Butterfly Opera

Part of our annual summer traditions is a trip to Central City to see the Family matinee of one of their shows. This year’s opera was Madame Butterfly. Since we recently introduced one of Marina's friends to opera, we invited her join us.

We got an early start for the drive into the mountains. We arrived a bit early for the Opera Adventures part of the day. The Associate Director of Education, recognized us when we checked in. After a brief meeting in the stables, the group split in two. Our group went to the Teller House for an origami activity. Emily lead the class in making a butterfly. The girls each made two. Since origami is something Marina does all the time at home, she loved this part.

 After the origami activity, we went to the garden for the next activity. The leader talked about Painted Lady butterflies. After her introduction, she handed everyone a folded paper that contained a butterfly. The group counted down and then released their butterflies. They didn’t fly away right away, so both girls enjoyed watching the butterflies. Marina’s stayed on the paper for quite a while before it flew away.

While I went to get lunch, both girls found butterflies in garden, some on the ground, and even had some land on them. We ate lunch on the opera house patio and then gathered for the next activity. Inside the Williams Stables, we met the cultural director of Madame Butterfly. She taught everyone about Japanese culture. They learned about proper greetings and sang a folk song. We saw a demonstration on how to properly wear a kimono. Marina was thrilled to get to try one on. Last, the group learned several fan dance moves.

After the cultural lessons. We lined the street to watch the famous Usher Song. Then we went into the opera house to find our seats. Madame Butterfly is a long opera but we all enjoyed it. The girls particularly liked the little girl in the cast. The ending was tragic and we discussed the importance of honor in Japanese culture in relation to the ending.

The weather had become rainy so the meet and greet session was held inside. We spoke with several of the performers and took photos with them before heading back to the car.

The Art of Dior

We had tickets to see the Christian Dior exhibit at the art museum this evening. Marina and her friend got all dressed up but then ultimately decided to wear the clothes they wore to school.

We decided to leave early to deal with rush hour traffic. It also had started to snow. As we drove the snow got heavier and it took us twice as long to get there as usual. Fortunately we arrived just in time to go into the exhibit.

Both girls loved the fancy dresses in the Dior exhibit. They agreed on some but also had their own favorites. We spent the most time in the last room that had dresses inspired by countries around the world.

After we finished seeing the Dior exhibit, we went into the interactive area. They had activities for print art. Both tried each types. They seemed to enjoy the activities and were happy with their finished products.

Once their artwork was finished, we decided to leave. It was late. Unfortunately, due to the snow, the drive home was worse than the drive there. It took nearly 90 minutes for us to get back the house. Both girls were dozing off the entire time. When we finally arrived at home, we had about eight inches of snow to walk through!

Colorado Christmas Concert

Last year Marina and I enjoyed A Colorado Christmas at the symphony. So I bought us tickets to see it again this year. Marina decided to wear her elf dress. I was concerned about traffic, so we had a quick dinner at home and then set off for downtown.

We arrived early so we decided to check out the activities before the show. Just like last year, Santa Claus was the there to pose for pictures. He even gave Marina a candy cane. Marina made a reindeer ornament in the craft area and them we went back into the lobby where we bought drinks before going to our seats. .

There was a string quartet paying outside the door to the concert hall. We were about to go in when they started playing Canon in D by Pachbel. It’s one of my favorite pieces of classical music, so Marina patiently waited so I could listen to it.

As usual, we were happy to see our favorite conductor. The lineup of songs was different this year and Marina enjoyed most of it – although she didn’t seem to like the Too Hot to Handel segment. At intermission, she got a quick photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

We really enjoyed the concert but it got out pretty late and we were tired by the end.

Dia De Los Muertos Celebration

We’ve been going to the botanic gardens Day of the Dead Celebration for the past few years. Last year Miss Judy came with us and enjoyed it. So we invited her again this year. She, in turn, invited Bethany and Jeremy to join us. It was going to be particularly emotional this year as we would be remembering a family who was killed earlier this year.

The weather was cool and rainy this morning but we decided to go anyway. It seemed to take a long time for everyone to be ready to go, but we were fortunate that right as we arrived we found someone who was leaving the parking garage, so we got a good parking spot.


When we arrived we found the crafts under a large tent. Marina wanted to decorate a sugar skull, so we wall watched her as she made hers. Judy, Bethany and Jeremy went to watch the Aztec dancers while Marina created a flower wreath and she made paper marigolds which she gave to Judy and Bethany.

We all went for warm drinks and once we had them the Lucha Libre wrestling had begun. So we watched that for a while. Our next stop was the community alter. Judy and Bethany got emotional as they added a family members’s name to the display. I helped Marina with a card with her great grandparents’ names on it.

