Quieter Moments

Lee had his moments...quiet retrospective moments.  Our more enjoyable moments with Lee.

 One of the few times when he was pleasant.

Spring has come...to Californa

So it seemed when we got there to California that Spring had come, but only to this state.  Washington was like 2 months behind.  It was so comfortable weather wise there and they had wonderful flowers to look at.  When I was there 10 years ago for our honeymoon I don't think they had flowers out, of course that was in November. 

Pretty purple and yellow tulips with daffodils mixed in!  Can't wait for the Tulip fields to open up in a few months!

 These flowers always make me think of Alice in Wonderland, where she's in the field of flowers and they are all singing.  You remember?

 Love me some purple!  I think these might be Poppies?

 I just liked these and it was something to take a picture of while I was in line with the boys to go on the Matterhorn.

 I don't know what these are but they were unusual, although I know I've seen them before.

 A little blurry I know but I liked the color of this filler type plant they put in planters.

 I liked the blue on these ones...I just wished I could have kept the shadow out of the picture...it must have been where I was sitting...I took this picture several times and with the same result.  Such a vibrant blue!

 OK, now these were all over the place...we saw them driving from the airport in the medians and up the hills.  These were by far the coolest flowers I've seen.  I almost want to call them Birds of Paradise...but we all know I'm just guessing here! 

 They really do look like birds though I think...these were in Downtown Disney...pretty neat!

 Some more Purpleness!

 With February being dreary at times...OK...most of the time.  I really felt like I got a good dose or shot of color back into my world.  Love the color!

 I have a spot for roses...my grandfather had them all over his garden and I have some in my yard.  They have the most wonderful and fragrant perfume!  Makes me homesick for Whibey Island and my grandparents home.

Well I just thought I'd share that jolt of color with you guys...I know spring is just around the corner.  I can feel it in my bones (and if you talk to Ian, Spring starts the minute it turns the 20th...that's the day of his birthday).  We gotta have our last go around with Mother Nature and Father Winter...but Spring is coming!  There is hope, renewal, birth, life...I LOVE Spring!

Sacked Out

This was while we were in Disneyland...the sofa bed.  They are laying the wrong way...cracked us up.  On top of sleeping that close to each other and arm in arm so to speak.  Goofy kids!

 Lee bought a Eeyore pillow pet...so fitting for that child.  He really was born with the personality of Eeyore...that day was a rough day.  Not sure if it was our last full day at Disneyland but it was rough for us and for him.  He literally opened his pillow pet up and laid down and was out!

 This was not at Disneyland but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share with you.  This was a few days ago and I didn't get to him fast enough.  Actually it was kind of funny, we were all eating lunch and I jumped up cause it was really, really quite all of the sudden.   Sure enough this is what I saw...ran to the kid saying wake up! Don't fall asleep!!!  He was not happy with me and let me know it.  Don't worry though, I did clean him up and then snuggled him back to sleep, I just wanted him to sleep in his bed and get a good nap.  Not a nap in the high chair where the bigger kids will just be loud and obnoxious, although they are like that all the time.

Anyway, these pictures were worth sharing I thought.  Take care and I hope that everyone is having a good weekend.  I am especially ready for school to start and get my routine back!!!!  For 2 weeks we have been with out a routine...it's getting to me.

On another note, please say a prayer for my little brother and his wife.  My sister in law just lost her mom unexpectedly early this morning.  I pray for peace and comfort for them and for the Lord to wrap his arms around them and hold them tight, for them to feel his presence there with them.  David and Nina...I am again so sorry for your loss!  I remember how close it came with my mom...and that was close enough for me and something I won't soon forget!

Stuck

It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all.  It's a small, small world!

 Ian and Lee...did not like this ride...it took away precious time from more important rides like the Matterhorn and Pixie Hollow...wait that last one is me...anyway, they didn't like it.  Eli and Dru did...that's what counts.

