I am sure that is not a big suprise. I have tried every single day since my last post to get more pictures loaded and every time it looses the connection. It has become quite frustrating! So, yesterday we went to Best Buy and got a kick ass computer with a kick ass processor (i think ;-) and a kick ass printer/copier/scanner/fax and a kick ass package that includes them setting up everything in the computer and at my house for - are you ready? - wireless DSL! Yes . . . thats right . . . I have LEAPED into the 21st century and gotten rid of dial up. AND i don't have to set up ANYTHING myself which is GREAT because I dont know a modem from a hole in the ground!

This should all be fixed and ready to go by next weekend so that is when I should post next - because if I try it again I may end up smashing my computer :-D - yes I am a LITTLE frustrated. Thanks for hangin in though - I know you are all waiting DESPERATELY to find out whether or not we went on the Matterhorn and if my mother-in-law made it home alive :-)

SO - TIL NEXT WEEK! YAY DSL!

YAY! We have a job! Wednesday, Feb. 7th DH went to an informal interview with someone that he knew of in the business and a few hours later called me to say "How does $X a year sound?" I was so excited, it was just what he was making before with the promise of a substantial increase in 3 months, company truck, and managerial status! I asked if we had the option of Kaiser and he said he didn't know. We hung up and I was so happy and proud of him I was just exstatic. Then he calls back and says "We got Kaiser" - I almost cried. It sounds stupid, but ever since I gave up my Kaiser coverage and had to go HMO I have had NOTHING but trouble. I keep getting bills for stuff that should be paid, stuff that was paid, stuff that I can't and shouldn't have to pay - it's just so messed up. I never had a problem with Kaiser. Not with their service, billing, NOTHING. So, needless to say, that was the clencher for me :-)

So he says, lets go out and celebrate. We went to a little place around our area (couldn't go far...LOST was on in 2 hours ;-) We were talking about the job and his new hours and how things around here would be changing when I said "SO...uh...hear me out here..." and of course I got that look like "Oh GOD you're not pregnant are you?!" I said "what do you think about Disneyland?" It was something we had talked about doing in the future (before he got laid off) something we would do soon though because we all went this year, except M. We REALLY wanted to be the ones to take him and go as family. SO we talked it out and decided we could actually DO IT, THAT weekend! We even decided that we could afford to take his mom with us, all expenses paid, to help out with the baby! We got home and told her all about it, she was kinda "Okay..." - she's not the traveling type. So we didn't tell the kids because we hadn't made the reservations and I didn't want to get their hopes up. So their dad told them instead...jerk. When M got home on Friday we were already packed up and waiting for him. We told him we were going to Disneyland - today - and he about lost his MIND! He was soooooooo excited! So were we.

The EXTREMELY long drive down there wasn't too bad I guess. We had to drive seperately (THANK GOD) because we were taking his mom. We got REALLY REALLY lost when we got there and didn't get to the hotel until almost 2. The great thing was though that even with us in the room, Mad went right to bed, and so did we. Of course though, I woke up like every half hour "is it time yet?" "is it time yet?" - like a little kid :-) Mad woke up early too. Around 6 I hear "ma-MA" - "ma-MA!" so I said without moving "mama ni-night, mad ni-night" - to which she whispers back "Ni-night . . . all done" I laughed so hard I woke up DH so we figured we'd get a start on things.

So the first day we had the lovely continental breakfast at the hotel of bagels, donuts, muffins, and AWFUL coffee. Once my kids were done with the place at 7:30, their were NO donuts left. At first I felt bad for all the other little kids there, but then I though - get up before 9:00 then, it's every disneylander for themselves ;-)

