Holiday trip to Disney and a dream come true

End of November we headed to Disneyland for our last trip with our annual passes. The weather was SO much better than our previous trip in September. Everything was decorated for Christmas, which we straight LOVE, and we just had a glorious time.

One of our days in CA, we decided to mob up to the American Girl store in L.A to have lunch! This is something I had dreamed about as a kid and never had the opportunity to do. And I got to go! The kids loved it, the food was great, and it was just so fun to fulfill that dream for little Am. Even Curtis enjoyed himself. You kinda can't not at American Girl!

Showing Sis the snow!

I was taking our pics on Dumbo and she must've busted out this random posed smile. I laughed all over myself when I saw it.

It rained a bunch while we were there and Sis insisted on taking Bro's hand. It was so.freaking.cute.

This is actually monumental - Curtis does NOT do rides that go round and round. He will vomit all over the place. He decided to brave the ladybug ride with the kids. Success! But he said he won't do it again.

All the times we've been to Disneyland and we had never known of this Little Mermaid ride in Disney CA Adventure land. SO much fun!

Cal rock climbing for his Wilderness Explorer badge. He had so much fun earning these.

Lunch at American Girl!

Cal very much made a point to turn his loaner doll's head to be photographed. He dubbed the little doll "Christmas Tree."

Cally got to march first into the ceremony to receive his Wilderness Explorer badge.

So much fun! We had a blast on our Disneyland trips this past year and probably are going to have to go back next year. Seriously, the most magical place. So glad we were able to take these trips as a family and make so many amazing memories. LOVE!

Halloween and Cal turning 5!

Halloween around these parts was fun. The costume I bought for Sis last year (on sale- woot) for this year was too big so I sensibly had her wear Cal's Tigger costume from when he was just a tot. It fit perfectly even though she is older than he was when he wore it. She thought it was great too!

I took the kids to our church trunk or treat, and they had a lot of fun and got a bunch of unnecessary candy. Sister was able to develop a love for lollipops we hadn't known about prior. She really took to them and has since enjoyed many.

We also went and crashed my sister's church trunk or treat, which was actually on Halloween. Curtis was working so it was fun to do a little something extra with them instead of just staying at home. They had so much fun going around to everyone's car and hanging out with their cousins.

Sis and one of her beloved lollipops

My handsome little guy - he had so many costume choices but decided to be Lightning McQueen

All the cousins and some random little girl who really loved Laurel

Me and my sissy - she is a 50's lady and I a Giants fan! World Series champs!Woot!(We seriously look nothing alike. Funny)

Cal also celebrated his tiny 5th birthday. 5 years of this little dude. It's crazy. We took a few pics of him on his last nite of being 4 and did a little video. He is a funny tiny gopher for sure and we just adore him more every year.

Last nite of being 4

Sis wanted to be included too

And his little interview is not uploading today so I will have to try it another time!

For his actual birthday, Cal wanted to go see Wreck It Ralph with just his dad and I, so we dropped Sis off with my mom and took him to Macayo's afterward (his choice). He had a great time and we loved just being with our little boy.

We offered him the choice this year to either have a birthday party or to just have a fun day with a friend, so he opted for the latter and selected Wyatt as his friend. They had a sleepover, had dinner at Panera Bread, and the next day went to the Natural History Museum. They had a blast playing together and get on just like brothers. He was so excited to be able to pick the activities and restaurant choices too.

Little cousin frenz

Cal checking stuff out

Playing in the submarine - they stayed in there for ages

Posing with the dinosaurs

Cal did the Home Alone face, unbeknownst to me until I looked at the pics later

So the kids had a fun Halloween and Cal had a great birthday. We are so blessed to have two healthy, amazing, hilarious kids. If they slept better, it'd be a bonus, but we love 'em anyway.

"The happiest place on earth" is right!

We took another trip to Disneyland in September for several days as our "big trip" of Disney trips, since Curtis had the week off. We stayed at the Red Lion, which we had never tried before, and really liked it. They had an inclusive breakfast so we mobbed on that and didn't mind the distance from the park RL was.

Laurel was only 6 months last time we had come so with her being over a year old now made a big difference. She had just as much fun as last time, but was able to do so much more and loved being able to walk her own body around Disneyland. I mean, really though, who wouldn't?

The coolest part about going when we did was that it was the transition week from regular lovely Disneyland to Halloween Disneyland. So they had busted out all the Halloween deco and changed Haunted Mansion and everything - so fun! Cal had a blast as usual, and so did Curtis and I. We just love Disneyland and are whores for it. What can I say.

As a special treat for the kids, we did a dinner at Goofy's Kitchen one nite. They got to meet a bunch of the characters and the food was really good. Cal loved seeing all the different folks - Aladdin, Goofy of course, Dale of Chip N Dale (not our Vegas version), the Mad Hatter and some others. Sis was terrified but would wave frantically with a creepy dish plate sized glazed eye once they were out of range. It was actually pretty hilarious.

Sis in Goofy's house in Toontown


The one drawback was that it was randomly hotter in CA that week than it was in Vegas. We sweated our lives off and ended up having to hit the park first thing in the mornings, then bounce for a few hours until the evening, becuz it was just way too uncomfortable. It was really kinda crazy how freaking hot it was. It was not possible to stand in lines and be out in 107 degrees though. That was some crazy shiz.

Laurel mobbing down Main

Me and my sweet Disney babies

Love this mouse!

Finally got a family pic in front of the castle - woot!

Sis was so glad for the air conditioning back at the hotel. Poor girl.

