Day two down!

Day two started out with a trip Disneyland (for Dad's coffee) on the way to California Adventures to dine with the Princesses. In our quick 5 minutes in Disneyland we saw the evil Queen from Snow White. Cobby spotted her and said "Who is that one?" And right then I saw someone walk up to her with their autograph book to have her sign it. I gave Carli her book and told her the queen is mean and won't stop, but if you follow her, you may get an autograph too. And we were off...like two girls in chase of an evil queen. It was actually quite funny when Carli told her Thank You, the Queen with her pursed lips growled "your welcome". She didn't stop moving at all. She was on a mission to poison more apples....we were sure of it. So, back to Ariel's Grotto we went. We had dinner there a little over a year ago and the food was so so. But Carli LOOOOOVED the girls, so It thought why not? Just like the reservations at Goofy's, there was a note requesting that I get to speak with the chef. She came out and was a lovely girl. Explained to me the 'tower' that comes out (which I had already seen on other tables) and pastries on the bottom, cheeses on the middle and fruit on the top. If I wanted more fruit, let her know. Then she told me the breakfast was served family style, in one plate. And they put cheese on the potatoes, but they will hold the cheese on ours. The rest should be fine, even the turkey sausages. The plate of food was pretty big, for a family of 4. Carli had some of the pastries (who could blame her?) and a little bit of scrambled eggs and some sausage (which was spicy so I was totally surprised she ate almost the whole thing) and was done. The food was absolutely great. Cobby votes for good, but HELLLOOO all that protein, first thing in the morning...and those potatoes with the slightly well done skin?!?!? GREAT!!! So great as a matter of fact that I kept eating. Until I knew it was past too late. I did it anyway. For my gut to feel so nicely full first thing in the morning, knowing it would be hours before we remembered to eat again because by the time we were hungry it would take LONGER to settle upon a reasonable place (table service with beer for dad, grilled cheese for Carli and totally high maintenance for me) then get to it, wait in line for a table, and so on. But Carli loved the girls...again! To see her eyes light up each time she saw the princesses was just my idea of fun. She clenches all of her muscles so tight, her arms at a 90 degree angle and this sweet (if it only happens once or twice), little, high pitched noise comes out of her mouth (I swear to you that child is just like her mother). I apparently forgot my camera cord...so you'll just to wait on pics. Sorry.

While in California Adventures we got to see the Disney Playhouse Live show. That was awesome. With Carli's age, I thought she was a little borderline for some of this stuff, but she totally digs it. Which makes me totally think it was worth it. I do however, underestimate the power of a stroller. I used to regret taking one because it is so easy to shove all that stuff in the little basket underneath, but sometimes I wish I shove my little 7 year ...well, nevermind that.

For lunch we ate at the Golden Vine Winery - Trattoria. Carli had started to be winey (haha) and said she was tired. So we went to have lunch. The wait for a table was 30-45 mins. Cobby said it was fine (he is the line hater so if he is good...I am good). So we got our pager and walked into the little building where the imagineers show off what they are imagineering. Spring of 2010 will be this fabulous light and water show. With water squirting in the air to music (yep, think Vegas) and pictures of every Disney whateveryoucallit. I'm sure it will be fabulous, anything they imagineer is really. Then we waited for our table. Lucky for us they had lovely park benches to chill on. It was a lovely day, the sun was out, and fabulous. It was still a little chilly, so jackets stayed on, but the blue skies were marvelous. I knew I missed that, but I guess I didn't realize how much. At lunch Carli announced she was tired and ready to go back to the hotel, she was tired and wanted to watch TV (I swear that child is just like her daddy, in every way). A few minutes later she declared she "Doesn't want to come here for her next birthday!", like it was something that was an option....HA! Anyway, because we are the kind of parents we are, we said too bad. We can watch TV at home. Buck up. After we all ate (including myself who ate a lovely sandwich turned salad) we began to walk around some more, only this time we were followed by a mean faced kid, who would not hold hands (I'm pretty sure she wanted new parents anyway...you know the kind that say they will let you watch TV all day, then when you get home turn you into Carlirella, yep, those ones). Anyway, when we walked past Triton's Carousel she clearly wanted to ride on that, we made her turn off the attitude..and it worked. I wonder if Disney imagineers imagineered the true magic of large fish and small mammals going around in circles, when they were creating it. Anyway, that bought us more time. We got to ride Monsters Inc (it was closed last year), and although it was a little scary (she doesn't like darkness), she decided she would ride it again...next time she came. Then I wanted to see this interactive Crush thing. AWWWEEEESSSSOOOOMMMMMEEEE, Duuuuuuuuude! I think we are done with CA Adventures. None of us care to wait in line for 40 plus minutes for anything. It can't be that good. :) On the way out Carli spotted Mulan, who was in no hurry and totally stopped in the streets to autograph and photograph with Carli.

Back to Disneyland. One quick stop at Pixie Hollow - Oooh, shoot they just closed. The Pixie's do have to get back to Neverland afterall. We'll have to come back tomorrow. So we thought we would try Pirates, we hadn't even been to Frontierland or Adventureland (well Adventureland long enough to get a FastPass for Indy, but our midgy is too midgy - sorry bour your luck). So we go to Pirates, the wait time "from this point is 45 mins", but the line doesn't start there - nope is does not. So Carli announces she is tired. We thank her for the heads up and off we go. We did pass the jungle cruise on the way out, and since the line was short decided to see what sort of momma juice they serve on such cruises. Hmmm, no juice. But the look on Carli's face when we passed the African Elephants and she looked at me and asked "Momma, are they real?" It was everything I could do not to laugh as I shook my head. But I'll tell you what, when the tour guide yells "DUCK!"...my kid totally DOES...and she is the best at it too (and I am laughing right now as I write this - quietly though, the natives are still sleeping!). She informed us it was fun, but she was "a little scared on that ride, I thought those animals were real!". I don't think she thought much of the headhunters either. But as we walked out, we got to see Jasmine and Aladdin - all princesses accounted for HOOORRRRAAY!

Then we left the park, trying to decide what to have outside the park for dinner. I knew that was a joke. We were better off in the park. It was valentines day after all. Turns out, after driving around for 2 hours (or whatever...it seemed like 2 hours) we ended back at the hotel with Cobby ordering Pizza for those 2, and I ate my fallback salmon and potatoes thingy, which wasn't great. Whatcha gonna do? In our travels we did stop at the liquor store though. And Daddy took care of the momma's needs. Momma's needs are more expensive in CA though. But...he is my Valentine!

Today my goal is Pirates and I was hoping for the haunted castle, but that was shot down quickly. It is dark in there. Even though I tried to convince her with the whole "but it is pretend...and I LOVE it when the ghost sits in our car", it's a no go. Now, if only the natives would wake up so we could go to one of the Disneyland Hotels to have some GF pancakes I've read so much about.

I know this was a long one, sorry, I needed the therapy. And now Carli does too. She just woke up and said she had a dream. Get this Katie....that "Bob put on lipstick!" I'm not sure why she is dreaming of him...much less with beauty products. But there you have it.