I Love Fairytales!

Today is the day! Today is the day that Tangled opens! I had the chance a few weeks ago to take the boys, and not only did they like it, they were laughing, giggling (yes, the boys were giggling out loud!), and they really enjoyed it. Tangled takes an old fairytale, Rapunzel, and modernizes it, Disney style. It's chock full of interesting characters that tell the story in a new and different way. And Disney 3D definitely adds to the story - it adds depth to the visuals so that you don't feel like you are turning the pages of a book, but you are watching the story actually unfold in front of you.

The boys spent the whole movie chuckling to themselves and laughing out loud, as did the rest of the audience. The movie was engaging from the start, and had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. The boys' favorite characters were a pub thug and a lizard (Shorty and Pascal) and both will endear themselves to you just as quickly as they did to us. Amongst the other characters are some recognizable voices - Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, and Zachary Levi (of Chuck fame) as Flynn Rider, and both of them did a fantastic job.

It's definitely a family movie - while we didn't take the youngest member of the family I'm sure she'll enjoy it when it comes out on DVD. And hopefully Rapunzel will charm her for year to come like Cinderella has charmed me.

*While Disney Animation paid for our tickets, the words and opinions expressed here are all mine. Definitely take the family to this one - you'll enjoy it!

A Magical Place

We have long been supporters of the arts. From way back when Max was a wee one we'd venture out to various performances in and around Austin. Austin is the musical capital of the world, after all. But when we moved here to DC, I had no idea the cultural delights that would await us. As we found our way around, one of the first places we discovered was Wolf Trap's Theater in the Woods. It is a magical place nestled in the woods where kids and parents enjoy music, dance, and other performances.

It made my initial homesickness for Austin a little bit better knowing that I could pop out there to catch a show (and catch shows we did!). But as the boys got older and more involved in school, I lost sight of the Theater in the Woods. School schedules became more crowded, weekends became insane, and sports started to dominate our lives.

Then one day my oldest picked up a trumpet and played. He played and played, and the music that he made (beautiful for a first time trumpet player and actually tolerable to my hubby's delicate ears!) reminded me that we do need to plug back into the music and arts scene. I was about Ian and Sam's age when I saw my first real live performance of Grease - nekkid butts and all. I was about Max's age when I did my first cartwheel on Broadway (on the street, not on a stage). And here we were, living in the midst of a plethora of arts, music, and performances, and we weren't partaking. So when I got an invitation to come back to that place that brought me so much comfort and helped to introduce my two little boys to so many cool things, I had to take them up on it. We saw two shows that made my kids laugh, dance, sing, clap, and even giggle. Takes a lot to entertain all four of these kids since they are so far apart in age (10yrs down to 1yr old), but Dinorock and Hayes Greenfield did just that - they brought a smile to all of our faces.

Lucy LOVED seeing dinosaurs, and loved hearing the music. She spent a good deal of both shows dancing around and clapping to the beat. She waved at the Dinos and said "Bye bye" when they walked off stage. She connected with the performances, and she's not even two. The boys, on the other hand, really got it. They got the jokes, they got the story, and they got the messages. And when Hayes Greenfield and Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz came on, the kids plugged right in to the music. They were entranced by the sounds, by the music, by the beats, as were the rest of us there. All three boys go to a school where they have more access to music and arts than most kids around here - it's a magnet school for the arts and sciences. And all three get to play instruments very early on, so it was wonderful for them to see what it's like as an adult playing an instrument, and how much fun it really can be.

But outings like this, considering our schedule, are rare. I just need to remember to make more for things like this. Clearly the kids enjoyed it, and me, well, I'm making plans to head back there with them very soon.

Tickets provided for free by Wolf Trap, but the sentiment and the words are all mine.

Thank you to Robert Boag for these great images.

And the Guppy Gala Winner is...

#8 !!!

Janie said...
The Zoo is just awesome! Last time we were there we spent the most time watching the River Otters play and checking out the Amazonia, invertebrates & reptile houses. We spent the whole day and still didn't get to see it all. In fact I've never taken my kids to the bird house so it sounds like we've missed one of the best things. We went to the Guppy Gala 4 years ago and I know my boys would love to go again. Maybe we'll be lucky and win the tickets!

Congrats!!! Pop me an e-mail with your full address and phone, and the tickets will be on their way to you! Have fun at the Gala!

*Winning number generated by Random.org

It's Guppy Gala Time!

My kids love the zoo. They love going to the zoo on a regular day when it's all about the animals. And they love it even more when there are cool things to do at the zoo where you can learn all about the animals. And even better is when we can contribute to the ongoing efforts of the zoo in their education and conservation mission. The National Zoo’s Guppy Gala? Well, it's one event of several that the zoo offers throughout the year where folks like you and I can give back to the zoo.

The National Zoo’s 16th annual Guppy Gala is rock climbing, mazes, animal encounters, good food, and silly songs. You can even bring your favorite stuffed animal and get them a check-up. All of this, sponsored by United Healthcare®, is Friday, May 14, from 6-8:30pm.

If you want to attend this fun event, tickets are $15 for FONZ members and $25 for nonmembers. They can be purchased at www.fonz.org/guppy.htm, through Ticketmaster (202-397-SEAT), and at the Zoo's Visitor Center (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.).

Or, even better, if you leave a comment in the comments section here, you have a chance to win four tickets to the Guppy Gala. Tell me about your favorite part of the zoo – your favorite animals, the last time you were there, or if you haven’t been to the National Zoo, your own favorite zoo experience. I’ll pick a winner randomly and will post the results on this blog. The tickets will be sent directly to you from the great folks at the National Zoo. The comments will close on Thursday, April 29 at midnight (Eastern) and the winner will be posted shortly after.

Note: I am not being compensated for this post. The tickets that I’m giving away were given to me by the folks at the National Zoo, but nothing else. We are big fans of the zoo and I am glad to share the info with you. Hope to see you at the zoo soon!