Paddington Bear

We saw "Paddington Bear" tonight, and it was a real treat.  Our recent string of ho-hum movies at the theater has come to an end!  It was made even better by our little rewards program card, which gave us free drinks and a large popcorn - and then a free ticket for next visit as well.  As for the movie, it was well done, filled with creativity and a bit of that English humor that seems to tickle us so.  Madison of course really enjoyed it, laughing out loud on several occasions.  Evidence of her appreciation would be the fact that she had several favorite parts to talk about afterwards.  The area of London that this was filmed in was an area that Mommy is really familiar with, having hung out there quite a lot - most recently in 2000, when she was a nanny for another family for a short time.  She would go to that very museum featured in the movie, walk along some of those very streets, and also visit Portobello Road.  That last venue is a huge market area, featured only a bit in the movie, and probably more memorable from "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," probably because of that relentless song "Portobello Road," which does not leave your head.  It sort of finds its way in and ricochets around for a few hours as you find yourself doing your best impersonation of David Tomlin.

As for the bear himself, we actually have one from years and years and years ago.  Sadly, his clothing did not survive so much.  But I'm at least inspired to get a hat of that sort, and a jacket.  Not for me, but for the bear.

The rest of the day featured a bit of work, and a bit of piano, and a bit more of work.  Today we were spending time setting up for Sunday's services with Anna now visiting the Northern Lights series.

In fact, here's the script of the drama that Madison will get to see tomorrow, where our Vikings continue on their path towards pillaging and plundering, with their two monk hostages.  It seems though, that they've hit a snag:

KidPak Adventures:  Northern Lights
Unity in the Snow

PROPS:

NONE, outside of VIKING weaponry

CUE SLIDE:  SNOWY BACKDROP

CUE TRACK:  6 Sunrise

NARRATOR:  "Once again, we've arrived at the Frozen North - a land of beauty, of snow and of lights.  But things are not at all well here, for a band of Vikings has put it upon themselves to loot the castle at Arendelle.  One Viking has been sent off to capture the Queen herself!  Let us see what happens next as we continue our story underneath the Northern Lights."

CUE TRACK:  7 The Vikings Have Their Tea

GARDAR leads TORNY, VLAD, INCALZANDO and CRESCENDO out on STAGE RIGHT

VLAD:  "That settles it.  We're officially lost."

TORNY:  "There's that same church.  This is right where we started!"

GARDAR:  "It is hopeless!  I shouldn't have sent Ivar off to capture that queen - he's got the sunstone and our only way of finding direction."

VLAD:  "If you would have just listened to me.  I said to go that way."

VLAD points off towards beyond the church on stage.

TORNY:  "And I said to go that way."

TORNY points in opposite direction.

GARDAR:  "And I said to go that way!"

GARDAR points elsewhere.

GARDAR, TORNY and VLAD argue loudly about the direction they are supposed to go in.  CRESCENDO breaks it up by speaking loudly.

CRESCENDO:  "Would you stop it?  All of you! You're acting like a bunch of Vikings!"

INCALZANDO whispers something to CRESCENDO, who backs down. 

CRESCENDO:  "Which …you are.”

VLAD:  “Okay, that’s it.  You are awfully chatty for a monk.  I thought you people were supposed to take an oath of silence.”

CRESCENDO: “I did.  It just didn’t quite work out so well.  It seems as if I wasn’t created for long moments of silence.”

TORNY: “You can say that again.”

INCALZANDO:  “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Brother Crescendo.  We are all created differently, like the snowflakes that fall to theground.”

CRESCENDO: “Which is why now I’ve decided to take an oath of loudness!”

VLAD:  “Ugh! Perhaps we should let our prisoners go now. After all, we are back here at the church.  ”

GARDAR: “ Showing a little mercy, Vlad?”

VLAD: “No.  The one does not stop talking!  I would rather fight the battle of Svolderall over again.”

GARDAR:  “Ha!”

VLAD:  “No, seriously.  I would.”

VIKINGS laugh heartily, as INCALZANDO boils over in quiet rage.

INCALZANDO:  “Vikings, your hearts are…”

ANNA:  (complaining to herself) “Cold, cold, cold, cold.”

ANNA enters STAGE LEFT, surprising everyone.

GARDAR: “Who are you?”

CRESCENDO bows, and INCALZANDO follows.

CRESCENDO:  “Princess Anna!  It’s so good to see you, I just might cry!”

ANNA:  “Go ahead.  I won’t judge.”

GARDAR senses opportunity.

GARDAR:  (menacing) “Your highness!  We have need of an escort to the castle.”

ANNA: “Oh!  It’s that way!  And um, I was just wondering, has another young woman, the queen perhaps, I don’t know, come through here recently?”

INCALZANDO:  “The queen?  She went in that direction!”

INCALZANDO points towards STAGE RIGHT.

GARDAR:  (more threatening) “This is all very well.  But I don’t think you get my true meaning.”

ANNA:  (oblivious) “Oh, I’m sorry.  Just over that rise, and straight on until you see the castle tower.”

