The Happiest Place on Earth

Oh, joy....it would have to be right here at Monkey Hill with the incessant rain and bark of the little dog.

This past week our family returned from 4 fun filled days in the Magic Kingdom. I have been recovering, thus the lack of immediate update. (If you have ever been to Disneyland, you know that it is not a place one ventures to to relax.) I'm sure you all don't want to hear about every minute that was spent in Anaheim, so here are some of the highlights:

*Though I promised my husband I would not complain about how expensive it is when you are staying in the resort and going nowhere else, I must tell you how much I hated spending $2.79 on every bottle of water I purchased. I averaged 6 bottles, just for me, per day. The amount we spent on water alone was about the same as my monthly payment on my Honda Civic. My husband says I love to spend money, so, yeah, I was happy doling out my shekels for water. But really, I'm not complaining! You just can't nickel and dime your way through Disneyland.

*My daughter rode *every roller coaster* at both Disneyland and California Adventure at least twice. It was the California Screamin' roller coaster that she could only do once and right after she stepped off the ride, we had to go back to our hotel so she could nap. Don't worry, I did not join her on any; she rode with her daddy and her uncle.

*All the princesses remembered my daughter from her last visit to the Magic Kingdom 3 years ago! How utterly magical! Ariel told her she got even prettier and Cinderella was amazed by how much she had grown. What great memories Disney characters have!

*Peter Pan does not stop talking. He cornered our family in the courtyard gallery of the Disney Animation attraction at California Adventure and chatted endlessly about the 'Fantasmic' fireworks extravaganza that he stars in. I was nice and didn't let him know that I had already seen the show and the real star is actually Mickey Mouse.

*Being in the early stages of pregnancy I could not ride any of the fun rides, but I was at every exit to hear what a fantastic time my family had on each one. My nausea only creeped up on me at Splash Mountain when the person standing near my husband happened to be Paris Hilton and she turned to me when I asked my daughter how she liked the ride. No, Paris, I was not talking to you. What was even more sickening were all the people who realized she was in the park and had their cameraphones ready.

*We could not escape Goofy. That dog was everywhere. From dinner, to our hotel, to wandering the park, I wondered if he was part of our entourage!

I am sure you can tell from my lackluster expressions that I am still tired from it all, but all in all, our trip was exciting, magical, and overwhelming. And of course, we are planning for our next trip to the Happiest Place on Earth!