NJ2LA: Early December

More quick blogging, trying to catch up. The Goose has made herself a snappy chapeau. Yes, I take them to McDonalds once in a blue moon. They've never seen a single McDonald's commercial but they love it because YUMMY FOOD AND A TOY.

We went to a new park in Burbank for a friend's birthday party. You guys, Burbank has so many beautiful parks. I gossiped with my fellow parents, commiserated with fellow PTA members, and took lots of pictures of my handsome boys in trees.

That Saturday was our preschool's Jingle Bell Breakfast. The Goose grimly shovels snow.

And rings Rudolph's antlers with help from surly teens.

Bowling!

I worked really hard on the Jingle Bell Breakfast last year. This year, I threw up my hands and said "I'm working! Can't attend meetings!" and ended up being the shadow member of the committee. I designed signs and tags and brochures, and didn't show up until the evening before when they needed warm bodies to arrange things and arrange large amounts of craft supplies all over the warren that is Grandview Church. I stuck the two little guys in Cottage Care (the full-time preschool day care) and told Oscar he needed to help. And help he did! He made holiday attire for snowmen bowling pins. He moved huge amounts of craft supplies and followed directions on where they should go and how they should be laid out. He charmed the pants off of harried moms of preschoolers.

He was A Big Kid, and acted as such. And the next day he lorded his background knowledge over his siblings and friends, and I wept because I was so proud of him.

Everyone in SoCal recognizies has their version of this picture from my phone. This is where we parked in Disneyland.

Monday, December 3, 2012 was a cold-ish, damp morning. It was also my sweet Arlo's 7th birthday. So I took him out of school for the first time ever in his academic life and took him to Disneyland.

Checking out the map and sussing out the quickest route to Tomorrowland.

First order of business: stopping by Town Hall and getting that precious It's My Birthday button.

Second thing: cotton candy. At 10am. Why not? It's his birthday.

We made our way to Tomorrowland and proceeded to do Star Tours 4 times in a row (it's true, SoCal people think they will melt in the rain. The morning was deserted.)

Every single Disney employee saw Arlo and said, with great glee: Happy Birthday! He preened at every single occurance.

I asked Arlo where he wanted to eat lunch and he wanted to hop on the monorail to Downtown Disney and eat at the same place we did last Christmas with my folks. So we ate tacos and I had to draaaaag him from the Lego store.

Arlo and Lego Hulk.

Outside the Lego store, they had a structure with bins for Lego pieces and a racetrack to race the cars you made from the bins.

Notice my sweet boy, sticking out his tongue while concentrating, just like my mom and I do.

I finally drew him back into Disneyland. We did the Nemo Sub ride, and although he thought it was okay, I was totally bugged out by the claustrophobia and my memories of the original 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride.

Frankly, it sucked. It was a real downer for the whole Disney aesthetic. It had no story, no compelling journey.

We snuck over to Pixie Hollow. The Goose is totally in love with Tinker Belle and her sister Periwinkle. We couldn't wait in line for 45 minutes to meet the fairies but we could sneak my phone between bronze leaves for a peak at The Goose's favorite Fairy.

We rode the Circus Train and noodled around a bit in Fantasyland.

At this point, Arlo was pooped. I bribed him with an ice cream sandwich and we sat down to watch the parade. It was awesome. Arlo spent the entire time complaining about the parade and then the next float or dance group would round the corner and he would LOSE IT.

OMIGAWD MAMA! LOOKIT THOSE GUYS!

This is TERRIBLE. I can't BELIEVE you're making me WATCH THIS.

MAMA! MAMA! LOOK AT THE SNOWFLAKES!!!

(the snow flakes all looked like drag queens)

This is TERRIBLE. I wanna go HOME. (gasp) MAMA IT'S CINDERELLA'S SISTERS!

This is AWFUL.

MAMA! TAKE A PICTURE OF SNOW WHITE FOR LUCY!!!!

I wanna go on the TRAAAAIN. This is the worst birthday EVER.

MAMA LOOKIT THE PRINCESSES! ARIEL! BELLE!

MAMA IT'S WOODY!!!

WORST birthday EV-- MAMA!!! It's SANTA! HI SANTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the way out, we stopped by the gift shop. Gretta and Papa Jim gave Arlo a generous Disney gift card, and I had the lovely, rare experience of taking him in the gift shop and saying yes, you can get that. Yes, you could get that too. Yes, you could buy that for your brother and that for your sister.

He ended up buying a remote control monorail (he LOOOOVES the monorail). It's snaking it's way around the bottom of our Christmas tree as I type this. He also got some tokens for his siblings.

We made it home in record time. My darling husband had made the requested lasagne and procured the requested cupcakes.