On Friday, we packed up the car and headed to our final day at Universal. Elizabeth had to register for classes at 8 and we needed to load the car, so it was a much later start. We didn't get into the park until close to 10 and that hour lost makes a huge difference. I am a huge proponent of being at a theme park when the ropes drop. You can get so much done in the first hour, but sometimes it just isn't possible. We rode a couple of rides and then spent some time in Diagon Alley, before taking the Hogwarts Express to IOA. Luke was pretty unhappy by this time. We had lunch and he could see the Seuss area across the water and all he wanted was to go ride the carousel. We didn't think it was fair to make him wait in another line, just to sit in the Kid Swap Room (nice, though they may be). So, Thomas took him to the Seuss area, while the rest decided to do a final ride on The Forbidden Journey.
After we rode, it was 3 and time for us to leave. We had figured we were going to either leave sometime before 3:30 or wait until after 6, to try and avoid traffic. It was sad to say goodbye to Elizabeth and Marta, but we were on the road at 3:20. We hit a good amount of traffic in Orlando and then again in Jacksonville, but it wasn't too terrible. Everyone was tired and Luke was extremely cranky. He fell asleep about 10 minutes after we got in the car and slept for close to 2 hours. We stopped at a Publix in Georgia, right after crossing the state line and got food for dinner (around 7:30). A couple of of hours later, we stopped at a rest area and put Luke into his pajamas. That was a good signal for him and he fell asleep shortly thereafter and was out for the rest of the drive. Thomas took over the driving and drove the rest of the way home. We stopped one more time for gas, around 12:30 and pulled into our driveway at 4:30. Everyone was happy to climb into their beds for a few more hours of sleep.
Thomas liked driving through the night. It definitely had its plusses, mainly that Luke slept for the vast majority of the drive and we didn't have to worry about entertaining him. There was little traffic and the older kids dozed throughout the night, eliminating the arguing we sometimes are forced to endure. However, it also means that we have to stay up all night. Of course, I could go to sleep, but I feel like I should stay awake to help Thomas stay awake. And, we were really tired when we got home. We slept until about 8:30 and then took a nap when Luke did at 1:30. We slept a full night last night, and I still feel a bit worn out. I am sure it doesn't help that coming off of vacation, we are tired anyway. We could have stayed in Florida and driven home Saturday night, but we like at least one full day at home before we get back to work/school.
Overall, it was a great trip. We accomplished everything we wanted to: family time, theme parks, and baseball. The kids were well-behaved and got along nicely. It is wonderful that we have people willing to let the 6 of us invade their homes on just a few days notice and we are very appreciative. This trip definitely would not have been possible without free lodging. We hope to make this a yearly tradition and I am already thinking about our trip next year, which can hopefully coincide with Spring Break (but, I will never again visit any type of theme park over Spring Break, see last year's blog with our Busch Gardens trip if this isn't self-explanatory). I think it is important for the kids to spend time with extended family and it is nice for me as well. If we can tie it into Spring Training, well, then that's a win for everyone.
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