allowed us to see the tanks better. We were all hungry, so we got into line for food right away. Marina came back with a fully loaded plate!

While we were eating, Santa came by the table and we took some photos. We enjoyed the mermaid show and then Santa and his elf swimming in the tank.

We decided to go to into the Aquarium after breakfast. One of them had never been there before so he was particularly fascinated by the exhibits. We made sure he saw the flash flood demonstration and we arrived early for the mermaid show for good seats.

When we reached the end of the exhibit, everyone got photos taken with a mermaid and they touched a ray in the feeding pool. Marina and I bought tickets for the 4D theater. The show was Sharks. The experience was intense but it was fun. Once we saw the show we were ready to go home.

Fishing You A Merry Christmas

Marina and I have been going to the Aquarium Breakfast with Santa for six years now. Marina decided to wear a new Ariel costume, the dress she wore on her tour of the countryside. She looked really pretty in it.

We were given a table with a great view of the tank and more space than most. It was perfect. We were all hungry so we went to the buffet right away. Marina ate lots of eggs and bacon as well as a waffle.

We had a great view of the mermaids while they were swimming. Santa made a brief stop at our table before her went in as well. Marina spent much of that time interacting with the smaller children who came to the tank to watch.

After breakfast, we browsed the gift shop for a little while. Then  Marina and I went into the Aquarium. It had been a year since our last visit, so it was nice to see it again. Marina even posed for a few Ariel themed photos for me. We made sure we were in place for the mermaid show and at the end of the show we waited a little while to made sure we got a photo with the mermaid as well.

After going through the Aquarium, we went to the 4D theater for a show. The next movie was Coastal Predators, and Marina thought that would be good. We ended up waiting for quite a while, so the movie attendant said we could stay and watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer as well. We were happy to do that! The theater has been revamped and had some surprising new features – including being poked in the back and feeling like little fish were at our feet. There were some sprays of water. After each show we were laughing.

Once the movies were over, we decided to go home.

Rogue One

We didn’t have much going on today before church, so we decided to see the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One. Marina dressed in her Princess Leia costume.

We went to the Movie Tavern for the show. Marina got quite a lot of compliments for her outfit. We got into our seats and ordered our usual platter for lunch. Marina also got a chocolate shake.

The movie was action packed and exciting. Marina whispered to me halfway through that she really liked it. She was especially thrilled when Princess Leia appeared at the end.

Santa in the Water Room

Breakfast with Santa has been a tradition for us every December. Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy also enjoy going with us. We made plans to go this morning with them and we invited Michelle to join us.

We arrived right on time but it appeared that the table they planned to seat us at wasn’t ready, so we were led to the Water Room – a small space set apart from the dining room with perfect views of the tanks. We were thrilled to be sitting there!

We went to the buffet line and loaded up our plates, then we sat down to enjoy our spectacular view. As we ate the mermaids swam in the tanks. We could see them in the tanks in the dining room. Soon they swam into the tanks in front of us, it was like a private show!

Santa stopped by our tables last. We took photos before he headed into the tanks for his swim. Once again, we got a personal viewing of the water show.

After breakfast, we encountered some animal meet and greets. We saw a coral snake and two rats. Marina was happy to pet them all. We bought tickets for the aquarium and went inside. Michelle used to go to the aquarium often when she was little, but it had been years since her last trip. She enjoyed seeing it all again.

We passed by the Archer Fish who were being fed. Michelle and Marina each took a turn. They held a live cricket over the tank and the fish squirted water at it to get them to drop the cricket into the water. It was funny to watch!

After we made went through the Aquarium we went to the 4D theater to see The Polar Express. It was a festive way to end our day.

Moana

It’s been three years since Disney released a new princess movie. We’ve both been looking forward to seeing Moana, the newest one. Marina didn’t have school today and I took the day of so we could see as soon as it opened. Last month I bought her the Moana costume, so there was no question what she was going to wear today.

Marina had an appointment today. She wore the costume there and was happy to show it off. After her appointment was over, we picked up one of her friends and went directly to the theater.

We went to a theater which we haven’t been to in a long time. It includes a restaurant, so Marina ordered a shrimp platter for lunch. Then we headed into the theater to get ready for the movie.

We were pretty early for the movie, so we ate our lunch while we waited. A little before the previews started two more of our friends joined us and we all settled into our seats for the show.

We all loved the show. Moana was an engaging character and the music was amazing. Marina and I loved it so much that we bought the soundtrack on the way home from the theater.

A Day With Mermaids

The aquarium had a Mermaid Breakfast this morning. We invited Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy to join us. Naturally, Marina wanted to wear her Ariel costume.

We met Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy at the aquarium and went right in for breakfast. We were seated right next to one of the tanks. Before we got our food Marina had her picture taken with two mermaids who were near the entrance.

By this time, Marina was starving. So we went through the buffet line and filled up our plates. While she was eating, Marina lost another tooth! It took a little while for it to stop bleeding.

