Around Here

So much has happened since my last post!  Here's just a little bit of what we have been up to.

Lou and Kate invited us to their house for a small party, and the kids swam in the pool almost the entire time we were there.

This was a HUGE day for Kate because it was the first time she swam in a pool without clinging to someone.  She LOVED it and stayed in the pool for hours.  I'm so proud of her for being so brave, and I am happy that she had so much fun.

Reagan, Kate, and I went to see Mary Poppins at the Zeiterion.  It was a great show, so good that even though it was three hours long, we all enjoyed every minute.  The musical numbers were fantastic, especially the chimney sweep number.

Collin made Rice Krispies treats and turned them into ice cream sandwiches.  They were way too good.

We visited one of Kate's favorite playgrounds.

There was more leaping and jumping at the beach.

Collin went to Audubon Camp last week while Reagan was at writing camp, and they are both attending writing camp this week.  They have spent TONS of time just hanging out with kids in the neighborhood.  This is the first summer that they have spent a majority of their time having fun with their friends and very little time doing activities with me.  It's hard to see them grow up, but they are having a blast and I am very grateful for all of the opportunities they have and for all of the kids that they call friends.

The Lion King

Last night, C, R, and I went to see The Lion King.  The show was amazing; I was so impressed.  I knew it was going to be good, but sometimes when a show is hyped SO MUCH, it ends up being a bit of a let-down, not this time.  It was fantastic.  Originally, I wanted to take C and R to a matinee performance, but I waited too long to buy tickets.  This show started around bedtime, and that was a bit tough, especially because it was over two hours long, but they both enjoyed the show.  C was like a cartoon character with toothpicks holding his eyes open!  R fell asleep about halfway through the second act.  They really loved the show though; they were very entertained.

Before we went to the show, C and R made lion masks.  Earlier in the day, I saw a simple lion mask posted at Giggles and Crayons and thought it would be a fun craft in anticipation of this fun night out. 

First, I cut out the middle of the paper plates.  Then I had C and R glue on yarn for the mane.  I only had brown yarn, but we made do with orange and yellow pipe cleaners.  We also used some raffia.  The pipe cleaners are pretty heavy, so I hot glued those on wherever they told me to put them.  Also, because the masks were a little heavy, I stapled paper towel holders (instead of the usual craft sticks) onto the masks for them to hold.  C and R were already excited about going to see the show, but the masks were great for keeping them occupied until it was to time to leave!

 The masks remind me of Scar from The Lion King. 

Eric Carle and Mermaid Theatre

We love Eric Carle books. He is an amazing writer and illustrator. This past weekend, we enjoyed watching The Very Hungry Caterpillar,
Little Cloud, and The Mixed-up Chameleon retold on stage in black light. The show we saw was put together by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia. C and R LOVED every minute of the show, and I was pretty impressed with it myself. They retold the stories exactly, the show was the perfect length (about one hour) for my children, and they held a brief Q&A after the show to let the kids see how things were done.

Visit their website and look around. They retell some of our favorite books on stage, and I hope we have the opportunity to see more of their work. I am especially excited about the Leo Lionni productions, even though there is no touring schedule for that production right now.

The good news is that the Eric Carle production is touring the United States right now, and you really want to see this show. Click here for a link to the touring schedule. If you go, please let me know what you think.

By the way, no one is paying me (and I did not get free tickets) for this review. (Sigh...) We just loved this show. It was by far the best stage show (outside of Disney World) that my children have seen. I know you will love it too!