A Birthday Invitation to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Like the little owl in real sealing wax??


When we got home from our trip to Madeline Island, Harriet and Billy came over bearing owls and letters straight from Hogwarts. There was an owl and a letter for each child inviting them to "Hogwarts," aka Universal. Hannah celebrated her 11th birthday in August and Harry Potter got his invitation to Hogwarts on his 11th birthday so Billy came up with some very creative letters and even a poem telling how he got the letters. The kids were thrilled of course, it was so fun to watch them try to figure out what was going on.

T'was a hot summer's night and in the bed room,
The occupants were comfy in the AC cocoon.
H in her mask and B in his cap,
Were both snuggled in for a cool August nap.

When out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter,
We sprang from our beds to see what was the matter.
The moon had gone dark, no stars could we see
A sense of foreboding had come over me.

When all of a sudden a giant of a man
Came up to our door with his cap in his hand.
His hair was all shaggy, his coat was a mess
His look made me nervous I had to confess.

He came to the porch with nary a chuckle
And knocked on our door, nearly making it buckle.
The lights for security were all lit and bright
The yard was no longer serene in the night.

I saw pairs of eyes, all over the place,
But I couldn't make out a familiar face.
Then I noticed the eyes were as bright as an owl's,
Then I saw dozens, and hundreds, of silent night fowls.

They perched in the bushes and branches of trees
I was feeling quite nervous with trembling knees.
With nary a HOOT, nor a flutter of wings,
No noise, just sitting like queens and like kings.

Then the giant reached up, he rapped with his knuckle,
I opened the door for fear it would buckle.
When I saw his broad face, the fears went aside,
And I beckoned to Hagrid to come on inside.

But he said he could not, he was in a big hurry
He called out for Hedwig who came in a flurry
Held tight in his beak he carried his charge
Three letters, official, old, brown, and quite large

One each addressed to Grace, Hannah, and Joe,
But they were not home, so where should he go?
I told him I'd take them, and hold them with care
And when they returned, I would take them to where
They lived in Mount Dora, on the side of a hill
Oft called a hollow, near a lake and a rill.

He pulled from his cloak, a twisted old stick
He waved it around, and gave it a flick.
The lights went all dim, and then it was black
I thought it a dream, but I still had a stack
Of letters for kids when they land from their flight!
I wonder what messages came in that strange night?

Portofino, Universal, and Harry Potter!

We spent last weekend in Orlando at Universal Studios with Aunt Harriet and Uncle Billy. Hannah turned 11 this year, the same age Harry Potter is when he gets invited to Hogwarts. Harriet and Billy came up with a very creative way to invite Hannah to Hogwarts (depending on when you are reading this, you may have already seen the post about that--I'll be doing that post after this one) and of course to bring her family along. We stayed at the Portofino--an Italian themed hotel on Universal property. Above is one of the halls in the lobby area that is made to look like a street in Italy. And, below, is the Piazza. There was even a Trattoria, and a Gelateria and every night three men sing opera from one of the balconies. Very fun!

What is Italy without motorscooters??

We had dinner in the Trattoria both nights, the first night there was a character dinner complete with Shrek and Scooby Doo. They also had a make your own pasta bar where you chose your toppings, sauce, and noodles and the chef puts it all together to make your own pasta creation. We had lots of fun with that. I think Hannah won with the best pasta (in my opinion), she had Rigatoni, alfredo sauce, spinach, chicken, grilled onions, and lots of garlic.

We woke up very early to catch the boat that would take us to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter by way of CityWalk and then Islands of Adventure. I have to say that Universal did a really great job with this. The books and movies really come alive here complete with butterbeer and pumpkin juice.
The first thing we did was go to Ollivander's Wand Shop. They do a little show that is very similar to the scene in the movie where Harry gets his wand. Then they release you into a wand shop where you can choose your own wand. They have some that are just different styles of wands but you can also buy many of the characters' wands. Hannah got Hermione's, Grace got Lupin's, and Joe got one of the unique designs.


The merchandise was fun to see. Above is the "Monster Book of Monsters." You can buy a smaller version for just $50. Yes, everything was overpriced but that was hardly a surprise. You can also buy things like a Rememberall, Sneakoscope, Snitch, scarves, robes, t-shirts, broomsticks, and more.
There are three rides and above and below is one of them--the Hippogriff. Just your basic roller coaster. I couldn't believe how short the lines were. The kids rode this at least 5 times! The lines were short but ours were even shorter because our hotel key was also a fast pass. That was pretty awesome! The other two rides were a little more intense. One is a partially simulated ride through the castle with flights through the Quidditch pitch and some up close scares with dementors, spiders, and a big dragon. I rode it once and it made me slightly sick so I didn't ride again. The kids rode that one 3 times I think. And then, there is the big roller coaster, Dragon Challenge. Just Ollie and Grace did that one.

