MissE's Magical Disney Adventure!

It's a right of passage for a child to get to go to Disneyland, particularly if you live close enough to it!  So we had a short visit to Mickey Mouse in mind from the start of planning our trip to the USA but we weren't sure if we should bring Pau-Pau to help entertain Eden or leave him.  In the end, we decided it wouldn't be fair to Mr.E to be trapped in a stroller most of the day and left him in the loving care of Pau-Pau and Gung-Gung.  And a very lucky MissE was treated to a magical adventure to Disneyland!

Credit Card Fraud
The day before was not a good day. After checking us in for our early flight on Sunday, I was trying to arrange our shuttle pick-up when my credit card was being declined. I thought it was strange so I checked my statement online and BAM! $1200+ charges to HP! I spent most of the morning trying to stop payments and close my account before any additional charges could be made. At the end of the day I did what I could but unfortunately had very little access money due to the claims I had filed. Not a great thing to happen before a trip!
I rarely shop online because I am paranoid about credit card fraud (it seems to happen to me every year!) and now I am even more paranoid about letting my credit card leave my sight!

Who Needs Sleep when Mickey is waiting for us!
With very little sleep due to the stress of my credit card, Eloise waking up during the night out of excitement, flight anxiety (not due to flying but worrying about making our flight in time, if I packed everything, etc) and worrying about Eden (don't forget I've never left him for more than 8 hours before!), we made it!

Daddy & Eloise ready for our Disney California Adventure!

Disney California Adventure
We headed straight for Disney California Adventure: despite the heat, from lots of character greetings, rides, dinner with the Princesses, and World of Colour, it was a fantastic day and night!  MissE was most excited to meet Woody & Jesse (from Toy Story) and her favourite ride was Toy Story Midway Mania!  Unfortunately, we didn't get to ride Radiator Springs Racers (in the new Cars Land).  Fastpasses were gone early in the day and 2.5-3 hour wait with a 3 year old is not my idea of a good time.  Luckily, MissE is not that interested in Cars so she didn't mind (although I did!)  Mr.H and I took turns riding the rollercoasters in both parks (California Screamin', Matterhorn Bobsleds, Indiana Jones Adventure) by going as a Single Rider.  The entrance was so secretative but we got on each ride right away.  It was excellent!  She also loved the Disney Junior-Live on Stage! (puppet show with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & Jake & the Neverland Pirates) and Disney's Aladdin- A Musical Spectacular.  Both were entertaining and best of all, it was so wonderful to sit in A/C!

Eloise & Woody (Toy Story)

Eloise & Jesse (Toy Story)

Ariel's Grotto and World of Color
Before the World of Color (amazing!), we had dinner at Ariel's Grotto: Ariel's Disney Princess Celebration.  MissE picked out not 1 but 2 Princess dresses (Yippee for Costco!) for our Disney adventure.  Tonight, she wore Merida's dress (Brave) minus the very itchy wig.  She was so excited to see the Princesses (Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty), especially Mulan, although every day a new Princess is her favorite.  Mr.H and I thought the food was pretty darn good and also treated ourselves to cocktails (not driving!).

Eloise & Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

Eloise & Mulan

Dessert: chocolate chip cookies, mini cupcakes, chocolate lava cake
 with a white chocolate Ariel and white chocolate shell filled with fresh berries.

Unfortunately, MissE's "little rest" before the World of Color turned into her sleeping straight through it.  It was a fantastic show!

The World of Color

Being a Princess for the day is hard work!

MissE eventually woke up during our night visit to Cars Land but because she had been up since 5:30am that morning, and it was now 10pm, she lost it!  She gave it the old college try for one more ride but in the end, we called it a day and headed to the hotel for a good nights sleep before Disneyland.

Cars Land at night

Disneyland

Everyone has this photo: at Disneyland Main gate

Where do I even begin?  We had a full day at Disneyland!  We started the morning riding all the rides at Fantasyland from Peter Pan to Dumbo the Flying Elephant to Mad Tea Party.  Funnily enough, I finally went on Snow White's Scary Adventures.  My sister was (is?) petrified of this ride so in 33 years, I had never ridden on it.  MissE did not like it either.  Want an apple? Then we checked out Star Tours- The Adventure Continues.  We were not expecting MissE's reaction!  She flipped out!  I didn't realise that 3D would be so upsetting to her and that it was her first time in a "simulator".  She screamed that she didn't want to go upside down anymore.  Oops.  Space Mountain was definitely out. Thank goodness, promises of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and Splash Mountain put a smile on her face.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Despite her terrified face, she LOVED it!

