Disneyland

A couple weeks ago we spent a very long anticipated weekend in California. I have wanted to take the boys to Disneyland for over a year and got Thatcher on board. Thatcher's excitement about the idea was all Ty needed to commit. We spent a month (at least) counting down the days, watching video clips of rides, and basically being consumed with the idea of going to Disneyland. I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. There was no possible way that any boy has been more excited to go to Disneyland than Thatcher.

Let's just say maybe I had my hopes up a little too high. We still had a memorable and fabulous day, but it definitely didn't go as I anticipated. While waiting to get in the park, Thatcher fell flat on his face and busted his lip open. He was bleeding everywhere, but he was a good sport about getting hurt.

Then we got in the park and the very first thing Thatcher wanted to do was pull the sword out of the stone (this had been his plan for weeks, the sword had to be first). That was a little anitclimactic because of course the sword didn't come out and Thatcher said (after being so super excited to do it), that it was just a pretend sword.

Then...we decided to jump on the Pinnocchio ride because there was no line at all. BAD IDEA. It was dark and scary and loud that it ruined Thatcher the rest of the day. Any enclosed space he would get in he would totally freak out and have a little panic attack. As long as we were outside, he was fine. He loved going fast, he loved trying new things, he was super happy the entire day...EXCEPT for when he started screaming and crying while in line for the Buzz ride (so I took James by myself) and when he was freaking out so much on the Little Mermaid ride that they stopped it so we could get off (Ty and James still got to go on that one). We didin't go on Toy Story or Peter Pan or Pirates. And the few others we tried (like Monster's Inc., and Winnie the Pooh) were kind of traumatizing. Thatcher was also too short to do the bigger rides I thought he was tall enough for. Ty and Thatcher still tried to do Splash Mountain, but the guy stopped Thatcher and measured him and told him he was too short. I think Thatcher would have done great with that ride (except for the animatronics). He really is gutsy when it comes to going fast. He loved Dumbo, the train, the carousel, Autopia, the Nemo submarine ride, Jungle Cruise, the bumper cars and spinning ladybugs and flying ride at A Bug's Land. He even loved the Mickey Mouse ferris wheel that totally scared me half to death. He loved anything outside and I wish there had been more fast little rollercoasters he could have gone on that were outside and didn't involve any characters. Funny that I say that because everything character related is what I was so excited about when planning the trip.

Oh, and I remember saying I didn't have high expectations but the cost would be worth it to me just to get to see Thatcher give Buzz Lightyear a hug. Well...that didn't happen either. Thatcher was pretty scared of the characters too. We saw an Incredibles show which he liked, but he wouldn't go up to them afterward to get a picture with Mr. Incredible. He had a chance to get a picture with Sully who was being super cute with the kids and with Buzz too. After waiting in a line to get a picture with Buzz, when it was our turn, both James and Thatcher ran away crying...not what I was expecting. We did have some success, however, with Mickey Mouse. He was so cute with the kids and ticked James on the belly which made James very happy. The boys were also super excited to see Lightning and Mater who didn't move or talk, but were very real looking and big.

Thatcher got a second wind of something when I was winding down. It was chilly pretty early on and I was tired, but he wanted to keep going on rides. We decided to get dinner at Disneyland after snacking on the stuff I had packed all day, then we stayed for the parade. I got out some of the glow sticks I had brought and the boys loved them. The parade was pretty spectcular and worth waiting for. The boys loved it and we just went straight back to the shuttle after that.

Besides my disappointment about Thatcher being terrified about a lot of the rides, we had a really nice day. The lines were so minimal and I can't imagine having lines with James. We got to do so much. James fell asleep for a little bit in the stroller, and he was happy the rest of the day and Thatcher never napped, but was fabulous the whole day (except for his very real fear of being on a dark loud enclosed ride). The day after and every day since Thatcher has talked about everything he did (and didn't do) and how he wants to go back. He includes his trip to Disneyland and California in his prayers every night and I think he definitely had a day to remember even if it wasn't what I expected it to be.

We spent the rest of the weekend in Burbank with my brother, Mel, their new baby Hunter, and my dad and his kids. We got to see Ryan's new house, ate a lot of take out food, flew remote control helicopters, built elaborate Thomas the train tracks, jumped on the trampoline, rode go-carts, took family pictures, visited the horses near my dad's house, and had a nice relaxing time just being with family and enjoying the sunshine. I am so sad this is the only shot I got of baby Hunter. He really is the cutest little baby and it is so fun to be an aunt on my side of the family.