Enter 2023

We started out 2023 in Narnia today, and we were there with a brand new skit, and new costumes that you can see above.  Mom made these costumes for two Narnians, a faun and a wigglemarsh as well!

It was a great morning at KidPak, although there weren't that many people there at the first service.  I don't blame them, as it was a late night last night for many who rang in the new year at midnight.  Not to mention there was a huge local football game with the Georgia Bulldogs, who won and will now be in the National Championships next week, hoping to repeat as champions.  Anyway, it was pretty quiet in that first service.  The second service had a bigger population, but it was also a shorter service too - we managed to fit in our entire plans for the morning, a great visit in Narnia.  In fact, here's the script here, where Maddie and her friends discover a gateway to Narnia:

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KidPak Adventures: The Kingdom Chronicles

Part One:  An Unexpected Visit

    

CUE TRACK 1:  THE WARDROBE

 

CUE SLIDE:  KINGDOM CHRONICLES

 

HOST:  “Once there were four children named Nia, Jeremiah, Skylar, and Maddie.  Over the Christmas holidays, there was a party where everyone had been playing a game of hide-and-seek within the church.  Now in case you’re ever here for such a party, and if you’re really desperate for a hiding place, I’ll let you in on a secret.  There is a closet door on the third floor that no one ever goes into.  In fact, it’s usually locked.  That is, until now.”

 

JEREMIAH: (offstage) “No one is going to find me in here!”

 

SKYLAR: (offstage) “Hey, this is my hiding spot!”

 

JEREMIAH:  (offstage) “I was here first!”

 

NIA:  (offstage) “Someone.  Is standing.  On my toes!”

 

SKYLAR:  (offstage) “Wait, you’re in here too?”

 

MADDIE:  (offstage)  “She sure is.  I just watched the three of you walk in that door.”

 

HOST: “Now this closet seemed small and cramped at first, especially for four people.  That is, until Maddie found herself stumbling backwards into a place that felt altogether different.”

 

MADDIE:  (offstage) “There’s more room back here.  But it does seem a little colder.  Wow, and I thought the KidPak office was chilly!”

 

SOUND OF BOXES MOVING BACKSTAGE

 

HOST:  “And that’s when she realized she could keep moving further back.  She moved boxes and cleaning supplies out of the way until…”

 

MADDIE:  (ENTERING STAGE LEFT) “Oh my.  Where am I?  What is this place?” 

 

JEREMIAH: (offstage) “It’s called a storage closet, Maddie.”

 

MADDIE:  (facing back towards STAGE ENTRANCE) “No, no!  Not there.  Over here.  Come over this way – follow the sound of my voice.”

 

SOUND OF BOXES MOVING BACK STAGE

 

JEREMIAH, SKYLAR and NIA enter STAGE LEFT

 

NIA:  “Whoa!  Would you look at this place!”

 

SKYLAR:  (looking around) “What’s going on?  Is this where they put all the Christmas trees when they’re done with them?”

 

JEREMIAH: “No, this is …different.  Hey, this is an actual forest!  A snowy forest.  It’s like…it’s like…”

 

MADDIE: (pointing at lamp post) “…Narnia!”

 

SKYLAR:  “It’s the lamp post, just like in the stories!”

 

PAUSE as realization dawns on them.

 

NIA:  “Oh, snap.”

 

HOST:  “Now this happened to other children some time ago in the famous Chronicles of Narnia.  But it’s generally thought that this is the sort of thing that does not happen nowadays.  So obviously, they wondered what was going on.”

 

NIA:  “What is going on?”

 

JEREMIAH:  “Narnia is a real place?”

 

HOST:  “And they wondered why they were here.”

 

SKYLAR:  “Why are we here?”

 

HOST:  “These were indeed good questions.  And as if to answer these questions, they heard a noise approaching nearby within these snowy woods.”

 

CUE TRACK 2:  PIZZICATO CAPRICE

 

TITUS and DANIEL enter from behind audience.

 

TITUS:  “What a fine gift!”

 

JEREMIAH: “Quick!  Hide!”

 

As TITUS and DANIEL talk, they approach stage.  JEREMIAH, SKYLAR, NIA and MADDIE race to hide behind trees, or obvious spots.  

 

TITUS:  (to DANIEL) “Thank you for this umbrella, my wigglemarsh friend.”

 

DANIEL: “It’ll likely fall apart by spring, but it’s the thought that counts.”

 

TITUS:  “You know something?  Father Christmas may be gone from Narnia.  But perhaps you could do his job until he returns!”

 

DANIEL:  “I suppose I could give it a try.  Although I’m not quite sure about the laughing part.  How is it he laughs again?  Ho, ho, ho?  (seeing TITUS nod, and then giving it a try)  Ho, ho, ho!  Ho, ho, ho!”

 

TITUS:  “No, it’s more like, ho, ho – hold on a moment!  (noticing something on floor of stage)  Do you see what I see?”

