Ahhh! Vacation

When last I left off, we were getting ready for our California/Disneyland trip.  Of course we went with all of Utah and Gilbert,AZ school district because we chose to go over fall break.  It also happened to be Columbus day that week which was good and bad.  Good because the park was open later on one of the days, bad because there were more people there that day.

We stayed in a beach house at Surfside which is right by Huntington Beach. The minute we got there clothes were thrown off and swim suits were pulled on. The weather was nice, but not warm enough for me to get in the water. I am a cold wuss.

The beach we played on.  The girls loved the park on the beach because they didn't have to wear their shoes.

Kelsey

 

Braden.  I was crossing my fingers that a rogue wave didn't come and drench him.

Loving the water.  He also loved the sand.  He and Macy are beach lovers.  They have been that way from the first moment they stepped onto a beach.

Kelsey boogie boarding with the help from dad.



Macy catching some waves.  The girl is an animal at the beach.  She loves everything about the beach.

 

Too cute not to post.  We were enjoying the sunset and Braden was enjoying the glass railing on the deck.



First night's sunset.

We spent 2 days at Disneyland.  The final verdict from me: that is not enough time.  Brian was probably okay.  I wanted one more day so the kids could go back and hit there favorite rides again.  It would have been nice to see some shows too.  We missed the new one Color my World.  We planned on going until we saw the hour + wait that formed the minute California Adventure opened.  And that was just for the fast pass and the show started at 9 PM that night.  Next time.

Macy was able to go on every ride and she loved them all.  I think she loved being a big kid.  Her favorite ride was Indian Jones.  Somehow she finagled a way on to the ride two times.  She tried for a third with her dad but the park was closing and the wait was still an hour long.  She loved all the big rides.

Kelsey was able to go on all of them except for Indian Jones.  We scared her on Tower of Terror and Space Mountain.  She started crying the minute Tower of Terror started.  Her favorite rides were Soarin' over California, Big Thunder Railroad and It's a Small World.  She also liked Go-go Gadget's Coaster.  Her big story was when she grabbed this huge leaf in Bug's Life.  Being a kid she tore it into pieces.  Well the sap caused an allergic reaction and her palms stung and itched tremendously.  After a trip to the first aid station, washing for five minutes continuously and then washing with calamine lotion for five minutes and then forgetting about the itching, she was fine.  Hopefully she will quit destroying leaves.

Braden was just the best kid and was really quite pleasant despite not having naps.  The second day we pushed him hard.  We hit Disneyland at 9 AM and left at 11 PM.  When it was naptime that day, stubborn met stubborn.  I pushed him back and forth in the stroller along Cannery Row in CA Adventure for a straight 20 to 30 minutes until he fell asleep.  I thought the cobblestones would help bump him to sleep.  He only had one major meltdown and that was in the hour + wait for the new Toy Story ride in California Adventure (loved it by the way, but they need a fast pass for that one).  This melt down started to occur when we were only 10 minutes from the front of the line.  It included throwing himself onto the ground.  It was grand.  To end the misery my dad slipped out of line and grabbed his blanket and then slipped back in somehow and then all was well.

It had been years (at least 15) since I had been to Sea World.  So we made the drive.  Kelsey loved it.  Macy wanted more rides.  My verdict: save your money and go to an aquarium.  We have been to the Long Beach Aquarium, which is just up from Huntington Beach, and it was so much better.  You can also do that in a half day for a third of the cost.  There is a whole lot more fish and a lot more to learn.  You do miss out on the dolphins and the whales at aquariums.

My mom filming us as we get off the Matterhorn.

 

Notice my mom still filming.  I think she filmed everything at Disneyland, including the rides.  She even filmed the entire time on the tea cups.  Anyone want to watch some home videos?



Finally crashed and burned right as we were leaving the park.

Waiting in line for the "Tower of Terror"



Coming out of the "Tower of Terror" and she is not going to let go of dad.



After the meltdown at Toy Story Mania. The blanket and glasses made him feel better.

Our only family photo and it was taken right after Brian dropped the camera.  It is broken and part of my excuse for taking so long to get this post was I could not get my pictures off the camera because of the accident.  Somehow my mom managed to get the camera to work long enough to snap this photo and a few others.

Finally getting her Minnie ears.  She had been begging all day.

Holding up the line.  Braden and I snuck in to catch up with the girls and the employees weren't thrilled but I don't think they understood we had gotten seperated.

Not sure what those looks are supposed to mean.

Kelsey feeding the seals real fish.  Macy wouldn't touch the fish.  I don't blame her.

These beggars were so funny.  These were the guys Kelsey was feeding.

The whole family petting the rays except for me and Macy.  Not my thing.  Braden tried and tried but they were always just past his reach.  Then he just wanted to splash in the water.