The Happiest Place on Earth

Yesterday was our yearly family trip to Disneyland.  We started this tradition after Sonya's 2nd birthday a few years back. Oh- and after my friend Melinda got a job working for Disney so she could get us all in for free.  We like to go the week after Thanksgiving, because they have all the Christmas decorations up and it seems to be a time with less people in the park, which is always a plus.  I was especially excited to go this year for a couple reasons.  One-I'm not pregnant, Two-I'm not breastfeeding.  Trust me when I tell you, it's not so much fun nursing a baby in an amusement park.  Trying to find a nursing location a few times during the day is, well, it's a pain in the ass.  So for the first time in three years, I was neither of those things and all the girls were old enough to really enjoy everything.   I'll give you a couple of the highlights.  

Last year the Small World ride was closed.  This was both good and bad since it's one of the rides we can all go on, but it can get extremely annoying by the end.  Just about anyone can identify with that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day.. or week.  Yesterday, it was open, once again, and we decided to all go on it.  Sonya was apprehensive, for some reason.  I guess she thought it would be scary somewhere along the ride, but I convinced her it was far from scary.  Andy and Melinda were sitting with Lana behind Sonya, Georgia and me.  The boat started it's journey and the children's voices started to belt out the Small World ear worm.  Sonya had been griping my arm preparing herself for a dark scary place, I'm assuming, but once she saw how bright, cheery and sunshiny it was in there, she let go and started singing along.  After about a minute into the ride, I heard Lana say out loud, 

"I want to get off."  I turned around and looked at her and then at Andy and she said again, "I want to get off the ride now."  Well, I got news for you kid, there is not getting off.  Enjoy the next ten minutes!  I was preparing for a meltdown from her, but the sensory overload of the ride kept her quiet, so all was fine.  

I think one of the best parts for me yesterday was taking Sonya on her first roller coaster.  I've always loved roller coasters. I can't remember a time I was ever afraid.  In recent years I've started getting queasy after riding them, but I choose to ignore that feeling because I love the thrill of them so much.  For the past few years I haven't really been able to ride them, once again-pregnancy.  Sonya hasn't been big enough until this year to ride, but to be honest I never thought she would even think about riding.  She's a bit on the cautious side when it comes to things like that.  I've tried to get her to ride kiddie coasters before without success.  Yesterday when we saw the line for Big Thunder Mountain was only ten minutes, I was ready to go.  Melinda and I decided to ride leaving Andy with the girls.  Sonya asked where we were going and I told her to the roller coaster.  

"Do you want to come with us?"  I was fully expecting her to say no and that be the end of it, but to all of our surprise she nodded her head yes.  

"Okay come on!"  I grabbed her before she could change her mind.  She walked up to the "you must be this tall" sign, and she indeed was that tall,so they waved us through.  Melinda and I talked up the ride during the ten minute wait.  When we go to the front they told us we could all ride in the same car, so Sonya sat in the middle.  She was a little nervous but seemed excited.  We told her to scream as loud as she wanted and she did just that.  I forgot that there are a few dark tunnels in that ride and that's what she fears the most is the dark.  I just talked to her during those parts telling her it was all pretend.  By the end of the ride she was smiling and laughing.  

"Did you like it?" I asked.

"YES!" She exclaimed.

"Do want to go again?"  I figured Andy could take her since it was only a ten minute wait.  

"Nope!" She answered.  Baby steps.  

Andy did convince her to go on Splash Mountain with him a couple hours later and she seemed to like that one as well.  I was excited that we finally have one old enough to go on the fun rides with us.  Next time, Space Mountain!  Okay, maybe not that one, but at least the Matterhorn perhaps.  

All in all we had a fun day.  Georgia loved seeing Mickey and "Mimi" up close.  She also loved the carousal and was NOT happy when it stopped and I took her off.  We watched the Christmas parade, had a great BBQ dinner and ate ice cream while watching fireworks.  There weren't really any breakdowns from any of the kids... or adults.  They were really good all day, despite being exhausted by the end.  Most of all we got to have fun  spending time as a family.  That alone makes it the Happiest Place on Earth for me.    

 

footnote-Just a special thank you once again to Melinda for being such a great friend and taking us.  We couldn't do it without you and I mean that literally.  For $72/person-we couldn't afford to go without you.  THANK YOU!!!