And When Did You Last See Your Father? - Universal Part 3 (Blondes With Wands & Dinner at Toothsome)

[Guest]

We are a family of three - me (April), DH (R.C.) and DS (Poot - who turned 10 on this holiday!). We visited Orlando and Sanibel Island, travelling from Gatwick on BA.

DH has his own business and could only join us for part of the holiday (hence the title of this trippie!). He’s not really a theme park sort of chap, but he enjoys it down on the Gulf Coast.

For our week on Sanibel we were joined by my DM (Judybat) and her husband (Hans).

Trippie Index Here


Universal Part 2 (Poot's 10th Birthday at Busch Gardens and Nice Benches) HERE



The promised update...

We had lunch with TF and his mother on Sunday. She was slim and gorgeous and very, very Parisian.

He was adorable.

OK, not THAT adorable - but you know what I mean.


And he spoke very little English. His English needs WAY more than “polishing”. How he will manage to take CLASSES here, I can’t imagine…


TF’s mother and I thought it would be a good idea for the adults to speak only in English at lunch (and HER English is perfect) - but after a few sentences it became obvious that poor TF couldn’t follow what I was saying AT ALL. And I'm talking about things like, “What sports do you play?” not “Do you accept string theory even though as yet it seems to be only verifiable mathematically?”



ANYWAY -



The two boys rubbed along well enough - they talked about Harry Potter (in French) for a goodly while.



Poot: Tu es dans quelle Maison?


TF: Gryffindor!


Poot: Moi, aussi!

As expected, R.C. made it very clear that he thought that the “six week swap” was a GREAT idea. But I figured he would, so I was ready. And I said, “Forgive my plain speaking, but I want to be clear. I am happy to have (TF) come to stay with us for TWO weeks - provided my husband takes that first week off work. But I would never send my ten year old child away to stay with strangers in a foreign country. Not for six weeks. Not for two weeks. Never in a million years.”


Slim, Gorgeous Parisienne: Ah, yes - well - I am happy that you are willing to take TF, at least.


Me: And how does TF feel about the possibility of staying with strangers?


SGP: He must do what I decide - and I have decided that this is best.


Me: I would have been terrified to go and live in a foreign country when I was nine.


SGP: Yes. It will be hard for two weeks, but then fine.



R.C. : I’m certain you’re right.


Me: Hmm…



As some of you who have taken the time to comment on the previous page of this report know, the awkward part of lunch then concluded with SGP telling me that she would talk to her husband about what to do next and then call...R.C. (Call R.C.? And not me? QUELLE SURPRISE!).



SGP: "TF may not have even liked you, or Poot."


Me: You won't hurt my feelings - even a little - if you tell us that was the case.


So fingers crossed he hated us all.



Seriously, though - aside from the fact that we have VERY different ideas about parenting - I liked SGP. She was witty and engaging and intelligent. And TF was a credit to her.



But enough about them, let’s talk more about ME.



Feeble as it may sound, your support really made a difference to me. It was MUCH easier to be “the bad guy” knowing that ALL you other mothers (and one father!) out there didn’t think I was being overprotective and helicopter-y. Maybe best of all though - after I talked to The Queen about all this - HANS (ol’ Luminous Balls himself) reached out to me to say, “I would NEVER let my (similarly-aged) granddaughter go to stay with strangers in a foreign country. What is R.C. thinking?”


My hope is that when TF goes for his interview at the boarding school (that will have happened by the time you read this) they’ll determine that his English isn’t up to scratch. The Queen tells me not to hold my breath - “You think they’re going to turn away paying customers?”


There WAS one funny thing - I booked our awkward lunch at Wahaca (because it’s LOUD, and I was a little worried about the possibility of raised voices ) - and the lads shared a dessert:

It’s a “cricket brownie” - made with gluten-free flour. What kind of GF flour? Ground cricket flour. That’s right...

...so at the very least, TF can tell his chums back in Paris that in London we EAT BUGS.


I took a snap and emailed it to SGP, so he’ll even have proof.



So...TF situation (I did type “problem” - but obviously a child isn’t a PROBLEM) half solved. From this point on I think the worst thing will be waiting for the inevitable phone call from Cousine X!



EDIT (Tuesday Night): Have HAD said phone call. That was no fun! Nothing like hearing (from a woman with no kids) that I’m an “old-fashioned sort of mother”. Sigh.



Can we go to Florida now?



continues in next post

[Guest]

Poot’s Fake Birthday! The Best Day!



