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Mandie's HouseLove like it will never hurt.
July 06 OK, Update time...Ok, so I’ve been a little bad about updating the blog. Well I have a good reason. I’ve been sick as hell. I had my Gastric Bypass on March 13th and the surgery went really well. I was in a private room at Good Sam and had a head trauma patient next door. He had no impulse control and would scream and yell at the nurses all the time and he had the mouth of a sailor. I really felt bad for the staff. And it made my stay a little uncomfortable.
I was given a pain pump immediately following the surgery so that I could self medicate as needed. Apparently at one point I pushed the button almost 1,000 times in ten minutes. Thank god it has a ten minute rule. It would only dose every ten minutes no matter how much I pushed it. Damn button sucked. After 24 hours they took my button away and my IV with it. That was the beginning of my problems.
I have an allergy to Vicoden and that happened to be the drug they chose to give me. Granted we didn’t know about the allergy at the time. But suffice it to say they would give me the pain medicine, I would get really sick then they would give me Phenagren (not sure if I spelled that one right) for the nausea which when combined with the Vicoden would knock me out. So I would sleep and as soon as I woke up they would drug me again. It eventually became a vicious cycle. And since all I was doing was sleeping I became dehydrated; remember they took my IV away. So then, severely dehydrated I spiked a 103 degree fever. Thank god I was there and not home. They pushed an entire IV bag in 30 minutes and kept them coming. I also developed a migraine so they gave me some Imitrex and after I told them no more Vicoden they switched me to Percocet.
This whole process took the better part of a week to play out and on Friday morning when I woke up I made it very clear that I was going home to my family. And NO I did NOT want any of their damn drugs to go with me. Once I got home and situated I felt great. I healed quickly and after three weeks was feeling fantastic. Then at Easter I started to get really ill. I was vomiting all the time and I really mean all the time. It was way worse than Morning sickness.
I was hospitalized for 3 days around the 12th of April so we had to cancel Sammie’s Birthday party. She was really understanding. They weren’t sure what was going on, but they determined that my potassium level was critically low. I now know that if your potassium is off (too high or too low) it affects your heart. Not something I wanted to mess with. So I tried taking the prescription they gave me and couldn’t keep it down so we had to try a couple of other methods and finally found a pill that worked and didn’t make me sicker.
I took that for 2 weeks then on the 21st of April I spent the morning out at the park for Little League Picture day and came home freezing. No matter what I did I couldn’t get warm so back to the hospital for me. This time they did a CT Scan and rehydrated me and sent me home. The next morning I had Nick take me back because I felt like I was going to throw up my intestines. But by now I was totally used to puking a lot and it had become ordinary so this was way worse to make me go back in. I was admitted immediately. This time for 8 days.
My surgeon came by to see me and ordered an upper GI (which is kind of like an x-ray but they can watch the dye move through me.) That test came back ok. They were looking for any kind of leak or blockage to explain why I couldn’t keep anything down. By then I would even throw up plain water, literally everything that went in my mouth came back out that way too.
I had a bunch of test done and finally went in for more surgery. I had a “G” tube inserted into my remnant stomach for drainage and feeding purposes. Anything that went in the tube couldn’t be thrown up since the 2 stomachs aren’t connected anymore. So now I was able to continue taking my medicine. They also determined that the connection from my new stomach to the intestines had shrunken or healed closed some. SO they used a balloon to stretch it back out.
After these two procedures I was feeling WAY better and my doctor had cleared me to go home. Luckily for me my nurse pointed out that it was a Sunday and that I couldn’t get my painkiller prescription filled so the Doc said I could stay overnight and go home Monday. Wrong! That night around 11:30 pm my potassium level crashed again and this time I was in the beginning stage of kidney failure. I have never felt pain like that before. It was the most horrible experience. I sat up in bed and started vomiting and crying. My roommate called for the nurses and I passed out before they could treat me.
The next morning I woke up with a new set of bags hanging on my IV. Apparently, they gave me a pain killer and some Phenagren the night before and had a blood test done. My surgeon requires that a patient’s potassium be 3.8 or higher and mine was 2.8 I guess that’s a pretty critical level. So they were pushing potassium through my IV. Potassium and Pheragren are both very corrosive medications and having both continuously pushed into my IV started blowing out my veins. I looked like a mummy by the time they were done. I had to constantly have a heat pack on my arm to prevent my veins form going out. By the time I got home my arms looked like I had been beaten with baseball bats. I was totally black and blue from wrist to elbow on both arms.
