DISNEYLAND

Maximus,
   We just returned from the world famous happiest-place-on-earth Disneyland Resort for our first official family vacation and it was a trip that deserves a blog post so that you can relive it one day since you most likely won't remember it at all.
   Last month I found out I was off work on my birthday and that I would have 5 days in a row to spend with my 3 boys. Since you are at the age where you are still free at Disney and daddy is off for summer, I thought it would be perfect timing to take you and Titus. So we threw this trip together in a matter of a couple of weeks.

On the way to Disneyland

   Coming hot off the heels of a 10 day Ohio trip, you and your brother have been very much off schedule, we have all been sleep-deprived and you have been fed a steady diet of less than healthy food. This all was the perfect setup for a high intensity, quick 4 day trip to one of the busiest and most exciting places on earth.  To add to the excitement, we have been building this trip with you up for the past three weeks.
   The day we left was Father's Day. Daddy, Titus and I were all sleeping soundly in our room when you came running in and greeted us with the cutest/funniest wake up call ever... "TODAY WE ARE GOING TO DISNEYLAND! ...AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU I HAVE A FULL DIAPER (turns to the side)." Daddy and I cracked up laughing as we so often do because of you. Then we got the minivan packed up and we were on our way...
   The next several hours were reminiscent of an old movie called "Griswold Family Vacation" that was a humorous film about the disasters that a family encountered trying to take a family trip.
   The drive was only 6 hours but it felt like an eternity. Titus HATES his carseat and he let us know that for the majority of the drive. When I hear one of my babies crying I get anxious and snappy, so it wasn't long before I was in a really bad mood. You were pretty good just relaxing in your seat watching movies but you kept peeing in your pull-up which frustrated me because you have been potty trained for several months. Then we parked to go to the bathroom at a gas station and somehow 300 flies (exaggeration) got trapped inside our van and we spent the remainder of the drive trying to shoe them out.

You at the pool where you met a friend.

   Finally, we arrived at the Disneyland Hotel only about 1 hour later than we had planned. We checked in and got in our swimsuits and decided to spend the afternoon at the pool. But when we got to the pool you became very nervous and hesitant and refused to go on the slides (even the little one for babies) so we basically just waded around in the knee deep water for a couple of hours then went in and got ready for dinner.
   Since it was Father's Day, we let daddy pick where we would go to eat. He decided on ESPN Zone and it seemed like a good fit because we could play games while we waited on our seat. However, while we were waiting you started to cry and complain of a tummy ache. We were playing air hockey and all of the sudden I saw what looked like a string of vomit coming out of your mouth. I sprinted over to you, picked you up and ran to the bathroom. You were crying by that point as I tried to convince you to throw up in the potty. You never did throw up and we chalked it up to a stomach ache from being over-hungry. Still, we didn't want to take any chances in case you were sick so we ended up getting food to go and eating in the hotel room and watching fireworks through the window.
   The next morning you got a wake up call from Mickey Mouse. It was so cute. The phone startled you out of sleep and you started crying, but then when you heard Mickey's voice you jumped up and were so excited and said in your sleepy voice "ITS MICKEY! WE'VE GOT TO GET UP AND GO SEE HIM!" So Day 2 started.

Diaper change on the Ferris Wheel

   It was overall a pretty good day. We went early to California Adventure Park for the extra hour that we got for staying at the park. We figured it was a good time to go on some of the more popular rides so we wouldn't have to wait in line. Unfortunately Titus was on a different schedule than the rest of us and ended up being hungry right at the start of our day and then having a meltdown and diaper blow out on the Ferris Wheel- our second ride of the day. We spent the rest of the day going on different rides and stopped briefly for a nap midday. By the end of the day you were quite exhausted and hungry. We made it to dinner at a pizza place in downtown Disney just in time for you to have a meltdown and Titus to have another diaper blowout. We cleaned him up and calmed you down and then you spilled your entire glass of water all over the table and floor. Daddy and I were basically just laughing at this point because nothing was going smoothly. Luckily we made it back to the hotel and everyone got a good night sleep in preparation for our next big day in Disneyland Park.

Meeting Sophia the First

    Day three went much smoother. It was my birthday and you made it very special. You and daddy gave me cards in the morning and later that morning you handed me a beautiful yellow leaf and told me it was for my birthday. It was so special and I plan to save it forever. You were happy all day and could often be seen singing your go-to song when you are excited "Baby baby oh," by Justin Bieber. You were still a bit timid to ride some of the rides (after waiting 50 mins in line you decided you didn't want to ride Peter Pan- you still did though). We had a great day. You rode a lot of rides and LOVED meeting Mickey Mouse. This was good considering the day before you were terrified of Sophia the First.
      The day we went home we had breakfast with the characters. That was a special tradition we always did with my family when I was a kid and I wanted you to get to experience it too. Luckily we got to see a lot of characters- Mickey, Pluto, Daisy and -your favorite- Minnie. You had missed her at the park and so it was a big deal when you got to see her. She made over you a lot and the Daisy came over and they were both fighting over you. It was really cute and I could tell you loved having all of the attention.
    Now we are home and you still talk about Disney all of the time. I can't wait to go back again!