Universal Orlando- Day 1

When we added Universal Orlando to our itinerary for our Florida trip, it meant that L&L would miss school the Monday & Tuesday of Thanksgiving week.  They quickily recovered from their temporary disappointment of not being eligible for another annual school Perfect Attendance award when we told them about our trip plans.  We found ridiculously cheap flights on Spirit Airlines that flew into Orlando on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and returned on Black Friday.  In fact, the flights were such a good deal ($51 each way) that I booked them immediately, and haven't seen that fare on the Spirit website since!  It was our first time flying on Spirit, and we were able to avoid luggage costs by taking one small carry-on backpack for each person.  These bags included everything that we needed for the week, and much like our summer trip to Chicago, I found this to be a wonderful challenge.  Two of our backpacks needed to be opened/inspected at the Orlando airport, and the TSA worker commented, "These are the best packed bags that I've ever seen!", which made me very proud (Mom Win!), and caused Mark to roll his eyes...

The kids were great travelers.  Since they flew just a few months ago, they were comfortable and familiar with the airport, boarding process, and flight.  We're definitely in a sweet spot of traveling with children.  They entertained themselves by reading books on the plane and it was easy peasy:

Cute travelers. 

You know how the flight attendant asks everyone to pull out the safety brochure at the beginning of a flight as they give the mandatory spiel about seat belts and emergency exits (and how every single passenger ignores this direction)?  Mark and I were amused at Captain Literal, who may just be the most compliant passenger who ever flew... Sweet boy diligently studied his pamphlet from cover to cover, and we couldn't stop giggling at his earnest concentration:

  Leah was thrilled with the rental car procedure at the Orlando airport, which allowed us to choose "any car within our mid-sized vehicle class".  We ended up with a bright blue sedan upon Peanut's recommendation, and had a quick and easy drive to Cabana Bay Beach Resort, our on-site hotel at Universal Orlando.  Everything was decorated for Christmas, and our retro-themed hotel was massive, with two enormous pools, a lazy river, bowling alley, arcade, and multiple dining options:

50's and 60's beach motif.

Palm trees at the pool!

We woke up early the next morning and hopped on the shuttle which took us to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure (Universal's two main theme parks).  One of the perks of staying on-site was that we had Early Admission to the parks (one hour before they open to the public).  We strolled through City Walk, which is a large entertainment and retail district that is a part of Universal Orlando.  Dozens of restaurants, shops, and attractions make up City Walk, and it was a bustling, energy-filled area: 

City Walk entrance.  

Our plan was to visit one park each day, so we chose Islands of Adventure for Day #1.  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was our top priority, and we walked to it first, where upon first glimpse, I burst into tears.  Slightly embarrassed about my emotional response, I tried to explain, "It's magical!".   Pictures don't do it justice, but Hogsmeade (the wizarding village nestled at the foot of the majestic Hogwarts castle) was exactly as one pictures it to be from reading Harry Potter books and watching movies.  It's as if you are transported into a different world, and even Mark (who has never read a HP book in his life) commented, "This is amazing!".

Wizarding Village of Hogsmeade.

Hogwarts Great Hall.

We took a picture in front of the magical Hogwarts Express, rode "The Flight of the Hippogriff" (a family-friendly HP roller coaster), and wandered through the amazing Hogwarts castle which culminated with "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey".  This scenic dark ride uses technology and animatronics to take you on a flight around Hogwarts castle, and may be my favorite amusement park ride of all time.  We all LOVED it, and were thrilled to begin our day with no lines for these attractions:

We explored the shops in Hogsmeade, posed with some famous HP characters, and shared a frozen Butterbeer, which we all thought was quite delicious:

It's Hedwig!

Good luck trying to get a sip of that Butterbeer, Daddy!

