Archive for the ‘kids do’ Category

We got home late last night from a wonderful trip to Disneyland.  It know it’s a cliche… but it truly was a magical trip.  The crowds were relatively light, the weather was unseasonably cool (perfect in our book) and the kids were so much fun to be with.  Both my husband and I felt like kids again.

It was hard to see it come to an end.

A picture’s worth a thousand words.

Is Lily crying on the second row?  Actually, Space Mountain was her favorite ride, that and the Tiki Room (which really isn’t a ride)… and just for your listening pleasure, click here if you want to hear the song I’ve been hearing Lily sing all week.

Mickey hasn’t changed one little bit since I was a girl.  Isn’t he endearing?

A few of the highlights of our trip were:

1.  Walking right onto Thunder Mountain Railroad (no wait) on our first ride in the Park.

2. Riding the Matterhorn three times in row with Emma, because it was her favorite ride.  “Probably the best ride in the world, Mom.”

3.  Seeing my husband laughing and getting soaked on Splash Mountain.  He loves Brer Rabbit and the gang and loved Splash Mountain.

4.  Watching Ben’s curiosity and delight at everything in the Park.  From the sword in the stone, or watching for the evil step mother from Snow White in the window in Fantasyland, to hearing his debate over which was his favorite ride… Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones or maybe even the Tower of Terror- Ben was so fun to be with.

5.  Having a ghost sit next to Ben and me in the Haunted Mansion and seeing him look between us to see if it was really there.

6.  Watching Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln with my mom.

7.  Seeing Lily so scared in the Space Mountain line that she was almost in tears, then watching her decide to be brave and ride, and then having her come to the end of the ride smiling and saying “Can we go again?  That was my favorite ride!”

8.  Relaxing in the Tiki Room when we were tired and enjoying the wonderful music.

9.  Watching the fireworks show by It’s a Small World… simply wonderful.

10.  Eating ice cream cones on our last evening in the park, just after the rides closed, on a park bench at the end of Main Street, and watching the twinkling lights, the people and the castle all lit up at the end.

Since my dad was on business in Anaheim, my mom came with him and went to the park for one of the days.  It made a great trip even more special.  The last time I was at Disneyland with her, I was just a girl.

We were even able to spend one day at the beach for the kids first ever look at the ocean.  They took to it like fish to water.

Someone else was sunbathing on the beach too.  We all worried that this little seal was a bit under the weather, so we kept a bit of a distance.  But he was amazing to see none the less.

Our other wildlife spotting at the beach was a rattlesnake, sunning himself by the boardwalk.  I didn’t get a picture… but it was amazing and just a little frightening to see.

What a wonderful trip.  It was worth waiting for… and never to be forgotten.

10 to 12 hours in the car is going to be a long trip for my kids.  It’s the longest drive we’ve ever made in one day.  To help pass the time,  I am putting together a travel car kit for each of them.

Luckily for me, Martha Stewart created a very stylish and free Travel Bingo game.  It’s a very fun little template for up to four players that I printed out.  I think I’ll laminate the cards so I can reuse them again for other vacations.

I also love her idea of including copy of the road map for the kids to follow.  That way they can get a sense of distance and direction as we travel.  I somehow don’t think that will stop them from asking, “Are we there yet?”  But at least I can say, “Who can find Cedar City on your map?  That’s where we are.” I simply went to Google Maps, typed our destination, and printed the map.  Each of the kids gets their own copy.

Also in the boxes, I’m including a sketch and activity pad, our 50 states license plate game, colored pencils and sharpener, a book to read, an embroidery, and a few small toys.

I’m also bringing along large envelopes for the kid’s to keep their postcards and memento’s in.  That way they can put it all together into a scrapbook of our trip when we get home.  My mom suggested taking a small essay book for the kids to keep a journal during the trip.  I kept a journal of my trip to Disneyland as a kid, and it will be fun to compare them when we’re done.  And I won’t forget to bring small jars for the kids to collect a bit of sand and hopefully a few shells in.  It’s their first time to the beach and I know that’s something they’ll love to keep.  With a little label saying the name of the beach and the date, it will make a nice souvenir of the trip.