We walked the "2.5" blocks to Disneyland the first day (which was actually more like 2 miles), we didn't do that again. After the inevitable problem with the tickets we finally got inside. We let M decide what ride to go on first and of course he chose Pirates of the Carribean. We all got on and Mad was TERRIFIED. She HATED it and cried, pissing off everyone else I can only assume. He loved it though. We got off and the kids were allready snacky so we sat at a table to figure where to go next and have a snack we brought. Then while sitting on DH's knee, Mad peed . . . everywhere. He picked her up after the warm sensation and looked at me with the sadest, most beatdown look. So I said 'OK, time for Mad's nap" So he took his mom and Mad back to the hotel so she could sleep and we could actually have some fun. I stayed with the kids and we had a GREAT TIME! We went on Tarzan'z Treehouse (formerly Swiss Family Robinson), then on the Jungle Cruise, then the Columbia sailing ship. Then we headed to the front to wait for DH to get back. We were hanging out on Main Street when we saw a familiar face ...

Then I let the kids play a little at the entrance and sat my tired ass on a bench ;-) DH got there with sandwiches and we left to find a place to eat. We went into Tomorrowland and passed the Star Tours ride. The wait was only 20 minutes and that is like nothin for this place so we ran on for DH's turn to pick. It was a lot of fun, neither of the guys had been on it so I kept looking for their reaction. M looked a little concerned part of the time but excited. When we got off he said he LOVED it. We ate and decided to go on the Autopia ride next. That was actually a really fun ride. R got to go on by herself and it was Me and B and DH and M behind us. I think B really though she was driving on this road! She could barely see over the wheel so I pushed the gas but she drove and LOVED IT! I don't know that I have ever seen her that excited! M too. After that we talked the kids into the Haunted Mansion for my pick! That was one of my FAVORITE rides when I was a kid and every time I have gone as an adult it has been made up like that stupid Nightmare Before Christmas movie. So this time it was old school with the rising room, statues that follow you, and the hitch hiking ghosts! I half expected R to hate, she had already told me she was going to, but she actually like it. Then we came around to Fantasy Land and when on the carousel for B and the Story Book Ride for R. After that we decided it was time to head back to the hotel for dinner. DH had cooked up a whole bag of chicken breasts before we left so we could eat at the hotel and save money. We all ate together and talked about what we had done and still wanted to do. We had thought about taking the kids back for fireworks because it was only 7:00 at that point, but they kept whining about their feet hurt and on and on so we said "OK! GOOD NIGHT!" And we went back without em!!!!! At this point, this picture pretty much summed up our feeling...

So we went back and were just going to hang out in Downtown Disney for some drinks, but it was still early and he had never been to California Adventure so we decided to try it out. We went it and it was like deserted! We walked down the Hollywood studios area and went on the Tower of Terror! It was the best ride I have been on! It was GREAT! What I love most about Disneyland is the attention to detail. Everything looks so real in this place, even as an adult. The Tower of Terror ride is made to look like an episode of the Twilight Zone about a hotel. This place looks just like a hotel even through where the lines goes supposedly inside the hotel where the service elevators are, it's just amazing to me. Probably sounds stupid though ;-P We walked around looking at everything, we stopped by these rapids and this rocky area where you could actually imagine you were up in the mountains and we could see the fireworks from disneyland. It was magical :-) THEN we decided it was time for a drink. We went back to our favorite little martini bar right in the middle of Downtown Disney.

