A Pirate's Life For Me

After a late night last night, Marina and I slept in this morning. We had a big breakfast before getting ready to go out today. The Pirate Festival has become an annual tradition for Marina and I. We each created a pirate themed outfit and headed out.

We ran into terrible traffic on the way to the festival, which was frustrating but ultimately we got there and found a place to park. Then we headed into the park.

The layout was different this year, but it’s not a huge events, so it wasn’t too hard to find anything. We met up with a woman dressed up as Ursula, the sea witch and a siren. We took photos with them. Then we found Tinkerbell. It turned out she was Brittany, one of our friends. It was fun to see her. The mermaids this year were different. They were having story time when we walked by, so we decided to come back afterwards.

We were wanted to watch the cardboard boat races but they weren’t on the lake. Finally we saw a sign that said they had been moved to the recreation center across the street. We headed over there where the races were already underway. We managed to find a place to watch the rest of the races. Once they were over, we went over to say hello to Captain Jack Sparrow. We had a few minutes to talk with him before we went back to the festival.

Marina liked looking at the jewelry for sale and we ultimately got to take photos with the mermaids. We also found the Lego pirate. After a few hours we were both hungry. The food truck lines were long, so we decided to get food on the way home.

Unicorn Palooza

Marina and I had plans for today, but unfortunately the event was cancelled. So we had an open morning and afternoon. Today was Unicorn Palooza at a local outlet mall. So we decided to check that out since we also had some shopping to do.

We had a big breakfast and then headed out. It turned out that Unicorn Palooza was very popular so there were large crowds around all the activities. Marina and I walked around to see what they had. We walked by the Mermaid Lagoon and saw one of our friends was there. We waved to her but he line was really long.

We decided to let the lines die down while we went shopping. After we finished our shopping, we stopped at the food court and got smoothies before going to check out the Unicorn activities. We stood in line for the petting zoo first. It moved quickly and Marina really liked getting close with some animals. She liked the donkey and emu in the pen, but her favorite was the rabbit they had there.

Next we went back to the mermaid lagoon. The line was much shorter and it moved quickly. We spent a few minutes chatting with our friend when it was our turn. It was such a hot day we felt bad for her!

Marina was ready to go home, but we still hadn’t seen Tinkerbell. Her spot was at the end of the unicorn stalls. The line for that was huge, so we asked if we could just see her. The actress recognized us right away. We were able to sneak in for a few photos before we left.

Dinner with the Easter Bunny

Marina and I have been enjoying the character dinners at Oblio's Pizzeria. And even though our friends couldn’t join us today, she wanted to attend the Easter Bunny Dinner. She especially wanted to see Fawn, the animal fairy who was there as well. She didn’t really have any ideas for a costume, so she didn’t wear one. I suggested she wear bunny ears, but she didn’t like that idea.

We arrived a little bit after the event started. The Easter Bunny and Fawn were already there, so Marina gave each a hug and we took some photos. Then we were shown to our seats. They were on the patio near where the Easter Bunny and Fawn were set up, so we had plenty of interactions with them while we were there.

Our server was the same one we've had every time we eat at Oblio’s. We debated about getting chicken wings but ultimately decided on pizza instead.

After she ate, she spent time playing with a two year-old who was there with his parents. She even took him to get a glitter stamp on his hand.  Marina didn’t participate in the singing and dancing, but we could see it all from where we were sitting.

Spring Fairy Night

Marina and I have been enjoying the princess parties at  local pizzeria. The one today was a bit different. It was “Spring Fairy Night.” We had reservations with our friends. We got caught in traffic on our way and when we arrived they were already seated. As we went to meet them we ran into the two fairies – Clarion and Sapphire. Clarion recognized us and gave us each a big hug.

It’s been a while since we saw our friends so we had fun being with them again. They were even more excited when the fairies came by. We took some photos and then waited to order. They seemed to be a bit understaffed so we had to wait quite a while to order. When the breadsticks arrived we ate them quickly we were so hungry. 

Marina and I decided to order chicken wings this time. They arrived just as the fairy entertainment started. After the entertainment, we all enjoyed our food and talked for a while before we left. We’d all had a fun evening together.

Unicorns, Fairies and Princesses

Last year we attended the first annual Unicorn Festival. It was very overcrowded and poorly organized, but we decided to give it another try, especially since some of our friends would be there!

Marina wasn’t sure what to wear this year. Last night she put together a dance costume someone gave us with one of her skirts, fairy wings and a flower wreath to be a fairy. It was a cute outfit!

We left the house fairly early because we knew a lot of people would be there for the beginning of the festival. We didn’t leave as early as we hoped but we did arrive at the park before the festival opened. We got into line to enter and talked with the people around us. While we were waiting, we saw Snow White arrive. It was one of our friends!

It only took us 15 minutes to get inside after the festival opened. So we went immediately to the Princess Palace to see Phoebe. There was no line to see her, so we took pictures and talked with her for a while. We also saw Moana.

