Our Day at Disneyland

Day 2, Mickey's wake up call rang bright and early at 6am. That is actually sleeping in for us, but not really enough rest after being up later than usual. But since we were guests of the Resort hotel we were able to get in the Parks one hour before it opened to the general public (Magic Morning Hour) and those 60 minutes can be golden towards getting on rides with minimal wait.



Outside the Fantasy Tower, our home at the Disneyland Hotel

The kids ate bowls of cereal while I packed up the diaper bag and my husband prepped his backpack with bottled water and snacks. We walked into Downtown Disney to catch the Monorail which put us right in the middle of the action.


At night, Tinkerbell lights up the strands of stars on the hat


Baby D, planning our activities


Mr Toad's Wild Ride

We hit Fantasyland first and walked right on to Peter Pan, Mr Toad's Wild Ride, Dumbo and the carousel. We then headed into Tomorrowland and were able to ride Star Tours twice (using the Rider Swap program- one adult waits with the baby and another rides, then they switch places without having to wait long).


At Dumbo


The Girl, wearing the Rapunzel/Tangled dress I made for her

The park was starting to fill so my husband took The Girl to City Hall to get her Guest Assistance Card and I took Baby D and The Boy to the Baby Care Center and First Aid. Such a perfect little corner of Disneyland! I had a scratch on my foot that was irrated by my shoe and I was able to get bandages to use for the weekend. And the woman in the Baby Care center was just wonderful and it was great to use a clean changing table in a quiet room.







The carousel was a favorite for all. In fact, Baby D enjoyed all the rides. He would hold our hands and fingers tightly but never fussed or cried, just looked inquisitive the entire time. It's a Small World was his favorite, of course!



While in Toontown we ran across Goofy, which turned out to be a highlight. Baby D LOVED him. He absolutely giggled when Goofy held his hand and fortunately I'd handed my camera to the PhotoPass cast members and they happily captured the moment for us.







The Girl got to meet Tinkerbell, which we kind of thought might have been awkward for her (Tinkerbell asked questions, The Girl would just shrug her shoulders) but she said afterward that it wasn't awkward at all. Thinking back, I wonder if The Girl was just surprised to see that Tink was tall and not just three inches high?!


A sweet smile, but notice the nervous hands

We took turns on the Autopia cars. The Boy was just an inch short of being able to drive himself, but it worked out okay that I went with him for the drive because he said the pedal was too hard for him to push during the entire trip. I remember that as a child too...



I skipped the teacups (I always do!) and took this photo before heading to the changing room with Baby D.





He was wearing a colorful shorts romper that I made for him using the Tie Dye Diva's pattern. I used a boat print that has been hanging around for years and I added an applique of Donald Duck. I made the romper a few weeks ago and then he had a growth spurt and he barely fit into it, oops!

The Girl rode the Matterhorn twice this time (last time she panicked and tried to jump out!). They have changed the bobsleds slightly and they aren't very comfortable (could use a bit more padding at the back).


Waiting for the Matterhorn

After eating lunch at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney (the kids shared the best sirloin hamburger, we were wishing we'd ordered that!), we went back to the hotel and swam for a few hours.



Another outfit and hair-do for The Girl. This was my favorite style, a combo of French braid and three rope braids.



She posed alongside this wall, one of the many gorgeous photo spots in the park (alongside the Mexican restaurant) and asked me to take her picture.



I love her natural smile, I don't often get one from her.




Riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

We stayed in the park until around eight and then headed to the La Brea Bakery in Downtown Disney. The kids were so exhausted they barely made it through their flatbread pizza (The Boy was falling asleep as he chewed!). We went straight to bed, ready to start back over again in the morning. Up next...Cars Land!

Disneyland Hotel Trip - Day 1

I had a lovely schedule that I'd painstakingly arranged. I spent days making changes, figuring out times of shows and parades, included breaks for naps and swimming, as well as a general plan on when we would be at what time in which area.

And this is pretty much what happened to that schedule...

Seriously, I am not good at flying by the seat of my pants. I like a plan (betcha couldn't figure that out!). But the original plan we had to spend three days in the Parks had to change when we weren't able to purchase the tickets we'd been counting on. I had to completely rearrange day one and push the things we'd planned for that evening into the other two days.

But it was okay...I think it was God's way of telling me to slow down and just go with the flow!


The Girl, with Minnie

Did we do everything on my schedule? Nope, not even close!

Did we have time to relax and go at our own pace? Yes!

Did we do a lot more walking than I planned? Definitely (my aching body after three days on Disneyland concrete is the proof).