I eventually got my potassium up and was allowed to go home with a new prescription. I took it for 2 weeks and this time it stayed up. By the end of May I ended up needing to have the stomach/intestine connection stretched again and eventually got the “G” tube taken out. And have been feeling great since then. I just went in again at the beginning of July for another stretching and hopefully this will be the last time. I am finally starting to feel like the old me again and even have a little energy to help Nick remodel that bathroom. We decided to wait until after the surgery to do it.
When people ask me if I would do it again I’m not sure what to say yet. Yes I’ve lost a lot of weight but I have paid a high price. I spent 3 months in a state of constant vomiting and pain. Thank god we have good insurance because the bills are well over $100,000 and who knows what is to come. I am happy to finally be feeling better and I have lost 60 pounds as of today. I started in a size 26 and am now wearing a size 18. I still have a ways to go but I’m finally happy and comfortable being me. February 09 Surgery Date Set!Okey Dokey, I have a date for my surgery, March 13th. Now we just have to sit back and wait for the insurance to approve me. One of the post-surgery changes is that I can't sleep streched out in bed for a while so Nick and I bought a new comfy Lay-Z-Boy for me to sleep in. It's a really nice burgandy and tan color and it's squishy. Totally looking forward to spending some quality time vegging out. I also splurged and bought a new bed frame. It's an Amish styled head and foot board made of honey colored Canadian Pine. We might even get a new matress set. Thank god for Tax Refunds! We'll be starting a remodel on the bathroom soon and hopefully we can get it done before my surgery. 'Cause not having a working bathroom then would really suck. LOL. Oh well, I better get back to work. See ya! January 24 Sleep Apnea? No way!Well, today I found out that I passed my Sleep Study. I do not have Sleep Apnea. Woo Hoo! I still have one more Psych appointment then everything heads off to my Insurance for final approval. Keep your fingers crossed. January 19 Big changes a comin'Well, some know some don't so I'm putting out her for everyone. I will be having Bariatric Surgery specifically a Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass surgery. What is gastric bypass surgery, you may ask. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a permanent procedure that is recognized as an effective treatment in providing significant weight loss and long term weight control. It is the most commonly used procedure in the United States and has world wide acceptance. Weight loss following surgery dramatically improves quality of life reducing weight associated diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary disease, pain from arthritis and high cholesterol levels. Many of my friends know that I have been suffering with Diabetes and Osteoarthritis and this will help relieve some of the symptoms of these conditions. To be 100% honest there is a vanity reason also. No one likes to be over weight and as my weight has gone up my self-esteem has gone down. I am at all time high 270 lbs. I am very excited to has this procedure done and will update my blog as new events take place. I might even post my pictures of weight lost. Maybe… I do not yet have a surgery date but it’s looking like late February or early March. There are a lot of presurgery tests that need to be done. In fact on Wednesday night I had to bring home an oximeter and sleep with it connected to my finger to measure my blood oxygen levels to make sure I don’t have sleep apnea or any other sleep disorders. I was surprised by all of the requirements and tests that need to be done. I had one meeting with a therapist already and need to have one more. I also have meet with the surgeon and his staff, and the dietician. So mostly at this point I need to wait for my sleep results, attend a support group meeting and wait for my insurance to approve everything. So as I said before I will update my blog as new things come up. Talk to ya soon. December 07 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!For those of you that haven't yet heard, I will be turning (shhhh it's kinda a secret) 30 on the 18th of December. Yikes! But on the other hand my favorite Cousin in the whole wide world (no offense to the rest of you guys) Jeremia is coming home on my BIRTHDAY! I wish I could say it was really planned that way but it was more like a coincedence that just happens to be the first day he could get leave.
Jere and Billie have been living at Fort Rucker, AL for just over a year now and he is soooo close to finishing his Blackhawk training. I’m so proud! Billie will also be graduating from Troy University on the 17th just in time to come home.
