My First Guest Blogger

Today's post comes from our first guest blogger, Marshall:

It was really fun meeting Doug. Doug is the dog from Up. We went around the Challenge Trail with Eliza too. Eliza was afraid of Doug. We went on the tire swing and one girl fell off. And then the man said "You have to stay on with your arms and legs." This was at Disneyland. And we ran through the Challenge Trail. No flip flops or anything that would fall off in the net. Wear tennis shoes. Staying at our hotel was really fun. It was called the Howard Johnson. 

I cried in San Francisco because I did not want to stay there.  I said "This town is a stinker!" with my blue blanket over my head. The Golden Gate Bridge was really fun. We got a picture there. I will put this picture up in a little bit. Actually I'm going to put it up now.

We are standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge and I just got that gun from Disneyland. It is a Rebel Blaster.

Here I am pretending to hold a light saber. Besides, I went to Jedi Training Academy. It was pretty fun. I am now a Padawan.

A lady took this picture for us. I don't really know who she was though. Here is the five people in our family.

We stayed the night in Redding, instead. Eliza woke up with a barking seal cough at 5 o'clock in the morning. It must have been really painful for her.

Me, Daddy, Jameson and Eliza. Please comment about this picture:

Eliza's Disneyland Highlight

Yes . . . another Disneyland post.  I want to make sure that I remember our trip. By not blogging for three years, I learned an important lesson about how many memories are lost when I don't keep track of them. When I looked back at our blog posts from three years earlier, there were so many little memories that I'd totally forgotten about.  I'm so glad that I kept track of them back then, so that I could look back now and have some really good laughs, a few tears, and okay, maybe a few cringes at how blonde my hair had gotten at one point.

Anyway . . . I'm not going to be sad about the memories I lost during the three years that I wasn't keeping tabs on it all.  Instead, I'm going to move forward, glad that I won't lose any more!  Which means I need to add a few more posts about our Anaheim trip.

There is nothing sweeter than seeing a little girl meet a princess or a fairy. The look on Eliza's face when she met Cinderella, Ariel and Tinkerbell was priceless.

I know that this is called Eliza's Disneyland Highlight, but one of the best parts of Ariel's Grotto was Marshall!  When you first come down the stairs at the Grotto, Ariel is waiting for a photo opportunity and to visit with each family of children individually.  Marshall was determined that he was not going to talk to her. Princesses are for girls.

But, Marshall does have a serious crush on Ariel because she, too, has red hair. Interesting that for a guy who didn't want to talk to princesses, Marshall did have his autograph book and pen in his hand ready for Ariel to sign it.  As soon as Marshall saw Ariel, his tough guy act disappeared.  He was speechless and just wordlessly handed her the autograph book when she reached out her hand.  Ariel immediately asked Marshall about his favorite ride.  He managed to squeak out, "Splash Mountain."

Ariel obviously has experience with brothers who are dragged to the princess lunch.  She responded with the best answer ever.  She leaned down and whispered in Marshall's ear that Splash Mountain is her favorite too.  And, not only that, but at night after the park guests leave, she goes swimming in Splash Mountain. After that secret was shared, Marshall couldn't resist. It opened the floodgates for him and he was in awe of every princess who came to our table.

Speaking of Splash Mountain, here's a little Splash Mountain highlight reel. And yes, Eliza is wearing her swimsuit in the last picture. It took much convincing to get her on this ride. We finally figured out that she was just scared of having wet clothes. So much drama with girls, I tell you. Once we told her she could wear a swimsuit, it was smooth sailing in that hollowed-out log!

Oh!  One last thing . . . finally, on our third Disneyland trip we found Buzz Lightyear. It took a lot of searching, but here is the proof. To infinity, and beyond!

Jedi Training Academy

In October we went to Disneyland.  I still haven't finished posting all of the pictures from our trip.  Um, I guess they might not all get posted on here.  But, I can't go without posting a video of Marshall's highlight.

Marshall is a Star Wars fan.  He has Star Wars Legos, Star Wars bedding, Star Wars pajamas, Star Wars t-shirts, Star Wars books, posters and DVDs.  He has a Yoda stocking cap with Mickey-ears.  He has Star Wars video games.  He has light sabers and trooper blasters. He dressed up as Luke Skywalker for Halloween. His sister was Princess Leia.  This kid just loves Star Wars.

So, when we knew we were going to Disneyland, we started watching videos on YouTube of rides and attractions that we knew the kids would love, but which might be a little overwhelming for them without some prep.  Now this might seem kind of excessive to some of you.  But, don't judge m'kay? Trust me, it makes a huge difference in a trip with pre-school/kindergarten aged kids.

One of the shows we watched videos for was Jedi Training Academy.  I knew Marshall would love it.  But, I also was fairly certain that if we just showed up at the show at Disneyland and he wasn't prepared, there was little chance that he would be brave enough to do it.

