The Circle of Life

Since Mondays are my one day at home (other than going in to the church to do book work since I am the treasurer), I try to catch up on house cleaning.  Today, to make the cleaning fly by - well, it still didn't fly, but it was more enjoyable - I had Pandora radio on.  I was listening to the Broadway Show Stoppers station.  In the middle of all the great songs from Les Mis, Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked, came The Circle of Life from the Lion King.  This really took me back because it would have to be Sarah's all-time favorite movie.  We have it in VHS, but of course had to upgrade to DVD - but we still can't get rid of that original VHS movie though.  Sarah was infatuated with Lions when she was little.  We all knew the movie by heart.  We have the Lion King board game, matching game, playing cards, and of course, she had lots of Lion King t-shirts and even cute little sneakers.  Sometime prior to her 3rd birthday, she acquired a small beanie baby kitten that was the color of a lion.  Of course she named it Simba.  Simba went everywhere with Sarah.  Here he is at her 3rd birthday party where she is opening presents.............

And here he is with her at Bible School.  

I can't find the picture, but somewhere we have a photo from VBS where they wanted all the kids to hold hands for the photo.  Simba is in the photo, hanging from Sarah's mouth (much like a mother and cub) so that she could hold hands like she was instructed.

Simba got very grimy and from time to time made it into the washing machine (thank goodness!).  One time though, Simba took a little vacation all on his own...........ok, we lost him, but Sarah doesn't know that STILL TO THIS DAY!  Thankfully, my Aunt Judy came to the rescue as one of her friends had been collecting beanie babies (it was THE THING to do then), and had the same one.  She was willing to sell it to us, along with another one that was very similar.  So, when I got possession of the new Simba less than 24 hours after he "went on vacation", I ripped his tag off, rubbed his fur a lot to make him look used, and then presented him to my daughter, along with the "friend" he had picked up on his adventure.  She was thrilled.  She thanked me for washing him - so the effort to make him look used wasn't totally successful - and welcomed his best friend Nala to our household.

Simba and Nala are still with us today and travel with Sarah wherever she goes.  They sleep in her bed at school and at home and travel back and forth on top of the laundry in the laundry basket.  I'm pretty sure they don't leave her dorm room when she's at school.  

On a trip to Disney World's Animal Kingdom, we went to The Lion King stage show twice in one day, and have seen the broadway version of The Lion King twice - once in Omaha, and once at the Music Hall in KC.  It is a fantastic stage production, even for adults.  I still know the words to every song from the movie.  Right now, I can't find the DVD's for the Lion King, the Lion King 2, or Lion King 1 1/2.  I'm guessing they are either in her room or, more likely, at college with her.  I don't really need them though, since I'm pretty sure I still have the entire thing memorized!

I've probably traveled down memory lane far enough for one day and should get to the sewing room since my house cleaning is finished!  We are all excited though because there is a Power Ranger movie coming out soon.  When we saw the previews in the theatre, I leaned over and whispered to Sarah that I would go with her.  Her second love after Lions was Power Rangers.  She has a whole plastic tub of them in her closet that she won't let any of my young piano students play with while they wait for the siblings during lessons.  She was thrilled that I said I would see the movie with her.  It did bring back memories for me.  However, when she started explaining the details of the movie and what generation of power rangers it would be about, my eyes did glaze over a bit.  I'll probably still see the movie with her though.
Christi
p.s.  Sarah never reads my blog, so my secret is safe!