It's Not Everyday Your Young Man and Woman Turn 11!

What a wonderful birthday trip we had!

So much fun, in fact, that we can barely move today.  Between walking up to 22,000 steps a day (that's 10 miles!!!!) in 90+F heat (over 100F heat index some days) and then not getting home until after 1 a.m. last night, we're just beat.  So we're watching the Harry Potter films in order and giving our poor, neglected cats some love.

Instead of writing about this trip in strictly chronological order, I'm breaking it down by themes.  

The Beginning

On the morning of the last day of school, the kiddos awoke to Snowy Owls in their rooms delivering Hogwarts letters, complete on parchment-esque paper.  They had been selected to attend an American Hogwarts program at Universal Studios in Florida for five days!!  Okay, yes, we made all that up, but they were thrilled to be going to Hogwarts for their 11th birthdays.  It's not everyday your young man and woman turn 11!  After school, we hastily packed and even got some sleep.  Mama and I were just amazed we had pulled the secret off.  We had slipped a few times--when Mama left the Universal Studios maps on the couch where Bud sat, when I mentioned needing something for a plane.  But they had no clue.  Woo-hoo!!

It was a very early morning--Mama and I were up by 4 a.m.  When I woke Sis up with "You're a wizard, Sis!" she replied sleepily and sweetly, "I'm a wizard, Harry!!!"  Amazingly, we were in Orlando before noon.  It was bittersweet to be heading to Orlando so soon after the massacre.  JetBlue flight attendants mentioned that there were family members of the deceased on board; they gave their condolences over the PA twice.  We saw other signs of support of the victims of Pulse--silver ribbons, rainbow stickers, headlines daily on the Orlando paper, a rainbow fountain, more LGBT pride shirts that you see on average.  It was sobering to find out that one of the ride attendants at the Wizarding World had died in the massacre.  No doubt had it been otherwise, we would have crossed paths with him.  It was surreal to be there with his friends and coworkers who carried on with smiling faces despite their loss.

Our view

We were staying at the Royal Pacific Hotel, the Universal version of the Polynesian (where we stayed at Disney World three years ago.)  It was an odd mixture of Southeast Asia (the Buddhas, the elephants, the dancer statues) and Oceanic cultures (leis, luaus, island resort decor.)  But, you just have to let your critical and analytical and liberal sides slide; otherwise, you'd worry about environmental costs, cultural appropriation, feminism, materialism, etc the whole time.  We ate lunch at Jake's American in the resort (see Food below) and checked into our room on the seventh floor.  It had a lovely view of the lush grounds (with a water feature, HUGE palm trees, bright orchids, and the sweet smell of jasmine flowers all around), with some of the park visible, though not Hogwarts.  I stared out that window quite a lot over the trip, especially when a thunderstorm moved across us.  I love a good storm, as you know--Connecticut rarely has them and still never like Texas or Florida or Louisiana.  I miss the scent of rain, the dark purple-gray skies, the ear-splitting thunder, lighting flashes, and sheets of big drops creating temporary eddies; I always get a funny drop in my stomach, like being on a rollercoaster or the like.  When a storm hit a few days into our trip, Mama and I actually went outside to sit in a covered walkway and watch.  It was even quite windy.  It was like the cherry on the whipped cream of the trip for me.  The hotel had nice touches--fruit-infused chilled water in the afternoon (strawberry lemonade, peach, lemon-lime, etc), leis upon arrival, also back scratchers, a nice little shop with iced tea and Ben & Jerry's ice cream.  Oh, and Zentangle patterns everywhere--on the floors, wallpapers, upholstery.  We would stay again (even though the water was extremely soft and we ended up having to double rinse all the time!)

Okay, back to the parks.  We went straight to the new HP park, Diagon Alley, which is in Universal Studios.  We got confused constantly between the two parks--Universal and Universal Islands of Adventure--and sometimes even forgot what was in Diagon Alley and what was in Hogsmeade.  So, if I confuse them, please forgive me.  It really should just be the Harry Potter park and everything else!

To get to the park, we took the water taxi all but once (when we took a pedi-cab/rickshaw.  Mercy, that cyclist could pedal--and she talked the whole time, too!!)  Mama and I couldn't help but wonder about alligators, even in this obviously dyed and human-made lake.  The staff said there weren't any gators; I'm sure the WDW staff had said the same thing.  What a tragedy the death of the toddler was!  So unexpected.  Just three years ago, our kids played on a beach at the same lagoon, though in a different part, several times.  Not even in the water.  And even though I know about gators, I never gave them any thought.  It's just such a freak accident.  But so awful.  This time, we didn't go near any beach or water's edge.  But I liked the boat ride, though not quite as fast as Pop's Grady White.  Pop, that's always a retirement option:  you could captain water taxis in Orlando!  I know you could "kiss the dock" quite as well as these guys.

One other thing:  the birthday buttons!  Sis and Button wore special big buttons announcing their 11th birthdays and Mama had one two, without her age, which they wore everyday as part of their birthday vacation.  Most of the staff and even some of the other tourists gave them birthday wishes.  They even got free cupcakes.  There was one belly dancer who kept calling loudly to them all in a funny voice. Sis and Bud were relatively shy about the extra attention; Mama eventually took hers off!  

What can I say about the heat?  Oh, I hate heat.  We wore loads of sunscreen and hats (most of us most of the time)--no one got a single sunburn!  I think that's quite an accomplishment, though we did  spend most of the mid-afternoon inside, from about 2-5 ish.  (The kids either played Nanograms or watched Food Network kids' competitions like Kids Baking Championship, Kids BBQ Championship, and also Chopped.  So much commercial tv that, once when I groaned about being stiff, Bud joked, "Will her legs work?  We'll find out after the break!!")  It was high 80s, low 90s with high humidity the whole time.  Very HIGH UV most of the time.  Ugh.  It was so hot that Mama wore shorts!  Let that sink in.  Even the kids have never seen her legs.  I know, I know, I'm a Texan and I should be able to manage, but a).  I left Texas 23 years ago and b). we weren't usually outside all day long.  And definitely not walking 22,000 steps a day--that's almost 10 miles on our highest day.  I had to handwash my back brace in the sink every night because it was just gross; and body gel isn't really laundry soap.  Ugh.  Thankfully, the whole place is beautifully air-conditioned; otherwise, it really is unbearable for me.

