Super Sunday Shopping

Today was Super Bowl Sunday, but Marina had no interest in that. She was interested in going to the American Girl store to spend a gift card she got for Christmas. We haven't been to the store in a long time and were interested in checking out Grace, the 2015 Girl of the Year. Marina has been studying the latest catalog and was excited to see the new doll in person.

Marina decided to bring McKenna with her today. They dressed alike in the Saige sweaters. She got lots of compliments on the sweaters even though she noticed the sleeves on the girl and doll versions weren't the same.

When we arrived at the store, Marina made a beeline for the section with Grace and her accessories. She happily posed with a large cut out of Grace and tried on a beret that matched the one on the doll. She really enjoyed playing with Grace's bakery which was on display. She checked out all the baked goods in the set and found the mixer really spins. She loved that!

With her gift card, Marina thought about getting the cheerleader gear, but ultimately decided on Grace's travel set. Then she thought about all the places her dolls could travel with the suitcase.

After we left the American Girl store, we checked out what was new at the Disney Store and Lego store. Naturally, Marina found plenty to love at those stores as well.

Princess and Pirate Adventure

Marina and I went to the Sophia and Jake Princess and Pirate Adventure lat year and Marina was happy to go again this year. She brought Marina the mermaid with her as she did last year, but she decided not to dress up - but she did wear her Sophia amulet.

We arrived a little early and Marina was her usual restless self before the show began. Fortunately the Doc McStuffins pre-show started shortly after we arrived. That settled her down. She seemed to enjoy the show and the Sophia the First performance that followed, although she didn't want to participate in the activities with the rest of the audience. Although she did seem pleased when Cinderella made a guest appearance in the show.

At intermission, Marina entertained herself by running up and down the aisle stairs ans squeezing between the railings. After a while, three pirates from the second half of the show came out into the audience and mingled. Marina got a chance to talk with them and have her photo taken with them. One even gushed over her Marina plush doll.

 

When the show resumed, Jake and the Neverland Pirates took the stage. Marina was much more enthusiastic about this part of the show. She jumped out of her seat to dance like a pirate and responded loudly to questions the characters asked the audience. She cheered when Peter Pan and Tinkerbell made their appearances.

Near the end of the show, gold coin confetti was shot over the audience. Marina was thrilled that one piece seemed to come directly to her. She immediately turned and handed it to the little girl sitting behind us. Her family was clearly moved by her generosity. Marina then joined the crowd of kids collecting more of the gold confetti. When she returned she shared part of her bounty with that same family. I think she enjoyed the sharing as much as the collecting. I was so proud of her!

Return to Oz

Marina and I were excited to attend a local production of The Wizard of Oz. Marina surprised me by decided to wear the Dorothy costume my mother made for me when I was a teenager. She brought a stuffed dog along with her that she affectionately called Toto.

The outside of the theater was elaborately decorated for the show. Marina enjoyed posing in front of the many displays. She wanted to find our seats early, but then was impatient for the show to begin. She looked through the program and saw that Toto was being played by a real dog. She was excited by that.

Once the show began, Marina was completely captivated. She loved watching the dog on stage and was startled each time the witch made an entrance. We both enjoyed the performances - especially the Cowardly Lion who was very funny.

After the performance was over, Marina said she wanted to meet the cast. I wasn't sure that would be a possibility but as we walked through the lobby we saw most of the cast mingling with the crowd. So, naturally, we joined in.

Marina got a chance to meet and have her picture taken with many of the main characters but the one she got most excited about was the dog playing Toto. She loved getting a chance to pet her!

After we made our rounds, we headed home. It was a late night, but a fun one!

Life is like a Rodeo

For the past few years Marina and I have gone to the Stock Show in January. This year Marina wanted to try something new - going to the rodeo. I'd never been to a rodeo either, so we decided to try it.

Marina had the day off for Martin Luther King's birthday, so we took advantage of the beautiful weather today. Marina wore her pink cowboy hat with the tiara on it and an American Girl shirt with a cowgirl on it. (She has a matching shirt for the dolls, but she didn't want to bring one with her today. She's growing up!)

