Where Dreams Come True...

A huge surprise vacay conspired between 2 families...

And it was a success!  What a wonderful, wonderful couple of days we've had...

A few months ago, we schemed with a few friends of ours and came up with a plan to take the kids to Disneyland.  Not only have our girls been obsessed with everything Disney princess-related...  Exhibit A...

But we knew this was just the perfect age to experience the land where dreams come true. 

Isaac, Dynelle, and the kids drove into town on Tuesday.  They had told Evey that they were going on a trip to Emmy's house, about 5 or so hours away.  Little did she know, we would all hop in the car the very next morning and drive a little further for a fun, enchanting little getaway.

We didn't tell the girls where we were going.  When we arrived at the hotel, unloaded the cars, and got settled in our side by side rooms, we packed the kids on the stroller and told them that we were going to the park.   And the weather agreed.  It was gorgeous.  There were clear beautiful skies and temps in the high 80s.  And as the sun laid to rest, there was a slight chill in the air that called for a little extra snuggling.  It was wonderful.

We got on a bus that makes mini-runs between the hotel and Disney, and let me tell you, it was quite the task.  Folding up strollers, swiping 6 bus tickets, grabbing multiple little hands, picking up and guiding the little ones up the steps and down the aisle.  The score is even.  Four adults.  Four kids.  We can do this...

So, there we were:  on a bus that takes us 4 blocks down the street to our destination.   Enter Toy Story buses.  These shuttles take guests back and forth between the park and the parking lot.  They were bright blue and had characters on them.  And Brenner was the first to spot them.  He can't say "Toy Story," but I knew it when he saw it.  He pointed and grinned and tried to say, "Hey!  That's my favorite movie!  Look, it's Toy Story!"  But it came out more like, "aaa  ehhh" and then I even think he threw a little "Buzz" in there.  The boy loves Buzz Lightyear.  So, we were all wondering how this was going to go down.  When are they going to know?  Are we going to enter the park, and the first character they're going to see will give it away?  Emmy can spot those Disney commercials like no other on tv.  So, I knew that she understood what Disney was.

So, we're driving down the street, stopping briefly to pick more people up, then over the loudspeaker, I hear something that says, "...Disneyland Resort."  Emmy grins and instantly repeats saying, "Disneyland?!?!?!?!"  The gig was up. 

And that's how our 3 day trip began.  We spent a lot of time in the princess part of Disneyland.  A lot of time.  Almost the entire time.  But it was worth it to see those 2 sweet girls' faces.  Emmy waited in line after line after line.  But we really had a system worked out where one of the dads would get in line and we'd run around with the kids, or finish up a ride, and then pop in line when they were 20 or so minutes out.  Yes, we learned a lot about patience.  Emmy and Evey did great waiting in lines.  Frankly, I don't know how.  They were long, the weather was hot, but it was so cute to hear Emmy's stories of encountering Rapunzel and Tinkerbell.  I would say that Emmy's favorite part was listening to a story-telling by Sleeping Beauty.  All the kids gathered around on the floor as Aurora and another royal lady told her story.  Emmy was hooked from her very first words, "Once upon a time..."  She hung on to every word, and it was just the cutest thing.  She also got to attend a royal coronation where she learned a royal dance with three of her favorite princesses.

 Singing, "Ring around the Rosy" with Belle and Tiana.  Cauuuute!

Another highlight from our trip was the fireworks that they have over the castle every night at about 8:45.  Amazing.  Breathtaking.  We watched it two nights in a row.  Brenner loved it.  And Emmy couldn't take the smile off her face.  We held them up, sometimes on our shoulders and when Tinkerbell came out and waved her little wand and danced her two feet as she poetically soared through the sky, the kids would get so excited.  Emmy tried her hardest to get her attention shouting, "Tinkerbell!  Tinkerbell!"  It was such a good show.  My friend got some good shots that I will have to add later...

Emmy and Evey at Pixie Hollow visiting Tinkerbell and the fairies...

