Easter Bunny Breakfast

Marina and I got up early to go to the Aquarium for Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. Marina was pretty excited about it. As usual, she chose to wear her Ariel costume, although this time she added her bunny ears with a tiara for the occasion. We were being taken to our table when we met up with the Easter Bunny himself. Marina got a hug and we took a picture, then we sat down for our breakfast.

Shortly after we started eating, we saw the Easter Bunny had moved from the dining room to the tank. He was taking a swim with the fish! A little while later, he was joined by the mermaids. Marina took a break from her food to say hello to them all.

After we ate breakfast, we checked out several of the other activities set up for the day. Marina colored an egg wreath and made a bunny s'more figure. We also got a chance to see some of the animals close up. We met Molly, the macaw, and a two-toed sloth. Outside we saw a porcupine wandering around in a pen.

Marina lined up with the other kids for an Easter egg hunt. There were eggs scattered over a pretty trail. Marina was happy to gather the ones she found. Afterward she was pleased to find a piece of candy in each egg.

After the hunt.she chased bubbles from a machine for a while. Then she was ready to go. We have plenty of preparations for Easter to make!

Right on Target

Ever since she saw the movie Brave, Marina has been interested in archery. She has a play bow with arrows tipped with suction cups and she practices with it often. However, she has been interested in trying out the real thing as well. So, I signed us up for an Archery class at the Wildlife Experience. Since Marina was under 12, I had to take the class along with her. She brought her American Girl doll McKenna along for moral support.

Today was a very snowy day, so we were a bit late for the class. It began with a lot of learning. We had to learn safety rules, how to hold the bow and handle the arrows. We had to figure out which was the dominant eye and how long our reach was. Marina was a bit restless through it, but she was listening.

Once it was time to try shooting, Marina was very focused. Her first arrow missed the target, but her second stuck. The instructors noticed she had a tendency to rush her shot. Once we convinced her to slow down and take her time, she did quite well. After her first round, she said, "I want to do it again!"

After the first two rounds, we had a bulls eye to aim for. Marina's first two arrows missed wildly. But once she slowed down, she hit the middle circle. She was so excited!

In the last round, all her arrows bounced off the target. Although in competition she would have score points for each arrow, she was upset they didn't stick. It was clear it was time for lunch.

After lunch, we went into the Wildlife Experience exhibits. They have a temporary exhibit on Geotracking, so, we checked that out first. Marina had fun finding clues and stamping her card at each station.

We also went through the Globology Exhibit. Marina picked up a scavenger hunt list and we went through each ecosystem looking for the animals on her list. On the way out, we saw an employee who was carrying a rosy boa. Marina was happy to pet the snake before it was put back in its habitat. After that, we headed home.We agreed we'd like to try Archery again!

Birthday for an American Girl

Marina's birthday is five days away, but we got started celebrating early by having her party today. She is still crazy about her American Girl doll McKenna, who is a gymnast. So, we had a gymnastics party with an American Girl theme.The party was at the recreation center where Marina used to take ballet class. She had seen the gymnastics classes which are held there, so she was very excited to have her birthday party there.

We'd had gymnastics parties before, but none like this! The kids were allowed to play of the bars and beam as well as a long trampoline. There were giant balls to sit on and a large ring that the kids could sit in while their friends rolled it along. As soon as the party started, the kids wasted no time having fun. There were so many different activities it was hard to keep track of where the kids were.


After a very quick 45 minutes, it was time for cupcakes and ice cream. Since it was an American Girl party, several girls brought their dolls. We had a table set up just for them. Their plates and cups were just like the ones the kids were using.

Marina enjoyed opening her presents as well. She read each card out loud and would wait for everyone to settle down so she could be heard. She received some very nice gifts and was gracious in receiving them.


By the end of the party it was clear the kids were getting tired. They'd had fun. We were glad they all came to celebrate with us.

Breakfast with Mermaids

We haven't been to the aquarium for a few months, so today Marina and I attended the Mermaid Breakfast there. As usual, Marina dressed in her Ariel costume. She also brought her American Girl doll Julie who as also dressed as Ariel!

