Disneyland Day 5 - Just Tall Enough

Of all the days in Disneyland today was not the day for a kid meltdown. Today was supposed to be California Adventure day and Callie was very tired in the morning resulting in a rough start to the day. We didn't get out the door till about 9:00a and headed straight to the Fast Pass line for the Radiator Springs Racers. It's a new ride and the Fast Pass for the entire day maxes out at about 9:30a. You can try waiting in line but it can be as long as two to three hours. We got there just in time and after a slight mix up where Kerry didn't have Callie's pass with her we managed to get our tickets.

Our first ride of the day was Mater's Junk Yard Jamboree. It's like the tea cups except you are in a trailer at the back of a tractor. I ended up with some pretty crazy pictures because it swings you around in tail whip fashion. After that Ronnie, Barb, Reg and I headed to Grizzly river rapids. This has always been my favourite ride and we were lucky enough to get extra Fast Passes to it and California Screaming. They handed these out when we Fast Passed Radiator Springs because you can't have more than one Fast Pass at a time and since our time was 7:30p at night we wouldn't have been able to get any others.

The kids had gone to the Brother Bear climbing area while we were at Grizzly Rapids. We met up and headed to the new Arial ride. The kids went with Kerry and Barb and Reg went together leaving Ronnie and I together in a sea shell car on the Arial ride. The girl checking our ride car as we left gave us a smile and I'm fairly certain she thought we were a good looking couple. Not a good way for Uncle Ronnie to find a girl friend.

When we left the Arial ride we came across Phineas and Ferb doing some street dancing. Kerry, Callie, Carter and I stopped to watch while the others went off to get in a few rides on their own. (Much easier without kids.) Kerry and Callie did Jumping Jelly Fish and a few rides and Carter and I went in search of fish and chips. Unfortunately it seems they replaced the place we usually go to with part of Cars  Land so I was out of luck. I wandered a bit while Carter fell asleep and then we all headed back to the hotel.

When we got back to the hotel we headed to the pool. After about 30 minutes I started to head back to our room when I noticed that the small kid that had been sitting on the edge of the pool wasn't there anymore. He wasn't very big and when I walked by I noticed he was in the water. For a second I though he had a buoyancy vest on and was playing but I suddenly realized it was just a swim shirt and his head wasn't coming out of the water anymore. His mother was at the other end of the pool with her back turned so I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out, handing him to Kerry who passed him on to his mom. He was still young enough that he had the baby swim reflex so he hadn't breathed in any water. She seemed very grateful so I don't think she knew he had fallen in the water. Amazing how quickly bad things can happen near a pool.

After my afternoon nap we headed to the Rain Forest cafe for dinner. Uncle Ronnie was generous enough to pay as he had a few birthday's to cover. The atmosphere is great and the kids really enjoy it there. We even ordered a chocolate volcano and told the waiter it was for Callie's birthday. They deliver it by shouting out "Volcano" and sang her happy birthday. I do have a picture but I figured the drinking lesson that Carter was getting from Barb would be a better shot. (Just kidding Barb.) After dinner we were off to Radiator Springs Racers.

Our pass was for 7:30 to 8:30 but when we go there the ride was broken. They recommended we come back later and told us they would honor our Fast Pass. We checked back at 8:30p and it was mostly working though there were a few more break downs while we were in line. Our next hurdle was Carter's height. The limit is 40" and he's technically only about 39 3/4" so we knew it was going to be close. We managed to sneak past the first height check but got caught by the second. The first guy measuring tried his hardest to get him to stand straight and Carter gave it his best.

He raised is arm, breathed in deeply and tried to be as tall as possible. The first guy failed him but we asked for a second check and the next guy had a better technique of gently holding his head. I think he passed by the thickness of a piece of hair. We were warned that there would be a third check but I managed to distract the attendant enough that she never checked. The ride according to Carter was "Terrrrrific" and "Super super fun!". It really is an amazing ride and well worth the wait. We finished off the evening in Bugs Land and headed home for 10:30p.

- Finished off with bugs land
- Back home for 10:30

Disneyland Day 4 - Uncle Ronnie!

Today was a very special day. Our first full day at Disneyland and a special character was arriving later in the day. We started with a great breakfast at the hotel. A buffet of pancakes, bacon, fresh waffles and other assorted goodies all included with our room. We were there by 7:00a since the park opens at 8:00a and we wanted to get there as soon as it opened. The worst kept secret of Disneyland is that it's not busy in the mornings and the summer was no exception. We could walk on rides for the first two hours.

The plan was for Carter and I to head to Splash Mountain while everyone else headed to the Matterhorn. Carter just makes the height restriction of 40" and made a good attempt. He insisted that we go on 1) The Pooh Bear Ride, 2) Pirates and then 3) Splash Mountain. We made the first two but when it was time for Splash he indicated that "Baby Duck doesn't want to go on Splash mountain because he doesn't like water." How can you argue with a duck?