This holiday season is going to be bringing a lot of old friends and family home for a visit. Besides Jere and Bill, my best friend form WAY back (don’t ask how long ;)) Heidi and her hubby Magnus will be in the area, and one of my other fav cousins (OK their all my favs) Justyn and his still fairly new bride Liz will be back.
This will be the first time since they moved to AZ that I will get a chance to see Liz. Last year when Billie and I drove from Sacramento to Ft. Rucker we stopped in Flagstaff (wow is it pretty there) and Holley and Justyn came up from Phoenix to see us. We had some great pizza at this little place that really reminded me of some of the places in Corvallis. Flagstaff has a great Corvallis feel in a Bend like setting. Absolutely beautiful. Not to mention really close to the Grand Canyon which we saw and totally took my breath away.
So as you can see Nick, the kids, and I are looking forward to a fun filled holiday. Nick will be taking Vacation the week after Christmas and we plan to spend it at home playing with our Friends and family….. who knows we might make up to Hoodoo for some snow fun too.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
Love,
~M October 01 Wildlife Safari Drive ThroughYesterday Grandma Pam took the kids and me to Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. Wow! What a trip. It's only about an hour south of Eugene and was well worth the trip. The kids and I got up around 5:30 am in order to be at Grandma's for breakfast and still get to the park by its 9am opening. Well, we made it to breakfast at least. It took a little longer after eating for all the potty breaks and such, but we made it there by 10am.
I am so glad that we went early. We paid our admission and headed into the park. Turns out with every paid admission you actually can drive through twice. Well this morning we were greeted promptly by the Ostriches and some Gemsbok. They are a truly beautiful deer like animal. We also saw a couple of Zebra before entering the Lions den. We later learned they have two separate lion prides. The one we saw was the younger male and his two females. The older male is bigger and has three lionesses. Both males are siblings too. We were very lucky to have the ladies lounging right near the road so we could get some great photos. Their male partner was more elusive in the am. I did catch a couple of shots in the afternoon.
We tried to catch the Hippos but they were hiding pretty well. We did get quite the show from the Giraffes. Mom really loves the Giraffes and the kids really got a kick out of watching one sit down. What an awkward procedure for such a graceful looking animal. As we moved on we saw what we think were a pair of Bongos and a small herd of Watusi Cattle. Man did those cattle have some horns. This one in particular was huge! At this point Bryan decide to play safari guide. Picture if you will, Steve Irwin’s voice coming from Bryan. The kept reminding us that, “These are WILD animals. Remember keep your hands in the car these animals are WILD.” It was so cute and funny at the same time. I just kept waiting for him to say “Crikey”.
As we continued around the bend and enter the Americas section we drove right into a large herd of American Bison. Wow! These are some awesome animals. To think they used to roam free all over the western states. They were very impressive. We even saw a couple of calves. On young bull crossed the road in front of another car (the car was red) and then stood next to the road and (I kid you not) stared down the car. I really thought for a minute it might charge the car. It sure was giving it the evil eye.
Then the Rangers let us in to see the Brown Bears. They were so cute. I know they would probably hurt me given the chance but from the safety of my van they were really adorable. Sam commented that they looked like they were smiling. I told her they were hoping she’d get out of the car. She didn’t think that was very funny.
Coming out of the bear pen we had to wait for a group of Turkeys to cross the road. And why did the Turkey cross the road? To prove he wasn’t a chicken! There were a lot of turkeys all over the park. In fact the birds kind of roamed where they would. We saw a herd of Aoudad (Barbary sheep), three gorgeous Mustangs, and some truly majestic Roosevelt Elk. I thought, “Hope dad gets his deer this year considering we shot a whole herd of Elk.” The buck we were watching walked over to a little pond and gave us quite a show digging his rack into the mud and scraping out a spot to lie down. How cool. We even saw a few Llama and two North American Black Bears.
Next thing you know we’re back in Africa. By this time the Hippopotamus had made an appearance. And we caught some close-ups of the African Elephants. We saw these great deer with curvy horns but couldn’t find them on our list of animals, so we’re not sure what they were. We even got a great shot of a Ground Squirrel. Those little buggers are EVERYWHERE. This one scaled a gate and was hanging out on the rail. He was pretty cute.
