Disneyland: Part I

It was time to take Greyson and Ella to the Happiest Place on Earth. G has been hearing about it in school, most of his friends had already been, and we felt he was finally of age to really appreciate it. Spring break was the week of Ella's birthday and it was the perfect way to celebrate our Baby Joy.

Preparing for a seven-hour road trip with two young kids is no small task. There are so many things to think about, so much stuff to pack. We decided to rent a van since Daisy is kind of unpredictable, and Roque didn't want to put the miles on her. We got a schnazzy Toyota Sienna, picked it up the night before, and the moment we drove it into our garage, the kids were all over it, in and out, up and down. It must have felt like a house to them. Here are some videos of our babies amped up and ready to hit the road. We had to let them run around outside because they were driving Roque crazy while he was loading up the van.

Finally we were off! We didn't make it 30 minutes into the journey when Baby Girl threw up all over herself and carseat. Unbelievable. We pulled over, cleaned her up, gave each of the kids doses of Dramamine and continued on. We kept them happy with travel bingo, audio books, lots and lots of stops at gas stations, many, many snacks. We stopped for a picnic lunch at the beautiful Harris Ranch fountain. After naps, we busted out the iPad and then the rest of the trip was glorious and peaceful. Between the pee stops, whining, naps and mini tantrums (Ella of course), what Google maps called a seven hour journey took us nine hours. Gotta love life with kids. 

Our dream van

Thank goodness they're finally asleep

 

Lunch at Harris Ranch

Watching the iPad en route

Then we were there! It was joyous. There's nothing like bursting out of a car at the end of a long road trip and feeling the blood surge back into your legs. All that was left was a quick dinner, a short swim and we were down for the night.

It is pretty incredible to me how easy of a traveler Greyson is now, considering he used to be dreadful. He never napped in the car, even all the way to Tahoe. On vacation, he always cried at bedtime, and then woke up numerous times during the night. Now, he's practically a Portachild. Not a whine, not a complaint, naps in the car, out like a night at bedtime, and sleeps like a log. It gives me hope that Ella will be easier one day too because right now she is a pill. She's a better sleeper but she evens it out with her incessant whining. Fatigue has never brought out the best in my kids, which is why a schedule has always worked best for our family. Stay tuned for our first day in Disneyland!