We're off to see the wizards! We leave tomorrow!!

[Tinker326]

I posted long ago - in another galaxy.. way back at the beginning of your TR... (last year maybe..... ) or maybe it was a pre-trip somewhere of another trip..when you and Karen were going together........

You recommended a Prime Lens to me at the time... I have been proud owner of said lens for over a year now (and love it!!). So overdue thanks for that.

Anyways, caught up & great job with all your plans....

I think you will find that doing Universal requires far less minute planning than Disney. The parks are smaller & easier to criss-cross...I think you will be great with the plans you have! And maybe even find time to spare!

I do have to say- your kids *May* not like FJ (the ride) if they don't like coasters. It's pretty intense (and almost an upside down ride). But it's soooooo cool and so maybe the coolness of being 'in the story' will outweigh the ride itself!

Looking forward to following your TR to see what wands you get (I got McGonnagls last year and plan on another this year!! Maybe Snape- I don't know) and how you like Butterbeer. Yum.

 

[-Hope-]

I posted long ago - in another galaxy.. way back at the beginning of your TR... (last year maybe..... ) or maybe it was a pre-trip somewhere of another trip..when you and Karen were going together........

Ah yes, our BFF trip that is yet to be.

You recommended a Prime Lens to me at the time... I have been proud owner of said lens for over a year now (and love it!!). So overdue thanks for that.

Yay! I'm so glad that worked out for you. Which one did you get? I have a 50mm that rarely leaves my camera. It's my favorite lens ever!

Anyways, caught up & great job with all your plans....

I think you will find that doing Universal requires far less minute planning than Disney. The parks are smaller & easier to criss-cross...I think you will be great with the plans you have! And maybe even find time to spare!

Thanks, time to spare would be great! I know I don't *need* to have all of the plans it's just difficult to let go... and I'm one of those weirdos who thinks the planning is half the fun.

I do have to say- your kids *May* not like FJ (the ride) if they don't like coasters. It's pretty intense (and almost an upside down ride). But it's soooooo cool and so maybe the coolness of being 'in the story' will outweigh the ride itself!

I'm keeping this under my hat. I know it may be a bit intense but I also think they might like intense if they give it a chance... of course this might backfire horribly so I still haven't decided. But I *know* if I try to warn them they prob won't even try it so...

Looking forward to following your TR to see what wands you get (I got McGonnagls last year and plan on another this year!! Maybe Snape- I don't know) and how you like Butterbeer. Yum.

I McGonagall so that's a definite possibility. I think I'll know when I see it... I guess I'll let the wand choose me.

And I'm diabetic so there won't be much butterbeer for me but I'll have to at least sample it.

Oh, and

 

[natebenma]

Really neat countdown list!!!

Glad to hear about the continuation of your class at night- so that will be a GED class? So very important!

 

[-Hope-]

Really neat countdown list!!!

Thanks!

Glad to hear about the continuation of your class at night- so that will be a GED class? So very important!

Yes, it's a GED class for now. Probably more information than you want but the GED company decided to roll into a for profit company and completely skyrocketed the cost of testing. Because people with no education can afford that, right?! Anyway, our state has decided to go with the HiSET (High School Equivalency Test) instead. Basically the same thing but from another company. Like I said, probably more information than you wanted but that's the job. We're just calling it Adult Ed so in the future if they switch test again we don't have to keep changing the name of the class.

 

[-Hope-]

A mini-update for a mini-movie night.

We curled up and watched Men In Black tonight. It was a hoot!

The kids have seen MIB3 but had never seen the original. Just to make me feel super old Jace had to point out that it came out the year he was born. How is that POSSIBLE?! Seriously, my years are just running together anymore.

Anyway, it was loads of fun and we loved speculating what the ride will be like based on scenes from the movie. We're all laying bets that the beginning when Will Smith shoots the cut-out of the little girl carrying the physics book will play a part. The strobe light and rapid shooting just seems like a no-brainer. Guess we'll just have to wait and see!

The kids also loved laughing at Will Smith's pre MIB issued black suit wardrobe. It WAS the 90s and Will "West Philadelphia Born and Raised" Smith so...

We didn't do anything elaborate because we're planning something super fun later in the week but I had to do SOMETHING...


The kids were not huge fans of the Moon Pies, and they were barely connected. In MIB3 they actually visit the moon (if I remember correctly) but for tonight I just tried to think of something sort of space related.

But the real reason for movie nights is that it's an excuse to hang out together. As the kids get older scenes like this happen less and less...