Today was the day AFTER Poot’s 10th birthday. If you who read yesterday’s post - you will remember that we had kept the big day a complete secret, so that Poot could celebrate today at Universal instead.


If you haven’t picked up on this yet - Poot’s not the sort who could wear a birthday badge for the whole of the holiday. And as for me, well...my Landry’s card is registered with my ACTUAL birthday, lol.


While I had my shower this morning, Poot sat down at our crowded little table and wrote his thank-you notes to Front-Desk Chrissie and the hotel GM. We don’t shower each other with expensive gifts for birthdays and Christmas in our family - so the Universal “loot” was a special treat.

I can remember being at the panto in Welwyn Garden City a couple of years ago - and they brought three kids up on stage as part of the show...said kids were all asked “What did you get for Christmas this year?”



Kid #1: An iphone


Kid #2: A laptop


Kid #3: An Xbox



That year Poot had gotten:

From an early age, I’ve been very clear with him that “extra money” in this family goes for travel. Hence my seventeen year old car! And the Sainsbury’s sandwiches.



Speaking of the loot - we fetched Poot’s birthday cupcake out of the ice bucket and carried it down to the Club Lounge - where I let him eat it for breakfast. We both had some fruit - I also had a piece of toast and a glass of milk.

After dropping the thank-you notes off at the Front Desk, we headed off to Islands of Adventure. I think we only waited for the boat to the parks once this week - I would much rather be moving than standing around. Had we gone in August, though, I might have felt differently!


Poot was wearing his Hogwarts robe today...and I had TRIED to get into the HP spirit (whisper it...I think Harry Potter is derivative) by donning a pair of “Spectrespecs” (these had been in the Mockingjay “haul” - Amazon.com $10). As you can see, the “protrusions” on said specs gave me a bit of trouble...

Poot’s robe was a Ravenclaw one (HANG ON APRIL, POOT TOLD TINY FENCER HE WAS A GRYFFINDOR!)...because:


1.The Ravenclaw robe was £12 in the sale last year


and


2. Both Poot and I assumed that as a proud members of “Team Nerd” we’d all be Ravenclaws in our family



But NO! A few months after I bought the robe - we did an internet “sorting ceremony”. And R.C. and I DID end up in Ravenclaw. Poot, though - he’s a Gryffindor!


Now...please don’t laugh - but my first thought upon reading the “G” word was, “Oh, crap! Now I have to buy a SECOND robe!”


Poot came to the rescue and said that he was happy to be a Ravenclaw for this holiday - he understands me well enough to know that one robe at a time is all he’s getting.



So wearing the “wrong” robe - and carrying his King Kong book and completely inauthentic “Wizard Wand” (£5 and plasticky - but it lights up, which the “real” ones don’t), Poot let the way into Islands of Adventure.


Our first stop (post-security) was at Guest Services, where Poot was issued a birthday badge. We didn’t see many of these during our stay at Universal, so people who noticed it tended to REALLY notice it - which was nice. It looked a bit silly on Poot’s robe - but what can you do?


I expected the park to be quiet - and (bliss! rapture!) it was. We just started in Toon Lagoon and worked our way around to Hogsmeade. We did all the rides except The Hulk. Poot didn’t want to ride alone - and you may remember that The Hulk is one of my “son of a buck rides” - it looks great after the refurb, but I am content to admire it from afar.

Toon Lagoon snap (first EVER Marmaduke/Harry Potter mash-up, maybe?):

I held Poot’s robe while he did some “research” before riding Kong:

We enjoyed Kong, but it is VERY screen-heavy (much as I loved the GIANT animatronic at the end of the ride). I do hope that some of the new attractions going in at Universal in the next few years take a step away from the screens...I fear that it’s getting a bit one-note.


Gill H - this next bit is for you...


Poot made sure that we stopped (in Jurassic Park) and photographed THIS for his “Bad Grammar/Punctuation Scrapbook”:

A few years ago my brother sent us this little book:

It was MEANT as a gift for R.C., but he wasn’t really interested. POOT, on the other hand, LOVED it - and began “collecting” examples of his own...

And am I the only one whose autocorrect changes “Jurassic” to “My a$$”?


We stopped near the poorly-punctuated Jurassic Park churro cart and had some of Poot’s “birthday snacks” and a couple of bottles of water. Thus refreshed, we wandered into Hogsmeade.

I LOVE that they have the “conductors” here. This one was jolly and great with kids - but still kept the queue MOVING. Universal is GREAT at keeping its M&G lines f-l-o-w-i-n-g.


