Early Zoo Lights

It’s become a tradition for Marina and I to start the holiday season with Zoo Lights. As a University of Colorado Alumni, I am invited to their private event each year. This year since Thanksgiving falls to late in the year, they had to schedule it before. But we decided to go anyway.

We arrived a bit later than our entry time, so there was no line to get in. Our first stop was to pick up hot chocolate and cider to drink. Then we headed out into the zoo. The lights change every year and they were really lovely this year. We stopped to hear the CU Buffoons sing and went through Tropical Discovery.

After we went through the entire display, we went back to the Santa line. It was much shorter than when we arrived, so we refreshed our drinks and got in the line. When we reached the front, the mascot Chip and his family were right by us. So we invited them into our photos. They turned out awesome!

After our pictures we were ready to go home. We’d had another fun evening at the CU Alumni Zoo Lights.

Zoo Lights

For the past few years, we have gone to my alumni night at Zoo Lights with Chuck and Judy. We also invited more friends to join us. Marina and I arrived earlier than everyone else. When we went to buy our tickets, we were gifted two that someone else had purchased but weren’t able to use. They only asked that we sing a Christmas carol to get them. Marina didn’t want to, but I sang, “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” without her.

A few minutes later, everyone showed up. We went inside and to wait in line for Santa. Mrs. Claus had just finished story time, so we got a photo with her while we waited. When it was finally our turn, we had our picture taken with Santa and the mascot.

After the photo was taken, we were ready to see the lights. We participated in the scavenger hunt, but it turned out to be much more difficult than last year. Our friends were particularly interested in Tropical Discovery, although they were disappointed that none of the Komodo Dragons were on display.

After we got through the zoo, Marina and I left while everyone else went shopping. We have school and work tomorrow, so we needed to get home.

School Lights

I was invited to attend their private event at the zoo holiday lights through the university I graduated from. We went last year with Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy. This year everyone wanted to go again.

We learned a few lessons from last year and arrived a bit later. By doing this we avoided the long line to get in. Our first stop was picking up hot chocolate and a snack of popcorn and cookies.

We were really close to where Santa was taking photos with school mascot. The line looked long, but it moved quickly. So Marina and I went through it. Then we went to look at all the lights. Every year the lights are arranged differently. We really liked the way they were set up this year.

As we went through the zoo, Marina participated in a scavenger hunt to find all the symbols hidden throughout the zoo. We compared notes with others along the way, but we still missed two of them. Even so, Marina got a candy cane for her efforts at the end.

Once we got through the zoo, we headed home. It had been a long day. We were all tired, but it had been a lot of fun!

CU at Zoo Lights

This evening was a special preview at Zoo Lights for alumni of the University of Colorado. As an alum, I was invited to attend. Marina was interested in going and we invited friends to go with us.

We had no trouble finding parking at the zoo. There was quite a line to get in, but it eased up as I picked up our tickets. We had hoped for small crowds, but since everyone has arrived around the same time, it was congested.

Shortly after we arrived we found where Chip the buffalo mascot was posing for pictures. Marina greeted him with a big hug. She also wanted to see Santa. That line was much longer. So, we got hot chocolate, funnel cakes and churros to snack on while we waited.

We got our photos with Santa and then spent the rest of the evening checking out the lights. This year the lights have been completely rearranged so it was fun to see the new set ups.

It took us several hours to get through the zoo and we were tired by the time we got to the front. We were all ready to go home!

Night with the Nuggets

This evening was the school district's night at the Denver Nuggets game. Marina has only been to one Nuggets game before and she was excited to go. One of my coworkers and her girlfriend decided to join us.

At the last game we went to, Marina was part of the “High-Five Squad,” where she got the chance to high five the players as they entered the court before the game. She told me she’d like to do that again. As luck would have it, I got an email with the chance for her to do that again and she was picked!

We have to arrive early so Marina could join the group. When we arrived, she got a yellow t-shirt and hung around with the other kids as we waited. One little boy seemed a bit scared and, of course, Marina was there to encourage him.

When it was time, Marina happily joined the group to line up for the high-fives. I got close for pictures and despite trying to get her attention, she never looked at me. The players went through quickly. Marina was thrilled that she got a high-five from Kenneth Faried – her favorite player.

We met our friends at the door and went to our seats. I was amazed at how into the game she was. In fact, the watched the whole thing. She and the girl seated next to her because fast friends. During breaks they danced to the music and cheered loudly throughout. Marina almost won Bruno Mars tickets for screaming loudly.

The game went into overtime, but unfortunately the Nuggets lost to the Raptors 113-111. Marina said her throat hurt from all the yelling, but she had a fun time!

School Dance

After another year of dance, it all led to tonight – the recital. Marina has had a good time in her classes with Miss Jamie.

The theme of this year’s recital was “You Got Schooled,” so all the dances had a school theme. Marina’s jazz class danced to “Weird Science” and the poms routine was called "Summer Vacation." The two routines were only two songs apart, so Marina had to do a quick change between them. Miss Erin, her teacher from last year, helped to make sure Marina got the assistance she needed to get it done.

