Merry Christmas from Disneyland!

Christmas came early for our kids. It was a total surprise! Disneyland trip for Christmas!

It all sounds very glamorous, however, that's not quite how it went down. We were planning on leaving on Friday morning. It was Tuesday night. I was working my graveyard shift. Earlier in the day I had gone and purchased fun things for a Disney themed stocking that I was going to give each child the morning we left (the only good thing I did). JD came home from his mom's house at midnight and informed me the free tickets we had expired the next day! I completely freaked out. We had to leave for the airport in 6 hours and I hadn't packed a thing. Unfortunately, this meant JD couldn't go with us. He had a big meeting the next day that he couldn't get out of.

I quickly got off work. Finished making the ornaments (see above), loaded up the stockings, packed a bag, just enough stuff for 1 day, made hotel reservations, and got to bed at 2:30 am. At 5:00 am the alarm went off and up I got. We woke the kids up individually with their stocking and told them we were going to Disneyland. They were so excited.

We headed to the airport and found 5 inches of snow freshly and still falling snow!



Thank goodness mom works for an airline! The plane happened to be empty and I slept most of the way.

The plane had to be de-iced, and so we got to sit on the plane for an extra hour. The kids were restless knowing what was coming up.
I love Disneyland at Christmas! First thing we saw in the park is the ginormous Christmas tree right in the middle of Main Street. Look at the bulbs, they're as big as Carson's head!

Main street was covered in lights and garland, notice the Mickey faces hanging in the garland.

Meeting Mickey, Carson was not cooperating, so Mickey did the choke hold to get the picture.

My boys wanted nothing to do with Mini, but the girls were ready for the photo-op.

Little man was too short to go on Indiana Jones. So, gulp, I sent the other 3 alone on the ride. Carson and I waited at the exit for them and played some Cars go fish. He didn't seem to notice he was being left out.

Aladin and Jasmin were really cute to the girls.

The haunted mansion is decorated from Halloween through Christmas like the Nightmare before Christmas. It's a different ride during this time. We all loved it.

At night the flipped on all the Christmas lights. I had given them some glow stick necklaces and bracelettes. I found them at the dollar store. I could have sold them for $10 to the other moms in line. I was asked about 8 times where I got them from. I felt bad my kids were having so much fun and the other kids were jealous, but hay, be prepared next time ladies!

All 4 of my kids are all about the roller coasters. We hit all of them most multiple times.

The castle was amazing! It was hung with millions of lights and had the coolest lighted icycles.

In the throng with thousands of others trying to leave.

After waking up at 5 am and a full day at Disneyland, the walk back to the hotel was full of turmoil. Halle cried the entire 1 mile walk and I had to carry Carson half the way. They could even stand up waiting for the green light.

But it was a good day in the end, crazy, but good. Needless to say I got them into bed and they were all out in 5 minutes and slept until 10:30 the next day.

JD met us there late the next day. Luckily the hotel had a consierge lounge and a covered pool, because it rain the next 2 days. So we played a lot in the pool and had lots of treats from the lounge.

The pool was acutall pretty cold. I kept my butt in the hot tub, but the kids talked JD into getting in and playing with them.

Even they needed to warm up now and then.

We gave up on the So Cal weather and tried to get home early. We missed our first flight so we tool solice at the mall. We visited Santa while we were there.

So sad, Easton was too cool to see Santa this year. Maybe after his lump of coal he'll sit on his lap next year. Maybe.