Next, we explored the Jurassic Park section of Islands of Adventure, where the kids went on the Jurassic River Adventure with Daddy, explored a huge prehistoric play area called Camp Jurassic, and Leah rode the Pteranydon Flyers:

Marvel Superhero Island was next, and these villains grabbed our kids for a photo op:

Luckily, the Super Heroes were nearby, and rode down the street with much fanfare!  I couldn't help but think that a couple of years ago, Luke would have been absolutely amazed to see Captain America, Wolverine, Spiderman, etc. in person... Although he still appreciates the characters, it's not the center of his world like it once was:

Toon Lagoon provided some fun opportunities to show the kids some old comic strip characters from "the olden days".  They loved taking pictures with the word bubbles, and this was such a cute section of the park:

Another favorite was the Lost Continent section of the park, which was perfect for our mythology-loving kiddos.  Poseidon's Fury was an amazing special effects show/experience that included lasers, fireballs, and a journey under the sea.  The kids went on several more water rides in the afternoon, and ended up soaking wet!  The park got very crowded as the day went on, so we decided to go back to our hotel and lounge by the pool for a couple of hours while L&L swam and enjoyed the giant water slide.  

That evening, we surprised the kids with tickets to Blue Man Group, which is one of the attractions at CityWalk.  This was a spontaneous decision on our part, and ended up being one of the highlights of our trip.  Mark and I saw Blue Man Group over 15 years ago (yikes!) in Chicago and remembered really enjoying it.  Much to our delight, the kids were captivated by Blue Man Group.  It was an amazing show, and afterward, the performers came out to greet us.  This was an added bonus to the evening, and it was so cool to meet them!

It was a great finale to our first day at Universal, and we slept well after a full day of fun!  

November Highlights

November was filled with some very special things this year.  We kicked off the first weekend of the month with Bean & Poppy's visit.  Both Luke and Leah had their last regular season soccer games that weekend, and it also happened to be WFU Homecoming.  After cheering for our favorite soccer players, we took Bean & Poppy to campus to see Festival on the Quad, where we played lawn games, enjoyed some chess, and greeted the Demon Deacon.  

There were also giant bounce houses with slides that the kids love every year at Festival on the Quad.  It's a sure sign that Luke is growing up, as he came down the slide and commented to us, "It's not as fun as I remember...".  Sniff Sniff.  At least Leah still loved it!  

On Sunday morning, Mark and I drove to Charlotte to see Hamilton.  Hamilton tickets were my special 40th birthday present from Mark and we'd been looking forward to it for months.  We've been listening to the soundtrack and were familiar with the story behind Lin-Manuel Miranda's incredible creation of Hamilton, but the actual performance blew our minds.  We found it to be a genius piece of musical theater, which deserves every single award and bit of critical acclaim that it has received.  More than just a Broadway hit, Hamilton is an important cultural revolution about the power of peoples' stories to change the world.  The spirit of Hamilton lies in its beautiful message about diversity uniting us, and it is told in the form of a historical drama.  Hamilton reminds us that our country's strength is that it was built on people who came together to make positive change.  I feel so strongly about this message right now, at this fractured time for our nation, and it was a reminder of hope that I believe is so important for everyone to embrace.  I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift, and it was such a privilege to be able to attend Hamilton on its second national tour:

After the performance, we checked in to our inn.  We stayed at the Duke Mansion, and it was the most lovely and elegant B&B:

Breakfast Room.

We enjoyed cocktails in the Grand Hall.

While we were being pampered in Charlotte, the kids stayed busy with Bean & Poppy.  They had a full morning of church and Sunday School, and played at the Town Park in the afternoon:

She wants a pull-up bar for Christmas this year!

Life is so much more fun with grandparents, who got the kids off to school on Monday morning with no trouble.  This allowed us to have a leisurely drive back, which included an impromptu lunch at Childress Vineyards on the way home!  Such a great way to start the week, with a mini-getaway! 

The next Friday was Oak Ridge Elementary's annual Mother-Son Night, which includes over 200 moms and boys from our school.  We take over SpareTime for laser tag, arcade games, pizza, and bowling.  This is SUCH a fun evening each year, and I can't believe it's the last one for Luke and me.  We had a blast, and Luke & Aiden were in their element:

Look at how much these Three Musketeers (Maxim, Luke, and Aiden) have grown up!    

Mother-Son Event 2018.

Mother-Son Event 2015.