I'll do anything I can to encourage these moments. Even watch cheesy Will Smith movies from the 90s.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I cannot believe it's coming so fast!!!

I also cannot believe that Nicole remembers the BFF trip that never happened! It will happen, but I suspect it will be with a bunch of 16 year old girls for Savannah's bday.

See ya tomorrow, we can gripe about how expensive Six Flags is with none of the perks of WDW or the Dark Side!

 

[Tinker326]

Hope - it is the 50mm Prime . I bought it to take to China when we went to adopt our little girl & I also rarely take it off my camera now. I just recommended it to a friend as well & she was going to buy it. I love the clarity of the pictures..... I will be using it for our Disney trip in November. Little worried about that though- as I do struggle sometimes with the 50mm being too close for some of my shots. (like child on ride with a bit of background). But I still think I'm gonna use it exclusively (don't want to drag more than one lens) and adjust!

Oh, too bad I didn't know about MIB movie night. I have a pug that looks suspiciously like Frank I could have mailed to you for a 'prop'. His name is Eddie but he's really not that bright and would have come if you called him 'Frank'. He's used to being a prop- I dressed him us a flying monkey for my daughter's Wicked party! He was the hit- of course- not my daughter! Hahahaha!!!!

 

[-Hope-]

Hope - it is the 50mm Prime . I bought it to take to China when we went to adopt our little girl & I also rarely take it off my camera now.

Congratulations on growing your family!

I just recommended it to a friend as well & she was going to buy it. I love the clarity of the pictures..... I will be using it for our Disney trip in November. Little worried about that though- as I do struggle sometimes with the 50mm being too close for some of my shots. (like child on ride with a bit of background). But I still think I'm gonna use it exclusively (don't want to drag more than one lens) and adjust!

Ride pics are definitely a challenge with the 50. I've not taken it to WDW but did take it on our recent trip to Silver Dollar City. For the most part I was happy with it, even with the limitations. The quality of the pics is fantastic and it's so much more lightweight than my zoom lens- which is also a wide angle lens so is quite large and heavy. I haven't completely decided which one I'm taking on our trip yet. Maybe both.

Oh, too bad I didn't know about MIB movie night. I have a pug that looks suspiciously like Frank I could have mailed to you for a 'prop'. His name is Eddie but he's really not that bright and would have come if you called him 'Frank'. He's used to being a prop- I dressed him us a flying monkey for my daughter's Wicked party! He was the hit- of course- not my daughter! Hahahaha!!!!

Awww, we love Frank! So cute! Perhaps Eddie not being too bright is part of his cover.

A Wicked party sounds fun! I took Kya to see it this past December when the tour came through St. Louis and she LOVES it! The book is a bit lengthy and wordy for her taste but she recently bought Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, another point of view shift of a classic story written by the same author.

 

[-Hope-]

I cannot believe it's coming so fast!!!

I also cannot believe that Nicole remembers the BFF trip that never happened! It will happen, but I suspect it will be with a bunch of 16 year old girls for Savannah's bday.

See ya tomorrow, we can gripe about how expensive Six Flags is with none of the perks of WDW or the Dark Side!

That's all right- when the girls are 16 they can go off on their own while we take pictures and drink slushies.

Six Flags is definitely not WDW, but at least we'll be together!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Congrats on the new job! Glad that it is coming at the right time and that it won't affect your trip!

I love the original MIB. I have never seen 2 or 3, but 90's Will Smith is too funny! The picture of hubby and kids together on the couch is priceless! So glad that you can still create opportunities for these types of memories! Kiddos grow up so fast these days!

Your countdown "something else" is very cool. LOVE the idea of not tying specific activities to specific days.

 

[-Hope-]

Congrats on the new job! Glad that it is coming at the right time and that it won't affect your trip!

Thanks!!

I love the original MIB. I have never seen 2 or 3, but 90's Will Smith is too funny! The picture of hubby and kids together on the couch is priceless! So glad that you can still create opportunities for these types of memories! Kiddos grow up so fast these days!

Don't I know it. I'm already pricing out places for our trip NEXT year and when I enter their ages at that time I seriously can't believe it. I love who they are as they grow up but I'm also hyper aware that the time when their dad and I are the most important people in their lives is limited.

Your countdown "something else" is very cool. LOVE the idea of not tying specific activities to specific days.

Thanks! We do so many countdown type things- we've done a Christmas one since the kids were small and a few vacation ones, etc. I have to find ways to keep it fresh PLUS I know us well enough to know that tying things to specific days is just too stressful for our laid back personalities.