Diagon Alley

You enter this part of the Wizarding World through a mini-London, with a King's Cross Station (that leads to the Hogwarts Express), various London-esque buildings, the closed Leicester Place tube station, Grimmauld Place (where Sirius Black lived), past the Night Bus, past the Ministry of Magic phone box where you can dial "M-A-G-I-C" and hear a special recording (we had to teach Sis and Bud how to work a rotary phone!!!!), and then through a brick wall complete with the sound of grinding bricks, just like in the first movie.  

It's so cliche, but it's all so magical!  A view of the main street complete with a dragon on top of Gringotts Bank greets you.  And it looks just like the movies, but wider and with Muggle tourists instead of witches and wizards in robes (though, even in this heat, there were people in robes.)  Where to go first?  Actually, we stood there and watched the dragon, who growled loudly a few times before releasing a burst of fire.  You can feel the heat halfway down the street.  It happens about every 15 minutes and I caught photos of it from different angles each time.  Amazing.  

I think we went to Ollivander's for our wands first (after buying our first frozen Butterbeers!!!!  MMMmmmmmm, so good.  I think we had at least one a day.)  Mama stayed outside with the drinks (a mistake) and I took the kids in, hoping they would both be chosen.  I smiled at the wizard as he entered the wand room and . . . I was chosen!!!  "The wand chooses the wizard!"  It's just like the scene in the first movie.  The first wand I tried blew things up, the second caused lightning.  With the third--made of Ash with a unicorn core, which indicates caring and healing--a triumph played and I was lit from above.  I was thrilled, really, though I know it's all a marketing ploy (see suspending disbelief, above.)  But I bought it.  And the kids each got one as well.  They were so excited for me and about the wands.  Mama got one, too.  It's one of the extra features of the park because there are places throughout the Wizarding World where you can wave your interactive wand in a certain way and make displays work--float a feather (Bud's favorite), tip a cauldron of Cornish pixies, armor standing up, open a beautiful book, throw a shoot of water at someone, illuminating invisible ink, blow hissing air, set off a stinky plant, make an umbrella rain around you, turn on the numerous lights in a lighting window (my favorite!), a couple of dozen in all.  It was Bud's favorite part; he even found some of the hidden spells which were not on the map included with the wands.  At one point, my wand quit working and a very nice witch named Elizabeth helped me set it to rights; I actually had to have it fixed (all part of the service!)  And then I could work the lumos charm on the lights again.

Features of Diagon Alley

• Ollivander's:  see above about interactive wands.
• Honeydukes:  a sweet sweets shop, where we got sherbet lemons, pineapple marshmallows, Butterbeer fudge.  Delightful!!
• Florian Fortescue's:  this ice cream was amazing!!!  The floral Earl Grey with Lavender was really special.  Clotted Cream ice cream was a thicker version of Froyo's original tart flavor.  But it melted very fast in the heat.
• Weasley's Joke Shop:  Bud got lots of hilariously-named treats inspired by the film, like fainting fudge.  I detected the rose scent all around, which was from the love potion (rosewater and honey, yum.)  
• Menagerie:  where you adopt critters.  Sis got a Crookshanks, which she carried everywhere and petted with great joy.  Mama got one too.  I have a small Barn Owl.  
• The Arcade:  in the British sense, a covered urban walkway with shopping.  This is where all of the performances were.
• Celestina Warbeck:  a magical jazz singer with her back up troop.
• Three Princesses and Three Brothers puppet shows:  two highly-artistic shows based on the Beadle the Bard stories.  I loved the gorgeous puppets and the way they utilized simple props as settings for the fountain or hiding death
• Gringotts money exchange:  you can talk to a realistic, interactive Goblin and exchange dollars for galleons, etc.  I asked him about the dragon and he shut me down!
• Gringotts bank escape ride:  I could walk through this ride without going on it, seeing the main room with the chandeliers and goblins, some of the vaults.  Such attention to detail!  Sis and I didn't ride.  Apparently it was quite intense, with a dragon chasing you. 
• Shutterbutton's Photos:  After donning robes, we had our photos taken for a moving-picture scrapbook with different scenes of us at Hogwarts, Honeydukes, etc.
• Knockturn Alley:  ah, the dark, cold realm of the Death Eaters.  A great place to escape the heat.  But it wasn't scary; the park goes out of its way to avoid Voldemort, the Death Eaters, the Dementors, and the Dark Mark, except in a few select places.  The mirage of the night sky above was great.  And there was the nice detail of the Phoenix ad that appeared and then burned up.

Hogwarts Express

You can ride the Hogwarts Express train from London to Hogsmeade and back again, with the experience differing each way.  Just like in the books and movies, bad things happen on the way to school--in this case, some dementors.  I like the more idyllic ride back, with Hagrid waving goodbye, the buccolic countryside, Fred and George zipping about setting off fireworks, centaurs through the forest, and the Night Bus snaking through the streets.  The views of London outside King's Cross are spot on.  There is a sighting of Malfoy Manor and Voldemort with lightning (who then becomes a tree--a trick of the eye, blink and you'd miss it.)  Both have gorgeous views of Hogwarts castle.  (Though, the voice double for Emma Watson is not convincing at all.)  The train itself is a convincing replica (the prints in the car were exactly the same as the movie!) and the stations are perfect.  I really enjoyed the gentle, air-conditioned ride.  On one trip, we sat with some British tourists and compared notes between the Warner Brother Studios outside London and Universal--they preferred the theme park because it was immersive.  It just made me want to go back to England and see the places they filmed the movies, like the cloister walk (in Lincoln, was it?) and such.

Hogsmeade

We had been to this part of the park before, three years ago when we popped over from Disney just to see the Wizarding World.  They've changed a few things--we didn't see Hagrid's Hut hidden away this time, Honeydukes expanded and took over the joke shop, and some of the features were missing from the Three Broomsticks (like the shadow of a house elf)--and we didn't notice the Owl Hoot-Hoot clock, so to speak--but it's still fabulous.  

My favorite part, then and now, is Hogwarts Castle.  I love looking at it and imagining its real.  I know there are all manner of tricks of proportion and size relationships (a raven landed on a spire and almost looked as big as a hippogriff!), but it is rather convincing, especially at twilight as the lights come on.  I enjoyed taking pictures of it at all times of day from different angles.  Mama and I did walk through the interactive queue twice, while the kids were riding.  It's amazing.  You see the grand staircase with its talking frames, Griffyndor Common Room, Dumbledore's office, Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the Herbology greenhouses, and little details like the statue of the founder of Hogwarts, a tapestry with a map of the classroom, the tunnels of the Basilisk, etc etc etc.  It's like being on the actual sets or in the movies themselves.  Mama and I walked through it very slowly, letting people pass us by, admiring all the detailing; what a great date night!

