Here in Maine, it's pretty cold in January, maybe not as cold as things got in Arendelle, though, when Elsa froze it all. And of course, because we live in a house with a little girl, we know all about all things Anna and Elsa. Even my 20-month-old son yells out "go!" (for "Let It Go") whenever he sees Queen Elsa. Needless to say, it was inevitable that we would host a Frozen-themed party at some point. In our case, it was just a small movie-night party, thrown together at the last minute, with a few friends from our daughter's school. Here's what it looked like: We used all of our Frozen-themed toys and books as decorations, including our stuffed Olaf and Disney Infinity figures (above) and Barbie-size dolls (below). I printed out a bunch of Frozen-themed coloring sheets and activity pages (you can find some here and here), and set them out with markers and crayons so that the guests had something to do while dinner was cooking. We also did a special snowflake ornament craft using craft foam snowflakes and glitter glue to decorate them. I think Elsa really appreciated how glittery they came out! For our party, we purchased special Frozen-shaped chicken nuggets, and we snacked on Olaf arms (pretzel sticks), Olaf noses (carrots), and snowball popcorn (Smartfood popcorn). After dinner, we had to have some sweet treats, including Frozen-themed fruit snacks, jelly beans, candy, and blue lollipops. I also made brownies and white chocolate-covered Oreos. For the brownies, I used edible snowflakes as decorations. I dipped the Oreos in white chocolate to make them look snowy, and I added some blue sparkly sugar glitter to make them match Elsa's ice get-up. The kids had such a good time, and of course they enjoyed the movie. I printed out some of the song lyrics so that the grown-ups could sing along, too. Even though this event was sort of thrown together (it was planned and executed in a week), I think it worked as a celebration of the movie and the power of warm hugs to bring friends together in even the coldest of weather.
2 Comments
So, the next unit in the fairy tales course I'm taking is about Snow White. Click here to read the Grimm's 1857 version, or download the 1810 version below.
Ok, so here's my response to the course reading and the professor's lecture. It's a little academic, but here goes:
In interpreting the two Grimm versions of Snow White that I read, it seems clear to me that the Evil Queen figure, whether actual mother or step-mother, is dealing with an unresolved reverse Electra complex of sorts (Jung’s term, which Freud took issue with). Instead of directing her envy toward her own mother, it is directed toward her child/step-child. She seems fearful and jealous of her daughter’s/step-daughter’s beauty and sees her as competition that can threaten her grasp on what little power she has seized in a patriarchal society. With regard to that power, I tend to want to read the tale from a Lacanian perspective rather than the more sexually-based Freudian perspective. In terms of the Lacanian view of the Oedipal/Electra complex, it’s a much more symbolic issue. For example, the castration fear and accompanying desire to seize the phallus (which Freud tends to interpret literally) are seen symbolically as a fear of losing power and/or a desire to gain power, as represented by the phallus in a patriarchal society (in this case, male power). From this Lacanian view, the Evil Queen merely wants to retain her grasp on power and rid herself of any threats to that power, in this case, Snow White (or presumably any other female who could potentially be identified as more beautiful than she is, as beauty can be read as the female equivalent of social power). In this way, the father’s rescue and claiming of his daughter’s body isn’t motivated by sexual desire, instead he also becomes competition in his wife’s quest for power because he does, in fact, possess the phallus (here, both literally by virtue of his maleness and symbolically by virtue of his position of power in a patriarchal society). Thus, both Snow White and her father become aligned and can be seen as antagonists in the Evil Queen’s quest for power. I think it’s also interesting that in the original Grimm, the magic mirror is not assigned a gender. I think readers may tend to assume the voice of the mirror is a male voice, but there doesn’t seem to be any indication of gender explicitly assigned (perhaps in the original German?). If we can’t assume the mirror is male, then perhaps it is the inner voice of the Evil Queen herself – her inner desires and fears made manifest. If that’s the case, then she is her own worst enemy, and she suffers as a result of her inability to reconcile her lack of/eventual loss of power in a patriarchal society. It’s interesting that in the original versions of the story, Snow White is 7, and she seems to have resolved any id-ego conflict (the sort of conflict that results in the kind of complex her mother/step-mother is clearly in the throes of), so that she becomes ruled by her super-ego, hence her desire to repay the dwarfs for their protection by cleaning and cooking. I honestly don’t see her