Decker

The next morning, Mommy and Daddy and I packed up our car and gave some last hugs goodbye to Pammy, Cappy, Katil and Tully (they were headed down for a fun day playing in a place called San Diego), and we started our drive back up north to go home. On the way, we stopped for a couple of hours to visit with Mommy’s friends Kay and Thor, who live in a place called Van Nuys. That was fun, because they have a little girl named Jet who is about a year and half younger than me, and she was really nice and let me play with her toys! They had some neat birthday presents for me too - wasn’t that nice of them? I guess Mommy used to go to school with Kay (wow, that must have been a LONG time ago!), so they really like to catch up and find out what each other have been up to. We stayed a couple of hours, and then we took some photos and Mommy started to get all weepy and then we said goodbye and got back in the car. Mommy reassured me she was fine, but sometimes you cry when you say bye bye to someone - I guess I can understand that! I hate to say goodbye to my yellow blanket when it’s in the wash!

We drove a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong time and I slept a good deal, which made Mommy and Daddy very happy! At one point I woke up and Mommy was driving instead of Daddy, which was sort of different - but she kept a good pace and we still got home with some time to spare! When we rolled in the door and settled in, Daddy went and got his backpack, and looked inside and said, “Uh-oh - Decker, look - someone followed you home from Disneyland!”. Well, I looked inside the backpack too, and guess who had followed me home? ZURG! Yup, Daddy got me my very own Zurg doll to go with my Buzz Lightyear doll! In the movie, Buzz and Zurg are enemies, but I like them to be friends, so they play together at my house. I carry them with me everywhere - they are really fun to make believe with! (Especially when I am supposed to be napping - I like to keep a running dialogue with them in my bed).

The next day was going to be my first day of school! So I got a bath and went to bed early (I think Mommy and Daddy did too). But wow, I had some great dreams about Peter Pan and boats and Dumbo…Disneyland was awesome! I can’t wait to go back! Maybe next time Mommy and I can go on some of those neat rides with Daddy!

In which I will describe our fun day at California Adventure, and wrap this saga up!

Based on how much fun we had on Friday at Disnelyland, we all slept really well that night! But that didn’t stop us all from waking up bright and early the next morning to head back for day #2 of fun in the Magic Kingdom! So once again Mommy and Daddy pleaded with me to eat something, and then we piled into the car and drove back to Disneyland again. Mommy and Daddy got there early so Daddy could get a real cup of coffee, and we waited contentedly by this very pretty fountain for the rest of the grownups to arrive. I ate some fruit and ran around - good stuff! When everyone else got there, we started off our morning back in Disneyland (California Adventure didn’t open until a little later). The first thing we did was go get in line so we could ride on a ride about Peter Pan! I like Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. They can fly, and in the movie there is a dog who is funny and gets pixie dust sprinkled on her backside, so her bottom floats up in the air! While we were waiting in line, I could see the queen peeking at me from her castle window over and over - that was awesome all over again! Then we climbled on this boats - but these boats weren’t in the water! They flew! We flew through the room where the kids and the doggie were, and then we were flying all over above these pretty lights and funny people! I like to pretend to fly, so this was great stuff! But my favorite part was the doggie at the beginning, and I kept asking my mom and dad if we could go see her again. We didn’t get to, but that’s ok.

Then we headed over to Tomorrowland, and I had a real treat in store - we got to go on a ride all about Buzz Lightyear!!!!!! It was soooo cool! When you walked through the line to get on the ride, you passed by Buzz, who talking to the silly space cats from the Toy Story movie, and drawing plans on a giant etch-a-sketch. Then we climbed into these spaceship cars, and they had laser beams that you could use to aim at the aliens! I just wanted to look at stuff (I’m not really into lasers too much, although I do love playing with flashlights), but my mom went to town and hit a lot of aliens with hers! She seemed quite proud! When it was over, you get off the spaceship and you go into these really neat store with a giant picture of Buzz Lightyear on the wall, and there were these really really really cool Buzz Lightyear stuffed dolls on a shelf in the corner. I had a lot of fun playing with one and making it fly - did I mention I really like Buzz Lightyear? Well, I guess Pammy must really like Buzz as much as I do, because a little bit later, she came over to me with a big smile on her face and told me that I got to take Buzz with me to keep for my very own! Oh my gosh I was soooo psyched! I hugged him tight and said ‘oh bank you Pammy!’ (the th-sound is still kinda tricky for me), and that was it for me - I was smitten and set for the day!

