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.

Dracula

Since Marina is getting older we’re able to see more mature theatrical productions. A theater near our house is presenting Dracula and even though it is for mature audiences, I decided to take her to see it. We went with some of our good friends.

We arrived at the theater early, so we took photos in front of the posters outside and got some snacks for the show. We went to our seats which were in the second row. The set was dark and occasionally fog spread across the stage.

Once the show began it was quite dark from the beginning. Marina didn’t seem to mind at all. She did cover her eyes when there was “brief nudity” but it wasn’t really necessary.

Despite the very dark storyline Marina loved the show. After it was over, we waited to meet members of the cast. First we spoke with an actor who had an amazing voice. As we talked with him we found out we’ve seen him in many shows this year and will likely see his next few as well. That was fun.

We also talked with the actor who played Dracula. We met him after Once On This Island a few years ago. He was very gracious to us. We had a bit of a wait to see the actress who played Mina. We first saw her in Cinderella four years ago. She remembered meeting us and talked to us for a while. We learned some of the shows she will be performing in, so we’ll be sure to see her again soon!

Jekyll & Hyde

As Marina is getting older, I am able to expose her to more mature subject matter in theater. When she learned a local theater was presenting Jekyll & Hyde, she was interested in seeing it. We saw an adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a few years back. Since I've seen this show before, I knew this version had much more mature content.

Before the show, we talked about some of the more adult themes in the show. I must have made Marina nervous because she decided to bring her Mulan plush doll in case it got to scary. When we arrived we found a family with kids Marina's age and she relaxed.

When the show started, Marina paid very close attention. Some of the scenes embarrassed her, but it wasn't too scary for her. The actress playing Emma we had seen before, so that naturally excited Marina. Once the show was over, Marina told me, "That was phenomenal!" The cast overall was talented and Marina was interested in meeting several of them - including the actor playing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

We waited around after the show to meet the three lead actors. The actress who played Emma was pleased we remembered her and spent a few minutes talking with us. The actor who played Dr. Jekyll was also very kind. He recognized Marina's doll as Mulan and was very encouraging to her when she talked about her recent audition for her school play and plans to volunteer for the crew.

After we finished socializing, we went home. We'd had a fun night, but it was late.

Monster Birthday Party

Marina and I have been so busy lately we haven’t had time to have her birthday party before today. This year she was very clear how she wanted to celebrate – Monster Mini Golf. She has been excited all week for today.

We arrived at Monster Mini Golf early and they were ready for us. We had a lovely (albeit monstrous) party room. We had a short wait before her friends arrived.

First we sang “Happy Birthday.” Then our hostess led everyone in a game to see who knew Marina best. Every correct answer was awarded with a prize. Next they moved on to presents. Marina read every card before looking at the gift.

By then, the girls were ready for golf. They didn’t keep score, or use any rules, really. But clearly they were having fun. They got through the golf course quickly and headed for the arcade where each got credits to spend. Once they used those up, they shopped for prizes. That might have been the hardest part!

Scaring School

Marina has been a bit sick lately and she didn't feel up to doing much today. However, she did want to attend an activity at the Disney Store today. So, we took it easy this morning and then went for the Monsters University Scaring Lesson.

The activity started with each child getting their Monster's University ID card. The cast member wrote each child's name down and they chose a monster picture for the photo. Then they went through the different aspects of scaring. They learned the "scary feet," then the growl and pounce. At the end, they put it all together for the final exam. All the kids passed with flying colors and were awarded a diploma (upon showing their ID).

After the class, we shopped around a bit. Marina surprised me by not begging for anything. I told her she must be sick!

Monster Pumpkins

In honor of Monsters University, Marina and I decided to carve our pumpkins this year to look like James P. Sullivan and Mike Wazowski. This year, Marina said she wanted to help and she meant it. Not only did she help me scoop out the insides of the pumpkins, but she helped with the actual carving. We used paper templates to mark the pumpkins and then cut out the designs. Marina stared with Mike but soon handed that one over to me and worked on Sully. She succeeded in carving half of Sully's face before giving up. So I finished it for her.

 We were pretty pleased with the finished products.

Dolls and Disney

After a full day yesterday, Marina and I were looking forward to a quieter New Years Day. We decided to go to the American Girl Store to meet the 2013 Doll of the Year, Saige. Marina brought her new American Girl Doll, McKenna, the 2012 Doll of the Year. They even dressed alike!

We had no idea how popular this would be. When we arrived at the store, there was a huge line just waiting to get in. Since it was chilly this morning, we decided we didn't want to stand in the cold. So, we went inside to the Disney Store for a while.

In the Disney Store, we found many other girls holding with American Girl dolls. Some had braved the busy store, some had not. We browsed around for a long while, but ultimately I was able to coax Marina out of the store for lunch.

We passed the American Girl Store again. By this time the line was significantly shorter and the sun was shining so it felt much warmer. Marina was willing to wait in this line. It didn't take too long and Marina made some new friends while we waited our turn.

Once inside, Marina was able to complete two crafts relating to Saige and got a t-shirt for her dolls. We decided to have McKenna's ears pierced while we shopped. Marina was interested in many things, but ultimately decided to get another pet for her dolls.

When we finally left the store, we were starving. So we stopped and had sandwiches for lunch. Then we went to the movie theater to see Monsters Inc. in 3D. Marina had never seen it in the theater, so this gave us a chance to do that. Naturally, McKenna came with us. It was a good way to start a new year.

Tangled up in the Magic at the Kingdom

After a day at EPCOT, Marina was ready for another day the Magic Kingdom. Today, she dressed as Rapunzel. Shortly after we arrived, we saw the "Move It, Shake It" parade. This year Marina has been more interested in the parades, so we stopped to watch it.

We decided to meet Rapunzel early to get it out of the way. The lines for her are always long. Marina was quite excited to talk to her. She also grilled her on the absence of Flynn Rider. Poor Rapunzel looked a bit uncomfortable.

We headed into Fantasyland to ride Marina's favorites, Prince Charming's Carousel, It's A Small World, Winnie the Pooh. She even agreed to try Snow White's Scary Adventures - and learned it wasn't so scary after all!

Next we went to Adventureland. We rode the Magic Carpets of Aladdin and the Jungle Cruise. We also went over to meet Jasmine - Aladdin was not with her today. Once we'd finished with that, the Celebrate A Dream Come True parade had started. We got a great spot for that because a ton of characters came over to see Marina.

We went back to Adventureland and met Tinkerbell and Vidia, the wind fairy. This was our first time meeting her. Not the nicest fairy ever, but we already knew that.

Tomorrowland was our next stop. Marina loves the Tomorrowland Motor Speedway. I pressed down the gas pedal and Marina steered. The whole way, she shouted "Let's go, people!" to the cars in from of her. We rode the Buzz Lightyear ride and went to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. This time, Marina was featured onscreen during a "Parade of Princesses."

We went through the Theater to see the Princesses again. Today we met Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine and Cinderella. Then we settled into a spot along Main Street for the Electrical Parade and fireworks. It has been another fun filled day!