Mama loves the snowman with the snow owl.  We agreed that, in the heat, all the fake winter details were mocking us, though.

There was only one negative experience the whole time (especially because the two others were near misses--when Mama left her iPhone behind on the Minions ride and Bud left his wand on the water taxi; both were recovered.)  We let the kids do a lot of wandering in specific areas by themselves, meeting back with us at a specific place.  (This was a huge step, especially for Mama, but a very important one.)  But one time we got our wires crossed.  In the crowds, we missed each other.  Luckily, we had a plan all worked out if we got separated.  If any of us missed a designated meet up, we would gather at the emergency locale--in Hogsmeade it was the Owlery; in Diagon, it was in the Arcade near the stage--and if no one came, we would talk to staff.  Well, one night, in the dark, the kids made it to the exit of the Forbidden Journey ride before we did and thought we'd left so they made their way to the Owlery.  There, they set off their "tile" which was keyed to Mama's cell phone . . . except we didn't hear it.  Within about 5 minutes when we didn't show, they alerted a staff member.  I showed up right about then, as they were talking to a nice witch, and could see the panic in their faces.  They were so scared.  For my part, I was proud of them.  They followed the plan and did what they were supposed to.  And I actually think being lost or left behind and "fixing it" is a very important experience; I'm kinda surprised it took a decade for them to feel truly left behind anywhere.  I wasn't nervous, though, because I knew they were together and that the parks are really very safe.  But it took them a long time to calm down.  Ice cream helped!

• Hogwarts Frog Chorus--I loved watching these "students" perform, complete with rumbling bullfrogs!  We sang "Double Trouble Boil and Bubble" with frog sounds throughout the park.  Just made me smile.  We had our picture taken with them.
• Tri-Wizard Rally--the Durmstrang men performed a superficial approximation of some of Bud's kung fu moves (maybe he can have a college job here), while the women of Beaubaton danced with ribbons.  This was entertaining and we had our picture taken with them, too.
• Forbidden Journey ride--this was the kids' favorite part of the whole trip.  Each night when the lines were very short, they rode this several times by themselves.  Total count:  18 times!  We got a great photo of them on it, with Bud making a funny face.  They loved the feeling of whisking through the air on broomsticks.  
• Moaning Myrtle in the bathroom!!!

The Rest of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure

We did have to walk through the other parts of the park to get to the Wizarding World.  And we actually liked some of it, but HP was by far the best part.

• Simpsons world:  the kids LOVED eating here at Krusty Burger!  Sis loved the fried chicken, which was pretty good with its cornflake crust.  Bud had a Krusty Burger; Mama liked the ribwich.  Nobody liked the average cupcakes.  But the specialty drinks were fun, especially the Flaming Moe, which smokes because of the dry ice.  Funniest of all were the HUGE pink doughnuts from Lard Lad.  We're not big doughnut heads, but these were hilarious and pretty tasty; we didn't get to try the sundae, though.  The kids rode one of the rides and thought it was okay.  They played some Arcade games, too.  Sis won a doughnut, Mama a "Santa's Little Helper" dog, and Bud got a dog (which he traded for a cute blue penguin Mama won later in a family challenge water pistol game.)  We also posed for a photo with Marge and Bart.
• Minions ride:  I could ride this one!  With my sensitive back and weak core, I don't go on any but the gentlest of rides, which precludes most of the fun ones.  Luckily, I could walk through the interactive queues of the two main Hogwarts rides without riding.  And the Minions ride had a special non-shaking spot!!!  This was perfect.  Thank you, Universal!  It was such a funny 3-D ride that I laughed (and got a bit dizzy even) just from watching the screen.  I looked back at the kids a few times and they were bouncing around and squealing.  Such fun.  At some point, the kids posed for a photo with a couple of Minions.  There were unicorns from Despicable Me all over the park and on the first night I grabbed one and yelled the tagline, "It's so fluffy!!!!"  Later, Sis bought one and surprised me with it.
• MIB, Spiderman--two more rides the kids took.  They liked shooting the aliens in MIB.  Mama had the highest score of the trio, with 200,000 points!
• Marvel Superheroes (from the comics, not the movies)--I bought some Captain America comic book stuff for our favorite deli lady who loves all things Marvel
• Jurassic Park:  We eschewed the water rides, but the kids did ride the gentle high-flying gondola of Pteranodon Flyer.  
• Talking Fountain--this was just annoying.  While we were getting henna (more below), the fountain was talking to a birthday boy who loved Minecraft and sushi . . . and it wasn't Bud!  
• Henna:  Sis and I wanted to do henna.  She chose a simple flower design and I chose a more elaborate free form design, which eventually had flowers and paisley.  The woman worked with these Nirja henna cones so quickly and intricately!  I was amazed and inspired.  We chatted about the history of henna, with its origins as a cooling tool in the heat of Africa.  I told her about the henna program I oversaw at the academic art museum and we agreed that lemon juice does darken the color (I poured lemonade on my arm later and it did the trick!)  She said to put vaseline or coconut oil on the design before going in the pool.  Sis picked her clumpy henna off as soon as it dried and wanted to do it at her birthday.  Mine stayed on longer, but I let them pick off the clumps later in the day.  We both love the look and it was fun to do together.  
  
• Seuss land--it's like Egypt at the Met.  You always seem to walk through it.
• Animal Actors show:  this was particularly for Sis.  They asked for volunteers and she raised her hand--but when they mentioned dog lovers, she put her hand back down!!!  There were trained pigeons, pigs, a variety of dogs, a parrot, otters, a porcupine, a skunk, a bird of prey (they never said what, but it looked like a falcon of some kind), even several cats!  Maybe she can be a Hollywood animal vet!
• Optimus Prime:  the line was always too long, but Bud did pose for a picture with the statue on the roof.

Food

We had several wonderful meals, in restaurants in our resort and in the parks.  We do love to eat out and try new things; it was a major part of our trip.  

Emeril's Tchoup Chop--we ate here twice, once for dinner and once for lunch.  We liked the lily pad fountain and loved the food.  It was some of the best we ate all trip and is probably in our top ten ever.