At that point, it was time for us to head out of Disneyland and across the way to another part of Disneyland called California Adventure. This place was super cool too! When we first got in, the grownups all headed over to a ride called “Soarin’ over California”, which I was just a little too short for, so Mommy stayed with me and let me run around with Buzz while she sat and kept me company. Before you knew, the grownups were back and then it was my mom’s turn to go ride so Daddy stayed with me this time and we played some more. When they were done, everyone came back and then we walked over to this really neat place with lots of water and floating tires that peope ride in and get really wet! Mommy couldn’t go, and I was too little, and Pammy didn’t want to get wet, so the three of us stayed behind and watched when Cappy, Daddy, Katil and Tully came around in their tire boats. It was nice over there - lots of shade and a really cool giant wooden bear wearing a life vest and holding a paddle! We waved and took pictures (well, Mommy did - I was playing with Pammy and Buzz) when everyone came around, and I guess poor Daddy and Tully got very very very wet! But they all had fun and the lines were short so they went one more time and got even MORE wet! Good thing it was a warm day!

After that, we headed over to this place that is supposed to look like old-fashioned Hollywood, and got to go inside this really cool theatre that was all about MUPPETS!! Muppets are like the people you see on Sesame Street, only a little different. But they were really funny, and while we were waiting to go in I was in a great mood so I jumped around and sang and had a merry old time looking at stuff. Then we all went and sat down in these soft chairs, and we all had to put on these silly purple sunglasses. I couldn’t figure out why we were wearing them, until the lights went down and the movie came on - it was a special kind of movie called “3-D”, and it makes it look like the muppets in the movie are standing right above you - so neat! There were muppets up in the balconies above us, too. It was really funny and Daddy said it’s his favorite part of California Adventure! A good show!

When the movie was over, we all went to lunch. We ate in a really awesome place that looked just like the Big Fish Place we went to in Monterey back in March! We sat right by the water and Cappy was silly and played with a Buzz Lightyear straw that he had bought with his drink. (Buzz - he’s a popular guy!) When we were done with lunch, we all went and posed for pictures in this big net that made it look like we were part of a catch of fish - it didn’t make sense to me, but the grownups thought it was hilarious!

At this point we wandered over to a place that looked like it was made just for kids like me! It was called “Bug’s Land”! It was just like the movie “Bug’s Life”, which is one of my favorite movies! You go under this big archway made from a giant cereal box, and it suddenly looks like you are the same size as bugs! There were giant garden hoses and juice boxes and benches made of popsicle sticks! There was a choo choo train I got to ride on with Pammy, and you rode around past giant food like candy corns and animal cookies, and Heimlich the Caterpillar would talk to you! And there were these funny cars that you could climb into and bump into the people around you (I rode with Daddy - the sign said Mommy couldn’t go). It was under this enormous beach ball roof, and Katil and Tully and Cappy all rode in cars too! It was supposed to be a bumpy and fast ride, but I guess it wasn’t that fast because when we got off Katil and Tully kept laughing and going at each other in slow motion, saying “Looooook ouuuuuttttt!”. They’re so silly! We also got to go underground into the ant hill, just like Flick and all the other ants! When we got inside, they gave us more special glasses to wear, and then we saw some silly bugs in a movie and it looked like you could touch them! How neat is that?

We wound out of “Bug’s Land”, and Mommy let me have some juice and I played with Buzz for a little while. I sat on Daddy’s shoulders and then Buzz sat on min. Then came the other big ‘hit’ of the day for me - we got to go on a ride about “Monsters Inc.”!!!! (Another one of my favorite movies ever!). It was so neat - you rode around in a car in the dark, and you got to drive through Monstropolis and the Monsters Inc factory and all the doors flew over our heads and we saw Boo and Mike and Sully and it was super great! (I think the grownups were just as excited as I was!).

When we finished the ride, Daddy asked if anyone wanted to try out the “Tower of Terror” with him. Apparently it involves riding in an elevator and then falling very fast! I love elevators, but I was too small, and Mommy, Pammy, Tully and Katil all said “Um, NO thanks!”, so it was up to Daddy to be brave and go with Cappy. While we waited for them to have fun on their ride, the rest of us sat down and I played with Buzz and Mater for a while…until guess who came around the corner? Jo Jo the clown, from “Jo Jo’s Circus” on Disney Channel! I know her and couldn’t believe she was here in person! So I walked on up with Mommy and gave her a hug and she played with my Buzz doll and made him fly and then blew me a kiss! Isn’t that cool? She’s just as nice in real life as she is on tv! Then Daddy and Cappy came back, and they said the elevator was ok but not amazing. Guess I didn’t miss anything!