I met Grandma outside the school and we sat with some of our friends. I must admit, I was nervous for Marina’s quick change.

“Weird Science” came about halfway through the first act of the show. It went very well, Marina seemed to be having a good time with it. Two dances later, I was happy to see Marina was with her class and her costume was perfect! She did a great job in that dance as well.

 

After the show was over, I couldn’t find Marina at first. Her costume for “Weird Science” was missing and she was upset about it. We were also sad to learn that Miss Jamie is moving to Chicago soon.

Fortunately, our friends invited us out for dessert, which cheered her up considerably. She had a huge piece of chocolate pie. She and her friend enjoyed being together as well.

By the time we made it home it was nearly midnight. But it had been an evening worth losing sleep over.

Goodbye Elementary School

Today was Marina’s last day of elementary school. It’s hard to believe that after 6 years, she is ready to move on.

When I picked her up today there was a feeling of celebration in the air. As she walked with her friends they all discussed their dresses for the Continuation Ceremony this evening.

After dinner, Marina dressed up in a new pink dress. She even let me curl her hair. We arrived a bit early, so she and her friends ran around on the grass outside the school – just like they have always done.

The Continuation Ceremony was somewhat formal with speeches from teachers and the principal. But there was also fun moments, like when all their teachers sang a song.

As each fifth grader got their certificate, their teacher introduced them with the career their hope to achieve. Marina was “future veterinarian.” She flashed a huge smile at the audience as she accepted the certificate.

To close the ceremony, the students sang a song called, “When You Have A Dream.”

Once the ceremony was over, everyone gathered in the lobby for a reception. We took some pictures with one of her friends, but it didn’t feel like we were saying goodbye to her. We have plenty of plans in place to spend time with her this summer.

Chef Marina

Marina is taking a cooking class this term. She's been trying many new foods and enjoyed them. A few weeks ago they made Chef's Salad. Since then. Marina has been dying to make one at home. So tonight I assembled the ingredients and let her make dinner for me.

I gave Marina the ingredients and she cut them up and put the salad together. She was so proud of the result. And the Chef Salad was delicious!

Of course, in pure Marina style, she did all this food preparation in her Red Riding Hood costume. Perhaps she wanted to take the leftovers to grandmother's house!

Bells Are Ringing

This year, Marina has been in a before school club learning to play hand chimes. She’s been enjoying it. A friend of mine is in a handbell group. Tonight they had a concert at our church, so we decided to go.

Marina was very excited when we arrived. We sat near the front and looked over the huge assortment of bells laid out in the table. Marina pointed out to me which ones were the handchimes.

Once the concert got started, we were both impressed by how amazing the bells sounded and the difficult choreography that the musicians had to use to play the right bells in time with each other. They played many Christmas carols that we knew. Marina particularly enjoyed “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” because the handchimes were used for it.

The program ended with all six ringers playing bell trees. The church was filled with the many bells harmonizing together. It was truly amazing!

After the show we talked with my friend for a little while. She and Marina discussed handchimes for a little while. The concert had been a great experience for both of us.

First Day of Fifth Grade

After a fun summer, it was time for Marina to start school today. A few weeks ago she dreaded this day. But last week she had a meet and greet with her teacher, the one she hoped to get. She was also happy to find one of her friends was also in the same class. She's been very excited ever since.

When we arrived at her school many kids were already there and lining up with their classes. Marina found some of them and  hugged them. They all seemed so happy to see each other that they really didn't spend any time talking about their summer activities.

The bells didn't seem to be working, so they were outside longer than usual. I don't think the kids minded at all!

Colorado History Project

For the past few months, Marina's class has been studying Colorado history. Each student was assigned an important person to profile. Today they had their "wax museum," where they dressed as their historical figure and spoke as them. In addition, each created their own PowerPoint presentation about them as well.

Marina's subject was Josephine Aspinwall Roche. She was the first female policewoman in Denver. Later, she inherited her father's mine and campaigned for safely and better wages for miners. She worked for President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Washington DC.

Marina was hesitant to let me see her presentation. Her teacher let me know she had done very well earlier n the day. Finally, she let me see it. I was impressed with the knowledge she had. I also got to see some of her classmate's presentations as well.

After the "wax museum," the students performed four Colorado themed songs. Marina even had a solo in one of them! It was clear the kids had fun with their projects.

Muffins for Mom

Every year, Marina's school schedules a breakfast the Friday before Mother's Day. We haven't made it there in a few years but Marina wanted to go this morning.

Just as we arrived, we heard someone calling Marina's name. It turned out to be her best friend with her mom. So there was no question of who we'd be sitting next to!

We were welcomed in and got to pick from a huge table of large muffins. Of course, Marina went right for the chocolate muffin. She was quite happy with that. We had a nice time eating our muffins and talking with our friends.

