9 Months and 37 years, Pasadena and Hogwarts

It's not every day your young man turns 9 months, now is it, eh?

Or 37?

Well, Little Man and I both did, respectively, and on the same day.

It happened to coincide with a most auspicious event, a choir tour to Pasadena, which meant that The Wife and I had to take advantage of heading over to see Harry in Hollywood.  Having already experienced The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on the other coast, and visited Disneyland just a month before, it was just the right timing to finally see That Other California Park.

We flew to teeny-tiny Long Beach airport (and lost a baby toy, alas), rented teeny-tiny Kia Rio (despite their insistence that I upgrade for a larger care and my insistence that I and my very small party picked Economy size for a reason), drove DIRECTLY to the beach (which was wonderful and different from other recent beach visits), and then made our way to teeny-tiny Ramada in Pasadena (it wasn't the best place ever but they did [eventually...] have a crib, which was of utmost importance).

The front-facing camera is a game-changer I tell you.

We missed our babies!

We had some food at the impressively named Top Restaurant and the next day headed first thing to see Harry.

When we went to Universal Orlando, Harry only inhabited one of the theme parks, and I will say that based on our experience there at the time, Hollywood's version seems almost identical.  We bought our passes online which allowed us early entrance (but not free parking -- wah waaah), and this turned out to be a really great thing.  We were able to do all the big time attractions before most people even had a chance to get into the park.  The weather was great, the rides were few but fun, the experience was unique (all the escalators!) and the tour was worth is for the Bates Motel.  I had a birthday button from the very start which I'm pretty sure led to my being chosen at Ollivander's.  It was all very magical and the wand that chose me was cool but I ended up getting the Elder Wand instead (eep!).  We borrowed a friend's interactive wand so we could try that new feature, and I didn't feel AT ALL silly waving my wand and needlessly uttering incantations in front of shop windows...

Don't think I missed an opportunity to flaunt this little baby.

Or this one!

That's what we in the fandom like to call a REAlly Hidden Mickey.

Worth the hour-long backlot tour just for this set.

There was other stuff there too, like Squishee Milhouse.

Little Mister didn't seem to realize it was his 9 months, but he had a good time anyway!

I realized only too late that we were actually driving RIGHT PAST the Disney animation studio, which seems like a huge misstep on my part not to take more advantage of, but as far as I've learned we couldn't just traipse in and ask for a tour anyway.  It was enough for now to just see it, along with all the other Disney landmarks I've heard so much about (Griffith Park, Forest Lawn, etc.).

Later that night my choir met for rehearsal and dinner, which featured a lovely birthday sing-along and delicious ice cream sundae, and then the next day was the actual purpose of the trip:

Twohey's!  AKA 2ee's.  Don't ask, I don't know.

We were invited to perform a 23-minute show at ACDA.  It's a real honor to sing there, and we made the most of our time by showing just what a community choir can do -- wide vocal range, four languages, variety of style from early sacred to contemporary musical theater, and some effective and subtle choralography to top it off.  We were informed later that this ain't Utah, not just anyone gets a standing ovation, but...

We had just a few hours to wrap things up and get back to the airport, which is indeed teeny-tiny, and then head back home to see our other babies, from whom we had never until now spent a night apart, but who were safe and happy in the care of Nana and Papa.

Reunited!  And pretty happy about it!

It was nice to have another mini-vacation just a handful of weeks after our full-on family event, and baby boy did a great job on the airplane both ways, Julie was a great sport trooping along on my choir tour, and I mastered that last phrase of German that I had been struggling with.

Back home, back to work:

I wasn't there for my birthday but they decorated for when I came home all the same.

Then of course there was this...

This...

THIS!!!

As for Little Mister, he's still a happy healthy boy.  He's very active and crawling all over the place, he's eating plenty, he's having trouble sleeping through the night (at the time we had a plan which is now set in motion...), and he's starting to be more... vocal...  More on that in the weeks that followed.  He's really starting to prefer his mommy, especially to strangers, but he's still pleasant around relatives and friends.  He's been a champ through some sniffles and is showing real signs of more teeth appearing.  We're pretty sure he has a late-arrival birthmark, his hair is lightening considerably, and he is still tall and chubbsy.

