Today was absolutely incredible!  We were contaminated until about one so I used the morning to catch up on laundry while the kids vegged out on Papa’s Disney movies.  An entire month without television and after the first movie, three of the four were done.  Bek and Nate went back to the toy tub while Drew tackled a puzzle. 

I felt like Cinderella waiting for the clock to strike twelve.  The appointed time finally came making us officially “clean” and ready to visit.  Grandma Toni called and invited us to my favorite burger joint of all time.  Moving across the country was difficult in a number of ways but I was surprised how much I missed our regular eating establishments.  It has become a fun tradition to squeeze as many of them into our California visits, without upsetting little tummies and budgets!

As I sat in five lanes of traffic going nowhere fast, I had time to reflect.  During introductions, the first question always is why we moved from California to West Virginia.  The next is usually when we are going back.  In Chad’s mind, we aren’t ever returning.  California is too crowded, too busy, too expensive.  I always have to hesitate on that last question.  There are lots of things I really miss about California.  Even as Drew was intimidated by all the cars, “I’m glad you seem to know where we are going, Mommy, because I don’t think I would want to be your navigator here!” I was feeling quite comfortable with the familiar. As we sat there I began mulling the thought of returning to California.

A friend once said that it takes three years to really settle into a new area.  At the time, I thought that was a really long time but since we just celebrated our 3^rd anniversary as East Coast citizens I think her assessment isn’t far from the mark.  During last year’s visit, I would have given anything to move back “home”.  Even with all the craziness and stress of the trip itself, I felt like I left a piece of my heart back in California when it was time to fly back to Chad.  This year is different.  When we loaded up the car to start the trip, I felt like I was leaving a piece of my heart there.  We have made lifelong friends, found our niche at an incredible church, and have finally found our rhythm.  This year, I am calling friends back home to hear about first days of school, baby check ups, and lama farms.  As much as I would love to be back near family, I think I have finally come to the place where I would choose to remain where God has put me.  I would have to agree with Drew though.  It would be really cool if He dropped a summer beach house into our future!

We finally arrived at our off ramp and the car wasn’t off before the kids were scrambling over each other to get out.  I laughed outloud at the noisy parking lot reunion.  Scotty's is just a hole in the wall place whose lunch rush caters to blue collar workers and we were about to upset the balance.  After a very loud parking lot reunion, we moved inside and took up two of their eight booths.  It was delightful to watch the kids argue over rights on sitting next to my sister.  Grandma and Papa got caught up on Nate’s signs while Drew attempted to cram the details of our entire trip between mouthfuls of grilled cheese.  It was wonderful to be sitting smushed together with family.

After lunch we returned to Grandma Toni’s house for a short visit.  They had just returned from vacation so we got to look over photos, see Holly’s new teenage room, and visit while the kids jumped on the trampoline.  There is something magical about a grandparent’s house that keeps little people entertained.  With an entire new stock of goodies to explore, I got to curl up on the couch and visit without the typical referring.  Time flew and it was time for us to leave.  Holly came with us and we headed back to Huntington Beach to hook up with Papa Chuck.

The kids were beside themselves.  It was finally time for Downtown Disney.  Armed with pin lanyards and spending money, we unloaded in record time.  Our first stop, not surprisingly, was the pin trading station.  The boys were in pin heaven.  Disney employees wearing a lanyard are required to trade with you.  They have to accept any one-to-one offer, even if you offer them your tiniest pin for their largest.  Kaleb loves employee trades.  Drew, on the other hand, likes the challenge of private traders.  His face lit up like a Christmas tree when he spotted a man standing at the tables with a bulging pin bag.  It turned out the gentleman was married to Disney’s pin manager and was not about to be taken for a dummy.  Drew spent most of our hour there drueling over his goods and trying to negotiate himself a deal. 

One of the appeals of Disney characters is everyone can relate to at least one of them.  Everyone in our family has a character that reflects their personality.  Chad is Pooh Bear, I am Tigger, Drew is Buzz Lightyear, and Kaleb is Stitch.  Though the world abounds with little princesses, my little firecracker is definitely a Tinkerbell kind of kid.  The jury is still out on Nate.

All of the kids have pins to trade, including the little ones.  The thinking behind this is that someday, they too will be big, and it is much cheaper to eBay in bulk.  Bekah has the “anything you can do, I can do better” mentality so she is right there with her little pink pin book.  Being the ripe old age of four, she is still learning how it all works.  We have finally grasped that if you want a pin from an employee, you have to give them one first.  It is not a shopping spree!  Now we are in the process of trying to decide what we want to collect.  One minute she will trade for a Tink pin and in the blink of an eye, Tink has been hawked for Eeyore.  This is purely for the enjoyment of the children so they are allowed to trade as they wish, with a few exceptions.  Those “untradables” actually have special locking backs that won’t come off without the key.  Some parent apparently got frustrated with their kid trading a $15 pin for a $4 and got thinking!  An hour later, our group emerged triumphant from the pin booth. 

The next order of business was taking Bek to her girl store.  Last year we discovered the frilliest, pinkest, girliest store on Disneywalk.  An entire store dedicated to floof.  Lots of pink, frilly floof.  I’m not sure who’s reaction is funnier, Kaleb’s repulsion or Bekah’s glee when Libby Lu’s is mentioned.  Bek was promised  a princess makeover and it was time for Mom to make good.  The boys waited outside the contamination area with Papa while Bek transformed into a beautiful princess.  Transform indeed.  The little tiger who had just been chasing her brothers turned into a little lady when asked what color glitter she wanted sprinkled on her nails.  "Pink, darling."  She couldn’t pry her eyes off her reflection in the pink, heart shaped mirror as her hair was twirled and curled.  When asked if she would like to wear her pink bracelet now, my drama princess replied, “I think I simply must.”  20 minutes later, the transformation was complete.  My prissy princess pranced out of the store feeling like a million dollars.  Drew’s reaction when she emerged sums it up best, “What happened to you?!?!”

Our drama princess was estatic to find a bench full of cousins waiting for her.  Chad’s brother and family had met up with us for dinner.  It was the first time in a year that everyone has been together and it was another loud reunion.  Thankfully, Disneywalk is boistrious so we didn’t earn any undo attention as the kids screamed their hellos and chased each other.  The joy was a little onesided.  I had to stiffle my laugh as Bek glided up to her favorite little cousin and batted her eyes.  Being a typical three-year-old little boy, he crinkled his nose at her girliness and walked away.  Not about to be put off, Bek cornered him and was again rejected.  He could care less about her cute curls and glamourous shoes.  In the blink of an eye, the dalring little princess had her hands on her hips and fire in her eyes.  "Listen up, buddy.  I am pretty and you are going to play with me now.  Tag, your it.  Now run."  Bek spent the rest of the evening primping and batting those eyes at anyone who would look in her direction.  The drama princess was definately in her element!