We had done all the Hogsmeade rides the other night, so went straight to Hogsmeade Station today.


In 2014 we shared a Hogwarts Express carriage with a family who spent the entire journey taking selfies in front of the screen. But this time we had some lovely (American) carriage-mates. Before we pulled away we “moms” agreed that it was OK to take a few quick snaps in the carriage as long as no-one blocked anyone else’s view (but no flash, obviously - we’re not BARBARIANS).

Rubbish HE photos:

I know everyone says this - but PLEASE sort out Hermione’s voice, Universal. It REALLY lets down what is otherwise a brilliant experience.



Goodbye, lovely carriage-mates - and Hello, fake London!

Now...I’ve lived in and just outside London for fourteen years. So there are two (small, nitpicky) things that annoy me about “London” at Universal:



1.Why is LEICESTER SQUARE (Tube) Station right next to Kings Cross (Railway)* Station?

and


2. Who gave the OK for these hideous (and inaccurate) things?:

.


Lazy show. How hard would it have been to get those right?



* Yes, I know Leicester Square’s in one of the movies - it just really annoys me that they couldn’t have put it a bit further away. Grumble, grumble.


We saw Stan Shunpike pacing back and forth in front of the Knight Bus all alone. I made a mental note to DEFINITELY book the week after Thanksgiving at Portofino again - and we walked over to meet him.

This was a GREAT M&G.

The Shrunken Head was SO good - he “saw” that Poot was in his Ravenclaw robes and said, “Ah...a Ravenclaw. You must be very clever then, mon. What’s your favourite class?”


Poot: “History of Magic”


SH: “Ah...and what are you learning about now?”


Poot: “The Goblin Wars”


SH: “Oh, mon, them goblins are a TERRIBLE sort. Have you been into Gringotts yet?”



It was a brilliant interaction. And it went on and on - there were just so few people around!


We then went and knocked at Grimmauld Place (I regret not buying the GP t-shirt for Poot, that’s on my list for next time):

And now it was time for the big “birthday treat”...


I think I mentioned in the previous post - we put a pound per week in a jar to save up for Poot’s interactive wand. Personally, I think FIFTY DOLLARS is an insane amount of money to spend on a plastic stick, but I knew that Poot would get a massive kick out of “doing the spells”.


So we hopped in the queue at Ollivander’s. Fingers crossed that a special wand would “choose” him!

In the queue there was one young couple (the woman was sweet, blonde, gorgeous - and wearing VERY little clothing) - but the rest of us were families. All in all there were seven kids. And I think everybody assumed a child would be picked for the little ceremony. One of the dads looked (and sounded) a lot like Chris Rock - and he was FUNNY. We were treated to numerous “wand” jokes as we waited for everything to start.


Poot was one of the older kids in the group, and he tugged on my sleeve and whispered, “I think that man is talking about JOHNSONS, isn’t he?”


“He absolutely is.”



Eventually we were ushered into the “wand chamber” (not sure if that’s the right name) - and introduced to the wandkeeper. Well, our wandkeeper was a chubby, middle-aged man - and when he saw the nubile blonde in the tiny tank top - none of the kids in our group had a chance. Wandy was practically drooling on his shoes.



“What’s YOUR name, my child?”


“Tiffany Tiny-Top”*


“Well, Tiffany...I can see you’re in need of a wand!”



Hmm...let’s just say that it was good that Wandy had his desk to stand behind!

*And OK, her name wasn’t Tiffany Tiny-Top. She was actually very sweet, but I was still a little bit annoyed. SEVEN KIDS in the group!


I won’t spoil the show for you - but eventually a wand “chose” Tiffany- and we undesirables were ejected back into Diagon Alley. At which point the funny black dad said, “Huh! I can guess where he was hopin’ to put HIS wand!”. And the adults among us all just started laughing - it had been such a ridiculous experience. But none of the kids seemed sad - and Poot tried a mathematical consolation - “Well, there were twelve of us - so we each only had a one-in-twelve chance of being picked.”


FBD (shaking his head): Man, you had NO chance at ALL! Ask your mama why.


Me (still laughing): Thanks a lot!



I told Poot not to worry - we had put the money aside to buy his wand - and that we could go back at any time and just purchase the one he fancied. I was a *little bit* disappointed for him, but it’s never bad for kids (OR adults, lol) to be reminded that they aren’t the center of the universe. One of the families in our group went straight back to the Ollivander’s queue hoping to get lucky the second time around - but even they seemed pretty sanguine about it.