We were now in Asia and oh my. They have the cutest little deer. We all wanted to bring one home. I swear my mom’s dog, Honey Bear, is bigger than these guys. I believe they were called Sitatunga. They were very quick and nimble and apparently they get along really well with Tibetan Yaks. We saw quite a large herd of the yaks at the feeding station. We even got to see a calf nursing. The kids thought that was neat. They also really liked the Bactrian Camels. The camels were pretty mellow in the morning but by afternoon they were coming right up to the car almost. We drove so close to one we could have petted it. We also had a close call with a Silka Deer. The doe was standing in the road as we were taking pictures of the camel. I seriously thought it might lick mom, its nose was literally two inches from the open window and it was just checking us out.
After all the deer like animals we came upon a bunch of birds. There were Emu, Rhea and an East African Crown Crane. The crane was very pretty his feathers had this almost painted look to them. Next were the Cheetahs and Tigers. In the morning we only found the caged Cheetah and the Bengal Tiger. By the afternoon the Cheetahs in the drive-thru were out lounging where we could get close-up pictures. They were very pretty in their spots. All-in-all the drive through the park was very, very cool. I can’t wait to take the kids back to see the animals again. June 23 Disney Day 7Day 7. Finally. Man am I ready to head home. I have a blister on the soft part of my left foot right under my toes the size of Montana. It showed up pretty early in the trip and I’ve been babying it since then. It will be nice to be off my feet for awhile.
Today we stuck to our list and got to do everything but one ride, Snow White’s Scary Adventures and the stuff at California Adventures. It got pretty hot and we all got very tired. We started the day with breakfast at, where else, Denny’s! It was an early day starting around 6:30 am. We ate then caught the ART to the park. We started the day in Adventureland. We saw a beautiful horse when we first entered the park and everyone thought we needed a picture for Poppa the Great. So Pop the pony’s for you!
Poppa Steve had wanted to visit the Enchanted Tiki Room the other day so we waited in the little plaza in front of the entrance and checked out the really neat Hawaiian God statuettes. They talked and moved. It was neat. Of course Bryan didn’t want to go on anything but Autopia so he and Nick sat this one out. It’s a bummer for Nick as he hadn’t enjoyed this one in the past. It was really cute the ceiling was covered with singing robotic birds, flowers, tiki statuettes, and totems. It was really cool. Kari and Sam really got into it. It even thundered and rained when we angered the Gods with our celebration.
Then we hoped on the Jungle Cruise. Yep you guessed it Bry and Nick sat out. Our tour guide was really funny. As we viewed the Bengal tiger he informed us that at full growth they can reach 5000 lbs and are able to jump 25 feet. Pretty impressive. Then we saw some elephants bathing and Mike (our guide) informed us that at full growth they can reach 5000 lbs and are able to jump 25 feet. Turns out the Mike thinks everything will be 5000 lbs and can jump 25 feet. Sure made us laugh every time he said it though! He was so serious.
We saw all kinds of animals on our cruise then we noticed a tribe of indigenous people. Mike was kind enough to translate their chants for us. Apparently they were chanting, “We killed the lion, we killed the lion, we killed the lion and the lady taking flash photos is next.” You get one guess who that was! Right after the tribesmen we ran into a school of Piranha. They bum rushed the boat and scared the girls. It was amazing these metal fish jumped out of the water in a swarm of bubbles and spray. It was very realistic. This pretty much concluded the tour.
Off to ToonTown to visit Minnie’s house. We didn’t get a chance to tour it the other day and Kari really wanted to. It was kinda cute for a mouse’s place. She had the dishwasher running and a cake in the oven that when you turned the oven on the cake swelled up. We had to pry Kari out of there.
We exited ToonTown into Fantasyland. Most of our list was there. We immediately got in the queue for the Storybook Land Canal Boats. Bryan was really hesitant at first he really didn’t want to get eaten by Monstro the whale. Once he figured out that the tale is missing he wanted to go again. We sailed down the little canals and visited miniatures of some of the best stories, the 3 pigs, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin, Cinderella, and the Little Mermaid. Then we were off to the Mad Tea Party or the teacups as the kids call them. Poppa and Nick stayed off the ride. After a quick spin in the cups, we headed for Alice in Wonderland. Again the big boys stayed off the ride. When we got off we saw… Peter Pan and Wendy!
