::maybe the last disney trip part 1::

Kris's last airway course for the year (and maybe forever, we're not totally sure) came only a short 1.5-2 weeks after our California trip.  Should I have maybe stayed home with the kiddos?  Maybe.  Did I?  No!

We do have thos Disneyland passes and the more we go the more value per visit we get--motivation for any financially minded person, right? (insert winky face).



I like to think of this Disney visit as the visit of Mr. Toad.  We went on Mr Toad's wild ride for the first time on our visit with Kris in January, and Max couldn't think about anything else.

So even though there was at least a 20 min wait (maybe longer) we went on the stinking ride 3 or maybe 4? times that weekend.



Lucy, as usual was just along for the ride.  There couldn't be a more patient baby.

We got to go out to CA a little earlier than usual, so we had all day Thursday to have fun.  Kris really wanted to practice his surfing, so he dropped us off at the park in the morning and went to Huntington Beach.


It was kind of a crazy Disneyland day.  Not very busy, hardly any school aged kids but lots of little ones, and lots of ride closures.  It seemed like almost half of the park was closed.  And so Fantasyland was slammed even though it was supposed to be pretty quiet.

Oh well, it's never TOO slow at Disneyland, no matter how much you wish and hope it will be.



I finally gave in and decided to go on the teacups with Sandy.  I didn't get too sick, but I wouldn't let him spin the cup.  Mean Mom.  He thought it was super fun.



We had lunch in Tomorrowland up where we could see the Jedi Training Academy.  Max was really hoping that Sandy would be brave enough to participate.  Sandy was all brave and ready until he walked up and saw Darth Maul out there being creepy and then he was OUT.  No amount of guilting, shaming, wheedling or cajoling by Max could talk him into it.



Poor Lucy sucks up the dregs of somebody's mac & cheese or something.



Silly kids.



So I'm pretty sure this is us on the bus from the parking lot on the next day.  Sandy has his ubiquitous drinking straw with him.  It was saved from the day before (by me of course).  It's a stand in for a light saber in a pinch.  How many times have I been hit in the face with it?  Lots.



Love heart love love.



This day was super busy at both parks, so we took it easy.  We've learned this year that the key to having a good time when it's busy is just slowing down and enjoying the details.

Here we are in a private little nook I found for the lunch, eating delicious and non-nutritiuos huge corn dogs.  In the above photo I'm telling Max to back up so we can see more of the scene.



And there we are, the privacy was fabulous.



And here I am saying "Max, QUIT taking pictures now, that's enough!!!"  And Lucy is avoiding a face wipe.  As usual.  There's nothing she hates more than getting her face wiped.



Max is always begging to carry Lucy in lines and when we're walking.  I say no 99% of the time and so this 1% of the time in the Small World line I said yes.  She sure loves him and trusts him way more than she should.



Think they have the same genetics?  Look at those curly tongues!  What were they both doing here?



And of course, to wrap it up, here's Sandy with the crazy enormous cookie he picked out after much deliberation.

::::

Good morning says Lucy!!!

On this day I was playing around with my eyeshadow and ended up really really green.  I kind of really liked it but also kind of was scared of it.



I like it in the picture now though.  Lucy thought it looked weird.

::lovely::

The flowers Max got me for my birthday all bloomed out and they look so happy and springy!



I love them!  And the contrast between their cheery colors and the lovely wood is gorgeous too.  Thanks cute Maxie!

::::

So since Miss Lucy decided that she would start climbing up on the step to the bathtub my life has gotten a little more complicated.

She snuck up there one time while I was doing something and fell off and it was not fun at all.

So now while I get ready in the morning she gets to play in the tub.  It's pretty much a ready made play pen!  She actually likes it pretty well--for now.  I'm sure not for long.



Silly goose.  I sure do love her.
(She's wearing her "immodest mermaid dress" according to Max.  So funny.)

::sickies::

Sunday morning the day after my birthday Sandy woke up feeling not so hot--or actually kind of hot I guess.  He was snorting and coughing and kind of nasty.  I didn't feel all that great myself, so I quickly found a sub for my primary class and the little ones and I stayed home.



I think Lucy is teething right now, but I can't prove it.  She had some sad times that morning.  Tears and whining and complaining.  Looking back at these photos I'm not sure where Sandy was...he was there somewhere though.



So pitiful!!



She had a couple of happy times too.