• chicken egg rolls with orange dipping sauce
• Big Kahuna drink with orange juice, pineapple, and almond syrup with a splash of gingerale
• Hawaiian Watermelon "mocktail" with watermelon syrup and some Sprite
• char-grilled beef "bulgogi" skewers
• Robata char-grilled pork belly
• Bud's rainbow with various sushi fish (ahi tuna, salmon, unagi, etc) roll in chili ginger sauce
• yummy stir fried udon in garlic hoisin sauce
• Sis and my favorite "KFC"-inspired Korean Fried Chicken, sweet and crispy
• chicken Tchoup Chop salad with fried wontons, oranges, sesame seeds, in sesame soy dressing
• Chirashi, salmon over rice with unagi glaze and spicy mayo
• smoked pork ribs, also Sis's favorite
• delicious Pancit Bihon noodles with lime 
• fried rice

The Cowfish  This North Carolina-based restaurant features both beef and sushi, combining Southern and Japanese food.  It was a tie for our favorite place to eat.

• fried pickles
• parmesan truffle fries with bacon
• "Cheeseburgushi," ground beef and cheese wrapped in bacon and rolled into string potatoes and fried
• Pulled pork handroll, with pulled pork and barbecue sauce wrapped in potatoes and deep fried, with bacon coleslaw
• the OMG roll with coconut shrimp
• filet and lobster roll!
• Lemon Yuzu Meringue

The "Leaky Broomsticks" aka both HP restaurants, the Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks--these two HP restaurants have wonderful movie-inspired HP decor and pretty good food for an amusement park.  We ate breakfast here twice, lunch once, and dinner once (and the kids and Mama grabbed at least one snack.)  

• traditional English breakfast, with eggs, beans, tomato, blood pudding, mushrooms, bacon, and a croissant, 
• mushroom leek tart
• traditional American breakfast, with eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, and croissant
• pancakes
• apple oatmeal "flan"
• toad in the hole (egg in Yorkshire pudding)
• Cornish pasties
• Cottage pie
• Scotch eggs
• fish and chips
• turkey leg
• Butter beer
• Pumpkin juice and pumpkin fizz
• "Fishy green ale" with black beads
• Butter beer potted cream

Other HP treats

• BUTTERBEER!!!!  regular and frozen with cream tops
• Butterbeer ice cream
• Butterbeer fudge
• Earl Grey and Lavender ice cream
• Clotted cream ice cream
• Chocolate and raspberry ice cream
• Sherbet lemon candy
• Fever fudge candy
• Jelly Slugs
• Chocolate frogs
• Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean
• Pineapple marshmallows
• Fainting Fancies chews
• Love potion, aka rosewater with honey

Other Treats in Simpsons World

• Krusty burger
• Ribwich
• Double batter fried chicken with fries
• Flaming Moe drink with dry ice
• Giant Lard Lad Donut
• free cupcakes for birthday kids and Mama!
• Groovy Grove juice, with orange juice, lemonade, and blood orange syrup
• Mr. Teeny, with lemonade, pineapple juice, and blue Curacao syrup
• Mt. Schwartzwelder, an apple juice, apple syrup, lemonade, and tea

Jake's All-American at the Hotel and Other Restaurants

• Tahitian French toast, with orange syrup and bananas
• salmon in the buffet, just for Bud!
• grits
• sausage gravy and biscuits
• lovely sesame ginger dressing in salad
• spinach and artichoke flatbread
• skirt steak flatbread
• charcuterie

But it was hard to get an iced coffee!!

Last Bits

We closed the park each of the four nights, staying until the last fireworks lit up the sky before leaving the HP world.  Sometimes we could barely get our legs to work on the way back. And then, surprising for us, we slept in til almost 9 a.m. every morning!   The last two mornings, I stayed back at the hotel, wanting some downtime and not wanting to ride the bouncy rides.  So while Mama took the kids through MIB, Spiderman, and Simpsons again, I sat by the elephant fountain in the central court sipping on an iced coffee (which I had to give instructions on how to make!  Is iced coffee not a thing in Florida?)  I made an Art Rock on one of those mornings and left it in the fountain.  Art Rocks are one of our summer activities--decorate a rock, include a quote, and leave it for someone to discover.  This one had a heart and the "Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love" quote from Lin-Manuel Miranda.  (Other times, Bud and I left Art Rocks near the walkway by the swimming pool.)  

On our last afternoon, following our second delicious meal at Tchoup Chop, we went swimming.  All of us!  It was so restorative and rejuvenating.  I was floating in the cool water, the sun beating down on my front, a cool breeze chilling the wet parts of me, and I kinda bobbed up and down.  Eyes closed, and I was in a different world.  Eyes opened and I saw palm trees and blue skies above.  No cares in the world.  The kids had fun, as did Mama.  And we finished off the day with a sweet, cold virgin Pina Colada.

As for souvenirs, we followed our usual habits.  Mama got several pins, including several HP ones and one Olympics one; I got a few magnets.  Sis had her stuffed Crookshanks.  Bud likes his pink doughnut pillow, a few pins, and a great black cap not unlike the one he wore in the play that he especially liked.  I also got a small model of the Hogwarts castle.

We took lots of pictures (including in front of the spinning Universal globe, which Mama and I had just seen in Sharknado 3 on a date night at home!!) and brought home lots of wonderful memories.  It's taken me three HP movies to write all of this up and we're not tired of it yet.

Happy birthday to our special witch and wizard!  

We're Home!

It's a beautiful Wednesday in Connecticut, but we can hardly move off the couches.  We got in after 1 a.m. from a glorious trip to Orlando's Universal Studio's Wizarding World of Harry Potter in celebration of the kiddos' 11th birthdays!

Vacations are hard work.

And blogging about it will take a long time.

But since it's finally summer, I have some time.

Summer Fun 2016

It's that time again:  our summer fun list for 2016!  Today was the last day of school and it definitely feels like summer, with both the heat and the exhausted grumpiness the kids get when they're together too much.

This year's list is shorter than years past, with hopes that we actually do most of it.  We already have concrete plans for several things.  It feels like a longer summer than usual, with no snow days tacked on and the first day back in September, not August.  I haven't counted weeks yet, though.

Let the fun begin!