So happy!  Even when his nose is runny!

Beach boy.

So happy!  Clever Mommy to remember to bring his li'l hat!

*blink*

 Love that boy!  I was glad to share my big day with him!  See you in a couple weeks!

Disneyland 2018, Party of 7

A handful of months ago we realized it had been five years since we went to Disneyland, which is basically like 17 years in Regular People Time, so we decided to finally follow through with our sixth or seventh blue-skied trip and take the kids at last (the fact that our off-season scheduling coincided with a big student loans milestone and tax refund time made it all the more appealing).

SO WE DID!!!

We did it!

We took the kids to Disneyland!!!

We invited Grandma Sue to come along, so after picking her up at the airport and another day of final preparations, we loaded up our new wheels (thanks to last year's refund, ha) and in the dark of the next morning popped the kids in their car seats still in their jammies and made our way south and west.  The drive was pretty amazing, with only two stops for gas and potty and nursing (hello St. George Temple sisters and shady Baker gas stations) and had no whining whatsoever, and we didn't even do the big on-board DVD player reveal until the last couple hours!  We took a wrong turn or two in LA but we didn't have to deal with much traffic and we were so happy to see these:

We breathed in the air and checked in to our usual favorite Del Sol, literally across the street from the Disneyland entrance, opting for a family room complete with bunk beds, which were apparently the best thing that's ever happened in the history of ever.

He was happy to take the top bunk.

 A dip in the pool and the great hot tub and some pizza takeout and then to bed with everyone after a long day of traveling (though I was itching to get over to that esplanade and just see it...).

Did I mention that we didn't tell the kids we were going to Disneyland?

WE DIDN'T TELL THE KIDS WE WERE GOING TO DISNEYLAND.

We told them JUST the night before that we were going on a long drive in the morning when it was still dark and going to the beach, all of which was true.  So the morning of Day 1, we just were like, let's take a walk and see if there's a park around here or something...

And then we waited to see how long it would take for them to realize where we were.  We've listened to the albums and looked at a lot of our books so we thought the sights and sounds of the entryway would clue them in before too long, and I actually think Baby Girl figured it out first (though she kept calling it Wonderland -- works for me).  Then the Monorail went by and The Boy was like... whaaaaat.

Not even inside the gates and dreams already coming true.

We were prepared for the many closures and construction walls (and numerous locals) and other such things that come with going during the "off"-seasons, but even so it was wonderful.  We had also made sure to manage our expectations, since the last time we came we didn't have ANY kids of our own whatsoever and knew this trip would be a lot different, but we really made it work.  We met The Wife's aunt Carol who was so fun and join us for every day in the parks and offered many services, including coupons and a willing wait-outside-with-the-baby volunteer!  It was also great that she and Grandma had a chance to get lunch together and talk and catch up like sisters do.

Charlie meeting Charles, catching sight of the castle, my kids recreating old family photos, me happily sitting on the teacup sidelines, getting a churro despite all my intentions not to, eating Dole Whips due to all intentions to, everyone enjoying the submarines and dinner at French Market!

Date Night at Disneyland!  This particular menu item was top priority on Julie's list.  Next time I am getting that same sundae but with cookie dough ice cream om nom nom.

One of the perks of having Grandma with us is that she was ever so nice to stay with the kids while we gallivanted about for the extra hour after bedtime and before park closing like we were honeymooners again.  Enough time to catch a ride or two and a treat on the way out!

Day 2!

Top of list and mind was to immediately go to Radiator Springs.  Let it be realized that Julie and I hadn't even been here yet, as it was days away from opening the last time we were there, which was fine for us at the time, and really it worked out because first of all, crowds and lines were quite manageable and secondly, if we went there before kids we would have been like, cool, Cars, looks like the movie, now let's go do something else.  But when your kid is clearly the biggest Lightning McQueen fan in the world... it's like the best thing that's ever happened to anyone in the history of ever.  Yes, Cars Land was created for my son (in part by his own great-aunt's husband!  Amazing!!!).

It's impossible to describe the joy and amazement as it slowly dawned on him where we were and what everything was, and then the absolute glee as he recognized each and every element of the street and atmosphere, and then the tears-inducing moment when he saw his BFF live and in the... flesh?  When he saw Mickey he was like, wow, Mickey! But when he saw Lightning it was like his world was complete.