After breakfast we watched an animal demonstration outside the aquarium. It featured turtles, a hawk, a bearcat and a macaw. Then we got our tickets for the aquarium. Marina seemed to be in a hurry to get through the exhibits and I constantly had to ask her to slow down. We caught the end of the mermaid show and actually ended up with a great view of them in the water.

While going through the aquarium, Marina completed a scavenger hunt. So when we finished going through we went to the classroom for her to pick out a prize. There were also a few activities for her to try.

Once outside the Aquarium, Marina rode the carousel and we watched the 4D movie. Then we went back inside where Marina had her picture taken with the mermaids and got into the face painting line. She chose to have a black cat on one arm and a grey one on the other!

Once we were done with all that, we were ready to go home. We spent the rest of the day hanging out at home with the cats.

Star Wars Sunday

Marina has been looking forward to the release of the newest Star Wars movie, which was surprising since she hadn’t seen any of the previous movies. So over the past month we have been watching the movies to get her ready for the new one. She was even happier when I bought her a Princess Leia costume at Halloween.

We deiced to see The Force Awakens today. I bought tickets at our favorite theater. She dressed up in her Princess Leia costume, including the wig. We arrived early and ordered our usual. Our food arrived before the movie started.

Sitting next to Marina was another young lady. The two of them had fun talking before (and sometimes during) the movie. Once the movie started, Marina was completely engrossed. Some of the scenes surprised her and I could hear her react. After the movie was over, she said she liked it.

Inside Out

Marina has been looking forward to the release of the new Disney Pixar movie Inside Out. So she was very excited when I got us tickets to an advance screening of the movie this evening.

In preparation, we went to the Disney Store. They are having Summer Play Days again this year. The schedule said Showtime today and we we happy to learn that the activity revolved around Inside Out. In the activity the cast member introduced the main characters in the film. After the activity, she got her lanyard for this year and not only the button for this week but the previous weeks as well.

We looked around the store and Marina paid special attention to the Inside Out toys. She fell in love with the Joy plush doll so we got that to take with us to the movie tonight.

After dinner, we headed to the theater. It was pretty crowded as we expected. It took us a while to get our popcorn and find seats. They were closer than what we ideally would have like, but Marina enjoyed the kids seated near us until the movie started.

We both enjoyed the movie. It was funny and sad. The main character, Riley, was eleven, just like Marina. Even after it was over we had a discussion about feelings.

Jurassic World

Marina has been excited to see the new movie Jurassic World for a while. It opened today and since we didn’t have any other plans, we deiced to go. It was a rainy morning – the perfect day to see a movie.

We went to our favorite movie theater restaurant for the 3D version. I was concerned it might be too intense for Marina. We had watched Jurassic Park earlier this week in preparation. She didn’t seem concerned at all. But she brought her Princess Aurora plush doll just in case.

We ordered our usual food and settled in. Marina was happy to be sitting next to a younger girl. They entertained each other until the movie started.

The movie was intense but Marina enjoyed it. She appreciated all the references to the original Jurassic Park. She also seemed to like the big and scary dinosaurs.

After it was over, she enthusiastically told me what she liked about it. And when we got home, she changed her clothes into an outfit that was reminiscent of the heroine from the movie. For Marina, that’s the ultimate sign she liked the movie!

Kittens, Dolls and Heros

We’ve only had Jasmine with us for a week and a half and she already feels like a member of the family. Today we took her to the vet for her first check up. Most of all, I wanted to make sure her respiratory infection has cleared up. Marina was happy to come along for the appointment, Jasmine wasn’t so sure about the whole thing she wandered around the exam room and Marina kept an eye on her.

Our appointment was with a doctor we hadn’t met before. She said the infection seems to be clearing up, so she wasn’t worried about it.  When she listened to Jasmine’s heartbeat she asked if we’d like to hear. Marina was thrilled to hear it. She also clipped Jasmine’s claws for us and showed me how to do it. That will be great since Marina and I are both a bit scratched up from her.

We dropped Jasmine off at home and we went off to the annual Salvation Army Doll Tea. Marina brought Kaya along with us. Marina got a scavenger hunt card, which she was very faithful in getting filled out. We looked around at the dolls. As usual, Marina fell in love with many of them. I found a Guinevere doll from the Franklin Mint that was worth much more than the $20 they were asking for it. Marina liked her as well. She picked out a stuffed unicorn that she wanted. She was also given teddy bears at two different places in the tea. At the end we were given more free stuff – cookbooks and boxes of Christmas cards. Marina also got her first chance to visit with Santa this year. I’m sure it won’t be the last!

Our next stop was our favorite movie theater. Marina has been anxious to the new Disney movie Big Hero 6. When we arrived we found that the movie is a hot ticket in town today. Fortunately, we arrived early enough to get tickets. We settled into our seats and ordered lunch which arrived shortly before the movie started.