Here is Hogwarts above and Zonko's Joke Shop below. The store windows were really interesting and fun.

Of course, the Hogwarts Express was there with a surly conductor.
I loved all the crookedness, very unique and Harry Potterish.
The Butterbeer was amazing in my opinion! I loved it. You could get it frozen or just soda. It was kind of butterscotchy with a creamy frothy top. Yummo!!

We rested for a while in Hogsmeade Station while Ollie and Grace did the dragon ride. Notice all the owls and owl poop in the rafters.
Joe got a stuffed Crookshanks and he was all about that cat for the rest of our stay!

After our morning in the Wizarding World, Ollie and the kids and I went to the rest of Islands of Adventure. We got completely soaked on Popeye's Bilge Barge and again on Rickshaw Rapids. I've never gotten that wet at a theme park, I was literally dripping! After all that wet fun we headed back to the hotel so that I could take a nap and the kids and Ollie could visit the pool. Later that evening we went to dinner at the Trattoria again and this time there was a face painter there. Joe picked a pumpkin (not sure why) and Hannah got a dragon on her arm and Grace got a snake on her arm. After dinner we walked around the Piazza and then rode the Pedicab over to Citywalk. That was a fun experience! I felt bad for our biker though--he had Ollie and I and Hannah and Grace!




We got back from CityWalk just in time for the nightly opera. We got some gelato and sat in the Piazza listening to opera--so very Italian!
We were up early and back at Islands of Adventure by about 8 the next morning! We had to get there for our breakfast at The Three Broomsticks.

I got the Traditional English Breakfast complete with Blood Pudding. I tasted it but that's all I had--it was pretty gross. Thankfully, everything else was just perfect!

Soon after breakfast we said goodbye to Harry Potter and Hogsmeade and Harriet and Billy...then we spent the rest of the day at Islands of Adventure and Universal. It was hot and tiring but we had that Fastpass hotel key still and so did lots and lots of rides. It was a great day and an amazing weekend!!

Real Life....

Well, this week we are returning to real life. After a summer filled with trips, summer camp, play dates, theatre,...it's time to get back to real life. We don't start school for another week but I knew that I should get a head start on getting back into a routine with chores and a little structure. To say that it has been a rough week is a huge understatement. For one thing, change is never easy for Joe and he will fight it like there's no tomorrow. He has had lots of screaming fits this week and honestly, I've been less than patient. Maybe I should have waited until my PMS had passed before taking this on, but what's done is done and the worst is behind us. There were actually no fits today from Joe when it came time to do chores. He still wasn't happy and wanted me to walk him through what he needed to do and complained the whole time but I'll take complaining over screaming any day of the week. The girls have adjusted much more smoothly, I can't complain. The other area though that all three kids have struggled with this week is entertaining themselves and getting along with each other. When my kids spend too much time away from home being entertained by others they seem to forget what to do with free time. Hannah and Grace have both told me this week that reading is boring--that's about the worst thing you can say to someone like me who is never without a book nearby. Yeah, it's been a rough week. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Already, I am seeing improvement and a settling in of sorts. We aren't "there" yet but getting there. I am hoping for a smoother week next week--kids will be more used to routine and settled back in to life at home I hope and momma will hopefully be more hormonally balanced.
Back to chores--I am very happy with our chore system. I am using the same thing I did last year--there is a paper in every room and there are daily chores to be done in each room and then each day there is one or two added chores. I need to update the bedroom list and make a playroom list and add a couple of things to the other lists but all the thinking I put into this system last summer is paying off--it still works! I made a few changes--Joe has more chores this year. He had it easy last year, he was only responsible for cleaning up under the table and the foyer. I've added the little bathroom (much to his dismay) and the playroom to his list. The girls have swapped bathroom and kitchen. Hannah now does the bathroom and Grace has taken over the kitchen. All in all I am happy with it. My house is happy too--it's staying mostly picked up and clean again.
Well, I must go and make some lunch...
Peace out my friends!

Some random pictures

Hannah had two babysitting jobs on Monday--not stay by yourself babysitting jobs but "Mother's helper" type jobs. The first was for some neighbors that she has babysat for a lot already but not in a long time. They came to our house (not ready for her to be alone at someone else's house yet) but Hannah was completely in charge and even managed to settle down the little girl once she realized her momma had left. Then she went to a friend's house for the rest of the day and took care of her two little girls while she worked. Hannah had a great day and just loves babysitting!

As I was uploading pics, I came across this one of Grace and just added it for fun. We were being silly as you can see with this picture below. On Facebook all of the teen girls love to take pictures of themselves with pouty lips and then post tons of the pics on Facebook. I don't get it but decided to try it for myself. What do you think? Landon was with me and wanted to get in on the action but he didn't get the pouty lip thing.
To continue in the fun of goofy pictures of me...here's one that Amy took last summer. Not sure what I am saying or doing but it makes a funny picture! Thanks Amy--you always capture me just right don't you?? :0)

Above is a picture of Hannah's latest art assignment. She had to draw herself cartoon like and include things in the picture that represent her and what she likes. I thought it turned out great!

