youmyflower
<font color=royalblue>DH is going to freak out at
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2008
- Messages
- 121
First and foremost, we will celebrate that we are going to Disneyland 
A little back-story to get you started.
Born and raised in California, I've had many opportunities to go to Disneyland and naturally I've wanted to take my children there to relive my childhood memories. My husband, well, he just doesn't get it.
He goes, and he says he enjoys it, but I know that secretly he would like to go elsewhere and experience new things. Blashpemy, I say! Our last family Disneyland trip was in August 2007 (for which we redeemed our frequent flyer miles to go - see, this is how I justify the frequent trips to my DH, if we don't have to pay so much then it's a bargain we just can't refuse!). Last summer my two oldest children started getting the itch to go again and I said, look, it's just not in the budget for this year and I knew I was going to have an uphill battle in talking DH into yet another trip so soon after our last trip. So I told the girls, I tell you what, if we can SAVE the money ourselves to go, how can he say no? 
So the girls have been faithfully depositing all their birthday money, garage sale money, etc into our trusty Disneyland Fund.
This trip was originally scheduled in September 2008, then moved to February 2009, then to May 2009 and now finally to June 2009. This one I expect will STICK.
Our last "Family" trip (I say that in quotes because SOME of us have been since then ) was August 2007. My third daughter was just 2 at that time and she was unfortunately afraid of pretty much everything while we were there. As you all know how much of a build-up to a Disneyland trip there is, it was somewhat of a let-down for my husband and I. We kept trying to get her to uncover her eyes, which in todder-speak became uncover da eyes. Well, the very LAST ride of the very LAST day, I took all the kids on It's a Small World while hubby ran off to experience one ride he couldn't go home without even going on (and I don't even remember which ride it was!). Well that last ride, we got her to open her eyes and she LOVED it. Hubby was disappointed that he missed this.
At that moment, hubby decided that we MUST go back so he can see her enjoying herself. But, we couldn't afford yet another DL trip so soon. We came home, crunched some numbers and did some scheming. Hence, operation uncover da eyes was born. But we had to be a little sneaky about it since we couldn't exactly take all the kids down again. So, we busted out yet another set of frequent flyer miles (which as it turns out totally depleted our account, but that's ok) to reserve a hotel room for a Friday-Sunday quickie trip down in October 2007. The older two girls were with their dad for the weekend so my husband, myself, the two toddlers and my mom headed down for the weekend without telling the girls. We drove down late Friday night, went to the park on Saturday and drove home on Sunday without them even knowing.
At this point if you're thinking I'm a horrible mom for sneaking down to Disneyland without some of my kids, let me interject that since my ex (the girls dad) and I divorced, there has been this unspoken "keeping up with the joneses" mentality between us and the girls have been the lucky beneficiaries of about a bajillion trips to DL in the past 6 years. Unhealthy, I know but I can think of worse addictions 
So I didn't feel so bad not taking them with us as they have gone without us quite a few times in the past too. Incidentally, we pulled it off and they were none the wiser for about 6-9 months until my oldest found pictures on my mom's computer.
Since then, I also chapperoned my oldest daughter's band trip down to play in the Disney Magic Music Days in April 2008.
An awesome experience! And it was a great time to have some one-on-one time with my oldest child (nevermind the other 85 band members that were there )
So that should bring you up to speed.
Our current trip is planned for June 12-17. We got two rooms at the HoJo entertainment guide rate In our party this time is Me (SAHM to 4 kids), DD1 Celeste (14), DD2 Jasmine who will be turning 10 on 6/16 and will get to celebrate her birthday in the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH! DD3 Quincy (3.5), DS Ryan (2.5) and DH Ed.
Now to wet your appetite, here's some pictures from Disneyland trips past. See how we roll!
Yes we're addicts
THIS is why I love Disneyland. A rare affectionate moment between my oldest two.
Ryan's first trip to Disneyland, August 2007
Me and Celeste, DMMD, April 2008
See that kid right in the middle? That's Celeste performing for DMMD!
Ed and Quincy (with her eyes uncovered!), October 2007
A little back-story to get you started.
Born and raised in California, I've had many opportunities to go to Disneyland and naturally I've wanted to take my children there to relive my childhood memories. My husband, well, he just doesn't get it.