We moved on to some of the vendor booths. Marina loves to shop and she happily looked around at everything on display. While we were looking around, we ran into Prince Charming. We’ve been running into him since Marina was six and he was amazed at how much she has grown. We also came upon a group of fairies and Captain Jack Sparrow.

The line for the mermaids looked short, so we got into it. It moved really slowly and we were roasting in line. Bur fortunately we finally got through to see the mermaids. At the end was Ariel. Marina spent quite a while visiting with her.

While we were waiting for the mermaids, we saw Anna and Elsa arrive at the Princess Palace, so we went over there. This time there was a line but it moved quickly and we got to meet with them before their sing along. By this time, Jasmine had arrived at the Agrabah Bazaar. Marina joined the kids for story time and then waited in a quick line for a photo with her.

Next, we checked out a petting farm with "unicorns,” goats and a bunny. Marina loved that! We also met a large white “unicorn” who was a bit restless. Then we stopped in a shady spot to eat lunch. We made our way over to the Princess Palace again to meet Merida. She had a bow that Marina tried out and they posed with them.

We wanted to walk around the rest of the festival and ran into Tinkerbell who remembered us from the Princess Partea last month. We looked around a some of the other activities and then went to make sure we got to meet Belle, who was another of our friends. We had a bit of a wait, but we were thrilled to see her.

We decided to look at the Creation Station to see what crafts they had set up. Marina decided to make a wand. We had to scavenge around for the pieces but she ended up with one she was happy with. Marina wanted “something sweet,” so we looked around the various food trucks and she decide she wanted a snow cone. We sat for a while as she ate it. The line to sit on a “unicorn” was as short as we had seen it, so we got in it. It took a while but it was worth it. Marina got to sit on a white unicorn and pet a baby one. The foal tried to eat part of her costume!

By the “unicorns” was a Harry Potter sorting hat. We both tried it out and were surprised we were put into the Slytherin House. Rapunzel was the last visiting princess and we could see it was another friend of ours. Even though the line was long, we wanted to say hello to her. We were both tired so we decided this would be our last stop. We got some really cute photos and then we decided to go back to the car. It was a fun day but we were both exhausted.

Cendrillon

This afternoon, Marina and I had plans to see Cendrillon with Angie and Adam. After church we got ready to go. Marina wore her Cinderella inspired dress with a tiara and sparkly jewelry. We arrived at Angie’s house while they were getting ready so Marina was happy to play with their three kittens. I could hear her giggling the whole time.

The show was a long drive for us. We were running a bit late, but we fortunately arrived at the venue right in time. The show even started a bit late, so we had time to catch our breath.

Cendrillon is an opera based on the story of Cinderella. It was a different version from the one we saw last month. I think Marina liked this one better, it included a fairy godmother and two sprites. The opera was in French and subtitles weren’t working very well, so we couldn’t read along. However, it is a story we all know, so we could figure out what was going on.

After the show, the performers came out for meet and greets. We got pictures with many of them. After we met everyone, we left the theater.

Before heading home, we stopped for dinner. We were all feeling happy when we made the long drive home.

Zoo Treats

One of our annual Halloween traditions is going to Boo at the Zoo. This year we decided to leave early in order to avoid the issues with parking we’ve had in the past. Marina decided to dress as Princess Zelda this year. I was Belle.

When we arrived there was plenty of parking and we got a great spot. We headed in and picked up a copy of the schedule. They had lots of character appearances during the day but we were actually early for them. So we made note of the times and started our trek into the zoo.

There weren’t as many trick or treat stations as in years past, and they were harder to find.  As we looked for them, we looked at the animals. It was a sunny day, but very windy. The animals didn’t seem to mind a bit, they were very active.

By the time we reached the carousel, Tinkerbell was there greeting people. Of course, Marina wanted to talk with her. Then we went into the Primate Panorama, which was set up with pirate decorations. Marina was thrilled to spot Captain Jack Sparrow. He remembered us from all our recent meetings and we had a nice talk with him.

We went through the primates and they were quite active. A golden checked gibbon seemed to be following Marina around its enclosure. She loved that!

We checked out a character meet and greet area which turned out to be filled with Star Wars characters. Of course, she wanted her photo taken with all of them. Next we went to Predator Ridge where we ran into one of Marina’s friends and her family. We talked with them for a little while before moving on.

We made our way through the zoo and got to all the trick or treat stations. We saw the sea lions and tigers. We also watched an elephant demonstration.

We had plenty of time to settle in for the Princess Sing Along. After a short wait, Snow White appeared. She sang songs and told a story before posing for pictures. She remembered us from previous events and spoke with us for a while.

We had been told Fawn would be near the carousel, so we went o see her. We found Zarina instead, but we were happy to get pictures with her. Then we went back to the Primate Panorama where Moana was meeting people. We waited our turn and then got photos with her.

We decided we were ready to go but on the way out we saw the Rockies mascot, Dinger. Of course, Marina wanted a photo with him as well. Once we did that, we went to our car.

