Monday July 4th

Departure time was 4AM with some uncertainty about whether our plane would actually take off on time or at all considering all the disarray with the airlines these days.  

Smooth sailing though and we arrived by 11ish at the Courtyard By Marriot Disneyland hotel at just the same time that our Vancouver clan arrived.  We settled in and had lunch at Panera and then they all took off for day 1 of Disneyland.  Our 2 days begin tomorrow.  We promptly went back to our room and slept.  

Tonight's the night that Alex and Chris make their light sabers - a colossal experience for them.  Since they can only have 2 observers, Sonya and Nicole went with them; we stayed with Hazel and Thea, had dinner and then watched the fireworks from our room though Thea Rose was asleep through the whole shabang. And what a shaBANG it was.  

We weren't there but I gather it was a challenging day for the littles.  Not enough sleep at all and all the overwhelmingness of it.  And in today's version of Disneyland it is overwhelming.  The crowds are enormous, the heat something to contend with, the wait times, the complicated app navigation and such.  There's a learning curve.  

Tuesday July 5th

Natalie and Bea's birthday.  Our mothers.  

This was one of the two days we were signed up to go.  Sonya and family are signed up for 3; Chris and family for 5.  

And therein lies the rub.  Chris, especially Chris, Nicole and Natalie and Connor are Disney aficionados.  This is their 5th trip including some to Orlando DisneyWorld.  They have the passion and the love and the stamina to go go go and their way of traveling is to be super organized and have the day planned out, experiencing and savoring every moment with the attitude of "we paid alot of money for this; we are going to squeeze every drop out."  And they did.  

We, (Craig and me) never travel that way. We're much more about softening the focus, taking the slower less traveled path.  Long ago we gave up the whirlwind style of travel.  Given that rides are not really our thing, Disney itself was not a priority.  Being with the family, enjoying summertime, getting a break from home activities, all that was included in our expectations.  

On the Piper-Ohge side of the equation, Alex #1 completely loved the immersive experiences, he and Sonya like the more adventurous rides, and Alex especially loved the Star Wars world with his imaginative, creative, artistic fantasy persona.  

Hazel is not a big ride person and found herself experience some anxiety when the pressure to go on some of the bigger rides mounted.  Thea was busy eating cotton candy and looking for Elsa!  

Some confusion arose as to where and when we were supposed to meet for dinner.  It's quite challenging to wrangle little ones and meet their needs for bathrooms, rest, food and the bombardment of choices.  And with such a vast variety of interests and needs, difficult to accommodate.  

We ended up having dinner with the girls while Alex and Sonya were on some ride with the rest of the gang I think.  We missed the arranged dinner time at a BBQ place with Chris and Nicole.  And then missed the meeting time for the most delicious Dole ice cream whip.  

Sonya and Alex hadn't eaten yet so they went off to find food and we walked (Craig carried Thea) back to the hotel to our cozy retreat.  

Oh I believe we spent some glorious hours in the swim/water feature area of the hotel.  That was a big highlight.  I think the girls would have been entirely happy to spend their time there.  Big tubes, enclosed and open to slide down and splash areas galore.  Thea surprised us all by venturing out and up and through over and over again, by herself, racing Hazel, etc.  They even got us to go down them!! 

The days end late.  We did see the daily fireworks show over the water from our dinner place @ Disney.  Wednesday, July 6th

Our last day at Disney and Sonya and Alex' as well.  We seem to have reached a more manageable pace of the day, everyone making an effort to make group decisions, Hazel opting for a more sophisticated ride; I think we all found our rhythm.  And with Chris' experience, we learned how to navigate and reserve rides so that the lines were not as abysmally long.  I think Chris and Nicole reached back in their memory to times when they had young ones with them and how the pace and the activities must be adjusted. 

I had some remorse remembering the time way back when cC and I were in Boston with my parents, enjoying a window of time where we connected energetically so well.  My brother and Kathy came into the city with their littles who could not keep up.  They opted for the Zoo; we stayed with my parents.  Retrospectively I feel we should have accommodated their situation and all stayed together.  My brother and I had it out and reconciled after a Fenway Park baseball game and a walk through a Civil War cemetery.  

Back to the present.  Upon our return to the hotel for the hot park of the afternoon, Natalied opted to join in the swimming fun.  The girls were delighted, especially Hazel because for the last year, since Suncadia at this time last year,) Natalie has basically ignored Hazel.  This has been the modus operandi for all our family encounters, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and now.  It's disturbing and so sad.  My reference is that when family gets together and cousins are together, they hook up and rely on past experiences to find ways to connect.  I know Hazel looks up to Natalie and there are so many ways to my way of thinking that they could enjoy time together.  But it is not up to me to wrangle this situation to my liking.  

At the pool, Natalie did make a comment that it was fun to do the things she used to do when she was younger.  Perhaps the awkwardness of adolescence makes her feel like it is 'beneath her' to hang with a younger kid.  As the youngest herself in her family she doesn't have that reference.  Hazel on the other hand because of her life experiences is the older one and has a whole collective of kids in the neighborhood where she is the oldest and she is the oldest with Alex' side of the family.  

Natalie feels detached from us as well.  This too will pass?  

The day at Disney was much better as well.  We were able to rotate around and get lots of needs met.  Fun was had by all.  I particularly loved the ride that took us up and over the world.  We went on that twice.  Everyone loved it.  

Evening was lovely-er.  Less crowded and much much cooler.  

Thursday, July 7th

We took off today to go to Laguna Beach.  Alex rented a mini van and we piled in.  Chris and Nicole and family had another Disney day.  The beach sustained me.  Ancient echoes of summers spent on Rockaway.  Again Thea charmed us with her abundance of joy at playing in the waves for hours.  

Then we headed up the Coast to Newport and surroundings and had a wonderful lunch (for another couple hundred) including fresh oysters.  

Long Beach next for our long awaited reunion with Olive and her boyfriend, Tyler.  My heart is happy.  We both had tears.  She is doing so well.  So happy.  So in her zone.  Has found her passion.  Joy.  

Friday, July 8th

We met Heather at Loyola where she attends law school.  She became our tour guide for the day.  First stop was the Beachwood Cafe where the Hollywood sign was right by us.  A classic place.  

Then off to see Beverly Hills, walked along Hollywood Boulevard, wandered at the Grove, and had dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant (Momed) where we ate with Heather the previous time we visited.  She, like Olive, has found her groove and it makes me heart happy to be with her with the family.  She and Sonya connect like they've known each other forever.  

Saturday June 9th

Breakfast all together and then the shuttle to the airport.  Santa Ana , John Wayne.  easy flight and home.

Where to from here?  How will the family dynamics play forward?  I must stay centered, play it forward with love and non judgment and have a quiet sense of knowing.  

Reflection:  traveling with others is challenging.  Traveling can be over rated during this time of my life and of the world.  Home feels oh so wonderful.  I resonate with the natural world as opposed to the frenetic pace of amusement parks.  I don't need to see as much as feel.  I love love love my family and if they are happy that is enough for me.  I love being silly and off color with the Littles.  

Sidenote:  When we were home last night, Hazel texted me to say that: Thea just said " g'ma just farted I can hear it from Seattle!"

Hazel and Thea seemed to bond more as sisters on this trip.  Hazel was always watching out for her and she even spent her own money to buy her a little owl stuffie.  Let's hope this transfer over to home!!