Day 3: Hoot Hoot

We got Drew on his first, and his last, roller-coaster ride today. The hopes that we both had, the bribe that we had to make, and the sincere belief that one he had experienced it he would also join us in the rush and love of the ride were dashed the moment it ended. I could tell from the look on his face that he did not care so much for the Dragon Challenge... or any damn similar structure or experience for a very long time. I felt horrible.

When I told him I was sorry, and that I felt guilty about it, he looked at me and quietly said: "Dad, when it was first over, I hated it. But then, the more I thought about it, the more I liked it..." Relief fell over my face. My fears that I had ruined the boy began to subside. I said, "Really?"

He looked up at me, in that classic Drew as complete smartass way, and said, "No, Dad. I hated it. But I just didn't want you to feel bad." The wry smile. The gotcha look. And then moving on to the next thing... collecting the bribe.

We progressed through the day, riding, shopping, doing the one thing in Hogsmeade we hadn't -- the Ollivander Experience, and then the Jurassic Park waterfall, and a few other random rides. As the day began to wind down, we decided to walk back toward the place where we started. Mary Kathryn and I wanted to ride Dragon Challenge, at night, in the front, to end our time...

The night sky, and the well-lit castle, the sun having set, and knowing that our day was ending, made me a little sad. But it wasn't a sad that was overwhelming. Instead, it was a sad that made me glad to have spent the money, and the time, with the kids, in this way...

As we turned to leave, I noticed folks standing in the courtyard looking back toward the Hogsmeade buildings... I turned as it became 7 pm... an owl emerged from the top of the clock tower, and hooted three times, marking the end of the day. It was a poignant moment, and made me appreciate every memory from these three days even more.