Is it really Thursday? Where did the week go. As I sit here typing it is 6:33am, and the thought that we would make it to the park at 7 am for Magical Morning is now behind me. I hear the sounds of my four boys (I always count Jim) snoring in their beds with no intentions of rising anytime soon. After a long day of play, the two middle ones are pooped! I will just let them sleep and start the day when they awake.
We slept in yesterday and took in a movie before heading to the park. We arrived at California Adventure just in time for them to open at 10am, and headed straight back to the Bug's Life world. I think we were one of 3 families roaming around the small kiddy rides and were able to ride all 4 within 20 minutes. I had the pleasure of accompanying Dominic on the PT Flea's Bumper cars not once, but twice! Let's just say Dom likes to drive in circles which made mommy feel less than perfect. That combined with he dancing lady bugs and the flying box ride (for the life of me I can't remember what it's called) sent my head into oblivion and reminded me that Pam plus rides that go in a circle certainly do not go together. When the boys quickly declared "let's go again" I said NO WAY! We watched the Bug's Life 3-D movie before exiting - Matthew LOVED it (even though the entire movie was a blur since he would not wear the glasses).
After several rounds on Mulholland Madness (Joshua discovered the Single Rider line and took advantage of it, like, three times - Jim and I rode once) Jim took Matthew back to the hotel for some rest since he was not feeling well. I had intended on taking the boys to the Redwood Wilderness Trail and then heading back to there myself, but fell prey to ice cream and more rides. We very much enjoyed our adventure in the "park" and the boys were able to ride the rope swing and climb the rock wall. We waited for what seemed like forever to ride Soarin' Over California and then it was on to Grizzly Rapids to use our fast passes. Dominic was raring to go but then chickened out at the last minute. I'm convinced he would have ridden had he not been so darn tired. Maybe we will try it again today. Thanks to the fact that Joshua is now 7, he was able to ride alone - phew, that was a close one!
We met our friends Pam and Lindsay at the front gate and headed over to Disneyland for the Matterhorn. It was Dominic's first time riding, and although he had a few hesitations, he loved it and asked to go again! We were joined by Jim, Matthew, and another friend Suzie for the parade, rather Dance Party, in front of the castle before heading for some dinner. Jim took Matthew and Dominic back to the hotel and Joshua and I joined our guests on Pirates before settling in for the Fantasmic show. I'd been waiting all week for this one and was excited that we found decent seats 30 mins before the show. So much for that! About 15 minutes in, all the lights came on and they announced the show would not continue. Imagine being one of the hundreds of guests that had waiting over 3 hours for front row seats...... We rode the train back to the main gate and hiked back to the hotel; pooped but ready for one more day of fun!
Pictures to come when I get a moment
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
UPDATED: Disneyland Days 1, 2, and 3
We are very much enjoying the time away, despite the ruckus coming from our three handsome little guys. Jim and I have decided that we have three of the loudest kids on the planet! On Sunday night, Dominic and I enjoyed some time together in the park as he rode the Soarin' Over California ride for the very first time! He absolutely loved it and wanted to know where Daddy was as he soared over the movie screen. I think he really thought it was real.....wonder how we went from the middle of summer in Malibu to snow at Mammoth within 20 seconds? No need to explain that to a 4 year old, right?
On Monday we started off at Disneyland just after they opened at 8am and ventured to Adventureland and New Orleans Square for a few hours. We were thrilled to wait no more than 10 minutes in any line before the crowds crept in. We hit Jungle Cruise (Matthew thought the elephants were real and made his elephant noise when he saw them), Pirates of the Carribean (love you, grandma), the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain (a first for both Joshua and Dominic - they sat together in the back and held hands.....SO cute!), Winnie the Pooh, and then we all paddled on the canoes....how fun!! After grabbing lunch we realized that the park had become WAY too busy so we headed back to the hotel and hit the pool. All three boys enjoyed jumping in and me, Josh, and Dominic loved the waterslide. Joshua and I returned to the park after dinner for our special night together. We rode the Zephyrs (puke!), the Ferris Wheel (I enjoyed the stationary gondola much better than the sliding gondola the night before with Dom), the Mulholland Madness roller coaster, and after a brief viewing of the Electrical Parade we waiting over an hour for Soarin' Over California. Joshua insisted on visiting Disneyland but found after a trip around the park on the train we were both pooped!