 

DANIEL: (looking down on stage) “Sure enough.  There are fresh footprints in the snow.  More than likely boggles with their big pig noses.  Yes sir.  They’ll probably eat us.”

 

TITUS:  (noticing JEREMIAH) “Shhhh!  Don’t be silly.  No, by all appearances, I’d say these were four visitors from another land.” 

 

DANIEL:  (surprised) “How do you know that?”

 

TITUS:  “Because the ones that made these tracks?  (pointing to JEREMIAH, MADDIE, NIA and SKYLAR) They’re terrible at hide-and-seek!”

 

DANIEL:  “By Aslan’s mane, you’re right!  (to JEREMIAH, MADDIE, NIA & SKYLAR) “Okay then, come on out, the lot of you!”

 

JEREMIAH, MADDIE, NIA and SKYLAR slowly emerge from hiding places.

 

HOST:  “And so the four friends emerged from their hiding places.  They looked upon the Narnians, who looked back upon them and made this simple observation.”

 

TITUS:  “Oh my gosh!  (pointing at JEREMIAH)  Would you look at those weird legs!”

 

DANIEL:  “What kind of creatures are you?”

 

NIA:  “We’re kids, of course.  But what are you?”

 

TITUS:  “Wait, what?  (to DANIEL) Can it be?  The prophecy!”

 

DANIEL:  (to TITUS) “No, no, no.  It can’t be.”

 

SKYLAR:  “Look, all I know is we came through a closet door, and now all of the sudden we’re here.  Is this… Narnia?”

 

TITUS and DANIEL look at each other. 

TITUS:  (to DANIEL) “Aslan must have sent them.  That means the reign of the evil White Queen is nearly over!”

 

NIA:  “Evil White Queen?  What are you talking about?”

 

DANIEL:  “Why, you’re here to help!  Of course, not all of you might survive.  (looking at SKYLAR)  Yes, I’d say you’ll probably get eaten.”

 

SKYLAR: “What?”

 

JEREMIAH:  “Now hold on just a moment.  Look, we’re not knights or warriors or anything like that.”

 

TITUS:  “No.  You’re something much greater.”

 

MADDIE:  “Who, us?”

TITUS:  “Yes you!  You are daughters and sons of the King.  And because you are his children, you can win the battle every time.”

 

HOST:  “Indeed.  Many times it must have been thought:   how can mere children be something so great and mighty in Narnia?  But Mr. Titus is right of course.  You – and I – are daughters and sons of the one true God.  It doesn’t matter who you are or how old you are.  If God is for us, who can be against us?”

 

TITUS:  “I can’t believe we’re here to see this.”

 

MADDIE:  “Me …neither?  Um… so what kind of battle were you just talking about?”

 

CUE SOUND EFFECT:  BELLS

 

SKYLAR:  “Did you hear that?  Jingle bells!”

 

JEREMIAH:  “It’s Santa!  I know him!”

 

CUE TRACK 3:  THE WHITE WITCH

 

DANIEL:  “That’s not the sleigh of Father Christmas, my friend.”

 

NIA:  “Who is it?”

 

TITUS:  “Trust us.  It’s someone you don’t want to meet.  Quick!  We must hide!”

 

TITUS leads CAST off STAGE LEFT as HOST concludes.

FADE LIGHTS

 

HOST:  “And indeed, the approaching sleigh was not anyone friendly at all.  And as that sleigh approached, the air itself seemed to get even a little bit more cold.  Now I’m sure you want to find out who it was that inspires such fear, and if you really do, I suggest you do one important thing:  Join us this time, next time, for the next chapter of KidPak Adventures:  The Kingdom Chronicles.”

 

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We got home afterwards, and we had a delicious soup that Mom had prepared for us.  We're starting our annual fast today, so we had a delicious, delicious, delicious corn chowder soup that Mom makes each year.  Oh, it's so good.  We had that, and then we were pretty tired.  I took a fairly long nap, actually.

But later on, we were working on a new puzzle, this one based on Fantasia.  Nana and I were working on that one, and then we had a few programs on, including the first episode of "The Chosen," which Maddie was watching with us.  We'll go through that each night of the fast, along with some episodes of "The Bad Batch" too.

I've been on the treadmill every day, and I'm doing some arm exercises using something Mom got me for Christmas.  Maddie's been doing some puzzle work, and then playing games and just relaxing, which is fine because she's on vacation.  But I did get some Christmas decorations put away, and will continue to do so tomorrow.

Tonight, we continued our book "Interesting Times," where we find Rincewind on the Counterweight Continent, meeting Cohen the Barbarian once more.  Maddie likes these characters, and so do I!  We said our prayers tonight, and got to sleep shortly afterwards.  It's a new year, and there's a bit of focus right now on getting checklists done and so forth.  We've got some big ones this week, as Nana is off to visit a few locations we'll talk about later.  Today was a decent day though, as we got some things done, and of course had a great morning at KidPak!