We approached Peter for an autograph and he grabbed Bry by the hand and cheerily called follow me! He led us on quite the merry chase before he would release the kids and sign our books. Being a typical boy, Peter needed to cause more mischief and played tricks on the kids hiding their new monkey toys. Luckily, Wendy has taught him some manners and he gave them back. She even reprimanded him and told him to be nice and sign our books. At which point Peter informed us that Wendy was teaching him to write. Kari thought he did a great job spelling his name. We had more fun playing with Peter than we’ve had on some of the rides. Both he and Wendy were lovely. After this encounter we headed off to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
Near the exit of Mr. Toad’s is the Sword in the Stone, so of course we HAD to try and pull it out…. Darn none of us are royalty. Oh well! Off to Peter Pan’s Flight and Pinocchio’s Daring Journey. Most of the rides in Fantasyland are very similar in style and they follow the storyline of which ever character they are named for. Although the Peter Pan flight was really neat. You hang in a boat a fly above London and Neverland. Really spectacular for the little ones.
After Peter and Pinocchio we saw Merlin and watched as someone else DID pull the sword from the stone. Then we ran into the Evil Queen form Snow White. When we asked her for a picture she forced us to curtsy first. Kari was so brave she even asked the Queen why she was so mean to Snow White and her response was, “I’m not mean to her. Why I even let her go outside and play for 5 whole minutes last year. In the snow. With no shoes. She WANTS to clean my castle and scrub my walls. Would you like to help her?” Of course this was said with an excellent evil queen voice. Not surprising after that Kari wouldn’t be in a picture with her unless I was too.
On our way to see Ariel from the Little Mermaid, we saw a couple of beautiful swans. Now Ariel is a lovely princess. She was so sweet and absolutely adores the kids. She made conversation asking if the kids had seen her movie and what their favorite part was. I can’t stress enough how awesome the characters have been. They always make time to acknowledge the kids and try to take the time to actually converse with them. It really makes the experience great. Something the kids will never forget.
After Ariel we split up. Poppa, Mandie, Kari, and Sam headed to Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters. Pam, Nick, and Bry went to Autopia. Whew! What a day.
On our way out of the park we saw the Pooh gang and got a great shot of Rabbit. Then we got a group shot in front of the main flower garden, where we ran into Aladdin, Jasmine, Aurora, and Belle. In order to get a picture you had to sit in a group and the first to answer a Disney trivia question got to go up.
The next question was, “What ride allows you to drive a car all by yourself?” WHAT!?!? Bryan’s favorite! Sam’s hand shot right up and Belle called on her. Autopia! Woo Hoo! We had to wait, what, 1 minute to get our picture. Some of the other parents were really mad. They had been there for like 15 minutes. Sorry guys this was totally our question! What a great way to end our trip. Well, we head home tomorrow morning so my next entry will be from home. See you then! June 22 Disney Day 6Whew.... Our trip is starting to wind down and we'll be coming home soon so we thought another day at California Adventure was in order. The little ones really wanted to see the Playhouse Disney Live Show so that’s what we did. We got to the park about noon and the show started at 12:30. We were able to get in the front of the line since we were so early. Luckily they have large TV’s for the kids to watch while you wait. Bryan wasn’t shy about getting up to dance with his favorite characters.
Once we got into the show the host Jaime introduced us to Bear in the Big Blue House and his friends Tutter, Ojo, Treelo, Pip, and Pop. They danced and shared a story with us. Then we met JoJo, Skeevo, and Golitath from JoJo’s Circus. They talked to us about friendship and how it’s easier to do something with a friend. Then Staney and his fish Dennis talked to us about cleanliness and how gorillas are very clean animals. Pooh and friends came out and talked about how everyone has a different idea of a great day and that’s ok because we’re all different. Then Bear and friends with Jaime came out and danced and sang some more and it was over. The whole show was about 30 minutes. They even showered us with streamers and bubbles.
After the show we headed over to the Grizzly River Run a really neat white water raft simulator. The little one didn’t want to ride so Mandie sat out the first run. It sure looked like they had a blast. Nick came off the ride totally soaked but smiling. Later in the day Mandie got a turn twice! Samantha is going to need more than a 12-step program!
