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| Good times on the Tower of Terror |
This morning, we let the kids sleep in, per Ali’s birthday
wish. When they woke up, they
immediately dumped all their candy on the floor to sort and trade. Once each kid had bartered his/her way to
happiness, we headed out to La Brea Bakery, which is where Ali wanted to have
breakfast for her birthday.
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| Sorting through last night's loot |
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| The birthday girl and her proud mommy |
Inside Disneyland, Ali got to choose the first ride: Big Thunder Mountain! Chad was feeling much better than last night,
but decided not to join us for this ride. Then it was
over to Fantasyland, to enjoy all the old-school rides that make us miss the days when our kids were toddlers, and we get all misty and nostalgic. We saw Mary Poppins over by The Matterhorn,
and only a couple people had spotted her, so she
was pretty much alone – and I was too chicken to approach her! I got nervous, and my hands got clammy. I followed her from a safe distance trying to work up the courage. Ashley and I kept telling the other one to "just say hi. What are you afriad of?" Chad was urging me to go and ask for
a photo, but I couldn’t. I don’t know
what’s worse – the fact that I missed out on a photo op with my childhood idol,
or the fact that a part of me believed she was the real Mary Poppins. People have been committed to loony bins for lesser
deeds.
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| Big Thunder Mountain Railroad |
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| "We' re walkin' right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A." |
We took the monorail back to the hotel and napped for a bit
before Ali’s birthday dinner. She had picked
House of Blues, and we sat outside to enjoy people watching while we at our
dinner. Dinner was pretty good – very typical
for themed restaurant, and Ali was given bread pudding for her birthday
dessert. After she blew out her candle,
we all sampled it. And the consensus was…..
meh. Probably my first and last time
eating bread pudding. Why’d they have to
go and put bananas in there?
We spent the rest of the night at California Adventure, and we laughed the entire time. At one point, Jackson pretended to be blind
on the Tower of Terror, keeping his eyes closed from the moment we got in line,
until I forced him to open them once the ride was over, because he was holding
up the people behind us while trying to “feel” his way off the ride. And there’s really just no good way to
describe how hilarious he was. Ali was
told “Happy Birthday, Alison” by just about every cast member we saw, and she had a
fantastic and memorable 14th birthday. She was grateful and happy the whole day. Ashley spent a good 30 minutes at Build a
Bear trying to decide on the next outfit to buy for her new teddy bear,
Snuggles. She told us tonight, “I don’t like
hearing people say, ‘you sure are growing up.’
I don’t want to be 10.” And I completely understand.
Why do we have to grow
up? I know more adults who have the children's approach to life. They're people
who don't give a hang what the Joneses do. You see them at Disneyland every
time you go there. They are not afraid to be delighted with simple pleasures…” –
Walt Disney
It’s like he was peering into the future and seeing the five of
us.
-The Niemeyers
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