Vacation photos!

in the "big wagon"

Knott's Berry Farm


Colby & Zander


That's me, Colby & Marty on the right. That ride was high! Doug took the picture ;-)

They have a really good restaurant and I like my b&w pics with the lighting.

Zander liked the bread and butter.

And milk in a cool Snoopy cup.

I'm being stealth here and getting pics of my mom, she hates getting her picture taken.

Disneyland

Watching the teacups. We got Zander one of those harness things because he loves to walk. He liked the backpack but was mad when I used the "leash" part. Can't blame him. I know those seem wrong but my kid bolts from me all the time. Thankfully it wasn't crowded so we let him walk, or he was carried. So the backpack lasted like 15 minutes.

Us on It's A Small World

Mickey, Jacey and Melissa

Muscle Boy in Toontown

Goofy!

Hugging Goofy

Us in Toontown

Zander & Jacey in "Mickey's House".

Us with Mickey!

My dad, Melissa, Jacey & Mick on the Jungle Cruise

Doug & Zan. Zander loved the baby elephent, rhinos, hippos, tigers and monkeys!

Mick got to 'drive' Indiana Jones

Doug & Zan on the Teacups

Zander posing with Nemo

Lindsey, Mike, Zander and Lisa watching fireworks. They had the best fireworks show I've ever seen, I'm not usually that impressed by fireworks. These were amazing!

It snowed on Main Street!

A happy boy after a day of fun!

day 2

Getting ready!

Me & Zan with Pluto! Zander calls him "Plu-dog!"

I don't know this guys name but I'm guessing he's a relative of Goofy

Us with Santa, I like this one. I have to buy it from the Disney photopass site.

Doug & Zan. Oh, it was REALLY COLD & WINDY on Wednesday.

My family minus Mike & Lindsey, I don't know where they were then.

Love this one! That's Sully, right? He had the longest arms!

Mickey & my Dad

us

Marty & Zan playing telephone.

Mickey

OMG my mom agreed to take a picture! Only if she stood behind my dad, she's crazy. :-)

Marty & Doug demonstating their "Hot Set"

Zander was teething really bad so he chewed on Donald Duck's beak.

Tow Mater! So excited to see him!

Lighting McQueen. These pics are kinda cropped weird because I was trying not to get the kids that wouldn't stop mobbing the cars in the pic, lol.

Mickey & Zander

Mickey & Me

Jacey thought Zan had a good thing going, so she chewed on her Minnie

Mike holding Zander, Marty

Our family & Lindsey's family minus her brother Kyle.

Me & Doug

Marty, Colby & Doug

Aha! A rare photo of my mother talking and laughing! With Marty

Lindsey & Mike


It's A Small World

I'm sure I'll get more pics from everyone elses cameras too. It was a good time. It was my entire family and my brother's wife Lindsey's family.

*Zander rode It's a Small World, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion(2x), Pirates of the Carribean, Peter Pan, Snow White, Pinnochio, Mr. Toads, Buzz Lightyear, and the Monster's Inc. ride. He did really well.
*We stayed at the park from open to close each day, 10 am to 8 pm. I took Zander to the nursing room and nursed him to sleep each day for naptime and then put him in the stroller. He napped only an hour the first day but he napped 2.5 hours on the second day!
*Going in the off season is awesome. We loved the Christmas decor. Zander loved the parade, which was also Christmas-y.
*There were no fireworks the second night because of the wind.
*I didn't ride any water rides because it was freezing but Doug and my sib's rode Splash and the Rapids ride. They were all soked afterwards, no thanks.
*The coaster at California Adventure is pretty cool but I don't think I'll ride the Farris Wheel again (the carts slide, it's freaky). Soaring Over California was really neat. Loved the Tower of Terror (we've done the one at Disneyworld, which is actually better, before).
*For some reason Wednedsay at Disneyland was way busier then Tuesday. But still, no way as busy as peak-season. A captain I work with went on Thanksgiving day and he said it was so packed. I'm glad we went when it wasn't packed, especially with the little ones.

