Tuesday, May 14, 2013
17 weeks! And it's a....
A Boy! And a Boy! Wow! We are so happy and Amazed and Excited! I kind of felt all along that I might have 2 boys, but when I think about 2 more makes 5, I can hardly believe it! 5 boys! A whole basketball team! :) So much fun! :) Here comes double trouble! Or as Calvin puts it, the brothers are going to be the "Fantastic Five!" :)
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Disneyland Fun!
Three days spent at Disneyland has been a magical dream come true. We arrived on Monday at our cute little garden of a hotel the Candy Cane Inn. First thing the kids wanted to do was swim! They couldn't wait to hop in the pool and I laughed so hard because neither Calvin or Ben have been swimming all winter and they both just dove right in without life jackets on, swam around for a minute, then totally panicked when they couldn't touch the ground. It was 5.5 ft deep. I had to go in and save them! Luckily I had my suit on. I just didn't look like a very sympathetic mother laughing at my children as they freak out like they're drowning. Needless to say they were much more cautious from then on. :)
Later that evening we visited downtown Disney and ate dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. We got to sit by the gigantic Apes that "come alive"every ten minutes or so and the boys thought it was so cool. They liked watching the fish in the fish tank and especially the creepy eel. They enjoyed building Lego race cars at the Lego store and racing them, and listening to the music from live bands playing in the street. Then it was back to our room to bed.
Our first day In Disneyland we actually spent the whole day in California Adventures. It all started off with a ride on the big Ferris wheel! :) We got the swinging gondola of course and I haven't laughed so hard in all my life! There we were all 5 of us in this gondola that swings you out over the water periodically as the ferris wheel turns. It was really thrilling! But Jeff and the kids were totally FREAKing out! I'm talking screams of bloody murder, heart attack clinging to the seat and to me, tears, moaning, etc. Jeff even hated it, in his terrified/on-the-verge-of-angry-voice he said, "Jennifer, this is not funny, you got us on here on purpose!" the lady at the bottom even asked if everyone was ok before sending us up and around again. I most definitely reassured her we were all fine. ;) I know I sound a bit mean, but it really made my day! :) it made my whole trip! :)
The kids really enjoyed all the other rides. Calvin loved the Screaming roller coaster, Tommy loved shooting targets on the "woody" ride and Ben loved the swings.
Then it was off to Carsland. We got so lucky in timing the rides. We never waited longer than 15 minutes this first day. We would have waited forever for the Cars ride, but they shut it down for a couple hours for maintenance and when we walked up the line just re-opened and we were right at the front! That ride was so cute and it really made you feel like you had stepped inside the movie. Ben and Calvin were especially excited when their race car won the race! Ben even announced, "now that's what I call REAL racing!" :)
We went to see bugs land and Tommy had some fun on the little kid rides there. He thought the bumper cars were awesome, the caterpillar ride with dripping watermelon was fun for him, etc. We got pictures with Mickey Mouse and Pluto, got to ride the Grizzly gulch raft ride over and over (Ben git soaking wet, but loved it.) Soarin' over California was another favorite, and we definitely did not miss Tower of Terror! Yep, I took the big boys on that one! They freaked! Ben had a few tears, Calvin refused to go again so Jeff went alone, but it was awesome! :)
Then it was back over to see the World of Color Lights and Water show! It was Amazing! The kids were so wiped out by the end of the day that towards the end of the show Ben and Tommy fell asleep.
Then we headed back to the hotel when the park closed.
Once back at the hotel the big boys all went swimming again with Jeff. Tommy was cracking me up because he kept saying that he didn't want to swim in the cat pool. I was telling him there was a kiddie pool and he thought I meant kitty pool with cats in it. Yuck! :) funny boy!
