Disneyland

My husband promised the kids that when they were 7 and 5, we would take them down to Disneyland. And it's been years since my husband told them this and they remembered. Boy, did they remember! For years they've been telling people that they're going to Disneyland when they turn the appropriate age.

So this year, both my kids are that magical age and it was time to take them to that magical place! For a week, we told the girls that we would be taking their dad to the airport so he could go on his business trip. And the girls were very sad that dad was leaving and they kept saying things like, "oh, I'm going to miss you so much daddy. When are you coming home?" It was very sweet. Secretly, my husband and I were just killing ourselves laughing as the kids had no clue.

When it was time, we took dad to the airport and we parked in the long term parking lot. We finally let the kids in on the secret...that they were going to Disneyland! LOL! Well, the first 2 minutes were kind of lame because they didn't get it and thought it was some joke. But then the hamsters were finally running inside their heads and they got it. The screams!!! Yes, screams good enough for a Disneyland commercial!

So, let me start off with the not so great stuff on this trip. Good part about this, small list. First of all, the weather in Southern California bit the big one this time. It was cool and there was a ton of rain. One day, it just downpoured so much that we all went back to the hotel for a couple of hours. For all the time it did rain, made the rain back home look like spit. Yes, 1.5 inches of rain per hour. I think at one point, it rained 15 hours straight...with lightning, thunder and huge winds. Another day, it was about 10 hours. And there was rain in between. You do the math. Ponchos were a hit with the family. Basically, we were in the eye of some big storm. But we made the best of it and ended up still having a great time.

Because of the not so great weather, I couldn't take the kids swimming. And they were somewhat disappointed. But seriously, if these are my 2 big cons for the trip, then the trip was an absolute success!

We had a ton of great moments on this trip. First time on an airplane for the girls. They loved it! We spent a ton of time at Disneyland, a fair bit of time at the Disney California Park and at Universal Studios. In each location, they got to meet characters, get their autograph and pictures with them. They enjoyed some great rides...Soaring California being the absolute best for them! They couldn't believe that room service for food exists and that the hotel room gets cleaned. LOL! Everytime they saw the room clean, they were in awe. Yeah, me too. They couldn't believe they could walk through Sleeping Beauty's Castle either. And the great treats they have out there! Oh, I still can't believe how cute the Mickey Mouse caramel apples were. And throughout their trip (and this is what I love about travelling), my daughters met so many other great people and made some new friends.

I could go on and on about the great memories they had. But for me, my great memories are of the pure joy that we all had on this trip. There were just so many smiles and so much laughter. And considering last year was a bit rough...this was a great way to just celebrate as a family and to celebrate moments of joy and happiness.

We're already talking about going back...can't wait!