The next day was the only day it rained. We got out of the hotel "early" or so we though, and went to Denny's so we could really fill up. Well, Mad didn't do so well. Started her screaming fits before any of us were done and the place was really starting to fill up. We walked back to the hotel (next door), in the rain, feeling kind of disheartened. It was already almost 10:00, we though we were getting out early, and she did NOT like the rain! Back at the hotel we decided it was almost time for her nap anyway so we would switch it up and take her for the latter part of the day. That felt like a weight lifted off of ALL of us. His mom has a tendency to really stress us out. Which makes us snappy, at each other, at the kids, at her. It SUCKS. We were already at that point before breakfast. When we left just us 5 it was so much easier. The sun even came out! It was totally dry by the time we parked the truck! We got into Cali Adventure and went on the Grizzly White Water Raft thing. B was too small so she and I stayed back and DH took R and M. We went around looking at the rocks and stuff and taking pictures, then we watched for them. They got off and were SOAKED! And they thought it was the best thing EVER! Then we went into this kid play area with bridges and rocks and ladders and a whole big thing to play on. Then we went back and went on Soaring Over California. WOW was that amazing! You sit in these seats that come off the ground and fly toward this 4 story tall screne. It looks like you are about to fly INTO the screne! Then they show different areas of Cali like Napa Valley and the mountains and the ocean and the beaches and it looks like you are about to fly into it! VERY REALISTIC. After that the kids talked me into taking them on the water ride AGAIN. So I did, and it was fun! Then we started walking around and found the Wine Tasting area ... halleluia (sp?). The kids asked what we were doing there and I said ... "well we just got done doing stuff for you, now it's OUR turn ;-)" They played and we sipped a little wine, recharging for the other half of the day. Then we went to Paradise Peir. So cool up there. We got lunch and then decided it was time to get M, oh and gramma ;-) So DH left and the kids and I decided to play around on the peir for awhile.

We went on a little Jelly Fish ride and then I let them play in this boat play area while I again, rested my ass on a bench ;-) After that we walked around the peir and went on the carousel. I decided they had been pretty good so I'd break down and get them whatever snack they wanted, mostly cause I wanted a Churro and a REAL coffee ;-) I got R a Mickey ice cream, M a cotton candy and B a churro. Before we even walked 30 feet from R's ice cream it fell on the ground and she looked like she was about to cry. I was just about to tell her I would buy her another $4.00(!) ice cream, a Disney employee walked by and said "if you just take that to the vendor, he'll give you a new one" - I thought that was really nice! We walked over and I was trying to think of what to say about the guy telling me to go over there when the vendor just said "Oh, here let me take that. Here's a new one" It was so nice! I started to realize that EVERYONE there was like that! EVERYONE we had come into contact with. So we took our snacks and my coffee and went to this little area right by the water where there were all these steps but no people, we were completely out of the way so the kids could run around and I could enjoy my coffee. They had fun so we waited there until DH and his mama got there with the baby.

Then we took the kids to "a bugs land" where everything is HUGE and is supposed to make you feel like a bug. At this point we decided to try the leash on Mad again. The first time we tried it, it SUCKED. She kept screaming and falling down and it looked like WE did it. So this time we put it on her and kind of let her lead the way. That worked like a CHARM! She LOVED being able to walk around! She was so happy and in such a good mood! She even smiled for the camera when we took her on her first ride that day.

Things seemed to go GREAT after that! We rode a couple more little kid rides there and then headed toward the exit. We stopped at a souvenier place and I let the kids each spend around $10 but that took like an HOUR! We finally got done and left for dinner at my Uncle Bob and Aunt Alicia's house. That was fun. I don't get to see them as much as I would like and they would have been pretty put out if we didn't make an appearence so we went...tired...dirty...whiney...and that was just me! They rest of em were just as bad. The long days with little sleep were starting to wear on us at that point and it was almost 8 when we GOT there. That is already an hour past Mad's bed time so we expected her to just dissolve at anytime. She did ok for awhile though. His mom was just nuts but that was expected too. She got the kids each a disposable camera too so they loved that. We left around 10 with some very tired kids. When we got back to the hotel we put the kids in bed and headed for the hot tub! It was so nice to just unwind! My aunt even packed us a goodie bag to take out there, wine, cheese & crackers, chocolate covered strawberries, even the plastic cups and napkins! Quite the smorgy! We so needed it too. His mom had really been stressing on him at that point and it was so nice to relax in the hot water. The pool was heated too and it was still like 60-something degrees outside so it was just heaven!

I think I'll have to make this a two parter because I have so many more pics I would love to share but this only lets me put up 5 at a time and takes 45 minutes, plus I just saw how long this was and I have a whole nother day left :-O So . . . til tomorrow (i hope)!