Sara loved Disneyland. Loved, loved, loved it. This surprised me. I guess I had assumed she would be a passive participant merely dragged along, suffering the sun and the sleeplessness so the rest of us could make some memories. But, no, she was totally into it!
She loved the closeness and togetherness of our family. She loved the excitement of our surroundings. She was so happy to simply be outside. She was fascinated by the colors and music on the rides, never squirmy or nervous, just soaking it all in. Sara is observant, and during our vacation there was so much to observe. What is amazing is how content Sara was--not wired or overstimulated--but simply content. Sure, she was tired and sleep-deprived by the end, by she was remarkably, incredibly easy-going and resilient. It was such a pleasure and so special to share Disneyland with her.
This list is not clever or ironic. It's based on what we observed to be her truly happiest moments, when she was fascinated, excited, and contented.
Meeting Ariel
Sara was fascinated by the princesses, their sparkles and smiles. When we tried to get a picture of the girls with Ariel, Sara couldn't stop looking at her.
Her Very Own Minnie Mouse
The Little Mermaid's Undersea Adventure
Sara's first ride was technically Mickey Mouse's Fun Wheel. But her second ride--and first narrative, animated ride--was The Little Mermaid. She loved the colors and singing and bubbles! (Throughout the trip she was so good on all these types of rides, like Pirates of the Caribbean and It's a Small World and Buzz Lightyear. She was never overstimulated or freaked out. She was happy to sit on your lap and soak it all up.) Mary and I had a chance on our last day to come back and ride The Little Mermaid two more times with Sara.
Finding Nemo Submarine Ride
Baby loved this one!
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| Note: Yes, Sara was rocking some crazy hair that week! |
a bug's land
Towards the end of our first day, when we were in California Adventure, we found ourselves in a bug's land, a shaded pocket of kiddie rides. We were humoring Mary, who still loves little rides like these, while we figured out what to do next. (This was the moment of crisis we had before Greg decided we were going to watch the parade.) We were all kind of tired. David was feeling down because he had chickened out on going on the Tower of Terror (my kids do NOT like spooky stuff), and I was weary and grouchy. But Sara was having a great time, tagging along through a bug's land.
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| Going on the Ladybug ride with Daddy and Mary |
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| Watching David and Mary on the bumper bugs |
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| Going up is fun. Look at that smile! |
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| Wee! So it going around and down! |
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| Hanging out |
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| Looking around |
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| Best of all, eating seat belts! |
Meeting Winnie the Pooh
The #1 highlight of Disneyland for Sara was meeting Winnie the Pooh. When she saw him, her face immediately lit up. She was beaming!! It was like meeting him was her whole reason for being born. She almost jumped out of Greg's arms when she saw him, and she watched with envy as Pooh autographed David's and Mary's books. Soon enough, she got to meet him, and it was pure bliss! This happened towards the end of our last day in the parks, and it seemed like the perfect way to end. It was such a sweet, magical moment. Seeing Sara so happy became a favorite memory for everyone.
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| David and Mary meet Winnie the Pooh |
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| Sara sees Winnie the Pooh and lights up immediately! |
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| She tries to jump out of Greg's arms, and watches David and Mary with envy. |
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| Ah, finally! She gets to meet this enormous stuffed animal! |
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| She is a happy baby. |
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| Raise your hand if you love Winnie the Pooh! |