The weekend also contained a special opportunity for Leah.  Mark coached the Oak Ridge Girls' U8 All-Star soccer team, and the girls played in the Adidas Clash tournament on Saturday and Sunday.  Oak Ridge Youth Association had all-star jerseys made for the players and several of Leah's best friends were also nominated for the team:

"Though she be but little, she is fierce!"

Leah, Gracyn, and Josie Kate. 

We were SO proud of these girls.  They played with their whole hearts against travel teams that were older, had more experience, and who have been together all year.  The weekend was eye-opening for us in terms of the level of commitment, cost, and time that is required for this level of a sport.  Kudos to Mark for giving his time to the team, and for being such a positive influence and great coach for the girls.  We felt lucky to have the opportunity to form this team (which includes so many dear families and friends of ours), and it was a special experience for Leah:

Right after Leah's last tournament game on Sunday afternoon, I joined a group of church friends for a Ladies' Wine and Paint outing.  This was completely out of my comfort zone (almost as much as WFU football camp!), as I am not artistic at all, but we had the BEST time!  These women are so much fun, and I am so thankful that these busy mamas find time to do things like this together!

In mid-November, we surprised L&L with special news about Thanksgiving break.  The kids knew that we were flying to Florida to see Beanie for Thanksgiving, but they did not know that we were going to Universal Orlando Resort on our way to Fort Lauderdale.  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at two of Universal's theme parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure) has been on our bucket list for a couple of years, and we had some very special messengers join us on the morning of our departure.  Luke and Leah each had their own Hedwig deliver the news that they were admitted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:

  

Coming soon: Pictures and a summary of our magical November trip to Universal!  

A Hogwarts Halloween

It was a Hogwarts Halloween for our Harry Potter-loving crew!  Halloween is one of my favorite holidays to plan ahead, and I knew that we wanted to do this theme for months.  Winnie is such a special part of our Halloween traditions, and it was important to me to include her this year.  The day before we said good-bye to her in January, my sweet girl patiently sat for one last photo shoot.  I placed a Platform 9 3/4 sign beside Winnie and took a picture of her with it.  Platform 9 3/4 is the magical train platform from which young wizards and witches board the Hogwarts Express.  It is hidden to Muggles (non-wizards), and is the way that Harry Potter and his friends take their magical journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

I had the photo of Winnie blown up for Halloween this year, and we were all comforted (and a bit teary) at the thought that she is waiting for her beloved Harry and Hermione at Platform 9 3/4: 

Halloween was bittersweet this year, but we are so thankful that our dear furry girl brought so much magic into her Muggles' lives.  We miss her every day, and have many wonderful memories of the 14 Halloweens that she faithfully and tolerantly donned costumes for her family.

The week of Halloween was filled with many of our favorite events.  The kids carved jack o' lanterns, there were Halloween parties at school, and we attended the Great Pumpkin Event in our town.  This adorable community activity has hay rides, costume contests, and trick or treating at our Oak Ridge Commons shopping center.  The kids were also allowed to wear costumes to school on Halloween and there was an afternoon costume parade.  I always love our sweet throw-back town, but especially appreciate it at times like Halloween, when there is such a feeling of good old-fashioned fun and community spirit.  

Leah's "Dobby the House Elf" jack o' lantern.

Halloween happened to be on a Wednesday this year, which is also Chess Club day.  What could be a better way to start the morning than with some Wizard Chess?

 When Leah's best buddy walked into Chess Club dressed as Harry Potter, I almost squealed with glee.  These two are so precious together!

Our Halloween evening tradition is to have our friends over for a pizza party and trick or treating.  This is the 5th year of these kiddos taking their annual "front porch" picture in costumes:

We asked the kids to take one of the parents, too, and this is what we got:

We laughed out loud at this photo!  Clearly, the kids were ready for trick or treating and couldn't be bothered with waiting for us to pose for a proper picture.  We asked them to take another one later in the evening, which was much better:

We had lovely, mild weather for trick or treating, and as usual, all of the kids came home with enormous amounts of candy, thanks to our generous neighbors.  They sit on our screened porch afterward to examine and trade their loot, which is one of the most fun parts of the night.  Hooray for another magical Halloween!