We are so thrilled to welcome Luis Ruvalcaba – dad of 4, husband to Katie and a budding photographer to boot! – to the IndysChild.com team of writers. Luis is excited to explore some of the very activities that make Indianapolis what it is, and report his findings. Here’s his first piece with Indy’s Child:
I like to think I’m the man of my house. My wife lets me believe that even though secretly we both know that she’s really the brains of this outfit. But after an hour at Peewinkle’s Puppets I came to a startling realization: we parents are just puppets. Our children are the ones pulling the strings.
We arrived at Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio, located just south of downtown Indianapolis. And we arrived with about 15 minutes to spare, which I think is ideal since parking can sometimes be difficult in the city. My daughter came into Peewinkle’s excited mostly for the daddy-daughter time. She didn’t have a clue where we were headed.
RELATED EVENT: Spring 2016 Sleeping Beauty show at Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio
I had puffed myself up thinking that I was going to be the highlight of this event. But as soon as she heard Peggy {one of the owners of Peewinkles and a master puppeteer} tell us that popcorn was included in our admission, I was old news. She ran into the theatre with an enthusiasm typically reserved for the Minnie Mouse character breakfast at Disneyland. From that moment on it was my goal to be the one who would teach her how to handle a marionette, and thus resume my role as hero of the day… Sadly, I had to contend with a trained group of puppeteers and three 3 generations of experience between them whereas I might have used a finger puppet once {okay, maybe twice}.
During the opening of the Christmas Cabaret, Ludwig the Mouse appeared, acting as MC or the “mouseter of ceremonies.” There were snowflakes that sang, a dancing hippo and an angel that flew from the ceiling. The two puppeteers also called upon the crowd at one point to come onstage to act out the 12 Days of Christmas. I mean really how could I hang with that? For 45 minutes, the puppeteers brought out a dozen or so different marionette characters to sing and dance to all the Christmas classics. A true cabaret.
The venue is small. It’s a cozy little theatre, which means there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Everyone in attendance was close to the action and the group of 40 or so kids present stayed engaged the entire time. Before leaving, showgoers are welcome to browse the fun gifts available in the retail space for sale at reasonable prices – it’s your chance to snag a present while you’re there. The free bags of popcorn during the show and the free candy cane for the road didn’t hurt either.
When we left, the smile on my daughter’s face was a mile wide. I was so happy seeing her smile that when she asked to get more candy I immediately said yes without thinking. It was then that I knew, just like a marionette, she really does have me wrapped around her little finger.
MORE INFO: Christmas at Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio runs until December 28th. A few of the 21 remaining shows are already sold out so act fast for tickets. Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio is located at 25 E. Henry Street in downtown Indianapolis. Cost: $12/person; ages 2 and under are free. Visit peewinklespuppets.com/ for more details.
About Luis:
In late June, 2007 Luis Ruvacalba removed his laundry from the dryer to find that he had rendered all of his undershirts pink and shrunk his favorite red University of Arizona sweater. At that point – as he says: “I realized: I need a wife. I married Katie in Sept of 2007. Aside from one lousy pen left in my pants pocket and numerous dried on Conner Prairie stickers, the laundry has gone pretty well since then.” Luis has four children: Maggie- 7, Micah- 5, Millie- 2, and Merritt- 1. Each of them helps him sharpen his parenting skills in new and unique ways. “Without Maggie I’d never have learned to put on tights. Without Micah I would have the weakest MMA fighting skills on the block. Millie challenges me to improve my search and rescue abilities. Merritt gives me weekly lessons in Matrix style urine dodging. Together we are the greatest family to ever ruin your family’s nice quiet afternoon at the park.” Follow along with Luis as he helps shows you the best places to let your family run wild.
