Busy Weekend

 
CONTEMPLATING RACE: For weeks we have been meaning to get to Pacific Science Center's special exhibit, "Race." But our schedule kept pushing it aside - holidays, projects, and such. However, when CJ noted the exhibit was ending this weekend, we made sure we got there Sunday morning. (I'm not gonna lie - it helped that the Seahawks had a bye.)

SO glad we went. It was through provoking and impactful. For instance, above, CJ contemplates these students at a college who posed wearing t-shirts depicting how they'd be labeled in various years' U.S. censuses.

Many of the stations had videos that took some time to sit down and watch. One was of teens in a lunchroom, discussing race. Bee had a sit at 'their' table and listened in.

 At another station, Annabelle tried to match people's nationalities based on their appearance. It wasn't as easy as stereotypes might lead you to believe.

Near the end, there was a large map on the floor. 

CJ took the opportunity to hold court and explain how humankind spread across the globe from our African ancestors.

The exhibit showcased how people can overcome stereotypes. 

But we also learned about the toll racism takes on human beings, from healthcare to housing and more. 

I'm glad so glad we made it to the exhibit.

It was a gloriously beautiful Sunday in Seattle, and the grounds of Seattle Center never fail to impress.

 Pacific Science Center's arches looked whiter than ever against a brilliant blue sky.

And we had to have the gratuitous Space Needle pose, of course.

The International Fountain was putting on a heckuva show while we were there!

 

 It shot to great heights and came crashing down!

We even spied a rainbow - how 'bout that?!

The kids were wishing it was swimsuit weather, so they could go frolic in it, but that's a loooooooong ways away!

Every time we go to Seattle Center, I notice something new (to us). This visit, it was a sundial at Pacific Science Center. Its time-telling-ability was spot-on.

PLAYFUL: Saturday night, we continued what has become a holiday season tradition for us, attending the Fremont Players' British Panto at Hale's Palladium. Panto is short for pantomime, and it's a form of musical theatre that's traditionally performed in the Christmas holiday season in Great Britain. The stories are typically riffs on familiar fairy tales, interjected with contemporary references, with audience participation encouraged. This year's production was "Dick Whittington (and his Cat)."  Based on a true story,

Following is a collection of seriously craptacular photos taken via my struggling cell phone camera with cast members after the show. The place was dark and my camera phone was crappy, but I feel compelled to post them, because if I don't it didn't happen, LOL (damn you, social media!!!).

Here are the kids with "Sarah" ...

 and the fabulous fairy Bubbly Bowbells!

 During the show, the character of Alderman Fitzwarren was entirely greedy ...

but afterwards he/she gave the kids some fabulous baubles! They were thrilled!

 The villain, Rat King, was wonderfully despicable!!!!

Here are the kids' reviews of the event ... CJ's first.

"The story of Dick Whittington is a fairy tale that was recently performing by the Fremont Players at the British Panto. Dick Whittington is a fictionalization of the real-life Richard Whittington, who was (and still is, especially in the United Kingdom) most famous for rounding the charity of Sir Richard Whittington, which still operates 600 years later. Dick Whittington and his cat is the story of how a man named Dick Whittington seeks to defeat King Rat. If you are new to the story, then I will not spoil the story. One especially fun part was the pop-culture references, which would be shown every once in awhile (HEY! TEACHER! LEAVE THEM KIDS ALONE, for example.)

Over all, I would give Dick Whittington and his Cat a 10/10.

And Annabelle's take ...

"Dick Whittington was a British Pantomime (a type of play) performed by the Fremont Players at Hale's Palladium. It was a very fun experience, and there were some funny jokes, too. (Another fact about 'panto' is that it adds extra jokes!) Overall, it was great, and I give it a 9/10!

The story goes somewhat like this: A fairy named Fairy Bowbells says there is a rat infestation and they need a hero to stop the rats and save London, and lo and behold; Dick Whittington appears! I'm not going to spoil anymore, so you can go see it!

MEANWHILE, IN FLORIDA: Though we were on the road this afternoon, we made a pitstop around 2 p.m. to make sure we could watch the launch a SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. It was carrying a Thai communications satellite to orbit. It went off like clockwork, a picture perfect launch.
                          
Photo credit: SPACEX