1. Party/activity in honor of Aunt Sis
2. Go swimming at Y with friends
3. Inspirational Art Rock Drop (decorate rocks and leave them in public places)
4. Playgroup Open House idea
5. Meet friends at ice rink
6. Attend town festival in June/volunteer at historic house--DONE
7. Birthday trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando
8. Beach trip in city
9. Look for sea glass at beaches
10. Putt-putt golf
11. Create Minecraft server
12. Make ice cream
13. Have a lemonade stand (Bud asked to do it for Autism)
14. Play in sprinkler
15. Go to zoo
16. Biking
17. Celebrate 4th of July
18. Celebrate Solstice
19. Celebrate Mama's birthday
20. Birthday parties for kids
21. Decorate chalkboard for summer
22. Learn to cook weekly dinners
23. Make ice cube candles
24. Make soap
25. Learn an ASL sign a day
26. Create a Zentangle tile-a-day
27. Make friendship bread starter and share



Attend friends' Friday Night Dance Party
Start afternoon tea party tradition
Kite flying
Wash car
See Finding Dory
See Secret Life of Pets
See Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Harry Potter and the Curse Child book party
Set up tent in backyard
Zentangle classes with Sis and Bud helping

Beach Book

It's a week of early dismissals here, with school almost over.  I think we have a party every afternoon!

Yesterday, it was our Mother-Daughter Book Club meeting, which was held at a local beach.  And, yes, we did manage to discuss the book!  It was L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, which I had never read.  

And in truth, I didn't finish.  I started it late and the first several chapters were rather slow going.  It did pick up--with vignettes on Anne's life on PEI (Prince Edward Island.)  In fact, that vignette structure is very familiar from other "girl's" books such as the Little House series and even Little Women--the crisis at school, the crisis at the ball, the crisis at church, the crisis in the kitchen, etc etc etc.    Montgomery combines the lyrical and poetic imagination of her protagonist (the White Way of Delight, Dryad's Bubble, etc etc.) with a materialistic account of her surroundings--all those flowers, her "wincey" dress, various dress designs, the different types of tea sets, all the food (boiled pork and cabbage, raspberry cordial/currant wine) and richly drawn character studies.  I'm definitely enjoying it now and will finish it soon.

We did some activities, such as choose your own name like Anne wants to be called Cordelia.  I was "Meg" (from Little Women, also clearly feminine, which mine name isn't and it so bothered me as a child unable to find bookmarks or shoelaces or whatnot with my name and some pink, always rockets), Sis chose "Alex," and Bud was "Kevin."  (He was hanging around and so he got to choose a name, too.)  We designed the kind of dress Anne would like (with those puffed sleeves!) and tried to guess the nicknames she gave various land features.  And then the kids played a kind of red light/green light with one being Aunt Josephine.  

It wasn't PEI, but it was indeed a beautiful day at the beach.  The kids played in the shallows, finding hermit crabs and avoiding the razor-sharp clam shells.  I couldn't find any sea glass, just a bunch of rocks, no doubt from long-ago glaciers sweeping over the area and now coming down the rivers.  I also didn't find any arrowheads or the like (though I'm not sure I'd recognize stone tools on a beach) from the native inhabitants who used the site as fishing grounds, pre- and early-contact.  


I did find some nice stones and decided, last minute, to decorate one and leave it on the beach.  An Art Rock Drop . . . the kids and I have decided to leave several in various places this summer.  My first one, with just the Sharpies on hand, has the quote from Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tonys sonnet.

The full text of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s sonnet:

My wife's the reason anything gets done. She nudges me towards promise by degrees. She is a perfect symphony of one. Our son is her most beautiful reprise. We chase the melodies that seem to find us Until they're finished songs and start to play. When senseless acts of tragedy remind us That nothing here is promised, not one day This show is proof that history remembers. We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger. We rise and fall, and light from dying embers Remembrances that hope and love last longer. And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love; Cannot be killed or swept aside. I sing Vanessa's symphony; Eliza tells her story. Now fill the world with music, love, and pride. 

Second Junior Girl Scout Year

I've been trying to keep track of our GS years.  Here's what we've done so far:

• Daisy 1
• Daisy 2
• Brownies 1
• Brownies 2
• Juniors 1

And now, our second Junior year.  We've been busy:

• Mystic Seaport Sleuth overnight for Detective Badge
• learn ABCs, numbers, simple words, Pledge of Allegiance and GS Promise for ASL badge
• Bike ride for Practice with Purpose Badge
• World Thinking Day--self-reflection with handmade journals
• Bronze Award!!!!!
• team building
• planning recipes 
• visit from soup kitchen organizer to discuss food insecurity
• make Christmas cards and Cupcake Paper Angel ornaments
• homework:  plan, shop, and bake cookies
• gather to create cookie platters
• attend soup kitchen party
• discuss experience at soup kitchen party
• learn cupcake decorating skills
• decorate 100+ cupcakes for soup kitchen Valentine's Day dinner
• deliver and distribute cupcakes at soup kitchen dinner
• Star Wars Cookie Booth
• Savvy Shopper badge and field trip to store
• Junior Aide  (GS values egg hunt, petal activities)
• Bronze Award ceremony

Tonight, the girls bridge to Cadettes and also receive their Bronze Awards.  I spent the whole morning  ironing and sewing on patches to her Junior sash that Sis has gathered over the last two years and prepping her Cadette vest for the ceremony.  

I think we need to teach sewing ASAP!

Saying Goodbye to a Friend

On Sunday, a huge group of playgroup moms and kids gathered to be a fond farewell to our North Carolina friend, Miss S.  She is returning to her home below the Mason-Dixon line after eleven years up here in Connecticut.  She's not the first playgroup friend to move but the first one so close to all of us for so long to move so far.  We ate and drank, took many photos, and marveled at the passage of time, most obvious in the large tween kids running around the yard.  We had first met when the kids were mostly a few months old.  We'd gather weekly for hours, sharing lunch and joys, fears, and hopes, with lots of questions and advice.  All of us were first-time moms who probably had only that in common in the beginning, but that is a strong bond that has stayed with us more than a decade.  We sent our friend off in fine style, with lots of food, stories, laughter, and tears--pretty much like playgroups of old.  Except there were some gifts . . . and some husbands, too.  We all made promises of keeping in touch--easy enough in this day and age--but we also know that it is never the same.  But the memories are golden.

