June 14

We were up and at 'em early this morning, and as I write this from our room, I can report that we spent roughly 14 hours at Disneyland today -- from when the gates opened til just after the fireworks show concluded. For me, that equates to just over 23,000 steps. So... phew. But it was good, good fun.

We started with the Matterhorn and wound up riding it twice in a row, because when there's no wait at the Matterhorn, you go more than once. (Brady wasn't especially amused by that attraction, but he recovered well.)

Then we did Autopia, Big Thunder Railroad, It's a Small World (and now I know you're humming that tune, sorry), that wretched canoe ride, the Storybook ride, the teacups, the Winnie the Pooh ride, Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters, Millennium Falcon, Splash Mountain (where both Brady and I were soaked to the skin while the others remained pretty darn dry), The Tiki Room, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Pinocchio, (Hyper)Space Mountain (that gets parentheses because I just can't accept the -hyper prefix), Star Tours twice (and the second time, we found out that Brady is actually a Rebel Spy! We were shocked when his picture was flashed on-screen. You think you know somebody and then bam, you find out he's a Rebel Spy. Go figure). And we probably did other things, too, but I'm a little fried so I'm sure something's escaping my memory. We actually did quite a lot, despite the healthy crowd (by numbers... I'm sure we're in a breeding ground for COVID because let me tell you, there is absolutely no social distancing at Disneyland right now). You can really get around when your kids are bigger!

We didn't see many characters, but importantly for Abby, when we headed over to Pooh Corner, the big honey-craving bear himself was there (along with Tigger), so she was able to show off her Disney Bound effort. (Pooh seemed impressed. And confused.) Or maybe I should say our effort; I'm not usually the wear-multiple-shades-of-pink type, but I engaged in some sister solidarity with my girl by bounding as Piglet.

We also put in extra effort with our faces for the rides with photo elements. I've felt especially motivated to deliver in that area ever since Abby birthed the Epic Space Mountain Terror Photo from our girls' trip to Orlando 10 years ago. I think we did reasonably well! Hopefully that trend continues as the week presses on.

Anyhow, tonight I will go to sleep feeling grateful for a very successful first day at the park. I'm thankful for minimal bickering, lovely weather, and quality time spent with my favorite people.