I wanna be where the people are

 October 2021-Part 1 (Disneyland!)

I started off October with racing another 5K. Something weird happened with the timing on this one because I started my watch just as I crossed the start line, but then I forgot to stop it until a little after I finished. My watch time ended up being 27:07 so I knew I was somewhere a bit under that, but my chip time came out to 27:20. Huh? How is that possible? My initial guess was that maybe the chip sensor wasn't right at the line so maybe I didn't actually cross the sensor until after I had stopped to catch my breath? I don't know. It was still faster than the 5K I did in September. It was a small race, and I got 2nd in age group again. My main goal was to improve my negative splits from the last 5K and I did it! My splits were 9, 8:33, and 7:31. Still a lot of room to tighten that up, but I was heading in the right direction, and now 3 minutes (but likely less) away from my goal time. The main thing was how good I felt afterward.

Just two days later we were off to Disneyland! This was the trip that we started planning in the fall of 2019 and were supposed to go on in April 2020. Disneyland closed just a few weeks before we were going to go. After shifting dates maybe four times, changing our VRBO a couple times, and trying very hard not to get our hopes up, we were finally on our way! The kids could not have been more excited, and as a bonus, everyone was a little taller than they would have been had we gone when we originally planned. After the drive down, we unpacked, I went grocery shopping while Andrew took the kids swimming, and then we ate tacos and got the kids to bed to prepare for our early start the next day. Andrew's parents were meeting us in Anaheim and came over to visit and eat dinner before they headed back to their place to prepare for the next day as well. 

We didn't make it quite early enough to get in before there was a line, but it was still a great start to the day. We headed straight for fantasy land because the kids were most excited to ride Peter Pan, and we wanted to prioritize the stuff they most wanted to do. Everyone loved Peter Pan (whew!) and then, in various groups we did Mr. Toad, Snow White, and Dumbo. Next we headed to Star Wars land. This was the kids first time ever going to Disneyland, and Andrew and I hadn't been since 2012, so it was new for all of us. The kids thought Rise of the Resistance was just a little scary, but loved Smuggler's Run. 

I loved all the details-that's my favorite thing about any part of Disneyland

Halloween grey stuff and cookies and cream macaroons. A big highlight of vacations for me is the food, and I had a long list of things I wanted to try. 

Next up was the Matterhorn with Michael and Matthew! I was excited because it was closed the only other time I went to Disneyland and Andrew had said it was his favorite ride. 

Adaline and Alex were either too short or too scared to go on a lot of rides, and Alan and Deborah were kind enough to take them on more tame rides while Andrew and I got to go together or rides with the M boys.

It's hilarious to me to see the ride pictures of little kids where you can barely see their heads sticking up. All of the kids who were tall enough ended up trying space mountain, but none of them liked it enough to go a second time. Ha!

Whenever they were going to be ride buddies, they would hold hands while waiting in line and my mama heart loved it. 

Big time favorite ride (all the shooting/video game types were a hit with the kids). I think I rode this 3 times in a row with Alex.

Adaline's turn to be brave and scared

Jungle Cruise with my hooligans

Matthew was the only kid willing and tall enough to go on Indiana Jones with Andrew and I. If I remember right, he liked it but not enough to want to go again. 

Next we got some pineapple dole whip and headed to Pirates of the Caribbean (which everyone loved)

Finally getting a family picture in our matching outfits (which still fit us all 1.5 years later!)

And the whole group!!

Everyone like the Halloween version of Haunted Mansion, and I couldn't remember at all what it's normally like.

They were so tired they slept in the funniest positions.

The next day was for California Adventure. Cars Land was build shortly after the only time I had gone and I couldn't believe how much I loved it. It was so cute and well done with all the little details and we kept coming back to it throughout the day. The rides surprised us with how fun they were as well. Of course everyone loved the radiator springs racers, the Luigi and Mater rides were so surprisingly fun too. Oh and while I'm on the topic of cars land, we also had fantastic food there: Orange cone macaroons with chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzel inside; fried chicken and mashed potatoes at Flo's; and churros with caramel dipping sauce (plus pickles and soft serve). 

Everyone feeling surprisingly good for how tired we must have been

Isn't that just adorable?

This ride had us all laughing.

Next we had to jet over to Avengers campus (also new to me) to get in our boarding group for the spiderman ride. I didn't care for me, but of course all my kids loved it. While we were over there, Andrew and I convinced Matthew and Michael to ride Guardians of the Galaxy with us while Andrew's parents took Adaline and Alex on the much more tame Monsters Inc ride. This was my favorite ride in either park when it was Tower of Terror and in my opinion it's even better now. However, Matthew and Michael both said the never needed to go on it again. Haha I love laugh-screaming the whole time and, bonus,  the person next to me and I accidentally held hands a couple times.

Deborah was willing to come on the ride with me so we used the swap pass and I got to go again!

seriously so good

Napping in the stroller while the rest of the gang waited in the eternal line for Radiator Springs

Thank goodness they loved it!

and then I got to go with M and M with the swap pass

evidence of me saying yes to every possible treat and the kids loving it

Adaline surprised me and her favorite ride was Grizzly River Run. She went on it so many times over the course of the trip and never minded getting wet.

We started with tacos which were delicious but not quite filling enough, so obviously they needed a bowl made out of carbs and also filled with carbs.