We saw the 3D version of the movie. We both really enjoyed it. It had its sad moments but overall we liked it. After the movie we headed home and just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Maleficent Movie

Today was Marina's last day of fourth grade. To celebrate, we had lunch with her best friend's family. Of course, Marina was happy to do that!

After lunch, Marina and I decided to go see the new Disney movie, Maleficent. She considered wearing her Sleeping Beauty costume to the movie, but decided the costume wasn't comfortable. So she brought McKenna along and dressed her up instead.

We decided to see the 3D version. It was much more intense than the animated version and at times Marina seemed to have difficulty focusing. But overall we both enjoyed the movie. It was a good way to kick off the summer!

Fish and Fun

Marina and I had trouble deciding what we wanted to do today. At the same time, we both thought about the Aquarium. Marina decided she did not want to wear her Ariel costume. Instead she chose an Ariel shirt and took her Ariel plush doll with her.

On our way in, Marina tripped and fell, skinning her knee pretty badly. So after we got our tickets, we found the first aid station. A very caring employee cleaned and bandaged up her knee. Marina even got a sticker that said "I love the Mystic Mermaids." Once she was cleaned up, she hobbled into the Aquarium.

The sea otters put on a show for us and it seemed like the fish were more active than usual. We missed the mermaid show, but we caught up with them at the meet and greet.

We went into the restaurant for lunch. While we were waiting for our food, we got to see the mermaids swim. March got to see them pretty close up. Once their show was over, our food arrived and we sat down to eat.

Lunch took longer than we expected, so we hurried into the area for the next mermaid show. It was already packed and Marina had a hard time just finding a place where she could see.

We wandered through the aquarium but it was so crowded we couldn't look at everything as we would have liked to. So we watched the 4D movies which bumped us around quite a bit. Then we headed home.

Oh Maya!

Last month, the nature and science museum opened a new exhibit about the Mayan Empire. We've both been interested in seeing it, but couldn't make the time before today.

Unfortunately, we couldn't leave the house as early as we wanted to and when we arrived at the Museum, it was packed. So we made the Mayan Exhibit our first stop.

Marina didn't seem as interested in this exhibit as she was in the Pompeii exhibition. She did like the hands on activities. She pieced together a vase and created her Mayan name - Princess Flower. Her favorite part was easily the weaving. She also enjoyed creating a Mayan pattern with blocks.

After going through the exhibit, Marina wanted to see the Imax 3D movie Jerusalem. I was surprised that she wanted to see that one, but I went ahead and got the tickets. As it turned out, Marina wasn't even really sure where Jerusalem was. But as we watched the documentary, she exclaimed, "This is better than I expected" and "I feel like I'm really in Jerusalem." I think she learned a bit about Judaism and Muslims, but she also seemed to draw closer to our Christian faith as well. We were both impressed by the film.

Lego Movie

Marina has been wanting to see The Lego Movie for some time. So, when I let her know we could go today, she was very excited. Last night she could barely sit still. She decided to bring Julie with her today.

We had a relaxing morning and ran a few errands before we went to the movie theater. Marina requested the movie theater with the restaurant. We were pleased that the 3D version fell right around lunch time.

We were the first ones to arrive at the theater. As we waited for our lunch, Marina ran up and down the aisles in anticipation. Our food arrived right before the movie started and Marina was happy.

We both really enjoyed the movie. It was fun and had a great message. Marina learned the song "Everything is Awesome" and sang along.

After the movie, Marina said she loved it. I'm glad it lived up to her expectations.

Christmas Fishes

After a wonderful Breakfast with Santa at the Aquarium last year, we had to go again this year.We invited our friends Chuck and Judy to come with us. We were all looking forward to it.Marina, as usual, chose to wear her Ariel costume. We even added body glitter and sparkly eye make up to her ensemble. She topped it off with her pink princess Santa hat. She brought Saige along in her mermaid costume as well.

We arrived a bit early so we all had settled into eating our delicious breakfasts before Santa arrived. We were all amazed at how much Marina ate. First he made the rounds to all the tables. Just like last year, when he arrived at our table the mermaids showed up in the tank behind us. We had a wonderful view of them swimming. Chuck and Judy were especially thrilled.

After visiting each table, Santa and one of his elves took a dip in the tank as well. We had a huge group of kids around our table for quite a while. But it was fun!

After breakfast, we went on a trip through the Aquarium. We missed the first mermaid show, but halfway through we saw the mermaids being wheeled out to their meet and greet location. At that point, Marina didn't want to do anything but see them. So, we quickly went through the rest of the exhibits to their spot.

When she got her turn to pose with the mermaids, they all loved Marina's costume and looked Saige's outfit over closely.

We had tickets for the 4D theater, so we headed to see the shows. They were showing short films based on Ice Age and The Polar Express. Marina loved them.

We went back into he Aquarium. The sea otters and the tigers were quite active, so we watched them for a while. Marina took video of several of the exhibits. We also got to see the mermaids' holiday show.

After we finished our second trip through the Aquarium, we were tired and ready to go home. It was a great start to her Christmas break!