Sometimes I get really hung up on a large post and then I get way behind. Ugh. I am so behind. The solution for that is this awesome part of my personality...the part that is just not stressed. Can't be stressed. So. In twenty years if I don't blog about every day of the lives of my children, they will still come away with way more info that the average Joe. They'll be fine, and so will I. Yes.
So we went on Betsey's five years old Disneyland trip. We didn't take Leo. Hardest thing ever. We really did make the right decision, but we doubted ourselves they whole week and missed him so, so much. I can't wait for our next Disney trip in three years when we can all go!
Here goes the commentary with pics in no particular order...
We stayed at the Worldmark in Anaheim, so we had our own full kitchen and two bedrooms and two full baths. Amazing way to travel, let me tell you. The hotel roof had a view of the Disneyland fireworks and the kids went up each night to watch them.
Our schedule was as follows:
Friday, March 13th we drove to Redding and slept.
Saturday, March 14th we drove to Pasadena and were invited by a friend from high school to dinner. The kids swam in the pool and we had a nice dinner with she and her husband. Pics below somewhere.
Sunday, March 15th we drove around to church twice and the published meeting times were wrong and both times we went to hopefully find a meeting, the parking lot was entirely empty. We don't know why. Weird anyway, we enjoyed a day at the hotel pool that day.
Monday, March 16th we went to Laguna Beach for breakfast and then to 1,000 Steps Beach for a beach day.
Tuesday, March 17th we went to California Adventure
Wednesday, March 18th we celebrated Betsey's birthday at Magic Kingdom, starting off with a character breakfast.
Thursday, March 19th we went to a second day of Magic Kingdom
Friday, March 20th we went to breakfast in Newport Beach and spent the day at Corona Del Mar beach.
Saturday, March 21st we drove four hours to the Maashoff's house in Kerman. We got talked into a sleepover which meant that we had a TON of driving to do the next day.
Sunday, March 22nd we drove 14 hours home and my folks seriously spoiled us by meeting us here with Leo who I was so happy to see when he woke up the next day.
Betsey at the beach.
Apparently, Chris is the guy to go to if you want to get a horrible sunburn in weird shapes and patterns.
Our three sweet girls.
Snacks are expensive at Disneyland!
A pic my folks texted us of Leo happily playing.
Reading with Oma. They let him have this book. He loves Curious George.
More Leo.
Facetiming Leo.
Leo playing blocks with Opa.
Wearing Opa's hat.
Oh! Our friend in Pasadena...Lindsay!
Betsey and Alice at the hotel pool.
Playing cards with my Alice.
Talking to Leo.
Beautiful girl with a beautiful view of Laguna Beach.
1,000 steps beach is amazing except for the steps. It is a serious feat to trek up and down these stairs. Like I would have happily gone somewhere else by the time we were a quarter of the way down the stairs. We lugged SO MUCH stuff down there...including two kid kayaks...beach chairs, an umbrella, a small cooler. It was no joke. So hard.
My super nerdy metal detecting husband.
The first day, we thought..."Disneyland must be pretty close." It was about a mile, which isn't too far but it isn't a good idea to have a kid want to be carried BEFORE they even get to the park. "Moooommm, my feet hurt." Ugh. We shuttled after that.
California Adventure...doesn't it look like we had the park to ourselves? We didn't.
The cars land was the first characters we saw in the park, and even though the girls really don't care about cars...they were excited like I was.
Frozen Sing-a-long for everyone but me, I slept. Air conditioning and theater seats. For an hour. Yes. It was wonderful.
Betsey meeting Olaf.
Betsey decided she really wanted these Barbies, so she spent her birthday money from the Pierce side and bought Elsa and Ana. So happy!
Hugging Mickey, no big deal.
Autographs were surprisingly important to her.
More Leo talks.
Betsey was so excited to meet Elsa and Anna. They were the only characters she set out from home desiring to meet. It changed once we were there and she wanted to meet them all...but with the others, she'd be herself and talk and answer questions. With Elsa and Anna she just clammed up and couldn't talk or really look at them. They were super sweet and asked her all kinds of questions trying to get a conversation started but to no avail.
She looks happy here though.
Dirty feet!
So tired at the end of her big day.
Day two was MARCH 18th and BETSEY's BIRTHDAY! She wanted pretties in her hair and mommy's lipstick which she asked me all day if it was still in tact. Here she is all ready for the day with Ruby.
We started with a character breakfast at the Plaza Inn. I think that is what it's called. It's in the Disneyland park and it was wonderful. And expensive. But worth it. Here are a bunch of character pics...
She was excited about the cupcake!
Minnie is magic.
Hook was creepy. He was so close to me and I turned around and yelped when I saw that nose in my face.
The Fairy Godmother. Betsey had gotten in trouble, and spent some time crying so she needed some love form the Fairy Godmother to perk back up.
We didn't take a pic at our table while we were actually eating so before someone else was seated we ran back in for this quick pic.
First ride of the day was It's a Small World while Chris ran for some fast passes.
Autopia.
Alice in Wonderland.
Alice meets Alice.
How are they so good at their roles! I love Disneland!
The classic pic at the front gardens.
One our way home we ate at California Pizza Kitchen right by our condo. So good. Happy Birthday girl!
Facetiming Leo.
My birthday girl, Betsey. Betsey is an above average playmate. She is wanted far and wide (three miles) by many (3) girlfriends as a playmate because when she plays with her friends there is almost never, like even on five hour long play dates, any squabbles. She isn't as happy and easy at home, unless she has a freind at our house to play...so we love playdates for her! I would say she is by far my most social child, although she isn't very good at engaging at first with new or unfamiliar friends. (See Elsa and Anna above.) Betsey wants to sit with her friends at church, she wants to be dropped off at their house on the way back from vacations, she wants them to come on vacation. She wants them right when she wakes, up, every minute until she goes to bed. Even when daddy is home or it is Sunday. She loves her friends and spending time with people who are actually older than her. Most kids her own age, like her cousins Addy and Molly, she thinks are younger than her, hence she gravitates toward Jane and Carson (although she does adore her Addy and Molly too). Her best friends are Micah who is a year older and Eve who is two years older and then one of her faves is Sara who is 2.5 years older. She is a gift giver. She makes homemade presents with so much pride for her friends, cousins, grandparents, me, siblings (rarely) and her dad. Sorry if you don't ever receive the presents, they are really important for a brief moment and then forgotten and given to the garbage man who sure does treasure them. I often wake up in the morning to her cuddles and a fresh present she has drawn for me. Betsey is a really great part of our family and it was so fun to celebrate her in California! Here she made use of her hair clip presents and her new clothes for day three at the parks!
Betsey lined up her new barbies...
I love the Disney detail. This is the Queen of Hearts bathroom. Chris would insist it is Queenofhearts...get it? Queen of Farts? Charming, I know. This joke never gets old. Ever.
I don't do teacups. Chris is a good sport!
Parades are always a nice time to sit down and relax.
Pics of Leo from home.
Betsey really, really wanted to meet Mickey. We stood in a short line for him.
Oops, this is California Adventure. Oh well!
Betsey opening presents.
clothes.
It was all about the Mermaid theme.
More from the character breakfast.
California Pizza Kitchen happiness.
I'm in love.
Ruby and Chris and Alice stayed later than Betsey and I on the last day. Ruby was borrowing my favorite shoes and did some high falutin' kick of some kind and flung my shoe into the pits below the ride.
Someone was so nice and fished out the shoe for us. Ruby was lucky she didn't forever lose my shoe!
A reinactment.
