Inside Out

Marina has been looking forward to the release of the new Disney Pixar movie Inside Out. So she was very excited when I got us tickets to an advance screening of the movie this evening.

In preparation, we went to the Disney Store. They are having Summer Play Days again this year. The schedule said Showtime today and we we happy to learn that the activity revolved around Inside Out. In the activity the cast member introduced the main characters in the film. After the activity, she got her lanyard for this year and not only the button for this week but the previous weeks as well.

We looked around the store and Marina paid special attention to the Inside Out toys. She fell in love with the Joy plush doll so we got that to take with us to the movie tonight.

After dinner, we headed to the theater. It was pretty crowded as we expected. It took us a while to get our popcorn and find seats. They were closer than what we ideally would have like, but Marina enjoyed the kids seated near us until the movie started.

We both enjoyed the movie. It was funny and sad. The main character, Riley, was eleven, just like Marina. Even after it was over we had a discussion about feelings.

Jurassic World

Marina has been excited to see the new movie Jurassic World for a while. It opened today and since we didn’t have any other plans, we deiced to go. It was a rainy morning – the perfect day to see a movie.

We went to our favorite movie theater restaurant for the 3D version. I was concerned it might be too intense for Marina. We had watched Jurassic Park earlier this week in preparation. She didn’t seem concerned at all. But she brought her Princess Aurora plush doll just in case.

We ordered our usual food and settled in. Marina was happy to be sitting next to a younger girl. They entertained each other until the movie started.

The movie was intense but Marina enjoyed it. She appreciated all the references to the original Jurassic Park. She also seemed to like the big and scary dinosaurs.

After it was over, she enthusiastically told me what she liked about it. And when we got home, she changed her clothes into an outfit that was reminiscent of the heroine from the movie. For Marina, that’s the ultimate sign she liked the movie!

The World of Wicked

Marina and I have tickets to see Wicked in two weeks. She has never seen it before, but she is looking forward to it. We learned recently that a display of props and costumes from Wicked are on display at a nearby mall. But before we could make plans to see the exhibit, the theater company announced that members of the cast would be at the mall to perform and sign autographs. Suddenly I knew when we'd be visiting!

Marina wanted to wear her Glinda costume from Oz the Great and Powerful. She also brought her American Girl doll Grace along. Grace wore her witch costume.

We arrived a little before the performance was set to start. So we took time to look at the display of costumes. We managed to find seats up closer but off to one side. Still, we had a great view and had a group of young ladies to chat with as we waited.

The performances were fantastic. The actresses who are playing Glinda and Elphaba performed "The Wizard and I" and "For Good." Marina was very impressed.

We got in line to meet the performers. While we waited, Marina befriended a young lady in line. The two girls hit it off right away. When it was our turn, Marina showed the actresses her costume as well as Grace's. Clearly they appreciated her style!

We completed a scavenger hunt through the mall which took us to a toy store, chocolate shop and tea sampling. Then we headed home. On the way, we listened to songs from Wicked. I think Marina is even more excited to see the show now.

Cousin Shower

Uncle Brian and Aunt Emily are expecting a baby girl in July. Marina is very excited to have a new cousin.

Today was the baby shower. Marina helped me pick out the gifts a few days ago. We rode to the shower with several family members. Marina also brought her American Girl Julie with her.

When we arrived, Marina had big hugs for Aunt Emily and Uncle Brian. One of the activities was drawing a picture based on a letter of the alphabet for an ABC book. Marina had a great time creating pages. She created a collage of drawings for “P” (penguin, Pink Panther, princess and pancakes). She also drew ice cream for “I.”

When it was time for Brian and Emily to open the gifts. Marina was very helpful by bringing each gift to them.

On the way home, we stopped at Krispy Kreme for donuts. We both enjoyed watching the donuts being made almost as much as the donuts! It was a long drive home, but Marina was content playing on her phone the whole 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.

Baseball Dolls

School ended for Marina and her classmates yesterday. We celebrated the beginning of summer by going to a baseball game. The Rockies were playing the Dodgers in an afternoon game and we thought it would be a fun day. We invited Ainsley along with us.

The girls both wore purple and black and brought along American Girl dolls dressed in Rockies shirts. We arrived shortly after the game started.

Today was the hottest day of the year so far. Even our seats were scorching. The girls were not happy about that. So we went to get drinks and then the girls had their picture taken with Dinger, the mascot. Once we had those important errands complete, we ventured back to our seats.

Neither girl was particularly interested in the game, so they busied themselves with eating peanuts and stomping the shells into powder. As the day got even hotter, they enjoyed playing with our misting fan. They took turns spraying each other and the fans around us (who really appreciated it!)

The girls entertained themselves nicely and only got restless near the end of the game. So when they cheered the Rockies scored the final out they were more excited that the game was over and we could head home!

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.