Martinez Rules!: D to the Land

Hijole! I don't even know where to start! Madeline wanted to forgo the party and opted for Disneyland for her 5th birthday. I suppose it's worth pointing out that taking three small children to Disneyland for 2 days is, indeed, a test of parental fortitude matched by no other experience I have ever had. Not that the kids were bad, there is so much to see and do! And forget about making it over to California Adventure. There was no time. Also, there are about 100 pictures in this post (edited down from several hundred thousand), and I doubt I can come up with something clever to say about each of them, so don't expect too much.

Chachi is all worn out just from the shuttle ride from the RV to the Park.

Obligatory family-at-the-entrance shot - Who authorized me to wear those pants? Ugh!

Is it really that hard to look at the camera and smile?

Right about here is where we should have cashed in on our girls' obsession with Peter Pan over the last 6 months. They watch no other movie. If I'm feeling extra lazy, they will sometimes watch it more than once (I'm not sayin' how many times more than once) back-to-back. They base their pretend play around Neverland and its characters:

"I'll be Peter; you be Wendy," Madeline will declare with authority.

"NO, SISSY! I WIW BEE PEETOH AND YOOOOO BEE WENDY!" is usually Fi's top-volume answer.

So when we saw Peter, Tinkerbell, and Captain Hook, all within our first 90 minutes of entering the park, we could have gone home with two of the happiest girls on earth. They were absolutely starstruck. You would think that we were treading on hallowed ground.

Our first glimpse of Peter marching down Main Street. Wait, is that Alice? Man, for a slightly effiminate, non-committal manboy that Peter sure does have his way with the ladies!

Blue Steel

"This is what I think of your Disneyland - ptooey!" (in a French accent, of course)

"Mama, GOOO FASTOHHHH!"

Entering the magical, mystical Pixie Hollow:

The girls are a little apprehensive of this second-tier fairy.

But, they perk up when they learn she's Tink's friend, Fawn.

Such a sincere and forceful hug!

I'm partial to Tink. I think Wendy is kind of a hussy. I'm glad we didn't have to see her.

Madeline, trying hard to contain her excitement

I think that Fiona was holding back her tears, so moved was she to be sitting next to THE Tinkerbell.

And, one last hug!

"Aaaaaahhhhh! PETER! It's PETER!" Fiona is so smug that Peter has his arm around her. One of us will have to break the news to her that Peter is a playa'.

If his arms appear disproportionately long in this picture, it's because they are. Numerous times did I try to move forward, only to be yanked back by Chachi's death grip on the railings.

Waving hello to all of her adoring fans

What I imagine that the thiefs of my Hooter Hider probably looked like. Can you believe that someone stole it from our stroller while we were on the ride? And it wasn't even really mine!

There's Fiona reaching out to touch the hem of Captain Hook's smoking jacket.

This next set is from Mickey Mouse's house. Madeline was quick to point out all of the drawer and doors that didn't really open.

At Mickey's hearth

Rifling through Mickey's personal effects

It was all pretty awesome to Fi.

The mouse is a bazillionaire; you would expect a nicer AV system. I might know a guy....

The Birthday Girl!

Chachi is unimpressed with how good looking his parents are.

Oh! Dagger to the heart! I love the under-the-chin part of my babies best of all!

Chachi's first meeting with Mickey. He seems to be saying, "Dude, why are you fondling my toes?"

The fam with Steamboat Willie.

Grandma Margred met up with us that afternoon as we took our siesta back at the RV. She also brought me a new Hooter Hider. :)

More self-portraiture. The self-portrait setting is the only good thing about our lame camera.

Chachi nestled in the comfort of my new Hooter Hider.

"My belly is full, and I need a nap!"

Maddie and Grandma Margred on the rocket ships

PARADE TIME!

Since It's A Small World is in the background here, I will take this opportunity to share Madeline's assessment of the ride: "It certainly doesn't look small!"

The Dude y yo

Day 1 ends with frozen lemonade and light up necklaces.

And, the sun rises on Day 2. Note the Hello Kitty band-aid on the right knee. I neglected to mention earlier that my least physically adept child tripped and fell before we even went through the security check on the first day. She then either limped around or cruised in the stroller the entire time. By Day 2, she was miraculously healed.

We stood in line behind several dozen Japanese tourists to get this shot.

This next series of pics was taken during the 2 1/2 hour period that Mommy and Chachi stood in line to see the Princesses. They don't let them roam freely anymore, lest they be mauled. Instead they are ensconsed in the "Disney Princess Fantasy Faire." I had no intention of standing in the hot, sweaty, slow moving line with all three children for 150 minutes, so Daddo took the girls on several rides while I stood proxy.

The bronzed beauty on her white steed.

Baby Fi with her Chestershire Cat eyes

Day 2 was bright and warm

Dumbo!

Hey, I didn't know Dumbo went upside do...wait a minute! Dang Microsoft Picture Manager!

I know, baby! It's hard getting carried around everywhere and doing all sorts of fun stuff.

Pouting tantrum lips!

"Hi! I'm the good one!"

"This line is sooooo loooong! I just want to see Peetoh!"

Peter and the hussy.

Not 60-seconds before I got to the front of the torturous Princess line, Daddo and the girls returned from their flit about Fantasy Land. Must be nice....

Mulan - meh. Third rate "princess," at best.

I bet she hates it when real princesses, like Aurora (or "Ahwowah" in Fi-ese), crash in on her gig.

I was SOOOO happy that "Ayweeyahl" was on duty. You see they rotate the princesses in and out, so you never know who you're gonna get. The Little Mermaid is Fiona's personal favorite.

She had to resort to SYTPYN mode in order to cope.

Pocahontas - another "Princess" - I don't even think I let my girls watch this movie. Whatever.

They seemed pretty into it, even if Poca is only a pseudo-princess.

And now, for the most exciting and wonderful part of our entire visit. I have two words for you - two words that are practically perfect in every way: Mary Poppins. Please trust that I was, by far, the most excited person in our family when I spotted her. The white dress, the parasol, the red lips, the haughty attitude - she is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Mama and Maddo self-portrait - something to do in between telling the people who lined up behind us that we were the last party that would be seen by Mary and Bert.

Dudes

Ah, she is so pretty (I mean Mary, of course)

A dream come true!

Waiting for the shuttle to take us back to the RV park for our afternoon siesta. This little break was a must.

Dudicle playing in the Exersaucer Mega.

"Now, let's seee-eee...where should we go next."
"I dunno, I'm kind of tired of standing around looking at the map. Let's just go already."

Matterhorn!

She's drunk on the power with which her Autopia license endows her.

Fiona masks her apprehension with nervous laughter.

That is some buck-toothed concentration!

It seems to me there might be one too many hands on the wheel.

Wheeeee!

"Alright, I got this driving thing down now."

Our scenic drive

We made it, even with a maniac behind the wheel.

Maddie: : "That was fun!"

Fi: "I need some thumb!"

Dude is such a snuggler!

Fiona is deciding whether or not to freak out on the Nemo ride.

Chach was sleepy, sleepy. He did briefly startle and wake up when the high decibel "alarm" sounded and all of the lights started flashing, but he decided it wasn't worth it and went back to sleep.