I’m sure anyone who has ever planned a vacation, spends the weeks prior, daydreaming about how lovely it will be. Well, I certainly do. However, now that I have kids I try not to get my hopes up. I don’t claim to be an expert, but if there’s one thing I know about kids, it’s that they are unpredictable. They get sick (often), they cry a lot (especially in the 0-5 age group), siblings bicker and sometimes they don’t sleep well (especially in the same bed). Since this particular vacation was for them, I really wanted everything to go without a hitch.
By the grace of God and by keeping realistic expectations, it did.
We had a fabulous 5 days in Disneyland.
We were there for Dahlia’s 3rd birthday ~ and with Matea’s birthday only a few weeks away, we made sure to include her in the celebration. If you ever spend your child’s birthday in Disneyland, be sure to make it known! There is much attention to be had…and most kid’s love attention…especially when it comes in the form of cake, balloons, singing and random strangers yelling “Happy Birthday!” We all wore special buttons announcing the occasion and were given a bit of VIP treatment at most places. Pretty fun.
A highlight for the girls was going to Ariel’s Grotto for breakfast. This is where all the Disney Princesses make an appearance at each table. Seeing the look on their faces is definitely a favorite memory of mine.
What Disney visit would be complete without a visit to see the “Big Cheese” himself, Mickey Mouse.
Seeing Tinkerbell was another highlight (although the line was long!)
A vacation isn’t really a vacation without big ice-cream cones!
Ah, the magical simplicity of a carrousel. The girls love them. They could go on them numerous times and not get bored (or dizzy, unlike myself). If you ask Dahlia what her favorite ride at Disneyland was, she’ll tell you it was the “fish merry-go-round”, which was really one of the only age-appropriate rides for them at California Adventures.
There is something about the carrousel that sums it up the message that I so often try and express. It usually is not the grand, outlandish things that stand out to a child. It can be as simple as a wooden horse and some happy music.
An illuminated, magical castle in the background doesn’t hurt either.
Here’s to wishes coming true. To see the surprise morning wake up, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me78fb76ydA&feature=youtube_gdata