I asked Poot if HE wanted to have another try, but he said he’d rather go and ride Gringotts!

Does anybody out there actually know how they choose who gets “wanded” at Ollivander’s? Does the queue-monitor decide? Or is it a certain “number” in the queue who always gets it? It seemed like our Wandy chose TTT on his own, but there must be a system, right?



OK - back to rides...



The last time we were at Universal, I thought that Gringotts was like the coasters - that we couldn’t take ANYTHING in with us. But this time I knew better, so I was excited to get some snaps of the AMAZING queue.

Because the park was so quiet, we could take lots of Gringotts photos without dozens of fat, sweaty people in the background (Sorry, people whose photos I’ve ruined in the past! ).


As you can see, I was still having trouble with the protrusions of my spectrespecs…

Suits of armour from the Goblin Wars:

Who works in an office like this?:

After riding twice (it was a 10 minute wait both times), Poot decided he DID want to go and choose his wand after all. So we went back into the “shop” part of Ollivander’s and revisited a few of his favourites from the other night. It turned out that Professor Slughorn’s wand…

...was not available as an interactive wand - so Poot went with Mad-Eye Moody’s wand instead:

I thought this a good choice - it’s a really big and heavy wand - it looks pretty macho. A good wand to grow into, as it were.


And yes, with the tax it was around $50. I hesitate to say we “got our money’s worth” (because, you know - FIFTY DOLLARS for a plastic stick) - but Poot REALLY enjoyed trying out all the spells. And the TMs working in Diagon Alley were just OUTSTANDING when it came to helping kids get the “motions” that accompanied the spells just right.

ALL the witches and wizards in the Harrylands were great, but I think this chap (in Knockturn Alley) was my favourite.

He asked to see Poot’s wand and then ran off with it - first disappearing around the corner and then darting into Borgin and Burkes.

Eventually Poot “caught” him - and we started talking. He was either a German with a really bad American accent, or an American with a really bad German accent. Poot saw his name badge said “Germany” and asked, “So did you go to Durmstrang?”


“Nein, I vass homeschooled.”


“That can’t be right. We live in Europe - and homeschooling is illegal in Germany!”


“Um, well….”





I’m not going to spoil the spells for people who haven’t tried them yet - but if you have sons, DO NOT miss the spells in Knockturn Alley.

This may be my favourite section of what is definitely my favourite land in any American theme park. And I LOVE that Universal lets/encourages the witches and wizards working in KA to be “bad”.


I know that “Nintendo Land” (or whatever they’re going to call it) will be the next big thing at Universal - and I dearly hope that it gets the same remarkable attention to detail that Diagon Alley did.

We seemed to be timing things really well today - we stumbled on the Celestina Warbeck concert just as it was beginning…

I think this was “You Charmed the Heart Right Out of Me”, but it might have been “You Stole My Cauldron but You Can't Have My Heart”, lol.


The concert was rather lost on Poot; I had to insist that we stayed - he would have been quite happy to move on.


We emerged from Diagon Alley just in time to get a good spot for the parade!

I’m not sure if you can tell from the photos - but the parade route was practically empty. It was drizzling a little (the only rain we had this week) and I think the few people who were at the park had decided to head inside. The parade was short, but cute.

Poot, who until very recently LOVED Spongebob, was pretty please to get a snap with this (Bikini) Bottom-dweller:

After the parade, we were well-positioned to ride Transformers (SO MANY SCREENS!) - I keep meaning to watch one of the “new” Transformers movies, but I just...haven’t. Poot likes this ride, though - and I don’t DISLIKE it - I just think Universal already HAS Spiderman, so I wish it featured different technology. And is it just me, or is this the loudest attraction in Florida?



The bad robots (?) defeated, we headed for the exit - and as we walked out of the park, there was a rainbow over Universal.

We strolled back to Portofino. By now night was falling, and Poot used his wand to turn on the lights:

LUMOS!


Failed “atmospheric” snap. Mrs. Pumpkin I will NEVER be:

continues in next post

[duchy]

Originally Posted by GopherLass

EDIT (Tuesday Night): Have HAD said phone call. That was no fun! Nothing like hearing (from a woman with no kids) that I’m an “old-fashioned sort of mother”. Sigh.



Can we go to Florida now?



[
I]continues in next post

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I hope you thanked her for the compliment

[Guest]

Back at the room, we got changed for Poot’s big birthday meal at Toothsome. This is NOT a good snap of me, but I wanted you to see that we dressed for the occasion!

