California Adventures

The kids had a week off school last week (mid-winter break).  Scott was able to take some time off from his very busy job and we went to Southern California for the week.  My parents made a last minute trip out to California and met us there for a few days.  The drive down from our house is about 5 hours.  Everyone did pretty good in the car...except Emma.  She had a few tantrums in her seat but we made it.  Poor Emma.

We got to our hotel room in the early afternoon and the kids loved the bunk bed in there.  

We swam at the pool at the hotel and had dinner at Panera by Disneyland.

Anna lost a tooth on the drive down.  The tooth fairy even found her in the hotel.

Here we are after breakfast and ready to head to our first day at the parks.  

First stop:  California Adventures.

We went on Midway Mania and then the Ariel Carousel.  Grant and John like riding on the bench on carousels for some reason.  Grandpa sat by them.

Emma on the carousel with Grandma

Scott and Matthew went on the big rollercoaster that goes upside down.  We watched them.  

Matthew, Scott and I went on it again later in the day.

Can you spot Scott and Matthew?

Here is my mom with the kids near the Cars ride.  The ride broke down just as my mom and some of the kids were finished riding...and they had to wait a little before getting out.  But we got to ride it.  It's lots of fun.

We waited a long time to go on the bumper cars in the Bugs Life land.  Bumper cars give me anxiety. I'm always worried about getting stuck.  It wasn't so bad this time.  Grant did the driving and I could just blame it on him.  Anna was a bit anxious when she got stuck going the wrong way for a while.  We had fun though.

Scott with (probably) John on the bumper cars.

I think this was on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.

Just before starting

And during the ride.

Emma did have fun...I think.

Grandma and Grant on the Junkyard Jamboree

And Matthew and Anna.

They got to go together a lot because they are old enough to go alone (without an adult)

Just before getting on the dancing cars ride (Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters).  I'd never been on that one. It was really fun.  The cars just dance around - no track so you don't know where they're going and towards the end they form up and do a line dance.  It's cute.  We also enjoyed Ghirardelli ice cream at the park.  So that was day one of our trip.  The next two days we were at Disneyland!!