The Boy, with Mickey


A huge interactive map on the wall of the lobby showed Disneyland as it looked long ago

I'll start with DAY 1. I picked up The Girl from school about 30 minutes early and we drove over to my parent's house to get the boys. My mother-in-law dropped off the Park tickets that she'd picked up for us at her work and we were off! We drove the hour north to get my husband from his job site and then another hour to the Resort. They all napped in the car while I drove. Traffic wasn't too bad (thank goodness for the carpool lane!).

About a half hour out, we stopped for dinner at Romano's Macaroni Grill, namely because I've had a gift card for nearly two years and we don't have one close to our house.

We also HAD to stop at a Sprouts on the way up so my husband could buy healthy cereal to eat for breakfast.


Waiting in the car

Pulled in to the Resort and had them bring up our luggage on a cart. We brought half the fridge with us, including a case of water from Costco, a jug of milk and yogurt on ice in the cooler, cereal, bread, peanut butter and lots of granola bars, dried fruit, apples and nuts. I think we could have done without some of this stuff but the case of water was completely used by the end of the weekend (that's what happens when it's 90+ degrees!).



Our hotel room had these lovely velvety pillows on the beds with quotes from Cinderella. One read, "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and the other said, "When You're Fast Asleep".

We got on our swimsuits and took a dip at night, which was refreshing. Danny was starting to drift away at this point, exhausted from getting up at 4am that day and working a full day in the sun. I told him to lay down and I took the kids into Downtown Disney which was just a short walk from the hotel.


A huge Buzz and Woody in Lego-form hangs outside the Lego store in Downtown Disney

The place was hopping and extremely crowded at 9pm. The kids enjoyed walking through The Lego Store and Build-a-Bear-Workshop.


We watched this woman make adorable candy apples themed to the characters

We found a spot in the esplanade and sat with all the others to watch the fireworks show. Baby D fell asleep in his stroller and didn't even wake up with the noise! Disney really has the most spectacular fireworks shows. I always see fireworks there I've never seen before, unique color combinations and amazing effects (a perfectly shaped star and Minnie's hairbow?!).


Newly remodeled front of Disney's California Adventure Park


The kids, anxiously awaiting the fireworks show

We headed back to bed and Danny told us he was so wiped out he didn't even hear us come in. Which is good because our day started bright and early on Saturday, with a 6am wake-up call from Mickey Mouse!

Countdown to Disney - Hotel Insanity

I have updated this post and have it featured on my blog Saving Up for Disney.

So apparantly I had a momentary lapse into insanity and I booked us for two nights in the newly-renovated Disneyland Hotel for our upcoming trip.

"This hotel is connected to the park?", says my husband.

Nope, that's the Grand Californian and that would have been at least another $75 extra per night.

"Is it a suite?"

No, just a standard room. But I will definitely ask for an upgrade. I've always at least received a park-view room for the standard price when I ask for an upgrade.

"But for that price, it includes breakfast, right?"

Uh, no...if you want a breakfast you buy the $40 a person buffet at Goofy's Kitchen.

"Do we at least get a foot massage at the end of the day?", he asks with a wink.

He's joking at this point, of course.

Fortunately he's been a good sport about the fact that I spent a small fortune on a weekend vacation. He's extremely frugal and I'm sure it's sending him over the edge on the cost of this trip but he's biting his tongue...for once! Love you, honey *wink*

In any case, this is where we are staying, the Disneyland Hotel.

It's recently undergone a vast renovation. I last stayed here in 2007 and it looks like a lot has been done in the last 5 years. The rooms are modern and elegant, with sweet Disney touches, like the velvety pillows and headboard with firework lights.

The pool area is all reimagined too. This was the view I had in 2007 when I stayed there of the Neverland Pool area (themed after Peter Pan).



And the newly themed Monorail pool, delightfully retro.

We plan on swimming in the afternoons and taking advantage of that nice pool. I don't often swim anymore, but I am considering a trip down one of those waterslides, it looks like so much fun!!

I just looked online and see that only the suites have refrigerators, so I'm going to have to break it to Danny that his plan to bring milk for cereal in the morning isn't going to work. But they have coffeemakers, that counts for something right? "Sorry, no free foot massage...but would you like another cup of coffee?" UPDATE: Our hotel did have a fridge, must have been a part of the remodel. It came in really handy for chilling juice boxes and yes, he really did bring milk for breakfast.

So what is the benefit of staying at a Disneyland resort hotel?

Yes, you are close but truly there are hotels on the other side of the street that are also within walking distance and could be considered closer. The Grand Californian has it's own entrance to California Adventure that we can access by walking through their lobby. And access to the Monorail is close to the Disneyland Hotel as well. Otherwise it's a brisk walk through Downtown Disney to get to the front gates.