You can only see his tiny ear, but Matthew and I waited in line forever and went on the Incredicoaster together. The ride kept closing during the day, so when Matthew saw that it was finally running again, he begged to wait even though the line was long. He was barely tall enough, but he loved it (so did I). After we met back up with the ferris wheel group, we went again but with Andrew too. 

He just couldn't be any cuter. 

Finally, the tall enough folks headed over to Soarin' (Alan's favorite ride) and I took Alex and Matthew (I don't remember why he stayed with us) on some smaller rides while we made our way over to meet them. 

Matthew, Adaline, and I got squeeze in a ride on Soarin' just before the park closed. Matthew couldn't even handle how much he loved it. While waiting in line I, of course, order more treats (churro toffee and pumpkin fudge). That mobile ordering was amazing and such a trap at the same time haha. Anyway, I don't know how we stayed so late two nights in a row, but we also knew we were going to get a break they next day and a chance to sleep in. 

And sleep in we did! We had a lazy morning and eventually walked over to Downtown Disney to give the kids a chance to shop for their souvenirs in a setting where they could take their time and we weren't in a rush to get anywhere. Three out of four of them ended up choosing Legos for their souvenirs, and not even Disney themed ones. I guess we should have taken them to Legoland instead. Alex didn't choose anything and, after we got home, I just ordered him a stuffed dog similar to the one he's always stealing from Matthew. He's completely in love with it and now mostly leaves Matthew's alone, so that worked out great. Anyway, we did lots of window shopping and had a giant milkshake-if you can call it just a milkshake when it has lollipops sticking out of it-before walking back to our place for an afternoon swim. After cleaning up, we drove down to visit some friends who recently moved to the area. *Side story* I texted them well before our trip so we could plan a chance to meet up and quickly figured out that I was going to feel too stressed if we met up in the parks. Instead they graciously invited us for dinner one night. Well wouldn't you know it, we were walking down a path in CA Adventure and literally walked right into them. Considering that I knew about 5 families from the kids' school who were at the parks the same time as us, and we didn't run into a single one, our encounter with this family pretty much blew my mind. Anyway, they had us over for dinner and the kids had so much fun playing together while the adults ate an entire carton of ice cream and chatted away. It was fantastic. The last time we got to see them, our kids were much younger and not very interested in playing with people they didn't know. This was so fun to see. 

Totally wiped out snuggles

Our last day at the parks! This was probably the best day because we had already seen and done everything at the top of our list, and now we slowed down and just did whatever was nearby and had a short line. One of my highlights for the day was that we got everyone who was tall enough on Splash Mountain and they all loved it. (Adaline even went again with Andrew's parents when they used the switch pass since they watched Alex the first time.)

They all voted for another round of Smugglers' Run

After Smugglers' run and a tasty lunch in Star Wars land (thanks Gram and Grandpa!) Andrew's parents headed off to hit their favorites one more time before needing to go catch their flight. It was fun to have them their with us and I know they loved getting to see our kids experience it all for the first time. They had lots of quality time with Alex and Adaline on the smaller rides while Andrew and I took the other kids on some of the scarier ones. Alex and Alan had lots of snuggles (Alex even snuck a little nap on his shoulder at one point) and Adaline and Deborah had so many chats and lots of walking around hand in hand. 

On our way over to CA Adventure, we happened upon a parade! I kind of love the unscheduled and smaller parades that they've been doing post-Covid. They don't draw as much of a crowd, you don't wait forever saving your spot on the sidewalk, and they're nice and short so no time for anyone to get bored of it.

Pretty much anytime I was standing around, I was ordering treats. After the parade, I put Alex to sleep in the stroller and we picked up gummy candy, a banana cake pop, and a chocolate covered marshmallow. There was seriously no shortage of treats during this trip. My only regret is that the raspberry macarons were sold out every time I tried to order them. Maybe we'll go back one day.

Hitting up all the favorite rides again

Ice cream in his hand and carrot sticks in his lap

Hahaha their tiny hands sticking up just kills me.

Adaline and I took a turn waiting in line for Radiator Springs while Andrew took the boys on Toy Story since Alex wasn't tall enough. At some point, we realized that the line was slow enough and the sun was close enough to setting that we might get to ride it after they turned the lights on. We lucked out and the lights turned on just a few minutes before our turn. It wasn't super dark yet, but we still thought it was pretty cool. I loved Cars Land during the day, but maybe even more all lit up at night. 

We got in another ride in Mater's Junkyard, a couple more on Little Mermaid, and something else before the park closed and went to see the fireworks in Disneyland. After the fireworks, we declared carpe diem and fought our way further into the park to ride It's a Small World. I was up for anything else the kids wanted to do, but they just wanted to go to bed. So that wrapped up the Disneyland trip! Andrew and I picked up a pint of pumpkin bread/cream cheese ice cream from Salt and Straw on the walk back and treated ourselves after we put the kids to bed (yum-so glad we have one fairly close to us). 

More treats for breakfast, I guess The funny thing is, I'm normally more of a savory person than a sweets person, so Andrew loved that I was getting all the stuff he likes

And then we spent the next day driving home. It was a very typical road trip for us in the sense that there was lots of throwing up and lots of potty stops. Ha! It was honestly a surprisingly fun trip though. I think we set our expectations just right and all of our prep work to help the kids set their expectations really paid off. We never lost anyone, everybody got to ride their top choices at least a couple of times, and we had plenty of treats mixed in with the veggies, fruit, and sandwiches that we brought with us. I'm not saying we're definitely going to go again, but I'll give it a solid maybe.