Monster Night at the Zoo

This year, our schedule is very full with Halloween activities, so we decided to go to the Zoo trick or treat in the evening rather than the weekend. Marina wore her Laguna Blue costume and I dressed as Elsa from Frozen. It was very clear from the start I was dressed in the most popular costume of the year. We saw Elsas all throughout the zoo tonight.

Despite being in the evening, the zoo was almost as crowded as when we attended last year. We had to wait in line to get in and for every activity and trick or treat station. But that didn't dampen our spirits. We enjoyed looking at all the other costumes and Marina collected a pretty big bag of candy.

We were surprised and excited to find Sleeping Beauty and Belle near the carousel. They graciously posed for pictures with both of us. What a fun surprise that was!

Most years we walk the entire route through the zoo. But tonight everything seemed to take longer and we were both tired. So we left before we made it to all the trick or treat stations. But it was still a fun night.

Pumpkin Festival Fun

We had so much fun at last year's Pumpkin Festival that we were excited to go again this year. Marina wanted to wear her Halloween costume. This year she is dressing like Laguna Blue from Monster High. The weather was beautiful today, so that must have contributed to the huge crowds were encountered on our way in.

We took a hay ride from the parking lot to the festival - the perfect way to start the day. Marina wanted to check out the pumpkin patch first. She was amazed at the variety and size of the pumpkins they had.

Next we looked at some of the vendor booths, Marina does love to shop! She picked up a water bottle and a lip balm from some of the tables we stopped at.

Marina was eager to have her face painted. Fortunately the line wasn't too long this year. She had blue flowers painted on her face.

Next we headed to the inflatables for some fun. Marina tried out the slides and obstacle courses before going to her favorite, the giant jumping pillow.

We found a nice grassy spot for lunch where a bluegrass band was playing. When we finished eating we tried out the giant Jenga games set up nearby. Another family joined us and we all enjoyed seeing how tall we could get the tower.

Before heading out, Marina got a balloon animal. She got a piranha which was very well made. We were very tired by that point, so we took another hay ride back to the parking lot and headed home.

A Midsummer Night's Ballet

The ballet schedule included A Midsummer Night's Dream this season. Marina has a budding interest in Shakespeare so she was excited to learn the ballet was based on one of his plays. She especially loved that there were fairies in the story.

Julie came along with us again today. Marina wanted to bring her because she has never been to the ballet before. We had amazing seats for this afternoon's performance. I was concerned that the storyline might be a bit difficult for her to follow. But she seemed to follow along just fine.

At intermission we looked around and found some of our friends who were at the same performance. We had a nice visit before the ballet resumed. The second act was short, but we both really enjoyed it. Marina enjoyed the comedy and the fantasy of the story and the costumes and dancing were gorgeous.

Once On This Island

I won tickets to a local production of Once On This Island. The story was loosely based on the story The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, so Marina was very interested to see it.

We arrived early for the show and Marina was restless for it to begin. She spent the time reading over the program. She pointed out that one actress in the cast had worked at Disney World and now plays many princesses at birthday parties.

Once the show started, she seemed to get into it. Most of the music was upbeat and the dancing was high energy. I thought she might be confused by the same actors playing multiple parts, but she seemed to easily keep it all straight.

The end of the show was sad and she accused me of being “weepy.” Apparently it wasn’t as emotional for her. Once the show was over, Marina was anxious to meet some of the cast members. So we hung around and waited for them to come out (the marketing director let us know where the best place to wait was).

We talked for a while with the young lady around Marina’s age who was in the cast. Then we spotted the actress who played the lead role of  Ti Moune. She was very gracious, spending quite a while talking with Marina and even posing for a picture. After I took a picture, she asked if I would take one with her phone! We also met up with the actress whose biography had impressed Marina so much. She was very kind and posed for a picture as well.

Once the mingling was over, we headed to our car. Since the show didn’t have an intermission it ended somewhat early. But we were tired after a very busy day.

Harvest at the Homestead

Marina enjoyed the Harvest Festival so much last year that I made sure we got to go again this year. She was very excited. She decided to wear her pink bonnet and the Dorothy costume. She got compliments on her outfit all day. She also brought Kaya along.

This year they offered an optional breakfast which Marina wanted to try. So we arrived right around the opening time to eat. We arrived at the sod house and healed ourselves to pancakes and sausage with freshly churned butter. It was yummy!

After she finished her breakfast, she made a new friend. She was churning the butter and she gave Marina a chance to try it as well. Then she showed Marina some of the games kids played in 1887. Then they went to the pump and filled a bucket with water. A little boy came up while they were there, so they showed him how to pump the water.

We decided to check out some of the other demonstrations around the festival. The blacksmith’s shop was open and Marina helped to stoke the fire, something she had enjoyed last year as well. We tasted some freshly pressed cider and it was delicious! Marina also got her chance to press some of her own. Next she washed an apple and put it into the peeling and slicing contraption. It was amazing how well it did the job!

We went into the schoolhouse here class was in session. Marina and several other children read from the McGuffy Reader. Then they got a Colorado history lesson using the slates at the desk. The teachers tried to show how stern they were back in 1887, but it was still fun!