Asta La bye bye

You can all thank me later about the song stuck in your head...bwhahahahahaha! (that's my evil laugh!)

Cold

It's so cold around here that my computer froze! Bwhahahahahahaha!

Seriously though, my feet are cold!  Thank goodness for us it's Mid-winter break (probably the only time I'm grateful for this break, otherwise I think we need to get rid of it) or we'd have more school days to make up!  No thank you! We already have enough days this year to make up from our snow in November.

OK, well I had to do that...I'm the only that thinks I'm funny.

Night

PS...you'll really love me tomorrow ;)

Characters

OK folks...here's the character dump of pictures...it was a lot of fun! My only complaint was I saw NO princesses!  I have one and only one I'm DYING to get...Sleeping Beauty!  She's being elusive...even 10 years ago she was! 

So here is Mary Poppins...if you are really good you'll tell me who the fella with her is.

 Buzz Lightyear!  Gotta love that Buzz is not looking at the camera...or maybe he's looking at my camera???

 We had brunch at Goofy's Kitchen (good food by the way) and so we met a few more characters in a more private area, on top of that...there was hardly anyone there.  I highly recommend doing a character meal...it really is the way to go!

Here is Pluto and Aladdin...I would like to know where Jasmine is though.

 Frank and Pluto.  Pluto was cracking us all up...he came and sniffed Frank's plate of food at one time...silly! The boys were rolling!

 Dale...of the infamous duo Chip n' Dale.  These fellas were much sought after by the boys.  Dale wouldn't quit bobbing his head around..silly Dale!

 Downtown Disney had a small Lego store in which there was a Darth Vader made of Legos...Here is Dru and Lego Woody.  We got pretty close to the real one but he only had 5 minutes left and the line was too long, so we didn't get to have him sign our books!  BUMMED!

 Donald Duck!!!! Every day for 4 days...what about Donald Duck?  When will see him?  Finally on the 4th day Donald graced us!  What's hysterical is that the boys are wearing their Mickey ears...notice Donald is pushing Dru's 'ears' down...it was hysterical!  Donald shook his head and covered them up!

 This was in California Adventure...Mr. Incredible and Mr. Frozone with Eli and I.   The others were on the Twilight Tower or Terror...their favorite ride...EVER!

 Pluto and I...he was such a good boy!

  Just Look for the Bare Neccesites (spelling?) in Life! Baloo and us

 Raffiki and the gang.  Sadly the boys had no idea who he was...that will be fixed by the end of the week! Unbelievable!

 Princess Pocahontas and Princess Anita!!!!!!!! Royalty!  as you can tell my young warriors could have cared less...sigh

 The other half to Dale...Chip.  Eli could have done with out being that close.

Well those are the best of the best pictures.  It was so much fun meeting the characters and getting our autograph books signed.  Yes I had a book also, I forgot the one I got 10 years ago...can you believe that?  Yeah Frank could too when he bought me my second book!

More to come...

Our First day

Well here they are, up and at them early! Dru and Lee still look half asleep and Ian (the one and only morning person in the house right now) is ready to go! 

 The happy couple...hours before entering the happiest place on earth.  Little did they know...wonder what the 'after' picture would have looked like???  All I know is that after 4 days at Disneyland it has taken 3 days to recoup! How naive we were!

 Just outside the park, I thought the benches were cool looking.  We are waiting for Frank to get our tickets to get in.

 Lee and Eli.

 Ian...when did he get so big?  Is he really going to be 9 in a month?

 Family picture in front of Mickey Mouse.  I realized my mistake of having them face the sun but you feel so much pressure to get your way into the park and get to this spot to get your picture taken, everything else goes out the window.  For the record...this is how 99% of our family pictures went.  I'm trying to not be bitter...certainly isn't coming across that way is it? I'll have to try harder!!