Today was an early morning as we awoke for Magical Morning. As guests at the Paradise Pier we are able to enter Disneyland at 7am on Tuesday and Thursday for a low key visit. We were able to squeeze in the rockets, Buzz Lightyear, Star Tours (double puke!), and Finding Nemo all within the hour. We also enjoyed a jaunt on It's a Small World before heading to Toon Town to see all the characters and eat lunch. Jim had had enough so he headed back to the hotel with Joshua and Matthew after riding Peter Pan, and Dominic and I rode a few more rides. We are getting ready to head out to our friends, the Bridges, house for some fun at the pool and a birthday celebration for Dominic's "girlfriend" Lindsay. He has insisted that he is going to kiss her on the lips....we will see.
Hopefully we will make it back to Disneyland tonight for Fantasmic. Here are a few pics of our first three days in the park. I've found myself neglecting the camera so excuse the limited number of pics. Captions to follow once I have time to update.....
I know deep down inside, Joshua really does LOVE his little brother - they are waiting to ride the Canoes (right after they dumped out nearly all of our snacks to feed the ducks)
Forgive the undie shot, but Dominic decided to tattoo himself with a pen. Thank goodness it wasn't a permanent one!
Me and the boys enjoyed an early morning flight on the rockets
Isn't Matty such a ham in this one?
Joshua and Matthew enjoyed looking around Minnie's kitchen in Toon Town
CHEESE! We practically had to peel Matthew off the slide in Goofy's house
Did you know Goofy grows Jack-o-Lanterns in his garden? This one has a rather large growth on it!
Daddy and his boys pose on the firetruck - Dominic was being a stick in the mud, can you tell?
Dominic on Car-toon Spin
Mr. Photogenic
I can't get enough of this parade. After all these years, and a few minor changes, it still makes my heart beat fast when I hear the music! I think I owe that to my grandma.
Matty Moose poses with a Moose
....and after a long day of play, Dominic crashed on the bed!
On Monday we started off at Disneyland just after they opened at 8am and ventured to Adventureland and New Orleans Square for a few hours. We were thrilled to wait no more than 10 minutes in any line before the crowds crept in. We hit Jungle Cruise (Matthew thought the elephants were real and made his elephant noise when he saw them), Pirates of the Carribean (love you, grandma), the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain (a first for both Joshua and Dominic - they sat together in the back and held hands.....SO cute!), Winnie the Pooh, and then we all paddled on the canoes....how fun!! After grabbing lunch we realized that the park had become WAY too busy so we headed back to the hotel and hit the pool. All three boys enjoyed jumping in and me, Josh, and Dominic loved the waterslide. Joshua and I returned to the park after dinner for our special night together. We rode the Zephyrs (puke!), the Ferris Wheel (I enjoyed the stationary gondola much better than the sliding gondola the night before with Dom), the Mulholland Madness roller coaster, and after a brief viewing of the Electrical Parade we waiting over an hour for Soarin' Over California. Joshua insisted on visiting Disneyland but found after a trip around the park on the train we were both pooped!
Today was an early morning as we awoke for Magical Morning. As guests at the Paradise Pier we are able to enter Disneyland at 7am on Tuesday and Thursday for a low key visit. We were able to squeeze in the rockets, Buzz Lightyear, Star Tours (double puke!), and Finding Nemo all within the hour. We also enjoyed a jaunt on It's a Small World before heading to Toon Town to see all the characters and eat lunch. Jim had had enough so he headed back to the hotel with Joshua and Matthew after riding Peter Pan, and Dominic and I rode a few more rides. We are getting ready to head out to our friends, the Bridges, house for some fun at the pool and a birthday celebration for Dominic's "girlfriend" Lindsay. He has insisted that he is going to kiss her on the lips....we will see.