-=-=-=-=-

Miss B's Maple Bacon "Crack"

1 lb. bacon
1 pkg Pillsbury crescent rolls
½ cup maple syrup
¾ cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet (like a 15x10) with foil and liberally grease the foil with cooking spray. Unroll the crescent rolls into one single plane of dough and pinch any perforations together to seal. Stretch the dough out to fit the size of the pan with your hands so it's even. Prick the dough with a fork all over. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook your bacon. I like cooking mine in a skillet, but you can bake it - whichever you prefer. Cook it until it's technically safe enough to eat and just about done, but still lighter in color and not quite crispy. You don't want it fully cooked and crispy as it will continue to cook in the oven. I pulled mine out of the pan right when they were a medium-pink color. Drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate.

Drizzle ¼th cup of the maple syrup over the crescent roll dough. Sprinkle with about ¼th cup of the brown sugar. Top with torn pieces of the cooked bacon. Drizzle the remaining maple syrup on top of the bacon pieces, and top with the remaining brown sugar.
Bake for approx. 25 minutes or until bubbling and caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow the pan to come to room temperature or warm to the touch before cutting or breaking into pieces. You can serve this at room temperature or slightly warmed. It tastes best the day of, but can be eaten the next day if stored airtight.

Affirmations 2016, Continued

Here's another update to my Affirmations list  (my original list of Affirmations is from last March, April, October, and then March 2016.) 

I have not had severely debilitating back pain in almost 5 whole years (my major episode was 6 years ago!)  Two years ago, Memorial Day 2014 when I had back pain, I still functioned and did things.

My surgery was more than a year ago and I am so much better.  

• I can drive as far and walk as much as I did before my surgery.
• I can do so many things without my brace:  go on outings, play the piano, cook dinner, push the cart around the grocery store, fold the laundry, unload the dishwasher, watch tv from the couch, sit to meditate, sit at the dinner table, clean the litterboxes, meditating on my zafu/cushion, and do all of my stretches and exercises.  And I can do several of these in a row in one day without any problem, most days.  Some of these were hard before surgery; my PT thinks my core might be stronger than before.
• I know what foods most upset my system and can work around them.
• I am more skillful at staying in the present when I have pain or anxiety.

Recently, I have successfully navigated:

• a long 5-day workshop to become a Certified Zentangle Teacher;
• a retreat at Kripalu;
• my piano recital of "Greensleeves";
• explorations of Providence (before CZT), Philadelphia (before a friend's installation), Northampton/Western Mass (with Historic Deerfield, Magical Wings, and Webs Yarn Store!!);
• a nighttime Owl Prowl and a hike up a mountain to see wolves; 
• Gong's citizenship ceremony;
• a Taize service;
• volunteering and attending the school play for three days;
• festival at historic house with games and activities;
• giving several historic house tours;
• filmed historic house video;
• teaching my very first Zentangle class to adults and then my first class to students;
• purchasing and riding a bicycle;
• visiting Connecticut Hospice;
• HAMILTON!
• extra driving to and from play, to doctors' offices, etc;
• gone to the movies;
• pushed a cart at the store without my brace;
• evening performances at Lincoln Center and Broadway;
• the all-day rehearsal time and then performance of Bud's kung fu at Lincoln Center;
• walking 10 blocks, eating in a restaurant, and walking back 10 blocks;
• back-to-back museum exhibitions;
• test driving and buying a new car;
• conducting various GS meetings (including Bronze Award!) and standing at the GS cookie booth;
• being in charge--rides, meals, chores, etc.--as the only adult for the whole weekend;
• parented alone for a whole weekend, with all the driving and meals etc;
• complete a huge crocheted blanket;
• passing my CPR test, with 3+ minutes of demonstration of compressions, etc.;
• driving Bud to a performance, staying to watch, and driving home;
• walking the marsh and the beach to look for the Snowy Owl;
• lightsaber sparring with Bud; 
• cleaning the porch with Mama;
• pick up dear Mr. P and carry him when he was ill;
• walked on rocky/shelly beaches looking sea glass (home and Block Island);
• attending a weekend knitting retreat (with lots of sitting!);
• walking labyrinths (at retreat and Block Island);
• walking on wooded paths, where I saw an owl (retreat);
• attended several parties;
• sat through SW7 three times (once followed by dinner!);
• Chinese New Year, with several sessions of kneeling to pray;
• regular doctors' appointments;
• one word:  colonoscopy;
• and more that I can't even remember.

Hospice Heaven

Yesterday, I visited the Connecticut Hospice, founded in 1974 as the first hospice organization in the U.S., based on the idea of British physician Dame Cicely Saunders.  Apparently, it's on the site of an old corporation, who left the land to the organization against community pressure to open up the prime coastal real estate in Branford.  Apparently, that's all water under the pier so to speak now and it is a well-respected organization which provides hospice services all over the state.

It was such a beautiful, peaceful, well-cared for place that exuded an air of quiet calm, with trees enveloping one side of the building and the oceanfront looking towards the Thimble Islands on the other.  It's a good place to die, I would think.  And the inside is similarly beautiful and peaceful.  I had an opportunity to watch some of the staff at work--they cared for a woman from my community that I've visited some, outside of my official hospice volunteer parameters (she's the sister of a local person.)  They spoke to her with such kindness and gentleness and respect, caring for her fragile body so gently.  There was no chaos, no noise, no loud televisions, no beeping alarms, no obviously disgruntled and over-worked staff, no dirt, no awful smells, no decaying infrastructure.  The best facility I've ever been in, for sure.

I realized while I was there one of the reasons I love hospice:  for me, it's a form of community service.  Our communities today help new parents, support the education of children with schools and scouts and sports, have services for people in need (adult day care, soup kitchens, food pantries, etc), provide YMCAs and senior centers and libraries and hospitals . . . and then we practically abandon people at their most vulnerable, when they or someone they love is dying.  For me, hospice is a community's way of taking care of their members at the end.  It's one of the ways I can serve my community.

And I want to volunteer there.  I believe I can handle the drive and I'd like to learn more about hospice from them, be a part of what they've created.  I met the volunteer coordinator and will give her a call soon, though summertime is the worst time for me to try to start something new, because the kids are home.  But I think this would definitely be worth it.   I haven't given up on chaplaincy.  I'm just not ready to go back to school yet, for the kids or for me.  So, I'd like to immerse myself in residential hospice work, maybe then pursue some chaplaincy training at a local hospital and then go get my MDiv.  And I think I really could help and learn at Connecticut Hospice.

Class Engaged!