It turned out the Matterhorn was closed but opened up around 9:00a so we hit a few random rides like the Tea Cups and Alice and Wonderland while we waited. Barb, Reg and I than went over to Splash Mountain while the kids checked out Toon Town. We finished and found them just in time because they were in the line up to get pictures with Minnie but didn't have a camera. Disneyland will take your picture for you and give you a code to check it online later. Of course they take your money pretty good too so it's best if you have your own camera.

After that Callie and Kerry went to check out Tinkerbell. (Too bad our special guest hadn't arrived.) Carter and I went over to Pirate Island for a little hike. I watched enviously at the canoes that paddled by. They are the one ride I haven't done yet and I'm determined to go this time. We then headed back to the hotel to find Uncle Ronnie! He had just arrived by shuttle. After a quick dip in the pool we got ready to back to the park again.

When we headed back to the park our timing wasn't very good as we ended up at the tail end of the parade which made for very slow going. The first ride we hit was Pirates and it had a short line up. Carter was having none of it though so he and I went to the exit to wait and buy a sword. (Another good parenting tip. Buy them stuff when they scream.) After some talking I discovered that he felt we had to go on Pooh Bear first and then Pirates. So after a quick Pooh Bear ride we were back on Pirates.

A few more quick rides and then every but Ronnie and I went back to the hotel. Kerry was smart enough to use everyone's passes to fast pass a few rides for us. They didn't start till 11:00p so we headed to Space Mountain to stand in line. We got to the very front of the line outside when they announced it was shut down and they didn't know when it would be back on. Turned out to be just a 20 minute delay so we got lucky. We hit the Matterhorn before finishing off with Splash Mountain and Indiana Jones. Home for midnight after a very long day.

Disneyland Day 3 - Pooh and Poo

Our final day on the road today. We were out the door by 7:00a and unfortunately we had a Callie melt down as soon as we got in the car. We drove her to Starbucks with no seat belt hoping she would start to calm down on her own. Our excellent parenting trick this time was to point out the cops in the parking lot and tell her they would take her away if she didn't put her seat belt on and calm down. It worked. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful though traffic was horrendous.

Kerry had been dreading this part of the drive for months but with my excellent navigating I dropped us right off on the door step of our hotel. (Kerry's driving was pretty good too.) We've stayed at this hotel in the past because they take dogs. Technically they only take one dog but our dogs all look alike so it's just a matter of walking them individually and no one can tell. The hardest part is keeping them quiet as we get in the door. Captain is the oldest but he's got the most piercing bark I've ever heard.

We unpacked the car and took out a bottle of wine. Kerry and I seem to be out of town for most of our anniversaries and this one was no exception. (Our second anniversary was spent driving to Vegas through Death Valley) That wasn't an omen however and after 10 years we're still going. Kerry is an amazing wife and even better mother. A toast to another 10+. Our anniversary dinner consisted of pizza and wine since we had to get ready for an evening in Disneyland.

Callie was raring to go on some rides though Carter was a bit more apprehensive. We decided to do Buzz Light Year first since Carter likes Toy Story. Unfortunately it's about shooting bad guys and he wasn't too impressed. He had his hands over his eyes the whole time. The next ride choice wasn't much better with 'Pirates of the Carribean'. Callie never made it on and Carter peeked out periodically. I think he ended up liking it though.

We finished up with the Pooh Bear Ride. This was my nemesis last time because it's really not that exciting but the kids love it. Callie didn't have a great time in line because a bird poo'd on her. As parents we of course decided to use this as lesson for being good. (The bird must have known she wasn't very good in the car.) We finished up with Haunted mansion for some reason. We think it's because it was available and Callie was hell bent on going on three rides. Both kids covered their eyes the whole time. After Pooh Bear we took the kids back to the room and Kerry and I headed back to finish off our anniversary. Our first stop was the Churro stand. We'd been craving one for months. I think the last time we were there they made them fresh but these were similar to what you get in Costco so they were a bit disappointing. We finished up the evening on Indian Jones and Big Thunder mountain. A great first day.

Disneyland Day 2 - Napa Ain't Cheap

Day one was a bit rough and day two didn't run much smoother. We were on the road by 7:00a and you could tell the kids were excited because they were getting a bit wild. Wild enough that we had to stick Kerry in between them for a few hours while I drove. I don't normally drive since I like to navigate and nap and Kerry likes to drive. A perfect combination. The driving itself was great as it's on a major highway but it was a bit stressful trying to make sure I didn't lose Reg. He's great  following but I still had to be careful with every lane change.

Our plan for day two was to leave early and hit Napa valley on the way down. Since we've discovered the Oliver wineries I've always wanted to check out the Napa valley for comparison. I'd hoped to get there before lunch but due to some navigation issues and traffic we didn't arrive until around 1:30p and we were all pretty tired. The kids of course had turned into angels and were enjoying hanging out in the trees at the Andretti winery. (That's Mario Andretti)

We quickly discovered that Napa doesn't offer the free tastings that they do in the Okanagan. $10.00 per person for four wines was the cheapest we found and that adds up pretty fast. You're almost better off just buying two or three bottles and hoping you get lucky with some good ones. We were able to split the tasting between a couple people and they were generous portions. We managed to hit three wineries including Robert Mondavi and another up on the hill. Robert Mondavi had the nicest tasting room and sales shop.

