The happiest place on earth

Some might say 1 and 1/4 years old is a little young for a first trip to Disneyland. But it turns out they would be wrong! I was mostly tagging along with my sister's kids because a) I wanted to spend more time with my family and b) my dad was paying.  But I was pleasantly surprised to discover there was plenty to keep Jack entertained as well. He loved the train ride through the land of the dinosaurs. He thought the carousel was pretty fun. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the Ferris Wheel but once he figured out how to look beyond the little cage we were in I think he enjoyed himself. He was mesmerized by rides whizzing over his head. He had a ball roaring at the lions on the Jungle Cruise, which he learned how to do from the roaring lion that was sitting sentry in our hotel lobby, which roared every hour on the hour much to Jack's continual delight during happy hour or mealtime. This is the little souvenir he brought back with him: roaring. Except that it doesn't sound like "rawr" so much as "AAAAUGHHHHH!"



And he absolutely adored the Tiki-Tiki-Tiki-Tiki-Room! A whole room full of singing birds! If there was a heaven designed especially for Jack, this would be it. There was so much pointing and oohing and squirming and craning his neck to see around everywhere at once, I thought his head was going to explode. That alone was probably worth the trip.



That and maybe the little park inside the amusement park that was kind of like a giant treehouse strung up inside a redwood forest, even if the redwood forest was fake and growing out of cement. There were rope bridges and Jack demanded to be walked across them, back and forth, back and forth, bouncing here, sticking a foot through the ropes there, getting stuck, needing to be lifted out, bouncing some more, absolutely unwilling to be talked into leaving. I'm not sure how I ever got him out of there. Here is Jack with mommy, who is slowly and painfully throwing her back out from the strain of bending over and trying to keep him upright.

It was worse than the first time he learned to walk.

We took him on a few rides that he wasn't quite ready for, too, you know, just to push him out of his comfort zone, build character, and all that. Pirates of the Caribbean was apparently a little bit scary, so he spent the whole ride turned around hugging me. I can't say I minded that too much. That was the longest hug I've ever gotten! Almost made me want to take him on it again!

But the best part of Disneyland of course wasn't the rides, but the family. Lots of special time with Grandma and Grandpa and his aunt and uncle and his cousins.



Yes, that, and the roaring lion. I know he loves his family but I think he would've taken that lion home with him if he could've.