Everyone was really hot, so we all decided to go see a show called “Aladdin” inside this big theater. We had to wait in line outside for a while, but it was in the shade so that was nice. We even got to sit on the ground! When we got inside, there were these really soft and comfy seats, and it was nice and kind of dark and a very pleasant temperature…so I sat on Daddy’s lap, and fell fast asleep! I stayed asleep for the entire show, which apparently surprised all the grownups because I guess the music was very loud. They all had a good time, and it was a long show, so I had a good nap. Win-win, I say! Supposedly I missed some people riding on a flying carpet, but I have a hard time believing that - I think the grownups are pulling my leg! (note from Decker’s mommy - it’s true! We saw Aladdin and Jasmin fly!).

After that, it was time to go see a parade again, this one with Pixar characters! Mommy and Daddy thought I would really like this one, because it had Woody and Jessie and Mr Potato Head and Buzz Lightyear and lots of music and colorful floats. But - I decided I was still tired and the music was too loud, so it was hard for me to enjoy it that much. Props to Tully though, for doing her best to dance and sing along and entertain me and try to cheer me up! Finally I just needed a good little time out somewhere quieter, and I was right as rain again.

For dinner, we went over to a place called “Paradise Pier”, which reminded me a lot of the place that Mommy and Daddy and I had gone to a couple of nights before! There were fun rides and booths where you could play games and lots of fun music by some kids called the “Beach Boys”. After a yummy meal of fruit for me and pizza for the grownups, Daddy and Katil and Tully and Cappy went for a ride while Mommy and Pammy and I hung out and rested. And guess what? While we waited - this really nice big girl (I’d say probably 6 years old! Wow - really old!) came up to me and asked if I would llike her Doc Hudson toy car! Would I! Wowwwwweee! So nice of her - did I mention I love “Cars”? I guess the ride broke down because all the grownups came back early and I got to show off my car to them. Then we all went over and I got to ride on ANOTHER merry-go-round! This one had fish and sea otters and stuff on it, and I got to ride with Mommy, with Katil and Tully and Pammy all riding near us. I really like merry-go-rounds - it’s so fun to go up and down over and over! Mommy sure looked funny trying to get on and off the seahorse we rode on, though! Her tummy sure gets in the way!

We stopped and took lots of sunset photos over by the water, in front of this great big smiling sun that’s part of the ferris wheel at the pier. Grownups sure do like to take lots of photos! Then we went back to the entrance of the park to watch part of one last parade, and this was one my Daddy seemed extra excited about. And I could see why! It was called the “Main Street Electrical Light Parade”, and it’s got all these great floats and costumes covered in LIGHTBULBS that actually LIGHT UP! Daddy seemed to get really jazzed, especially when the music started up. (He says he had the record when he was little - but Daddy? What’s a record?) We saw Peter Pan and Cindeckeralla and Tinker Bell and some snails and caterpillars who made funny noises and came over to say hi to us - I was entranced! Then it was time to leave California Adventure and head back over to Disneyland for a little while longer to see some more neat stuff - boy, today was a day chock full of parades and shows!

So, back over to Disneyland, and this time we were going to watch the fireworks and hopefully they wouldn’t stop halfway through! (Although I ended up sleeping through both anyway!) The grownups raved and said it was lots of fun and very well done. Then we went back over to the place with the pirate ride, and we sat on the ground for a loooong time while we waited for one last show called “Fantasmic” (Mommy and Pammy really really like this one). I tried so hard to stay awake, because it sounded super cool. But…Pammy’s lap was oh-so-inviting, and then I think I ended up on Cappy’s lap for a while, and well - frankly - I slept through Fantasmic too. But the grownups had a great time! Mommy said that Mickey Mouse even waved at me - that was so nice of him! What a guy!

Everyone was very tired (not just me!) at this point, so we packed our gear and headed out to the shopping area in between Disneyland and California Adventure. Mommy and Katil and Tully and Pammy went and shopped for a bit, while Daddy and I hung out by the fountain and rested. Then everyone got ice cream (except for me - too cold!), and then we all got to ride on the choo choo with the hole in the ceiling in it again, and then we drove home! Wow, what a day!

