School in a Suitcase

Our final day in Disneyland was a long one – we stayed to see the fireworks and “Fantasmic”.  I must say that Disneyland is one of the smoothest run operations I’ve ever experienced.  The management, crowd control, service, quality of rides and shows, cleanliness, and attention to detail are all quite impressive!  No wonder it is such a popular destination for families!  (No, I was not paid to write that).  The volume of people on a Saturday though was huge compared to during the week – if you go, pick the weekdays for better access to all the rides and experiences.

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In many ways, hanging out on a San Diego beach is just like being in Mexico!  The weather has been absolutely stunning – cool at night and sunny/hot during the days.  I could have easily just hung out at the beach for the whole past week, especially after all the work it took to get here and how tiring the theme parks are!  Imperial beach is a campy little beach town, where you can eat any clams you dig, and the beach is fringed with weathered surfer flops and Mexican eateries.  In one of my alternative lives, I would be a surfer chick with little surfer dude kids.

Théo and Dan made a visit to the USS Midway museum, a recently decommissioned aircraft carrier.  Théo may have had a defining moment – he thinks he might want to be a pilot when he grows up (just another of many indications that he is very much like my brother, who happens to be a pilot).

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We loved the dolphins at Sea World!  In particular, a one-year old dolphin was very playful, splashing people with his tail, then swimming around and popping his head out to watch the resulting commotion.  His favorite target seemed to be toddlers, who gave the best response with shrieks and howls (the kids really got drenched!).

The penguins and the Wild Arctic exhibition were also neat, as were the Blue Horizons Dolphin show and the Shamu show.  Dan liked petting the sting rays.  Theo liked the Shipwreck Rapids ride, although we were all subsequently soaked and shivering.

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Sand, sun, and water were just what our tired and Disney hung-over kids required.  It was a beautiful day, and the sand really is perfect.  Theo even found some running water, which is the most calming thing in the world for him – he can build dams and dig for hours.  To my relief, he could finally stop re-enacting his favorite ride – California Screamin (5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blast-off!) .  I was able to walk for 30 minutes along the beach, while Dan did some digging with the kids.  I even spotted an Orca!  And Vivi found a pet – a ladybug, which she made a home for in a shell.

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The forecast in L.A. is for 23 degrees celsius all week!  As soon as we arrived at the hotel, we changed into shorts, flip-flops, and sundresses, and went for a Mexican food lunch.  The rest of the afternoon was spent splashing in the outdoor pool.

Vivi was especially enchanted with all the flowers and wanted to collect them all.  She settled for photos and a few dandelions.

Our trip down went very well.  The U.S. customs and security guys were great – telling jokes, and getting Théo to wave his sister and me through security.  Théo was especially thrilled with the personal video on the seat-backs, but everything was so exciting for this 7-year old boy – the conveyor belts, the safety video, the plane, the shuttle, the hotel swipe card . . . and then especially the glimpse of a Disney roller coaster.

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