Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Our IrishRican girl, aka the cutest leprechaun ever, got in to the St. Paddy's spirit and hammed it up for the camera. After all, how many kids have a holiday named after their father?

How bad did we want to get out of Dodge?

We are tired, really tired, even though we had a blast the past two days. There's something about waiting so long for SS, then waiting even longer for what we were able to give her for her birthday.  It feels pretty darn good to indulge her every now and then,  But our bodies took a beating and sent us a clear message, "You two have NO business having an eight year old.  By you I mean me, but P says he is feeling as beat up as I am.  Uh, no Mr., you are a decade younger, so you do not get to complain about aging.  Nope, no way, this is my turn to bitch about my body falling apart.

That being said, P was done as soon as we exited the Cars ride. He was on a mission to get home ASAP. When we arrived at the garage we noticed that it was going to be a wait for the elevator.  P did not take time to think.  He was done and waiting was not an option and surprised me by deciding to take the Hummer on the escalator.  Oh yeah, he was totally done and could not wait to come home to rest his tired bones.

Where is SS? She is sitting between us, really.

Radiator Springs Racers, last ride of the day.

P got a Fast Pass at ten in the morning and our ride time was between 6:25 to 7:25. We understand why it's such a popular ride. We wanted to buy the souvenir picture, but SS was covered by the eyes on the windshield. Next time we are going to ride in the back seat.

SS's experiences with Knott's collided with the mess that is Disney. The girl is not used to waiting in line for hours for a ride. Heck, I don't think SS has ever waited half an hour at Knott's. And she has always had a picture with Snoopy and other characters.

When the ride ended SS said, "I want to go again." Yikes, she didn't understand the fast pass concept. We had to explain that it was a one time only thing. We also showed her how many people were waiting for over an hour.

SS, we hope you enjoyed your birthday gift.

Forget Mickey, SS met Captain America!

And she got a super hero birthday hug.

Mouse ears have evolved since our last visit.

SS wanted Captain America ears but they were not available. SS did not leave empty handed, she now has Iron Man personalized mouse ears.

A productive day so far.

Our day started with P figuring out our huge stroller fits in the handicapped space in the tram. Yesterday we walked from the parking garage. It was not a fun walk.

Two more pins and I didn't want to ruin a second outfit ruined, so SS's hat came in handy. Yesterday and today's outfits, shoes included are part of the Abus' gift.

These guys were walking by and saw SS's birthday pin. They invited her to be their first picture.

A dainty little girl moment, not many of those.

Our first ride was the Monsters Inc. per SS's request.

Next we headed to Turtle Talk with Crush who must have gone through quite a bit of Humboldt's finest before the show. Dude was in totally tubular mode cha.

SS was first in line to say hi to Sully. 

 

SS enjoyed the maximum allotted time in Olaf's Snow Fest. A nice reprieve from the heat.

Gifts and good night.

We really tired SS yesterday. We returned to the hotel after Fantasmic to open Her birthday presents. P and I have tried to limit what we gift SS since she came home. And every time we are left with just good intentions. SS is a lovely child but as for all practical purposes raised so far as an only child, she can be rather entitled.

We are proud that for the first time we kept it simple. OK we don't count the two days at the park. SS loves her gifts, especially Grandpa's, who gives the best gifts. Sula can't wait to get home to assemble her Bionicle set.

Usually SS would open her toys immediately, but she must have been more tired than we thought.  She got ready for bed and was out right away.

Batman PJs and fleece blanket, Avenger pillow and Dog, and off to dreamland SS went. Tomorrow she will visit California Adventure for the first time.

We do have a Disney guilty pleasure.

Fantasmic, even after a twenty-three year run redeems this over priced, over rated park. JJ was in elementary school when we first saw Fantasmic.

P and I last saw it ten years ago, during the park's 50th anniversary celebration. That is when we bought SS her first mouse ears, with her name embroided. Our baby was born two years after that purchase. The ears color is gold and she still has them. At the time we could not wait to bring SS home and introduce her to Fantasmic.

We even bought a CD of the soundtrack along with the soundtrack for the now defunct Main Street Electrical Parade. It took us a while but we made it. On our own dime and at our own pace.

It was truly magical watching SS take it all in, a smile on her face and completely oblivious to the world around her. It was one of those silly parent moments that fill our hearts with joy. Gee, it's not like we created the damn show.

I have done Disney with a six week old and now with an eight year old. The latter is more enjoyable. SS will remember today for years to come. She can get on almost every ride if she is interested. SS walked by the long line to take a picture with Mickey and kept on walking. But she did enjoy It's a Small World and Fantasmic. Disney you redeemed yourself at least for today.

SS received a nice dinner souvenir.

She's a big girl but still needs her Dog.

How cute is our girl? Love how she keeps him on her neck.

SS's dinner included the Pope.

We dined at Buca di Beppo, where the $5 children's menu Fettuccine Alfredo is enough to feed a hungry adult. The ad on our placemats recommended The Pope Room to celebrate first communion, while ingesting massive amounts of pasta. Just like any good Roman Catholic would do.

I really thought it was a joke and I was wrong. OMG the room is real, and well, mere words do not do it justice. The bust in the middle of the lazy Susan was the perfect touch that elevated the room to first class. SS was incredibly relieved that she will never receive communion. Who knew being heathens would raise our stock with our daughter?

P corrected my previous claim of $800 for two days. They recently raised the prices, so our two days would have set us back $1000. How is that feasible for the average family of four? We can only hope SS moves on to another obsession by her next birthday. Until then she better make good use of her pass.

But now she's all about super heroes.

Darn Disney for buying the rights to Star Wars and Marvel. It's why we broke down and decided this year we had to bring her to the most expensive and crowded place on earth.

We just are not Disney people and the admission price is just outrageous. A two day stay (hotel and meals not included) would set us back $800. All that for the pleasure of standing in line for hours and get on a few rides a day.

P decided it was best to get season passes and spread our visits over the year. That, and he can't deny SS's love of pirates, Star Wars and Marvel. So far all four of us are underwhelmed by the park. Maybe we are too old.

We spent about an hour at the hotel, we are going to dinner and back to the park.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

This ride brought back memories of a toddler SS obsessed with Buzz.

Happy Birthday SS!

Eight years ago you were born a world away from us. A few days after a decision was made on your behalf that forever changed yours and our lives.

It has been an amazing experience watching you grow into a super hero, Star Wars, pirate loving girl. Your quirkiness makes us laugh, and your resilience makes us proud to be your parents. We hope you enjoy your two day birthday stay at the happiest place on earth.