Another Harry Potter Weekend #SOL19

Hogwarts!

“Wait! Put it on pause! I haven’t gotten my butterbeer yet!”  My oldest granddaughter says in a panic as the movie begins to play.  “Oh, and I haven’t gotten my snacks, either!”

“And I better go to the bathrooooom,” our youngest shouts as she suddenly zooms past us and runs out of the room.

Papa and I glance at each other and chuckle.  So begins our Harry Potter weekend movie marathon.

Periodically, we gather for a weekend of magic, butterbeer (purchased from a local vendor), and snacks that appeal to all tastes.   This weekend is one such weekend.

Choosing Wands at Ollivander’s

Yep, we’re that family.  We are nearing the label of Potterheads.  These stories are beloved by all ages in our family, and we have made many memories around them.  In fact, we’re currently in the process of planning our return visit to Harry’s magical world at Universal Studios.  My husband and oldest granddaughter are looking forward to breaking out their interactive wands and revisiting all of the areas where the magic comes to life.

The children return to the living room and settle into their favorite movie-watching spots.  It’s time for the magic to begin.

“Is everyone ready now?” Papa asks as he peers at each child.  They nod their heads.  “Okay.  Here we go!”  Papa pushes play, and I dim the lights.  Yes, here we go, ready to approach Platform 9 and 3/4 and enter that familiar, enchanted world yet again.

Wrinkles on an Avatar #SOL19

I had a good laugh yesterday.  Not just a chuckle but a hearty, deep-bellied laugh.  One of my fourth graders asked for help creating an avatar for the Edublogs Student Blogging Challenge.  Creating an avatar is a part of the week 1 task.  So during the indoor recess, she and I set about working through the steps to create an avatar.  I made one right along with her.  As we worked through the process, we talked and laughed and asked each other’s opinions about the perfect hair color to choose, etc.

Before long, we had created our masterpieces and gave our final compliments over each other’s work.  She asked if I thought hers really looked like her.  Outside of the pony tail that she always wears, there was a striking resemblance.  I then asked what she thought of mine.  She thought about it for a moment and said, “It looks pretty good, but…”  She turned her head slowly to look at the avatar and look at me.  Finally, she said, “I’ve figured out what’s missing.  The program needs to add an option for wrinkles.”   At first I looked at her with surprise.  She blushed and apologized, embarrassed.  She is a kind-hearted person who would not say potentially hurtful things on purpose.  Then I began to laugh.  I laughed so long and so hard.  When she realized that I was not upset, she began to laugh, also.  We laughed until recess ended a few minutes later.

As the day continued, I found myself chuckling about the wrinkles comment frequently.  I love the humorous moments of my work.  That simple little comment made my day.  Oh, and she’s right.  The avatar program needs to add crow’s feet and a few other wrinkles!