Welcome To The Happ.iest (And Tiredest) Place On Earth!

Yesterday, after shipping off four of our five boxes full of Chri.stmas gifts (thanks Mom and Dad for shipping the box full of books!), we met up with the Maguires at Se.a-Tac so we could all fly down to Di.sneyland together.

While we were waiting, we got a bit of excitement... fire trucks!

We don't think there was an actual fire, just a sprinkler that had gone off for some reason.

We landed around 5pm and were in Dis.neyland by 6:30pm.  Everyone was very excited:

Honestly, I think we were mostly excited to finally have the chance to eat dinner.

Most of us ordered cheeseburgers:

But B decided to be a little different, he got a sandwich with a side of cole-slaw... however he forgot to grab a spoon.  Luckily he's a quick thinker:

We also decided that Brayton would share everyone's food... and he did:

After dinner we headed into To.on Town.  Brayton was in LOVE.  He actually led us into Goo.fy's play area:

After playing for a bit we headed into Goo.fy's house:

After G.oofy's house we walked through Min.nie's and Micke.y's (separate) houses... culminating in pictures with Mi.ckey!  (Which we let the pros take... so I don't have any... sorry)

As we left Micke.y's house McColley got to drive his car:

He then got to captain D.onald's boat (with help from Navigator Uncle Joe):

But we revoked his driving priviledges after he got a little wild in G.oofy's car:

Since McColley couldn't drive anymore, we hopped on the train (yes, we managed to do planes, trains and automobiles all in one day).  We got off at the M.ain Stre.et Station in preparation for the fireworks.

McColley also got a light saber in preparation for the darkness:

Grandpa, Uncle Sean and Uncle Joe decided to get hot chocolate while the rest of us held our spot on M.ain Street:

Being the holidays the fireworks ended with snow! (which was good because McColley had been asking for snow all day):

After the fireworks we fit in one more ride (A.stro Blas.ters) before heading back to the hotel.

This morning we got going in time for the opening of C.alifornia Adven.ture:

In anticipation of a long wait, we did T.oy St.ory Ma.nia first.  Being a marketing juggernaut, we exited through a gift shop.  Both boys were entranced by B.uzz Light.year light spinners:

The day was overcast and rainy, but after finally extricating the boys from the gift shop we thought we'd caught a break in the rain, so Sean, Joe, B and I headed over to Ca.lifornia Screa.ming.

By the time we boarded the rain was back.  Want to know what rain feels like at 50mph?  Little rocks to your face is what ... we were soaked by the time it was done.

Grandma, Grandpa and the boys were waiting for us as we exited and we decided to head over to P.layhouse Dis.ney Live on St.age! 

On our way I spotted Santa Go.ofy:

And we made it to Play.house Dis.ney at the perfect time:

By then it was time for lunch.  While B, Grandma and Joe got our food, Brayton entertained the rest of us with his magic pop bottles:

This is when we devised our brilliant split-up plan.  B and I took the boys to B.ug's Li.fe while the other four did S.oarin' Over Ca.lifornia.  By the time they were done Brayton was passed out in the stroller and McColley was done with Fl.ick's Fair. 

B and I handed the boys off and went to do Soa.rin' ourselves.  We were to meet afterwards in the Hol.lywood area.

B and I had an awesome 'trip' and headed back to find our family.  On the way we dropped into a store called 'Of.f The Pa.ge' which is next to the area with 'Tur.tle Talk' and several other shows.  While B and I were looking at the merchandise B missed a call from his mother.  Noticing that his cellphone battery was running low he tried to send her a text with our location.  As the message was sending his phone died.

We walked around the Holl.ywood area searching for them.  We couldn't find them anywhere ... even after checking all the parked strollers.  We tried borrowing a cellphone, but that was a no-go.

After asking a Ca.st Memb.er we found the pay phones ... which then proceeded to not work.  At All.  We tried five times three different ways.  It was very frustrating ... and cost us $5.00.

We finally decided to just walk back to the hotel and retrieve my phone, which I had left there to charge.

While walking back to the park B finally got a text message through to Sean... they were sitting in that area next to 'Of.f The Pa.ge'.

That is when we realized we'd just lived through our own little sitcom episode.

Finally re-united, McColley wanted to take us to 'Turt.le Tal.k'.  After a chat with Cru.sh, we came back to the hotel.

Not wanting to walk too far, we went to dinner about four doors down from our hotel. 

We tried to feed Brayton by committee again but he decided he'd rather work on his fine-motor skills:

Croutons, salmon, chicken AND broccolli all through the straw hole!