As Resort guests, we will have entrance to either park one hour before it opens to the public. A lot can be accomplished in an hour and we intend to tackle Cars Land on the first day and Fantasyland on the second day during our Magic Morning hour!

The Disney touch for sure is a major selling point. The hotels, like the parks, are well-cared for and maintained and I've never met any cast member (Disney employee) that didn't embody that spirit. I've heard otherwise online, but that's the honest truth from me, I've experienced nothing but warmth and exceptional courtesy from all Disney cast members.

So, I'm looking forward to the hotel for sure, even though it's about 3 times what we would normally spend. It is a AAA 4-Diamond hotel now so I'm hoping the issues that bothered Danny at our last hotel (number one being the dirty carpet that made our socks black) won't even be an issue this time. I'm wishing for that perfect Disney magic and wonderful customer service to win him over completely and he feels that each penny spent was worth it!! A girl can dream...

Next visit, a Signature Suite! Right, honey? Right...

Countdown to Disney - Baby Stuff

So we have our weekend Disneyland trip coming up, I hope I can sleep this week! I'm frantically getting the kid's outfits finalized (if you know me, you'll know that this is important stuff!). I'm also planning out a loose schedule and buying snacks (if you know my husband, you'll know that's the most important part...snacks!).


Last time we were there, Cars Land was being built and The Little Mermaid and Star Tours were days from their grand openings.



Last visit, I was newly pregnant and not able to ride anything remotely raucous so I spent a lot of time on the benches, people-watching (which is always fun to do at Disneyland anyway).


Baby D is in my tummy!

I'm looking forward to getting on California Screamin' again and on riding Radiator Springs Racers for the first time!

This trip will be the first time in 8 years that I'll be going to Disneyland with a baby. My parents and I took The Boy there when he was 15 months old and toddling around. However I've never been there with a younger baby and Baby D will be a week shy of 9 months when we go.


Look at this guy (with his big brother), he was so tiny!

We're going to take it easy and not overextend ourselves or the baby. It's been in the mid-90s this week, so we have planned in breaks during the heat of the afternoon to go back to the hotel to nap and swim.

Last time I stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, the pool area looked like this.


Now it looks like this...

We'll take him on the rides that we can and take advantage of Rider Swap on the rest. According to the height requirement list, there are less than 20 rides that he won't be able to go on so that still leaves lots that he'll be able to ride. Can't wait to see the reaction on It's a Small World!

We're hoping he loves it. The Boy hated the rides as a baby, I mean, hated them! He would make an awful face like he was being blown through a wind tunnel and he'd tense up with the slightest motion.

Now that Baby D is eating more table food and snacks, I bought another one of these containers. We already have one for formula but it's also a good size for shaking out bite-sized snacks like puffs and Cheerios. I plan on packing up just enough for half a day's worth of supplies into the diaper bag and then reloading every afternoon when we go back to the room. I also bought disposable bibs because I'd rather not have messy clothes or food-crusted bibs to tote around.



I've never taken advantage of the Disneyland Baby Care Center but if Baby D needs a quiet and cool place to rest, I might head in there.
Regardless, going to Disney with a baby is going to be a much different experience than ever before. Supplies in themselves (bottles, formula, snacks, diapers, changes of clothes, bibs, etc) require more thought and space, thank goodness we have a roomy basket in the stroller. Potty breaks will be more frequent and will require wrangling diapers and wipes and waiting for a changing table in the bathroom. Bedtime at the hotel will be interesting, with all of us in the same room. We'll see if he actually sleeps in his crib or if he'll want to snuggle next to me all night!



I'm hoping for a first picture of Baby D with Mickey. The Boy always loved the characters and was never afraid of them, hoping Baby D is the same!

Instant Images

So I broke down and ordered a new camera charger. I still cannot find mine. They are nearly $50 new - YIKES! - but I found a nice, used one on Ebay for $15. I am anxious to get the Canon charged and ready to go because seven days from today we are headed to the Happiest Place on Earth!!!


Disneyland, 2011

I wasn't able to convince Danny that we could go to Walt Disney World early next year like I was scheming , err hoping for. In his words, "We can't go spending $3000 on a family vacation!"

*Ahem* Let's not break it to him that it would actually cost twice that for our family! Someday I still hope to go.

But I was able to finagle a weekend trip to Anaheim and a two-night stay at the Disneyland Hotel. He's never stayed a resort hotel and I just know he'll love the cleanliness, closeness, and of course, that lovely Disney magic. He saw a commercial for the new Cars Land and got very excited and said "We have to go!" so I definitely held him to that statement.

