When my mom first told me she was taking the kids and me to Disneyland, my first impulse was to leave Katie home. She was one and a half when the announcement came. She seemed too little to get into the experience and she was just starting to enter the difficult stage of independence. I was worried that four kids might be a bit too much for my mom and I to handle. My mom was giving us such a generous gift and I didn't want her to wind up so exhausted she regretted it.
(I'm cute, but, watch out)
When I told this thought to my mom, she said, "no," and went right to work on helping Katie "learn her princesses," so that she would be ready to fully embrace the experience. Sure enough, by the time our trip came, I couldn't fathom leaving this cutie behind. Instead, we dressed her up like a princess every day. Having her with us was a gift.
When Sophie was 2 1/2 she loved the Disney princesses. Then, she got to meet them, and, it was one of the best moments of parenthood to see her eyes light up as she ran to each one and gave them a huge hug. Seeing Katie meet the princesses was a lot like that.
And, I could tell that Sophie hasn't grown out of feeling the magic when she met the princesses, even now at the age of 10 (maybe she'll be like my mom and never grow out of it).
When I told this thought to my mom, she said, "no," and went right to work on helping Katie "learn her princesses," so that she would be ready to fully embrace the experience. Sure enough, by the time our trip came, I couldn't fathom leaving this cutie behind. Instead, we dressed her up like a princess every day. Having her with us was a gift.
When Sophie was 2 1/2 she loved the Disney princesses. Then, she got to meet them, and, it was one of the best moments of parenthood to see her eyes light up as she ran to each one and gave them a huge hug. Seeing Katie meet the princesses was a lot like that.
And, I could tell that Sophie hasn't grown out of feeling the magic when she met the princesses, even now at the age of 10 (maybe she'll be like my mom and never grow out of it).
She was still excited to see the princesses, but, at the top of her list this time around was meeting the fairies. In particular, Tinkerbell's friend Fawn (who she dressed up as for Halloween). We had to wait in line for over an hour, and we didn't know which fairy (besides Tinkerbell) we would meet in advance. When it was finally our turn, guess who was there?
(Sophie and Ian with Fawn)And, that sums up how a lot of this trip went. Being in the right places at the right times and every wish coming true.
(random pic of my kids goofing off in Downtown Disney)This time it was my mom's turn to go back to the hotel (with Katie) for a nap while I took the kids to meet characters and ride rides. I was proud of Ian for riding the Matterhorn (did I mention my kids don't like the 'big' rides?)
We took a break for a treat and each of the kids got an ice-cream cone. Isaac just could not decide between white (vanilla) and green (chocolate chip mint), so at the last minute, I let him have both. Look how happy he is with his huge ice-cream cone. I should have let them all get double scoops.
When it got late, I took Katie and Isaac back to the room for a reasonable bedtime while My mom took Sophie and Ian to Fantasmic and the fireworks. Do you still remember the first time you saw Fantasmic? I do.
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