More of my Disneyland fun…

So after Mommy and I got off the Winnie the Pooh ride, we went over by this great big tree and there was a big line of people waiting to go some ride about a guy named “Indiana Jones” - I was too small, plus I was feeling really thirsty and kinda getting hot and grumpy because of it. (Plus, I was still a little miffed that we had to leave Tigger). So while we waited for all the grownups to finish with their ride, Mommy and I sat on this really cool set of rocks and chilled out a little. Pretty soon everyone joined up with us, and then we got to have a snack! I got to have juice, and Pammy shared this super yummy treat with me that looked like a stick but tasted like cookies! She called it a ‘churro’ - boy was it good! Having gotten my blood sugar back up, I was ready for more rides, and so Cappy put me on his shoulders and we walked over and climbed onto another boat. This ride was different though, because it wasn’t in the dark - it was outside, and we got to look at lots and lots of animals! There were elephants who blew water at us, and monkeys who were being very silly, and lions! Plus, the awesomest part of all? There was another man talking out of a circle! He talked kinda fast and the grownups kept laughing, so I guess he was saying funny stuff. But I sure liked that he talked from a circle! I rode on Cappy’s lap and had a great time.

After that, we left the area of the park we’d been in all morning, and headed over to a place called “Tomorrowland” (but it still felt like today to me!). We had only been there a few minutes, and guess who I saw? Live and in person and for real? BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!!!! I got to go up and give him a high five and he bent down to say hi to me and he was the best! I couldn’t believe I got to meet him! I just about lost my mind! Mommy and Daddy took lots of photos, and finally I had to let some other kids share with me and meet Buzz too. (I was a good sport this time). So we went to another ride after that. At this point, Mommy stayed behind to take pictures and I got to go with all the grownups and guess what we did? We drove cars!!!! The ride was called “Autopia”, and I got to ride in the car with Cappy, and he let me drive for a while at the beginning! 13 years before I get my license, but I got to drive a car! I felt very grownup! The wheel was a little hard to maneuver, and it kept whipping my arms around, so then I let Cappy take over so I could just enjoy the ride. But boy, it was cool! Did I mention yet that I love cars?

After that we stopped for lunch and a rest - we were ready! Then, all the grownups got in line to go on a ride about a mountain (they called it ‘Space Mountain’), and Mommy and I headed over to another place called “Fantasyland”. There were lots and lots and lots of little kids there, and we wandered past people spinning in giant cups, over to this insanely cool little house with a perfect Decker-sized door, colored pink! Mommy said it was the White Rabbit’s house, and I was instantly sucked in. We spent about 30 minutes at the door, with Mommy watching me while I went up and knocked on it over and over and over! It was beyond fun! And there was a little lantern and a little window and a little garden but we couldn’t step inside it because we might squish the flowers. And I was very good about sharing - every time another little kid came over and wanted to knock on the door, I would step aside, but as soon as they left - BAM! I was back! I could have stayed there all day - even though Mommy kept trying to get me to go look at some other stuff like this big whale around the corner. Finally, the rest of the grownups came back, and they convinced me that now would be a fun time to go ride on the Merry-Go-Round! So Pammy, Daddy, Mommy, Katil and I all got to take a ride on the horsies who go up and down and up and down - I had a blast! Then Katil and Tully took a turn, and then all of the group got together and we got in line for a ride about “Pinocoweeoh” (another one that’s hard to say!). I rode in a car with Pammy, Katil, Tully and Mommy, and Daddy and Cappy rode in the car behind us. It was another ride in the dark, so I couldn’t see Daddy and Cappy, but they must have had a great time because when we got off the ride, they were laughing really hard! Something about ‘if they hadn’t bonded before, they sure had now!’ - I dunno, they sure seemed to think the ride was funny! It was an ok ride - lots of cardboard cutouts and bright colors that moved out of the way as you rolled through in your car. (Mommy called it ‘acid trip for kids’?).