Gramma Pam decided that after her late night with Sam and Poppa the night before that she was ready to take it easy so she took Bryan and Kari back to a bug’s land for some kiddie rides. Bryan really likes the Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train and Flik’s Flyers. Luckily Gramma Pam is a good sport. They had a lot of fun hanging out with Gram. They even got a cute picture sitting on the Mickey head benches in the plaza. Bryan has wanted to play on those all week!
While they were off Nick, Mandie, Sam, and Poppa headed for more coasters. We rode the Mulholland Madness coaster. It was ok but not one I wanted to ride again. Then we headed for Samantha’s favorite, California Screamin. After that we went back to Grizzly River Run for Mandie’s two trips down the rapids once as a group and once more with Sam.
Well we had heard plenty about how great the Soarin’ over California was so we went on that one too. While waiting in line I noticed the girls in front of us all had matching Blue tye-dyed tank tops on with blue and yellow print…. Hm…. My school colors. Then one of them turned around and her shirt said Bulldogs on it….my school mascot….. I had to ask, “Where are you girls from?” The answer? You guessed it West Albany High in Oregon! Woo hoo. I told them I was class of ’95 and that Poppa Steve was class of…. It’s a secret, but back then it was still called Albany Union High. Turns out they are the Varsity Girls Basketball team and their headed to Palm Springs for a tournament and just stopped for the day to play with their coach. Holy Moly! Their coach was my government teacher! And he remembered me. It was really a treat to meet these young ladies they were really a hoot.
The ride was truly amazing here’s what Disney has to say,” Hold your breath as you experience the ultimate sensation of free flight. Your soarin' journey takes you from one end of the Golden State to the other in this awe-inspiring scenic tour. Take in immersive breath-taking aerial vistas while flying in this simulated hang glider. Your toes dangle just above the awe-inspiring landscapes such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Yosemite
Feel the wind in your hair as you see California as you've never seen it before!”
And it’s scented! Yep as you fly over the ocean you smell the fresh breeze, over the mountains and forest you get the pine scent, and over the orange groves, you got it, oranges. It was amazing. I am truly at a loss for words. If you travel this way it is a must see!
After that Sam was really jonesing to ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I won’t even type the Disney description here but if you want to see it click http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/attractions/detail?name=TwilightZoneTowerOfTerrorAttractionPage. Let’s just say Sam came off that ride in near tears. She really didn’t like it at first. Yep I said at first. I’m telling you she has a problem. She wants to ride it again tomorrow!
Well, considering Gramma took the little ones and Sam was now almost in tears and really shaken up we decided to call it a day. Tomorrow will be a busy one. We made a list of all the things we still want to do and see….. Let’s hope we get it done since tomorrow is our last day in the park. See you all soon….
Until tomorrow.
June 21 Disney Day 5Well this morning we started off at 6 am! Yikes! We had a date with Mickey Mouse mayor of ToonTown and had to be at the park by 8am. Once we got in and headed to ToonTown we were seated near City Hall for a special ceremony where Mickey made us all Honorary Citizens. There was quite a bit of dancing and parting during the ceremony. Samantha even got to dance with Dale from Chip & Dale. Once the Ceremony was over the characters loitered on their front porches signing autographs and posing for photos.
We caught up with Minnie and Mickey for more face time. After some signatures Gramma and Poppa took Sammie on Gadget’s Go Coaster. They can’t help themselves they even ride the little kid coasters. LOL. I’m telling you they are addicted! Bryan and Kari hung out in Donald Duck’s Boat while we waited for the coaster to be done.
Then we wandered around ToonTown for a little while before getting on Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. Again Bryan decided at the last minute that he wanted nothing to do with the ride. He ONLY wants to ride Autopia. So Nick and Bryan waited while everyone else rode the ride.
Since we were in the area we decided to ride It’s a Small World. Pam, Steve, Mandie and the girls all piled into a boat for the “Happiest cruise that sailed ‘round the world”. Kari really enjoyed the mermaids and the flying carpets. Well, that’s one more classic ride I can mark off my list and never feel the need to ride again. Don’t get me wrong it was cute just not worth the line for a repeat ride…
Well, it was now time to get Bryan on a ride so off to Autopia for us. Man was he a happy little guy now. After the nice drive we were able to get some time with Buzz Lightyear! Yep the Buzz Lightyear! Man, I though Bry would wet his pants. Did I mention that Bryan named his new teddy bear Bear Lightyear and even bought the Buzz outfit for it?