So, yeah, I'll need the camera.


Disney's California Adventure, 2011. In front of what would be the new Cars Land.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying the fact that my new phone has a camera on it.

My last phone took pictures...it had the ability to store five images and the looked like they were taken underwater. Needless to say, I didn't take many pictures (five to be exact!).

With my new Galaxy, I dove headfirst into the world of INSTAGRAM. I didn't expect it to be free, that's a plus.







Fun, especially because you can immediately upload to Facebook, but not like my "nice" camera, you know?

Coming up...the Disneyland Countdown Begins!!

Maybe you never knew...I USED to have a crummy phone

I was prepared to write a Maybe you never knew about my antiquated cell phone and how frugal my husband and I are and how we didn't even have texting and that my phone was for one purpose and one purpose only and that was to make phone calls... but then something happened.

My husband lost his phone.

Poof! Just like that it was gone. He recalls his last conversation with the insurance adjuster (someone hit our truck in a parking lot) while he was at work last week and then he doesn't know where his phone went. He spent a good part of the weekend deep-cleaning the car and pulling the trunk apart, searching for his phone.

Danny's old phone

Nothing. Gone. Bye-bye lame phone!

In any case, he needed a phone, of course. We don't have a landline so our two cell phones are the only way we can be reached. We knew the day would come where we'd have to take the leap into the 21st century and get Smart Phones. We'd mumble to people, "Sorry, I don't have texting". I think Danny's tipping point came when a man from Ghana laughed out loud when Danny told him this, as if everyone in the world had texting, even those from remote areas of Ghana for the love of Pete!

Danny's phone wasn't quite as remedial as mine (his had a flip top, ooohhh!) but it was still the second cheapest phone you can buy at T-Mobile...one guess as to who had the cheapest phone?

I had to search "Old Samsung Cell Phones" to find this image of my old phone. The website I found this image on (from 2009, when I got my phone) actually said that Samsung unofficially called this phone "their first mobile phone especially designed for old people". That pretty much seals the deal, doesn't it! I needed something new.

So if hubby was getting a new phone, I was getting one too...hurray! My phone was three and a half years old and in the electronics world, that might as well be a hundred years, right?

This is what I got...
Samsung Galaxy S-4G

The funny thing about this whole process is that my husband and I are like 80-year olds when it comes to all things "Smart phone" related. Texting? Apps? Touch screen? Widget? Camera phone? It's fascinating and frightening at the same time. So much to learn, I feel like I'm years behind on all the cool trends.

I can navigate the internet like a pro on a desktop computer but my husband is less knowledgable in that area. But when it comes to the phones, we are both pretty much in square one together. I think my favorite part was when we texted each other for the first time to try it out (we were in the same room) and he laughed and said, "Look, our writing is in a cartoon bubble!" I, at least, knew that's what it looked like when you texted!

So who will have the old-person phone now? It's being handed down to my parents, (certified grandparents) to replace their pay-as-you-go Trac-phone with buttons large enough to press with the palm of your hand.

You're welcome, Mom. Or maybe I should say, I'm sorry? You'll be next in line for an upgrade, okay?

Love...Love...Love

I have spent the last three weeks looking all over for my camera charger. I remember the last time I used it. I remember the outlet I used to plug it in to. I am pretty sure that I just set it down on the bench when I was done and I didn't put it back in it's usual spot (a plastic organizer that holds all my camera supplies).

My bad.


The Boy and my nephew, walking past the stinky flamingos at Sea World

It's gone SOMEWHERE. Who in the world knows though. My husbands thinks he "moved it" somewhere but can't remember where. I'm starting to think it's fallen into a black hole. I am wincing at all the nice photos I've missed out on. Two weeks ago was my husband's birthday party, which went unphotographed. Then there were my three days of vacation, all undocumented in photos. And of course, the baby! He's growing like a weed and I want to take pictures of him!


Baby D's first picture.

I think I'm going to have to break down and buy a new charger. Boooo....I hate to buy things I know I already own!

So today I have no new photos to share and will have to recycle old pics. But I do have new news!


This is one of the first pictures I shared when I first started blogging, The Boy at age 4.

Apparantly I have readers other than my mom and a few close friends! I have a reader who took the time to award my teensy-little blog with a touching award and a lovely note about why she enjoys reading my posts.

Allison at My Raina Sunshine wrote this on her blog:

Painted Butterfly Studio

I first found Julie's blog by way of her etsy shop. Super cute appliqued tees, and some gorgeous little dresses. On her blog, she shares snippets of her life with kids - 3 pretty darn adorable ones - with her lucky readers. I've loved watching the nursery projects she's been working on this past year - this quilt especially! Craft projects and cute pictures of babies? I just can't get enough of either, so it's no surprise I love seeing a new post come up from Painted Butterfly!

