Harry Potter and Pharmacology.

When you find something that you can enjoy as much as the kids, it's pretty cool. So we were very excited a couple of weeks ago when we took the kids to the Blue Mountains to go on the Wizard's Express train ride. There is a real tourist attraction- the Zig Zag Railway, that runs steam train rides, and a couple of times a year it gets turned into the Wizards Express from Harry Potter. We booked the tickets a few months ago and the children have been thrilled about it since then. And, it was a lot of fun. Brett and I had been looking forward to it, mainly because we thought the kids would love it, but I think we ended up having just as much fun as them! The train ride lasted 3 hours, from 4.30pm till 7.30pm, and the railway staff dress up as Hogwarts teachers, the kids get 'sorted' by a sorting hat, the scenery from the train windows is gorgeous... the full moon was shimmering behind the misty fog that came creeping into the valley at the bottom of the zig-zag grade that the train goes down. In the valley (an actual train station) we all got off the train and followed a path lit by kerosene laterns down to a big shed that had been transformed into the Hogwarts hall, complete with candles and billowing fog from a fog machine. Here we all got dinner (hot dogs and a drink) and then watched a magic show. Then it was back on the train to go back up the grade to the top again. 

The children were so entranced by the whole thing, it was lovely to see. Simon was almost beside himself with excitement. While we were waiting on Platform 9 and 3/4 for the train to arrive, he heard the train tooting in the distance and called out in his shrill voice, "It's coming everyone! The Hogwarts Express is coming!" This is the child who is too cool to kiss his mother in public.

We stayed the night in an old hotel, and had a hot breakfast in the dining room the next morning, which was also exciting for the kids because we haven't been so fancy before. Then we caught up with some old friends for lunch before heading home.

After that lovely weekend it was straight back into Prac for me. I'm so tired, I find it draining because I'm trying to remember so much and learn new things all day long. So far it's been good though, I've done a lot more than I have before and I feel more confident.  Then today I had to schlep all the way up to Sydney for my Pharmacology exam which was pretty horrendous. Oh well- next week is school holidays, and I have that week off too, so i plan to enjoy it!