Jedi Training Academy shows maybe a half-dozen times a day.  There is a Jedi trainer and his assistants, all dressed as Jedis.  The trainer looks like Mace Windu - yes, I know who that is, do you? The trainer chooses about a half-dozen kiddos from the crowd to participate in the Academy.  Each of the kids gets a Jedi robe and a light saber.

Then, the kids are "trained" in the ways of the Jedi and secrets of the Force.  Soon, the "real" Darth Vader and Darth Maul make their appearance joined by Storm Troopers.  Finally, each of the kiddos gets the chance to actually fight Darth Vader or Darth Maul.  It is amazing. The coolest thing ever when you are six.

So, here's our Jedi in action.  We are so proud of our little padawan. (do you know what that is? google it if you don't). A few years ago Marshall was so shy - there was no way that he would have done this.  But, as he has grown up, his confidence has skyrocketed and he was determined to be picked.  He wore his favorite Star Wars shirt and jumped up and down holding a sign and yelling "pick me!"  [Yes, I am the awesome (slightly dorky) mom who read up on tips for getting picked at Jedi Training Academy.  Hey - Marshall was determined to do it. He watched the YouTube video a hundred times and practiced the routine at home. It was adorable.] And, he fought the heck out of Darth Maul.

Marshall is so proud because he's no longer a padawan. Check out our red-haired fully trained Jedi in the Star Wars shirt.  He has a REAL certificate hanging up in his room proving that he completed the Academy and is a TRUE Jedi.  Forget the ADT security system sign in our front yard. Beware of the Comptons - the Force is with us.

Dis Day 3

I'm still trying to catch up on posts about Disneyland. I have to get it done so I can move on to other things. Like Jameson's birthday! Which is today. Happy birthday J-Bug! So, please . . . bear with me!!

Our 3rd day at Disneyland started off with a "character breakfast" at Goofy's Kitchen. The idea behind it is so much fun. Yummy buffet breakfast and characters that come to your table. Kids get lots of individual attention from the characters, autographs, hugs and pictures with them.

Goofy's Kitchen started out great . . . and by "started" out I mean the check-in at the reservations counter was great. It was the character meal that Marshall had picked. And, he was all jazzed and ready to meet some characters. He had a big grin on his face and autograph book in hand. His sister . . . well, not so much. Eliza dissolved into hysterical screaming and sobbing when any character was within about 30 feet of her. She did comply with the picture with Goofy when we entered the restaurant. But, no more after that.

So . . . Gram took Eliza out of the restaurant. Eric and I stayed with the two boys and Marshall had a wonderful time meeting characters and collecting their signatures. He was even willing to pose with Snow White. She was so pretty and so sweet that she won him over.

Eliza recovered. We rode the astro blasters. And, Marshall was chosen for Jedi Training Academy. It was the highlight of the trip, watching Marshall battle Darth Maul. But, it deserves an entire post all its own, so stay tuned.

Honestly, I have no recollection of what else we did that day! But, we finished the day at Mickey's Halloween Party in the park from 6pm-11pm. Marshall was a Jedi, Eliza was Cinderella and Jameson was a monkey. As you can tell, we were not the best picture takers on this trip. So, here is a picture of the kids in the same costumes on Halloween.

Sharing the Magic

A few months before we left for Disneyland, Marshall saw a commercial for Disneyland (I guess I'm admitting that I let my kids watch TV!) and the family in the commercial was wearing matching t-shirts. Neon green matching t-shirts. With their names on them. And Mickey ears. And Marshall wanted to be that family.

Well, we homeschool. Why does that matter? Okay - so the Lord has called us to homeschool. I can handle that. In fact, I love getting to homeschool my kids!! But, the deal I have with the Lord (because you can make deals with Jesus right? Ha!) is that I don't want to be one of those families where the mom wears denim jumpers with her waist-long hair in a bun and the kids wear matching clothes. You know - the stereotypical family that homeschools. The ones on the cover of the homeschool magazines where all of their 15 children hold their violins/cellos/flutes that make up their own family orchestra. The ones that people think of when they ask where my kids go to school and they get that look on their face when I say we homeschool. (And, I know that look because it is the look I used to get on my face when someone told me that they homeschool. Like - oh, you looked so normal. Don't you know your kids are going to turn out weird and socially awkward because you aren't letting them go to school??)

Not that I don't love those families. I do. You can ask Eric. I have said multiple times that there is a part of me that really wishes that I was Mrs. Duggar on 19 Kids and Counting. I've read her book, I think she and her family are amazing, God-honoring and love each other so well.

But, apparently Marshall didn't get the memo about Mom not wanting my kids to be in matching clothes. He really wanted to have matching shirts. Preferably with our names on them. Oh boy.

