Sixteen in Quarantine

Despite the whole state shut down because of the COVID-19 virus, we did our best to celebrate Marina’s sixteenth birthday. We both slept in this morning. After we were both up and dressed, we went to drive up church. The pastor met us at the car and we all prayed the birthday prayer over Marina as well.

As we headed home, Marina asked for cinnamon rolls for breakfast. So we stopped at the grocery store. This was the first time she had seen a store since all the craziness began. When she saw the empty shelves, she said it looked like a zombie apocalypse.

At home, I made Coconut Shrimp for Marina’s birthday. Just as I was finishing it up, one of our friends came over to celebrate with us. We all had lunch together and Marina opened her presents from me. A little while late we sang Happy Birthday and ate cake.

The Merchant of Mumbai

Marina and I  were both looking forward to the current production at one of our favorite theaters, The Merchant of Mumbai. It was a Bollywood version of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. When we arrived at the theater, we immediately saw a friend, who has appeared in several  shows at that theater. That was a nice surprise.

The show was a fun one. It used some of the Shakepearean dialog with Bollywood dance numbers. The humor was also played up. And the costumes were gorgeous.

After the performance was over, we got our traditional photo with the cast. It was a great night!

Dinner With Super Heroes

It was Super Hero Night at our favorite restaurant tonight. We invited one of Marina's friends along. Marina was excited that she was able to go. Marina wore her new Captain Marvel dress. We loaned her friend a Wonder Woman dress. She loved it!

We arrived after the crowd and were able to sit down quickly. We had a cozy booth inside. The characters were Wonder Woman, Batman and Spiderman. All three of the actors recognized us. We had a bit of a wait for our pizza, so we all went outside for superhero training. The girls participated in some of the activities.

After the training, we went inside for our pizza. After we all ate, we headed out. We dropped her friend off at her house and then Marina and I went home.

Dreaming of Summer Luau

For a quite a while, our favorite pizzaria has featured the characters from Frozen at their character dinners. Tonight we were happy to see someone different. It was a Dreaming of Summer Luau featuring Ariel and Moana. It’s been a tough few weeks and we were looking forward to going with our friends. Marina decided to wear my pink Ariel dress. She really liked it, we just had to pin it in a few places. She looked pretty in it.

We arrived a bit late and were seated on the patio in what seems to be our usual spot. Ariel and Moana came by our table shortly after we sat down. tonight’s special was a Luau Pizza. Marina loves pineapple on her pizza so we ordered that along with the wedge salads we all love.

We were right by all the activities. Marina got up for them at first but then returned to the table. She did get a seashell and heart of Tifiti from them though. After we ate we headed home. It was the fun night we all needed. 

A Gentleman's Guide

After performing the song from A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder in her Broadway Showcase class, Marina became a fan of the show. We saw it last year and we liked it so much that we were looking forward to seeing it again. We made plans to see it with one of our friends.

Marina wore a Hufflepuff dress again today. We met up with our friend early and headed to Conifer which is in the foothills. When we arrived, we located the theatre and looked for a place to have dinner. We found a nearby Mexican restaurant.

After we ate, we went to the theater. Marina was seated next to a young lady. The two of them started talking and found they had quite a lot in common. So they talked until the show started.

We all enjoyed the performance. Marina’s favorite is still “Why Are All the D’Ysquiths Dying?” that’s the song she performed for her class. As we were leaving, the actor who played Monty was behind us as we left. We got a quick photo with him before we drove home.

Frozen Wedding Party

We were excited about tonight's character dinner. It was Anna and Kristoff’s Valentine’s Day Wedding. Marina and I wore our Frozen 2 dresses for the occasion.

It started snowing right around the time we needed to leave. It was heavy enough that it took us an extra 15 minutes to get there. So we were super hungry when we arrived. Our favorite server took our order quickly. We all got salads and polished them off quickly.

While we were waiting for our pizza, Marina socialized a bit with the actress who was playing Elsa. Sven also came over to our table where he played with us.

Our pizza arrived at during the “wedding” ceremony. The actress who was playing Anna finally saw us and gave Marina a big hug. After the ceremony, we took photos with all the characters. Then we got ready for the drive home. The streets were covered with snow, so it took a long time and it was late when we arrived at home. 

The Scottsboro Boys

Marina woke up feeling sick this morning. However, we had tickets to see The Scottsboro Boys. A friend directed the show and another friend was acting in it. Marina wanted to go, so we went to see it.

There was a delay due to technical issues, so we waited in the lobby for quite a while before we could sit in the theater. Marina was pretty quiet during that time. We were glad when the doors finally opened and we could sit down.

Despite being a long and serious show, it went by quickly. The story was about a group of black men who were wrongly convicted of a crime. It was a powerful story and Marina got caught up in it despite being sick.

After the show was talked with the director about the show. We also got a chance to speak with some of the actors, including our friend. Once we’d done all that, Marina was wiped out. We picked up dinner and went home.

