Magical

When we FINALLY pulled into the driveway this afternoon, Josh told us the plan. "When I get out of the car I am going to my room and I am locking the door. I don't want to see any of you for the rest of the night."

Stupid Utah weather - It forced us to change departure and arrival dates just to miss the STINKIN' snow. Despite the snow, we had a great time and made lasting family memories. (I am only being kind of sincere.)



Day one: Hoover Dam
I REALLY thought this would be a fun and educational experience for the kids. The tour was much too long and expensive, so we just hoofed it to the top and walked across the beautiful new bridge. I was terrified but made it across and back in a jiffy. The precious and unspoiled children were NOT impressed with this wonder of the west, so we savored it for less than 30 minutes. We did impress them a little later when we hit a cute cafe for breakfast that had been featured on Diner's Drive In's and Dives, one of their favorite shows. Apparently Guy Fieri knows what kids like, and it aint' the Hoover Dam.





I forgot how long a drive it is from here to there. The kids, except Claire, were great. They entertained themselves the entire drive and didn't really need to pee much. Claire was a little whiny and a tiny pain. What she lacks in patience she makes up for in cuteness, so I forgave her and turned up the radio. Erik and I listened to a great book on tape the ENTIRE drive - both ways. It was like a little vacation from each other. The book was called Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. It was one of the best books I have ever read. . . Anyway we finally made it to Anaheim and rested for the days ahead.



The kids, except Claire loved our days at the park. We rode the same rides again and again, Claire laid in the stroller and begged to go back to the hotel and we walked and walked and walked. Our motel was about a quarter mile from the park so I forced the family to walk to and from The Happiest Place on Earth each time we went. It seemed easier than waiting for the bus, loading up, making another stop and getting dropped off - it also made me feel better about the corndogs and churros I HAD to have.



I gave Claire her wish a few times and took her back to the hotel so she could play Polly Pockets and relax in her bed. Since I don't like many rides, I was fine with it too. While we rested, the other part of the family spent every second in the park. They rode EVERY ride that was fast and scary. Their favorite was Screamin' California. They were so excited to go upside down on a roller coater for the first time - I don't know how we share DNA.



The kids really loved the new feature at California Adventure called "World of Color." (It could be old, but it was new to us!)




We forced them on a few kiddie rides to try to make Claire happy, but J & A didn't like wasting their time on such boring rides.
Ali has a new founded loathing of "It's a Small World." She still can't get the song out of her head.



We finally made it home after trudging through some bad weather and some weary kids. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed and kick my own cat tonight.