We spent most of this day in DCA, which was fun to gradually remember is quite different from last time we went.  The Little Mermaid is always great, a bug's land has taken on a whole new meaning, I should have taken my Dramamine, I had ribs at Flo's, Adelaide was TOTALLY into Turtle Talk with Crush, Thor and I acknowledged each other, Guardians of the Galaxy gets a big MEH from me, and Frozen on stage gets a smaller one.

But nothing else matters because Cars was a big win.

Date Night again!  Thanks, Ma!

-- BEACH BREAK!!! ---

I kind of wanted to immediately drive along the ocean the first day we arrived but it would have to wait... until this day.  We took our time in the morning and made our way to Huntington Beach.  I confess the entire day didn't quite live up to what I had expected, though I don't know what I was expecting since it was largely like any other time we go to the beach.  I think it was just different with little kids and we didn't quite have the supplies we needed (no beach toys?!?  Rookie mistake!) and the water was kind of cold (it is February after all).  Anyway, they were shooting some kind of fitness advertisement nearby and the bathrooms were gross and the weather was perfect so it was just great.  Also, BIG NEWS:  The Costco there has an outdoor walk-up food place.  Yes, food place.

Taking a break with sleepy and fretful Baby after two days of vacation while everyone gets ready for the day back at our room.  So lovely that we can just walk across the street and hear the telltale music.

Good for the soul.

Why even go into the Parks?!? They were amazed beyond amazed by this fountain at Downtown Disney.

We rounded out the day by shopping at Downtown Disney and eating at last and the famous and infamous Earl of Sandwich and getting very expensive and delicious ice cream and then prepping for our last Day.

Day 3!

Filling in the gaps on all the things we didn't catch the first two days and already sad we would be leaving the next day.

Adelaide overcomes her Carrousel fears, the kids test their strength, Charlie looooves the roller coasters, stern at the helm, funny faces as the Royal Theatre (huzzah!  Also new since last time), my recent favorite, Charlie enjoying what was always my favorite Main Street attraction, MEETING RED, Julie Gets That Turkey Leg, and enjoying the great new Soarin', which just amazed Charlie.

Party of seven!

By the way, there haven't been many pictures of this poopsie, but that's because mostly he was sleeping or snuggling or being generally happy but not going on too many rides.  I mean just look at that face.

<3 td="">

Something else I did this time around that was new and different was a series of art drops.  It was hard to decide which ones of the prints I made so I just picked several, ha ha.

As far as I know all were discovered!  Though no one followed the instructions and posted as such, wups.

I wish I could take credit for the idea but I had seen other artists do this so I thought I would try.  I placed a 2-3 prints each day we were in the parks along with a few shots of clues as to their location and just walked away!  A few people reached out and let me know they found them, others I witnessed incognito and others I presume were found because they were no longer there when I (or others) checked.  So even if they were picked up by Cast Members brushing up popcorn or doing their nightly sweep they all found a home which is fun.  It was like a reverse treasure hunt or something.

We caught dinner all together where I had ribs again (Korean this time, and some too-loud live music at the Lunar New Year).  Then one last Date Night and trying to get some sleep for the inevitable drive...

A new addition to our farewell hotel photo tradition.

Then, alas, it was time to go home.  It's funny, not long after our first Disney day started The Boy was like, can we go home now? (Possibly he meant the motel, which of course is the best place ever on vacation), but I knew that it wouldn't be long after leaving that they would be asking to go back, and they have, though not ad nauseam, ha ha.

Who needs audio-animatronics?!?  Note his "squishy" Cars (bath toys). We didn't buy many souvenirs, but we did buy those, and almost left them at this gas station, ha.

The drive home was [almost] as great as the way there (though I will never again take any crap from California drivers complaining about Utah drivers... don't get me started), though of course it seemed to take twice as long.  We didn't leave in the dark of morning, but we did arrive in the dark of evening, and though the two younger kids only had a few moments of... distress (understandable, we were all pretty much over it after five days of vacation and 8 hours in the car), they were able to recoup, after a potty break and with a little help from Nemo and Lightning, and we pulled into our garage in pretty good time and very safe and the car did great.