I think I even put mascara on that night ( ). And I was wearing my tiny top hat - and carrying my seventh anniversary present from R.C., which I think suited the occasion:

Does anybody else out there still do the traditional wedding anniversary gifts? That has really been fun for us - for our “Iron Anniversary” - I got R.C. a Margaret Thatcher nutcracker!

But oh, how I LOVE my flag bag...I still keep it in its little Aspinal box - and occasionally take it out of said box just to stroke and admire it. Along with my Alice in Wonderland shoes -

- and (now) my crystal ears...

ANYWAY…



How great is it that we got THREE uses out of R.C.’s old Ascot hat on this holiday?!


Halloween Party:

Meeting another Hatter:

Steampunk Birthday:

Poot had chosen Toothsome for its theming. He loves inventing (I give you the half-size trebuchet that is currently blocking my driveway) and gadgets and gizmos of every sort. So this:

...drew him like a flame draws a moth.



We got to the restaurant around 7:00 PM - and after waiting about five minutes were taken through - to a table right next to the kitchen door.


But you will be proud of me...I said, “No, thank you. This is my son’s tenth birthday - I want it to be a special night. May we please have a better table?”


And...YES!


We were then taken upstairs and seated between one of the big screens…

...and the metal “fencing”. Much better. I know SOMEBODY has to get the table next to the kitchen door - but we had that table at Via Napoli - and once is enough for any holiday, right?


The menu at Toothsome is huge. I really fancied one of the freakshakes…

...but I thought that I would see what Poot wanted, since it WAS his fake birthday.


He couldn’t decide - so in the end we ordered the three savoury things he fancied, and had no sweet at all. Boo!


Next time, though...

We met our waitress and she was outstanding - so good with Poot and not at all pushy (Mohammed, take note!). She fetched me a Diet Coke and for the birthday boy it was - tap water.


Poot asked if we could have a starter. Of course!

Philly Cheesesteak Rolls – Cheese-steaks in a crispy wrapper, cherry pepper aioli ($11.95)


Oh, Heavens! - these were SO good. Even better than the cheeseburger spring rolls at Magic Kingdom (because they had STEAK and cheese inside them - rather than mince and cheese). YUM.


While we were waiting for our mains, we had a visitor…I wonder who it could have been!

Now, this is some of the “story” behind Toothsome:


From the Alps to the empire of the Aztecs, from Mongolia to Madagascar, Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome learned new and fascinating methods of infusing chocolate into the most extraordinary recipes, making friends and receiving honors everywhere she went. Upon returning home to London, Penelope determined that she would share her love and knowledge of chocolate with the world. She set about building The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, an enchanting 19th century themed, Steampunk inspired dining establishment with a façade of towering smokestacks and an interior adorned with intriguing gadgets and gizmos.


The unabridged version (of the above) appears in Toothsome’s menu:

When Penelope stopped by our table she brought her (robot) chum “Jacques” with her - and when Jacques found out today was Poot’s birthday he began to sing “Happy Birthday” - but in a weird, funny way - complete with “robot clapping”.

Poot was SO happy!

Jacques then got Penelope AND Poot to clap along...

But then - before our new robot friend could finish “Happy Birthday” - a woman from a nearby table walked up to him, turned him by his shoulder - and whined, “When are you going to come to OUR table (of all adults)? You’ve been with THEM for TOO LONG!”



I’ll spare you my soap-box lecture on the war on kids - but WHAT THE FRACK?!


Credit to Penelope, who in her (fake) English accent managed to say something mollifying to this *woman* - and at the same time reassure Poot that he hadn’t done anything wrong by having a birthday and getting sung to.


I couldn’t help but think of all the kids’ reactions today at Ollivander’s. When someone else was chosen for the wand, they all observed quietly and respectfully. Not ONE of them complained or whined. Even after we left the shop.


This woman, by contrast, was older than me - and yet couldn’t be gracious enough to allow a CHILD to hear the whole of “Happy Birthday”.


Not long after Penelope and Jacques were dragged off - the waitress brought our mains.


Toothsome doesn’t do snails ( ), so for a main Poot picked his second favourite food:

Wild Mushroom and Chicken Risotto – White truffle oil, parmesan crust ($14.95)


He loved this - but was unable to finish it. I didn’t help - I class risotto as wasted calories!


