Wednesday, September 25, 2013

I think it might ACTUALLY be the happiest place on earth....




Taken at the early morning "power walk" offered by the hotel before the park opened
My AMAZING parents gave Big A the best early 5th birthday gift ever! They took him (and me and Jeff too!) on a magical, fantastical, completely over-the-top amazing Disneyland Trip!!  We decided to leave little a at home (She stayed with Jeff’s Parents) She is still too little to really do anything and didn’t really “get” what she was missing. That way we could put all our focus on the Birthday Boy and really cater the trip to him. It’s funny, I haven‘t been since I was like 12 and I think I was just as excited as Big A for the trip.

The Trip started out with a bang as a HUGE stretch LIMO arrived at our door to pick us up for the airport. Big A couldn’t believe how big and awesome it was! He actually laid down on the vast seat and said” I think we should live here. We could just sleep here and have it take us anywhere we want to go!”

The next phase, Big A’s first flight! We flew Jetblue. It was a perfect plane ride. Big A was a Great little traveler and enjoyed looking out the window, coloring and playing with the ipad.

We arrived in sunny California and went straight to the happiest place on earth! We stayed at the Grand Californian Hotel. It was so impressive! The lobby was so Beautiful and classic. It was not at all the “cheesy” theme park hotel one might imagine.

We went up to our room to freshen up before we hit the parks and found a magical surprise. Grandma and Grandpa had sprung for the “dream makers” experience and it truly lived up to it’s name.   “Mickey” had visited Big A. He totally decorated the room and left a HUGE present for our special boy! It was soooo cool! Mickey’s footprints led to the package and the Ginormous box was filled with all sorts of Mickey and Disneyland surprises.

We went on to spend three magical, fantastical, enchanted days exploring Disneyland and Disney California. We went on every ride. Big A was brave and AWESOME and went on everything, Matterhorn, Space Mountain (My Fave!), Indiana Jones, even The Tower of Terror. We got his autograph book signed and he liked seeing the characters but that was not his focus.

Radiator Springs was amazing! We even talked Ma and Pa into going with us on the Cars Ride! It was so fun! I think it was Pa’s favorite ride in the park! When we went it wasn’t too busy, between fast passes and the walkee wait app I think we never waited more than 15 minutes for a ride. The only negative was that it was H-O-T! Not just regular California hot, but crazy, sweating your socks off, locals saying how crazy hot is was, hot! Ma and Pa rode "Little Mermaid" like a THOUSAND times to cool off!

One very exciting thing happened, Big  A became a Jedi! We went to see the Jedi Training Academy show and our awesome boy was selected! He got to train with the Jedi and battle Darth Maul! Jeff literally had a tear in his eye watching his boy become a Jedi!

It was truly the most amazing time and I can’t even begin to tell my parents thank you for everything they did. It is memories that will last a lifetime. However it did leave us with one mutual sentiment….

As Big A said on the Limo ride home
“So can we go back to Disneyland tomorrow??”

















Saturday, September 14, 2013

My sentiments exactly...

After a nice hiatus from work for our awesome Disneyland adventure (I will post all about it as soon as my Disney photo pass CD arrives!) it was time get get ourselves into gear and go to work. This means our whole clan has to get up early. This is what happened after I woke up big a...

Big a: "Sweetie girl time to get up." and kisses her cheeks
Little a: "Hmmmm NO bruder I'm too tired!"
Big a: "but we have to get up and get dressed."
Little a: " No bruder I'm just going back to sleep!" and she turns over and snuggles back in.
Big a: huge smile - "That is a brilliant idea!" and snuggles in around her.

** little a calls big a "Bruder" or brother for those who don't speak toddler.