Happy Birthday, Disneyland!

 Disney and Disneyland have figured prominently in our family life. First, I love a lot of Disney - animated movies, music, art, creativity, and the craftsmanship that went into building Disneyland. 

Then came autism, and trips to Disneyland became my sanity breaks and our most consistent vacations. At least until the kids were well into elementary school. After that, Disneyland started to become expensive and our income decreased, and we got priced out. I still tried to get us back there every 2-4 years, because it still felt good to be there, and I had game plans to maximize our time, budget, and tools for sensitive kiddos.

Now Disneyland barely feels like it once did. It's now difficult to save up, plan, and make reservations for what used to be accessible on a same-day whim. The crowds are crazy, and the last 2 trips had me overhearing parents melting down about kids not moving fast enough "to get their money's worth" of their day. Several of our former quiet spots have been shut off and restricted to exclusive groups that are out of our tax bracket. 

Still, magic remains. Especially in our memories. The best are from when we got there before the gates opened, excitedly anticipating our day. We'd down our breakfast bars and slap on sunscreen while waiting for the gates to open. We'd pick 3 rides (Peter Pan, Alice, and Small World) to experience right away, then break for breakfast by the Matterhorn (gushing water, Yeti yowling, and Monorail honks in the background) before enjoying whatever else the day (and afternoon and evening) would bring. 

I think that's why Disneyland is still a touchpoint - it feels a bit like family - our home away from home that remained a constant, happy destination despite hard times, divorce, and unplanned changes. 

There and Back ... Again

We are back from an early second trip of the year to visit family and friends in SoCal. Excitement, new experiences, and I am happy to report that that there were no incidents of either car sickness or constipation. Progress!

Early on a Friday morning, we hopped in our van and made our way to I-5, which became our friend for the next 5 or so hours. The kids and I were able to enjoy a late-afternoon nap that ended with the start of the Grapevine. Could that connecting segment be any rougher? It's almost like a speed bump and comes right before the CHP station, which is probably a good thing.

This was quite a different trip for me. We've been doing this ~1,000-mi R/T thang for over 7 years now, but this was the first time I hadn't had to pack an extra bag of white noise machine, diapers, and small children toys. The portable CD player, for the first time, went completely unused. This was liberating for me. Less to fret over packing and tracking the entire way. What entertained the kids? Books, a pad of paper & crayons, and for James, a Magnadoodle:

If his smile looks different, it's because he lost his second tooth on the trip. The first one disappeared at school before we left. My buddy is growing up!

I loved how well the Magnadoodle worked. It focused James when he was at loose ends. It had no batteries or cords. He could use it anywhere and it occupied him for hours, allowing him to indulge in his latest obsession, Writing His Letters and Spelling His Own Name. Take that, Bembridge Scholars!

The trip was to visit family, help a family member move, and meet up with friends at Disneyland. We sure got our money's worth out of this trip, and it will take several posts to cover it all.

Safe to say that on the trip back up, we'd had our fill of fun, and were happy to enjoy the ride home as we unwound from vacation overdrive and rested up for more school.

Tackle It Tuesday: Road Trip

Last week the kids and I hit the road to take advantage of Spring Break and being able to visit with friends. Although planning and packing for a 5 hour car trip and 3-day stay away from home has become more streamlined, it's still an ordeal. Toss in driving and round-the-clock childcare and the thrill of a good challenge gets even better.

Luckily, the kids are good travelers, having become acquainted at a tender age with I-5 and 400+ mile jaunts. I have learned that when traveling, lists are my friend. It helps me when I pack up at home and when it's time to go home. The kids are learning how to pack their own suitcases. Travel Light can actually be our motto now.

Last Tuesday well all hit the beach. Lucky us in SoCal, where it was sunny and warm. The water was cold but the sand was toasty. James actually played in the waves by himself and enjoyed the advance/retreat rhythms of their dance. He grabbed handfuls of wet, gloppy sand and threw them at the waves. He rolled and crawled in the warm sand. He seemed to enjoy walking on the pebbly patches of beach in his bare feet. He sidled away to slide at the play area.

The kids' Easter beach towels were christened and I used all the extra towels in the van. Hey, I know where my towels are ... I am a frood and hoopy mom.

There was packing and unpacking of clothes and groceries. Exploration of where we stayed and our friends' house. Cooking and eating of good food by all, and consumption of strawberries and fine sherry by the grownups. I kept up the potty training, did 5 loads of laundry and ran 4 dishwasher loads while we were there. Oh, and gave 2 baths to remove approximately 10 pounds of sand from my children.

I know it's counter-intuitive to say that we tackled a vacation and won, but that's almost what it felt like!

This Saturday, we'll be tackling the Walk for Autism Speaks. We are looking forward to it!


What was your challenge? Read and be inspired at Tackle It Tuesday on 5 Minutes for Mom. Post your own story to share with other Tacklers.

Road Trippin'

Yay, we got to take a few mini vacations! My husband is still saving up vacation days with his new job so we made weekend trips to Santa Cruz and Southern California. Both trips involved major time at the beach. Both kids loved it, and by the time of our last day at Newport Beach, James had started to bat away our hands so he could stand alone n the surf, and brace his legs against the waves.

He didn't mid getting sandy, but he remains a picky eater. After some frustrating tries to get more than milk inside of him during the Santa Cruz trip, I made PB&J sandwiches for James to take to SoCal. My husband rolled his eyes a bit, but I've seen the prices for PB&J on the menus -- $3-7, and there's no guarantee that James will like the (1) bread), (2)PB, or (3) jam/jelly.

They home-made "Shamiches"? So. Much. Easier! James gobbled them down. And thank goodness Trader Joe's sells watermelon precut, in a nicely sealed plastic bowl. Money well spent and it kept James happy, still, and hydrated at the beach.

What a nice change for both kids to jump, run, and yell as loudly and long as they liked! They are both really good travelers on long car trips, and it feels good to having something worth their while at journey's end. James kept up his words with "bird!", "wah-er!" (water), "Mennon!" (watermelon), "bwoo!" (blue) ... and "haycopper!" for when the helicopter buzzed us at the Newport shoreline. He also likes to count. He can get up to 14 and count back down from 5. He can sing the A-B-C song, but doesn't really know the letters.