 

[-Hope-]

Completely OT but amusement park related so I have to share. Kya and I went to Six Flags yesterday, along with Karen, her daughter and another friend of the girls.


I used to go to Six Flags a lot as a teen (there's one about 1.5 hours from us) with various groups I was involved with and took my kids a few times when they were small but we haven't been in years. To be honest I wasn't expecting much and Karen and I had been lamenting for a bit about it not being Orlando. However we were both pleasantly surprised.

Don't get me wrong. It's not WDW or UO, but it is fun and close to home. They don't really have theming down to the fine art that Orlando parks do but there is a pretty consistent DC superhero theme running through the park and our girls FULLY loved and embraced that!


There were quite a few fun rides, both new and classics that I loved as a teen.


The park is pretty roller coaster heavy (9 in all I think) and also has some non-coaster thrill rides. We are not thrill seekers and only rode the tamest coasters and other laid back rides. It was a great way to gauge how we're going to do on our UO trip (see, not completely OT) since we don't love thrill rides... and the verdict is... we had a blast anyway! Just being in the park, soaking up the atmosphere was fun. And if it's fun in a park that I would say decorates more than themes then I know it's going to be fine in a park with amazing theming.

Another way yesterday's excursion helped me is that Six Flags is also not very size friendly, much like UO and unlike WDW. I rode everything I tried to ride with no issues which made me feel a lot more secure that I'll be able to do the same at UO. And I had my DSLR camera so there were a few rides I had to avoid logistically and I discovered that waiting while other people ride isn't so bad either. So, even if there are a few things I have to miss out on due to seat/harness limitations I know it's not a deal breaker for a fun trip.

A fantastic perk of Six Flags is that entry to the waterpark is included in the ticket price so we were also able to head over to cool off in the lazy river in the afternoon while the girls did a couple of water slides and splashed around in the wave pool. I don't have pics because I took my camera out to the car when it was time to head to the water park. But it was completely rejuvenating. The heat, humidity and endless walking were really starting to get to me at that point and I was draaaaaging... but the cool water perked me... and my aching feet... right up. Gonna have to remember that in Orlando when trying to decide if we want to take an afternoon pool break.

All in all it was a GREAT day yesterday and Kya and I have pretty much decided that we need season passes next year. Even if we only go twice we'll be saving money AND I'm nearly positive the Halloween Fright Night is included with the SP! At least I couldn't find any exclusions listed on their webesite, the hours of FF are included in regular park hours and they recommend Sept./Oct. weekends for SP holders as less crowded (FF is every weekend in Oct.) I still have a call in to guest relations to double check but I think think it's pretty cool that they include this in their SP. I went once when I was 18 and honestly don't remember much about it but I'd say it's midpoint between HHN and MNSHP- more for teens and tweens instead of over the top scary or completely tame. So, if that's included (which I think it is) we'll definitely be doing a SP because we'll go at least once in the summer and again for FF.

I also have some info from UO on the dining plan but I'm going to do a separate update for that...

 

[-Hope-]

So, we've been waiting, waiting... waiting to hear some feedback on the new DP and so far, nothing.

I'm not really all that patient and have been scouring the internet for reviews, more info, etc. Still, nothing.

I posted some questions on the FB page of another Orlando website (which I'm not mentioning here). They also had nothing... but did recommend that I just contact guest relations and see if they could help me. So, I sent them an email and yesterday when we returned from Six Flags I had a message from them on my answering machine.

I called back this morning and spoke to an extremely helpful TM who answered most of my questions so I thought I'd share the info with you guys. (I'm going to share in the "official" dining plan thread as well.)

1. I asked about entree exclusions from the included restaurants. The TM told me that the listing they have states that all entrees are included EXCEPT lobster dishes.
2. I asked if the PDF from the website is current with restaurant listings (and specifically if any Simposon's area eateries might be added). She said the list is current and she highly doubts the new restaurants will be included. Which I figured but it was worth asking.
3. I asked what the dining plan dessert is. She didn't know. She was going to put me on hold and try to find out but I told not to worry about it- this was more a curiosity than anything I really needed to know anyway.
4. I asked if there was $$ amount limit for snack/drink credits. She said no and that pretty much everything they offer (outside of CS entrees) is included. Butterbeer is a snack, not a drink credit because it is a "premium" beverage but pumpkin juice (from a draft, not a bottle) is a beverage. Tall coffees from Starbucks, fountain drinks, etc. Funnel cakes are included... pretty much anything you can think of will be included in the DP.