Off to Neverland

Eight years ago, the ballet presented Peter Pan. Marina and I really loved the show. When it was announced as part of this season, we wanted to see it again. We invited some friends and family to join us.

Today was cold and snowy. Marina’s school was cancelled. So we were a bit worried about getting downtown to the show. Fortunately, not many people were on the roads and they were clear of snow. We decided to take the light rail to be safe.

When we arrived, we went to the box office. They had a great offer on seats today so I asked if we could upgrade ours. The man we were speaking to was very nice and he arranged for all of us to be on the main floor instead of the Loge level. However, we were all in different sections.

The show was as wonderful as we remembered. The "fairy fixers" that each child got were slightly different but still fun. And the moment Tinkerbell was brought back to life was spectacular!

Once it was over, Marina and I walked to the light rail station. We only had to wait about 10 minutes for the train to arrive, but the trip home seemed very long. We were both very tired and ready to go to bed.

Frozen With Friends

Marina and I were at the last Frozen 2 dinner a few weeks ago. We were scheduled to go again tonight with other friends. However, they weren't feeling well today, so we had to go without them. This time, Marina decided to dress as Elsa in her travel dress.

We arrived early and the staff were still cleaning up from the earlier seating. We chatted with the owner a bit while that was happening. Since the early dinner had run late, she asked if we would wait at the bar for a table to open up. We were happy to wait. When our table was ready, we invited her daughters to join us. Marina loved that.

While we ate, we got to know the girls. Shortly after our food arrived it was our turn to take photos with Anna, Elsa and Sven. We all went together. It was fun to interact with these actresses we have come to know.

The owner very kindly paid for our meal tonight. We weren’t expecting that. We’d had a fun night with all the changes.

Matilda's Return

Marina and I have seen Matilda a couple of times. I arranged a church group to see the current production today. Marina was excited to see it again, especially since one of her friends was in the group.

After lunch we went to the the theater to meet up with everyone. The show was fun. We liked the second act better than the first, especially the first song “All I Know I Learned From Telly.” And Marina always enjoyed watching child actors.

After the show, the cast were in the lobby for meet and greets. We talked a bit with a friend of ours who was in the cast. We also ran into the actor who played Miss Trunchbull. We’ve met him a few times, but this time he remembered us. I also introduce her to the actress, who played Miss Honey.

There was a line to meet the actress playing Matilda, but Marina was willing to wait in it. When it was her turn, Marina spent a while talking with her. She was especially interested in how she memorized all her lines.

After meeting most of the actors, we went home. Everyone from our group was already gone.

Disnenchated Again!

Last year, Marina and I saw the musical Disenchanted and we both enjoyed it. Some of our friends were interested in seeing it as well. So we made arrangements to see another production of it. We all went to the theater together.

We arrived early and we looked around at some shops nearby. The theater was a short walk after that. We bought drinks before going to our seats. The show was fun and a bit raunchy. The girls got a high five during the performance from Snow White. We all really enjoyed it.

Hansel and Gretel

Marina and I had tickets to the opera Hansel and Gretel this afternoon. We invited Ainsley to join us. It had been my plan to go to lunch first, but both girls had eaten late breakfasts and were not hungry. So we hang around the house for a while before we went to the arts center.

We arrived early for the show. There were no concession available, so there wasn’t much to do but wait. The girls talked and showed each other photos on their phones until the show started.

The opera was funny and easy to follow. Marina and Ainsley both enjoyed the performance, especially the tenor who played the witch. After the performance, we listened to the question and answer session where little kids asked questions.

After the show, both girls were hungry. So we stopped for a late lunch.

Frozen Friends

We’ve been to quite a few events featuring the characters from Frozen. But we were excited about the one scheduled for tonight. It featured Anna and Elsa in their outfits from Frozen 2. They were also bringing Sven along. Fortunately, our friends were able to join us.

Marina and I wore our travel outfits from Frozen 2. We arrived early and we had a great table inside. Our friends joined us a little while later. Marina was thrilled to see them.

After we ordered our food, it was our turn for photos. I took lots of different poses with the characters. Of course, Marina wanted to hug them all! We ate dinner. Marina even joined the group for the singing and dancing part of the evening. But the best part was hanging out with our friends tonight.

Goodnight Moon

A friend of ours is currently performing in the children’s show Goodnight Moon. He offered us free tickets if we wanted them. We invited my niece and nephew to go with us.

We arranged to meet at the theater. Marina and I arrived early. The building was decorated for the show which was fun, but we had to climb a lot of stairs to get there. After I picked up the tickets we waited for everyone else to arrive. When the theater was opened for seating we found a group in the second row.

When the kids arrived I brought them to the seats we saved. Marina was thrilled to see them and insisted on sitting next to my nephew. She played with him until the show started.

Goodnight Moon was funny and charming. After the show, we waited in the lobby for our friend. He greeted us with hugs and we introduced him to everyone. We had a nice chat with him before heading home.