She earned her ears.

So it was as good a trip as we could have hoped, the weather was perfect, the crowds were manageable, construction notwithstanding, the app was very handy, the kids had a great time, Mom and Dad kind of needed another vacation after, but WE DID IT.  WE TOOK THE KIDS TO DISNEYLAND.  There were some boxes that need to be checked off next time we go, but at least they've been.  Now they have context for their beloved Disneyland music and some memories are firmly in place, and we had some great Grandma/Aunt time and overall we just loved it and felt kind of unjustly jealous when some family went just a few weeks later.  Disneyland is definitely different with kids, but its own kind of magical.  It's not like we can up and go there twice a year like we used to, but I'm so glad a lot of my childhood memories' seeds have been planted.  I can definitely understand by Charlie costs and Adelaide (and younger) doesn't, as his enjoyment was exponentially higher, and Aunt Carol even remarked that she's never seen a kid more excited about Disneyland, which is gratifying and even inspiring.  Ah, youth.  Ah, magic.

Until next time, Land.

California (Not Disneyland) Babymoon, Part the Second: Open Your Golden Gate

(For those wondering, the title of this portion, though of course a lyric from a fairly well-known standard, was actually in reference to Martin Short's memorable performance of it in Clifford, which I sang many times leading up to this trip, and which can be seen here.  You're welcome.)

Then after we finished our work activities and such, we were on our way to San Francisco!  We had a great time (Julie's first visit, my first in over a decade), and it was a just right vacation for us and The Speck.  We were able to find a nice old hotel for a pretty good deal right in the heart of the city and spend the day walking around (Pier 39 was basically a ten-minute walk away), and then wear ourselves out just in time to come back to our room and spend the evening watching TV and ordering Thai delivery and planning for the next day.  We had asked for suggestions from San Fran-savvy friends and family in case there were any gems that we couldn't miss while we were here, so we had a nice little itinerary planned, with a few alternates in case anything fell through or we didn't feel up to things at the time.

Julie and the Great Glass Elevator

See how great it is?!?

Only the fanciest of hotels for us.

What the heck, it's a (fairly) comfy bed in a (fairly) safe place.

And not a bad view!

And now I shall outline our activities in bulleted and photographic fashion:

• The Jelly Belly Factory!  Of course our first stop was a family favorite (which I had never until now visited) right on the way from Sacramento to San Francisco.  We took the tour and had lots of samples and bought some Belly Flops and everyone loved Julie's shirt, which made its debut today.

The lobby!  They don't allow photos on the tour, so these would have to do.

Giant Jelly Bellies suspended in mid-air!  Wacky!

Just happy to be here!

Thanks, Poor Unsuspecting Soul/Volunteer!  It's always nice to be in pictures together.

I wasn't sure if I was in this shot or not.  Turns out I was!

Care Bear Stare!!!  And check out that stylish bathroom decor!

• Then we drove to the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio (we managed to have a Disney vacation after all!!!).  I've been hearing about this museum and its many merits for a long time, so when we were going to be so close, I would have been truly remiss not to go there.  Not as many people know about this museum, but it's really nice and thorough and a great tribute.  It's run by his family, NOT the company, so it has a lot of information and displays about his youth and upbringing, as well as a great deal, of course, about his career and films and parks.  I admit that it did make me pretty happy to finally see that giant scale model of Disneyland, since we weren't able to make it there this time.  How would it be to just grow up in some midwestern town and then move to LA with basically nothing and then become this humongous film and TV success?  Crazy.  What if there were a theme park one day named Grahamland?  That sounds so weird.  I wonder if Disneyland sounded weird to him or his family ever.

(As a side note, if you're using GPS to go here, take note that there's a Montgomery Street in the actual city that is NOT the same as Montgomery Street in the Presidio... Yes, the museum was not THERE, were Vicki first led us... No.)

After hearing about it on so many podcasts, I'm actually here!

:D

:x (More like :> )

What would I give to sit at this desk all the day long?

The view from the backside of the museum.  Pretty nice.

There was a bench... of... some significance.  Probably from Walt's hometown or summat.

Julie said to be napping for a picture like a hobo.  The sun was VERY bright on my eyes.

