Nerves

One of the best things about this trip was to see how much Ellie has grown since we were last in Disneyland. 

Last trip she was almost 4 and scared of everything EXCEPT the Toon Town roller coaster.  She loved that ride because it was all outside, short and FAST!

This year she didn't seem scared of anything - she loved Pirates, went right up to the characters, loved Peter Pan and all the other indoor rides and she couldn't wait to ride the coaster again.

So it was very surprising, when after waiting in line for 30 minutes, she got on the ride and got nervous.

Right as the car jerked forward she said "stop I don't want to do this."

Now I would never drag a kid (or adult for that matter) on a ride they didn't want to go on but at this point it was too late - we were already moving.

Plus, I knew she would love it.

So Drew and I just said "Trust us - you're going to love it!!"

This series of photos captures her emotions perfectly!

 I hate to see her nervous!

 

 Realizing it's too late to get off!

 

 Drew and I chanting "Trust us, Ellie.  You will love it!"

 

 Here we gooooooooo

 

 Eeeeeeeeek!

 

 Oh yeah - she's loving it!

 

 Really loving it!

 

As the ride came to a stop she was so excited and screamed

"You were right!"

Disneyland 2013

Disneyland truly is the happiest place on earth.  And this year there were only a few tears and nearly constant fun!

I am truly a believer that EVERY age is perfect for Disneyland.  When we went almost 2 years ago Ellie was SO in love with the princesses but was pretty scared of the the rides.

This year she loved EVERYTHING and Jude was absolutely in awe.

 

 I completed hours of statistical analysis of when is the best time to visit the park.  Our choices this year were early June or the week of Thanksgiving.

I'm so glad we picked spring.  It wasn't busy and the weather was perfection!

 

 This year we also vowed to go slowly and enjoy the park at the pace of the kids.

It was great!  We got there right when the park opened everyday but took our time, stopped to meet characters that were always on Main Street in the morning, stop for photo ops and do rides twice when they loved them.
 

 

I was really worried that Jude would get dizzy on the tea cups but Drew convinced me that he would love it.  Drew was right! 

 

 Disneyland has changed the way they do characters.  It used to be all the princesses would just walk around the park and you'd have to fight your way to the front of the mob to get a quick photo with them.

Now most princesses have an area where they appear and you stand in line to see them.  Now, while standing in line for 45 minutes to meet Merida wasn't the best part of the day - getting 5 minutes with her was one of the highlights of the trip! 

Merida was so sweet and took so much time with Ellie and Jude.  She taught them to dance like her bear brothers, signed their autograph books and posed for dozens of photos. 

 

 Another big change since the Disney of my youth is that you can drink in California Adventure!  This is BIG news for weary parents.  Most evenings we would all head over to California Adventure, get a beer or glass of wine and find a shady spot.  We caught the Pixar parade one day and let the kids play in the Bugs Land splash pad in their clothes too!!  After all, happy hour is the most important hour of the day!

 

 After our previous experience with a nervous Ellie on our last trip I wasn't about to push any rides.  But after a few successes - Ellie asked to go on Pirates of the Caribbean.

Jude wasn't scared of anything so I wasn't too worried about him.

We all watched Ellie super closely to see if she was nervous and to our utter amazement - SHE LOVED IT!

 

 After the first ride - Ellie and Jude begged to go on again - so we ran around and hopped right back on.  I think we did Pirates 12 times in 4 days!

The whole family loves Pirates!  Yippee!!

 

 More ride success.  Ellie still loved the Toon Town Roller Coaster.

Although I will post a hilarious series of pictures from the first time she rode it this trip - she was a little nervous but quickly remembered she loves thrills just like her mama and dad!

Ocamps and Nobles do Disneyland 2013!

After such a fun trip we decided we will make it a priority to go to Disneyland every other year.  I can't imagine any year being more fun than this one though!!

 

I have about 300 more pictures and videos to post.  So here is a little teaser of the cuteness that was Jude.  He absolutely LOVED the characters and for some reason decided to wish Mickey "Happy Birthday" the first time he saw him.  Too cute!



The proof is in the splash

And here ya go!

Proof that Ellie really is a swimmer!

Playing in the pool before her first lesson of the summer season.

It cracks me up that she spends 30 seconds drying her face before plunging back into the water.

Drew and I are so ecstatic that she has become a fish just like us.

Drew is already counting on her as his next scuba diving partner!

 



Spring is Springing!

Due to my lack of posts as of late I have a random smattering of photos to share but first (drum roll please) I have MAJOR news to share . . . . . .!!!!