After eating our muffins, I walked the girls to their playground so they could go to class. After such a fun start to the day, I think they forgot they still had to go to school!

Eureka!

 Marina has been studying Colorado history this year at school. Today her class went on a field trip to a former gold mine and mill. Marina asked me to attend as a chaperone. Only five parents were allowed to come and I was fortunate to be one.

Marina was a bit disappointed that her good friends were all assigned to the first bus to the mountain town while she and I were on the second one. So I actually got to sit next to her on the ride. We saw some beautiful scenery on the way!

Once we arrived, Marina was happy to be reunited with her friends. The mine was incredible. It was built into the side of the mountain. We had to take a smaller bus to the entrance.We started by going into a small mine. We all wore hard hats inside and there was a small vein of gold still in the rock that we could see.

Next we saw a tunnel which was built for other mines to send their rocks to the mill so the gold could be extracted. Then we went into the mill. We saw where the rocks were smashed. We learned how cyanide and mercury were used in the process. Marina is researching Josephine Aspinwall Roche, a Colorado woman who worked for safer conditions for miners. I'm sure this experience will help her with that!


At the end of the tour, the kids all got to pan for gold. They found pieces of pyrite and small flecks of real Colorado gold. They were all encouraged to shout out "Eureka!" when they found it. That was by far the favorite part of the tour for all the kids.

At the end of the tour, everyone retrieved their lunches and we sat down to eat. The kids were pretty hungry by then. Once everyone had eaten, we all got back onto the buses for the ride back to school.

At the Hop

Every year, Marina looks forward to the Sock Hop at her school. This year was no different. She had outgrown the poodle skirt she wore the past two years, so we got her a new one this year. It was a bit too big for her, but we made it work.

To make the night even more special, we decided to have dinner at a 50's style diner. and we invited some friends to join us. The wait staff gushed over Marina's outfit and she was happy to show it off for them. We all enjoyed our dinner before going to the Sock Hop.

Marina met up with several of her friends and they got temporary tattoos and had their nails painted. Then they were ready to dance.

The Sock Hop started with the Limbo, always a favorite. Then the dancing started with some geared toward the younger kids. Marina didn't get excited until the Macarena played. She was more interested in the dancing than her friends, which annoyed her a bit. But nothing could stop her when Thriller started.

By the end of the Sock Hop, Marina was very tired, but she was happy!

School Sock Hop

The annual sock hop at Marina's school was tonight. Marina has been looking forward to it for quite a while. The kids learn dances in their gym class (a bit more modern than the ones from the 1950's) to get them ready for the sock hop.

We had plans to have dinner before going to the Sock Hop, but we had car trouble. Marina was devastated. She asked if we could call one of her friends for a ride. That's what we did. I think for Marina, that actually made it more fun. The girls had fun just in the back seat of the car driving to school.

When we arrived, the girls were ready to have fun. They all took their turns getting their nails painted and having temporary tattoos put on. Marina and her friend made sure their tattoos matched.

They were very excited once the dancing started. They started off with the Limbo and did many dances including YMCA. By far, the kids' favorite dance was to Thriller.Only students third grade and up get to dance to that song, so Marina was participating for the first time.

 Despite our trouble getting there, it turned out to be a great night!

The Leprechaun's Magic Hat

This evening was the third grade show. Marina has been looking forward to it for weeks.They put on a show called The Leprechaun's Magic Hat. Marina was disappointed that she didn't get to be a leprechaun, she was a dancer in the song “Gold, Glorious Gold.”

Despite her disappointment, she was happy with her dance. Earlier this year, the music teacher she'shad every since she stared at the school moved away. So the previous music teacher took over the direction of the show. Marina loved her! The kids were asked to wear green. Marina chose her bluish-green birthday dress.

 

There were two performances today. One for the school and this evening for parents. Marina located me and waved to me at each show. She seemed to have fun with the performance, often smiling as she sang. She and her best friend were standing next to each other which is to be expected.

After the second show, I gave her a bouquet of roses. She was pleased with those. She wanted to give one to Madison, but she had already left for home. She wanted to linger near the stage for quite a while after the show. But, since she has school tomorrow, we had to leave earlier than she wanted to.

Below is the video of "Gold, Glorious Gold" with Marina dancing.



Carnival

With Marina's first full week of school behind her, we celebrated by attending the Back to School Carnival. She was very excited to go. When we arrived, Marina immediately wanted to take a hay ride. She climbed onto the wagon with some middle school girls and sat next to the dog who was riding along. She looked so happy!

The next thing she wanted to do was have her face painted. We were in line behind her third grade teacher, so we got to visit with her while we waited. Marina got a "rainbow butterfly" on her face with lots of sparkles.

Once that was done, we went to play games. Marina tried everything from golf to throwing darts to ring toss. She took a turn in the bounce house and explored a real fire truck.
 
 We ended evening with another wagon ride and Marina picked out some prizes with the points she had earned. Marina was pretty happy at the end of the Carnival. We'd had fun.