When we arrived, the mermaids were swimming in the tanks at the restaurant. As we headed to our seats, we some friends of ours and stopped by to say hello. Next, we headed to the buffet and loaded up our plates with food. They always have a great spread there! While we ate, the mermaids came back and swam again. At times it seemed that Marina was more interested in her food than the mermaids!

As we were leaving the restaurant, the mermaids returned for a meet and greet. Marina was thrilled! Despite her excitement, she allowed some younger girls in line ahead of her without complaint. I was proud of her.

After the breakfast, we went into the Aquarium. The river otters were playing and we stopped to watch for a while. We arrived just in time to see the Mermaid show. Marina was also eager to see the shark tank, so we spent some time there.

After going through the exhibits, we went to see the Yogi Bear 4D movie. We've seen it many times, but Marina never gets tired of it. While waiting for the movie, we met up with our friends again. Marina was happy to watch with them.

Our friends were leaving after the movie. Marina wanted to leave as well, but I convinced her to go back in. In the first area, some of the fish were being fed. The food was placed on a stick which was extended into the tank. The fish snapped it off the stick. Marina enjoyed watching that.

We saw the Mermaid show again! I think by then Marina had enough of the mermaids. We spent a bit more time with the sharks before heading home.

Oz, the Great and Powerful

Marina has been looking forward to seeing Oz the Great and Powerful for some time. We've seen previews before the last few movies we have gone to. Marina had already decided to be Glinda for Halloween. She wore the Glinda tiara and carried the wand today when we finally went to see it.

Of course, it is Marina's preference to see the 3D version, so we did. She was so excited! And the movie didn't disappoint. Marina was engrossed from start to finish. There were a few scenes which startled her a bit, so she just leaned into me a bit. Throughout the movie, she asked me questions about what would happen next. I don't think she realized I hadn't seen it before either! Every time Glinda was on screen she was happy.

As we left the theater, Marina called herself "Little Glinda." She obviously loved the movie.

Ice Age

The Nature and Science Museum has a new exhibit about Mammoths and Mastadons. We decided to check it out today. We started our day there. In the exhibit, we saw huge bone fossils and recreations of what these huge animals looked like. It was pretty impressive. Marina hurried a bit through though. She was hungry for lunch early, so our next stop was at the Cafe.

While we waited for our food, we met a girl just Marina's age and her mother. Marina invited them to eat with us. We all had a nice time talking while we ate. Then we headed for our next adventures.

We watched a 3D Imax movie called Titans of the Ice Age. It went along well with the exhibition we'd just seen.

Next we went to health exhibit, Marina's favorite part. We got a chance to try out most of the stations. We also took note of the performance schedule - to make sure we caught her favorite shows.First up was the pirate bacteria show, always fun. Shortly after that the Super Food heroes show started. Marina was so excited for that one, she's like a groupie! Once again, she was selected to go on stage and play Spinachiever. She's a pro by now!

After the shows, Marina played in the kids' discovery area for a little while. There were a few new areas for her to check out, but she went back to some old favorites as well.

Once she finished playing we headed home for dinner and a movie. It was nice to relax.

Giant Adventure

When we saw Escape From Planet Earth a last week, we saw a preview for Jack the Giant Slayer. Marina said she wanted to see it. I said we could go, but then found out it's rated PG-13. Marina has seen movies with that rating before, but very few and ones I had already watched. Seeing one in the theater was a whole new experience. I asked Marina if she still wanted to see it and that is might be scarier than most movies she's seen. She still wanted to go.

Today was a day off from school. so I left work after lunch and we went to the movies. We were able to see the 3D version, always Marina's preference.

I discovered quickly that the previews for PG-13 movies are much more adult themed than what we usually see. However, Marina seemed to be unaffected. The director of Jack the Giant Slayer showed great restraint but it was still intense in scenes. Marina's maturity impressed me. After the movie, I asked her what she thought. She really liked it. I guess my worries were for nothing. She's growing up faster than I'd like to admit.