After that, we walked over to another ride that was called “Small World” - but the outside sure looked big to me! There was this big white and gold house, with a giant happy face clock on the front, and right when we got in line, the clock started to chime and suddenly these doors opened up and out came a parade of toy wooden soldiers! I was mesmerized - it was absolutely fascinating to watch! Pammy held me up so I could see better - wasn’t that nice of her? When it was our turn to get on the ride, we all climbed into these nifty boats and then we went into a tunnel and Mommy and Katil and Tully started singing! (Aren’t they silly?) Anyway - it was a fun ride because a) it was nice and cool inside, and b) it was full of all these puppets who were about my size, singing and dancing! Who thinks this stuff up? I really dug it! It was a nice long ride, and when we were done, I got to ride on Cappy’s shoulders and Mommy and Pammy stopped into a toy shop really quick - when they came out, guess what Pammy had for me? My very own MATER! Yup, I got my very own Mater truck (like from the movie ‘Cars”) - it matched the Mater that was embroidered on my overalls that day! I was so psyched, and I carried it with pride the rest of the weekend!

After that, we all walked back through Fantasyland and over to the area where we had first come in that day. There was going to be a parade (I like parades!), so we all waited on the sidewalk to watch. It was pretty cool - there were people and animals dancing, and I got to see Peter Pan, and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were waving at me from up on a moving castle! (Wasn’t that friendly of them?). Then we all got to sit down for a rest and a drink - that was nice! I got to guzzle apple juice and play around the table while the grownups drank boring old diet cokes and waters. After that, we decided to walk over to a place I had heard about a lot that day - Toon Town! Yup, we were gonna get to go visit where Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck live! Awright! And it was as awesome as I had heard - there were lots of funny things outside in the streets of Toon Town, like boxes you could open and then you would hear the sound of a choo choo train, or there was this button you could push and then the window would flash like you were taking a picture! We even got to go inside Mickey Mouse’s house!!!! That was fun, especially the piano - I got to sit on the bench and pretend to play the piano like Mickey, and then we got to go into his garden and there was this very funny bunny rabbit who would pop up out of a hole, and then would pull all the carrots down out of the garden so he could eat them! So silly! And I got to climb up onto Donald Duck’s boat, and I even got to turn the wheel so I could try to drive it just like Donald! I really liked the boat and didn’t want to leave, but Mommy and Daddy said it was time for us to go get dinner, so I said ok! (I knew I would get to have some juice again!)

We ate dinner over by where I had met Tigger earlier, and I got to have lots of fruit and watch all the ducks some more! I didn’t want to admit it, but without a nap I was starting to feel a little sleepy…but I refused to give in just yet! We decided it would be fun to go on Pirates again, and since I like those silly monkeys and the silly bird, I didn’t object! So we got in line and climbed on the boats again, and it was just as fun as the first time! And I didn’t get wet, but poor Mommy did! (She sat in the front). It was starting to get dark now - almost time to go over and find a spot to watch the fireworks show by the big pink sand castle! The grownups decided to grab a quick ride on this big choo choo train that goes around a mountain - Mommy and I couldn’t go, but that was ok because we sat outside and waited for them. While we were waiting, this nice lady who was working outside the choo choo ride flashed her flashlight at me and asked if I could dance for her - so I did! She seemed to really like that, and a little bit later she came over and said, “Hey Dance Dance Revolution! I’m guessing you can’t go on the ride because you’re too small - but here is an official card from Mickey Mouse that says you can try and ride next time you come, ok?”. This card was so cool! It had a picture of Mickey Mouse as a cowboy, and I got to keep it all to myself! I told her thank you, and when the grownups all got off the ride, I showed it to them with pride!

Finally, time for the fireworks! I really like fireworks - I had a good time on the 4th of July watching them and saying “ooh” and “ahh”. But….I was SO sleepy at this point, that I just couldn’t stay awake, as hard as I tried! I basically fell asleep in Daddy’s arms and stayed passed out for the rest of the night. I hear the fireworks were very impressive, but that halfway through they stopped! (Daddy called it ‘technical difficulties’). So, all the grownups went over to the Buzz Lightyear ride in Tomorrowland, and while I slept, they all took turns going on it! Whatever! Mommy promised to take me the next day, so I guess I couldn’t mind too much. Then they all went over to this movie theatre on Main Street to watch a video about Disneyland turning 50 (that sounds really old!), and I slept through that too. Then the grownups shopped for a little bit in the stores, and Daddy and I rested on a bench near the front of the park. I was asleep, but I think there was a train going by sometimes? Sure sounded like it in my dreams! Finally, all the grownups were very tired and we decided to go home. It was a long fun day - but we had another full one waiting for us in the morning! Yay - we were going to California Adventure!