Enter my friend Kari. This girl is amazing. Read her blog here. And, she and her husband Conrad made the best Disneyland shirts ever. They are white, not neon green. And they had our kids names on them with the cutest Mickey ears. Check them out people! You'll want Kari to be your friend too :) Thanks Kari and Conrad for the fabulous shirts. Darn! I just realized that Jameson is not in any of these pictures. He had a shirt too. And it was uh-dorable. Trust me.

On our first full day in the park, we had family come up from San Diego to visit. Eric's brother, Brad, married his beautiful, fun, sweet wife, Stephanie, last October. I finally have a sister! And as if that wasn't enough, her entire family was part of the package. They all live in San Diego and we heart them.

Stephanie's sister, Kelly, and Kelly's husband, Mat, brought their two sweet girls, Rylie and Baylie, up to Disneyland for the day. This past summer, when their family visited Oregon, Rylie and Eliza became good friends. Getting them together was like reuniting long-lost best friends. They held hands all through the park and generally tried to direct all of us. We were so glad to have them at the park with us. We wish they lived in Oregon. I love Kelly. Eric loves Mat (can I say that? Well - I guess I can say they have a mutual love of good beer?). They are an amazing blessing to spend time with. Mat & Kelly - if you're reading this, move here. We promise you'll get over the rain!

And, of course we rode Splash Mountain twice this day. We rode Splash Mountain a lot everyday we were there. And get a good look at Bampa Randy in the top picture. He had to fly back to Oregon that night. Boo Hoo! We missed him - especially at the princess lunch. LOL. And, the princesses missed him too.

Disneyland Day 1

Our first day at Disneyland . . . our day to recover from the drive and take naps and then head into the park. Originally, our plan had been to spend the afternoon swimming. But the kids could see Disneyland from our hotel and they were just too excited to head into the park.

One of our first discoveries was that there was a Starbucks in walking distance from our hotel. PTL!! Real coffee. Real americanos and caramel macchiatos. Our last two trips to Disneyland we had stayed in Disneyland Resort hotels and the only coffee they have in the parks and all of the restaurants is Nescafe. So so awful. But, when you have a caffeine addiction (like members of our family who will remain nameless) you give in and drink it. Especially when you are exhausted from sharing a hotel room with your kiddos. We have decided that Disneyland has figured out that they can charge alot of money for really disgusting cheap-ola coffee that tastes like dirt, and parents of pre-schoolers will buy it out of desperation in their utter exhaustion. Because as much as we love Disneyland, we'll admit that it is an adventure rather than a vacation and we really need a vacation by the time we get home.

Needless to say, we started our day with breakfast at the Bux, just hung out, and our entire family napped. Then we headed over for a late lunch with Eric's parents. We were so thankful to have Robyn and Randy on our adventure with us. It is so much easier to manage three kids with extra adult hands. And really, it's just so fun to get to go to Disneyland with your grandparents!

We had such a great first day! Brave little Eliza (who is terrified of characters, right?) rode Space Mountain first thing. We had friends from home who were just finishing their week in Disneyland and had extra Fastpasses for Space Mountain that they weren't going to use. Score! (Thanks Leepers!) Both of the kids rode the Matterhorn and Marshall rode Splash Mountain with Eric and Bampa.

We ended the day watching amazing fireworks and Fantasmic with the Ventis and had amazing viewing places for both of them.

Disneyland (again)

What can I say? We love taking our kids to Disneyland. We love love love it. I don't want to miss out on keeping the memories of the trip so I'm going to post a couple of times about it.

We left at 4am on a Saturday morning and we drove - yes DROVE - to Disneyland. So many people thought we were crazy to drive but we thought it had to be better than being a public spectacle in the security line at PDX. So, we packed up the Suburban and headed out. And, the drive was amazing. Uh-mazing. We drove it in 17 hours. Let's not talk about the fact that the Ventis were also driving but left at 6am and caught up with us. Hmmm - fast driving, Conrad?

Anyways . . . my kids never once asked "Are we there yet?" AND they only watched TWO movies on the entire trip. And, Jameson only cried ONE time for about FIVE minutes. We had the best playlist EVER to listen to (thanks, Honey) and the best mapped out plan (thanks again, Honey) with places to stop that did not include McDonalds - because my kids are terrified of McDonalds, Burger King, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell - all fast food actually except for In n Out and Burgerville (but that story belongs in another post).

Eric and I had time to talk. And, Eric and Conrad had time to talk. Our friends, the Ventis, made the trip too. (The truth is that this was their Disneyland trip and we crashed it - thanks Ventis!) And, conveniently the iPhone 4 came out the day before with Siri - which let the guys speak their text messages and listen to their text messages. Like walkie talkies but better. Hilarious listening to the text messages those two came up with just to see what kind of words Siri would be willing to say.

So - we made it to Anaheim by 9:45 pm. And, we had fun on the drive. And we loved our family more because we drove. And our Suburban hasn't been the same since - LOL!

So - here are a few of the pictures from our trip. I'll post more tomorrow!