Disneyland - Birthday Boy

All three of our little boys would love to have had their birthday at Disneyland. Two of them had just celebrated their birthdays, so I allowed this little one to have his birthday 6 weeks early. So he was congratulated on having a birthday everywhere he went. They saw the hat and assumed it was his birthday. When they asked him how old he was he coyly said, "Eight".

Disneyland - A place where Dreams come true!

The Blog wants to do its own thing! It is jamming my paragraphs or putting in huge gaps. You will have to ignore that. :o)

Austin *loves* Cinderella and he had already asked me if Cinderella would be at the Park. I knew I could fork out $100+ and have the boys have breakfast with the characters in the Park, but I was hoping not to have to do this.

We were wandering by the Princess area when we saw a line up. After enquiring I found out the Princesses were having private signing and photos! Of course the boys wanted to meet them. The older two were not interested and the oldest was really uncomfortable with his brother (7) being so interested in Cinderella! *grin*

We lined up and then went in. I asked which three princesses were signing at the moment. Apparently there were Aurora, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Cinderella, Snow White and Belle. We prayed that Cinderella would be one of the princesses in there, since Austin really didn't know any of the others. We got to the front of the line and found out she *was* going to be there, but she was going for tea soon!! We got inside and saw the first princess- Jasmine.

Jasmine and the Boys

I looked over and Cinderella was still there. Austin would be so sad if he missed her. When it was her turn she was still there. Austin was thrilled to bits!!!

Signing Autographs

Checking Out Cinderella's Autograph

Cinderella and Her Handsome Young Princes

When Cinderella met the boys she said to them, "What handsome young princes you are!" I have to tell you, though *we* know they are just dressed up, you would never know it. When I spoke to Cinderella and then heard all three speak to the boys, they have such a way of speaking and tone that you feel you have been transported back to the Fairy Story Books!

When we went to the next princess I looked back and saw that Cinderella was gone and Pocohontas was in her place!!! She had been there just long enough for Austin to get his visit.

We saw Snow White and it was a bit embarrassing, because she asked Austin if he knew who she was and he said, "No"! Ooops. She was very gracious, anyway!

Snow White and the Boys

I have to say, when I heard the music in the Park when the parade was going by and you see the fireworks I was really able to see why people love Disneyland!!! There is something so wonderful and fun and magical about it all!! I laughed so much on this trip - just having *fun* - something we adults can miss, because we are so busy with our responsibilities!!! It is something I can't wait to do again!

Disneyland - Meeting the Cartoon Characters

After meeting Winnie the Pooh I realized we had better get an autograph book. I hadn't realized how important these meetings would be to the little boys!! So off I went to get two books, just in the nick of time to get Pluto's autograph.

Signing a Little Fan's Autograph Book

Pluto and the Boys

Autographs Again

Mickey Mouse and the Boys

Buzz Lightyear and the Little Guys

Disneyland - Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh...

On the Way to Winnie the Pooh's House


Cooper absolutely loves Winnie the Pooh and when he found out that he could *meet* him, he was thrilled!! As soon as he was in line he started calling out, "Hello Winnie the Pooh!" expecting him to answer him. When we got up there he went up to give him a big hug.




He was beaming from ear to ear! Then we got a group picture.





Right before we left Cooper had to get in one more hug.

I Love Winnie the Pooh!

Disneyland - the best place to play!

Saturday was our first day at Disneyland. It probably wasn't the best idea to go on a weekend, but because it was the low season it turned out to be a good idea. Being low season they only put on the fireworks and certain shows on Saturdays and Sundays. The fireworks were spectacular - everything you see on tv - it happens at Disneyland!!

We quickly realized that two days at Disneyland wouldn't be enough! We had another day planned for California Adventure Park, but that wouldn't be enough either! We hit the park running! Like anyone everyone who knows me will attest to, I am a planner. Therefore I planned my route so that I would be able to get as much done as possible, the first day!

We got Fast Passes and found those so good! It meant that instead of waiting in line we were able to go around the park and then go back to the ride we wanted and walk to near the front of the line!! Some people were waiting 60 minutes and we only waited 5-15 minutes! That only happened at 6 rides, but they were the 6 main rides.

Austin loved this ride! It was only about 1 minute long and the wait was about 20 minutes, but it was worth it to him.

This ride was a huge hit. It was Buzz Light Year Laser Tag. We had to go back a second time, since they liked it so much. I had a blast once I figured out how to score big time!