Wish Lantern New Year's Eve

One of our friends is in town for her Christmas break and Marina and I both were looking forward to seeing her. So we invited her to join us for their New Year’s Eve Dinner with Rapunzel. Marina didn’t want to wear a costume, but I convinced her to wear a Rapunzel inspired dress of mine. Our friends borrowed Rapunzel t shirts from me, so we were all dressed up!

We arrived and found we had the same table as last night. Since our friends hadn’t been there before they took some time figuring out what to order.

After we ordered, Rapunzel came by our table. We recognized the actress. She posed for pictures with all of us and loved our Rapunzel inspired clothes.

Our food took quite a long time. Fortunately we all had salads to keep us from getting too hungry. We were able to see the entertainment from our table which was fun since neither of the girls wanted to join the kids for it.

After the entertainment our food finally made it to our table. As usual, it was all really good and we all enjoyed the meal. We all had a fun evening.

Marina and I didn’t have any other plans for New Year’s Eve. We watched the ball drop in Times Square as it happened, but neither of us felt like going to bed. So we were both awake at midnight. So we had a toast and ate some grapes as we watched the downtown fireworks on TV. After that, Marina was ready for bed.

Star Wars Dinner

Marina and one of her school friends wanted to get together today. So I dropped Marina over at her friends’s house for a few hours this afternoon. We had reservations for the Star Wars Dinner at Oblio’s this evening, so we invited her along with us. She was excited to join us and even borrowed a Rey costume for the event. Marina wore her Leia Bespin dress again.

We had hoped to arrive early but instead we were a bit late. We were seated on the enclosed patio “in the middle of the action.” We ordered a pizza to share and our drinks. Both girls wanted “Dark Side Chocolate Milk.”

While we waited for our food, Rey, Chewbacca and Darth Vader arrived. We recognized Rey right away and she seemed happy to see us. Since we were on the patio, we got the photos first. The girls didn’t eat much – I think they were too excited. Both of them happily took part in the Jedi Training with the younger kids. They especially like the light saber duels with Darth Vader and Rey.
After dinner both girls said they had a good time.

Dinner with Santa

This year, Marina and I have enjoyed going to character meals. Tonight they had Dinner with Santa and his Elf. We arranged for a large group of us to go. Marina wore her Elf dress.

We arrived just as the fun was starting. Just as our food was delivered, the elf told us it was our turn to visit with Santa. So I went with the girls for pictures. Our friend went over her list with Santa and let him know that “Sissy is on the Naughty List.”

The girls joined in for the songs and games. After those were over, Marina spent time chatting with the Elf and Santa, even calling me over for more pictures. We were there pretty late, but everyone was having such a great time we didn’t realize it.

Another Nutcracker

This afternoon we had tickets to an annual tradition - The Nutcracker. a few family members were scheduled to join us, but unfortunately my niece was sick today. So they had to stay home.

Traffic near the performing arts complex was terrible and it took us quite a while to get into the garage. Once inside there were plenty of places to park. So we made it inside easily. I bought Marina a hot chocolate and we went to our seats.

As usual, we enjoyed The Nutcracker. After this run, the Colorado Ballet is retiring their sets and costumes, so it was good to see them one last time.

Christmas at the Aquarium

This morning we had reservations for Breakfast With Santa at the aquarium. So we had to get an early start. Marina decided to wear her mermaid scales dress. Ainsley wore the same dress as last night. Fortunately we didn’t run into much traffic and we arrived right on time.

We met more friends for breakfast. We had a bit of a wait for our table and when we were finally seated we were very disappointed with our table. It was a booth that was too crowded for all of us and we couldn’t see the tank at all. We asked for another table but were told they didn’t have one. So breakfast wasn’t as fun as we hoped. Santa came by our table when we asked, so we got a couple for photos.

After breakfast, some of us decided to go through the aquarium. We’ve been many times, but we all still enjoy it. One of the tigers was pacing around and the stingrays were friendly in the touch pool. After we went through once, we decided to go back and see the mermaid show.

We hung around for the mermaid meet and greet, then we headed for home.

A Festive Colorado Christmas

The symphony concert A Colorado Christmas has become a holiday tradition for Marina and I. This year, we invited Ainsley to join us.The girls decided to wear festive outfits. Marina wore her elf dress. Ainsley had on a red dress which we helped accessorize with a black Santa belt and a cardigan with snowflakes on it.

We decide to check out the Mile High Tree. The tree is a new feature this year that has an interactive light show inside. Marina and Ainsley laid down on the ground to watch the show. They both loved it!

We went into the concert hall for the concert. We checked out the pre show activities. Santa was there, so we got a photo with him. The girls weren’t interested in the activities, so we picked up some warm drinks and sat down.

The concert was fun, as usual. We all enjoyed the music and especially the Sing Along. At intermission we took a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus. After the concert we were able to exit the parking garage quickly, but we ran into traffic, so it took us quite a while to get home. Both girls fell asleep on the drive. So once we arrived at the house, they went right to bed.