Family vacation part one: Disney Land

3 days at Disney land chalk full of fun, ice cream, rides and seeing all the kid's favorite characters = 4 totally exhausted people! We had such a blast at Disney Landon our first 3 days of vacation and crammed as much into those days as possible that I wanted to post a few pictures of our adventures...

Jack and I after driving Autotopia. The kids LOVED driving the cars that we had to go back a few times. Jack was actually a really good driver and it wasn't until he saw he make a funny nose when we bumped the wall that he started to do it on purpose!

The water park at Adventureland (key factor on the hot days!) we would just go across the park and take part for a while to cool off!

The naps in the stroller happened at some point every day while we usually rested our feet and or ate ice cream and took in a parade or show and then the kids were up and at them again ready to roar.

We were so proud of the kids. They went on all the rides that they could including splash mountain, the Matterhorn, roller coasters, huge Ferris wheels....everything. It was really fun especially since it wasn't super busy because we went during the middle of the week and hardly had to wait in line for anything!

One of the highlights of the show...the Pixar parade where the kids got to see all their favorite characters. Quite possibly the most fun parade we have ever seen!

The kids got to meet and see all their favorite characters including woody, buzz, lightning McQueen, tow mater and so many more!

I don't know who were bigger kids on this trip.....I know the place is geared toward their age group but we had such a good time with them the whole time! And, on a serious note, VERY VERY impressed with Disneyland. They not only know how to put on a good show and production but had bathrooms everywhere, changing rooms everywhere and anything you could need as a parent. It was pretty cool.

The kids were awesome and definitely got into our routine of getting in and out of the stroller for rides and exploring.

A definite highlight of the trip!!! We had to go back a few times. So cool to see their faces.

We have so many good memories from these 3 days and I know the boys do as well. It was a blast to sum it all up!

Thats A-M-O-R-E!

Grandma surprised the kids this morning when she knocked on the door (I did tell them a friend was coming over) but they were so excited when it was her! We kidnapped her for the whole day and took her shopping in Coeur D Alene and had lunch and then they showed off their skills in the back yard for her and capped it all off with a water fight (in which cooper did get one good direct shot of Grandma in!)


This is how we roll when we travel in style in the mini -van. Ready at any point for a spontaneous game of baseball of course.

We went to Tito's in Coeur D Alene for dinner and lets just say we all felt ill from eating too much! The kids even got to make their own pizzas and Jack was really good at it....

Cooper was really good at eating his toppings.

I think he thought it was a cool buffet with some of his favorite snack foods.

That kid cracks me up.

Jack trusted me to sample a piece of his pizza and it was pretty darn good. Definitely a good way to amuse the the kids when we took them out to dinner (which is a rare occasion!!!) and they loved it.

T-minus one day till road trip vacation starts. Pray for us :)

Hitting like Coach

Jack was showing me how he could "hit to the baseball guys like the coach did." 3 1/2 years old. I might bring him with me to hit fly balls to the girls next spring for softball practice.

Torture

I decided that today was going to be the start of working out regularly again for me...especially after this summer of a record number of hot dogs, lots of blended coffees and ice cream galore. What was I thinking? Technically I had not run outside since before I got pregnant with Jack. For those of you counting that is about 4 1/2 years ago. Running on the treadmill is not the same. Don't let anyone tell you differently. The pavement is not forgiving. It didn't like me. And to top it all off, there is not air conditioning but I was sabotaged with a glaring hot sun and drivers who honk. I know, I know it was my idea. What was I thinking? In order to go for a run, I had to have my two lead bricks along for the ride so I loaded them up and was treated with pushing 100+ pounds for the journey as well.

No matter how uptempo my music was or the fact that I should have been saying "this is great. this is the start to the new me." It was more like "Ugg. I hurt. I wonder if I can squeeze myself into the stroller and let the boys push me." Forget water boarding, make the terrorists run outside for 4 or 5 miles in the sun after not doing so for a long time. They would tell their national secrets after 10 minutes.

I came with back up to keep my prisoners happy and the bribe worked. So well, in fact that they were yelling "go go go go" super loud and saying things like "weeeeee" as we went down hill or "run mommy run." who needs a personal trainer?

We stopped for 20 minutes to throw rocks in the river (which the boys loved) and then headed back (I didn't). I know I am sounding pessimistic but I am convinced that muscle spasms in your legs are not normal. All in all, I must do it again so that I avoid having this initial feeling again soon. Day one down. I survived and am a little stronger. Go mommy go.

TROUBLE

How could a cozy coupe car be dangerous you say?

by giving tour rides around the backyard of course. I turn my head for a second and this is their idea.... TROUBLE.

airy oos

Doesn't a bike ride to Mary Lou's ice cream (or as the kids say, airy oos) on a beautiful summer's evening sound wonderful? We thought so too and started out on with the family on our little jaunt but then Flo's bicycle starting making really loud clunking sounds and malfunctioning majorly so we turned around before we got to the end of the neighborhood and decided that the driving might be the best way to avoid having to call for a ride back when we broke down half way there. I guess the bike is allowed a problem or two seeing as it is 16 years old. Yes friends, I am thinking a new one is in Flo's future.


Alas, we did make it safe and sound via the air conditioned car and were left to brainstorm other ways to work off the calories we consumed from the cones...but we will leave that to another day.

Although Cooper started out not covered in the special treat, he though it was better to wear it and get the goodness through osmosis the more we sat there.

Although we tired 3 different kinds, the consensus was that the huckleberry was by far the best and I was left to dream of a new deep freeze in my garage loaded to the brim with homemade huckleberry ice cream next summer.

Somehow the two pairs of sticky hands both ended up on my side of the booth by the end of the visit and I was left with a full belly of ice cream and little prints all over my shirt.

Yes, he could be yawning or perhaps singing or even sneezing but no. No, our littlest one was captured in the moment making the shrieking sound he makes to get attention (of a lone camera man, or nothing in particular) and it sounds a lot like a pterodactyl, so our departure was eminent after the patrons were subjected to that treat.

All in all: cheaper than baskin and robins, yummier than Dairy Queen and brought back memories of growing up here. We are coming back for sure.

HOT HOT HOT

We picked the lock at Aunt Connies place yesterday since they were at Priest Lake for the weekend and partook in some good old fashioned pool time with the boys. It was awesome! Lunch was poolside and I think we all had lazy grins plastered on our faces while we there there. So I decided, thats it, its official....we will save for a pool. With a pool everything would be rainbows and butterflies and summer giggles. Yep, I am adding that to our list of saving for: a house, college for 2 boys, retirement, Hawaii and a new purse (a girl can dream can't she?). Yep somewhere on that list!