Yes, it looks like she licked a lemon in the above picture, but she didn't.  The reason why she's making that super goofy face is because since Max got his camera for Christmas he's been taking pictures of her non-stop.  And with the flash all the time.  So every time she sees his camera come out she starting blinking and squinting.  It's hilariously cute.  I keep telling him to stop blinding her, the poor thing.



But how can he help taking zillions of photos of that little face?



And here she is in the kitchen while I'm trying to get lunch ready before the boys come home.  I think I gave her every safe utensil in the drawer trying to keep her entertained.  It didn't work.



Goofy baby.  Maybe she'll get some teeth sometime soon and things can settle down a little bit....maybe....

::birfday 3::

Kris surprised me with a pinata!!  It was so fun because a couple of days before I had been reminiscing and telling the boys about how we did a pinata for my birthday EVERY year and it was so fun.  The boys were all jealous.  And then I walked out of my bedroom and there was a lovely pink fringey pinata just waiting to be smacked.



And the sunroom was just the perfect indoor venue.


Sandy was so excited to use the old rusty pipe to smack the pinata.  "It's just like in the Three Caballeros!!!"



I'm looking at the below picture and realizeing that Max is getting SO tall.  It's scary!



He was really tough on the poor pinata too.



Sandy giggled his way through some whacks.

I tried to give Lucy a turn but she didn't want to hold the pipe.



The piñata was all full of treats and glittery confetti and the confetti went everywhere.  And I mean EVERYWHERE.


And then after the pinata finally broke I picked up the remnants and poured the sparkles on Sandy's head.  I only thought there were a few left, but there were tons.  He was plastered with glitters.  Whoops.



Check out the aftermath.  It was so fun.



I had a super fun day.  I'm so lucky to have this little family with my sweet boys and my little girly and Kris.  I couldn't be more blessed with my cute people.

::birfday 2::

After skiing everybody came home and got clean.  Sandy took an eternal nap.  Ages and ages in the bubbles.  All Lucy wanted to do was jump in there.  Can you see that she's climbed up on the step to the bathtub?  Crazy kid!



We did some normal saturday chores and then later Max and Kris set up a party for me!  We all had awesome hats.  I had the special "princess hat" according to Sandy.



Lucy's had is hilarious.  It almost looks like it's photoshopped in the way it's sitting on her head.



Somehow Lucy kept the hat on.  It blew my mind.



YUMMMY CAKE.



Kris got us takeout from Harry's Roadhouse for dinner.   Meatloaf and broccoli and mashed potatos.  So good.



Sand and Lucy were already in their PJs.  That's really the best way to eat dinner, in my opinion.



Max got me those flowers!  Kris said he thought of it and went and picked them out all by himself.  I love love the colors.  So gorgeous!



Yes, Lucy dropped her plate on the floor almost immediately after this picture.



Yes I love her even though she's cranky and teething right now.  So cranky.  So cute.



And then NEXT....

::birfday 1::

My birthday was sooooo snowy.  It snowed most of the day before and a lot of the early morning.  We had been planning to go up skiing for the morning anyway, and all the snow just made it look like a even better opportunity.



It was only my second time.  My first time I didn't fall down once.  This time I fell down and skiied into a fence as soon as I got off the lift.  Of course everyone was there to see. Oh well.

When I got on the big lift for the first time I didn't know what I was doing, so I messed up and ended up going on by myself because I missed a gate that only opened for about 2 seconds.  Anyway, I had a nice peaceful ride up the mountain by myself.



Going down the bigger runs was a little intimidating but I didn't fall down or ski off the mountain, so I was glad about that.  My legs got incredibly tired though--turns out my boots weren't on quite tight enough.  By the time I got down to the bottom of the mountain I was wasted.



Lucy was in the childcare down at the lodge so I went to check on her and she was doing great.  I only had gotten a morning lift pass so we were almost out of time.  Max and Kris came down from the big fancy runs to meet us and Max went on the easy hill with me a few times.









This next picture was of when I dropped my glove out of my lap because I was too busy taking photos with my phone and then I caught it with my skis. It was pretty impressive.




Max and I had fun on the lift and it was fun for me to see how good he's gotten with all his lessons and practicing.  He's great at turning and he's very confident on his skis.  Super silly, but confident.  And somehow he didn't trip me on my way down the hill, though I was sure he would.

It really started to snow just as we were coming down the hill for the last time.  It was beautiful but really really cold!



Then we gathered all our people up, had lunch at the cafeteria and headed back home.  I really had a good time.  I think everybody else did too. Even Sandy had fun his little ski lesson, though he tried to pretend he didn't.

More to come.