5 Apr
Tinkerbell!
Meeting Tinkerbell was on the top of Ava’s Disney to-do list. She’s been a big fan for quite a while, even dressing as Tinkerbell last Halloween. She insisted that we pack the costume my mom made for her, and she donned it the morning of our first full day in the park.
We arrived at the entrance to Pixie Hollow relatively early that morning, and there wasn’t even a hint of a line. So, when Ava wanted to take time for a bit of face painting, I didn’t argue.
It was at this point that I realized I had been looking at the exit to Pixie Hollow—not the entrance—which explained the lack of a line.
As we made our way around to the entrance, we found a line filled with toddlers and preschoolers that appeared to be at least 2.5 miles long. (Disney has mastered the queue–Bryan and I debated if queuing was an art or a science, but either way, there must be a significant amount of research that goes into how people determine that 75 minutes is indeed a reasonable amount of time to meet a fairy.)
I don’t have any photos of the wait, mostly because I spent the entire time trying to prevent Olivia from ingesting the hand sanitizer provided at every turn in the queue. She had disinfected every inch of exposed skin she could find, not stopping at her own. (By the way, Doug bestowed the nickname Stinkerbell on Liv this weekend–pretty appropriate, don’t you think?)
After almost an hour and a half, we reached the first fairy in Pixie Hollow. None of us could remember her name, but the mere sight of a Disney character made us feel as though we were making some progress. The girls hugged her in celebration.
By the time we rounded the next bend, Olivia could hardly contain herself. When she caught site of Tinkerbell, we literally had to hold her back so she didn’t crash through the rest of the people in line.
Finally!
In the end, Olivia was too shy to commit to a hug. Ava, on the other hand, would have listed to Tinkerbell preen over her costume all day.
Olivia warmed up just as we were ready to move on and allow the 1,200 people behind us a chance to meet Tinkerbell.
Ava, who had been on the lookout for pixie dust all morning, received just enough from Tinkerbell to find herself on Cloud 9 the rest of the day.
31 Mar
Olivia sings the classics
I think Liv learned a bit about showmanship in the past week. Bryan has always said she’s a comedian, and she does seem to love to make people laugh, especially through silly voices, song and dance.
Here, she attempts the ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle, and Rock-a-bye Baby (now with choreography thanks to a very wobbly changing table). When I ask her to go back to the ABCs, you catch a glimpse of her comedic timing. As you’ll see by my response, I think she’s one funny girl.
30 Mar
Happy birthday, happily ever after
When we arrived at our hotel in Disneyland, Ava received a “happy birthday” button. Over the course of the day, every single Disney employee we encountered stopped to wish her a happy birthday. It must have happened at least a hundred times, although as Ava asserted, it was closer to a zillion (and then, a zillion and one). Even the participants in the parades would stop to greet her. She was speechless, and Bryan has a hard time recalling this part of the trip without tearing up.
We planned a dinner with the Disney Princesses for Wednesday night at Ariel’s Grotto. Ava was slightly disappointed when she found out it wasn’t a private dinner, but it was still pretty exciting.
One by one, the princesses stopped by our table to wish Ava a happy birthday and teach her a few new poses (which as you’ll soon see, she employed more than once during the trip).
Olivia loves Sleeping Beauty, and she was happy to give her a big hug, too. (Never once did I see any of the princesses recoil upon being accosted by a toddler with extremely messy hands. Impressive.)
We had ordered a birthday cake for Ava, which was a big surprise to her. The big surprise for us? Our server made an announcement about her birthday to the entire restaurant, and nearly 200 people sang to her in unison. She seemed in awe of the entire experience…
…but recovered in time to make a wish and blow out her candle.
I imagine it will be hard to top this next year!
29 Mar
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
As we walked into Disneyland, I was amazed at all there was to see. I didn’t know where to focus—it was truly disorienting. As I adjusted to this new level of intensity, Ava and Olivia jumped right in. From 100 feet away, Ava spied Mary Poppins, and thus began our first of many queues over the course of the week.
Olivia was full of trepidation, but Ava showed her the way.
Speaking of Olivia, the first thing she noticed in the chaos of the park was an airplane. As I scanned the shops, statues and characters around us, she pointed to the sky. Somehow, despite everything around her, she had noticed a jet at 35,000 and was THRILLED. Bryan said for her fifth birthday, we’ll take her to an airport.
28 Mar
Happy 5th!
We celebrated Ava’s fifth birthday at Disneyland this week. We kicked things off by joining the Little Mermaid for a special dinner Wednesday night. More photos to come in the following days!
25 Mar
The great debate
We’re having a bit of a debate about Olivia—care to weigh in? We can’t decide if she’s just exceptionally naughty, or if we’ve simply forgotten what it’s like to have a two year old.
Either way, I think we’ll keep her.
24 Mar
Happy birthday!
I’ve encountered many surprising facts as a parent over the last five years. Most notably, though, is the startling discovery that my children aren’t little versions of me. I just assumed Ava would have my personality, and we’d be on the same wavelength from the start. The blond hair should have tipped me off.
Ava continues to amaze me everyday. She is entirely her own person–completely unique and individual. I have no idea how this has happened, even having seen it firsthand, but this transformation over the past few years is nothing short of awesome. I often feel guilty that I’m not one of the moms who sobs through Kindergarten Roundup, but honestly, I think it’s because I simply can’t wait to see what she will do next.
21 Mar
Spring break
Ava and Olivia spent spring break with Mom and Dave at the lake, allowing Bryan and I to act like we’re 22 again (we’re not). While the girls spent their days coloring and playing outside, we eschewed plans to organize the basement and plan our summer trips in order to watch basketball and spend St. Patrick’s Day downtown.
I’m sure the girls would have happily stayed at Mom’s another few days, we were very relieved to have them—and our normal routine—back.
Although it was only a week, Olivia’s vocabulary seems to have exploded, and Ava’s adding and subtracting numbers that I have to think twice about. They both look like they’ve grown at least a couple of inches. We kept in close touch via the phone a few times a day, but it’s just not the same as having them here.
There’s adorable little reminders about the good time they had—when I put Olivia to bed on Friday night, she said, “Sweet dreams,” which I knew she had heard from my mom.
I recall quite fondly the time I spent at my grandparents’ houses growing up (and still today), so I’m grateful we have parents so willing to take them in for a few days at a time. The Smiths get their turn later this summer—Bryan and I will have outgrown this irresponsible phase by then, and perhaps we’ll use that time to clean the basement. Or go to a concert. We’ll see.
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