Dec - Universal Day 2

Day 2 (Friday) our goal was to ride Hagrid's Motorbike so we went directly to that ride to wait.  They were having technical difficulties with the ride the day before and while we were in line, it wasn't working.  But we decided to wait it out and it paid off.  We only had to wait about an hour (which for that ride is nothing).

The ride is a mini coaster where 2 people sit together, one on the motorcycle and one in the sidecar.  I rode the cycle with Jace in the sidecar, because he would only ride with me.  Jon took the sidecar with Rylee since she really wanted to ride the cycle.  It really is an awesome ride.  If you don't want spoilers about the ride, then don't read the next paragraph.

You accelerate like you're really on a motorcycle.  You stop at little vignettes where you see scenes with Hagrid.  At one point you go up in the air, where you can see there is no more track ahead of you (terrifying!), and then you go backwards into a dark tunnel.  You pause and then fall down (totally wasn't expecting that!) onto a track below.  Then you shoot off again and head back.  Wow!

We split up a little more on Day 2 since Jon and Rylee wanted to hit all the big rides again.  Jace and I did the smaller rides and the shows.

We also decided to do a Christmas Tree hunt where you collect stamps on your passport throughout the two parks.  We took a pic in front of each tree that we saw.

This was my favorite tree.

Rylee was with us for this tree since we had just ridden the Men in Black ride (one of Jace's favorite rides).  

But his favorite ride was The Fast and the Furious.  

His fave car...

...this one is more my style!  I wish they had a Scooby Doo ride!

That night we stayed for the Macy's parade...

Then ran over to the other park (the train would have taken to long), 

making a tree stop along the way...

...so we could see the light show on the castle.

I took mostly video, but it was spectacular!

Dec - Universal Day 1

We don't do the Orlando area often.  We took Rylee to all three Disney parks when she turned 5.  We took Jace (and Rylee) to Disney's Hollywood Studios/Sea World/Legoland when Jace turned 5.  And now for our 20th Wedding Anniversary, we spent 4 days at Universal.

We left the day of Rylee's Biz Town field trip. I picked the kids up at 2 (at parent pickup - which I've never done before), we loaded up the car, and drove to Orlando.  We stayed at a hotel about a mile from the park.  It wasn't anything fancy, but it had a free breakfast buffet which was my one requirement (the food is ridiculously expensive).  We were all in the same room - two double beds - the boys took one and the girls took the other.  That was actually one of my favorite parts.  We would laugh and giggle so much at night and in the morning.

We had park-to-park passes so we went between the two parks (riding the Hogwarts Express!) on Thursday and Friday.  Then we spent Saturday at Volcano Bay (water park).  Sunday we spent half a day at the parks, riding our favorite rides, before we had to drive back home.

Waiting to get in the park on Thursday morning.

The kids are Harry Potter obsessed (they both have HP themed bedrooms) so we went to that area first.

We rode all the HP rides (except Hagrid's motorbike), ate lunch at the Three Broomsticks (complete with Butterbeers),and the kids bought wands at Ollivander's (they had saved up).

Riding the Hogwarts Express!

Listening to a special message from the Ministry of Magic.

Dec - Biz Town

Every year the 5th graders take a field trip to Biz Town where they get to experience working in a city.  There's all kinds of jobs from exterminators to food workers to lawyers to the mayor.  They have real objectives, earn money, open bank accounts, shop and eat - basically do everything an adult would do during their work day. I was able to attend a few years ago, and I knew it would be a fun event, so I took the day off to chaperone.

The kids filled out job applications and wrote cover letters to get chosen for their profession.  Rylee was selected as CEO of Local 10 News.

Here she is with her team: CFO, ad specialists, broadcasters, camera person and meteorologist.  

Going over things at their staff meeting.  They actually got to broadcast over the TVs in each "business" and in the town hall.  Even though Rylee wasn't a broadcaster, she had two segments that she presented throughout the day.

Alani worked at the Panthers store.

All the CEOs had to attend a special meeting in the town hall.  Maria, her friend standing next to her, was the mayor.  They were supposed to come up with ideas to improve Biz Town and then vote on it.  Rylee was ecstatic that her suggestion won.

Just a couple shots of the town.

Emily was also the CEO of something, but I can't remember what.  There are so many cool places to work: magazine publishing, radio station, humane society, sheriff's office, chocolate shop, health clinic etc.  In 8th grade, the kids will go back and get a salary and family information.  Then they''ll work on budgeting for housing, bills, day care etc.  

It was a really fun day.  So proud of my CEO!  :)

Nov - Thanksgiving Weekend

We wrapped up the rest of the Thanksgiving weekend with some ice skating.

Sorry all these shots are through the dirty glass...

Jace gave up once our seal rental was up, but Rylee 

skated by herself for another half hour or so.  

She's really into ice skating lately.

The weather was nice that weekend so Jon set up a track for Jace to run the RC car on the pool deck and Rylee did gymnastics (in the background).  It was a lovely and relaxing Thanksgiving break!

This was before the wolves moved in next door (the new neighbors have two wolves) so it'll be interesting to see how they like the noise from the kids in the backyard.  The first night, they howled and cried all night (ugh!), but they seem to have settled in.  Although they didn't like Papa mowing the grass the other day.  :)

Nov- Pajama Shoot

Rylee declared that it was on her bucket list for all of us to have matching pajamas so we all obliged.  She picked out these cute pjs ("Holidays are better in flip flops") and we took some photos for the Christmas card.

More of my faves coming at ya...

This could have been an outtake, but we all loved Rio's paw on Jace's head.

Jon grew his beard out for No Shave November.  

Awww!  They really do love each other.

I love this one even though Jon is strangling Jace.  Lol!

Gaga always takes a photo of the kids under the Christmas tree.

They don't fit as well anymore!  :)