willingness to help the dwarfs as an anti-feminist choice, especially since the dwarfs’ cottage is already clean and well-kept in the original versions. In the Disney version, where the dwarfs are messy little men with dirty dishes stacked haphazardly in the sink, cobwebs in every corner, and dust piles on the floor, it might be a little more challenging to make the argument that she is holding up her end of the bargain. Along those same lines, in the Grimm versions, the dwarfs rescue her three times (granting her sanctuary, cutting the suffocating laces, removing the poisoned comb), so it seems as though she is much more indebted to them than perhaps she is in the Disney version. Clearly in the Disney version, the dwarfs serve a much different purpose than in the original stories; for Disney, they are comic relief and meant to help characterize Snow White as kind and compassionate (and beautiful) enough to elicit love from strangers. In the original versions, the dwarfs become stand-ins for the absent father figure who is not there to protect his daughter from his wife’s jealous machinations. In any case, I do not under any circumstances see the dwarfs as phalluses themselves. One last note about the Disney version of the tale (because I’ve probably gone on for long enough), I think young children read the tale didactically as a warning against jealousy and bullying. When my young daughter watched the film, she was frightened of the Evil Queen and understood that the Queen’s choices to be mean to Snow White were wrong – in fact, the Queen gets punished for those bad choices by “falling” off the cliff. Snow White, on the other hand, makes better choices (showing kindness, cleaning up after herself and others) and is rewarded with loyalty and friendship (on the part of the forest animals and dwarfs) and true love (on the part of the prince). Yes, Snow White is passive (she has to be rescued by men and takes very little initiative on her own – aside, perhaps, from negotiating with the huntsman for her life) and gullible (taking the apple – how symbolic!) and trades on her beauty (the thing that saves her from the huntsman, encourages the dwarfs’ kindness, and prompts the prince’s rescuing kiss), but she is still somewhat better than the murderous, jealous, conniving, self-obsessed alternative of the Evil Queen. Our family is gearing up for another Disney trip! Well, in all honesty, when aren't we? Anyway, check out our hyper-linked trip plan for our upcoming vacation HERE. We can't wait!
This is another entry from that amazing (have I mentioned how awesome it is?) fairy tales course I'm taking. We were asked to to address the larger questions of Disney's contribution to the genre (including the Cinderella movie or theme park additions). Here's my take. Admittedly, it's a little academic, but this is for a class, after all.....It's also my opinion, so you may (or may not) disagree with my analysis: In terms of Disney's take on the Cinderella story, I think the Disney company understood that they were creating a story geared specifically toward families (including young children), and our idea of children and what's appropriate for them has certainly changed from the European ideas of the 1600s-1800s. Families would certainly have objected and never taken their children to see a film in which the stepsisters cut off part of their feet, whatever those feet happened to symbolize (foot fetishes/vaginas or religious punishments for not being nice people). It's enough for the American children of the 1950s to understand that the bad step-sisters do not get to live happily ever after in a beautiful castle with the prince, while the good and virtuous Cinderella (who works very hard, always with a smile, and is kind to animals, fierce cats, and unkind women) gets rewarded. Clearly, the feminist critics will take issue with this interpretation, because despite the fact that the Fairy Godmother of the Disney version (and arguable Lady Tremaine herself) exert power in society (power over Cinderella in both cases), the women in the tale are clearly subservient to the male patriarchy, as represented by the castle (which could potentially be read as a phallic symbol with all those towers and turrets) and the prince. There's also the idea put forth by the king in the Disney Cinderella concerning the need for the prince to marry so that the king will have grandchildren to play with, which speaks to the role and importance of marriage in 1950s America. As for the theme parks, the Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom is the ultimate "weenie" - it draws our attention after the big reveal as the crowd turns that corner on Main Street USA. The castle does seem designed to draw park guests into the story, to immerse us in the magic, so to speak. I think it contributes to the illusion that these fairy tale stories are, in fact, real, because they have a place in our world (even if it is only within the confines of a very carefully constructed theme park reality). It's also connected to the message of the Disney version of the story, which seems to encourage us that if we are good and if we can persevere