Oh, Hello Olaf

Not far from the carousel, we happened upon Olaf! He was hanging out on the rooftop. We had a great chat. Love that guy!

Mr. Toad

One of Dan's favorite rides is Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. He remembers riding this as a kid. Ben was not sure he wanted to give it a try. It took some patient convincing on Daddy's part to finally talk him into riding it together with the family.  And now... Ben still doesn't like it! 

An Absolute Favorite Memory

While making our way to Fantasyland to get in line for one of our favorite rides (Peter Pan) Ben suddenly stopped. I heard him mutter, "Oh no!" He then quickly hid behind a trash can. It took me a minute to understand why. Then I saw the old codfish himself, Captain Hook, making his way down the road. Once the Captain disappeared from view, it was finally safe for us to continue to the ride!

The Land In January

There are advantages and disadvantages in visiting in the off season. We enjoyed mild weather and small crowds, but many of the attractions were closed for refurbishment. The bonus to this, because it was not our first trip, was that we ended up spending time in some lesser known areas that we have previously skipped. I would recommend checking to see what attractions are under refurbishment for a trip any time of year. 

Sleeping Beauty's castle was getting an overlay for the upcoming 60th anniversary.

Take the time to sit on a bench and enjoy some popcorn!

Browsing the Frozen Merchandise

It's impossible to visit Disneyland and not do a little shopping. I was unable to talk Bree into getting ears this trip, but we had fun trying them on! 

It's a Bugs Life!

Bug's Life is a great part of the park for younger kids. It hasn't always been my favorite place to spend time in, but it saddens me to realize that soon my kids will not enjoy it as much. 

More Carsland Fun

First Stop - Radiator Springs Racers

We were very lucky for this trip - we were able to use airline miles to stay at a Disney hotel - The Grand Californian. The best thing about this is the private entrance into Disney California Adventure. And being January, the crowds were not bad at all. Our first stop this trip was in DCA at Radiator Springs Racers. We all love this one!

A Surprise (And a Surprise Cry)

We learned something about our children this morning. They don't really love surprises. At least, maybe not a surprise of this wonderfully exciting magnitude. They came into our bedroom early this morning and we shared some news with them... We are going to Disneyland! Today! Surprise! 

And, well, the reaction we got was not quite what we were expecting. Ben was even playing with his favorite Disney Cars, but the news proved to be too overwhelming. 

They had the whole day to get used to the idea. We had found $20 flights to Santa Ana, but we wouldn't leave until around 9pm in the evening. Luckily, the rest of the trip was much happier for all.

This House Needs a Mouse!

Our school had the best author visit! C. Jeffrey Nunnally, the author of This House Needs a Mouse, gave a dynamic presentation which had our students looking for writing ideas in the most unlikely places. It was both fun and inspiring. This is the first author visit I've put together as a librarian, and I hope to do more! 

2015 Garden of the Gods

We found a beautiful sunshiny day in January to get out of the house and spend some time in nature at one of our favorite places.