Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Darwin the Dinosaur


Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to take a van full of After School Academy kids to see "Darwin the Dinosaur," a fantastical tale of an electroluminescent dinosaur creation named Darwin that learns the true meaning of love as he encounters and interacts with other dinosaurs, creatures, and nature. Yes, the stage was blacked out, and all the creatures glowed in the dark! With only the glowing figures and music to tell the story, this particular show was the perfect setting for our Spanish-speaking moms who accompanied their children.

The story kept adults and children alike engaged. Between the dancing flowers, flying Pterodactyls, and the token "bad guy" dinosaur in red, I smiled through much of the show. However, nothing can top the slow motion Star Wars-themed light saber fight at the end, or the look of surprise on some of our kids faces as they realized (during the lighted curtain call) that the characters were actually played by people dressed in black.

I loved it! Here are some of the kids' reactions, completing the statement, "My favorite part was..."

...when they got the swords. -Sandra, 7
...the flowers dancing. -Alfa, 8
...when the flowers were dancing. -Maria, 9
...was when they did the slow motion. -Jorge, 9
...when they were playing Star Wars. -Kateri, 6
...when the girl will die and [when they] were playing Star Wars. -Gloria, 7
...when the red dinosaur pooped the flowers. -Jordan, 7

Many thanks to our friends, the Children's Fine Arts Series for inviting us to enjoy the show!

Childhood Obesity

"One out of every three children is now overweight or obese, a condition that places them at greater risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer over the course of their lives. This is not the future we want for our children, and it is a burden our health care system cannot bear."

-Melody Barnes
Chair, Task Force on Childhood Obesity

Like many areas around our city, obesity is a major problem in the Lincoln Heights Courts. We're asking ourselves, what can we do to help our children make good choices concerning their health? The Task Force on Childhood Obesity's report can be found at: http://www.letsmove.gov/taskforce_childhoodobesityrpt.html?utm_source=051110&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eblast