It wasn't the best of starts for the trip to Disneyland. Roger and Tracey wanted the trip to be a surprise, but it was difficult to decide on when exactly they were going to tell the kids. On the day of departure, they sat the kids down on the couch and gave them the surprising news. Unfortunately, Malcolm didn't react the way they expected, he cried and cried exclaiming that Disneyland was no fun and that the PNE was much more fun. Melody on the other hand seemed truly excited, she asked whether she'd get a chance to see the princesses and meet Minnie Mouse. So suffice to say, the beginning of the trip was met with some drama and tears. I think as parents, it's questionable to feel whether it's worth it. With tantrums, mood swings, and less than exemplary behaviour all they really wanted is to share in an adventure with them.
I think all in all, the kids had a great time, but something that has reared its ugly head is the delayed onset of the terrible twos. Melody has had pretty much a tantrum a day all related to either her independence and or her resistance to do something. It can be something as simple as having a bath, putting on a jacket, changing her diaper or in the case of Disneyland, getting off the ride all by herself or not getting that special toy. Perhaps the high temperatures and fatigue were a factor, but Roger and Tracey have dealt with some very unreasonable behaviour over the past few days. Let's just hope that she outgrows it soon.
Despite all that, they do have to reflect on the good, that is, the kids did really enjoy themselves. Disneyland must be a pretty magical place in their eyes. A place where characters come to life and where fairy tales do come true. Pictures like this one below of Malcolm do make things worthwhile. This was Malcolm's first ride on Thunder Mountain, a less than tame roller coaster. As you can see from the expression on his face he was having a great time. The picture made it worthwhile for Roger to carry that beast of a lens (Nikkor 70-200VRII) around.
Here's Malcolm's second ride on the roller coaster the very next day. The look on his face is priceless.
The family also enjoyed a character lunch at Goofy's Kitchen, where they saw a total of 8 characters for a meet and greet. Here's a shot with Pluto.
No trip to Disneyland would be complete without a visit with the princesses. They managed to catch Belle one morning and snap a picture with her.
Roger was happy to spend some(albeit short) time with some family down south. Although he just saw cousin Connie, he hasn't seen the rest of the family in a long time, over 15 years to be exact.
Here's a shot with Tracey and the kids as well.
Here's a shot of David and me. Compared with the shot of David and me shot in 1999. Wow, things sure do change.
Their last day at Disneyland with the castle in the background.
This is one of Roger's favorite images from Disneyland. It captures the magic and excitement that is Disneyland. It was taken during Mickey's Fantasmic show, marking the last day of the family vacation. Very poignant that the blue moon was also captured, adding to the metaphor of a trip to Disneyland.
Malcolm's school had a carnival on Friday to help raise funds for the playground. A few rides, some games and cotton candy for the kids to enjoy. I'm not sure how much money was raised, but from the line-ups all the events and attractions seemed to be pretty busy. Malcolm had fun with his classmate Filip, going on rides together and sharing some treats. It's too bad Malcolm couldn't exhibit the same enthusiasm for school. Last week there were a couple of crying episodes in the morning. He just can't seem to get used to being left for school, he wants Mom and Dad to stay with him. Somehow he's regressed, cause for the most part he never acted like that in Kindergarten. The strangest thing is that he's so exuberant and happy at the end of the day and always makes a point about how much fun he had. It's maddening. Here are some pictures from the carnival.