I was amazed how similar the climate was to Oliver. I can see why someone entered the Oliver valley and decided it would be a good place to grow wine. After our short wine tour we headed to Lodi for hotel number two. This one was formally a Holiday Inn so Callie was much happier. Another quick dip in the pool and off to bed early. Tomorrow is Disneyland!

Disneyland Day 1 - Medford or Bust

Day one of our 10 day holiday to Disneyland started early. We had planned to leave at 4:00a as we find it's easier with the kids and we came pretty close leaving at 4:30a. The border was a breeze and we were through by 5:00a. We're traveling with Kerry's parents, their three dogs, our dog, our kids and Uncle Ronnie is meeting us there. Since we're taking two cars Reg bought a pair of short range radios. They worked great to start but somewhere in Oregon we had to stop so Carter could go pee and Barb decided it was time to hit Starbucks. We pulled into a gas station and Kerry decided to get gas at the same time. Reg followed us but there wasn't room to park so he headed back out to the freeway. It didn't take long for them to be out of range and without a good 'reconnect' plan we quickly lost them. We wandered a bit but then made the decision do get back on the road and hope to find them at hotel.

It wasn't a great time to be separated because when we stopped for lunch Carter and I stayed in the car with the A/C running. When Kerry came out she saw a lot of fluid coming out the bottom of the car and we weren't sure if it was condensation or coolant. We nervously stopped every 15 minutes for the remainder of the trip. We finally made it the hotel where Callie's impression of the hotel was "I DO NOT like this place!". It had a roof and a pool. All you need when  you're just staying the night. It also had a lot of colorful residents who appeared to live there including the couple in their 50's who set up a George Forman grill outside their room and included some solar lights in Budweiser cans for ambience. They had a bit of a party out of the back of their muscle car.  We had a quick dip in the pool, some KFC for dinner and tried to get a good nights sleep so we could leave early the next day.

Happy Birthday Callie!

Callie's birthday is getting to be a bigger production every year. She still likes to have it in our back yard and the general ingredients are the same every year but Callie's taking more interest in each and every detail. Trouble started a few days before when I tried to put together the Treasure Hunt. Callie didn't like my idea of teams and a different route for each team and ended up creating her own. I'm sure in her head it was amazing but the clues were so obscure she was the only that could do it so everyone just ended up following her. They seemed to have fun anyways.

When I say 'the trouble started' I mean it. When I arrived home at 4:00p on the day of the party I could hear Callie and Kerry 'discussing' things from a block away. It seems Kerry had put up some decorations without Callie's permission which resulted in some of the decorations not quite making it to the party. Callie wanted to do everything but she needed help. I managed to slowly convince her to delegate a few things and I think everything came together at about 4:59.

Other highlights included the cake which was actually cake part deux as the first one was left in the pan too long and came out in pieces. The box decorating seemed to be a success. It was simple and clean since they used markers rather than paint. Gift opening was out on the grass again and food consisted of fruit skewers, chips and sandwiches. Callie was very proud of her goody bags which she put together herself and her mixed Disney theme with a focus on Phineas and Ferb was a lot of fun.

Summer in Oliver

We traveled to Oliver in July to visit with Kerry's parent's. We make it there a few times each year but the summer trip is the most fun. They live just a short walk from the beach and Carter, Callie and I spent time building sand castles and islands. The island involved a lot of sand being dredged up from deeper on the beach. This turned out to be a bad idea as the sand had a rather horrendous smell to it that took days to wash off. Callie enjoyed her island however. Carter got a castle and he even explained to me how I could use a leaf as a flag.

The highlight this trip turned out to be kayaking. Reg had a paddle boat but because they are not right on the beach it was a pain to drag it back and forth. Enough of a pain that he sold it while we were there. Even better than having your own boat is knowing your neighbors that live on the beach and have very easy to maneuver kayaks. Kerry has always wanted to kayak and got her wish. It's about a 30 minute trip around the lake and a lot of fun. A good work out too.

As per usual, we were away from home for Kerry's birthday again. I had already given her gift to her the week before and all she wanted on her birthday was a cake and to not cook.We spent the lunch at Hester Creek and ordered pizza from the local pizzeria for dinner. We capped off the evening with  a cake from the IGA and killed two birds with one stone by celebrating Reg's birthday at the same time..

The weather was very hot but I find that's the best weather for getting in a very fulfilling bike ride. I managed to get in several trips up and down the dike in the early afternoon. I found biking in the hot weather very deceptive with no sweating until you stopped at a light at which point it felt like a tap was being turned on. Plenty of fluids and treats from the 'corner of sin' help balance things out. We call the corner of their kitchen the 'corner of sin' because it's always full of treats. We did get Barb to tone it down a bit this time though so we could be in tip top shape for Disneyland. Coming out with no net weight gain or loss was a rare accomplishment.