Disneyland 2010

One of my favorite parts of Disneyland is waiting for them to open...when they play the music and everyone streams in and families are dancing and kids are on their dad's shoulders. You just can't help but feel good and smile. Cheesy I know, but true.

We kept teasing the kids trying to get them to frown and they'd try... but instead they'd come up with a weird half frown/smile which only made us all smile even bigger.

We hit Pirates first and then Splash Mountain. Q got to go on the Winnie the Pooh ride three times while waiting for the Splash Mountain goers. The first time he just sat and stared. The second time he wailed a bit and tried to climb out. The third time he put his hands in the air and yelled "Yay" and "Weeee" the whole time. You know what they say about the third time and it being a charm.

Although his all-time favorite ride, was probably the ride to and from the parking lot in the tram. Typical.

Next we hit all the little rides,

Took some crazy pictures while waiting in lines,

(photo by Miss B)

Went on a highly-anticipated Tea Cup ride,

Had a cotton candy break,

(Q was slightly dazed and quite messy-faced after experiencing his first taste of cotton candy)

I just have to insert here just how much I love the Storybook Land ride, or whatever it's called. The one where you ride on the boats in the little canal and look at all the miniature buildings. I am totally amazed with the tiny but real plants and trees. How do they do that?! I love mini things. And they're all to scale and working, like this little mill. Could you just die?

And then we went on to It's a Small World where I almost lost my mind.

See Q below looking all sweet and happy with his under bite, bulldog smile? Don't let him fool you. Two minutes into it, he was climbing all.over.the.boat. On top, along the bench, EVERYWHERE. I was frazzled, because he was sitting with dear ol' Dad and for some reason, I was worried dear ol' Dad was going to let him plunk right into the Small World river and they'd have to stop the ride and I would be horrified because I would have had to jump in after him and everyone would see what neglectful parents we were. Again, I don't know why I was wigging...could have something to do with nine months and labor. Not sure. Anyway, in the meantime, Dennis had to get in on some of the action and kept dipping his hand (the one you're supposed to keep INSIDE the boat at all times) into the water and flicking it at people. And it was his casted hand (the one that's not supposed to get wet) to boot. I think he saw we were preoccupied with his climbing brother and took full advantage. Then finally, after I told him to stop for the fiftieth time, he switched hands and told me it was okay because it wasn't the one with his cast. That's when I think a few veins popped and I don't remember much of the rest of the ride. I do know there may be permanent fingernail markings in one of the boats. And to top it all off, Miss B was snapping pictures like crazy and I couldn't remember if you were allowed to use a flash inside and I was stressing about that too. I am a follower of rules. It about did me in, I tell ya.

(photo by Miss B)

Luckily lunch was next.

Our friends told us about these hand-dipped corn dogs, and they were pretty darn tasty. At least the couple of bites I snuck from the boys. The rest of us had Gumbo and Clam Chowder in bread bowls.

I had relaxed significantly by this point. Food does wonders in stressful situations, or happy ones, or sad ones, really just about anything, I guess....except maybe diets.

Then we were off to Tomorrowland. I found this awesome blue wall and we had to stop to take pictures. Luckily my family is used to my strange requests, so they indulged me.

We also caught a show of Captain EO in 3-D whilst waiting for Space Mountain to be fixed.

After that we went to Toon Town then hit a couple more of our favorites and drug what was left of our legs and feet back to the hotel.

The next day we headed out to California Adventure and had a great day and were equally exhausted except I had the added joy of a blister friend on the bottom of my toe, so I limped out.

That's how you know it was a good trip though, if you can barely walk after.

(photo by Miss B)

My only child that will go anywhere near characters is also my youngest. Go figure.

He got a little nervous at this point though and would not go further...

Some of my favorite parts were when Dennis told me we really went into Space on Space Mountain and really flew out the big circle window on Soarin'. I also loved hearing the kids laugh and squeal hysterically on the Grizzly River Run and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, watching the three big kids try and grab the 3-D images during Captain EO while Q danced to the rocking Michael Jackson tunes, and how Q flopped on the floor, screamed and tried to run back every time we had to exit a ride. Another favorite was when my hubs was begging and pleading to buy Q a stuffed character for his premier Disney trip and how I kept saying "No, we don't need anymore toys," and Miss B had to add her own, "Whyyyyy?"...at which point Q piped up and mimicked "Why" in the cutest baby voice ever. Needless to say he now has a very sweet Woody doll to snuggle every night.

The End.