DISNEYLAND

Thursday, September 29, 2011
Last night we returned home from Disneyland. Judy and I flew in on a later flight. Niki and Greg and the kids left early and drove home. We all arrived at “our” Smith’s within a few minutes of each other where Judy and I got our stuff out of their Honda Pilot. They took our stuff so we wouldn’t have to deal with it through the airports.
Nice of them.
We all had a good time. We stayed in adjoining rooms at the Disneyland Hotel which made it convenient. It is right next-door to downtown Disney where we did some of our eating and shopping.
We went on mostly kiddy rides but Alexa did on one occasion “suffer” through the Tower of Terror. She was big about it but announced that she wasn’t going to do it again.
Gavin got to where he could handle the darkness on some of the rides where he would cringe in terror and complain on previous trips. He and I went on a lot of the rides together.
Alexa made several new friends on the trip. The family in front of us in line on the Dumbo ride was from Boise and had a daughter Alexa’s age. Alexa, in no time flat made friends with her and soon invited her to ride on the ride with her. Unfortunately it didn’t work out where they could do it but the thought was nice.
One night we went to dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen on Katella not far from Disneyland. While we were eating, three year-old Gavin blurted out, “Grandpa, do you stand up when you pee ?” I answered that sometimes I do.
Later in the same meal if I remember correctly, five year-old Alexa in a plenty loud voice  announced graphically what a "Melvin"is. Tuesday was a hot day and not too long into the afternoon we retired to the hotel swimming pool. (The rest of the days were overcast much of the day.)
Greg and Niki put swimming vests on the kids and we headed for the water. We did some swimming in the deep(er) pool first.
Alexa has lost most of her fear of the water and didn’t bother to stay near the edge so much. Remember she is wearing a swim vest.
From the “swimming” pool we went to the water slides. There is a little slide, a middle sized slide and a BIG slide. Greg took them on the little slide which they loved. From there I took them on the middle sized slide which they called the big slide. Alexa especially loved it and after the first time she went on her own over and over again.
It wasn’t long before Gavin went back to the little slide.
After a while we went back to the chaise lounges where the adults were. Alexa took off her swimming vest and soon announced that she was going back in the water. I guess Niki didn’t want them going in the water without the vests until they have had swimming lessons…I didn’t catch that message until later when it hit me; so Alexa and I were off; first to the hot tub then later to the “big” slide where she went without her vest at least three times and was just fine though I can see how a parent might worry.
There were a lot of kids littler than her without vests on but I don’t know about their swimming abilities.
Any way we had a good time together at Disneyland.
Jim showed up and spent one day and part of another with us. The first day his friend Larissa was with him and she and Alexa became fast friends. The two of them were hand in hand much of the day.
We all really liked Larissa.
There were a lot of rides Niki couldn’t go on and other thing she couldn’t do being as pregnant as she is.