Today, I had the honor and pleasure to be invited to give a Zentangle lesson at a local elementary school by a friend and neighbor who teaches there.  She had taken my very first Zentangle class a few weeks ago and wanted to share it with her fifth graders.  This was the perfect time, as school is winding down and kids are getting antsy to be indoors.

And it went wonderfully well.


I gave them each a kit with tiles, a pen, pencil, and a special Zentangle bookmark.  And then I began drawing on my easel.

We started with the word "Zentangle"--a combination of Zen (which refers to Japanese meditation--I didn't mention Buddhism) and art, or a tangle of lines.  Zentangle drawing is an art in which you can elicit meditative feelings of calm and focus by creating repetitive patterns in beautiful works of art.

I started with some questions:
Have you ever felt angry, sad, scared, nervous, tired, bored, frustrated?  How did your body feel when you felt those emotions?  How is it different when you are happy or satisfied or excited?  I told them that meditation was a way to transcend some of those emotions, especially the negative ones, a way to rest and calm their bodies and minds--by using their breath!  Everyone breathes, you can do it anywhere, without any supplies, like when you're tired of waiting in line or scared to go into the doctor's office.  And so we tried a short breath meditation--in through your nose, out through your mouth.  Feel the change in temperature, the breath over your lips, the rise and fall of your chest.  A few of them giggled, some huffed and snorted and sighed, but they tried it for several moments.   I tried to stay away from cliches like "being grounded" and "center yourself."

And then we started.  They pulled out their kits, with the tiles, pen, pencil, and bookmark.   I worked through the steps at my post-it flip pad and easel (with big black marker and gray shading marker)--gratitude and appreciation, corner dots, border, string, tangle shade, initial and sign, and appreciate again--while they followed along on their tiles.  We did a pretty typical first tile--z-shaped tile with basic strings crescent moon, hollibaugh, florz, and printemps.  I told them about a lot of variations (which only make sense if you know Zentangle)--drawing squiggles or loops in their borders, putting dots between auras in crescent moon, shading the spaces behind the lines in hollibaugh, shading the lines of hollibaugh, putting dots in the spaces behind the lines of hollibaugh, drawing printemps or crescent moons in the spaces of hollibaugh, putting other shapes at the intersections of florz, making big and little spirals in printemps, connecting the lines of hollibaugh to the lines of florz, putting a few printemps in the spaces of hollibaugh or florz.  Several of the kids gave the variations a try.  It's a lot like the first tile I ever did in my own first Zentangle class last year on retreat.  While they drew, I kept a somewhat constant Zentangle narrative going, while I walked around the room:

• If they can write "iSCO," they can do most of the strokes in Zentangle patterns
• No eraser = no mistakes (but, just in case, I pretended to mess up and then showed them Bronx Cheer to cover it  up)
• What does a "hollibaugh" really look like?  Nobody knows!  There is no right or real in Zentangle.    The names are non-descriptive, just a way to give us a shorthand for talking about the art and to each other
• Shade as part of the design (not trying to create consistent internal light source)
• Look at tile at arm's length
• Turn it around to look at it from several angles--no right side up!
• Go your own pace
• Everyone is different so make it your own
• Go back to your breath meditation if you get frustrated
• Borders are made to be crossed
• Lines don't have to be straight 

While they finished up their first tile and placed it on my tablecloth for the class mosaic, I  showed them the Apprentice video chapter 6 of Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas talking about how they were inspired to create the steps of Zentangle.  I then explained that Maria and Rick didn't invent patterns (those are everywhere--in nature and human-made items), that they came up with the list of steps to access meditation through art.  We looked at the class mosaic and saw how the tiles were all different, all creative and all individual--with same instructions!  Then I distributed Apprentice letter to parents and announced that they were all Zentangle Apprentices.  Harkening back to the beginning, I asked them how they felt now.  "Good," they yelled.  I told them they could tap into this feeling, creativity, and beauty whenever they needed or wanted to.

      

I was there about an hour and they were so focused, curious, and excited.  I even gave them two extra tangles (zander and pokeroot) because they wanted to learn more, even though I had to rush them.  I pointed to the tangled border of their Apprentice letter to parents and said there were so many patterns--they could even make up some!  (If they'd name them after me.)

I was surprised with how hesitant they already were at 10 - 11 years old to make a mistake; most of them admitted being very hesitant when looking at a blank piece of paper and asked to create something.  But once we got the dots, borders, and strings on the tiles, they settled in.  Still, at each step, they wanted reassurance that they weren't "wrong" and that their designs were "good."  Both the teacher and I kept reiterating that there were no mistakes, that they made the creative choices, that different was okay.  Even still, at the end, a couple of students wouldn't join their tiles to the mosaic. 

But they begged the teacher to do more Zentangle patterns.  I left the Apprentice DVD with the teacher and two extra tiles for each kid (plus some extra pens in case some broke.)  I told them they could look up Zentangle online and find all kinds of patterns, that they could make greeting cards or pencil cases or whatever they wanted.  The teacher said it was the most focused her class had ever been all year.

Maybe next year, we should offer the lesson in the beginning of the year, and then the teacher can introduce new tangles as they go and the students can add them to projects at Valentine's Day or Mother's Day; they can tangle when they are anxious about a test or done with their work.  I know I would have loved it when I was a student, just like these kids did.  Just like I love it now.

A Day in History

In addition to the play this weekend, we had our annual festival when we open the historic house for tours and children's activities, including dress-up, games, and painting.  Sis and Bud decided against attending their morning activities so that they could help out.  They even had new colonial outfits, since they had long outgrown their costumes.  Bud had the same kind of "nutmeg"-colored vest as before but in a larger size; Sis had a red bodice over a shift with a floral print, plus her cap and apron. I wore my new short jacket, with its pink and green floral print, over a navy skirt.

It was a hot day, so I was glad to have air conditioning.  Bud and I did demonstrate the old game of graces outside for awhile, walking up and down the street attracting some attention.  They also both gave tours.  Bud gave his first--he hopped right in talking about how colonists made bread, toasted it, and made butter to go with it; then he moved on to the parlor to talk about tea parties and "liberty" tea and help visitors make tea bags with herbs and coffee filters.  He was great!  Sis has given tours before and gives a good one; she also did some stenciling with a few young visitors, showing them how to paint.

I love that they love the historic house and want to help out.  They've attended programs, planted gardens, ridden in parades, demonstrated games and crafts, and told people about the history of Connecticut.  I love that we can share the history together.  I'm so proud of those kids.