We were up bright and early the next day to visit Disneyland. We lucked out again this day. We started out in Adventure land and got to ride the Indiana Jones ride several times before it got busy. Calvin thought it was pretty neat. The other boys explored Tarzan's tree house and had some snacks while waiting. Then we went out on the ferry boat to the pirate island and the kids got explore without a single person out there! Their imaginations were running wild and Ben got nervous about being captured by real pirates. Calvin reassured him that he hadn't seen any so he figured they were pretty safe. :) That's just what Disneyland does I think, it makes you believe in the impossible or unbelievable because it's so magical! I am so glad my boys could go there when their imaginations could just run wild!
We enjoyed the Pirates of the Caribbean, the log ride on splash mountain, Tommy got to see Pooh Bear his favorite! And Tigger and Eeore! He even gave them really long hugs, it's was so cute! He loved the Pooh Bear ride!
We took the big boys on the Rattling Matterhorn bobsleds and boy did I regret that one! It really shakes you up! Being 4 months pregnant with twins and jolting around like that was not so fun for me, so that ride Jeff got to repeat with the kids while I watched and waited and rested and hung out with Tommy. It was a hot day and we kept refreshed with our cooler full of cold drinks and snacks. This saved us a lot of money too considering each beverage to purchase is at least $2.79.
We continued on to Fantasyland where They rode the Dumbo ride, carousel, Peter Pan, Snow White,it's a small world, and one of Tommy's favorites the Tea Cups! I could only do that one once. Just sayin'...
After those we went on the submarine ride Buzz Lightyear, Star Tours, the cars one, the rockets etc. the lines were so short we got to ride most of these several times.
Once again, we didn't leave until the park closed. We were wiped out! Too tired even for late night swimming! Jeff and I were so impressed with how well behaved our kids were. They didn't complain, they walked and walked all day, they didn't beg for toys or treats, they were just having a blast!
For our third and final day, we decided to start our day in Toon Town, there a few fun little rides there and lots to see, but we made it a quick trip through knowing the boys had some favorite rides they wanted to go on again before leaving. We did all our favorite Disneyland rides, including the bobsleds! (not me this time) and even stopped by the Tiki room for some Dole Whips and the show. Today was a hot day and we felt like we were dragging. Then we found out it was 97 degrees! No wonder we were going through our drinks like crazy! We splurged and bought everyone some hand-dipped corn dogs and a cotton candy. Yum! After the Cars ride a few more times, we called it a day around 7:00 pm and headed back to our hotel to swim and cool off. We had so much fun! Loved every minute of it and only wished we could return more often! :)
We ordered pizza that night and hung out together. After a night swim, the boys raced their toy cars we bought at Wal Mart before the trip and just enjoyed the rest of the evening.
The next day we slept in, ate breakfast packed up all our things, checked out of our hotel and headed off to the beach! This was the perfect day to spend at the beach. It got up in 100's today in Disneyland! But here we were enjoying the ocean breeze and temperatures in the 70's. We all loved the beach and ended up spending the entire day there. The waves were so fun! Jeff and I went out quite a ways to ride the waves back in and it was crazy! This other guy was out there too a ways in front of us when the next thing I know a HUGE wave comes out of nowhere right at me with him in it! Well as it turns out, I got knocked to the ground by the wave and he went right over top of me! The kids saw the whole thing from the shore and thought for sure I was a goner. Those waves are amazingly powerful! And it really gives you a workout swimming in them after a while! It was so much fun! The kids dug up sea shells and treasures, built sand castles and water traps and just loved the sand and the sea!
We drove down the Pacific Coast Highway that afternoon/evening on our way to our next hotel. It was a beautiful drive.
About 45 min. south from Anaheim we decided to stay at the Days Inn in San Clemente. The hotel was so so, but
we had dinner at the BEST Mexican restaurant ever! La Siesta. We knew it must be good when there was a 30 min wait at 7:00 at night, and people were still waiting when we left around 8:00! I wish I could have my leftovers now it was so delicious!
The next morning (Saturday ) we had planned on visiting the old Mission in San Juan Capistrano and the gardens so Jeff could photograph for paintings. But they wanted 9$ per adult and 6$ per child to get in! I'd love to see it someday, but not for that much right now! Besides, there are lots of beautiful places for Jeff to photograph and paint for free.
