Harry Potter and all That

We are behind, haven't posted in over a week, so Mom is going to do a quick update, with input from K & C.

We went to Santa Cruz for the Harry Potter release.

Why Santa Cruz?

Why not?

Since the kids only just discovered Harry Potter this year, it was their last chance to really enjoy the hype. Our local bookstore is very small, and Bookshop Santa Cruz is the bookstore I grew up with. Plus, Grandma bought the books. (Thanks Mom!)

We spent the day riding our bikes all around Santa Cruz. We rode close to 20 miles. The kids did great. Grandma brought her dogs, they did great too. Lulu had to be left at Grandmas, because she doesn't fit in the basket on the bike.



We had a nice beach party with old playgroup friends, then at 10 we left to go to the party at the bookstore. It was very crowded. Have-to-hold-on-to-each-other-or-we'll-get-lost crowded.

After the kids went around and got all the free candy, they were ready to go home. Dad had been enjoying the peace and quiet of the line, so at 11:00 we joined him for a bit, then Grandma took them home and Dad and I waited until midnight when the book was released. We were back to Grandma's by 12:15, and I was positive C would be awake waiting for us, but I lost the $20 bet.

They both started reading the next morning, and C was finished by Sunday afternoon (he didn't read much Sunday, I think he was mentally processing the heavy trauma that occurs in the book). He was very excited to read the epilogue, and wasn't even grossed out by the coupling that occurs. But, we don't want to give it away. K is still reading, but is happy to hear her brother tell her what happens. Then, she went and read the last couple of pages. But, she continues to read to see how it gets there.