Speaking of Happy...

We went to the Happiest Place on Earth, and it did not disappoint.

There were mouse ears and teacups and princesses and the Matterhorn. Christmas lights and on-demand caroling, Mickey in a snowflake sweater, an It's a Small World holiday mash-up, and one teary-eyed mama as we walked down Main Street for the first time as parents.

It could not have been more magical.

Really. And I would not normally fancy myself a huge Disney fan. But, oh, the magic!

When you plan a trip to Disneyland with kids, the advice comes at you much the same as it does in those first few months as a first-time mom. Everyone has a plan, the plan to make the experience more magical, less stressful, more affordable and efficient. But what they don't tell you is that all that research and planning will be in one ear and out the other as soon as you walk through the gates with a five-year-old who is rushing to learn to read his first map and an almost-three-year-old who cannot get to the princess castle fast enough. And you wont care, because you'll be just as geeked. Literally, openly crying with a goofy grin on my face as we walked down Main Street.


A quick recap:
Nora adored the teacups. Asked for them again and again and again. And we conceded—this was one day when I was happy to let the kids run the show.

 

Porter surprised both Andy and I when the Matterhorn was deemed his very favorite. I was sure they'd wait in line only to turn around at the very last second, but he loved it and spent the rest of the day talking about it.

And while Andy took the boy on his first "big kid" ride, Nora and I headed for the princesses. We lucked out times two when, first, the line took just a few minutes longer than it took Porter and Andy to make it through the Matterhorn and, second, the princesses changed post just three minutes before we reached the front of the line, bringing in my girlie's very favorites: Ariel and Belle.

That's right. I ok'd an hour-plus wait for the princesses even though I initially swore I wouldn't. Disney will do that to you. And it was so sweet (complete with a lesson on blowing kisses from Belle) and surprisingly simple—just a girl and her imaginary BFFs brought to life.

Me thinks there is no better cure for heartache than granting a wish.

As fate would have it, we also lucked into a very manageable Mickey sighting just as the line started to form. So after only a  five-minute wait, Porter slowly inched forward with a shy smile and then suddenly gave Mickey a big hug after the initial high five icebreaker.

It was the perfect day.

I didn't realize I had switched the camera to black & white mode—very unfitting for one very colorful day.

Hearts were light. And though there was likely a bit more gratitude, given that on top of the fairy tale hoopla, we were also quietly noting how nice it was to smile and mean it, we felt like a normal family—our happy little family.

The only drawback? Now that Porter has seen how Disney does  Christmas, our single-strand lights along the roofline do not seem to measure up.

The boys are now on the hunt for, among other things, a big plastic rooftop Santa...