Hopefully we will make it back to Disneyland tonight for Fantasmic. Here are a few pics of our first three days in the park. I've found myself neglecting the camera so excuse the limited number of pics. Captions to follow once I have time to update.....
The boys love looking out the window of our hotel room as it overlooks the park
I know deep down inside, Joshua really does LOVE his little brother - they are waiting to ride the Canoes (right after they dumped out nearly all of our snacks to feed the ducks)
Forgive the undie shot, but Dominic decided to tattoo himself with a pen. Thank goodness it wasn't a permanent one!
Me and the boys enjoyed an early morning flight on the rockets
Isn't Matty such a ham in this one?
Joshua and Matthew enjoyed looking around Minnie's kitchen in Toon Town
CHEESE! We practically had to peel Matthew off the slide in Goofy's house
Did you know Goofy grows Jack-o-Lanterns in his garden? This one has a rather large growth on it!
Daddy and his boys pose on the firetruck - Dominic was being a stick in the mud, can you tell?
Dominic on Car-toon Spin
Mr. Photogenic
I can't get enough of this parade. After all these years, and a few minor changes, it still makes my heart beat fast when I hear the music! I think I owe that to my grandma.
Matty Moose poses with a Moose
....and after a long day of play, Dominic crashed on the bed!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Royal Treatment
We're here! Yes, another trip to the Happiest Place on Earth for the Riggio Family. This week marks that second round of our declared annual summer vacation trip to Disneyland Resort. We arrived at the Paradise Pier this morning and waited amongst a dozen other guests to check-in. I was well aware that we would most likely have to wait for a room as this is standard practice, and I overheard every guest in front of me getting the same offer to hold their baggage and they would receive a text with their room number once it was ready to go.
As I approached the counter I quickly noticed the name "Donny" on the cast members name badge and lit up when I realized that this was the same Donny that assisted me during my stay in May when I had a less than pleasant experience with the elevator. I quickly told him good morning and thanked him for taking care of us during our last visit. It's amazing what a smile and a pleasant greeting will do for you. Donny quickly went into customer service mode and struck up a conversation with me that ended with an overwhelming offer! I had inquired about the $99 room rate that I am normally offered for the 5th night, to which he could not confirm, but as I talked, I saw his face light up and he quickly instructed me to come see him on Thursday morning and he would honor the rate for my 5th night if I did not receive the offer. In addition, Donny feverishly searched for a clean room so that I could check-in immediately, and he even upgraded us to a park side view room on the concierge floor, which is the highest floor in the hotel. WOW!! Now that's service. We even have a DVD player to boot! We were please to find that the room boasted a larger bathroom with plenty of room for us to play for the week.
With bags unpacked, we loaded up the stroller and headed to California Adventure for lunch followed by the Aladdin show, Muppets 3-D and a long wait for the Monsters Inc ride. We grabbed a photo pass right off the bat so at the end of our stay we will be able to post and purchase all of the pictures we take with the characters. I'm sorry that I didn't pull my camera out today, but oh well. I think you have all seen more than enough pics of the park by now. We stopped at the gift shop in the lobby of our hotel on the way back and picked up a few trading pins for our lanyards. The boys really "dig" loaded theirs up with new characters. Joshua picked out a Jedi pin, I grabbed a "Chicks Dig Me" Donald pin for Matty, and chose a Lightning McQueen for Dom. I'm looking forward to heading downstairs shortly for some dinner....yum!
Thanks, Donny, for treating our family so well! You certainly started off our vacation on a high note, which is always a good sign for the rest of the week. I will make sure to fill out a commendation card at the end of our stay.
