The Happiest Place on Earth

We just got back today from a mini family vacation. Chang had to take his mom to the doctor on Thursday and we promised Elysha to take her to Disneyland once she mastered potty training. Since Chang had to be in OC midweek anyway, he decided to just take two days off work so we could go to Disneyland.


On Thursday, I decided it would be easier to take all three kids to California Adventure by myself while Chang took his mom to the doctor. I survived most of the day all by myself (pat myself on the back). The girls were so excited about being there that they were very well behaved. We watched the Playhouse Live show, ate lunch, rode a few rides and then watched the Aladdin show before Chang showed up.


On the Ladybug ride--Chang and I had a deal before we even got married. I do the roller coasters and he does the spinning rides. Unfortunately, he wasn't around to save me from this spinning ride. I had to close my eyes to keep myself from puking. The girls kept asking me, "Why are you closing your eyes Mama?"



Since we decided to do this vacation last minute, I wasn't able to get us reservations at Ariel's Grotto. I'm glad that I wasn't able to because it gave us an opportunity to discover another wonderful character dining option--Breakfast with Minnie Mouse and friends. It is usually all about the princesses for Joey, and Elysha generally follows suit. But the breakfast was a lot of fun. First of all, it's buffet (which the whole family loves), and secondly, we got to see a lot more characters this way.



This picture cracks me up because Elysha and Eeyore have the same expression. As much as Elysha loves seeing the characters, she is always a little scared.



After we finished breakfast, the girls wanted to see the princesses.

Since we couldn't get into Ariel's Grotto, as a special treat, we let the girls get their face painted. I even paid an extra $2 for glitter. They were so ecstatic. Elysha rubbed hers off as the day progressed. Joey was so careful to not touch her face. Whenever she had a little itch, she would ask me, "Is my makeup still on?"

Three princesses...

And my prince...

If only I had one of these cages at home.

We had a lot more time at Disneyland this time since we didn't have to go over to California adventure for Ariel's Grotto. So in all the times we have gone to Disneyland, we have never set foot in Toon Town. It's a cute little area where Joey and Elysha rode their first real roller coaster. Elysha was hesitant the whole time we were in line. But after it was over, she said, "I want to do it again!" Joey has been an adventurous rider for a while now--even at Knott's--she wants to ride the big rides.

Joey has grown up so much. She is a wonderful older sister to both her siblings--most of the time. We had a great time on our vacation and I am so grateful that we can do such fun things. Chang and I were talking about it while the kids were napping in the car--we are so immensely blessed. We hope that we never take it for granted, and the kids do not feel entitled.