through hardship with kindness and a smile, then we, too, can live happily ever after. In thinking about the lecture interpretation of the Cinderella stories, I'm intrigued by the application of the Oedipal complex (at least in terms of the rivalry for parental affection) to the Cinderella story. For me, I found the application of the Freudian lens (particularly in the Grimm and Perrault - and even the Disney version) to be more about the importance of following our superego, as it reveals the social and cultural norms of the time that we have internalized, rather than pursuing our id desires (which may have included rebellion or a bad attitude toward being ordered around by the step-mother and step-sisters). For me, the tale is about listening to the superego, rather than asserting our own id desires, and perhaps finding a way to integrate the two (the superego tells Cinderella to do as she's told; her id tells her to go to the ball to see the prince, even though she's been told she can't; her ego finds a way to balance those two warring desires so that she completes all of her assigned tasks and is still able to "sneak" into the ball in "disguise" without her step-mother or step-sisters knowing). Image courtesy of disneydreaming.com
I am currently taking a free and fabulous course offered by Dr. Kevin Yee called Fairy Tales: The Origins and Evolution of Princess Stories. I have been enamored of princess stories since I was a little girl and my mother bequeathed to me a volume of Fifty Famous Fairy Tales that was hers growing up. I loved reading the tales, and of course, that evolved into a love (passion, obsession) for the Disney versions of the stories, too. In the first module of this course, we focused on the Cinderella story, examining the Basile, Perrault, Grimm, and Disney versions of the tale. Here's what I had to say about the three versions of the story I explored for the purpose of the course: The prompt was: Before we get into the professor's analysis of the Cinderella text, we want to hear from you. What did you think of the story? Did it match your memory of the narrative, or your expectations? What does the name "Cinderella" usually make you think of? Here's my response: I was already very familiar with both the Grimms' version and the Perrault version of the tale. I love the traditional versions of the tale that include the three trips to the ball and the three dresses; they remind me of one of my favorite fairy tales growing up: Allerleirauh (also known as Donkeyskin, Cat Skin, or All Kinds of Fur). The Basile version of the Cinderella story was new to me, but there were clear parallels between the three versions of the tale presented here (wicked step-mother and step-sisters, fairy godmother/divine intervention of sorts, handsome prince/king searching for the one who can wear the lost shoe, etc.). I have to admit that I was surprised at the murder involved in the Basile tale; in most versions of the Cinderella story, Cinderella is a noble and virtuous girl, not someone who could be easily convinced to commit such a horrible act (even if the stepmother did seem to deserve it). One other difference between familiar versions of the Cinderella story (like the Disney version) is the actual presence of the father figure. Often, the Cinderella character is left a vulnerable orphan in the clutches of her evil step-mother; however, in some of the early/traditional versions of the tale, the father is still alive, but under the spell of the wicked step-mother. This seems to lend a whole new dimension to the story, leaving Cinderella in an even more desperate situation as the one who used to/was supposed to love her has abandoned her (more by choice, which seems worse, than by death, which is unavoidable). I think it's interesting, too, how Disney adapted the birds and forest animals from the Grimms' tale into friendly helpers who are not interested in wreaking vengeance (i.e., pecking out anyone's eyes). Also, the Perrault version mentions that one of the step-sisters is kinder than the others, and it seems as though Disney may have played on this little detail in the animated sequels to Cinderella, especially since Disney's Anastasia seems to have a few more redeemable qualities than Drizella does. Image courtesy of disneyandmore.blogspot.com
Happy Halloween! We've been gearing up for the spooky holiday by putting up decorations and watching Halloween themed episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins. But tonight, we created what I think is the piece de resistance, or pieces I should say: On a recent trip to Target this weekend, we found these adorable kits for turning pumpkins into Vampire Mickey and Witch Minnie. My daughter and I loved them because they were so cute; my husband loved them because it meant he wouldn't have to deal with pumpkin guts while carving pumpkins. All we had to do was push the pieces into our pumpkins and voila! Here's a close-up look at each of them: Maybe someday we'll be able to make it to Mickey's Not-So-Scary-Halloween-Party, but until then, we'll jut have to content ourselves with decorating Disney-style on our own. Boo to you!
