The Happiest Place on Earth

Most posts are devoted to Alexander, which is why most of you dial in. But tonight, I want to share stories of our trip to Disneyland over Thanksgiving weekend with our faithful fans (ok, Alexander's faithful fans) instead.

Grandpa picked us up at 6:00 Thanksgiving morning for transport to the airport. We kissed the little man goodbye, he waved and giggled as we shut the door and I cried all the way through security. We had a flawless flight, shuttle transfer, hotel check in, and by 1:30 that afternoon, we were in Disneyland! By this time, we had called home 2 or 3 times and the little man was doing just fine with my family. The park was relatively empty so we rode ride after ride, shopped for treats, and around 11 that night, I had had enough. But it was wonderful to walk hand in hand with Eric, soak in the sunshine, play like little kids, and realize that even with the change that life has brought us, we still just really like hanging out together.

After a lovely sleep in on Friday, we headed to California Adventure for more rides and lunch. The parks were heavier with tourists on this day so mid afternoon, we headed back for a nap to avoid the craziness. Casey and Fidelia (my cousin and wife) were going to drive down from LA to join us at the park that night so we wanted to be well rested for the fun they were sure to bring with them. It had been 10 years since we last played in Disneyland with these two and we couldn't wait for the reunion. And they did not disappoint us. I don't think any of us stopped grinning the entire time. We met up with them about 5PM and played until midnight. At some point between Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain, Fidelia and I got thirsty and started picturing pints of Blue Moon in our hands. So, we traveled to a bar in Downtown Disney and continued our evening until last call. Mmmm...we love Blue Moon. BTW Jodie, the pictures we sent were the boys' idea...we missed you.

Saturday morning brought another sleep in before we met up with my co-worker to get tickets for the park. Again, the park was pretty empty so we rode the rides, shopped even more and enjoyed yet another nap. I can see why Alexander takes naps everyday. Speaking of Alexander, it was on day 3 where we both realized we were noticing all the toddlers around us and wondering if Alexander would react the same way as these exhausted, crying children, had we brought him. The answer is a resounding yes. After a few hours of looking at other people's children, we both missed our son terribly and decided we would not return to Disneyland until the little man was at least 42 inches tall (min requirement for most rides).

Let's fast forward to Saturday night and the very reason we were at Disneyland...we were going to enter Club 33. Did you know there is a 14 year waiting list to be a member? We had reservations at 8:30 to meet at the door of Club 33 and as we walked through that door, I couldn't help but giggle uncontrollably. This is a piece of Disney history, people, and WE were about to experience it! After a few cheesy pictures, we settled down to eat an amazing meal. Eric had the vintner(sp?) option , where each course is pre-determined with a wine pairing. Deliciousness. I had prawns, chateaubriand and a blueberry tart for dessert. Deliciousness. We've had many memorable meals since we've been married and this one definitely rates in the top 5. Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Crazy. It was worth every minute of missing our son who was loving life with his grandparents, Auntie "mim", Uncle RJ and cousin Lorelli. In fact, when Kim dropped him off today, he climbed back in her car and waved bye bye to me. Yes, he was just fine.

Click on the slideshow for a few fun pictures of our trip!