Now, we’re off to ride the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Bryan has been talking about it all week. Once we got inside the ride entrance he again decided not to get on. I let Nick ride with the girls this time. He seems to be missing a lot of stuff hanging out with Bry. Mostly rides that he’s done before so he says he doesn’t mind, but this ride is still brand new. They had a blast. Forgive the pun. They really had fun you get to steer your little car and shoot the enemy for points.
It was now time to head back for a rest. We caught the Omnibus and were able to sit on the upper-deck for a ride down Main Street. After some naps, a swim and dinner we headed back to the park for the Parade of Dreams.
We got to see some of our favorite characters and a couple cute floats. There was lots of music and dancing. The kids really enjoyed it. After the parade was over the two little ones came back to the hotel with Mandie and Nick for a nice evening in.
Samantha stayed at the park with Gramma and Poppa to ride some more coasters. I’ll let you know what they did when she comes home. Considering its 11 pm I think their having a great time. Well, we gotta get up early again tomorrow, so…… goodnight.
Until then…. Disney Day 4Today we decided to see what Disney’s California Adventure had to show us. It’s a completely different experience than Disneyland. The first thing I notice was that there was no shade! I mean it, none to be had. The park was built on the former parking lot so it’s a lot of pavement. They do have some cool little kid type water features in A Bug’s Land.
Right outside the entrance are these huge letters spelling out California. Bryan really wanted to get a picture in the A. We were impressed with the recreations of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Napa Wine Area. There were also some neat landscape spots like Grizzly Mountain with the falls.
But we were a family on a mission. We all wanted to ride California Screamin’. Disney’s description of the ride is “Blast-off with a screech from the beach! Then twist, turn and loop upside down through Mickey Mouse's silhouette. By the time you arrive back at the pier, you will know why this is the adrenaline rush of the century! State-of-the-art steel roller coaster evokes the great thrills of wooden coasters from days gone by. Catapult from 0 to 55 in less than five seconds, over a mile of track, 108-foot drop, state-of-the-art onboard music.” It was AWESOME! Sam loved it. Turns out this was the first real coaster Pam has ever ridden. Well that makes two addicts now…..
After we got our adrenaline rushes out of the way we took Bryan and Kari on King Triton’s Carousel. Kari liked it except for the going up and dawn part. LOL. After the kiddie ride we headed for a bug’s land and the rest of the munchkin rides. While there we were students at the Bug’s life dance school and got to dance with Princess Atta and Flik. We didn’t stay for autographs since our books were getting really full.
We did take a turn on Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train. It was really cute we rode in a train shaped like a caterpillar and rode through some giant snacks. When we went through the Watermelon we got misted and then we went through a box of animal crackers and it smelled like vanilla. Yummy!
Then we headed for Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies. It was bumper cars shaped like pill bugs (or potato bugs whichever you call them). Nick sat out on this one since he was the kids’ main target. Next we wandered through some water features and got a little wet and headed for Flik’s Flyers. Gramma, Poppa, Sam and Bry got to fly in a box of animal crackers. Too cool.
We were told that the new Monster’s Inc. ride Mike & Sully to the Rescue was worth a try so off we went. After getting in line Bryan decided that he really didn’t want to ride it so Nick took him and waited outside. It was an ok ride. Kari liked it much better than anyone else. After coming out of the ride we decided to get some frozen drinks and while Poppa and Gramma went to do that the kids and Mandie got in line to meet Goofy.
After Goofy we saw Mulan but weren’t able to get in line for an autograph so we go a photo instead. Then we saw JoJo from JoJo’s Circus on Playhouse Disney. Again Bryan and Kari were very excited. After all the kiddie stuff we needed another round of Roller Coasters so Nick, Poppa, Sam and Pam headed off. Bryan, Kari and Mandie went to ride the Carousel again. On the way out for the day we saw one last character….. PLUTO! I love Pluto, as a little kid I used to ride my little Pluto scooter all over the yard. I was so happy to get his autograph and even get a photo with just him and me.
Well we were headed home early tonight so that we could get up bright and early to make it to the ToonTown Madness Ceremony.
Well until tomorrow…
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