A whole lot of fun!

Let's see, I went to Disneyland as a child, when the Opera Company went to LA. Must have been 1958 or 59, something like that. I got so excited that I wanted to cry. When I was 19, I went to Disneyland on my honeymoon. When Erik and Lauren were little kids, 25 years ago, we scraped together enough money to go down for a big family vacation. This time...we flew, we took our little grandson and we did it right. Wowza, did we ever have fun.

Monday morning, we picked up the Schnickle from school to head to the airport. I was wondering if he was going to be excited and when he came out, holding his mama's hand, babbling, I knew that we would have a good time.

We flew off to Orange County and spent the rest of that day at Huntington Beach, letting the little guy chase the waves for awhile.

This was the first time that Rod and I had been to Huntington and I thought that it was a terrific beach and unpretentious town. This is some kind of pier, I'll tell you!

We walked out to the end and MAN, was it windy. It was so much fun watching all of the people fishing along the way and when we saw a guy catch a stingray, it took me back to my childhood when I saw the same thing off of a pier in Sausalito.

The Schnickle was not liking the wind so much and could not wait to get back to the water.

I thought that I would give people a gratuitous shot of oil platforms off of the coast. Not so far off of the coast. In the background, you can see Catalina Island and in the foreground, surfers. SO Southern California, like...totally. The point is, see this water? Think of the Gulf. :o(((

Now then, the next day...my excitement to have that Disneyland experience, where I tear up from nostalgia was completely different this time, simply because this is now the Disneyland Resort and you ride a tram from the parking garage and well, there is that OTHER park next door. We still have the obligatory shot of The Mama and The Schnickle at the castle. Seems right, doesn't it? He followed this shot with his first ever indoor ride, which was mine as was his Mama's...Peter Pan. He declared it to be his favorite.

The big deal of this trip was the unexpectedly wonderful things. You see, our little guy is a HUGE baseball fan. Yes, he is 4.7 but he can hit a baseball over our house and can throw like a big kid. He loves baseball to a degree that is crazy to me. He knows baseball team logos and all of that stuff...recognizes players. You see where I am going with this? This day was the All-Star game. Uh huh and where were they playing this game? Yes, Anaheim.

What do they do? They have a PARADE in You Know Where. Uh huh.

Mind you, he was in full Brewers regalia, in honor of his Bonus Dad's home team. He was practically squeezing Grampy's neck off, craning HIS neck to see...

 

Corey Hart of the Brewers. That is how you thrill the socks off of a little Baseball Fan. He squealed and hollered and waved his Brewers cap. Yes, he did. 4.7 years old.

All in all, this was a terrific trip. I was just so very very happy. The little guy and his maternal grandfather bonded like glue and he always chose Grampy to ride with. Good to go...good to go.

I think that the Disney Resort is just fantastic. I did not expect to have so much fun but there you go...expensive but a real treat. If you go, get the park hopper...

When we got home, I had a day to prepare for the Hangtown Fiber Guild. They were slated to come for a Dye Day and I think that they had TOO MUCH FUN because even the people who were going to "just stay for an hour" were here until the bitter end, declaring that they were so happy to have come.

We finished the week off in Tahoe, visiting with Brenda Patipa and her family. It was an amazing week.

And now...to prepare for Stitches Midwest. Whew!

Comments

[Caroline]

I'm so glad that you guys look so happy after all the changes of the past few years.

[Jen]

What an awesome trip! One that Schnickle will remember forever. He has the best grandparents! (after my kids)!

[Lisa Souza]

Thanks, Jen & Caroline. A lifetime of trying to please someone who could not be pleased has ended. Now Rod and I are both freed from our Obligations and mean to enjoy life each day.

[AlisonH]

What a happy, happy post! (I can't wait till I have grandchildren too!)

[Erik Souza]

It looks like Two Tons o' Fun are being had in those pictures :)