She declared Splash Mountain ("where Mama got soaked") as the best ride!  She asked to go again and again.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
This is something I wanted MissE to experience, probably more than she did but in the end, she loved it.  Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is every little princess' dream come true.  The little princess is given a fairy godmother (or 2) who does her hair and make-up, provides a sprinkle of fairy dust and makes her feel like Cinderella.  I loved watching MissE.  She was amazed by the process (and attention!) and had so much fun!  (Of course, I got suckered into pay for an 'add-on' photo package of MissE on a Cinderella set but it was worth it!)

Pre-Princess Makeover

Eloise with her Fairy Godmothers

My little Cinderella

Where dreams come true...

Princess by Force
A quick note: MissE is not a girly-girl.  She likes her purple and her toe nails painted, but isn't too into dolls, princesses or Barbie.  Pre-Disneyland, I wanted her to get the most out of our trip so we started showing her Disney movies and she started to get to know the princesses and like them!  Post-Disneyland and being princess-by-force, she loves her princesses but has still retained her anti-girly-girl.  She chose a set of princesses as her "present" which she plays with, but ninja-style.  Yes, her princesses fight like ninjas.

Dressed as Cinderella, we visited the Royal Walk to see Princess Tiana (The Princess & the Frog), Princess Ariel (The Little Mermaid) and Princess Belle (The Beauty & the Beast).

Belle: Hi Princess!
MissE: Hi
Belle: I love your dress.  Did you borrow it from Cinderella?
MissE: No.
Belle: Then you and Cinderella must shop at the same place!
MissE: We got this at Costco.

No visit to Disneyland is complete without meeting Mickey Mouse!  She was so excited.  It was one of the best moments, Mickey giving her kisses and her giggling, shyly (I know, MissE shy???) calling him "Silly".

We finished the late afternoon with the classic rides: It's a Small World (love!), Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion (my favorite).  Funnily enough, MissE was not at all scared of Haunted Mansion.  Go figure!

It's a Small World

Australia (Nemo & Dory)

Fantasmic! & Fireworks Spectacular
The night ended with a repeat performance by MissE, she slept through Fantasmic! and the fireworks.  I love Fantasmic! and though I've seen it a handful of times, I insist on seeing it every time.  I loved the fireworks over Sleeping Beauty's Castle, it was a magical way to end our 2 days.

Fireworks Spectacular

It was a very brief Disney adventure and we wish we had more time to see SoCal friends, but Mr.E was missing us (and us, him)!

See you real soon, Mickey! (When Eden is old enough to come too!) 

Kids Should Come with Warning Labels

Mr.E's warning label would be: Does Not Travel Well.
Hello from California!

It's not like we haven't done this trip with a young child before. MissE's first big adventure was at 4.5 months; we traveled SYD-SFO-LHR- Paris (via Eurostar- SAN. Her second was at 18 months and we can't remember the flight so it was obviously a non- issue. Mr.E is an entirely different story. We took turns at the rear of the plane, trying to rock him asleep. I had moments where I was sitting in the toilet with him to spare our fellow passengers. Desperate times lead to desperate measures at 4 hours to go, I doubled a drowsiness medication and he finally slept for maybe 2 hours.

Once in the comfort of a travel cot in Pau-pau and Gung-gung's house, he slept for a few hours so we relaxed and thought, no problem!  The joke was on us!

The ONLY time Mr.E slept in the travel cot

Week 1: Naps are non-existent and bedtime is a traumatic ordeal... For us and him! He refused to sleep in the travel cot (screaming and crying for an hour plus) and we even trekked across the Golden Gate to borrow a proper crib but it just sits empty. He was only sleeping in the car or in our arms then on the floor next to our bed. Even MissE, noticing what tough time her brother was giving us, told me that next time, we should leave Sabi and Mr.E with Uncle R, and Auntie L will take good care of him to make sure Cousin C doesn't play too rough.

Week 2: Mr.E is adjusted to the time but then a tooth (upper right) decided to make its appearance and we were thrown into disarray again! While he was at least sleeping, albeit on the floor still, now he was waking during the night. Thank goodness for 24 hour pharmacies because off we went at 10pm to CVS for Ibuprofen and Bonjela, and we had a sleeping baby!