We stopped by the booths that had crafts. Marina used a rock and a nail to pound a design into a metal disk. Then she made a cornhusk doll.

Before we left, we checked out the Cherokee camp. Marina tried her hand at the archery station and she did very well. Those lessons sure have helped! Then we went into one of the teepees where we saw many Native American artifacts. Marina made sure Kaya could see everything.

By then the festival was ending and we were very tired, so we headed home.

Saying Goodbye

Today we said goodbye to a member of our family - our cat Melanie.

I was working at a school on July 1, 1998 when someone dumped a mother cat and three orange tabby kittens on the grounds. They were each found one at a time and brought in. I saw a student with a kitten outside my window and knew that was my cat. She came into my office and I fed her some of my lunch. Then she curled up in my lap and fell asleep. Gone With the Wind had recently been re-released in theaters and since it was Olivia de Havalland's birthday, I named her Melanie.

I took her home and went with my sister to buy cat supplies. When I came back, Mellie had made herself at home on the top of my wing back chair. That first night I watched TV in bed for a while as she slept at the foot of the bed. I remember thinking how nice that was when I turned off the light to go to sleep. Moments later, Mellie pounced on me. That was a long night, but she learned quickly I wasn't a whole lot of fun at night.

And it turned out, Mellie was a smart cat. One night I was in bed and heard a sound in my kitchen. I got up to investigate and found her frozen on the counter. As soon as our eyes met, she quickly jumped down. She knew she wasn't supposed to be there!

Mellie was a wonderful companion. She used to sit on the couch next to me when I watched TV and always slept on the bed with me. When I came home from work, she came running. I would  pick her up and she licked my nose. When I was sick, she'd cuddle up next to me. And when I was sad, she'd let me hold her as I cried my eyes out.

We went through so much together: countless job changes; three cars; four homes. She was with me through singleness, marriage, motherhood and divorce. She got over her displeasure of the baby I brought home, and though it took her many years, she finally accepted Marina.

Melanie made us laugh when she found new places to lounge. We found her in the bathroom sink, the clothes hamper, hidden among Marina's stuffed animals and curled in the princess chair. I learned not to leave plastic bags lying around because Mellie would wait until I was sound asleep to play with them.

One thing she didn't tolerate well was when Marina and I went on vacation. Once when we came home I found Mellie sitting on the table (where she knew she wasn't supposed to be). Instead of running and covering up that she'd been there - she hissed at me. But that first night back, she usually curled up right next to my head to make sure I wasn't going anywhere. 

Two years ago, Melanie was diagnosed with a hyperactive thyroid. I had to give her a pill twice a day. While she hated getting those pills, she dealt with that daily routine with her usual graceful defiance. I started giving her treats after her pill. Once she understood that, she would stand patiently on my bed waiting for me to give her the dreaded pill. She still made me force it down, but she happily ate the treats afterward.

This past Thursday, I was at home and I heard her meow loudly. I responded with, "What, Mel?" She came down the stairs and stood in front of me. I picked her up and just held her. She fell asleep on my lap, something she hadn't done since the day I met her. She even spent a little time in my backyard which she hasn't done in over a year.

On Friday, I noticed that she seemed a bit stiff after sitting on the couch for a while. By Saturday night it was clear that her hind legs were causing her a great deal of pain. I was bringing her food and water directly to her because it was clearly too painful for her to walk over to it. Sunday I knew that I was measuring the time I had left with Mellie in hours.

This morning I woke up with Mellie sleeping at the foot of the bed. I knew it was the last time it would ever happen. The vet was able to see us fairly early this morning. Marina decided she wanted to come to say goodbye. Before we left, the three of us went through every room in the house sharing memories of the rooms. I took one last picture of Marina and Mellie together.

The vet was incredible today. He listened to the symptoms and told me what I knew in my heart, Melanie was dying. He felt she only had a week or so left. He supported my decision to put an end to her suffering. They also allowed me to hold Mellie as she left us.

She was so docile in my arms - not the sweet and sassy cat I have known all these years. When the vet told me she was gone, a calm came over me that I haven't felt in days. Marina was inconsolable. We sat and held her body for a while. I had just done the most loving thing for her I could think of - I let her go. I hope one day to see her running and chasing moths in heaven.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Marina studied Colorado History last year in school. This year she is working on a book report about the Titanic. When I learned that a local theater company was performing The Unsinkable Molly Brown, I realized that would be a great way to bring it all together for her. Marina was really excited to go. She brought Julie along with her.

Traffic was worse than expected, so we found ourselves rushing to the theater. Fortunately many others were late as well and we were seated before the show began. Our seats were in the front row and off to one side. Marina was pretty pleased with them.

Once the show started, Marina was completely engaged. The opening number "Colorado, My Home" left her smiling and clapping. She loved the high energy dance numbers and the sassiness of Molly Brown's character.

At intermission we got a snack and discovered a Tony Award in the lobby. The company won the award many years ago and it was fun to actual be that close to it. We also saw a costume and some props from the movie made with Debbie Reynolds which were on display.

Marina was a bit tired in the second act, but she still watched with interest. And at the end she happily joined me in a standing ovation. Naturally, she wanted to meet the actress playing Molly Brown, but unfortunately that was not an option at this theater. Still, she was very impressed with this production.