This past weekend, my mom, my sister Beth, and my grandmother came out to celebrate my grandma's 75th birthday with us here on the West Coast. My mom brought a homemade chocolate pecan pie and actual moonshine. Youbetcha! We began our weekend of celebration with Halloween night at Disney's California Adventure. Now, let me throw out a disclaimer here. We live only blocks from Disneyland, yet we don't go more than once or twice a year. This is due to many factors, including such gems as: 1. We don't have $300 per person for season passes. 2. Even if we did, we would feel dirty and ashamed for giving it to such a financially bloated corporation. and 3. If I hear the Its A Small World theme song more than once a year, blood begins to drip from my ears.
Anyhow, we figured with out of town family, the first time since Baby Noah's arrival, it being Halloween and all, we'd give it a shot. And I will say this: It wasn't terrible. Maaaaaybe a bad decision to bring a five month old baby to a theme park for an all-nighter, (Ivan was not thrilled about the fussiness, lack of sleep, and having to rock baby to sleep in his arms in the middle of Bug's Life Land) and probably too much walking for most 74 year olds. But it was a special occasion, and Ella loved every second of it.
Ella and Grandma on King Triton's Carousel:
Oh, yes, the costume. Let's address this, shall we? Months ago, and I do mean MONTHS ago, Ella announced very decidedly that she was going to be Hannah Montana for Halloween. I was shocked. First of all, the chick is four. Not eleven. Also, she has dreams of Disney Princesses, a Princess toothbrush, t-shirts, and all things Princess. She has been a Princess the last three Halloweens of her life. (The only Halloween she wasn't a Princess was her first, when I decided she was a cow. Totally embarassing for her now, as you can imagine. Princesses are NOT cows.) So, we went weeks battling the Hannah Montana front. I gave her other suggestions, I even paraded her into the Disney store, where I thought my flesh would burn, to show her the amazing princess options at her disposal. No go. So I dropped some money and bought the Hannah Montana shirt, leggings, microphone, and even the dreaded blonde wig. She was ecstatic. Until she saw, in Big Lots, of all places, a generic Princess costume with a HOOP. SKIRT. ...... Mommy. Why didn't you tell me there were skirts like THIS????
So, in an effort to push off teenagedom for at least another year, I caved and bought the HOOP. SKIRT. She never looked back.
So, that's THAT.
Did I mention she talked me into being a pirate? Maaan. But, that's a blog of a different color....
So, there we were, a trick-or-treating Disney family. Pirate, Princess, Grinch, and Baby stroller.
I'm sure it'll be one of her earliest memories. I hope it'll be remembered fondly.
After Halloween, we had a lovely lunch with everyone and my Uncle John from Santa Barbara, who met us in Long Beach. As we got out of the car at the restaurant, Ivan gave me one of his "This is NOT a good idea" look as it started to pour rain on the open stroller and us as we ran inside. We anticipated a screaming baby and angry looks from restaurant patrons, but ended up with this:
Apparently, my sister Beth has some sort of magical baby-calming powers.
After lunch was the Aquarium, and a peaceful dinner. Brunch the next morning with four generations of women, and that was that. Now, my grandma proceeds to Santa Barbara, where she will paraglide off the highest cliff in the county in order to cross it off her Bucket List.
I hope Crazy's not genetic....