We went into the Japanese garden where Marina showed everyone the koi pond. Then we wandered around the perimeter of the garden. By then Bethany and Judy were tired, so we decided to leave. On the way home, we stopped to have tacos for lunch.

Christmas Concert

It has been quite a while since Marina and I have attended a symphony concert. So, we were both looking forward to the Christmas concert this evening. After school today we ate dinner and got ready to go. Marina wore a Santa inspired outfit. She looked really cute!

Marina decided she wanted to take the light rail downtown. That turned out to be a really smart plan. The performing arts complex had seven events scheduled for around the same time! When we arrived there were people everywhere. We saw a group called The singing group singing carols outside the concert hall. We’d met one of the performers before. During the song she pointed to us. We were surprised and pleased she remembered!

We went into concert hall and bought drinks and snacks. We left our coats at our seats and went to check out the activities set up for kids. We were surprised to see Santa sitting in the middle of the room. There was not line, so Marina posed for a photo with him. Then she sat down and made a paper bag reindeer puppet. As she was working on it, we saw the singing group come in. They had used a room there to change their clothes. Marina immediately ran over to say hello.

She finished her puppet a few minutes before the show started, so we went to our seats. We had a few minutes to look over the program before the show began. We were both pleased that our favorite conductorwould be conducting the concert.

The concert featured two children’s choirs, the Symphony Chorus and a soloist. We enjoyed the variety of musical numbers in the show. She particularly liked the Polar Express portion. She was quire pleased when the soloist walked past her seat and gave her a nod. Santa and Mrs. Claus made an appearance and we managed to get a photo with them at intermission.

We both enjoyed the show. Afterwards we were hoping to meet the soloist, but he did not appear in the lobby afterwards. So we went to the light rail and went home.

Dia de los Muertos

We attended the Day of the Dead Festival at the Botanic Gardens last year. We had a great time and one of our friends said she would like to join us the next time we went. So we invited her to join us today. Fortunately, she was able to come.

Marina wanted to dress up, so I had her try on a black lace dress of mine. It fit her pretty well. We added a flower wreath from the Renaissance Festival. She looked great!

We picked up our friend, then drove to the Botanic Gardens. Not only was today the Day of the Dead Festival, it was also a free day. So we were concerned about finding parking. Fortunately, we found a great spot right away, so we were quickly into the gardens.

We started by getting Marina’s face painted. The line was slow but the face painter Marina got was amazing. She created a design to go with the flower wreath she was wearing. She looked beautiful and received compliments all day.

We checked out a few of the crafts. Marina made her own picture for an ink press and designed a frame. She also decorated a clay “sugar skull.” After the crafts we watched a few bouts of Lucha Libre wrestling. Marina even got her picture taken with one of the wrestlers.

We went into the gardens which were fabulously decorated. There were banners everywhere and statues put up for the Day of the Dead celebration. We got a chance to look at displays set up by families to honor their loved ones who had passed away. Near the Japanese Garden was a greenhouse with colorful sticks that we could write loved ones’ names on. Marina wrote one for Melanie our cat and put it in a display for pets.

We decided to stop for lunch. Marina got a salad with grapes and goat cheese. She also tried my chicken mole panini which she also liked. While we were eating, she talked with two ladies who were sharing our table. They talked about cats, anime and Comic Con. She clearly had made some new friends!

After lunch we went into the greenhouse to see the tropical plants. Our friend knew a lot about those plants and she talked about them with Marina. After we looked at the greenhouse, we looked around at the gift shop for a while. By then, the gardens were getting very crowded, so we decided to go home.

Fall Fairytale

In our area are lots of fall festivals and corn mazes. We’ve only been to a few. We found out that one we hadn't been  to before was having a Fairytale Day at Maize in the City. We decided to go check it out.

The ads featured Belle, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, so Marina wore her blue Belle costume. We arrived at the Maize before the party started, so we looked around a bit. Shortly after that, the characters arrived. We were thrilled that they were all performers we know. When they saw us, they waved and called us by name.

The party started with a craft – making a pumpkin wand. Marina chose a big one to decorate. After she finished her pumpkin, we took photos with all the characters. Marina also made a new friend, a four year old girl. The two hung out together until the show started.

Flynn Rider started things off by having an Adventure Academy. Marina went on stage to participate. She especially liked the swashbuckling – sword fighting. When she was tagged she put on a dramatic death. Next Rapunzel, Flynn and Belle sang. Then Belle told stories.

After the show, we spent some time with our friends before we left to look around. We decided to try out the corn maze. A friend of mine told me that you should always go to the right side when in a corn maze, so we tried that. It worked! We not only easily found our way out, but we hit all the markers through it to claim a prize. The prize was a mini pumpkin. Marina was thrilled!

