HAPPIEST BLOG POST ON EARTH - Part 1

When we made the decision to take the family to Disneyland, I utilized every resource that I had to make the trip run as smoothly and effectively as possible. This included reaching out to a number of friends who are well-versed in the ways of Disney. Through the guidance of many, our trip was incredibly successful (thank you Amber, Jessica, Jessie, Lindsay, & Camilla). Was it stressful? WE HAVE SIX KIDS. What we do not have are runners, massive tantrum throwers, or incessant beggars. Minor whining and a few bouts of boredom were really the only challenges that we faced. And me occasionally getting hangry. We picked the perfect time to visit Disneyland, too - the off-peak week between their Halloween and Christmas events. The park never felt crowded and the longest wait time for a ride was maybe 25 minutes (excluding the 45 minute wait to meet three princesses at the Royal Hall... [insert eye roll here]). All in all, it was a magical experience for everyone. And because I took so many pictures, I'm breaking this post into two parts...

DAY ONE: 10AM - 8PM, 6.8MI WALKED
we're going to Disneyland!
arrive at the park and get 1st-visit buttons
meet Jasmine and Aladdin
ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
meet Tiana
ride Jungle Cruise
meet Moana
play in Tarzan's Treehouse
eat a quick sandwich for lunch
ride Pirates of the Caribbean
eat a Disneyland churro (except me because, sadly, not gluten free)
ride Haunted Mansion
ride Splash Mountain
meet Tigger, Eeyore, & Pooh
ride Winnie the Pooh
eat a second lunch of sandwiches
run into the Bootstrappers
a few ride Splash Mountain again
stroll past Dr. Facilier (Shadow Man from Princess & the Frog)
eat Dole Whips (main reason I went to Disneyland)
go to the Tiki Room
meet Snow White, Ariel, & Cinderella at the Royal Hall
do the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthough
eat dinner in New Orleans Square - chicken strips & fries for kids, turkey legs for mom & dad
ride Haunted Mansion again
buy each kid a stuffed animal on way out
pass out hard in the car

Side note: both girls each had 3 different mouse ears to chose from. All the ears.

HAPPIEST BLOG POST ON EARTH - Prequel

Where do I even start? Six months ago, I thought I had an opportunity to travel to England this November. So I saved my money religiously and the mr. took off the corresponding time from work. As November drew closer, I realized just how mistaken I was - England was not meant to be. I was crushed. I still am. BUT it put me in a position where I had saved a nice chunk of change and, one day, a lightbulb went off in my head. I decided that I wanted to take my family to Disneyland. We have a 10 year plan as far as major trips go; this year, we went to SeaWorld. Next up is LegoLand in 2019. Disneyland isn't suppose to happen for our family until 2021 - four years from now. But I didn't want to wait any longer. And I had the means to make it happen NOW - not to mention the mr. already had the time off from work. Without saying a thing to our children, the mr. and I started planning. We inundated the littles with every Disney movie and Disney song that we could get our hands on. We talked about it regularly, but the kids KNEW our trip was still another four years away. They were entirely in the dark and it stayed that way until the morning of Disneyland - even after making the long drive to California the evening before...

STATION TOUR

Just over a week ago, I took my little preschoolers (and a couple of siblings) to our local fire station for a tour. We got to learn all about their gear, their engines, and their routine. The firefighters helping us were awesome and answered every question that we could throw at them. The kids most definitely had a blast.

THE FORCE

I am 100% into family themed Halloween costumes. Shocker, right? This year, we tackled Star Wars. We originally planned to include Darth Vader and a stormtrooper, but I make our costumes from scratch and the idea of trying to mold plastic and affix it to clothing just didn't appeal to me. Sewing three jedi jackets (without a pattern) and a few other pieces was more than enough. I'm pleased with how everything turned out and the kids were beyond excited to wield lightsabers and guns all night. Halloween was a blast - we had our annual neighborhood Halloween party, complete with bounce house, pony, hot dogs, soda, popcorn, cotton candy, and a bunch of other games and activities. Such great neighbors, such great fun.