I feel so warm and glowy inside!!

I even get this little tag for my Liebster Award. As Allison writes on her blog, Liebe is the German word for love. My maternal grandparents both spoke German as a second-language, so that's neat-o, right?



I've been blogging for a while, off and on. I enjoy writing. I enjoy taking pictures. And I love to share. I'm a bit shy in "real life" but here I can just talk and pretend that nobody is really listening... but I actually do hope they are, of course. And I guess there are a few of you out there, who might not be a follower but you do read. Please post a comment occasionally with a shout-out and let me know who you are, I'd love it!


The Boy and The Girl, back when they were still baby-faced preschoolers!

Now down to it...I get to award some other very deserving bloggers!

Here's the deal with the Liebster award:
1) Thank the person who gave you the award and link to their blog.
2) Choose 3 – 5 blogs with less than 200 followers and pass it on.
3) Display the Liebster Award on your blog somewhere.

Thank you again Allison of My Raina Sunshine. You made my day!

---KJ of Shooting from the Mommy Hip and I have known each other for 9+ years. Though we've never actually met, we definitely "click" online and share a love of old movies, Jimmy Stewart and writing. Her posts are so true to life, you will find yourself nodding in agreement through each one!



---Jenn of Adventures of Home Life is another mom I've known online for 9+ years. Her son and mine have birthdays close together (as well as them sharing the same first name)! She has a love of learning and teaching that she shares with her children, so her blog has a plethora of fun crafts & educational ideas. And she loves Walt Disney World and shares lots of travel tips...a Mouseketeer after my own heart!


A favorite memory...my family at Disneyland four years ago.

I have to be honest and say that I'm still looking for that third blogger who fits the award criteria of less than 200 followers. Do you have a suggestion for a small-time, yet deserving blogger that I should start following?

Thanks again to all who bless me with your time and good thoughts. I appreciate it! And send some good vibrations to me that I'll find that darned charger this week and be able to post some new pictures, sheesh.

8 months - On the Move!

Sorry for the delay...my camera battery charger is MIA and I was hoping to upload more pictures for my next blog post but, *sigh* still trying to find the charger so you get what you get...

Today I am 8 months and 9 days old.



I'm a pretty busy guy, you know, crawling, pulling up, playing Pat-a-Cake, eating table food...who has time for a nap?

Now that I know how to crawl, I keep busy by getting into places that I don't know how to get out of by myself. At home, I like to hang out by the staircase because it makes Mommy very nervous (I even got to the second step when Daddy was in the other room!). I like to get into the bathroom too and sometimes I try to open the sliding pocket door when people are inside. They love that one, I always get a big reaction!

I pull myself up on anything I can reach, you know, the coffee table, the edge of the staircase, laundry baskets, Mom's legs...



I like to put everything in my mouth, especially the edge of this ottoman. It's perfect for gnawing on since I'm trying to work out my upper teeth. It's a bummer just having the bottom two because I'm drooling like a crazy man and these bibs they put on me every hour sometimes clash with my outfits, sheesh.



When I'm at Grandma & Grandpa's house, they put me in the walker outside and I get to push myself around on the grass. I'm just too busy having fun to take a nap and sometimes I only sleep ten minutes before I'm ready to get up and start it all again!



I am getting better at picking up my puff snacks off the highchair tray, though sometimes I still get one in my fist and don't know how to get it into my mouth. I started eating Cheerios last week, they are so yummy! And yogurt melts, seriously...don't get me started!

I like to yell at Mom & Dad when they aren't fast enough with the next spoonful of chicken pasta and peas. And don't even try to give me that smooth puree stuff, I will just cry because I want texture!



Yeah, Itsy-Bitsy-Spider is my favorite song and I'll do the hand movements sometimes when I want you to sing it with me. I learned to clap last week, which makes Pat-a-Cake so much easier! But pretty much any song you sing to me will put a smile on my face. I even like to sing along with a "la-la-la".

I don't really do too much other talking though, right now shouting is my vocal of choice. Once in a while I'll say "mama" when I'm crabby and I need her attention and I said, "ba" when Mommy was giving me a bath. Other than that, I'm a great mimic and will imitate you if you blow rasperries, cough or sneeze. Sneezing is the best, I love that one!

Bath time is my favorite part of the day. Mommy puts me in the tub and I splash all the water out onto the floor... and all over Mommy! I don't even mind when she pours the water over my head, in fact I like it.



Yeah, I'm a pretty smart cookie.

Hey, speaking of cookies...do you have one to share?