Any Dream Will Do

Marina and I saw the movie for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat years ago and she loved it. At times she will listen to the soundtrack while she is in the shower. However, we had never see the show live. So we were both excited when the most recent tour announced dates in our area.

Marina wanted to dress colorfully, so she chose a bright dress and sweater. She didn't want to bring a doll with her, but she did bring her new phone. She turned off the ringer on her own, but she had to be told to put it away before the show.

 When the performance started, Marina was completely engaged. She enjoyed the colorful lighting and the energetic dancing. Joseph is a comedy, so she appreciated the silliness of many of the songs.

Overall, Marina followed the story well. She was a bit confused why Joseph's brothers didn't recognize him and the reason why a golden cup was hidden in Benjamin's sack. I explained these after the show to help her understand.

By the end of the performance, Marina was clapping along with the songs. She was disappointed that she couldn't meet the cast, especially when she learned the actor playing Joseph is from Colorado. But we'd had such a busy weekend we were both ready to go home and relax for a while.

French Birthday Party

Since our schedule has been so busy lately, we weren’t able to have our family over to celebrate Marina’s birthday until today. Marina wanted to have a French theme for the party. So I made her an Eiffel Tower cake and served French breads, cheeses and mini quiches.

Marina was excited to see the family today. She particularly liked introducing them to Jasmine. Eventually she settled down and had a ham croissant and a little more food. Then we had her birthday cake. She was pleased with the top of her chocolate Eiffel Tower.

She decided she wanted to open her presents in the living room, so we all moved there. She was very pleased with the gifts she received. While I visited with the family, Marina moved upstairs to play with her new toys.

Coppelia

Over the years, Marina and I have developed a love for ballet. One classic show we haven’t seen is Coppelia. We saw a local theater was presenting the show and we decided to go. Since we saw Swan Lake on a weekday and it went fine, we decided it would be okay to do again.

Marina decided she wanted to be very dressed up for the show, so she wore her black velvet dress. I was surprised that she didn’t want to bring an American Girl doll since the show is about a doll.

We’d never seen a performance by this group, it turns out they are an advanced dance academy. The youngest dancers were around Marina’s age and the principal roles were played by professional dancers

We both enjoyed the show. It’s not often we get to see a ballet from seats so close to the stage! The story was simple and many of the dance pieces did not advance the story. Marina loved the show. I think she particularly liked the idea of a doll coming to life.

Nuggets High Five Squad

Marina's school district had a special for the Denver Nuggets game this evening. Marina had never been to a Nuggets game before and she was looking forward to it. She brought Grace along in a Nuggets jersey!

To add to the excitement, Marina was one of 20 kids chosen to be part of the Nuggets High Five Squad. We met at the arena early and given a yellow t-shirt. Then they were led onto the court before the game. When the Nuggets team entered, the players gave each child a high five. After it was over, Marina had a huge smile on her face. "That was fun!" she gushed.

We bought some popcorn and drinks and went to our seats. We had a great view of the court and Marina seemed to enjoy watching the game. She cheered loudly throughout the game. A group of boys her age were sitting near us, so she joined in their antics. It got her on the big screen a few times.

The Nuggets won the game and ended up tossing quite a few freebies into the crowd. Marina was hopeful to catch something, but we were too far away. Despite that, she'd had a great time at her first professional basketball game!

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!

Return to the Woods

Over the past year, Into the Woods has become one of Marina's favorite musicals. She saw a local theater was performing it and wanted to see it again! This time, she dressed as her favorite character, Red Riding Hood. She brought Grace along, also dressed as Red Riding Hood.

We hadn't been to this theater before. It turned out to be a small experimental theater inside a very old schoolhouse. Before the show we looked around at the rooms and displays. As we did, several people asked Marina if she was Red Riding Hood in the show. She loved the attention!

When the show started we found it was a simple and suggestive staging, something Marina has never seen before. Despite that, she had no trouble getting into the show. Next to her sat two girls about her age who she helped talked to periodically through the show.

At intermission we got a snack and looked around the building a bit more. The girls next to Marina had left and she seemed tired. To be fair, Act Two has never been her favorite part.

After the show, the cast gathered in the lobby and Marina made a beeline for the actress playing Red Riding Hood. They seemed equally excited to meet each other. Apparently the cast had discussed the girl who came in costume backstage! Her name is Emily and she graciously posed for a picture with Marina. She even took a selfie with her own cell phone! She also visited with us for quite a while.

We visited with other cast members including Cinderella before heading home.

Beautiful Easter Day

Marina has been looking forward to Easter for some time now. We started our morning at the church Easter Egg Hunt. Marina brought Grace along with her since they had matching dresses. We were running a bit late, but there were still plenty of eggs to gather when we arrived. Marina got started right away.

After the egg hunt, Marina and her friends hung around outside – it was such a beautiful day. They came inside in time for the church service.

I was so impressed with Marina during the service. She didn’t have Sunday School today, so she sat with her friends. She followed along in the bulletin and even sang the songs.

After church, we went home where Marina got to look for more eggs. The Easter Bunny challenged Marina a bit this year, but she responded by saying, “He’s dealing with a pro here.” She found both of her baskets but there was one egg that eluded us.

A little while later, we had friends over for dinner. The girls immediately disappeared into the basement to play on the Wii. They also enjoyed playing with Marina’s American Girl dolls.

We all had a lovely ham dinner together and took a little break before dessert. But we all had a wonderful day together.