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The kids spent all afternoon cooking together, making
Butternut Squash Spaghetti with Mushroom Bolognese from the Stardew
Valley Cookbook. (2/2/25)
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It turned out brilliantly. Everyone loved it. (2/2/25)
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Absolutely surrounded by dogs. (2/2/25)
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Excuse me, Avery says, but it's time to check your face. (2/2/25)
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We woke up at 5am and headed straight to the airport for our flight to LA. (2/6/25)
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Talking about phone games while cruising above the clouds. (2/6/25)
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East Dorm, where our raptor pack first began. (2/6/25)
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Enjoying the koi fish in the fountain in front of Galileo. (2/6/25)
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We dragged the kids all over the 5Cs, revisiting places
we hadn't seen in 22 years, even stopping to grab some coffee at the
Motley Coffeehouse. (2/6/25)
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Our first ride at Disneyland: Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Lee got the highest score. (2/7/25)
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Next
we did Star Tours, and then headed straight to Galaxy's Edge. It
truly felt like walking right into Star Wars. (2/7/25)
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There were so many little details everywhere.(2/7/25)
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On
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Lee and Daniel piloted; Lane and I
were gunners. We got one container of coaxium. (2/7/25)
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Time for making lightsabers at Savi's Workshop! First step involves picking an alignment... (2/7/25)
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Lee chose Elemental Nature and Lane chose Peace & Justice. (2/7/25)
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Choosing a Kyber crystal. (2/7/25)
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When they finished constructing their sabers, all the Jedi held them up high. (2/7/25)
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The requisite lightsaber battle to test their new weapons out. (2/7/25)
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Just a young Jedi at the Galaxy's Edge. (2/7/25)
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Next up, selecting parts off the conveyer belt at Droid Depot. (2/7/25)
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Lee built a BB series droid; and Lane built an R series one. (2/7/25)
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Hanging out with droids. Like we were always meant to. (2/7/25)
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They
went all out here at making the food alien yet still delicious.
Both Ahsoka Tano and the Mandalorian with Grogu walked by while
we ate our late lunch. (2/7/25)
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So many different hats to try on! (2/7/25)
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I had it on good authority that going to Disneyland was an impossibility. And yet. Here we are! (2/7/25)
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Of
course, we hit Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion.
But we also squeezed in Tiana's Bayou Adventure (which is really
a misleadingly rebranded Splash Mountain) and The Many Adventures of
Winnie the Pooh. (2/7/25)
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When
we were absolutely too tired to do a single thing more, a worker found
us looking lost and escorted us to a place to sit down and watch the
fireworks and Fantasmic. In Lee's words, "This place is magic!"
(2/7/25)
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To
leave this magic land, one must pass through a gauntlet of trams,
escalators, parking garages... and this Jedi. (2/7/25)
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Back at our AirBnB, Lee plays with their customized BB unit -- BB4. Dancing robot! (2/7/25)
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Technically,
it was only one day, but the kids insist it feels like we've already
spent a whole week at Disneyland. (2/7/25)
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Back for our second week, this time with a droid smuggler. (2/8/25)
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We
began our second day with the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. In
spite of all the warnings posted outside, it was not scary.
(2/8/25)
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While
exploring the houses in Toon Town, we suddenly found ourselves in a
line to meet Mickey Mouse. They played French Mickey Mouse
cartoons for the line. (2/8/25)
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There truly are delights hidden around every corner here. (2/8/25)
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The
Green Drink at Pizza Planet followed by Pinocchio's Daring Journey, Big
Thunder Mountain Railroad, and then 7 Greens Gumbo and Strawberry
Beignets at Tiana's Palace. (2/8/25)
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Lee played with BB4 every chance they got during the line for Rise of the Resistance. (2/8/25)
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Rise of the Resistance feels exactly like being in Star Wars. It's the best thing we've ever done. (2/8/25)
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With
a little time to spare, we did Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run again
with our roles swapped and got both coaxium containers. Then Star
Tours again and got a different version with Wookies instead of pod
racing. And Indiana Jones Adventure sandwiched inbetween.
(2/8/25)
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In
the final half hour of the day, we went back to Toon Town for Roger
Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, followed by Mickey and Minnie's Perfect Picnic
which was mind-blowingly spectacular as the screen exploded and we were
invited right into the cartoon. Then in the final five minutes,
we managed to squeeze in the Matterhorn Bobsleds. It was a
completely full day. (2/8/25)
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We
arrived at California Adventure to an Operation: Playtime! show
featuring the Green Army Patrol. And then we met Jessie...
(2/9/25)
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Buzz
Lightyear is shorter in person. Finally, Lane has realized the
lifelong dream of "Meeting the Toy Story Guys." (2/9/25)
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Lee
runs, climbs, swings, and generally has a great time in the fake
version of the Northern California atractions we visited for real two
years ago in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. (2/9/25)
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There
continue to be surprises around every corner, such as this Sorceror's
Workshop containing the magic mirror from Snow White. But also,
Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession, Turtle Talk with Crush from Finding
Nemo, and a Korean acappella group called Vocal Seoul. (2/9/25)
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Wiating
in line for the gorgeous Radiator Springs Racers, after watching
Mickey's PhilharMagic and earlier Ariel's Undersea Adventure.
(2/9/25)
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The
Toy Story and Monsters Inc. rides both broke down right before we got
to them... so instead, we got to skip the lines at much more popular,
much scarier rides -- Goofy's Sky School and Guardians of the Galaxy -
Mission: BREAKOUT! (2/9/25)
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Our top priorities for our final day of amusement parks were the Jurassic Park and Mario Kart rides. (2/10/25)
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Meeting Blue, the raptor from Jurassic World. (2/10/25)
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Inside the world of Mario. (2/10/25)
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Trying to soak it all up as it rushes by so fast. (2/10/25)
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Ready for a totally immersive Augmented Reality experience. (2/10/25)
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Next, we caught the Transformers ride, took a lot of escalators, and did the Universal Studios Tour. (2/10/25)
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We
ended our day with an amazing Harry Potter ride and a charming Kung Fu
Panda augmented short movie. And then, we were very, very done.
(2/10/25)
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Looking at "Allegory of Fortune" by Salvator Rosa, Lane remarks, "Fortune is many creatures!" (2/11/25)
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Venus, Minerva, Paris, and Lee. (2/11/25)
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"Two Boys with a Bladder" by Joseph Wright of Derby and one with phone games. Oh, how times have changed. (2/11/25)
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"Venus and Adonis" struggle as the rest of us take a quiet moment after a long week. (2/11/25)
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Visiting the Getty was the perfect way to end our time in LA. (2/11/25)
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Returning home to old and new friends. (2/11/25)
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They looked at the snow outside... (2/13/25)
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...and stayed inside with their fluffiness to keep them warm. (2/13/25)
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Julian's not sure what the point of all of this is... but somehow, he's the fluffy center of it. (2/13/25)
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Chaotic cuddle. (2/13/25)
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Truly beautiful Valentine's art. (2/14/25)
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Lane
took Lee to the Eugene Youth Math Festival at UO while I was busy
selling books at an author fair in Lebanon . (2/22/25)
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A beautiful turtle tesselation. (2/22/25)
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Giant 3D Tetris. (2/22/25)
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Taking a break from our marathon viewing of the Lord of the Rings movies to bake... (2/26/25)
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...Sonic-shaped lembas bread! (2/26/25)
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