A Favourite Character

Dumbo was my big mistake!!! We saw the cute rides and got in line. An hour later the kids got there one minute ride!! Then I realized that we were going for kiddie rides when the kiddies were all there!! So I quickly changed my tactics. I decided that we would save the rest of the kiddie rides for after 9:00 pm, when the rest of the kiddies were in bed!!! But *me* being the mum could do what I wanted. And *my* kiddies were staying up til midnight! *laugh* What fun to be the mum!

We ended up staying til about 7:00 pm. I then took the boys home and the younger three were all put to bed for an hour. I got them up at 8:00, fed them a bite to eat and then we dashed off to the park again. They were rested and ready to go again! We got our rides in much quicker than in the daytime and saw the fireworks. Then we headed home around midnight. What a wonderful day!

The next day we were back at the Park at 9:00 am and stayed that day til about 5:00 pm. I got home that night, fed the younger two and popped them into bed by 5:30 for a nap. By the time 7:00 pm was there and they were still sleeping I decided to keep them down for the night. I woke them up the next morning at 7:00 am!! They slept at least 13 hours!! They were beat!

Washing Up After the Petting Zoo

I am guessing a lot of these kids haven't spent any time with real live animals, so a zoo that has a petting area is wonderful. Our children have been blessed growing up with pets and farm animals in the area, so they are used to it. But it was still a wonderful treat.

Like My Car?

Autopia was a big hit. You got in the car and the adult handled the gas, while the little one handled the steering. That can make for a pretty crazy ride!! But as you can see from this little one's face, it was an awesome experience!! There was a iron bumper in the middle of the road keeping them on the road, but it still gave them the freedom to go off a foot or so in each direction, bump, bump, bump!

I Love Driving!

Another Couple Crazy Drivers

Mr. Toad and the Boys

Driving Mr. Toad's Car

Alice in Wonderland Teacups

This ride was fun, but the funny thing was this guy we saw. He must have been 45 or so, had long hair and a cowboy hat. While everyone else was sitting up in this ride making their ride whip around, he was leaning back in his teacup, arms lounging on the edges. He looked so out of place it was funny!

King Arthur's Carrousel

Minnie Mouse's House

Oooohh the Food!

Can We Have These At Home, Mum?


At our hotel they serve the most incredible breakfast!!! We enjoy fresh made (by ourselves) waffles and then we load on the sliced, sugary, strawberries and tons of fresh, unsweetened whipped cream - as much as we want!!


One of our boys is *famous* for his not wanting to eat many things. He *doesn't* eat chopped, fresh fruit. But you wouldn't know it by the serving of waffles, strawberries, and whipped cream he has here!

Breakfast?

They serve so much good food! We start the day off early, cause who wants to miss the hearty breakfast waiting for us downstairs? We have ham and cheese omelettes, bagels and cream cheese, tortillas, pancakes, waffles, sausage, bacon, juice, milk, cereal, muffins. The most luxurious breakfast.

The boys were given a choice of staying a night in San Diego since we have to drive down there two days in a row, or come home each night. They chose to come home. Their reason?? Breakfast. They did not want to miss their breakfast. I did not either. I am counting my breakfasts left - four! And I will drive an extra 1.5 hours each way to San Diego to get that breakfast! *smile*

Waiting for the Bus to Disneyland

This hotel has a children's room where they show movies on this huge screen, on the weekend nights. They also have large screen tvs in the dining room, so the children can enjoy Mickey Mouse type cartoons at any time of day.

This hotel is just like being at home! The room has a livingroom and kitchen combo. There is also a separate bedroom. The maid cleans up the room and loads the dishwasher. The hotel will even bring you in groceries, no charge! It feels so comfortable, it is no wonder it is called, "Residence Inn".

Day 6 - Universal Studios

Universal Studios Tour

We headed out to Universal Studios this morning and on the way I was not sure where to go. I made a dash off the freeway onto a parking lot to rethink. Suddenly this car drove in and stopped. I pulled up to her and she got out and before I spoke to her she asked me where I wanted to go!! I told her and she gave me directions and then I drove off and so did she. It was weird. I keep finding someone in the right place, right when I need directions. And they are usually in some remote place with no one else in sight!

We were given a choice of Preferred Parking or Regular Parking. Preferred meant we did not have to walk - our parking was right at the door. How convenient! So we went for the splurge since I had Cooper and had no idea how he would fare after a long day walking in the park. As it turned out he was as great as every other day. The little guy is a real trooper! And so good! I don't even have to remind him to hold my hand all day. Once in a while he will ask me, "I walk by myself now?" *smile*

When we arrived in the park I told the boys that we would take snacks in to keep them from getting hungry, before we ate lunch. As I was about to leave I see that Cooper is all ready with his snack bag! That boy likes food!