So, we began our long treck home and since the kids were being so good the car, we just kept on driving. Lots of bathroom breaks and about 12 or so hours and we're home! :)
What a fun fun fun family vacation! I'm so glad we stretched our nonexistent budget and took the kids on a vacation! It was so worth it! I love the memories already! I'm glad my mom and sister's families went earlier this year and I'm thankful for all their good advice, it really helped us save money and enjoy our experience to the max!
Goodbye Disneyland! Hope to see you again soon! :)
Later that evening we visited downtown Disney and ate dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. We got to sit by the gigantic Apes that "come alive"every ten minutes or so and the boys thought it was so cool. They liked watching the fish in the fish tank and especially the creepy eel. They enjoyed building Lego race cars at the Lego store and racing them, and listening to the music from live bands playing in the street. Then it was back to our room to bed.
Our first day In Disneyland we actually spent the whole day in California Adventures. It all started off with a ride on the big Ferris wheel! :) We got the swinging gondola of course and I haven't laughed so hard in all my life! There we were all 5 of us in this gondola that swings you out over the water periodically as the ferris wheel turns. It was really thrilling! But Jeff and the kids were totally FREAKing out! I'm talking screams of bloody murder, heart attack clinging to the seat and to me, tears, moaning, etc. Jeff even hated it, in his terrified/on-the-verge-of-angry-voice he said, "Jennifer, this is not funny, you got us on here on purpose!" the lady at the bottom even asked if everyone was ok before sending us up and around again. I most definitely reassured her we were all fine. ;) I know I sound a bit mean, but it really made my day! :) it made my whole trip! :)
The kids really enjoyed all the other rides. Calvin loved the Screaming roller coaster, Tommy loved shooting targets on the "woody" ride and Ben loved the swings.
Then it was off to Carsland. We got so lucky in timing the rides. We never waited longer than 15 minutes this first day. We would have waited forever for the Cars ride, but they shut it down for a couple hours for maintenance and when we walked up the line just re-opened and we were right at the front! That ride was so cute and it really made you feel like you had stepped inside the movie. Ben and Calvin were especially excited when their race car won the race! Ben even announced, "now that's what I call REAL racing!" :)
We went to see bugs land and Tommy had some fun on the little kid rides there. He thought the bumper cars were awesome, the caterpillar ride with dripping watermelon was fun for him, etc. We got pictures with Mickey Mouse and Pluto, got to ride the Grizzly gulch raft ride over and over (Ben git soaking wet, but loved it.) Soarin' over California was another favorite, and we definitely did not miss Tower of Terror! Yep, I took the big boys on that one! They freaked! Ben had a few tears, Calvin refused to go again so Jeff went alone, but it was awesome! :)
Then it was back over to see the World of Color Lights and Water show! It was Amazing! The kids were so wiped out by the end of the day that towards the end of the show Ben and Tommy fell asleep.
Then we headed back to the hotel when the park closed.
Once back at the hotel the big boys all went swimming again with Jeff. Tommy was cracking me up because he kept saying that he didn't want to swim in the cat pool. I was telling him there was a kiddie pool and he thought I meant kitty pool with cats in it. Yuck! :) funny boy!
We were up bright and early the next day to visit Disneyland. We lucked out again this day. We started out in Adventure land and got to ride the Indiana Jones ride several times before it got busy. Calvin thought it was pretty neat. The other boys explored Tarzan's tree house and had some snacks while waiting. Then we went out on the ferry boat to the pirate island and the kids got explore without a single person out there! Their imaginations were running wild and Ben got nervous about being captured by real pirates. Calvin reassured him that he hadn't seen any so he figured they were pretty safe. :) That's just what Disneyland does I think, it makes you believe in the impossible or unbelievable because it's so magical! I am so glad my boys could go there when their imaginations could just run wild!
We enjoyed the Pirates of the Caribbean, the log ride on splash mountain, Tommy got to see Pooh Bear his favorite! And Tigger and Eeore! He even gave them really long hugs, it's was so cute! He loved the Pooh Bear ride!
