::Serendipity::

Midnight Madness for HP 7 ________________________________________________________________

It took me until today to get over my H. Potter book 7 fog. I was on HP overload. But now I think I can share the experience without my head exploding.

As I drove up to Barnes and Noble to drop off Riley for her volunteer duties, I flipped out at the number of people waiting in line for their wristbands (B&N's way of placing people in line). They were lined up all the way to the end of Sportsman's Warehouse. Which doesn't really mean anything to you, but trust me, that's a long line! Fortunately, Riley already had her wristband for the first group as a volunteer perk!

Here's Riley as a Prefect (that's what they called the helpers) and she did a great job helping the kids make wands. I wish I had made one, they were so cool! She had people taking her picture all night. I'm so glad Sandi gave her that awesome dress!

Timmy Potter at your service! He had such a great time that night. I didn't think there were going to be enough activities to keep the kids busy until midnight, but what did I know? There was face painting and trivia contests and games and badge making and fun galore. Unfortunately, just before 11, I thought the boys were turning into pumpkins so Michael took them home and poured them into bed. Tim was not happy about that, poor little dude! I don't think he's been up that late in his whole life!

Check out the fashionable radish earings and butterbeer cork necklace! No one seemed to recognize Maggie as Luna. I thought that was a really popular character, but maybe I was wrong. She was the only Luna there and I thought she was adorable! Yes, those were real actual radishes and they were getting pretty sad and squishy by the end of the night.

I even got into the act. Emily's costume required purple hair, and after doing hers, I couldn't resist doing mine. I've always wanted purple hair! It's the rebel latent punk rocker in me I suppose. I'm too old. Too conservative. Too much of a Mom to really follow my dream of purple hair, but it was sure fun for the night! It went really well with the gray. Heh.

Emily was the big winner of the night as Tonks. There were a lot of people dressed up like her, but she was the only one with a pig nose, and that put her over the top in the costume contest! She won an offical light up HP wand out of hundreds of people! Including a really excellent Sirius, quidditch team, and a very hairy Hagrid. They were all adults though so maybe they were looking for kids. It was really good for Emily to win something so substantial. Unless she's really mad about something, she's a really easy going kid. Usually does what she's told with little complaint, happy disposition and probably doesn't get as much attention as she deserves as a result. I'm glad she got to shine!

Xander gets the award for the best toddler in history. Michael hung out in the cafe for most of the evening with is bad back. He can't stand for too long or the pain gets out of hand. So he hung out with baby. Xander just stayed right there with Daddy, never wandering off, always with a smile for anyone who talked to him. He missed Riley though, so I took him around the store looking for her for a while. I guess all the excitement kept him entertained because I'm still amazed that he just sat there with Michael. I seriously doubt he would have sat still for me all that time. Ah, the differences between Dad's and Mom's!

Yes, that is lip liner on his forehead. He wanted to dress up too and I gave a "scar" to Tim, so there you go! Of course Timmy wanted his fake lightening bolt scar "fixed" at the face painting table and I can't say I blame him.

I actually won something that night too. They raffled off prizes and the first ten spots in line to get the book. Riley already had a great spot, so I wasn't too excited about the spots in line. Until I won number 8! I was the 8th person in town to get her mits on the book! That was pretty durn exciting actually. They took our picture and everything and I actually squealed when I got my hands on it at last. We managed to get home before 1AM thanks to my awesome spot! Yes, I opened the book and started to read on the way out to the parking lot, wondering if tonight would be a good time for Riley to get some practice driving. But I didn't. I was tempted, but didn't.

Riley was going to wait for me to read the book, but I told her if I were her, I'd be reading it all the way home, so she did! Thank you midnight sun. We did stay up until about 2:30 reading, drinking coffee and twittering about what we were reading. What a fantastic experience, really. For the entire family.

It's scary that the managers all know our family at B&N. I spend most of our school allotment there on the kids. We're there for the book discussion meetings and it's my favorite place to go for some alone time and the kids always want to go there for time alone with Mom. Riley can't wait until she turns 16. Not for the driver's lisence, but because she can finally work at B&N! That's her big dream. Hey, it's mine too! If I wanted to work away from home, that's where I'd be.

I know there is still controversy about the books in the Christian world. Some people at church (Mrs. Garden Gnome included) disapprove greatly because of the witchcraft and magic. I understand, but it's pretend! Tolkein has magic in his books. C.S. Lewis does too. And Shakespeare and the Brother's Grimm and on and on. I'm not banning those books from my library. It just doesn't make sense. Can you tell me of another series of books that brings together so many different people of different ages, creeds, color and background? Riley was another one of the millions of kids you hear about who didn't like to read. I tried all the books I loved like Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys and books recommended like American Girls. Nothing sparked her interest. Nothing made her want to pick up a book. Until Mr. Potter came along. And then I wondered if she would ever read anything else! But now I can't keep her nose out of a book. Any book. She has a beautiful love of reading that I'm so proud of. Anything she wants to learn in this world, she can learn from a book.

My Grandma read the books until she passed away and we have fond memories of sharing them with her. Riley and I talked about that on the way home.

So like an idiot, I read most of the day Saturday and then I couldn't stop and I read until 4AM. Then I was so emotionally spent by the experience that I couldn't sleep until 5AM. I was quite the zombie at church the next day let me tell you! But Saturday was the best because Riley and I sat together and read page for page. I'll always remember that. It was a special time for me and I hope it was for her too.

I can't believe it's over! It's the end of an era! I can only hope that JK Rowling will find the incredible inspiration for a new series.

Hopefully, I'll have my review up at my book blog today or tomorrow in case you're interested. Heh.

posted by Terri at 7/24/2007 10:30:00 AM >8 comments

8 Comments:

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