Marina wanted her face painted. The line looked short but it moved very slowly. Her new friend was in line ahead of us, so they played together as they waited. Some other children approached Marina. They thought she was Belle! She played along for a little while.

When it was finally Marina’s turn, she decided on a flower design in red. It came out beautifully. By that time we were tired and ready to head home.

Belle Adventure

This evening, we had tickets for Beauty and the Beast at the wildlife museum. Marina chose the blue Belle costume to wear for the show. While we were checking in, we met up with a little girl we had met at previous shows. So she and Marina hung around together for most of the event.

Belle was near the door when we arrived, so we got a picture with her right away. We chose our seats in the theater and the girls put together a rose craft. Then we went upstairs where we found a storybook craft. At that point, her friend wasn’t feeling well, so we went to rest and Marina and I went on a scavenger hunt. On the hunt, we met up with one of Marina’s second grade teachers.

After the scavenger hunt, we went to the theater for the movie. When the movie was over we said goodbye to her friend and her mom. There’s a good chance we’ll see them again at the next princess movie.

Painting the Enchanted Rose

After lunch, Marina changed into her Belle dress. I signed us up for a painting class. The project was the Enchanted Rose from Beauty and the Beast. Since Marina loves art so much, I thought it might be fun. We showed up while they were still setting up so we each got a drink and talked with the staff about other Disney projects they have from time to time.

Creating our paintings was more difficult than we expected. Marina got a bit frustrated and complained my picture was better than hers. Despite her unhappiness, she kept at it. The colors she blended were really pretty and ultimately the picture came together.

When the class was over, Marina said, “Let’s do this again!” Next time I think we’ll try something a bit easier.

Tea and Valentines

Today a tea room near our house advertised a Gummy Heart Festival. I thought it sounded like fun. I also scheduled for us to have high tea there as well. Marina dressed in pink and red for the occasion.

When we arrived, there was one girl already trying out some of the crafts. Her grandparents own the tea shop. Marina worked on several Valentine crafts alongside her, until it was time for us to sit down for our tea.

We started with soup and salad. Marina had the salad but she enjoyed some of my potato leek soup. The starter was followed up with a huge tray of sandwiches and sausage rolls. As we were eating. the girl Marina befriended came by with her lunch. We invited her to sit down and shared some of our sandwiches as well.

By the time our scones arrived we were pretty full. So Marina went to do more crafts. They ended up making Valentines for each other. Before we left, Marina gave her new friend her phone number so they could keep in touch.

As we left we ran into two more of our friends. They were hoping to join us. Marina was ready to go home, so they went in and had lunch together.

Be Our Guest

We had plans to see Beauty and the Beast this afternoon. But before it began, we had reservations for the Be Our Guest package for before the show. Marina and I were both looking forward to the day.

Marina had a tough time choosing what to wear. She was torn between her yellow Belle dress and Enchanted Christmas costume. She finally decided on the yellow ball gown. She used her Belle palette for makeup and I put a rose in her hair.

We arrived and went into “the Beast’s Castle” for the pre-show activities. The activities started with s local librarian telling the story of Sleeping Beauty. We had lunch and Marina visited the craft tables. She made a Belle bookmark and a red flower. We took a shield home for her to decorate as well.

After lunch, many of the cast members joined us. Marina had her picture taken with Belle, the Beast, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Babette, Mrs. Potts and Chip. After the meet and greet was over, Belle told a story to all the children. Then everyone had the chance to take a group photo with the cast.

We left the “castle” and went to the theater to get ready for the show. When we arrived at our seats we found that most of the girls in our row were dressed as Belle! Marina fit right in! She was excited as the lights dimmed at the start of the show. We both really enjoyed it. After it was over, we went into the lobby to get more pictures with the cast. This time Belle was in her yellow gown with her Prince. And we also got to meet Gaston.

Once our photos were taken, we went back into the theater for a backstage tour. Marina participated in the question and answer part. Then we got to go on the stage and look at the set. It was a fun experience!

Frosty and Frozen

We had tickets for the Frosty and Frozen concert this evening at the symphony. Marina wore her Anna trekking costume. We were early, so we went to a nearby coffee shop for dinner. 

We went to the concert hall and found activities set up before the show. Marina made a snowman popper, fished for a candy cane and had snowflakes painted on her cheek.

A few minutes before the concert began we went to our seats. A nice couple was sitting next to us and we chatted with them before the show began. The concert was a combination of Christmas songs, classical music and the soundtrack from movies. A vocalist performed songs from Frozen and led a sing along at the end. Both of us enjoyed the performances.