Homeschool Chatter

So, I finally got the rest of our curriculum ordered. I'm happy to say that I am only spending about $100 this year. I am borrowing our Science and History and either already had or have been given just about everything else. Here's what we are doing this year...

For the first time ever, all three kids will be doing the same thing with the exception of Hannah's virtual school classes (Art, Keyboarding, and Spanish).

Horizons Math, Rod and Staff English, Wordly Wise, Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day, and Story of the World Volume 2. And of course, lots of reading and the girls will be learning to write paragraphs and short reports.

I'm excited about this school year. The kids are now in grades 2, 4, and 6. It will be a challenge but the good thing is that everyone can now read and has a grasp of the basics. Now, we build on that. We've still got another two weeks before we start--just enough time for me to do some planning, order library books, and make up new chore charts. We will be easing back into a schedule with regular chores and some quiet reading time this week. Our reading bingo has seriously suffered this summer due to an over scheduled life. I am hoping that we can make some headway not only in marking off squares but in redeeming rewards too. I owe Grace a trip to a local coffee shop to play games, I owe Hannah her choice of dinner and baking cookies, and who knows what else, I'm as behind as they are!

Lots of Pictures!!

I decided to do one big picture post instead of lots of big picture posts. I'll have more photos to share once I get Gabi's pictures. He took some great shots, especially of the food--can't wait to share those! For now though--here goes, we all met up at a berry picking place in Bayfield, WI. I was very disappointed to learn that the raspberries were gone. Last year we picked a whole flat of them. Thankfully, there were some raspberries out there and I got to have a good handful or two. We went on to pick three flats of blueberries. Those blueberries ended up in pancakes, a pie, smoothies, and yogurt--yum! The kids had a great time getting reacquainted and picking and eating berries.

Ellie got the girls doing some drumming and below a group shot. We took a gazillion pictures but I don't have any with everyone looking at the same time. Grandma brought matching shirts for all the girls--aren't they cute??


I love this shot of Ollie and his mom on the porch--this house is perfect for a big family. Plenty of sleeping space, big kitchen, huge front yard, and right across the street--Lake Superior. We spent some of every day at the lake--well, most everyone did. I stayed back a few days to babysit baby Sophie. You know I hated that... :0)

The second day we were there it was cool enough in the evening for a fire. This ended up being the only fire that got built, the evenings were just too warm. We took advantage of the fire by roasting marshmallows and making S'mores. Yum! The older kids had S'mores two more times by roasting the marshmallows in the microwave. Love this crazy Romanian below--he makes me laugh, a lot. He's almost as warped as I am.

Hannah had her birthday while we were at Madeline Island and to celebrate a few of us went into town and had a fun frozen treat. Later Gabi made crepes with chocolate sauce. They were pretty amazing. Below--Ellie is giving a drumming lesson to all of the kids. She's a pretty cool 15 year old.


These pictures (above and below) are just snapshots of our time on the beach and in the water. We had floats, a boat, and endless rocks and sand. It's kind of hard to see but in the picture below just in front of the tent, Grace is being buried in the sand. My worst nightmare...

We had various activities in the evenings. One night was some friendly family competition. We were split into two teams and given some random supplies and had to build a rocket. We then had a competition to see which group's rocket could go the farthest. We also got points for creativity and teamwork. The team above was the Lakers and they had a cute little cheer and nice costumes. Too bad their rocket didn't go as far... I don't have a picture of my team, the Geese, because those pictures were on Gabi's camera. We had a fun cheer too but no fun costumes. Amazingly, both rockets went really far--they were made out of a sheet of plastic and electrical tape and launched with a two liter bottle and pvc pipe. Can you tell there are some smart Physics people in this family?



The next two nights were karaoke and a talent show. Gabi had his computer set up and microphones and speakers and it was pretty cool.
These next few pictures are from the hike we went on. Just beautiful!

Below--there were Granddaddy Longleg spiders everywhere--you can't see it in the picture but Grace and Ellie were playing with one.

Above, Dani is warming up to do 50 pushups for the talent show and below Sam and Mels sang an endless song about a bee. They were so cute!
Gabi and Dad did a hilarious cooking show skit--I'll try to get the video on here later. I didn't get anymore pictures from the talent show but here's what we saw--Ellie read poems, Hannah and Grace sang "Defying Gravity," Hannah and Joe sang, "Sing," Grace sang "Little People," the grown up ladies did a very silly skit that involved slinging a bowl full of chips and Lisa falling down, I peeled a banana without touching the meat of the banana.
As you can see, we had a wonderful week with the family. Lots of fun, lots of memories, and more pictures to share soon! :0)