Revisiting the Renaissance

One of our favorite activities every summer is our annual trip to the Renaissance Festival. The was “Pirate Invasion” weekend, so Marina decided to wear her Elizabeth Swann costume. She added a fancy crown to be “her own princess.”

We arrived at the festival just as it opened. After wandering around for a little while, we sat down and listened to the music of Celtic Legacy – a band made up of drummers, a guitar and bagpipes. Marina enjoyed the pieces she recognized, especially the themes from Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean.

During the concert, the royal court settled in at the Pavilion, right next to the stage where the concert was. So we stopped by to see Princess Elizabeth. We gave her photos from last year to add to the album we gave her last year. We also had photo albums for King Henry and Queen Anne. They were both very pleased with them. For the rest of the day, both called Marina by name. It made her feel so special.

We did a little shopping on our way to the first joust of the day. We were disappointed to learn that Sir William was not jousting. He was acting as master of ceremonies. We were in Sir Bromm’s section, so we cheered loudly for him. After the joust, the knights allowed the audience to we got a chance to talk to Sir William. We gave him pictures as well.

We were hungry for lunch after the joust. So we went to the food court for our annual turkey leg. Marina and I finished it off fairly quickly. We spent a while shopping after that. Marina especially liked the jewelry sellers. We also stopped by the booth of our favorite face painter. Marina decided to get a yellow and orange design to go with her gold dress.
 
Before we went to the next joust we stopped by the booth of Twig the Fairy. We found she was not at the festival this year. We were sad to hear that. And as we spoke to the women at the booth it became clear that Twig would not be back at all. Marina was very sad. However, her sister Juniper would be there later in the afternoon.

We went to watch the second joust where Marina got a favor for Sir Bromm. She was the first to give it to him before the competition. After it was over, Marina had her photo taken with him. Marina went through the dragon maze and then we went to meet Juniper. She was a bubble fairy and Marina was happy to meet her. She showed her a photo album we made for Twig. As she did, Marina got a bit emotional and Juniper hugged her and spent some special time with her. Before we left, she gave Marina a special “bubble rock.”

Our next stop was the chapel for the knighting ceremony. She was knighted by the queen and then we got photos with both of the king and queen after the ceremony was over. Marina wanted to see Juniper again, but the line was long, so we shopped for a while until it was time for Princess
Elizabeth’s tea party.

Marina was a bit concerned that she would be the oldest girl at the party, but once it started, she didn’t seem to mind at all. Princess Elizabeth introduced her to the other girls as her special friend. After the party, she gave each of us a purple rose. Then she suggested that Marina audition for the cast in three years. That idea thrilled her!

We got snacks and settled in for the final joust of the day. It was pretty intense combat and Sir Bromm ended up as the sole survivor. After we watched the joust, we waited for Sir William and took pictures.

On the way out, Marina rode on the pirate boat and we met up with Captain Jack Sparrow. Marina said goodbye to Juniper and Sir William. Outside the gates we watched the cast sing and dance. Before we left, we waved to the King, Queen and Princess Elizabeth on the parapet. Then we went to the car. We were both very tired, but we’d had an amazing day!

Unicorn Festival

For months we have been looking forward to the first annual Unicorn Festival. Marina chose to dress as Tinkerbell. She also brought her mermaid fin and Jasmine costume along.

I wanted to get an early start, but we were a bit later than I’d hoped. We arrived and crowds had already started to gather. It took us a while to get inside.

Our first stop was at the Mermaid Lagoon. Marina really wanted to swim with the mermaids. However, they weren’t quite ready to start, so we made plans to come back. Next we just decided to check out the festival. We ran into Prince Charming and Giselle. Marina posed for pictures with both. We found the Princess Palace and Snow White was there. So we took pictures with her as well. Marina then tried out the castle maze which led to a slide.

We went back to the Mermaid Lagoon and found they still weren’t ready yet. We took a photo of Marina with a mermaid and then went to watch a magic show. Marina volunteered to help out with one of the tricks. We also found a fairy king and queen who we had photos taken with.

We wanted to meet Moana, but the line was really long and Marina didn’t want to wait. So we hung out at the bubble tower for a while and had a snack. By then Belle was available, so we got photos with her. Marina changed into her Jasmine costume and we got to the Princess Palace early to see Jasmine. We were very close to the front of the line so we got a chance to meet her quickly.

From there we went to the Mermaid Lagoon and settled in for the wait to swim with the mermaids. It took a very long time, but Marina felt it was worth it. When it was finally her turn, she put on her mermaid tail but it was difficult for her to put the fin on, so she didn’t. She did seem to enjoy her time in the water despite the freezing temperature.

Once she was done swimming we found the festival wasn’t as crowded anymore. We had pictures with Cinderella and Marina petted a unicorn, then she rode one. She even took a turn in the “Crystal Balls” activity. We also got a photo with Ariel. We were about to leave when we saw Captain Jack Sparrow. Of course she wanted to talk to him!

We’d spent the whole day at the festival and we were ready to go home.