I Have My Snack!

The boys had a great time meeting characters in Universal Studios.

The Boys and Shrek

Cooper loved the Shrek 4D show!! We got sprayed when he sneezed and spiders were crawling on us in the theatre and we were riding horses with Shrek. Lots of fun!

Sponge Bob and the Boys

Dane Having Lunch - or Maybe Jaws Having Lunch?

Jurassic Park - Hanging With the Dinosaurs

The boys enjoyed the 84' vertical drop in the ride through Jurassic Park! They got wet, while some people got drenched! Cooper and I didn't go on. He was too little and I decided I didn't want to get wet since the day was cool.

We took the studio tour around the park and that was cool. Cooper was a good sport through it all and thought it was 'scary' at times, but enjoyed it all. When I told him he would be seeing Cinderella and Mickey Mouse he was so thrilled. More up his alley than riding the fast and crazy rides!

Riding the De Lorean From Back to the Future

When we got on this ride I was not sure how Cooper would take it. He said he didn't want there to be King Kong or Dinosaurs and a lady told him there wouldn't be. After all we were riding through time! Well, as it turned out there *were* dinosaurs and we actually got swallowed by one!! *laugh* But he really enjoyed the crazy ride through space!

The last treat of the day was Water World. Years ago, when I went to U.S. I saw the Miami Vice show. It was full of noise and drama and guns and guys and cars. It was cool!!

Now they have Water World. It was a hoot. There were these guys who were getting the crowd riled up and of course as I am recording this my camcorder battery dies. Typical! The actual show was about 20 minutes long and was full of action.

The Arrival of The Deacon - Bad Guy

These people are living in these metal buildings they have created when the world has this great flood. So when we see them fighting the bad guys you see them doing amazing things. Things like seadoos coming up from under the water!! Suddenly this sea doo just comes shooting up from under the water and there is this guy riding it! They ride cables down,

Actor Guy From C.S.I New York Plays "Mariner"

They also fall off 30' scaffolds into the water. It was cool!! There was even this point when an airplane came flying over the wall and caught fire and landed just short of where we were sitting!

Dramatic Ending

We left after this and headed to our hotel in Anaheim. Cooper fell asleep in the van within two minutes of the car starting.

All Tuckered Out

Day 5 - No Room at the Inn

Once we got through the scary mountain cliffs we had to decide where to spend the night. We knew we had to be at Universal Studios the next day for 10:00 am. The boys decided they wanted to drive further so we could get up and go in the morning, rather than driving again. We headed towards Los Angeles. We drove into L.A. and it felt a little bit like the Christmas Story - no room at the inn!!! Everywhere we went they said the same thing. There is a bike race happening on the West Coast and the hotels are booked solid!!

I was starting to get a little worried and Dane said he would rather stay in the car than have a grungy hotel. We had just listened to the story of Corrie Ten Boom - the Hiding Place - and seen God at work. So I thought - something is going to work out. There is a reason for this. Finally I went into this hotel - the Days Inn on Sunset Drive, in LA. The guy said he had a room, but it was a suite.

Kind of appropriate room for a bunch of cowboys!

I held my breath as he said the price - $159. Okay, well, it was better than sleeping in the car - and it *was* a room. I asked if it had two queen beds. Nope, one king. Okay, we could do that *grin*. I asked for a cot and extra blankets. He told me it had a jacuzzi tub. I didn't tell the boys until we got in the room. When we checked in it was midnight, but they had been so good in the car all day. So I figured they could go for a swim. Well, as they were having a blast in the hottub with bubbles galore, I suddenly thought about the fact that they had not been allowed to swim in the pools up to then, because of the cold air outside. And here we were, in the last hotel available and it just 'happened' to have a hot tub in a suite!

So Much Fun!

Oh and I forgot to mention - I didn't pay $159. He said I could have it for $139 and I politely asked him if that was the best he could do? *smile* And when he found out I had AAA he gave it to me for $129 and threw the cot in for free. PLUS as I was standing there a lady came up and asked for a room and he said he had just given away the last room!!!! Thank God!!

All Tucked In

The boys had a hoot in the hot tub and then they all collapsed into bed at 1:30 am and slept like bricks, and here I sit finishing my blog and then I too, will go to bed!!