Disneyland

Nolan was pretty excited... just check out that smile as he found his seat on the shuttle that first morning. We headed to the Nemo subs for our Magic Morning, since that line is always so long. That's one ride I'd be happy to skip honestly, but Ezra begs to watch "Emo" everyday. He was quite amused by the whole ride. His favorite rides, though, were the carousel and the Ladybugs that spin like teacups. I loved hearing him giggle the whole time as we'd spin around. He really loved exploring on Tom Sawyer island (thankfully he didn't get lost forever in those tunnels) and the Challenge Trail in California Adventure Park. Here are some of Ezra's best Disneyland moments.

Nolan just barely squeaked by the height requirement for several rides, including the Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, and Soarin' over California. Before our trip, he would always say, "I'm going on the Tower of Terror first!" We thought it best to ride several more easy-going rides to get him warmed up. The time finally came, though, and Justin said he did great. He even told Justin he liked it. But a bit later, I asked him to come with me on it since Justin had gotten a switchpass. He said, "No I don't want to go again. I am scared of every part of that ride." Well, here's where my awesome parenting skills kicked in: I had him ride it with me anyway. Okay, looking back, I should have just gone by myself, but he was pretty willing as we walked on (yes, lines were really short). We got inside and a lady was talking to him and he told her, "I just hate every part of this ride. I don't like going down faster than gravity." But the little guy was perfectly happy getting strapped in. When it was over, I asked him if he liked it better the second time. "No, I told you I hate every part." Whenever we went on the bigger rides he would get off and say how he's a champion (that's what the name Nolan means). One evening they said he wasn't tall enough for the runaway train even though he had ridden it that morning. We bought him some taller shoes the next day and he was good to go the rest of the time. They're so picky, so if your kids are just making the height requirements, buy thick soles!His favorites were the "mine train" (Big Thunder Railroad) and Soarin'. That kid was the happiest I've ever seen him as we soared over the forest and ocean on that ride. He was pleased with the Haunted House, Matterhorn, Pirates, and Small World, too.

So they had many great, happy moments, but it's amazing how for us parents it felt like there were way too many bad moments. Exhaustion was the main culprit but there wasn't much we could do about that. They would take naps in the stroller, we packed plenty of snacks, but it was still just so much stimulation. Nolan even knew it. After a fit from him, he calmly said, "Mom, it's just because I'm so tired." I think my favorite picture from the whole trip is when I captured Ezra in one such moment. Not sure what he was mad about, but he was really trying to give us a piece of his mind! If looks could kill...