Recap on our Disneyland trip

Over our winter break we decided to take the boys to Disneyland!!! What a crazy idea!! We haven't been on a family vacation in 2 years. We weren't sure what to expect with two little boys on vacation for 5 days so we decided to drive. It seemed that everyone else had the same idea so we got the last room in all of Anaheim. We lucked out...it was a great room. It even had a refrig and microwave which came in handy for Bubba's warm milk at bedtime. Of course we brought too much stuff and we brought home even more stuff...but it was a great trip. The weather was perfect, the parks ended up being empty. It seemed like we had California Adventure Park all to ourselves. The kids had a blast. Neither of them knew anything about Disney or Disney characters before we went but by the time we left they seemed to know all the character's names and even some of the songs. Bubba really loved the Dumbo ride, Casey Jr and the King Arthur's Merry Go Round. We rode Dumbo one million times. We even ran into a friend from home in the Dumbo line. Either Dumbo is really the most popular children's ride or the world is really that small. Boy wonder's favorite rides were Casey Jr Circus Train, Story Book Canal, Peter Pan, Madhatter's teacups and It's A Small World. Both boys loved the nightime parade and the fireworks show.

Hubby and I got to see a very different side of Disney then we would have, had it not been for the wee ones. There is special entrance hours into Fantasyland an hour earlier than the rest of the park if you stay in a disney property or disney's good neighbor hotels and it is a must if you have small children. The lines are very short and you get on the rides fast and then it allows you to walk the park and do other things like greet characters, see street entertainment, jump around Toon Town, and climb on the Disney Firetruck...Boy Wonder's favorite memory of all things Disney is the Disney Firestation and the old time firetruck.

Being with the small ones we needed to take frequent potty trips and we made an awesome discovery. There is a wonderful family bathroom/nursing area called the Nursery on Main Street. It is original in decorations to when the park opened. Talk about quaint, there are even "nurses" dressed in old time attire that are there to assist with anything you could need. There's even a small playroom for your older child while you are helping another child eat or use the potty and a small kitchen for heating up baby food, etc. The toddler toliets are so cute..they are teeny tiny perfect size for the youngest to use and never a line. I guess it is not that well known. So no matter where we were in the park we made a beeline for the nursery when BW or Bubba needed to go....it was a nice clean retreat from the normal loud, wet, public potties.

We discovered the kiddies loved meeting the characters and it is very hard trying to chase them down in the park as everyone wants to meet them too. So we tried out Goofy's kitchen for a buffet breakfast. The boys loved the mickey waffles and meeting Goofy and friends. Dale from Chip and Dale really took a liking to Bubba and drew him a special picture on his breakfast mat which I of course had to take with us. We even got to meet Bleu from the Jungle Book.

Even with the kids in tow we did manage to visit my favorite restaurant "The Bayou" in the Pirates of the Carribean Ride and the boys did very well during dinner even in it's dark ambiance. I love their food...yummy. And they have a great menu for kids too.

If you were to ask hubby what his most surprising discovery of disneyland was this trip he would probably say the Tiki Room (Bird Show). We had never had the pleasure of seeing the show and it was a great discovery. It too must be original and unchanged. The kids loved the singing puppet birds, plants, and tikis. And we all enjoyed sitting and just relaxing. What a great discovery.

I think hands down the most favorite part of the trip for all my boys was meeting Lighting McQueen and Mater at California Adventure Park. They are remote controlled life size cars and they really look like their onscreen counter parts. Bubba is so obessessed with the characters from the Cars movie that he has renamed each of us by a character's name in the movie. He of course is Lighting McQueen, daddy is Mater, BW is DJ and I am Sally. We couldn't tear Bubba away from staring at the cars for even a second, so in all the photos of the boys Bubba's head is turned toward the car he is standing next to. It is really funny.

We can't wait to go again. Maybe the same time next year. After going when the park is less crowded and not so hot I don't think I could make that trip with little ones during the summer which is when we have gone in the past.

So why a blog??

Well....I love to scrapbook but realistically have not had the time and I feel like I'm forgetting so many of the day to day funnies of my kids' lives. So I thought...why not a blog. Give it a try and when I have the time to scrapbook again I can refer to some of my posts for their books. I have to admit I have become really addicted to reading blogs and have many blogs I read on a day to day basis. One of my favorites ended before X-mas and I have been so sad. I really looked forward to reading it every Wed on the Babycenter website. She was a journalist, so her column was really funny and endearing. She wrote about raising her two young children and of course she was from the Bay Area and then moved to Boston so there were many interesting ties. There are so many very witty bloggers out there, they make it seem so easy...I thought I would give it a try too. I also discovered many new blogs through my researching on adoption...more of that later. It has become so helpful to read up on different families and their journeys through the very confusing and frustrating stages of international adoption. When I have the time I will put together a list of some of my daily reads and maybe some of you will check them out too.

What's in a Name?

So, I have been trying to think up cute names for my boys on this blog to avoid using their real names. It's been a bit of a challenge as I think a name even a nickname should tell something about the child. I think I have it. I will refer to my oldest as "Boy Wonder" or "BW" for short. That name seems perfect for him as he is constantly amazing us with his incrediable talents or endless energy. My younger son was a bit harder and I think I will just stick with his nickname for now which is "Bubba". A nickname he earned at birth because he was so adorably round. He actually knows his nickname too and will often tell people..."I'm Bubba" which is really the funniest thing ever. One delusionally tired evening at Disneyland after being up way past their bedtimes for more than a few days in a row... Bubba was existing on fumes...he was pretty silly and still moving on foot long after our Boy Wonder had taken a seat in the stroller. Surprise, surprise I know. Anyway...Bubba was practicing jumping off the curbs, his latest feat except that night he was so tired that he would back up too far away and would jump way before he came near the curb and then step off the curb with one foot and say "I did it." And would then repeat the whole thing again. When he finally tired of this and long after we lost sight of daddy and BW in the stroller he would walk up to people and say "I'm Bubba" and laugh and laugh. It was really hysterical it was like he was his own one man entertainment show. So even though he is so much more than Bubba...he's a sweetheart, funny, smart, loving..his nickname still fits him too.