 

 

Ellie just put her entire head underwater and swam across the hot tub!!!!

 

This is big BIG news for a kid that would barely put her nose in just months ago.

 

It just cracks me up because Ellie has always been this way - she won't do something AT ALL for months and then all of a sudden she does it completely and perfectly.

Examples - talking . . . I remember we had her evaluated by the Early Intervention Program because she hadn't spoken one word at 20 months.  I swear the next day she started talking in sentences.

 

Walking . . .  this is the kid that never crawled but one day got up and walked across the room.

 

Potty training . . . would have nothing to do with a kid potty but once she decided to go on the toilet she has NEVER had an accident!

 

School work . . . she refused to practice writing her letters for the longest time but then all of sudden she could write her name.

 

HA!

 

I must remember this . . . she is a kid who waits until she can do something well before she shows it off.  She works on new skills quietly and then BAM! she's got it!

 

 

Writing love notes to each other

 First sleep over with one of her besties - Rowan.  Complete success!!

 

 

 

 Decorating bunny cookies with Grammy!

 Cute little girl discovering how to work our rotary phone

 

Happy Birthday Ma-Mop!!



Easter Sunshine!

I've said it before and I'll say it again . . .

Easter is my favorite holiday!

All the excitment of Christmas with a fraction of the work!

This year was especially perfect because we had summer like weather in March!!

 

 The kids loved opening their Easter baskets. 

 

 Who knew jelly beans could be so exciting?!?

 

This year was the 4th Annual Egg Hunt at our house.    

Here are the number from this year:

Kids:  14

Adults:  25

Bottles of champagne before noon: 9

Eggs hidden by the Easter bunny:  47 DOZEN!!!

 Cute Noble kids

 

 This year was VERY special because of a new addition to the family.
Little bunny Coco arrived the week before Easter. 
Ellie has been wanting a bunny SO badly.  We weren't seriously considering indulging her until a friend offered to give us hers, hutch included, for $25! 
This bunny is SO mellow and used to being held by kids. 
I think Hazel would have sat and held her all day.

 A few hours after the hunt was over we went looking for Jude.  We found him behind the swing set eating the chocolate out of all the baskets. 

He had quite of bit of energy that day!

 

Friends stayed and enjoyed the sun ALL day.  Ellie played outside with her friends for 10 hours straight. 

She said it was the best Easter ever!

 

Sunshine, a new bunny, yummy food and great friends. 

Yep - perfect!



Whistler!

A couple weekends ago we headed to Canada and met my cousins in Whistler.

One day Owen and Drew went snowboarding and the next day Cait and I went to an AMAZing spa!

The twasins ("Twin Cousins" - the term we use for Jude and Lucy since they are just 6 weeks apart)

The kids played great together.  Their favorite game was lining up on the bottom step of the staircase and taking turn say 'weady - set - GO' and jumping down all of 6 inches.

 Noble kids in the Olympic Rings

 The village was SO much bigger than the last time I'd been to Whistler 12 years ago! 

We all decided it's probably not the most fun place to go with kids in the winter since they only lasted in the snow for about 20 minutes and it took 45 to get them dressed in their snow gear. 

 

 It's fun traveling with these 2 - they are mostly always happy and do great in restaurants! 

Yesssss - I am SO glad we are this stage!

 The highlight of the trip for Ellie was ice skating in the cute outdoor rink in the village.  Jude on the other hand couldn't make his feet go in the same direction.  It was hilarious and back-breaking!

 

Great trip with family - next time  . . .  SUN!

A POST!!!

Blog posts are so scant these days and it's always on my mind to post! 

My excuse is the same as every mother everywhere - Life is busy!!

 

As promised - my BIG Christmas gift this year was a beautiful new camera from both sets of parents. 

I think their motives were actually selfish since what they really want is better pictures of their grandkids. 

But that's ok - I'm loving having a quality camera!!

 The first photo I took through my new lens.  Love the color and crispness!

 

 Silly kids in the bath. 

The newest news with these 2 is the fact that we have entered the stage of SIBLING FIGHTS!

Their screams are piercing and exhausting.  Good thing they have short memories and seem to forgive each other quickly!

 

 This Spring will be a big change in our house when we move the kids into the same room!  We have bunk beds and we'll do a major redecoration to tone down the pink factor in Ellie's room. 

They are so excited to be roomies!

 

 Ellie's favorite game lately is to play dress-up in my closet. 

 

Like mama like daughter!