Disneyland

Disneyland really has gotten more and more fun each year that we go.  As the kids get older they not only behave a little better and have longer attention spans for it all, but are more and more excited for everything.  I am so grateful for Christopher's boss for taking the company there each Christmas!

This year we started off with a bit too much adventure, unfortunately.  There was a wind storm that popped up as we were in the airplane, so we circled LA for a while hoping it would die down.  And then LAX lost power.  We diverted to land in Las Vegas, but the wind was whipping that plane around like a paper airplane.  Poor Tyler went through three air sick bags, and I ended up using one as well.  By the time we landed, I was seriously considering ditching out and calling one of my brothers to see if we could crash at their house for the night.  Between how late it was getting, how far we had to go, and how crappy Tyler and I felt, it was a close call.  But we did get on a plane to LA fairly soon after that, and even though Tyler went through two more bags, we made it safe to our hotel.  At 2:30 am or so, I think.

Enough with the downer story.  On to pictures!

Once we woke up and headed into the park, we attacked the rides.  We were really excited to be there on a weekday this year, since the park was a lot less crowded than we were used to. 

But this year, I think our kids were actually more excited about the characters than the rides.  Kaitlyn would gasp in sheer joy when she saw them, and Tyler would do this happy little hopping dance as he shyly went up to the Princesses.

Kaitlyn was especially excited about Ariel, since she has been watching that movie lately.

 I had to spend the day before we left reworking their costumes so they could fit one last time, and it was totally worth it.  Kaitlyn actually made a drawing of Tinkerbell to give to her, and asked me how to spell Tinkerbell so she could write the name on the back.  Tinkerbell was so impressed that she asked for a pen to write Kaitlyn's name on the back so "I can hang it up and show it to my friend Terrance!"  It was hard to tell, since the characters are all fabulous actors who treat every kid like they are the cutest thing ever, but I think she truly intended to keep that momento. 

Another newfound love for my kids this year was the cotton candy.  Kaitlyn spotted them on the first day, and since they had eaten really well at lunch we broke down and got her some.  Both kids spent the rest of the weekend asking for it every time they saw a vendor!

Last year Kaitlyn was really bummed that she was too short to ride on the bumper cars, so this year we were excited to go and ride together as a family.  But of course I couldn't ride since I am pregnant!  So Daddy gave the kids each a few turns.

I'm not a fan of the parades, since they are SO crowded, but Kaitlyn had been talking about seeing Santa in a Christmas parade since one of her cartoons showed that weeks ago, so we caught that as well.  And then went to see Santa in our hotel that night.  Tyler still doesn't quite get the concept, but Kaitlyn has been telling me for weeks about all the things she was going to ask Santa for.  She ended up telling him that she wanted Princess Polly Pockets.

The next day, the kids squeezed into their old Woody and Jessie costumes one last time so we could hit California Adventure.  I'm not sure, but I think Tyler thought he was smiling for the camera here.

As much as Tyler liked the Princesses, he truly was much more excited about seeing Buzz . . .

And Woody was excited to see him!  When Woody came running out, he grabbed Tyler for a hug and pointed at the matching outfits.  I think that was Tyler's favorite part of the whole trip!

Another fun thing was that Tyler was tall enough for a lot of the "big" rides this year.  Since Kaitlyn and I couldn't go, Daddy happily took his buddy on the Matterhorn and Splash Mountain.  I didn't have my zoom lens with me, but rest assured Tyler looked pretty nervous in these pictures.

Our trip ended with the big company party.  I can't believe how many people work with Christopher now!  When he first joined the company, the Christmas party was held around one dining table in someone's basement, and now it has grown to 50 employees.  When you add in the spouses and children, that added up really fast.

One of our traditions has been getting the kids one toy from Disneyland each year, and this year their picks suprised me.  I thought Kaitlyn would go for the Princess hair set (I could just see her using the pretend hair dryer and flat iron like mommy), but she went for this Princess Minnie Mouse.  And Tyler refused to put that Tigger down once he found him.  I wasn't even sure he would know who Tigger was!  I figured they were both small enough to fit in their carry-on, but I quickly learned the neither child had the intention of letting go of their precious new friend.  Kaitlyn was making high pitched Minnie Mouse make-believe the entire way home, and Tyler has been telling Tigger not to eat things all day today.

It was exhausting for all of us, but it sure was a lot of fun!