VLAD:  “What he’s saying is this…”

ANNA:  (upbeat) “Hold that thought.”

VLAD looks confused as ANNA continues.

ANNA:  “How long ago did she leave?”

CRESCENDO:  “Uh… not long.  You could catch up with her quickly if not for all this snow.”

ANNA:  “Snow, it had to be snow!  She couldn’t have had tropical magic that covered the fjords in white sand and warm sunny skies.”

CRESCENDO: “Wait.  Are you telling me that the queen caused all this snow?”

VLAD:  “That explains the snow, and the frozen hammer!  She’s gone all ice crazy!”

ANNA:  “Oh, well it was all my fault.  I got engaged, but then she freaked out because I’d only just met him.  She said she wouldn’t bless the marriage…”

TORNY: “ Wait a minute.  You got engaged to someone you just met that day?”

ANNA: “ Yeah?  Anyway, I got mad and so she got mad and then she tried to walk away and I grabbed her glove…”

GARDAR:  “Hang on.  You mean to tell me you got engaged to someone you just met that day?”

ANNA: “ Yes.  Pay attention.  But the thing is she wore the gloves all the time, so I just thought, maybe she has a thing about dirt…”

VLAD:  “Didn’t your parents ever tell you about what it means to live in unity?”

ANNA: “Wait.  What?”

GARDAR:  “Marriage is about being of one mind together.  A team!”

ANNA:  “Yep.  That’s me and Hans.  We finish each other’s…”

VLAD: “Sandwiches?”

ANNA:  “Yes!  How’d you know?  Anyway, we are so completely alike.”

TORNY: “Oh yeah?  What’s his last name?”

ANNA:  (she doesn’t know) “Hans… of the Southern isles.”

CRESCENDO:  “What’s his favorite food?”

ANNA:  “Sandwiches.”

INCALZANDO:  “Best friend’s name?”

ANNA: “ Probably John.”

GARDAR:  “Eye color?”

ANNA: “Dreamy.”

TORNY:  “Wait.  Have you even had a meal with him yet?”

GARDAR: " What if you hate the way he picks his nose?"

ANNA:  "Picks his nose?"

GARDAR: "And eats it."

ANNA:  "Excuse me sir, he is a prince."

 

TORNY:  “Unity isn’t some dreamy sort of thing.  Unity is like spending time with one another.  Like us, the Vikings!  We’re a team.”

VIKINGS cheer!

VLAD steps forward, as INCALZANDO whispers something into ANNA’s ear.  ANNA looks suddenly concerned.

VLAD:  “Yes.  And it takes work and patience and love.  But we’re a team!”

VIKINGS cheer!

GARDAR steps forward, as ANNA quietly exits STAGE RIGHT.

GARDAR:  “Because in the end, we know we have each other’s backs.  We’re a team!”

VIKINGS cheer!

CRESCENDO steps forward.

CRESCENDO:  “And in the end, we can do all things!  We pack together like one of those killer snowballs that whacks you upside the head.”

VIKINGS look at CRESCENDO, confused.

CRESCENDO:  “Because we’re a team!”

VIKINGS cheer.

CRESCENDO:  “Now who’s ready to pillage and plunder?!”

INCALZANDO: “Brother Crescendo!”

CRESCENDO: “ Sorry.  Just got caught up in the moment.”

VLAD and TORNY realize that ANNA is gone.

VLAD:  “The princess!  She’s gone!”

GARDAR: “ Where is she?”

VIKINGS turn to INCALZANDO

INCALZANDO:  “I sort of told her you were going to kidnap her and stuff.”

GARDAR (furious):  “Great googly moogly!  We let her get away!”

TORNY: “I’ll go after her!”

GARDAR stops her.

GARDAR: “No!  We’re already down one Viking.  Let’s go to the castle.  All of us.  There is a treasure waiting, and now we knowwhere to go.  Come on!”

GARDAR leads TORNY, VLAD, INCALZANDO, and CRESCENDO off STAGE RIGHT.

NARRATOR:  “Uh-oh.  At least Anna was able to slip away.  But what is in store for the castle?  And the monks?  If you want to find out, you’d best join us next time as we head to the north again, under the Northern Lights.”

Madison should get a kick out of it anyway, as we move forward with this series that's been going so well.  As a bonus, Anna will be here to pose for pictures with the kids after each service, so there's a win all around.

We spent about an hour doing something fun this afternoon - as soon as Daddy got back from work.  There was just a bit of time left before leaving for the movies, so the three of us played "SurpriseSlides," which is basically a "Frozen" version of "Chutes and Ladders."  This time, it was Mommy who got stuck in the endless merry-go-round of doom, perpetually landing on the same snowflake that would send her plunging downward over and over again, only to attempt climbing all the way back up again.  Only to hit the snowflake again.  Somehow, she caught up with Madison - although neither were any match for Daddy, who had amazing luck for a change, getting to the finish line first.  Madison can't win 'em all, right?

Anyway, it was a nice day today, with a bit of productive stuff going on at the office, and some fun at home.  The movie has us all wanting to go back to London though.  That would be a jolly holiday indeed!