So, I know that Avatar is the highest grossing film EVER, but that being said, I wasn't really a big fan. Amazing technology aside, I thought the storyline was derivative and hackneyed. I mean, I've seen Fern Gully. Needless to say, I was (at first) a little disappointed when I heard that Pandora was going to be an entirely new land in Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. I honestly wondered what Disney could possibly be thinking. Lou Mongello of WDW Radio made me feel a little bit better about it in his reassurance that Disney always knows what it's doing and in the fact that it hasn't really disappointed yet (although SpectroMagic fans might disagree on that point). Anyway, I had sort of forgotten all about it until the D23 Expo in Tokyo revealed all new concept art. And even though I'm still not a fan of the film's cliched storyline, I'm in love with what Disney's planning. See for yourself: Honestly, after seeing that preview, who doesn't want to visit Pandora? It looks GORGEOUS! I love the idea of the new attractions, and I love the idea of keeping Animal Kingdom open even later. I can't wait to see how they execute the bioluminiscent forest. And maybe, just maybe, the next few Avatar films will have better story-lines that go beyond the blue Pocahontas-Grandmother Willow thing. But even if the next few movies are just live action versions of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, you can't argue with the fact that the scenery of Pandora is breathtakingly sublime. You also, in my opinion, can't argue with James Cameron's skill as a technological innovator or Joe Rohde's skill as a consummate Imagineer. I think when those two things are combined, Disney probably can't go wrong.
What do you think? The first time I went to Disney, I was a freshman in high school. It was a moment I felt I had waited my whole life for. All through elementary school, I had watched other kids leave for family vacation and come back sporting Mickey Mouse t-shirts and sweatshirts. They were a sign of status. They separated kids into clubs - those who had experienced the magic, and those who, sadly, had not. For those of us who had not ever been to Disney, it was a dream, a wish, and it was the cause of jealousy. I both admired and hated those other kids, but most of all I longed to be one of them.
Then, the magical moment came and we were on our way to the most magical place on earth. I can't tell you how excited I was in that moment, but the thing that surprised me the most was how excited my father was. I think he had even higher hopes and expectations for that first trip than I did. My dad had grown up working at an amusement park: Riverside (now Six Flags New England), and I have fond memories of trips to that place growing up, but Disney was something else entirely, and we both knew it. We stayed off property that first trip (and the next), and I have memories of waiting in long lines at the Transportation and Ticket Center, impatient to just get there. My memories of that first trip are spotty. I remember eating at the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater with my dad - he was a big science fiction fan and kind of a geek, so it was the perfect place. I also remember eating in the restaurant in Mexico, the San Angel Inn Restaurante. The dark restaurant overlooking the Mayan temple and the el Rio del Tiempo was beautiful, but then it was so dark that my mother accidentally ate a complete jalapeno pepper because she couldn't see. Yikes! I remember spending time at Hollywood Studios, then MGM Studios, and being awestruck by the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and playing (even though I was perhaps a little too old to play) in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure. We visited some of the other area attractions on that trip, but at the conclusion, I remember my father telling me that when he retired he wanted to move to Florida and come work for Disney. He talked about this plan even after we got home, and solidified it even more on our next trip a couple of years later. Sadly, my father was never able to realize this dream. He passed away long before reaching retirement age. And even though I am still young and I understand how unpredictable life can be, I have already started working on my retirement plan, and surprise, surprise, it involves Disney. At this point, though, my plans are a little more modest than my father's were, but again, they're spurred on by jealousy. Needless to say I subscribe to a number of different Disney blogs and sites, and I'm constantly reading about the parks and trying to find ways to keep the magic alive in between trips. Right now, though, I feel as though I'm right back in elementary school feeling jealous of all the cool kids who get to do things that I can't, namely attend the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. You see, I'm a teacher, and while I do get to enjoy a summer vacation of sorts, the only time I can travel to Disney is during scheduled school vacations - when everyone else and their uncle is headed there, too. I love my job, don't get me wrong, but I love Disney, too. To that end, I made my husband promise me that the very first September I did not have to return to school after retiring that we would go to Disney and grab delicious snacks and decadent drinks at every booth at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. I made him promise it would be a long and languorous trip to make up for all those Septembers and Octobers we've been missing as a result of the teaching life. After that, who knows, but I've been reading about all the delicious food and drinks available at this time of year (curse you, Disney Food Blog!), and there's a real rumbly in my tummy that apparently only retirement will be able to cure. Almost eleven years down, only thirty or so more to go... So, my husband and I have just booked our next trip to WDW, and it's a long way off. Until the day to board the plane arrives, I've been consoling myself by reading Disney-related blogs, watching Disney videos on YouTube, and scrolling through Disney forums. As I've been reading, I've developed quite a list of things I'd love to do at Disney that I haven't done yet. Here goes!
