Disneyland Part 1

 We went to Disneyland!  It was a first for all of us.  We kept it a secret until we were all in the car, going to the airport.  It took a long time before the kids realized we weren't joking!

The first day we relaxed, enjoying the sunshine and the pool.

Never hurts to brush up on the swimming skills.  Carson is still brave enough to jump in.

Spencer practiced his breast stroke.

That night we went to a pizza place where Carson ate us all under the table!

Next morning--Disney!!  The flowers were amazing...if I tried to plant a Mickey Mouse flower bed, he would probably look warped. Since none of us knew much about the rides, we started with Splash Mountain--big mistake!  Carson and I are not thrill seekers, so when we plunged down a couple of "waterfalls," we were not happy about it.  In fact, I know I was screaming and Carson cried and yelled, "I HATE IT!!  I HATE IT!!"  He didn't trust anyone for a while after that.  Andy and Spencer went off to do more thrill seeking types of things while Carson and I looked for the tame rides.

He wasn't bothered at all by this big whale from "Pinocchio."

A carousel is a sure bet.  We both enjoyed that.  I was surprised at how many babies (even infants) were there.  We left Parker with my parents and I was glad we did.  There wasn't much there he would have enjoyed or been big enough to do.  Maybe when he's old enough to get through the car wash without crying he can go to Disneyland too!

If you know anything about Star Wars, you know that it's every boy's dream to be a Jedi knight.  There was an interactive show where kids can receive "Jedi training."  Spencer was a "chosen one."  They all wore Obi-Wan-Kenobi robes and were taught how to fight with a light saber.

Then the stage rose into the air and Darth Vader and the storm troopers appeared!

Here is Spencer fighting a bad guy named Darth Maul.

All the little Jedis reported to their superior officer.  The opportunity of a lifetime!  I noticed another little boy in pajamas with a tracheotomy on his throat.  He had obviously been through some rough times.  Someone made sure he got to participate.  The look on his face was priceless.  He was beaming!  It made me all weepy just to watch him, sweet little guy.
 

Spencer and Andy went on the adventurous rides.  This was Space Mountain!

Carson and I did the rocket ride together.  I have to say I felt pretty brave doing all these rides where you fly around in the air.  Heights are not typically my strong point.

This is how we all felt at the end of the day!  Time for dinner and bed!

So we went to dinner and when we came back, we saw that the maids had been in to tidy our room.  They laid out Carson's blanket, folded his jammies, and posed his favorite stuffed dog, Pongo.  How cute is that?!  Carson left them a note the next morning saying, "Thank you for cleaning our room.  From, Carson"  Everyone we encountered was very nice.  I guess you have to be pleasant when you work so close to Disneyland!