The roller coasters at Knott's were pretty cool, we loved Ghostrider! And I loved the Xcellerator! Knott's was dead, we were only there for less than 3 hours and we did everything we want. It was free for me and Doug and my parents and Marty & Colby only paid $11 ea to get in. So it was worth it for just a few hours. I'd probably only go back if it was during Public Safety days and FREE. Some of their coasters were really cool though!

We had a very fun time - thanks Mom & Dad!!

Zander singing, Disneyland talk

Zander's been singing a lot lately, it's so cute! We do a preschool coop every other Sundays with a few other moms and kids from our playgroup. We have a theme and we do stories, songs, crafts and a snack. It's fun. Zander's all about singing the "Hello" song and we go through the names of the kids that are there. And tonight he's been really into singing Jingle Bells, he's getting good at it.

He's also quite the conversationalist. We get lots of compliments on how well he talks, it's so cute. The other night Doug got him out of the truck and Zan said "There's the moon, let's go get it. We need a ladder. No, we need a space ship!"

He talks about going to Disneyland all the time. He talks about Pluto, Goofy, Mickey & Santa. A lot of people will say it's not worth it to take your little one to Disneyland because they won't remember anything. It may have only been a week but he remembers all sorts of little things and he tells us something new from the trip every day. Here's my "this is worth it" moment. The first day we got there he was soooooo crabby. In actuality by the time we got in the park it was his normal naptime at home. So we went to Fantasyland first and he was not having it, he didn't want to ride anything. So then we went on It's a Small World, which he loved. Then we went over to Toontown and Goofy was there dressed as Santa. When Zander got to meet Goofy and say "Hi Goofy" and hug him I had my "this is worth it" moment. And right after that we met Mickey, which Zan loved. So worth it.

Pics to come!

A few pics!

I finally cleaned off my memory cards today.


Zan man on Thanksgiving day.


Laying on the floor cuddling with Mickey, probably watching a Disneyland tape. (I got him one to get ready for Disneyland, it worked! He's ready!)


What dirt?


Bounce U (Our playgroup went a few weeks ago, the boys had a blast!)




ain't scared!

Halloween (yeah, I know, I'm late)

Zander, Madison & Gage (Dani's friends son)


With Noni - Zander's picking a good one!


Pirate Elvis Attitude


We didn't trick-r-treat because we don't need the candy. But Zander enjoyed his treat - a cupcake made by Noni.



Cupcake Boy and I

Favorite Food Icon

Zander doesn't know Ronald McDonald yet (and we avoid going there) or Tony the Tiger or Snap, Crackle and Pop.

Zander's favorite food icon is the Quaker Oat guy and it has been for months. He's known the face on his beloved oatmeal, which he eats almost daily, since he was about 13 months. And as soon as he could say it he pointed out the "Meal-meal Man" in a magazine I was reading and also on the commercials.

Doug bought a giant box at Cosco and Zander was super excited, he even kissed the box - "Oh Meal-meal Man!"



I hope his love of oats continues for a long time, we're proud he eats so healthy! Some nights he wants to have oatmeal for dinner though.

2 year old conversations

Zander says so many cool & funny things, I should document them more. Tonight we were sitting on the couch playing and Vinnie was whining for his ball which was under the couch. He always whines for the ball until we get it.

Me to Zander anoyed at Vinnie - "Oh why is Vinnie crying?"
Zander to me - "He wan'ts his dada"
Me to Zander - "He want's his dada?"
Zander petting Vinnie - "Don't worry, don't worry, don't worry"
Zander to me - "I think he wants his dog food"

He's so smart.

ETA - his line of the last week has been "That's a great idea". He says it for everything. We say "Zander let's change your diaper" and he says "That's a great idea!" lol

Nothing Alike

Lately Doug's been saying how much Zander looks like my brother Marty. Zan does look like Marty because Marty had blonde hair, blue eyes, etc.

So I made this to show Doug that Zander does look like him:

As soon as I took that picture of Doug I knew he had the same expression as Zander in that picture, lol.

New Ride!

Our 1970 Suburban!



Doug built this.


WE LOVE IT!

and a random picture of Zander last week.

It's my birthday, here are some pictures!

I'm 31 today. :-)