Pre Spring Break Trip

I enjoy living in Utah.  But winters here really do drag on.  I'm over them by December 26th so when snow is still occasionally falling in March, I struggle.  To remedy this we decided to take a long weekend to Southern California where we could visit  Wendy (my birth mother) and her family, our niece Sefra and nephew Armani and of course, Mickey Mouse.

Our first day there we were able to meet up with Sefra and Armani.  We love them so much and it was so fun to see them.  They are amazing and we wish we could see them more often.

That first day we also enjoyed walking around the La Jolla area of San Diego.

 

 
The seal beach cove was especially fun to visit. There were so many baby seals trying hard to keep up with their mothers.

Our next day started out bright and early. Devin and I had been very nervous as we planned the trip wondering how Jonas would respond to the stimulation overload Disney excels at.  We bought him some headphones in preparation for the trip.  The last time we were at Disneyland Jonas was 2.  Since then his Sensory Processing Disorder has ratcheted up and things that he used to handle well have become more difficult.  As we feared, rides were overwhelming for him and almost all caused him to cry but we knew that if he didn't go on anything he would cry as well.  It wasn't really a win-win, you see?  It was a long day of talking him through each experience, but he did it!!  And even smiled!  He didn't like every ride he went on, but overall it was a success and he already loves the memory, which translates to 'he talks about it all the time and as if he really loved it.'

Clara, Nell, Melinda and Wendy on the tram heading in to Disneyland.

I really dislike this picture of me but I just love the expressions on Jonas and Nell's faces.

 

Before the trip I gave Clara a mini lecture I later regretted.  I knew Jonas and Nell would be hesitant to try most rides so I told Clara that if we were going to the effort to go to Disneyland, she had better be willing to go on anything she was tall enough to ride (which is every single ride). She took me seriously.  With Wendy watching Jonas and Nell, the three of us headed off for Tower of Terror.  During that ride, when I looked over at her horrified face, I completely regretted my 'lecture'.   Clara said she was glad she went on it although she did not want to go again. She did however love all of the other rides she went on, especially Screamin' which she rode 3x!! She was certainly brave.  So maybe my lecture wasn't all bad...

The next day we decided to take it slowly.  After a stop at the Rainbow sandal outlet in San Clemente, we went to the beach.  I could tell Wendy thought my kids were a little crazy for wanting to be in their swimsuits in early March but clearly my kids are not Californians.  After all, Clara swam in Whitby, England when at its warmest is still colder than Southern California.  My kids are a bit skewed when it comes to temperature.  It was sunny and beautiful and just what I needed.  An afternoon sitting on the beach enjoying my kids and the waves.

After the beach we went to the Lego Movie with the Webbers.  It was so fun and the first movie Jonas has made it through - and without crying!!!!  The headphones helped!  Nell fell asleep like this at the very end of the movie.

 

Our last day was back to Disneyland.  We got up and out early to get to a character breakfast.  I love how well Disney handles food allergies (although don't get me started on their new special needs policy)!  Look at this plate of food they made for Jonas - no eggs, dairy, gluten, peanuts or tree nuts!!  Pretty incredible.

Let's just say Clara is the only child in our family that enjoyed the characters.  Jonas would scream if they came near and Nell wouldn't look at them.  Makes for great pictures, huh?

We had such a wonderful day at Disneyland.  After an emotional first day, Jonas was much more prepared this time and everything went better.  We had a wonderful time as a family.

Autopia was a family favorite.  Clara & Jonas both loved driving.

With Jonas doing so well this day we decided to try Splash Mountain later in the afternoon.  He didn't necessarily love it but he did it!!  Here we are with Jon, Clara, Charlotte, Melinda, Jonas and Devin.  Jonas did really like the crocodile (or was it an alligator?) snapping the fox's tail!  He still talks about that.

We had a great time, loved the sunshine and especially our chance to see the Webbers.  This last picture is truly one of a kind.  Jonas really does not fall asleep well unless he is in his bed.  We've been on road trips with him wide awake at 1am in his car seat forcing himself awake. We were watching the light show at California Adventure when this happened, just after I told Jon that there was no way Jonas would fall asleep in his wheelchair!  Yup, we tired him out completely!  That's how great the day was!

Thanks to the dreadful Daylight Savings we had a very short night followed by a yucky drive home.  Nobody enjoyed that day very much but we were happy to get home and prepare for Nell's third birthday the following morning...