Big Fat Greek Festival

We had such a fun time at the Greek Festival last year that Marina and I decided we had to go back this year. Marina thought about wearing either her Disney Meg or Esmeralda costume, but ultimately, she decided on a tank top and skirt. I tied a coin scarf around her waist and she jingled everywhere she went. She loved that!

We arrived shortly after the festival started. The weather was very hot but not many people were there. Marina started off by shopping. The vendors had beautiful jewelry and clothing on display. Marina enjoyed looking at all of it.

For lunch, we decided to share a gyro. Marina seemed a bit unsure of it, but after she tried it she found she really liked it. We also tried a cheese and pita snack. She didn’t like the lemon juice used for seasoning on that though. As we ate we listened to Greek music and watched children’s dance groups perform.

Of course, Marina tried out all the rides and games. We were feeling very hot, so we went inside the cathedral. I had told Marina that the Greek Orthodox Church was famous for their icons. But we were both amazed by inside of the cathedral. When we listened to the priest discuss the church Marina was a bit bored. Once he stopped speaking, we took a look around and I could see she was impressed.

We did a little more shopping after the tour. Naturally, she found many things she loved. We did pick up a golden crown of laurel leaves. She said, “I feel like a Greek goddess!” She did look like one. But even goddesses get hot and tired, so we went home.

Friends and Flowers

It's been a while since Marina and I have visited the botanic gardens, so we decided it was time to go back. A new art exhibit opened last month, "The Art of the Horse" which we wanted to see as well. We invited Ainsley to join us today.

When we first arrived we went straight to the children's garden. The girls enjoyed looking at the flowers (especially the many colors of columbines - the state flower). Ainsley identified many of the animal tracks left in the sidewalks. They have fun running across the bridge and wearing bird wings. The wading stream was really crowded, so hey only spent a short time there. Once we explored the whole children's garden, we stopped to have lunch.

After lunch, we checked out the tropical greenhouse. At that point, both girls got their cell phones out and took pictures of their favorite plants. We met a little girl in the greenhouse who loved hanging around with them as well.

Next we viewed some of the horse sculptures. We went through the Japanese, Chinese, rose and sculpture gardens. And the girls browsed the gift store before we headed out. By then they were pretty tired.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Last summer, we saw a local children's theater production of The Snow Queen. The same group was presenting The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe this month. So we decided to see it.

I started to explain the story to Marina and she said, "That sounds like Narnia!" So apparently she already knew a little something going into the show. Marina brought a lion along with her - her stuffed baby Simba toy.

The performance started a bit late. Marina talked with the boys behind her until it began. Once it started, Marina was completely engaged. The show was as long as a movie without an intermission, but she remained focused the whole time.

Once the play was over, the cast greeted us in the lobby. Marina was particularly excited to meet the young lady dressed as a unicorn. We also spoke with the actress playing Lucy, who was also in last year's production of  The Snow Queen. We also admired the costume and performance of the actress who portrayed the White Witch.

When we came home, Marina decided to read the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I read the book as a child too. I hope she loves it as much as I did.

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.