I don't know anyone who loves a diorama more than this girl, and this one is a DOOZIE.

The Skyway!!!  I miss it so.

This is us "at Disneyland" (hey, we do what we need to do).

It's almost like being there!

They had a stop-motion animation exhibit happening, and Wife found one of her favorite friends (though he's looking a bit underdressed).

This is the actual model they used in the movie!  But it's so itty!

•  The next morning we went to the Aquarium of the Bay on Fisherman's Wharf (after a minor detour involving confusion about local transportation).  It was pretty neat, but also pretty small and expensive for the size and amount of creatures it has.  You would think an aquarium ON THE BAY would have more to offer, like a window into the bay or something.  We still had a good time, and we liked petting the little baby rays, though the handler was pretty sassy to the lady who was there with her little girls.

Tiny Alcatraz.

We initially planned to only get this close to the Ghirardelli factory.

Eat WHAT now?!?

Oooewwwhhh i c.

!!!!!  (The sharks inside weren't this big, but STILL.)

I'm always kind of fascinated by jellyfish (as you may recall from our visit to the Vegas aquarium).

She loves a diorama, but she also REALLY loves an aquarium tunnel.

Peek-a-boo.

So big!  She knows her fish from her Animal Crossing fishing experience.

Peek-a-boo again.  I had to not take too much notice of the fishes swimming like two inches from my face so I wouldn't be like, eep.

TWO tunnels?!?  Deluxe!!!

GROSS.

How can she love them??

The noblest (and most still) turtle in San Francisco.

Touchy-touchy.

They were so cute, they kept coming up and bobbing around on the surface like puppies.

See??

Swimmy-swimmy.

So kewt.

Always on the lookout for a smart chapeau.

They did NOT have whales.  Harrumph.

• We had an appointment to go to the Rock a couple hours later, so we spent a while walking around the Wharf and Pier 39.  There's lots of shopping and touristy stuff, which was fun, and lots of food, which was AWESOME, and a school choir performing (like my choir tour days of yore, though these ones were much younger), which was, well, bless their hearts.  I'm sure they had a great trip and enjoyed being in a choir, ha ha.

How long had we been talking about getting chowder in a bread bowl before this trip?  A LONG time.  It met and exceeded our every expectation.  Well done, Boudin.

I can't believe these dudes are still hanging out here.  I wonder if they're the same ones I saw when I was in high school.

Yep.

This one was VERY territorial of its platform.

See?  It knocked off several audacious others just in the few minutes we were watching.

• Thence to Alcatraz!!!  When I mentioned this as a possibility for this trip, Julie was preeeetty excited, and it turned out to live up to her expectations (and my memories).  It's interesting that a prison where people were so miserable (not that they didn't deserve it) is such a major tourist attraction, but it's still a neat place to visit.

A very nice view of the city from the ferry.

They are very welcoming.

We decided this bird was fake, but we still haven't decided exactly why.

Gardens!

It felt weird being all smiley and posey for pictures in such a miserable location, but you know, tourists do as tourists should.

This was mostly making fun of people who were posing all cute and totally happy in solitary.  Julie was like, whaaa?  So she tried it out.

One must respect the library!

Recreation yard... yikes.

There were so many birds and they were not shy.

Seriously, what a view!  It's not tempting to desperate-to-escape inmates at all.

"Just like Julia Child's kitchen!" - Wife  "Yes, but for very different reasons." - Me

She likes these California poppies a lot from her days of youthness.

On the ferry back.  'Twas rather windy.

:D

• Then we caught some more foods and caught the cable car (after a long wait and listening to a pesky busker) back up to the top of Lombard Street, where we observed and acknowledged its famousness and uniqueness and then walked down the other side back to get some rest.

Seafooooood ysplz.

She likes her fish and chips.  Alas, no mushy peas this time.  *sigh*  Windermere.

Grumpy waiting (like 40 minutes) for the cable car.

Jay kay i happee.

We thought it best not to hang on to the outside.  After a minute someone offered Pregnant Wife a seat.

It's so windy.  (Like, it winds a lot, not that there's a lot of wind... Oh, you know what I mean.)

Some people were driving down soooo fast.