3. Go to the Chip and Dale campfire sing along and make s'mores. This just sounds so fabulous, but we often tour the parks from open to close. At some point we'll definitely have to slow down and check this out.
4. Head over to the River Roost Lounge at Port Orleans Riverside to join in Yehaa Bob's piano sing along. We just love to sing! 5. Book a Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage. How amazing must it be to see the fireworks from the middle of the Seven Seas Lagoon? I honestly don't know why we haven't tried this before, although it could be because we've been distracted by the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party... 6. Take surfing lessons at Typhoon Lagoon. Seriously! They open early in the morning and teach you how to surf. Very cool! 7. The minute my daughter gets old enough, take her to the My Disney Girl's Perfectly Princess Tea Party. Who cares what it costs? (*cough* my husband *cough*) Eila's my Disney girl, and she deserves this! It'll be the perfect mommy and daughter day. 8. Take the Disney Family Magic Tour. Eila hasn't been old enough, yet, but she will be in time for our next trip... 9. Book Eila for one of the Disney Youth Education field trips. These sound so amazing, and the teacher in me just loves how Disney uses these opportunities to turn a fun vacation into an in-depth learning experience. 10. Dine with an Imagineer at Hollywood Studios. My husband and I really want to do this, but our daughter hasn't been old enough, and something makes me cringe about leaving her with a babysitter while we're on our family vacation. Maybe the next time we travel with Auntie and Uncle and Mimi we can check this out without feeling too guilty.... This list is just the beginning...there's so much more I want to add. It's a good thing we're DVC members, so we'll have years and years to try this all. Stay tuned for part 2 of this list. To be continued..... I just love the bog boardwalk. There's something so calming and otherworldly about this peat-y paradise. Once you make your way onto the boardwalk itself, you forget how close you are to actual civilization. Everything melts away and you're left with the impression of true wilderness. Because the acid in the soil stunts the growth of many of the trees in the bog, Eila is always able to find a tree that is just her size; this one is a perfect miniature for her to explore. I love taking my daughter here because we can meander and discover together. We listen to the trill of birdsong, we watch for insects scurrying across our path, we explore ferns just opening, pitcher plants trapping their prey, we marvel at the beauty of orchid blooms, and run our fingertips ever so gently across the tops of the cotton grass. It's a place for quiet contemplation, even if you are only two-and-a-half. You can stop and breathe and just be in a way that is sometimes impossible in the midst of our frenetic days. I hope everyone is as lucky as we are to have a refuge like this close to home, a place where you can find solace in nature and each other.
|
AuthorI'm a mom who loves being a mom, party-planning, and Disney. I try to be the best mom, wife, and me I can be each day. Archives
February 2014
Categories
All
|
- Home
- Fun and Fancy Free Blog
-
Exploring My Disney Side in Multiple Genres
- This I Believe: The Magic, The Memories, and You
- An Interview With My Disney Girl
- Digital Story: It's a Small World, After All
- The Haunted Mansion: A Poetic Ride-Through
- Disney Top Ten Lists
- Disney Haiku: A Series
- A Disney Description: A Trip Down Memory Lane
- An Epic Quest
- Podcast: Two Minute Toddler Tips
- Eila and Her Disney Friends
- Planning for Disney
- Love in Gigabytes