April Adventures • Disney Magic

As you may have noticed, posts have been a bit sparse around here this month.  Our April has been filled to the brim with vacation, family time, Easter worship, a birthday celebration, and copious amounts of Spring Fever. To catch up a bit over the next few days, I thought I'd post some picture collages and highlights of our many adventures of the past several weeks. 

The first week of April found us making our first big family vacation to Southern California.  It was the kids' first visit to Disneyland, and my first time as an adult-- the last time I had been in Anaheim was when I was Reilly's age!  (Growing up east of the Mississippi, we made our family Disney treks to Walt Disney World in Orlando.) We had a wonderful time, and made memories to last a lifetime.

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So, in no particular order, here are some things that we learned during our magical stay.

1. It is not advisable to ride the Mad Tea Party when you are pregnant.  I was nauseated for at least an hour afterward.  Of course, having a husband who loves to crank the center turning mechanism may have something to do with my experience.  Your mileage may vary.

2. If you are attending the Disney parks with Dani, be prepared to ride King Arthur's Carousel at least three times during your visit.  She will beam with joy the entire length of the ride, and shed many tears each time she has to dismount her noble steed.

3. When participating in any ride that involves water (Splash Mountain, Grizzly River Run), Reilly will inevitably be the individual that receives the brunt of the splashdown. Every. Single. Time.

4. If your household includes a Star Wars fanatic like our Taylor, the "build your own light saber" kiosk in Tomorrowland is not to be missed.  It more than made up for a keen disappointment in his not being chosen to participate in the Jedi Training Academy show.

5. Kids will never fail to surprise you.  Reilly absolutely loved Space Mountain but was terrified in the Haunted Mansion. Logan, on the other hand, loved the Haunted Mansion and cheered the whole time.  (Along with Dumbo, it was his favorite ride!) Ry was also very timid around the characters that roamed the park. Taylor, on the other hand, ran right up to Woody in Frontierland and gave him a huge hug!

6. "A Pirate's Life for Me" and "It's a Small World" will cement themselves in the inner recesses of your brain and repeat ad nauseam even after you have been home for several weeks. You have been warned. 

7. If you are pregnant, the absolute best place in the entire park is the Enchanted Tiki Room-- while enjoying a Dole Whip float.  Seriously, heaven in a glass.

8. But perhaps most of all, be prepared to see everything through the eyes of a child again.  It simply transforms the world around you, and makes each moment so very magical. Being able to bottle some of that perspective up and bring it home with us has been worth every penny spent.