Halloween 2020, Hogwarts

We have 3 maple trees....3!! So that makes for a lot of leaves to rake. The kids enjoyed filling these bags to decorate our front yard for Halloween. 

This year, due to Covid, there haven't been any new movies released. So the local theater was showing Harry Potter's, so we decided to take the kids each weekend. I wanted to read the books with the kids in a year or so, then as a reward watch the movies. But who could resist them being on the Big Screen!?  So for Halloween, the kids wanted to do Hogwarts: Addie dressed up as Hermione. 

I was Professor Trelawney.

JoJo was Harry Potter.

Joe was Professor Snape.

JoJo got this pumpkin at school, and decided to carve it with a butter knife....I think it's pretty impressive! We didn't get pumpkins this year, it just flew by before I knew it. 

One of Addie's drawings. Notice the cute pumpkin and spider. 

Jojo's art project of a Lion.

Addie's art project of Frankinstein.

Addie's art project of Dracula.

Addie's art project of a Witch.

For their hallway theme at school, it was a circus. So the kids both came home with a clown nose and hat. they love their school and teachers. They are always doing something fun!

Disney World Day 9: Ocean fun at Sand Key Park, Clearwater FL

Our last day in Florida, we wanted to drive to the Gulf Coast. We have never been to the Gulf Coast, and heard it had amazing beaches and water. So we drove to Clearwater, FL and found Sand Key Park. It was such a fun place to hang out. We spent the majority of the day there.

We found 3 hermit crab shells. They were so fun to find! I always look for shells everytime I go to the coast. And I never find anything besides small shells or shards of bigger shells. I was so excited!! And the kids were too. Especially Joseph, he is my shell buddy. And Joe was brave enough to deal with the crabs....

Addie loves swimming in the water, especially the ocean. She couldn't be happier. She pretends she's a mermaid...

And Joseph loves to play in the sand. He has started to enjoy playing in the water more, it was a bit warmer then the Oregon coast. And when he's in the water, he pretends to be a shark...

There were so many seagulls, the kids had fun watching them.

I was trying to capture how many shells there were!! So many

And while we were getting ready to leave, a pirate ship sailed by!!

And we even saw a pod of dolphins swim in front of it. It was our second time seeing them in the wild, but this was up close!! We tried to get pictures, but you couldn't tell what we were looking at. So fun!

It was a perfect day to end our vacation. We could have stayed at the ocean many more days. We can't get enough of the beach! It was a fun vacation....we were beyond exhausted! I think the kids were sad to leave, but were ready to slow down too. 

Disney World Day 7: Animal Kingdom

Day 7 is finally here. I am not going to lie, both Joe and I wondered if we were going to make it the last 2 days. Long days standing on our feet, little sitting, and tired kids makes it a the most magical place on earth is also the most exhausting place on earth!

When we first got there, Addie and me booked it to the Everest roller coaster ride. And we were pretty much the first people in the line. So we waited for Joe and Joseph to join us. It was a fun ride, with a surprise Yetti at the middle/end which then made the ride go backwards. It was a blast! We rode it at least 6 times in a row. Finally the kids had enough...though to be honest Joe and I could have done a few more!

"Yeti or Not, Here He Comes!

Wander into a Tibetan village at the base of Mount Everest and board a train to the “top of the world.” Beware: Some say a legendary snow monster lives deep in the mountain.

After a steep ascent, your train picks up speed and races into the darkness. Without warning, a broken and twisted track appears in front of you. Brace yourself as you plummet backward into total darkness. Inside the cavern, the mythical tale comes true as you see the shadow of a massive, growling beast!

Race to escape the cursed mountain—before the Yeti claims another expedition."

While we were walking to the Dinosaur land, we came across Donald, Daisey and Launchpad on a boat ride. That was a fun surprise!

We did a couple of rides in Dinoland...

And then we made took the last ride before we headed out, and it turned out to be awesome!! We rode it 3 times, and it was so fun. The jeep ride in the dark with dinosaurs looming at various corners, Addie got scared! And the rest of us loved it. 

Tortoise skeleton, which I thought was pretty good!

Then we headed to our favorite place the other day: Pandora! From the movie Avatar. It seriously is amazing, you feel like you're walking in the land. The way they intermingled real plants with the fake plants....seriously hard to tell. Disney did not disappoint!! It looked so lush and real. Truly my favorite ride!

"In the attraction's storyline, the humans and Na'vi are attempting to restore the banshee population to natural levels, after the mining tactics caused by the Resources Development Administration generations prior. Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE) has reactivated the avatar program through the Pandora Conservation Initiative as a method of conducting research, and allows guests to link with an avatar to fly on an Ikran (known as a "Banshee" by humans) to partake in the Na'vi's tribal coming-of-age tradition.

Set within the remains of a former Resources Development Administration facility, the attraction invites guests into the ACE lab where guests are linked to an "avatar" and fly aboard a banshee."

The second ride was also neat and we rode a boat: 

"A Mystical River Ride

Feel a sense of wonder as the full beauty of the extraordinary dreamscape unfolds before your eyes.

On this visually stunning and mysterious river, you’ll glide through a series of caves and into a bioluminescent rainforest alive with the sights and sounds of exotic plants and creatures on all sides—even overhead.

Soon, you’ll join the legendary Na’vi Shaman of Songs, who demonstrates her deep connection to the life force of Pandora—and sends positive energy out into the forest through the power of her music.

Na’vi River Journey offers explorers an experience that has to be seen—and heard—to be believed!"

We also saw Mickey, Minney, and Pluto riding a river boat, another fun surprise! 

Our final ride was the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. 

"A Truly Wild Adventure

Explore the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, home to 34 species living in 110 acres of picturesque open plains, shady forest landscapes and rocky wetlands. Your rugged safari vehicle is driven by an expert guide, who helps point out animals and shares fascinating wildlife facts during this extraordinary 18-minute expedition.

Unique Animal Encounters
Spot a shy hippopotamus nestled in a still pond. Behold a regal lion sunbathing on a rocky perch. Drive past a gentle giraffe grazing on the tall trees or wave hello to a swinging baboon. Other amazing animals you may encounter include rhinos, cheetahs, crocodiles, elephants, hyenas and zebras—and so many more!

Since animals have minds of their own, every expedition is a unique and unforgettable experience. Be sure to keep your eyes open and have a camera ready—you never know what you’ll see on a Kilimanjaro Safaris outing."

Favorite animals: Joseph-Rhinos, Addie-wanted to see the cheetah but didn't, Joe-Hippo, Krystell-kangaroo (it seems like there aren't kangaroos in zoos).

The BaoBab Tree were scattered throughout the safari. I thought they had transplanted, but when I look it up they are all fake....And blossom every once in awhile to conserve energy. I bet the real ones are pretty cool.

After the long day, we ate Checker's and Joseph enjoyed the buffalo wings, so spicy! and his face would be covered in sauce, with a big grin! And also had the Chili dogs.

Addie liked the chicken strips.