But most took it nice and slow, as one should.  The HouseHunters fans in us wondered how expensive it was to live on this street.

• The next morning we drove about until we found some Redwoods, which turned out to be at Muir Woods.  They were tall and big and Julie was so glad to finally see some like she always wanted to, and was completely satisfied with her experience visiting them.  It was nice to take a walk on the paved roads (though parking was a nightmare) for as long as The Speck would allow, and we talked about how nice it was to walk in nature and fresh air and sunshine and that we could both find enjoyment in things the other might mostly be interested in.

It's not really golden, it's not really a gate, but it IS really a bridge.

So big around!

Thanks again, Poor Unsuspecting Soul (Volunteer).

Wife has long wanted to see these big tall trees.

She liked them a lot.

I really wanted to climb over and take a picture INSIDE one of the bit hollow trunks.

Then we found this!

It went all the way through.

I was scared because some kids followed me trapped me in and I couldn't get back down.

And then we found THIS, which is even better.  The ranger lady passing by took the picture because she said "it's [her] job."

It's always a good time for a Senior Picture photo shoot.

I was getting creative with our Disney Princess fruit snacks.  After this a giant purple glass slipper was squooshed up against her chin.  Also, eurgh, I need to clip my fingernails in this.

• This visit to and from the woods facilitated nicely a crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge, which crossing we ended up doing four times in all, trying to find a place where we could park and look around and take pictures.  But at least we definitely had a chance to drive across!

Back across we go!  I don't remember which time this was.

Pretty neat view of the bridge and the city.

First this side...

... and now this side!

She's here too!

Who or what is photobombing who or what?

That guy in the back totally walked RIGHT into this picture as we were getting ready to take it.  Notice your surroundings, people!

Then we tried again without him.

She likes this town.

Stoic fellows we.

• Then, on a recommendation of a few people at work for a nearby beach, we drove just a few minutes down to Ocean Beach.  It was windy and a tiny bit cold, and the water was definitely freezing, as expected, but we looooooooved being there anyway.  I'm pretty sure it was our favorite part of the whole trip, even though we only spent an hour or two there and only waded in the water (that was quite enough, br).  I was surprised there was such a nice beach so close to the city!  It was the perfect way to spend our last afternoon there.

Yes, I'm one of those people who take these kinds of beach pictures.  It was just so nice.  And to think I used to even hate getting sand stuck on my feet and between my toes!

At the beach!

See??

A twist on a classic.

But not without a small instance of the classic itself.

...plus this.  (Note that he's in the photo twice.)

Come, waves.

Time for some jumping pictures!!!  I was determined to get a great one and I did!

This was an in-between pose for the next one, but I thought it was funny anyway.

Leapfrog!  Never play it with unicorns.

Up, up and away!

Wife avec Speck even did some!  She had some air too!

Jumping Bump.

Oh I like the beach.

Feets.

:D :D

Many a Poor Unsuspecting Soul was on hand, but for some reason it sometimes takes a while to find one anyway.

Sometimes I just do.

• We couldn't decide what to do for dinner that night so we ended up at a fancy restaurant at Ghirardelli Square that I can never remember the name of, but it was fun and delicious and Julie had her second chowder-in-a-bread-bowl for the trip.

A bit Prom-ish, but oh well.

It was just as good as we could have hoped or wished (again, never as good as at *sigh* Windermere).

And then, after just the right amount of days and style of vacation for my trouper of a pregnant wife (seriously, I'm pretty sure she never complained or fussed or anything and was as great a traveling companion as ever, even with The Speck in tow), we drove back up to Sacramento earlyish the next day, turned in the car and flew home by the afternoon, so we could recoup and be ready to go back to work the next morning.  It was a very fun work/play babymoon, and we're so glad it just happened to work out, and that it was just a few weeks before the recommended/required date not to travel pregnant.  We didn't get to do exactly EVERRRRYthing on our list (Pixar, Fentons, more of [actual] Chinatown, some kind of Hmong food, which I couldn't find anywhere), but we did check off a lot of things in just a few days, and then that will give us things to do on our next trip there!  Now, work, when are you going to send us to London??  Julie's work did!!!  Ha ha ha.

And now the final stretch until The Speck at last makes his big debut!