Time with the Princesses (again)

One of the definite highlights for the girls was their second time through meeting the princeses. This time, they got to meet Belle, Jasmine, and Mulan. The girl escorting us through the line was so enchanted my Julia and her pirate shirt, that we received a bit of special attention. Belle then became so enthralled by the girls, that we got to spend quite a bit of time with her.

So much time, in fact, that Jasmine was left with no one to visit, so she came over and joined in on the fun. And as you can see, the princesses enjoyed being pirates for a brief moment (see their hook hands). It must be nice taking a break from your royal duties and pretend to be the embodiment of the criminal forces you are trying to hard to fight.

In all, we were given almost 10 minutes alone with the princesses, much to the dismay of the parents and children waiting in line behind us.

The Girls and Aladdin (and Jasmine)

At Alan's suggestion, we took the kids to see the Aladdin story, performed by live actors. We got to the show (in Adventure Land) a good half hour early, which turned out to be for the best. Here's a shot of us waiting to be let in.

Kate is staring in wonder at her over-priced lollipop, Julia is contemplative, and Genna is looking askance at the woman smiling at her.
















Just as Alan said, the show was fun, and worth the wait. Afterwards all the children were allowed to get in line to get one--one and no more!--photo with the royal couple. Jasmine, of course, was very nice. But Aladdin, well, you know what they say: you can take the diamond in the rough out of the streets, but you can't take the streets out of the diamond in the rough. He tried to pick pocket me twice.

Down to Disney Business

We spent last weekend at Disneyland with my folks. It's our annual trip. And, at least for the girls (and Annie and I, by default), it is a princess-filled event. So let's get straight to business.

One of the highlights of the trip was the dinner with the princesses at Ariel's Grotto (California Adventures). You're given 80 minutes to dine on a four course meal, and...drum roll...be visited by princesses.

Your first encounter with with Ariel herself. She awaits you (as does an enormous crew of photographers and serving staff) at the base of the stairs, just before being seated. She's a good sport. Evidently, the rigors of running a kingdom (Eric's a slacker) and maintaining good relations with her father's realm, still give her time to visit with us povs (Sam, as always, was more interested in his fists than with the person holding him).
















But it is during dinner that the fun really starts. One by one, the princesses are introduced. They wind their way through the tables and give each of the children attention.

Here are some of the highlights...

First we have the orphan-turned-princess, Cinderella. She's doing quite well, and was in fine spirits. She was even willing to share some of her regal authority (in the form of crowns) with my dad and Kate. So generous (so much like a princess...)
















Next we had Belle make an appearance. She was very kind and sweet, but had to cut her visit short when she received a terse text message from the Beast.
















Sleeping Beauty also graced us with her presence. She even knelt down so the girls could sit in her royal lap. When my brother tried to join in, she shooed him away (again, very princess-like).
















Last, but not least, the fairest of them all came by. She, too, knelt down, and she, too, had to rebuff my brother's untoward advances. Someone's got to put a leash on Jared...

Air

A while back we spent the afternoon with my family at Mt. Diablo. In addition to the picnic and hiking and visiting, I did some good ol' fashioned child throwing.

Kate was first. I was able to get some decent air with her.


















But then it was Julia's turn. She weighs quite a bit less. And it shows. You'll note that Annie is in the first photo, but not the second. She couldn't countenance such behavior (though the girls sure could).

Sam at Four Months

Come on people, does it get much cuter than a four-month-old Sam smiling for the camera in a moose-motif sweater vest? I daresay it doesn't. Check out that perfectly proportional dome! That is symmetry, my friends.

They Did Like Each Other

Here are the girls at Dillon Beach. More specifically, on top of the hill above Dillon Beach, bundled up against the cold. When they reach their teenage years, I'm going to pull out this photo as proof that they once did really like each other.

Oakland Temple Christmas Lights 2007

These are photos from our annual trip to see the Christmas lights on the Oakland Temple. This year I came equipped with a brand-new Pentax DSLR, a tripod, and my new (thanks mom and dad) telephoto lens.

Here are the results. I think they speak for themselves. Click on any of the photos to see it enlarged.