Waiting for the Disney train that goes around the park, to give the kids an overview of Disneyland.  Dru was SO excited to be able to wear shorts...in the winter!!! Disneyland AND shorts...in ONE day!!!  Life is good!

 On the train! Yippee!!  They still don't really know what to expect. I also love that they were all able to get 1st time visiting Disneyland buttons...we were told to get them because the characters and people who worked there would do something.  I'm slightly disappointed because no one really did anything out of the ordinary...although I'm not sure what I expected them to do.  So maybe I had high expectations??

 We stopped to have ice cream...I had my favorite Toll House cookie ice cream sandwich...YUMMY!!! Part of our souvenirs was a sweatshirt and a hat for all of us.  I am undecided about the hat I chose...I am leaning toward the fact that I may need to face reality and come to terms with the fact that I am not a hat person.  I like the style though!

 Frank and the boys on the train.  As you may have guessed I was chopped liver on this trip.  Sadly for Frank he felt over touched and needed too much on this trip.  By the last day it was a bit more than he could handle, I know how he felt!  It's all you can do sometimes to not climb up a wall! 

 My groom...thank goodness for this man!  If it weren't for him I'm pretty sure we would have wondered around at the whim of an 8 year old who loves to navigate.  Which is fine, for awhile.  I think we cut a whole forest down taking several maps everywhere we were at.  I was constantly yelling at Ian that he could not walk and read the map...it just didn't work.  I think I said that several times an hour...love that boy!  When he finds something he really likes he does it with a passion!  And if I were left to lead...well if you know me I don't need to say anything more!

 Lee...this was the best I got from him...I asked if it was his flirty smile.  He just looked at me like I was a nut job...little does he know!

So that was our first day in a nut shell.  We did go on rides and saw some characters that day.  Frank and I tagged teamed several times and we all hung out with Eli. I actually was nerve wracked that I would lose someone but I never did (thank goodness!).  We were at the park from the time we could be there until the park closed...the kids were exhausted and so were we! I think that first night Eli actually slept in his own bed the whole night!  Bliss!!!  he's not done it since we got home but small steps right?

Well good night all until the next post!

On Our Way

Well...I'm finally back!  We resume our regular lives tomorrow!  Disneyland was a lot of fun but SO exhausting!  I have needed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to recover from that trip.  I always have one day where I feel like I'm hung over...so I always expect the next day of a trip to not feel so good and for the kids to go crazy.  For some reason we all needed 3 days...sigh...

Anyway, here is a shot of the boys before we left on Sunday the 13th...we all were up early, like 4ish. You'll notice Lee...that will just give you a preview of how he was the whole trip...there's more to that story for sure!

We are all on the shuttle bus going to the airport...everyone just looked thrilled! OK, well Frank does (look...you'll notice Lee again).

We are at the airport waiting on our flight.  We've eaten a breakfast of champions (or gut rot, however you'd like to read that) and we walked to our gate.  Don't ask how many times we were asked is it time yet...I lost count.  The funny thing was there was a girl from Ian's class taking the same flight we were and they were going to Disneyland...kinda cracked me (they ended up on the same flight home to).

 This is what Frank looks like at this hour...most of the time I don't see him at 6 or 7...it was kinda nice. 

 We had that kid that runs around the airport and his mother 'silently' hollers after him to come here...and he never does and his mother just let him run around like a wild child...some mother!

Although he's been on an airplane before he still had no idea what to expect...having to put a seat belt on him was the worst and he ate a million lifesaver while we were waiting for take off.  Then thankfully he crashed for most of the flight, then he ate about a million more lifesavers while we were landing.  There is something to be said about taking the car seat for kids this little!

Everyone did pretty good getting to Disneyland and we were all glad when the flight was over and we got to the hotel (that took longer than it should have but we made it!).  We met some people that were from Seattle and they were on their way to Disneyland also...I want to know who wasn't going to Disneyland...probably a much smaller number than who was going!  Anyway, we got there and everything thus far was uneventful!