The Halloween Mickey pumpkin

Callybox so excited for our dinner at Goofy's kitchen

Making frenz with Minnie

We love our trips to Disneyland so much! Love being together as a family and making amazing and fun memories and are just so lucky that we get to do these trips.

Mini adventures

We bought a trailer a few months ago, which we are just loving. When we first got it, our salesperson gave us a few free vouchers for a resort out in Pahrump. We had never heard of such a place but we thought we'd give it a try. When we got there, it must've had a little lake and sandy beach, paddle boats, kayaking, ducks mobbing all around, disc golf and a horseshoe pit. So random.

The kids absolutely love our trailer - Cal spent a full hour just playing with the door alone. I can't explain my kids. It was not super fun getting Lo to sleep in the dang thing and we hadn't bought any railings for the bunk beds yet so I ended up sleeping with the baby on the bottom bunk while Curtis and Cal slept on the big bed. Not ideal, but the rest of the trip was so fun it made up for it.

This past weekend, we took the trailer just down the street (literally) to a little resort here in town. So much fun! We set up the trailer, then went out to dinner and went swimming, then took the kids down to City Center, since we had never been. It tired them out, which was pretty much the goal, and they both slept through the nite. Wahoo!

The next morning we ate in the little cafe there, and went swimming again. Curtis met a super nice couple that were Slovak and so of course he was very excited to speak Slovak with them. I didn't understand a dang word, but it was fun to see him so enthralled.

Overall, a really fun trip and we are really looking forward to all the wonderful journeys we have ahead of us in this thing and all the memories we will make. Some of them will be downright awful I'm sure, (much like our Mt. Charleston trip which was one big epic Fail), but we're both excited to be able to do these trips with our kids while we're young and they are as well. Cuz now, they don't have a choice! They have to come.

Our little trailer!

the lake in Pahrump

the littles hanging out

our fam paddle boating. Cal was in the back.

Our makeshift cineplex

I tried something new with the kids this month. When I have the kids by myself, it can be a little much, so I wanted to think of something fun for them and fun for me too. I took them to the library one day and got a bunch of movies we don't own, coupled with a giant bag of Pirates Booty from Costco, a blanket spread out in front of the TV, a couple pillows, and the cutest little popcorn containers I had picked up from Target, and it was an instant hit with the kiddies. I let them pick out a Disney movie to watch, got the blanket all set up and filled their little containers with Pirates Booty(a much better and tastier alternative to popcorn.)

It was so fun for them (and a break for me) that we did it again a few days later. Really, they only got through half of their movie the first time (Tangled), so we just finished the movie the second time. I fully plan to make this a regular thing though. I got to spend time with my littles and not chase them around, and they really enjoyed it. A win win.

Good stuff.

I'm trying to be more positive with my kids and focus more on what they are doing well rather than the things that make me nuts.

Cal has been great lately about bussing his own dishes, even without being asked. He is also doing well at putting his dirty clothes in his little hamper. Most importantly, he is overall doing super well at staying potty trained. It was such a long rough road to him being so but in general, he is doing great. And boy, is it great to not have to change big boy pants. That was just wrong.

Lolo is sleeping better, thankfully. It has made a difference with starting their bedtimes earlier and trying to keep her on a regular napping schedule also. Most of the time I am able to - if I need to - nap a little while she is resting. Cal is good to watch tv for that time or play on the computer. I couldn't care less what anyone thinks about my child minding himself for that time period. I leave my door wide open and he can come get me anytime. At this point in life, it is way more important that Mommy gets the rest she needs so she stays out of the loony bin.

Sis is a year old now, which is nuts. It really went quickly. Lots of little times didn't but overall, dang. She had a great party at Childs Play and family and frenz came. Fun for all. Plus she had a stupid cute little party dress to wear, courtesy of my lovely friend Brooke, who custom made it for her. Had her stand and be measured and everything. Pretty cute. I will have to throw a picture up later.

We are so fortunate to have 2 healthy kids and be healthy ourselves. Curtis really enjoys his job and I love being able to stay home, we have our old beater cars that we love and have no payments on - can't beat that shiz - and our house with plenty of room for us and just so many wonderful, great things. Just have to remember that! :)

What's important

I've been reminded a lot recently of what is important to me. I am grateful that as I've gotten older, my clarity to define those things has sharpened. I am much more selective of how I spend my time. When you become a mother, you realize that your time has never been more precious, and for lots of reasons. Pretty much if you can get 5 tiny minutes alone, that there is glorious.

I've been able to stay home since Laurel was born, which has been so great. Partly becuz she is not a superb sleeper - working a job on poo for sleep would be a recipe for disaster. But also, it has allowed me to spend precious time with my babies.

I am the first one to say that motherhood has definitely challenged me and I am certainly not a peach. I get super agro and need time away from my kids to just keep sane. Both of my kids are not great sleepers and high maintenance, and with me not really being a 'kid person', makes for some interesting days, we'll say.

But I tell you what, when Cal says something super random and hilarious out of the blue or impersonates an owl pretty much spot-on, or when Lo's tiny face lights up when she discovers something new or grins happily with her 4 new bitty teeth at me, that there is some priceless stuff. I am getting the opportunity to have beautiful and whimsical moments with my kids that I'll remember forever - what in the world else could I be doing that would be better for me or for them?

Just tonite, I was doing bedtime with them and Cal was cracking me up with his funny ramblings and Lolo was shoving her way past him to toss books off his bookshelf and I'm sitting there on the floor with them, thinking "This is what life is all about." You never get this time back and as hard as some days are, I wouldn't trade it for the world. It is going so fast; they are growing up SO fast. It's crazy. So I'm stupid grateful I have this time and these days with my sweet babies.