Frozen

Leah has been totally immersed in the Frozen craze. While we've made it a point not to have a house full of princess costumes and toys, we have given in slightly to Frozen. I can no longer count the times we've watched the movie, and Leah will put socks on her hands or wrap a blanket around her for a train on a dress and pretend she's Elsa. 

At Disneyland, the line to see Anna and Elsa averaged 2-3 hours! There was no way I was willing to do that, so I didn't even mention them to Leah whenever we went to Disneyland. Recently, Disneyland implemented a ticketed system where you wait for a timed ticket and go back during that timeframe. My parents were so kind to go to Disneyland at 8am and wait to get the timed ticket, and then we went back at 1:50pm and waited all together for another 30 minutes. Needless to say, Leah was SO happy. She gave them hugs, talked to them, and took pictures. Seeing the look on her face was priceless. I'm excited that she was able to get this opportunity! 

Is it Friday Already?

My little Mouseketeer

This week flew by! Most of the week was spent running errands, but we did get a chance to visit Disneyland. They're preparing for the Christmas season, and I'm so excited to go back to see the park when it's all dressed up! Disneyland during the holidays is magical!

Have a great weekend!

We've Got Ears....Say Cheers!

I was craving clam chowder soup all day!

Is it Thursday already? This week is flying by. I've been meaning to post some photos of our recent trip to Disneyland last Friday. Matt had the day off and got to go with us. Activities are so much more fun with the whole family. We also finally got Leah a set of ears. Surprisingly, she was ecstatic to wear them! As I mentioned in Leah's 22 months post, she's obsessed with all things Mickey and Minnie. Every time we walked by a picture, character, and/or statue she would yell "Ickey! Minnie Mice!" You can imagine how often we heard that. 

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Disneyland!

Over pictures by this point and wants to get on the rides!

Leah started the week off well by getting to go to Disneyland on Wednesday.  We need to take advantage of our annual passes! My parents joined us, and of course, we had tons of fun. My mom agreed - an instant smile comes across your face the minute you pass through the gates. 

She doesn't look like she's having fun, but she's just too focused on her surroundings!

Having an annual pass is really nice when you have young kids. We got there, went on 4 rides, had lunch, and left. We didn't feel obligated to spend the whole day there to make up for the $87 1 day ticket price. After every ride, Leah clapped her hands! It was cute to watch, especially since some of those Fantasyland rides can be a little on the scary side. 

When we got on the Peter Pan ride, it actually ended up stopping! The lights went on, and they announced they were having technically difficulties. It was cool to see some of the behind-the-scenes work. Those clouds you see during the ride look like they're made out of trash bags! The staff were super nice and asked if we were okay. I was nervous Leah wouldn't be able to sit still that long, but she did great! After about 15 minutes, they had us safely back to the starting point. 

Grandpa celebrating the end of tax season with his granddaughter.

After we were done with the rides, we headed to Downtown Disney for lunch at Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria. The restaurant was super kid friendly, providing Leah with crayons, a small bowl of fruit , and milk in a cup with a lid. We headed home after lunch, and Leah passed out by the time I exited the parking lot. 

Did I mention how much I love Disneyland??? :)

The 2nd Happiest Place on Earth

I believe Disneyland truly is the happiest place on earth for young and old. You instantly stand up tall and get a big smile on your face the minute you pass through the entrance gates! California Adventures (CA) is a close 2nd! 

Cousins from Hong Kong were in town and wanted to check out CA yesterday. This was Leah's first exposure to the magic of Disneyland. Even when we exited the freeway on Disneyland Dr. she yelled out "WOW!"

The cousins had such a good time hanging out with each other. They patiently sat through parades and waited in lines, and they often held hands as they walked through the park. How adorable is that?! 

Leah really wasn't sure what was going on when we boarded the first ride. When the ride finished, however, she kept saying "More! More!" After that she was itching to get on any ride she could. Since she wasn't tall enough to go on all the rides the bigger cousins went on, she stayed back with my mom a few times while the rest of us stood in line. Every time I saw them after a ride, my mom bought her something new (juice, frozen lemonade, etc.). Lucky granddaughter! 

So we had such a good time, I gave in and bought annual passes! I can't wait to go again! Seeing the excitement on Leah's face brought an entirely new sense of happiness about Disneyland. She only took a 30 minute nap the entire time we were there, because she didn't want to miss anything. When I finally put her in the car, she fell asleep in probably 0.5 seconds! Until we meet again, Mickey!

P.S. We all know Disneyland is super kid friendly, but here are some services they provide to make the experience as convenient as possible.

• Stroller rentals: We brought our own stroller, but I saw a ton of people using them. They looked super clean and sturdy!
• Locker rentals: Bringing young children often means lugging around a ton of stuff! You can rent different sized lockers and have unlimited access to them throughout the day. 
• Baby center: The center provides areas to nurse, pump, and change diapers! Every restroom also has a diaper changing area.