Train hopping

Today we went on a field trip with my son's preschool class. The trip involved riding the train up north for 20 mins then walking to a park to play and have lunch and then return home on the train. Both my boys were so excited especially my oldest. He could not wait to leave the house to head for the train station. As soon as we arrived at the station a large double deck train flew on by. It scared my oldest. Actually it was a little frighening for me too. Boy do those trains fly...this one wasn't stopping at our station so it came and went and it was fast. It took a little while to get him to move closer to the platform as he preferred to wait it out behind the ticket machine. Once the class was assembled and our train arrived we had to be quick about getting on. Carrying my toddler, dragging my umbrella stroller, wearing a backpack and trying to help my older boy on the train...and quickly...wow...that was some feat!! Once on...my older son headed up the narrowest circular steps to the top level. He was following a classmate. Amazingly with the train moving and not realizing I could stow my stroller down below...still carrying my toddler I went up the stairs with umbrella stoller in tow. My Macclaren rocks. Who knew a stroller could be carried in such tight spaces. Both boys enjoyed looking out the train and watching the world fly by. I too could get use to the commuter life of a train passenger. As long as it didn't involve 20 preschool age children and their younger siblings too. No resting allowed. All the kids had a great time. We got off and went to see a puppet show at a grocery store...yes a grocery store. The battery operated veggies, cow and grocer put on a singing show with the push of a button. The children were in awe and we watched it twice. Off to the park for a leisurely day of lunch and play and then by 1:06pm we were in line at the station waiting for the train. My preschooler is so funny...the train is all he talked about, in awe really. But as soon as we were back at the station he stood behind the garbage can. All the other parents were trying to impress upon their young children the danger of crossing the yellow line on the platform and I was worried when time came I wouldn't be able to get mine over that yellow line. However when the train arrived and holding tightly to my hand we boarded the train all the while my younger child was making very realistic but very loud choo choo whistles in my ear. My preschooler loved riding the train..but as he mentioned on the way home he didn't like the outside of the train..it was too loud and too big. It was a fun day...a tiring day with all the sun and the exitement..but a fun day. We will have to do that trip again...maybe next time we will bring daddy.

A Playdate Gone Right

We had a playdate at the park today. It was a lovely day...the weather was perfect...the kids got along well. They entertained themselves for a long time on the play equipment and then we moved to the blanket for lunch. My son blew bubbles and the children ran around laughing and catching the bubbles. After lunch we took a hike and followed the train tracks down to the creek where we were able to stand and talk while the kids threw rocks into the creek. For me a playdate is wonderful when you actually get the chance to catch your breath and talk to another mom while your two monkeys are entertained in the same vicinity. We even found a rock pile for them to climb on and they were so content and played well together. It was such a treat and I am thankful for that day. It was a perfect playdate to end a very long and stressful week on.

Pictures Anyone??

Today my oldest had picture day at preschool. Taking pictures professionally can be a real uphill battle. I love photos. I love my boys and I love to see photos of my boys. They do not always share this same feeling and thus I dread the taking of photos by professional photographers. Last year's school photo day was one of those battles. It seemed as if every child so willingly followed the photographer and her pet stuffed monkey into the garden to laugh among the daffodils. Try as she might the photographer had no such luck with my little boy who only wanted to play. And she was good too...cool as a cucumber, very reassuring that she would get his photo before the day was out. As soon as she was out of earshot, I of course not so confident would plead with my son, beg, conjole with promises of treats, a happy mommy if he would just please, please take a picture with the nice photographer lady. She worked on him every few children to see if he was ready and finally he agreed to take the photo but not in the garden amongst the daffodils he wanted to take his photo in the chicken coop. The Chicken coop?? Amongst the chicken poop?? What could I say..I just asked for him to take his photo I did not tell him where I wanted him to take the photo...oh geez. She won him over though and also got a nice smiling shot of him by the bench under the giant tree with no chicken poop in sight and that is the photo I proudly have displayed all over his school scrapbook from last year. So this year...as I roll out of bed I think how will this go today?? What will I need to promise?? We talked about how fun today was going to be at the kitchen table at dinner last night., Oh picture day, what joy, what bliss!! How special to get your picture taken to be forever remembered as this happy 3 year old at his beloved preschool. At school I wait, I try to be so confident so cool as a cucumber as I ask, "so would you like to be the first child to have your picture taken or the second?" "Maybe later," replies my son, "I'm too busy playing." Lucky for me the same photographer is back and she is able to slyly convince my son she needs his help making the other children laugh with the stuffed monkey and before I know it he is sitting in the garden taking a lovely photo and that was that. A little too easy?? Thankfully today it was.

Once Upon a time...

there was this girl who could not wait to be a mommy. She decorated the nursery, shopped for clothes, toys and all baby stuff blue and though she loved being pregnant she could not wait to meet her little boy. Fast forward almost 4 years...she is now a busy mom to count them 2 little boys!!! I would never have imagined I would have two little boys entrusted to me to raise. I'm hoping to share more about my experiences with my little guys but bear with me...I'm new to the blogging world and computers and I are like vinegar and water...we just don't mix.