Tuesday Time to Tackle: Disneyland with a One-Year-Old

Yesterday, I did something that some people might not understand. I took a baby (with no older siblings) to Disneyland. My youngest daughter accompanied us. True, it's nearly impossible the baby will remember her visit, and we did not ride many rides, but we enjoyed ourselves by focusing our attention on the atmosphere of the Happiest Place on Earth.

Just look at all those smiling faces!

Rides comprise only a small part of the total Disney experience. When we first entered Main Street, our first stop was a stop at City Hall to pick up a complimentary "1st Visit" badge. (Oh, and I almost forgot to mention--Disneyland admission is free for the under-3 set!) Then we spent a little bit of time just looking, wide-eyed, at the sights and people.

Because the car ride to Disneyland took a while, we were ready to eat shortly after arriving in the park. We ate while watching Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, my "don't miss" group at Disneyland. As I suspected, the show mesmerized my granddaughter.

We actually caught two performances of the Jingle Jangle Jamboree.

While we were in the Big Thunder Ranch area, we visited with various Disney characters, as well as Santa. (We skipped Mickey, though, after granddaughter's less-than-enthusiastic reaction to Minnie.)

We did manage two rides: Small World and Winnie the Pooh. Both provided catchy music and lots of happy figures for granddaughter to enjoy.

This expression belies her delight with "Small World."

After a couple of rides, a couple of shows, and no nap, we headed toward the park exit. The goal of any theme park visit is to leave while people are still happy. We made it, but barely.

Why do I think this expression may return in her teenage years?

Granddaughter conked out as soon as we got in the car, and she slept soundly the entire ride home.

The number one reason for taking granddaughter to Disneyland? It gave us something fun to do together while her mom was in the hospital delivering a new baby sister!

Thanks for granddaughters!

Ten Things of Thankful: 39 Years Edition

A political map of the world circa 1987. The Soviet Union takes up a sizable portion. A lot has happened in the last 39 years. The Berlin Wall came down. The Soviet Union collapsed. The Twin Towers fell. Technology has changed: landlines and phone booths are practically extinct, and random questions can be answered in seconds by asking Google, Siri, or Alexa. No longer do drivers keep the Thomas Guide in their cars; navigation systems will give turn-by-turn directions, and recalculate when the driver doesn't follow the directions. Some cars don't even need drivers. While many shoppers do their shopping in-person, some simply log into Amazon and have their item show up on their doorstep--sometimes within hours. I've seen pieces of the Berlin Wall. I've traveled to places that used to be behind the Iron Curtain. I've been to Ground Zero. I no longer have a house phone, and have looked up the answers to countless questions using my cell phone. I do not miss the stress...

Ten Things of Thankful: April Showers Edition

A red peony bud prepares to open fully After an incredibly dry winter, we had a bit of precipitation this past week, in the form of falling snow. We didn't have much, and it didn't really stick, but we'll take water however it wants to come. Fortunately, my peonies seem unaffected by the cold snap, and are ready to put on a show here soon. 1. I'm thankful for moisture. 2. I'm thankful the flowers are still going to bloom. I don't know how the colder temperatures will affect the fruit crops. The strawberries look like they are still planning to set fruit. We'll have to see what happens with the peach, apricot, pear, and apple. (The apricot only bears heavily every other year anyway, and I think this is an "off" year--though I could be wrong.) Strawberry plants in full bloom 3. I'm thankful for anticipated berries. We continue to clear out and otherwise prepare John's parents' house for sale. I've been going through old photos and...

Tuesday Time to Tackle: DIY Swamp Cooler Pump Replacement

Yesterday morning, despite having the swamp cooler on all night long, we woke up to 81 degree temperatures inside the house. John went outside to inspect and announced that the swamp cooler pump had stopped working. Fortunately, replacing the pump is a quick and simple do-it-yourself project.

NancyDecember 3, 2013 at 9:14 AM
Looks like a fun day: her expressions are priceless!

Congratulations on the new arrival.
Mom/NancyDecember 3, 2013 at 12:54 PM
You're a brave woman who looks like she had a great time! :) Great pictures!!
Ouch PotatoDecember 3, 2013 at 7:47 PM
Congratulations on the birth of your new granddaughter - I'm awaiting that blessing myself, real soon :)
I'm so glad you had such a lovely day at Disney - good friends of ours took their grandchildren on holiday there, recently (we're from the UK), and they loved their visit :)
MarissaDecember 3, 2013 at 8:46 PM
Wow.congratulations on the birth of your new grand baby
What a nice thing to do..I love Disneyland.
ChristineDecember 4, 2013 at 4:47 AM
Congratulations!! I can't believe she's delivering already. It seems like you just announced she was expecting!
I can't think of many better ways to spend a beautiful day than wandering around Disney. Looks like you had fun.
UnknownDecember 5, 2013 at 9:37 PM
Congratulations on the baby sister! Your day at Disneyland looks like it was a huge success. BTW, I love how you have covered faces with little smile face icons! What a great idea and I may try doing the same with some of the school pictures. Thanks for the inspiration.
UnknownDecember 8, 2013 at 9:14 PM
Congratulations on the new arrival!! So exciting. She is adorable, her face in that last picture is priceless! Thanks for sharing your special day. I haven't been there in a long time, it's nice to see pictures! Great post. Lots of thankful!

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