In which I continue with my escapades to the Magic Kingdom…

So we woke up early the next morning, and after we all got cleaned up and my folks tried to coerce me to eat something (I was too excited! We were going to Disneyland!), we piled in the car and headed to - FINALLY - Disneyland! Yay! Mommy had talked to Tully the night before (Tully, Katil, Pammy and Cappy drove down and got in really late and stayed at the same hotel we were at), and we agreed that we should get a very eager start so we could beat all the lines. Well, mission accomplished - we got to Disneyland SO early that we couldn’t even get in the parking gates yet! We just parked in a line outside, and I started to get a little impatient - there had to be more to Disneyland than parking in our car, right? Mommy and Daddy reassured me that yes, indeed, there would be more to see, we just had to wait, and would I please eat some banana? Humph. Ok, fine - if it would make them happy!

Finally, finally, finally - the gates opened, and we got to drive in and park our car! We were almost there! Daddy made me put on some sunscreen (yuck!), and then we were off! We walked over to yet ANOTHER line, but this one was for a choo choo train called a ‘tram’. We climbed on, and let me tell you - this tram was cool! It had circles in the ceiling, and a man talked out of them! I thought this was very impressive, so much so that I continue to mention it to this day at random intervals. The tram went chug chug chug and then we stopped and got out to buy our tickets and wait in line to go in! While we were waiting in line, guess who came and found us? Pammy and Katil and Tully and Cappy! Hooray! Now everyone was here and the day could officially begin!

The nice people at the gates let us all come in, and then we went under this neat tunnel, and there…was DISNEYLAND! There was a big sand castle colored pink (Pammy said it was Cinderella’s castle), and lots and lots of people walking around, and I just couldn’t wait to get in and see Buzz Lightyear! But…we still had to wait behind another line for this rope to be taken away first! So Pammy and my mom and I went to restroom (destined to be one of several trips that day - hey, it was hot! I like my apple juice!), and then we came back and it was time to book it to the first ride of the day! Yay!

Mommy and Daddy had told me that some of the rides at Disneyland would be in the dark, and that they would be fun but if I ever got scared that I could hold on to one of the grownups and I would be ok. Well, I sleep in the dark without even a nightlight, so that was fine with me! The first ride we went on was called “Pirates of the Caribbean”, but it seems like it should have been called “Silly bird and silly monkeys”! That’s because when you wait in line to get on, there is this parrot at the front who talks to you - he’s very funny! And then, all through the ride, there are all these silly monkeys (all the grownups called them skeletons, and I guess they had been worried I wouldn’t like them - but they look like monkeys to me! And they’re quite funny!). Anyway, you get on this boat and you sail along and look at the silly monkeys and some silly pirates who are doing things like playing peek-a-boo on their boat and in this well and running around and singing with piggies and stuff like that. Enjoyable! The only part I didn’t like was that sometimes you get sprayed with water - I didn’t like getting wet! But the rest was great!

Having successfully negotiated my first big kid ride, the grownups suggested we go on one called “The Haunted Mansion”. This one was ok, not as cool as the “Pirates” ride. You go into this big old house, and a man talks to you from the ceiling, and then the walls get really tall! Then you walk down a hallway and you get into this seat with a bar (I sat between my mom and dad), and we started moving! We saw all sorts of blue and green people, and some lady was floating in the air while all these instruments played and flew around. There was lots of music and singing, and when it was over, a blue person (Daddy called him a ‘ghost’, but I didn’t see a sheet!) sat on our laps! I guess he wanted to cuddle - but he stayed behind, he didn’t come out with us.

Then the grownups went on a ride called “Splash Mountain”. I’m too small to go on that ride, plus the name alone was a turn-off for me (I didn’t want to get splashed!), so my mom and I stayed behind and walked around outside and looked at lots of neat stuff. There was a big lake around the corner, and it had lots of ducks to say hi to! Then we stood and watched all the boats from “Splash Mountain” go by, and the grownups were all laughing but were very wet! We didn’t see Cappy or Pammy or the rest of the crew, so then we went and looked at this really big BIG boat (Mommy called it a ship), and it had a statue of a lady on the front and I really wanted to touch it but it was too high so Mommy said we could talk to it and wave at it instead. We did this for a while - I really like statues! Then I got antsy so Mommy and I walked back around into “Critter Country” to see if we could go find Winnie the Pooh - and we did! We also found Eeyore and TIGGER! (I love Tigger!). So while we waited for the grownups, Mommy and I got in this line to go around and meet all the animals. I got to hug Winnie the Pooh, and Eeyore, and best of all - not only did I get to hug Tigger, but he picked me up and swung me around and around! It was soooooo cool! I didn’t want to go, but Mommy said we had to let other kids have a chance to meet Tigger too, so we moved on. To make it up to me, she took me on a ride about Winnie the Pooh, which was ok, I guess - but it wasn’t the same. I tried to humor her though - she seemed so excited (”Look, Decker, there’s Piglet! Look, Decker, it’s Winnie the Pooh!). Moms are so cute!

