Not your typical Thanksgiving

This thanksgiving we broke with tradition and surprised the chicklets with a trip to Disneyland.  The morning we left I gave them an envelope with individual letters inside. They pieced those letters together like a puzzle to spell out the word D I S N E Y L A N D. There were screams and tears of joy and jumping and clapping and hoots and more screaming and even some ears being covered and one dazed and confused little 4-year-old face. Disneyland was a new experience for our family so the excitement was electric yet we didn’t really know what to expect.

Disneyland and California Adventure did not disappoint! There were rides that made us scream, adventures that made us laugh, experiences that turned our stomachs and sights, sounds, parades, shows & characters that delighted us. Some people might say three days is not enough but Bill and I thought three days was plenty (although the kids would not have been opposed to moving into the Hollywood Tower Hotel (of terror) or in with Snow White and those seven sweet little dwarfs for a few weeks). We may not have got to do, see and experience everything but we had our fill of fun and excitement.

Indeed it was a holiday to remember and a whole ton of fun but it was not the most relaxing weekend trip.  Our feet ached and our shoes stank, the line ups could be long and keeping 5 kids entertained and accounted for amongst the crowds was a bit daunting. I was constantly counting off 1,2,3,4,5 and scanning the crowd for the tall man in the white hat. I am happy to report we all made it home and our kids did amazing! They got along, had good attitudes and looked out for one another.

So, I have to say that our untraditional Thanksgiving was a hit and sometimes it’s fun to break with tradition and do things a little differently.  I am thankful we did.