Then we all crashed early because tomorrow is New Year's Eve!

We Had A Holly, Jolly Chri.stmas

The blog has been silent over Christmas.  There were two reasons for that: 1) I didn't take all that many pictures (for me, at least) and 2) I kept forgetting to ask B where he'd put the camera cord.

Well... now I'm back!  Everybody ready for a picture overload!!!

DECEMBER 23
My parents 31st Anniversary.

We had an excellent lunch and then went to the aquarium.  Once again, McColley refused to touch anything (even with Grandmotherly guidance):

We explored the interior and then headed outside... which is when Brayton finally decided to do a little walking:

It was so beautiful that we had to do some 'official' pictures:

DECEMBER 24
We drove across the state. 

That is all.

DECEMBER 25
Christmas Morning!

Stockings!

Toys!

Cousins!

Cousins As Toys!

Cousins In Front Of The Christmas Tree!  (Almost)

DECEMBER 26
Really?  How do you follow up Christmas?

How about fire trucks!

A little uncertain?  Let's get you comfortable by letting you 'put out' a 'fire':

Don't want to get into a fire truck?  Will you do it if your little brother does?

Don't want to get INSIDE a fire truck?  Will the brother trick work again?

Nope?  Lets move onto reindeer then.

DECEMBER 27
After four days of constant train talk from McColley... B finally took a picture of him running Grandpa's trains:

Yeah... we were totally on the ball with that one... McColley only spent 75% of his time either talking about and/or playing with the trains.   Prime example of why the blog went silent, we were in a Christmas Coma!

Unfortunately we had to drive back across the mountains that afternoon.

McColley slept most of the way, but woke up as we entered the mountains.  He informed us that Mt. Stewart is the North Pole and that this:

was a hill of blue grass.  He seemed equally happy when informed it was trees.

DECEMBER 28

After an exciting morning in which AAA rescued the keys from our rental car, we headed down to the Woo.dland Park Z.oo.

The most memorable moment was when the hippos had a conversation (much to McColley's irritation):

He liked the statue of them much better:

And then after a bit of delay we met up with our reason for going to the zoo...

Renee and Alex!

We tried very hard to get a picture of the two one-year-olds together... this was the best we got:

Several Herding Cats jokes were made, but we had a great visit and marvelled at the fact that we haven't seen each other in almost TWO YEARS!  Both Alex and Brayton were mere hypotheticals last time we sat face-to-face... crazy.

Now we're busy getting ready for the next leg of our trip... DISNEYLA.ND!

Over The Water And Across The Bridge

Even though McColley has spent most of his life living in Dela.ware and Brayton was born there, B and I feel that we are a family of Washing.tonians.  Because of that we do our best on trips out West to expose the boys to things that are central to life in Washingto.n.

Today's Very Was.hington Thing was FERRIES!

We took the ferry from Edm.onds to Kin.gston and used the ride to teach the boys about water travel:

Once we arrived at our final destination (Br.emerton), Uncle Tim and Aunt Arianna taught the boys even more about the waterfront and navy ships:

Unfortunately we could only spend the morning with them, so after lunch we headed across the Nar.rows Bridge and into Mapl.e Valley to visit the Winkeys.

Jess and B decided to go to the WSU v. LSU game in Sea.ttle while the boys and I hung out with Christel and Elijah at their house.  Everyone got along swimmingly...

except Brayton and Oliver:

We also got to give Elijah his final(?) birthday present of the year:

Both Elijah and McColley thought it was an awesome gift and Elijah very generously shared with McColley:

Eventually the WSU game ended and the boys and I had to meet B to head back up to Grandma and Grandpa's house.  There was a slightly tearful good-bye followed by a sleepy ride back north.

Slowly Down Sant.a Cl.aus Lane

After all the activity of the last few days we decided to slow it down today.  We had a lazy morning and then went to a late lunch at Macaro.ni Grill.

I think Brayton has finally warmed up to Grandpa:

And McColley is in seventh heaven with all the Grandma attention:

After lunch we decided to do Santa pictures... and so did apparently everyone else in Lyn.nwood.  The line was over an hour long.  With four adults we took turns holding the place and let the boys roam a bit.

At one point we took them to the play area:

Unfortunately it was a bit crazy and we didn't feel safe letting the boys play for all that long.

Fortunately the line did move fairly steadly, so when we made our way back we were in the perfect place to play:

Of course Brayton had to try and escape:

We did eventually get our picture... just in time to come home for dinner!