Now had this not been Poot’s birthday - I would have gone for something green and leafy for my main to cut the richness of the cheesesteak rolls. But I wasn’t going to deny him on his big day. So I ordered his second choice from the menu:

Red Reuben – Boar’s Head corned beef, Alpine Lace Swiss cheese, braised red cabbage, grilled artisan rye, 1000 Island dressing ($11.95)


This was a really tasty sandwich - I was impressed with the food tonight. And it was all good value for money. I was worried that all the investment had gone into the theme - but no. Well done, Toothsome. Next time, though - I’ll balance the meal better. So I can have one of these:

A funny thing happened as we were waiting for the bill…


There had obviously been a shift change for the characters - and the “new” Penelope walked right up to Poot and introduced herself.

Poot says:

I didn’t want to hurt her feelings by saying that I’d already met her - so I just told her all the same things I said to the OTHER Lady Penelope. They were both very nice and pretty.


She was indeed “very nice and pretty”. Sadly though, like the first Penelope - her English accent was...grim.


Time to go. Total bill including 20% tip - around $50. Worth every penny. This one is definitely on the list for next time.


Toothsome has a good-sized shop attached to the restaurant…

...and we had a little nosy - I was very keen on the packaging of all the sweets!

And the chocolate “gears”:

We had a postprandial stroll around Citywalk and then back to Portofino. By the time we got there, Poot was feeling hungry enough for dessert, so we stopped in the Club Lounge. The staff was great about us making up little plates to take upstairs - so that’s what we did.

I am not the world’s biggest cannoli fan - but these mini ones were certainly cute. I don’t remember what the little “square” was (maybe flan?), but I always enjoy the giant American blackberries.



What a wonderful day. It was a shame that Poot hadn’t been picked for the wand ceremony, but he didn’t really seem to mind. And our dinner at Toothsome had GREATLY exceeded my expectations - the food was good, and the experience was even better. I do hope that the character encounters here remain “on the menu”. Sorry...



And so to bed.



Thanks for slogging through this behemoth of a post. Has anybody else out there been “sorted”? What house are you in? I’m going to assume that my five (FIVE!) INTJ sisters are all Ravenclaws…

...but were any of the rest of you in Slytherin with Cousine X?



I *think* there will be two more posts in this trippie - one to tell about Christmas at Universal - and one for Sea World and our flight back to London. So the end is in sight! I promise!



OH...and apropos of absolutely nothing...since R.C. would have NO interest in this I’m going to show it to you, fellow Dibbers!

I give you...Walt Disney World MONORAIL highlighters:

collybird calls me tight (and she’s a Scot, she’d know ) - but I think I might pay FULL PRICE for these little lovelies. Obviously I’d check the outlet first, though - I’m not CRAZY.



And to those of you who have taken the time to comment so far - thanks again - your words are the fuel for my motivation-engine.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by duchy

I hope you thanked her for the compliment

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YES! It's like we share a brain, duchy!


Hmm...maybe I could find a better way to phrase that...

[HEMANCLOFTY]

What a lovely way to celebrate Poot's birthday - shame about not being picked for the wand ceremony, but as always, he did you proud in how he handled it, unlike the guest (I can't call her a lady) at Toothsome - how rude!

I'm a Hufflepuff BTW 😀

[Guest]

Originally Posted by HEMANCLOFTY

What a lovely way to celebrate Poot's birthday - shame about not being picked for the wand ceremony, but as always, he did you proud in how he handled it, unlike the guest (I can't call her a lady) at Toothsome - how rude!

I'm a Hufflepuff BTW 😀

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Poot's an endlessly cheerful little chap - I am VERY grateful. It was only me who remembered the whining woman - he just remembered the risotto, the robot and the pretty girls. There's probably a lesson there for me...


Thanks so much for checking in, and for participating in my poll!

[eleele]

Yay! So pleased to wake up and see another instalment. I've been reading your trip report and it is so good!

Poot seems like a delightful young man: witty and intelligent with a gift for report writing just like his Mother : Happy Belated Birthday Poot!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by eleele

Yay! So pleased to wake up and see another instalment. I've been reading your trip report and it is so good!

Poot seems like a delightful young man: witty and intelligent with a gift for report writing just like his Mother : Happy Belated Birthday Poot!

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Aw, thanks - - Poot's actually sitting next to me right now, and he says, "Thank you very much!"


Your kind words are much appreciated - this post took a LONG time to write! And I wanted to get it up last night since I told Poot that from nine this morning I would devote 100% of my attention to getting (his) tickets for the Children's Prom...

[macchu picchu]

I think your trip reports are wonderful - I'll be showing this one to my son who is keen to try Toothsomes, he will be more keen when he reads your report. Poot is a joy, as ever.