A little note makes for a big smile.

When I was younger, my mom used to write me notes. She still does this and it still makes me smile. When she came to stay with us after my daughter was born she wrote me a note that read, "You have such a beautiful family. Thank you for sharing them with me." I still have it. She left it in the cabinet above the washer and dryer. I found it a few days after she left and it almost made me cry. Little things like that make me happy.

She started this with my lunch. When I was in elementary school, she would make my lunch and almost every day there would be a note in there. She would write quick little things like, "Have a great day! Love, mom" or "I love you, mom". Whatever she wrote, it made me smile. There was something about it for me. I loved knowing that she was thinking about me. That, while she was writing it, she was thinking about me and while I was opening it, she was thinking about me.

I also think it became a game. As I got older, in junior high, I was making my own lunch. Because she wasn't directly involved in the lunch process, she had to somehow distract me to get the note in there. I would always wait until I got to school to see if there was a note. I must admit, when there wasn't a note, I was a tiny bit bummed. But when there was one, it made me smile and giggle out loud. None of my friends thought it was strange. They all thought it was cute and fun.

Now that my own daughter is in pre-school, I am carrying on the tradition. I wrote her a note on her first day that said, "Enjoy your first day of school. I love you, mom". She had her teacher read it to her and when I picked her up, she told me what I wrote. She loved it. I try to do it everyday, some days I forget but when I remember, her face lights up when she gets to talk about it. And the great thing is, I know how that feels. A little piece of paper plus a few words equals a big, big smile.

Oh my Disneyland!

With our 3 1/2 year old and our 20 month old, we conquered Disneyland. Hmmm...well, maybe conquer is a little misleading. How bout survived?! We decided to go with another couple and their 2 boys. We had been talking about it for a few weeks. Going back and forth on whether or not we were going to actually do it. Both families had business and other activities during the weekend in LA already so we finally said yes. We finally clicked "Purchase" on our Delta flights. That is when we knew it was for real.

The kids were beyond excited when we told them we were going to Disneyland. Skye sorta knew what was up because I had brought home some Disney World Pamphlets from when I was in Orlando for a function earlier in the summer. (btw, Disney World is a whole other dimension!)
All she wanted was to see princesses and to eat the giant sundae with the mickey cookie coming out of it. (it actually does look pretty good)
Well, we saw princesses but somehow forgot the sundae.

We started the venture by getting bit turned around with parking. Once that was figured out, it was just a matter of finding a potty right after entering the park. We were all fairly new at the Disneyland adventure. The last time I had been there was when I was about 12 years old...maybe even younger. I kept my eyes peeled for some people who looked like they knew what they were doing and asked where we should start first with the young ones. They didn't hesitate, "Fantasyland". So that is where our big Disney adventure started. We went on the Toad Adventure, which was pretty cute. We went on "Small World" which everyone loved. The line moves really fast on that one and is fairly long so you get a good rest. From there we moved to lunch at Toonville. Very cute but it was also very hot. I think it was about 95 degrees. We tried to pack a lot of snacks and drinks but who can resist a little hotdog and some looney pizza?!

We tried to get the kids to nap in the stroller. Never works when you want them to nap. So we made our way over to "Pirates of the Carribean". Hindsight is 20/20. Now that I have a chance to think about it again, probably wasn't the best idea. We had one very scared kiddo. It is a little frightening. But the parents loved the air conditioning.

Sometime after that, we made our way back to Fantasyland, with a quick stop to see Pooh and Tiger and ride that "scary" ride. At Fantasyland they have a shop called "Bibbity Bobbity Boutique". Parents BEWARE!! This is where princess lovers live. Skye was in heaven. We had told her that she could pick one dress-up outfit before we entered Disneyland. About 20 minutes after entering the princess heaven, she exited as Cinderella the Bride with a tiara and wand to boot. As she walked down the street in Fantasyland, people were saying, "That is the cutest thing I have ever seen." And boy, did she know it. She was adorable.

We had hoped to stay for the fireworks or at least to get a run down the adult water ride but that didn't play out. The place was packed. The kids were so tired and we all were sticky and sweaty. So, at a stellar 8pm, we called it a night. The parents were tired and the kids were exhausted. But all in all Disneyland was a success. I do think that in 2 more years, Disneyland and California Adventure will be perfect. I will make a few suggestions to parents who are considering this very trip. If a grandparent offers to come along, do not hesitate. Then you and your spouse can enjoy an adult ride or 4. Take more pictures than you think. Bring a little notebook to get the character's autographs. Why spend a ton when you can get a little 59 cent one at the market. Drink more water than you think you should. And if it is hot like it was for us. Buy one of those fan squirt bottles. best $17 ever spent!

See you in a few years Disneyland!