The Show Went On

I can't even put the wonderful experience of the weekend into words.  The kids' elementary school musical was phenomenal!

Well, for an elementary school production.  But I'm a proud mommy and I thought it was marvelous.

Way back in January, they had been nervous about auditioning for the show, even though everyone gets a part.  Still, standing up and singing in front of people is very intimidating.  But they did it and both got into the ensemble.  Bud had a callback and had hoped for a small speaking part.  Instead, he became one of the dancers.

For months they practiced every week.  Hours.  The last week, they rehearsed until 8 pm on Tuesday, 6 pm on Wednesday, and 9:15 on Thursday.  And behind the scenes, many parents were busy.  I stepped in to coordinate the healthy snacks for the performers during the show (the last person left no notes and, of course, I wasn't involved last year so it was a steep learning curve all the way through the weekend.)  Mama served as a backstage runner/stage door manager so someone else could see the show on Saturday.  I bought make up, found the right shoes, filled out forms to buy t-shirts and DVDs, and designed our congratulatory ads for the program.  We did a lot of driving back and forth.  Other parents spent everyday at the rehearsals and nights making sets and costumes and props.  So much hard work by so many dedicated and enthusiastic people.

We were all atwitter on Friday for the hour or so between their arriving home on the bus and their needing to be back at school.  It was a long wait for all of us.  Finally we got the kids freshly showered and deodorized (imagine 80+ sweaty kids without deodorant under hot lights with no air conditioning in rooms together.)  I got the snacks and paper goods into the car.  Off we went.

After getting them where they need to be and setting up the snacks in the cafeteria, Mama and I took our seats for the first show.  So excited for them, so nervous for them.

And they both shined!  Lit up the stage!  What can I say?  I only watched them.  Sis was in a flowery dress with a pink bow on her head.  Being shorter than almost everyone else, she looked about five years old.  Sweet and cute.  She doesn't like dresses, being "sweet" or "cute, though she likes pink but not bows.  We told her she was a great actress to pull off the role!  Bud started in a dark suit with a cap, then removed the jacket to show his suspenders and hiked his pants like knickers (with this handy little elastic thing.)  Later, he'd put on a band uniform.  And he danced and danced with great expression and joy.  Of course, I got all teary.

We saw them perform twice--Friday and Sunday--and spent Saturday helping backstage.  The kids got into costume, then went into hair and make up, and then waited in the cafeteria for their various cues.  They ate fresh fruit and veggies, had lots of water, and talked relatively quietly with their friends.  Sis played UNO and read.  Bud ate lots of fruit.

After each show, we went out, mainly to a late supper at a local place.  Just like real Broadway stars!  They told stories with their friends, wolfed down fries and shakes, sang songs together, gave one another back rubs, and signed each other's special shirts.  The adults sat, ate, and marveled at the kids' energy.  Bud especially talked and talked about the whole thing; I wish I could remember everything he enthused about.  (If I do, I'll insert it here.)

And then it ended much more suddenly than it all began.  Three days, three performance, the end of the show and the weekend.  But we all made a lifetime of great memories and, I think, awakened a little bit of the performing bug in each of them.

I'm glad they have one more year in elementary school so they can do it all again.

The Last Book

My hospice patient with dementia likes to be read to.  He doesn't really care what and so I picked up a Reader's Digested condensed volume with four stories--one was a romance, one a WWII thriller, something else I can't recall, and The Bear, a wilderness adventure about the duel between a huge grizzly and a hunter (I believe it is taken from James Oliver Curwood's The Grizzly King.)  I chose the last one, since he hasn't really liked discussing the war on previous occasions (he lost three brothers in WWII and served in Europe himself.)   So we've been reading The Bear.  It has long descriptive passages on the beauty of the mountains and the life of bears; occasionally, there is a big scene with the bear and the hunter.  My patient, who is usually too confused to comprehend what happens around him, has responded well and even reacted to and commented on the book.  He says he likes the way I read.

My other hospice patient, with Parkinson's disease, has trouble with her eyes and so I've been reading to her.  She had chosen Inge Auerbacher's biography I am a Star:  A Child of the Holocaust, which is a book for young people.  It is a harrowing story, but my patient, who is Jewish, has numerous books about the Holocaust and also Judaism on her shelves.

As I read to them both, I realized something quite profound:  these could very possibly be the last books they read, or have read to them.  Their very last books.

Wow.

What would I choose, if I could?  I've thought about it briefly and think, if I could choose, I would choose Little Women or Little House on the Prairie.  These are childhood books, familiar and comforting.  They are also easy to read aloud.  Through hospice, I've realized how some things just aren't meant to be read aloud--some poetry is very difficult--and the sports page just sounds stupid.  I might also enjoy Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, but I've known Louisa May Alcott and Laura Ingalls Wilder much longer.  Or Harry Potter--I forgot all about those books!  I could definitely hear those again or read them myself.

There is something about books being read by a person to another.  It's more intimate and engaging than all the televisions turned up so loud in nursing homes combined.  I can modulate my speed, I can pause, we can discuss; my patients know I'm talking just to them.  Audio books might be too fast, not tailored to the listener, easy to get lost in.  Though, I've never tried them.  And none of my patients have had audio books or even talk radio; some have music, but it's just filler.

So, what would you want to read, or have read to you, as your last book?

WHEW!

Wonderful!  Marvelous!  Fantastic!  Super!  Great!  Wow!

What a weekend!

The kids were in the play three times this weekend, with parties after each one.  They are elated and exhausted.

On top of that, we had a big day at the historic house as part of a festival and were there for hours on Saturday, dressed in costume and giving tours and leading activities.  Such fun!

I was a proud, happy Mommy.

And I don't even mind that I'm behind in my chores and tired, because it was all just so great.

More later.

Here We Go

Tuesday:  play practice til 8 pm!!!

Wednesday:  play practice only til 6 pm!!

Tonight:  play practice and full dress rehearsal until 8 pm!!

Tomorrow:  OPENING NIGHT!!!!

Bud and Sis are appearing in their first school musical as part of the ensemble.  They have put in a lot of work and are very excited.  I can't tell you more because they are keeping it secret from us for when we see it the first time.  We have tickets for all three shows.  Then there will a big cast party.

And then just nine more days of school, only 6 of them full days!

Look for my summer fun list soon!!!

No doubt, I will also post a glowing review of the play.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!