Did we do rides?  Oh, did we do rides!  Brenner went on the merry-go-round and a rocket ride.  And when he saw Emmy and Daddy go on the teacups without him... man, he lost it!  He cried and screamed, threw a complete tantrum.  Emmy went on her first roller coaster and I'm proud to say, that she loved it!  Her comments were, "It went really high and then I went 'ahhhhhhhhh!  It was fun!  I want to do it again!"

 Can you spot Emmy on the carousel?  She's in the middle wearing a black shirt and black/white skirt and she's waving!

And the answer is, yes Emmy.  I think we will do that again.  Thank you, friends, for sharing this experience with us!  We had a super great time and hope to meet with the 4 of you again very soon! 

 Isaac and the girls

 Little Amelia 5 months

 Until next time...

Brenner & Emmy

Brenner is nearly 19 months now and he's quite the mover and shaker.  And by "mover," I mean, he's there one second and he's gone the next.  And by "shaker," I mean, he shakes the house upside down.  He hides things such as remotes, the kitchen towel hanger, Emmy's pj's in the potty.  Yeah, the normal stuff.  Yes one day I was checking in on Brenner, seeing what he was getting into...  I make my way to my bathroom and I see a trail of pj's followed up with about 5 pairs stuffed inside the toilet.  I quickly smile and giggle to myself, thinking... "So typical."  I mean, it seems like normal little boy behavior, right?  Emmy would never have done this in a million bajillion years.  It never would have crossed her mind.  But it's obviously crossed Brenner's.  Every time he pulls out her dresser drawer, and snags some tops and bottoms, the thought probably crosses his mind.  What shenanigans can I pull today?

He's a happy little guy who is entertained by his sissy.  They are the best of pals.  They make each other laugh, and make each other cry.  They can look at each other and then both get an expression that says, "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"  

Emmy gets very excited when she teaches Brenner something new.  Like instead of him signing "please", she'll get him to say, "please."  And then she'll get the biggest grin and say, "Good boy!"  She remembers the first time he said, "Emmy."  This happened a couple months ago while in the bathtub, and she still every now and then reminisces about it.  These little firsts don't only catch a hold of mommy's heart strings, but they capture a vivid memory from Emmy too.  

At 18 months, Brenner says lots of words:  Mommy, Daddy, juice, please, yes, no, shoes, eat, ball, more, thank you, diaper, bath, spoon...
And he can also make animal sounds.  He growls, oo oo ahh ahhs, moos and woofs
He imitates almost everything I say and do.  
He loves, loves, loves to race.  He also loves, loves, loves to eat.  If he's not eating, he's begging for food.  
He has a blankie that he drags around all day.  And when I wash it, it's as if I've taken his world away from him.  He sobs with his head on the floor, until reunited with his piece of soft comfort.

And he knows a couple phrases:  "I love you."  "Mommy, let me go!" 
And if you start counting, "One..."  He'll say, "Two!"  And you say, "Ready!  Set!"  And he'll finish, "GO!" 
His favorite movie is Toy Story.  His favorite toy is most likely a shovel, a ball, or a puddle of water.  It's the simple things...

Emmy is 3 1/2 and it blows my mind.  She loves dressing up.  She loves changing her outfit 5x a day.  She likes pink, polka dots, skirts and dresses.  She enjoys playing outside, especially when we get to go to the park.  She sees kids, and says, "HI!"  She makes friends instantly.  She enjoys preschool.  She goes twice a week 'til noon and adores all of her classmates and both of her teachers.  She really enjoys having friends over so we have lots of playdates at our house.  She loves Barbies, but isn't amused when Brenner steals them from her.  She loves watching princess movies.  She says her favorite princess is Sleeping Beauty.  But that changes every couple days.  I'd say her current favorite movie is High School Musical 2, or maybe Aladdin.  She likes to sing and dance.  And she says the most hilarious things.  

This girl is my everything.  She has conversations with anyone and anything.  Like today, she was talking to a seal riding toy at the park.  She's a mini-me and I just love her passion, her wackiness, her sensitivity, and her flavor for fashion. 

 

I'm so very lucky, fortunate, and blessed to have these two.