After talking with her I was left with the impression that the choices are vast for the DP. I'd still like to hear back from people who've actually used it but I'm feeling pretty good about the choice to try it out.

 

[coastgirl]

Hope, loved that photo of the girls in their capes. Looks like a nice "dry run" for your trip too (except, you know, the water park park ).

 

[-Hope-]

Hope, loved that photo of the girls in their capes. Looks like a nice "dry run" for your trip too (except, you know, the water park park ).

Thanks!

 

[-Hope-]

I know I've been doing lots of celebrating as I'm counting down but I honestly can't help it- I'm just SO excited!

Today marked 50 days so we celebrated big time. Food, decorations, crafts, movie- the whole nine yards. We had so much fun that this update is going to take multiple posts since I have too many pics for one.

Any guesses what we watched? Anyone? Anyone... Bueller?
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Of COURSE it was Harry Potter...


We decide to watch Prisoner of Azkaban since it's the first story where the gang goes into Hogsmeade and we really enjoyed it. We've seen it before, of course, but the first time we watched it just after we finished the book so we spent a lot of time comparing the two. It's fun to do that and we've had some great discussions about why certain things would be left out and the differences between storytelling in a book and on a screen. But it was also a lot of fun to just enjoy the movie for what it is.

We had a fun tablescape to go with our movie...


Somehow the food is tastier when it's themed...








Not really Bertie Botts... just cheap jelly beans from the $1 store. And I totally skimped out on the cauldron cakes... I saw a fun recipe with upside down cupcakes and black licorice handles but since we don't like black licorice it seemed like a waste.

Btw, the kids were so funny- they didn't eat their chocolate until the dementors appeared on screen. It was for emergencies. And they also saved the snitch truffles to eat during the quidditch match.

Of course with all that tasty food we were bound to get thirsty...




We had fun decorations. You can see a bit of the house pennant garland in that first pic of the table. I had extra pennants so I scattered them on the table, along with this guy...


Not sure if that's really a spider or Ron's boggart.

And these are the faces of some wizards who just don't care...




Maybe the owl post will change their attitude...





I edited out the details of our address, not really a big smudge on the envelopes, lol.





It was a fun filled afternoon! Stay tuned though because the celebration continued into the evening.

 

[-Hope-]

We also made our shirts today that we'll wear on our first day at IOA (yes, we're that family).

First, I gathered all of the supplies...






Shirts, bleach, spray bottle, sticker paper for stencils, print outs of stencils (found on google images), cardboard to place inside the shirts and a hair dryer (not really necessary- they will air dry- but it makes things go faster).

While we watched the movie I cut out the stencils and put them on the shirts...


The sticker paper worked really well and made the process really simple.

I placed the cardboard inside the shirt so the bleach spray wouldn't leak through to the back and then lightly misted the shirts (I did practice on an old shirt first) with bleach. Kya then used the hair dryer to speed things along and when they were dry we peeled off the stickers...


and revealed the design.


I love how it just POPS. We saturated her shirt pretty well to get this effect. Jace wanted a more subtle design so he picked a very pale shade for his shirt and we only lightly misted his...


I love it too! I think the subtle, barely there design looks cool. We also made a green one for me and blue for Mom so we are representing all four houses. I'm hoping for some fun interaction with TMs since I'll be wearing Slytherin colors.

After the shirts were finished I made dinner. The kids rejected shepard's pie as well as bangers and mash (they can be soooo picky!) but they both loved the idea of...


Fish-n-chips! Not really mentioned in the story but at least it's British! I don't eat many simple carbs so I did my own take on this classic...


No breading on my fish and deep fried cauliflower instead of potatoes. Still fried, so not exactly healthy but oh so tasty!

We had such a great day and I've been waiting for an excuse to have a HP party anyway!

ETA: I'd still love to do a full on HP party with an actual budget to work with, lol.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Whoohoooo!!!!!!! 50 days! Love everything you did, as always! You have always been the one with the good ideas for our parties. The shirts look like they came out great! I need to see if I can find an Alice or Cheshire outline to do that with for our trip.

 

[-Hope-]

Thanks!

I just did a google image search for "deathly hallows stencil". A Cheshire smile with some stripes would be really cool.

 

[wanttobeinvienna]

can I just repeat that I love that your vacation is just a few weeks before mine? Because I just keep cutting and pasting all of your wonderful work

My kids think I am sooooooo creative


I love your Harry Potter stuff and can't wait to have a similar night with my crew