He goes, and he says he enjoys it, but I know that secretly he would like to go elsewhere and experience new things. Blashpemy, I say! Our last family Disneyland trip was in August 2007 (for which we redeemed our frequent flyer miles to go - see, this is how I justify the frequent trips to my DH, if we don't have to pay so much then it's a bargain we just can't refuse!). Last summer my two oldest children started getting the itch to go again and I said, look, it's just not in the budget for this year and I knew I was going to have an uphill battle in talking DH into yet another trip so soon after our last trip. So I told the girls, I tell you what, if we can SAVE the money ourselves to go, how can he say no? So the girls have been faithfully depositing all their birthday money, garage sale money, etc into our trusty Disneyland Fund.
This trip was originally scheduled in September 2008, then moved to February 2009, then to May 2009 and now finally to June 2009. This one I expect will STICK.
Our last "Family" trip (I say that in quotes because SOME of us have been since then
) was August 2007. My third daughter was just 2 at that time and she was unfortunately afraid of pretty much everything while we were there. As you all know how much of a build-up to a Disneyland trip there is, it was somewhat of a let-down for my husband and I. We kept trying to get her to uncover her eyes, which in todder-speak became uncover da eyes. Well, the very LAST ride of the very LAST day, I took all the kids on It's a Small World while hubby ran off to experience one ride he couldn't go home without even going on (and I don't even remember which ride it was!). Well that last ride, we got her to open her eyes and she LOVED it. Hubby was disappointed that he missed this.At that moment, hubby decided that we MUST go back so he can see her enjoying herself. But, we couldn't afford yet another DL trip so soon. We came home, crunched some numbers and did some scheming. Hence, operation uncover da eyes was born. But we had to be a little sneaky about it since we couldn't exactly take all the kids down again. So, we busted out yet another set of frequent flyer miles (which as it turns out totally depleted our account, but that's ok) to reserve a hotel room for a Friday-Sunday quickie trip down in October 2007. The older two girls were with their dad for the weekend so my husband, myself, the two toddlers and my mom headed down for the weekend without telling the girls. We drove down late Friday night, went to the park on Saturday and drove home on Sunday without them even knowing.
At this point if you're thinking I'm a horrible mom for sneaking down to Disneyland without some of my kids, let me interject that since my ex (the girls dad) and I divorced, there has been this unspoken "keeping up with the joneses" mentality between us and the girls have been the lucky beneficiaries of about a bajillion trips to DL in the past 6 years. Unhealthy, I know
but I can think of worse addictions So I didn't feel so bad not taking them with us as they have gone without us quite a few times in the past too. Incidentally, we pulled it off and they were none the wiser for about 6-9 months until my oldest found pictures on my mom's computer. Since then, I also chapperoned my oldest daughter's band trip down to play in the Disney Magic Music Days in April 2008.
An awesome experience! And it was a great time to have some one-on-one time with my oldest child (nevermind the other 85 band members that were there )So that should bring you up to speed.
Our current trip is planned for June 12-17. We got two rooms at the HoJo entertainment guide rate
In our party this time is Me (SAHM to 4 kids), DD1 Celeste (14), DD2 Jasmine who will be turning 10 on 6/16 and will get to celebrate her birthday in the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH! DD3 Quincy (3.5), DS Ryan (2.5) and DH Ed.Now to wet your appetite, here's some pictures from Disneyland trips past. See how we roll!
Yes we're addicts
THIS is why I love Disneyland. A rare affectionate moment between my oldest two.
Ryan's first trip to Disneyland, August 2007
Me and Celeste, DMMD, April 2008
See that kid right in the middle? That's Celeste performing for DMMD!
Ed and Quincy (with her eyes uncovered!), October 2007
My parents divorced when I was 11 & reaped the benefits of only seeing daddy once a month!!!
Doing the happy dance!!
Maybe this will end up being Blue Bayou? Or what's the one in DCA where I can make ressies and have good seating for the parade? The Trattoria?
I posted my facebook status as 100 days until Disneyland! Well apparently she read it and she said to my DH: "I thought you guys weren't going to go to Disneyland for a long time and I thought that was a good idea." I asked DH what that was all about and he said that she is miffed that we go out there but don't come to visit her. OOPS. 
) I think now I'll have to keep that to a minimum so as not to rub salt in the wound.