More in Part 3!

Hi everyone! Well, I’ve been back for a couple of weeks now, and it’s been kinda crazy but I couldn’t go any longer without telling you all about this amazing trip I took with my mom and dad right after my birthday - yup, we went to that fabled place I’ve heard about a while now…DISNEYLAND! And it was soooooooo fun! A recap of my adventures:

We started out early on a Thursday morning - my folks and I packed lots of stuff and piled into the car, and we were off! Mommy and Daddy said we were going to be in the car for a loooooong time, and that it would take a good part of the day to get where we were going, especially because my silly mommy has to stop every 90 minutes or so to walk around and go to the potty. (I usually had to go then, too - you get very thirsty on road trips!). Daddy was super nice and set up his video ipod on the back of Mommy’s seat, so I could watch all the movies I wanted on the way to Disneyland. We watched “Silly Critters” (Hoodwinked), “A Bug’s Life”, “Buzz Lightyear to the Recue” (Toy Story 2), “Finding Nemo”, and “The Incredibables” (that’s hard to say!). Mommy and Daddy kept encouraging me to fall asleep and take a nap, but I was too wired - so I only finally fell asleep when they hit something called “The Grapevine” (I didn’t see ANY grapes there, so I got bored and drifted off). I woke up as we were driving FOREVER on this part of the freeway they called “LA”…lots of cars and trucks and not a lot of fun stuff to look at! We drove and drove and drove and drove and finally we got to…no, not Disneyland - our hotel! I was bummed at first that we weren’t at Disneyland yet - the whole trip I kept thinking we were finally there, and every time we got out of the car I would shout out quite hopefully, “Disneyland?”. Then my folks would tell me sadly, no, this wasn’t Disneyland, it was a rest stop in Kettleman City/Patterson/Downey, etc. Man! I was starting to think we’d never get there! But our hotel was cool - our room was inside this old building that Daddy called a grain silo - which meant the walls were round! I got to pick the bed that Mommy and I would sleep in, and we changed our clothes and then went and got back in the car and drove all the way to….no, not Disneyland - but somewhere still pretty cool! Daddy and Mommy said it was called Newport Beach and Balboa Pier, and it was really fun! Daddy showed me where he used to stay when he would visit there, and then we parked near the beach! Yay, the beach! I love the beach! We couldn’t go in the water, but I got to play in the sand and have fun spinning around. Then Daddy put me on his shoulders and we walked down to this really neat place called a ‘Boardwalk’. Boardwalks have things like Merry Go Rounds and Ferris Wheels and pigeons and really pretty lights and music. I’d never seen a Merry Go Round for real before, so I had a lot of fun going and looking at it with Daddy - he and Mommy promised me I could go on one the next day at Disneyland - I couldn’t wait! It looked really fun! Mommy and Daddy and I sat at a table by the Ferris Wheel and had dinner, and Mommy got really silly and sappy and started tearing up again (she does that a LOT lately!), and she told me and Daddy this was the perfect date to have with her two favorite guys and she was really happy. If she’s happy, why does she cry? Silly Mommy! We stayed there until the sun started to go down, and then we went back to the beach for a little bit and got our car and THEN we drove our car back to the boardwalk and guess what? We got to drive our car onto a boat! I know - cool, huh? We rode on the boat all the way to a place called Balboa Island, and then we drove around and looked at stuff and then we drove home. I really liked our hotel room, because we got to watch TV in our beds! We only got to watch for a little bit, because Mommy and Daddy said we all needed to get some sleep so we’d be ready for a fun day at Disneyland! I couldn’t believe it - was it finally here? It was hard to go to sleep - but I managed, and I told my folks I was gonna dream about Peter Pan! Woo Hoo! So excited for the next day!