Disneyland / Universal Studios 2010 - Day 2

Here at last, here at last, thank God almighty we are here at last!

We were up making Belgian waffles and pouring fresh OJ in the lobby of our hotel at 7:00 this morning. This is an extra special day for us because it’s Jackson’s 10th birthday. We sang “Happy Birthday” to him, but when it was over, he politely requested we sing it Niemeyer Style. Which means really loud, and completely out of tune. No one ends on the same note nor at the same time. It’s a tradition in our family.

7 hours in Jane Honda went by really fast with a few books, some good music, and the first season of The Brady Bunch on DVD. Let me just say, I'm so glad Mike Brady decided to get rid of that payphone in the family room. Also, I'm relieved that Carol got her voice back just in time for the Christmas program at church. And when Tiger stole Kitty Carryall and the whole family thought Bobby was the thief?! There were some tense and riveting moments in the van today.

We introduced our children to In-N-Out at lunchtime. Jackson was amazed by the deliciousness. We sat in the sun surrounded by 20 rare, indigenous birds of California. You may have read about them if you’ve never been to this state. They're called Pigeons and House Sparrows. Alison and Ashley fed them french fries, joyfully contributing to the growing problem of obesity and high cholesterol in the birds of America.

As we drove past Disneyland on the way to our hotel, the kids were nearly delirious with excitement as they caught little glimpses of rides like the top of the Matterhorn, and the Tower of Terror through the trees. As we got closer to our hotel the shrieks and hysteria became almost ridiculous. Ridiculous, but adorable.

We arrived at Embassy Suites South at 3:00. We are on the 11th floor in a beautiful 2-room suite. We spent some time at the pool surrounded by palm trees and the smell of coconut tanning oil and chlorine. We could’ve stayed all day but we had to hurry and get to Medieval Times for Jackson’s surprise dinner at 6:00.

The kids didn’t know we were taking them. In fact, they’ve never heard of Medieval Times. While the kids had so much fun, I feel like Chad enjoyed it the most. As one of the knights rode by on his horse tossing flowers into the audience, Chad nearly knocked over a tiny girl trying to catch a pink carnation. It was a worthy attempt, but the girl was too fast for Chad and ended up the victor. Jackson bought a sword in the gift shop, a heavy, wooden, 3-foot-long sword. A perfect souvenir for a 10 year old boy. So far, no one has been whacked upside the head, but the night is still young.

Tomorrow we will be at Disneyland. I’m trying to find words that will express to you how that makes us feel, knowing that we get to be there for 4 days. But words completely fail me. I just get sweaty palms, my breath catches in my throat and I feel a little dizzy and it may seem silly to you, but I swear to goodness that place is magic. And I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight. Chad was a skeptic the first time we went together, 13 and a half years ago. But after 15 minutes in the park, and our first time riding Indiana Jones, he was pulling me around by my wrist with a grin on his face that I hadn’t seen before and haven’t seen since.

Here's hoping this darn broken ankle of Alison's really pays off.

That's the news. Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow.

The Niemeyers