Disneyland

 I can't put into words how important this trip was to me.  I have stragegized for years on how I could take my kids to Disneyland, but couldn't figure out a way to do it.  I had almost let go of the idea, but I think God opened the way for me to do it again because He knew my heart and how much I wanted this.  I am not even sure why it was so important to me.  I think part of it is because it was one of my most treasured memories of my childhood.  Somehow my parents got a family of 10 children there many times.  Even after my mom died and my dad was a widow with 7 children he still took us to Disney World by himself!  Disneyland to me is about rejoicing in the joy of children.  I imagined many times what Miss R would think when she saw the real Snow White.  She is just so imaginative I knew she would love it.  I wanted Master I to expereince it when he was young so that he could still really get into it and not just wish that he could have done it when he was a kid.  And finally, I wanted to drag Master W around the park like my parents drug around our my younger brothers.  I wanted to tell him, "This is childhood and being part of a family.  This is what we do."  My siblings and I only look back on it with fondness and strong familial bonds.  I wanted to take my kids like Dad took his  and do hard things to make the lives of my children happy and memorable.  I am a little ashamed that I had less than half of the amount of children that he had and I had a helper, but I am proud that I really did do it.  And I will love Kristina and Aunt Karen forever for it.

Let the games begin.  On the tram on the way into the park.

Miss R with "her friend."  She refered to Kristina as her friend instead of calling her by name.

What could be better than this?  This made it all worth it.

And then we had to go and break the Snow White ride after visiting with her.  Miss R's hat fell off on to the track.  The next car on the ride rode over it and it got caught in the wheels.  The ride stopped and we had to wait to get escorted off.  I told them that my daughter's hat fell off the ride.  They said that they knew.  Ah well.  This is the ruined hat.

                                       

Just like my joy was complete in seeing Miss R hug Snow White, so was my joy full here.  Master I got totally into it.  So much so that the Jedi Disney worker tried to calm him down saying, "Wo, Youngun! Not so hard."  I  am so glad that he got to do this in this little window of time while he is not embarassed to imagine and pretend.

 

Trying to zap the mean Emporer Zurg

 

I know it is a boring ride, but my kids loved it.  We rode it three times.  We have watched the movie countless times.  I love how innocent and childlike it is.



By the end of the day she fell asleep.  To her credit, she stayed up late enough to watch the late fireworks and water shows.  And after that we went on Space Mountain together. She told me she never wanted to go on that ride again.  I couldn't believe I took my three year old on it.  She is so tall we could, buy maybe not developmental old enough to love it.  To tell the truth, I don't think I ever enjoyed roller coasters as a kid, but I relished in being cheered on by older siblings and feeling a part of their fun group.  Master I didn't disappoint here either.  He was so happy she want on this ride with him and couldn't stop talking to her about it after.  With aching feet and completely exahausted I left the park near closing time while I listened to Master I talk about what he loved and I felt satisfied.  I did for them what my parents did for me and all was right in the world.