We started our day by seeing a farm themed magic show. It was crowded but Marina enjoyed it. We looked at a few animals in their stalls before going to through the agriculture adventure. There Marina tried milking a cow model, sorted eggs and ground wheat. We also looked through some of the booths set up in the expo hall. Naturally Marina was attracted to the toys but she also enjoyed looking at the cowboy themed items as well.

When it was time for the rodeo, we headed over to the arena. It was packed but Marina didn't seem to mind. We got to our seats and didn't have too long to wait before the show began. It was loud and action packed. We got to see bareback riding, calf roping, barrel racing, steer wrestling, mutton busting and bull riding. Marina cheered and laughed throughout. She said her favorite was the bull riding.

Once the rodeo was over, we headed home. The weather had turned colder and we were ready to rest after a fun filled weekend.

Annie at the Movies

After church today, Marina and I decided to go to see a movie. We discussed a few options but ultimately decided to see Annie. We love our musicals!

We went to our favorite restaurant theater. I thought we were just going to get popcorn, but Marina wanted to order our usual combo platter. So we did. Our food arrived just before the movie started.

Marina was a bit restless during the movie. It turned out her stomach was bothering her and she kept adjusting her chair to make herself more comfortable. Despite her discomfort, she loved the movie. So did I. Marina enjoyed the music and I think she appreciated a heroine her own age.

After the movie we went home and took it easy. After that, Marina felt better.

Brilliant

A few years ago, Marina and I enjoyed seeing the Yves Saint Laurent fashion exhibit at the Art Museum. So when we heard about their latest exhibit Brilliant - Cartier in the 20th Century, we knew we'd want to see that too. Marina wanted to bring her friend Ainsley with us. Since Ainsley likes to make her own jewelry, I knew this was right up her alley, so we invited her to join us. The girls decided to bring Marina's Frozen dolls with them. Marina carried Anna while Ainsley kept Elsa.

We picked up our tickets for the Brilliant exhibition when we arrived at the Museum. We had a little time so we checked out the Jewelry Studio - an activity area complementing the exhibit. The girls tried a bit of jewelry making with many unusual materials. They dressed up themselves and the dolls. Then we headed to the Brilliant exhibit.

We each had our own hand held audio tour guide which the girls used often. They mostly chose the family audio but at times even chose to listen to the adult versions. The jewelry was spectacular. The girls weren't too interested in the history of the jewelry or the periods that inspired it. But they loved the jewelry itself. Marina was disappointed that aquamarines, her birthstone, weren't used often in the pieces on display. However she was pleased to find two aquamarine and diamond tiaras near the end of the exhibit.

Near the end we saw jewelry owned by celebrities. Of course, they didn't know who any of them were. Despite that, they enjoyed a film clip featuring Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly though.

After we completed our tour through the exhibit, we went back to the Jewelry Studio. There Marina and Ainsley made earrings, tried shaping metal with hammers, tinkered with watches and designed their own fancy necklaces.

After they tried out each station, we decided to leave. The girls weren't interested in looking at any of the other art collections. Maybe someday that will change.

All You've Got to Do Is Dream

Marina saw advertising for a local production of Dreamgirls months ago and said she wanted to see it. The production opened last month to rave reviews so we were excited to see it for ourselves. Marina wore a sparkly dress for the occasion and brought her Anna doll from Frozen.

We arrived at the theater early and found a good parking spot. We got to our seats early and passed the time talking with others seated next to us. Many of them had a friend in the cast. The show was sold out and it started a bit late as they waited for everyone to be seated. Marina was not happy about that - she was anxious for the show to begin.

Once the show started, Marina was captivated. The high energy dance sequences and talented cast kept her attention. We'd watched the Dreamgirls movie before seeing this performance, so she was familiar with some of the songs. She was especially happy when the title song was sung.

At intermission Marina made conversation with a young lady around her age who she met in the lobby. During act two, Marina was acting a bit tired, but she was clearly still enjoying the performance.

Once the show was over, Marina wanted to meet the cast - particularly the four young women who played the Dreams. We mingled a bit and spoke with the actress who played Effie. She was gracious enough to pose for a picture with Marina. Then we saw two of the other Dreams together and asked them for a picture as well. They tracked down the third member so Marina could pose with all three of them. We were so excited that they did that for us!