The Pinay Nanay: July 2013

The past few weeks have been fun. Zoo trips, water balloon fights, PLENTY of pool time, excursions to the beach, our days are full of fun, it's like a dream summer so far. I'm finally getting to spend more time with girlfriends and some "me" time since Mr. Fliz isn't studying. I'm thankful for all of this. It's been great. I'm doing my best to stay current with writing, but you'll find me playing with the kids or taking them somewhere new to explore with friends. We've got a big family trip that includes extended family up to Tahoe for a weekend full of water sports, picnicking, bbqs, and late nights full of sweet treats. We've still got an itch to go camping but just being a bit lazy about acquiring all the necessary items (hello! where's our tent honey?). Our Hawaii trip in October is almost finalized.

Below are some pictures of recent adventures:

A tiger and lion roaming free

Sometimes, a fast food picnic is what is needed

Cousins and friends off for a swim

Managing Disneyland wasn't as anxiety-ridden as I expected. Micro and Micron handled themselves pretty well, considering the heat, lines, and over-stimulation. Our venture into California Adventure was well worth the park hopper passes. If you decide to do DL for more than one day, get park-hopper passes (they offer 2-5 day hopper passes). You get more value out of the DL experience.
We decided to save California Adventure for our second day. Consider it perfect timing or being in the right place at the right time, but we only waited 30 minutes for the much coveted Radio Springs Racers ride in CARS Land. Though a sign posted well past the entrance to the ride said it didn't open til 11 a.m., and we were there at 10:15 am., they lined us up and we moved quickly. One of my favorite rides in CAA (next to Toy Story Mania).

As with any amusement park, there are height restrictions and both DL and CAA were very good about posting if rides are not good for people with a fear of heights, motion-sickness, etc. This helped my mom a lot since she has motion-sickness issues. You can expect most rides will have that warning. Micro was hesitant to try out some rides, after much cajoling, he would go on the ride reluctantly, but come out pleasantly surprised at having enjoyed it. Now, there are definite rides that may seem harmless to our adult egos, but for little ones, can be terrifying and traumatizing. You know your children and what they can and can't handle. Don't be afraid to give them a little "push" to try new experiences and extra nurturing and praise if they do a ride that afterwards they didn't enjoy as much as you thought they would. As parents we need to guide our little ones and not be afraid to push the boundaries sometimes. I bought these glow sticks for my kids to use on rides that are dark, so as to give them a sense of security. You can opt to use small flashlights if those are easier. It kept them entertained and did aid in allaying their fears of the unknown when riding rides such as Mr. Toad's, Astro Blasters, etc.

Because Micron is still too young to truly appreciate much of this family trip (in my opinion, at least), there were plenty of shows and small rides that she was able to do. Micron is the more fearless child, and I did indulge her ride requests. When my mom took her away to distract her from the fact that Daddy, Mama, and Kuya were in line to do something exciting, she was game. There are enough attractions to keep the smallest of Disney's visitors entertained. I made sure to have plenty of snacks and water on hand. It helps with long lines and keeping the little ones patient. CAA seems smaller than DL and more manageable to do in one day if you have children 4 years old and under. There are more rides they can do and walking the entire park isn't as exhausting as DL. Mind you, we had two cheap umbrella strollers with us that were used frequently.

The thrill and lure of Disney can be unparalleled to little ones. Make good sound judgements. If you see your child getting fussy because you want to wait out the line for a ride, try and attend to their needs immediately. It's easier to go back to the ride later when your child is happier. I knew I wouldn't get to ride all the rides I wanted to (Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, etc.) due to lengthy wait times and inopportune moments. I'd rather my kids take a nap for even an hour in the stroller or longer at the hotel, than try and force them to "seize every moment." Frequent breaks makes everyone happier at the Happiest Place on Earth. I saw tons of parents dragging sleeping children on rides late into the night. I'm sure you want to make the most of your trip, but it's also important to enjoy it, and not make it feel like a "chore" to ride specific rides.

The World of Color at CAA is really amazing. Do reserve some time to watch it and there are fast passes available. After the first day of DL, you know how to better manage time and expectations for tackling the rest of your trip. Discuss with your kids what they enjoyed and didn't. It's always more important to savor the little moments (secret smiles and fits of giggles) when your kids experience joy because they caught a glimpse of Lightning McQueen live or loved every minute of Toy Story Mania.

Don't get me wrong, I, too, had to often check myself and remember that it's not too bad to wait for coffee if you're at DL. Expect waiting for things. You may not be able to always maintain "eating healthy", though the parks do offer healthy fair. Enjoy and go along for the ride. That's part of the amusement park experience.