He Looks More Like a Rat to Me.

In 3 days from today, our family, along with a family of our close friends, will be flying with the friendly skies to beautiful Maui, Hawaii. We will be leaving behind Lady Godiva, who unfortunately seems to have left us behind, our two adoring yet slightly obnoxious Pugs, and the daily grind of everyday life. To launch us into our family vacation we took a days trip to the fabulous home of Mickey the Mouse. The most crowded place on earth was a ton of fun, despite the enormous amount of hot tired people and the hours of standing in line with an even a hotterer and more tirederer toddler.



Olivia loved Toon Town and the large Carousel and the Storybook Boat ride. She laughed and giggled at the balloon that kept hitting Damon in the head and begged for her nap around 2:15. Olivia, however, was not so fond of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and the Pirates of the Caribbean. I never realized it before, but those rides can be quite scary. Poor dear was so excited to drive the car into the Toad's Ride, but only until she realized the ride was out of her control. Who drives in the pitch dark anyway? Narrowly missing the walls and the dynamite, Olivia was thrilled to be alive when we exited the nightmare.

After she finally crashed in her stroller, it was up to Damon and I to keep it moving at exactly the right speed and consistency to achieve optimal sleeping conditions. At one point, one of those hot tired people had the audacity to stand in my way. No, no. No time for stopping. "The word is excuse me," she shouted as we passed by. Can you believe that woman even had the nerve to stick her foot under the stroller wheel? Without thinking, Damon hammered back, "the word is don't stand in the middle of the walkway, lady!" Nothing like Disneyland to model for your child good manners.

When the day was done, we were all sufficiently exhausted, yet little Olivia made sure not to sleep on the way home in the car at 8:30 at night. She wanted to be certain that she had ample time to spend with the Pugs when she arrived at home. So she twirled and spun and raced around the house until Damon and I put her in her crib for our own safety.

It has been quite busy in our house lately. Between having a chance to eat at a restaurant that does not boast a kids eat free night, seeing Wicked at a theater outside of the Santa Clarita Valley, and planning our trip to a tropical destination, life is rapidly moving forward. Along with the other 10,000 pounds of stuff we are hauling to Maui, I am hoping to tote along my laptop. If it works out, my Blog and I will be sipping a fruity drink with extra umbrellas, all while telling Olivia not to put sand in her mouth or her hands down her diaper. Cheers.