BUT (you knew there was going to be a but!) now Eden realized he was sleeping on the floor which means FREEDOM! Bedtime now means exploring time: crawling over us repeatedly, checking for monsters under the bed, putting toys away in the garbage bin and turning the TV on and off. He would do this until he passed out somewhere on the floor. So fed up, a few nights ago we decided to go the controlled crying route to get him back into a cot! While I have nerves of steel, Pau-Pau and Gung- gung were asked to watch TV with the volume on loud, daddy was sent into the shower then also to the opposite side of the house to watch TV, loudly. 45 minutes and silence. Repeat for the next 3 nights, and voila!  Eden is now sleeping in a cot again!  It only took 3 weeks!

* Post-script: Knowing a not-so-great traveller (Miss M) whose parents did not travel with her between ages 1 and 3, after being traumatized with 2 trips (my graduation in Washington, DC and then a few weeks later to Vancouver), we are really hoping this will not be the case with Mr.E!  We want to be able to come back next year!

Wordless Wednesday: Photo Booth Fun

My first Wordless Wednesday!  I'll take a few words to explain what it is: in the Blog world, on Wednesday's, you post photos that need no explanation.

It's official, Eden's ONE!

Eden is ONE!  Wow, such a milestone... and how quickly it comes around!  I always get very emotional and sentimental around first birthdays (I am not going to lie, I got a bit teary sending out his birthday invitations!), just thinking back at the excitment of waiting to meet this little person inside of you and then finally meeting him.  And, of course, knowing just how much joy, he has brought us over the past 12 months.  I am so lucky and grateful to have had the opportunity to spend the full 12 months (plus a few) with him.

I also get a bit homesick, wishing my parents and sister could see him grow and share holidays like Christmas, or events like his birthday with us, and I know they would want to too  I usually, irritatingly for Mr.H, launch an 'America or bust' campaign which lasts for a few months or until I remember that I am choosing to stay here because I am happy here.  Luckily for Mr.H, this time, we will be in the US in a matter of days!

Happy Birthday!
For Mr.E's birthday, we ate!  Mr.H spent the day at home with us and we did what Mr.E likes to do: a french toast breakfast, sleep, yum cha, Max Brenner (okay, we like to do that), sleep again, play in the sand pit with bubbles and swing outside, then dinner with The Herd's.

Yum yum dim sum!

Because we are leaving in a few days, I didn't want to bake a cake which we would end up throwing away so MissE and I headed into my favourite cupcake bakery: My Little Cupcake.  It's a bit further away but well worth it.

My Little Cupcake, Neutral Bay

Eden only has eyes for his cupcake!

Yum!

Thank You!
We celebrated Eden's birthday with family and friends with party last Sunday. We are so appreciative and blessed to have such wonderful friends who came to spend the day with us and who were so generous with gifts for Eden. He loved them all and are enjoying watching him explore and play with them.

Milestones

Happy birthday Eden!
(This beautiful quilt was made by the very talented Auntie L)

Eden is 23lbs and 6oz or 10.7kg (75% percentile for weight).  Mr.E had his 12 month check-up and immunisations a week early.  I wanted to be sure he had no reactions while we were overseas!  He is a healthy, happy boy but we knew that already!

Mr.E is slowly expanding his vocabulary.  His favourite words are "uh-oh" and "that".  Since I taught him "uh-oh" 2 months ago, he drops food, sippy cup, toys, etc and says "uh-oh" for fun.  Last month when we were moving rooms, Mr.H dropped something and even though Mr.E and I were upstairs, he heard it and exclaimed "uh-oh".  And Mr.E points to things he recognises and says "that". His favorite thing to point at is airplanes!   Daddy is "a dah!" or when he is very hungry "Ne-ne-neh!"

No Hurry
While Mr.E has been standing unsupported since the start of this month, its been in the last week where he can stand, pick up a toy, throw/ drop it, and clap before sitting back down.

One of us is trying to get Mr.E to walk and the other isn't.  I'm the latter, especially with a 14 hour flight coming up I prefer a less mobile Mr.E!  On the day of his first birthday party, Mr.E decided to try a first step! Twice. He walked from MissE's bed to me and then later from me to daddy (daddy was not watching of course)! Luckily he's still working it out and is happy to walk supported by us for now! Our flight back might be a different story...

Then and Now
Last month, we were given photos of Mr.H at 11-12 months.  We decided to re-stage a few photos and compare father and son.

America or Bust!
FINALLY!  Mr.E's big adventure is upon us... and meeting Gung-gung!

Until next time...