(I'm going to pretend I'm up to date & current on posting & just jump right into a big ol' remember when post)
(I'm also going to pretend that the computer didn't totally eat my completed disney post .... and just type the whole thing again. So never mind the date that's a week old at the top)
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Circa 1987.
This was the first time we went to Disneyland. I'm pretty sure Amie's red shorts are pulled up way too high. And the odds are actually pretty high I wasn't really smiling under the mask. I'm the one on the left :) If I could go back & tell my 8 year old self that smiling in a picture would not kill me, I would.
This is Dad, in all his 1980's glory, on Main Street. Too bad the picture cropped off his too short shorts & you can't quite see his glasses :)
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Fast forward 27 years .....
Dad's shorts are longer, I'm married with kids & Disney is still full of magic.
magic: /adj/ - giving a feeling of enchantment.
The place is enchanting.
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 |
| waiting for the trolley the first morning - |
It wasn't exactly planned around that .... but it turned out being a sweet way to celebrate.
The hotel staff overheard & brought out treats and sang to her.
To say she was tickled was an understatement.
 |
| in all her birthday bling - |
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In full on Disney magic, with all sorts of enchantment, we walked in & met Minnie.
From there it was 3 full days of good times.
Maybe not all enchanting, right :)
There were long lines.
It was hot, like sweat trickling down your back hot.
Kids got tired & hungry & grouchy.
Sometimes so did we.
We couldn't buy every last souvenir we walked past.
There were inflated Starbucks & overpriced churros.
But oh man we had fun.
Enchanting, magical fun.
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Photo-bombing, turnabout is fair play :)
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This is one of my favorite pictures.
Molly's expression, kills me.
Also I love that they wore princess dresses all day.
Thrifted dresses their Daddy scored for them in just their sizes.
Yet still on the racks in the shops there, costing more for one than he paid for both.
I love that they are still little girls enough to be enchanted.
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But in the magic of the moment they went with the overpriced churros, cotton candy & corn dogs :)
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Part of our ticket package deal included a meal at one of the character restaurants - so Regan's birthday dinner was at Goofy's Kitchen.
It was a gloried buffet :)
But Disney even knows how to make buffets enchanted.
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And yes .... we matchy matched the whole day.
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The magic continues -
Meeting Mickey.
Warm hugs for all :)
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We did a lot of hanging out together while everyone else who was over 40 inches tall rode rides.
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He was utterly terrified.
Each loop around his facial expression went from 'I'm gonna die' to 'Maybe I'll survive' to 'This isn't bad' to 'Greatest ride ever'
:)
Atta boy, Benny.
Of all the rides and all the kids Ben & roller coasters don't go together.
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They were pretty great to come along.
They walked for miles.
They were ok going with the flow.
Pushing strollers.
Standing in lines.
Giving souvenir money.
Enjoying the magic.
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I thought sweatshirts for all the kids sounded fun.
They would've cost over $300.
I ended up with a $4.95 magnet that says Disneyland that I put on the whiteboard at school.
I guess the ice cream cones counted too.
They were waffle cones, dipped in chocolate, with 2 scoops.
You licked the dripping off ice cream from the sides.
Magic.
Ben decided on souvenir pins - one Mickey, one Donald.
Molly picked out rubber rings.
Regan wanted panties and a backpack.
Sailor got a wallet & a necklace.
Then the girls used the rest of their money for polly pocket princesses.
Jack went with a rifle & legos for he & Ben.
Chad left one shop with pretty much everything he'd picked up :)
The hat, the stick horse, the pistol, the sheriff badge that had his name engraved on it.
Well, Rex picked that out.
Amie was the only one who got a sweatshirt & a mug.
Just like Ben's pins - very touristy of her.
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Ending with a dump of phone pictures ....
:)
#thegirllovesathrill
:)
Amie's a good sport :)
Not that we kept track, but ....
#ihadthehighestshootingaccurancy
and I had Chad on my lap.
:)
He sat on my lap, covering his eyes & when the bar or strap would allow turned around with his head buried. When the ride would stop he'd said 'all done, we made it'
:)
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The truth is I came home with more than a magnet.
I have this whole enchanted memory wrapped up in these pictures.
They'll last longer than sweatshirts, or pins, or panties.
Magic.
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