Our trip to Disneyland was GREAT! I'm always soooo sad to leave...this time in particular since I know we won't be back again during the 50th celebration. *sniff*
Sunday was CROWDED! Ugh...hated it. We split up, as usual. Greg took the big boys and I took the little boys. They got in a few rides, but Kent, Kurt, and I mostly just wandered. We did Jungle Cruise and rejoined the others for Indiana Jones and that was about it. Poor Kurt...he had no idea what Indiana Jones would be like, but he wanted to go anyway because he thought he would see snakes. While we were standing in line waiting, there was a little video about the ride and he turned to me with big crocodile tears in his eyes, scared to death. It was really too late, though, to get out of line, so we just tried to make light of it. During the whole ride, Kent and Kurt kept their heads down and just tried to brace themselves. By the end of the ride, Kurt was crying and I had to carry him out. They both swore they were never going on that again!
Monday it started raining about noon. On Sunday we had made reservations to eat lunch at the Blue Bayou, the restaurant in the middle of Pirates of the Carribean ride. We had had experience with this...you couldn't just walk up and get into the restaurant, you had to make reservations way in advance. Anyway, it started raining right before we ate and by the time we got out, it was pouring. Now, I had done my duty and checked the forecast before we left Arizona, so we knew it was going to rain and we took our rain-gear with us. Well...the rain-gear that an Arizona family has anyway. And it wasn't much. There are no rain slickers in this household...only a few waterproof jackets. Or so we thought. I did bring 2 umbrellas though. (I'm so smart! ;) )
By about 3pm we were all starting to get really wet. Greg suggested we buy PONCHOS! I was in shock. I never thought I'd live to see the day that my reserved husband would wear a Mickey Mouse poncho! But desperate times call for desperate measures. However Kent, Kurt, and Grant thought it was too uncool to wear them so they continued to get more wet. But then we decided we weren't wet enough and chose to go on the river run ride at California Adventure...the day before, Greg and the big boys had spent an hour waiting in line to ride that. This time, we walked right on, no line at all. Because....it was RAINING, for gosh sakes! By the time we got off, we were soaked completely through and Kurt and Kent could no longer hold up. So we had to go back to the hotel. However, we had rented a locker at Disneyland and there was no way to go back to get our stuff and make it to the shuttlebus to the hotel in time if we all went together.
We stood there deciding what to do and Greg says "you go, I'll start walking with the kids." Now K&K had been sharing an umbrella since their jackets were dripping wet and unwearable. I had the other umbrella. But I also had a backpack and had to go to the locker and get another backpack, plus everyone's shoes. (The boys all have expensive and fairly new suede shoes so I insisted on bringing along their old ones in case it rained - see, SMART! ;) ) I knew I couldn't carry all that so I handed Kurt the other umbrella, put my poncho hood up and started off. All of a sudden I felt like I was doing a Roadblock from TAR! LOL Could I get into Disneyland, to the locker, carry all the stuff, AND make it to the shuttle bus on time? Yes!
Tuesday was perfect. No raining and very little crowds. We could walk onto almost every ride - AWESOME! We split up again and Kent and Kurt and I had so much fun. There was no pressure to ride on things we didn't want to ride on and we just went at an easy pace. We rode Dumbo in honor of my dad (my family went to Disneyland when I was 4 years old and the only thing I remember is riding Dumbo with my dad), and we went to the Tiki Room show in honor of Greg's mom (whenever we have gone to Disneyland, she would always tell us to go see the birds). We rode the Teacups and the train and went to Toontown. And as we walked, I realized that this wouldn't last forever. Kent and Kurt are my little buddies! And one of these days we will go there and they will want to go off with Dad and the big boys and I will be forced to tag along. *sigh* I sure hope it's not next time.
So I leave you with this photo. 
I told the boys to go stand by the "L" in California for our last name. I didn't even pose them...didn't they do good? A person standing next to me exclaimed "wow, they look like models!" Yep. :)
(Wyatt wouldn't let me take a photo of him at the field, so I got him in the back ;)
) And wouldn't you know it, my better digital camera (Sony Cybershot DSC-F717) went caput on Friday night. So I was left with my small digital camera, which while it's OK for everyday use, it doesn't have much of a zoom...orrrrrrrrrr, digging out my old film SLR. So that's what I did. And I loved it. I did take along my little digital for a couple of quick shots, but I hauled out my 300mm zoom lens for the SLR for some great shots of the day. However, the downside is that I have to have the film developed. 
Anyway, after spending about 5 hours at the baseball fields, we went straight to double-header football games for Grant: won one, lost one. (Not sure why I'm fascinated with getting the boys' backs when they have their names on them.) We came home sunburned and tired, but it was a great day!
I was thrilled when I took the top off and we had weeds growing inside the pen! You see, desert tortoises eat weeds and grass and I hope to make their pen self-sufficient by growing both of those in there. DH hooked up a little sprinkler in addition to the drip line for their water dish, so hopefully we are all set!