As I approached the counter I quickly noticed the name "Donny" on the cast members name badge and lit up when I realized that this was the same Donny that assisted me during my stay in May when I had a less than pleasant experience with the elevator. I quickly told him good morning and thanked him for taking care of us during our last visit. It's amazing what a smile and a pleasant greeting will do for you. Donny quickly went into customer service mode and struck up a conversation with me that ended with an overwhelming offer! I had inquired about the $99 room rate that I am normally offered for the 5th night, to which he could not confirm, but as I talked, I saw his face light up and he quickly instructed me to come see him on Thursday morning and he would honor the rate for my 5th night if I did not receive the offer. In addition, Donny feverishly searched for a clean room so that I could check-in immediately, and he even upgraded us to a park side view room on the concierge floor, which is the highest floor in the hotel. WOW!! Now that's service. We even have a DVD player to boot! We were please to find that the room boasted a larger bathroom with plenty of room for us to play for the week.
With bags unpacked, we loaded up the stroller and headed to California Adventure for lunch followed by the Aladdin show, Muppets 3-D and a long wait for the Monsters Inc ride. We grabbed a photo pass right off the bat so at the end of our stay we will be able to post and purchase all of the pictures we take with the characters. I'm sorry that I didn't pull my camera out today, but oh well. I think you have all seen more than enough pics of the park by now. We stopped at the gift shop in the lobby of our hotel on the way back and picked up a few trading pins for our lanyards. The boys really "dig" loaded theirs up with new characters. Joshua picked out a Jedi pin, I grabbed a "Chicks Dig Me" Donald pin for Matty, and chose a Lightning McQueen for Dom. I'm looking forward to heading downstairs shortly for some dinner....yum!
Thanks, Donny, for treating our family so well! You certainly started off our vacation on a high note, which is always a good sign for the rest of the week. I will make sure to fill out a commendation card at the end of our stay.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Seven Days
until our final week of vacation at the Happiest Place on Earth. Yep, you guessed it, another trip to Disneyland! This time it's five days so we will have time to visit the pool and relax between rides. The boys look forward to this annual tradition and Jim and I find the getaway right before school starts a perfect release from the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives. We are also looking forward to visiting our friends' the Bridges, and celebrating Lindsay's 5th birthday.
Friday, August 7, 2009
REVISED: They're Finished!
Ta-da! Here's how they look on the boys' beds. They are absolutely beautiful!! In case you are interested in a similar project, remember to check out Kara's crafty blog at www.kinderhausblankets.blogspot.com or her Etsy store at www.kinderhausblankets.etsy.com.
Check out the finished quilts for the boys' bunk beds! Aren't they cute? I can't wait to put these to use. I will add photos of the boys room once I get these adorable things home tomorrow. Thanks Kara!!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
See You Soon
It was with great trepidation that we said farewell to our good friends, the Mazur's, on Tuesday. After several years of fun, we were very sad to see them go. Joshua and Noelle Mazur met when they were 1 year old and became quick friends, the best of friends by the time they turned 4. Joshua was beside himself that she was leaving and had a difficult time dealing with their departure. I stayed strong right up till the end but was not successful in hiding my emotions. I am excited, however, that they chose to move to Florida which provides a great opportunity for family vacations with them. So for now, see you soon Mike, Jill, Noelle, and Michael. We will miss you!
I'm also going to miss these two...Micki and Bobbi
One last picture of Joshua and Noelle
And I couldn't miss little Michael - he was flipping through one of the colorbooks we got him for the road.
Thank you Mike and Jill for the invite to the Jazz concert at the fair on Friday. We enjoyed your company for one last "night out."
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Happy Birthday, Joshua!
It's another special day in our house. We awoke this morning to memories of welcoming our first child into our family. At 9:36am on Sunday, August 4, 2002, Jim and I became parents for the very first time thanks to this little 'er BIG guy, Joshua James. After 7 years we still have lots of learning to do, but are sure that we were both made better people because of Joshua.
Joshua, we've very much enjoyed watching you learn and grow over the past seven years. You've become a model big brother, a loyal best friend, and the best son any two parents could ask for. May your next seven years be as fun and eventful as your first. Happy, happy Birthday Joshua! We love you and are so proud of you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