We took the big boys on the Rattling Matterhorn bobsleds and boy did I regret that one! It really shakes you up! Being 4 months pregnant with twins and jolting around like that was not so fun for me, so that ride Jeff got to repeat with the kids while I watched and waited and rested and hung out with Tommy. It was a hot day and we kept refreshed with our cooler full of cold drinks and snacks. This saved us a lot of money too considering each beverage to purchase is at least $2.79.
We continued on to Fantasyland where They rode the Dumbo ride, carousel, Peter Pan, Snow White,it's a small world, and one of Tommy's favorites the Tea Cups! I could only do that one once. Just sayin'...
After those we went on the submarine ride Buzz Lightyear, Star Tours, the cars one, the rockets etc. the lines were so short we got to ride most of these several times.
Once again, we didn't leave until the park closed. We were wiped out! Too tired even for late night swimming! Jeff and I were so impressed with how well behaved our kids were. They didn't complain, they walked and walked all day, they didn't beg for toys or treats, they were just having a blast!
For our third and final day, we decided to start our day in Toon Town, there a few fun little rides there and lots to see, but we made it a quick trip through knowing the boys had some favorite rides they wanted to go on again before leaving. We did all our favorite Disneyland rides, including the bobsleds! (not me this time) and even stopped by the Tiki room for some Dole Whips and the show. Today was a hot day and we felt like we were dragging. Then we found out it was 97 degrees! No wonder we were going through our drinks like crazy! We splurged and bought everyone some hand-dipped corn dogs and a cotton candy. Yum! After the Cars ride a few more times, we called it a day around 7:00 pm and headed back to our hotel to swim and cool off. We had so much fun! Loved every minute of it and only wished we could return more often! :)
We ordered pizza that night and hung out together. After a night swim, the boys raced their toy cars we bought at Wal Mart before the trip and just enjoyed the rest of the evening.
The next day we slept in, ate breakfast packed up all our things, checked out of our hotel and headed off to the beach! This was the perfect day to spend at the beach. It got up in 100's today in Disneyland! But here we were enjoying the ocean breeze and temperatures in the 70's. We all loved the beach and ended up spending the entire day there. The waves were so fun! Jeff and I went out quite a ways to ride the waves back in and it was crazy! This other guy was out there too a ways in front of us when the next thing I know a HUGE wave comes out of nowhere right at me with him in it! Well as it turns out, I got knocked to the ground by the wave and he went right over top of me! The kids saw the whole thing from the shore and thought for sure I was a goner. Those waves are amazingly powerful! And it really gives you a workout swimming in them after a while! It was so much fun! The kids dug up sea shells and treasures, built sand castles and water traps and just loved the sand and the sea!
We drove down the Pacific Coast Highway that afternoon/evening on our way to our next hotel. It was a beautiful drive.
About 45 min. south from Anaheim we decided to stay at the Days Inn in San Clemente. The hotel was so so, but
we had dinner at the BEST Mexican restaurant ever! La Siesta. We knew it must be good when there was a 30 min wait at 7:00 at night, and people were still waiting when we left around 8:00! I wish I could have my leftovers now it was so delicious!
The next morning (Saturday ) we had planned on visiting the old Mission in San Juan Capistrano and the gardens so Jeff could photograph for paintings. But they wanted 9$ per adult and 6$ per child to get in! I'd love to see it someday, but not for that much right now! Besides, there are lots of beautiful places for Jeff to photograph and paint for free.
So, we began our long treck home and since the kids were being so good the car, we just kept on driving. Lots of bathroom breaks and about 12 or so hours and we're home! :)
What a fun fun fun family vacation! I'm so glad we stretched our nonexistent budget and took the kids on a vacation! It was so worth it! I love the memories already! I'm glad my mom and sister's families went earlier this year and I'm thankful for all their good advice, it really helped us save money and enjoy our experience to the max!
Goodbye Disneyland! Hope to see you again soon! :)
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