Happiest Day Ever!

Between work, kids, Christmas, and just general staying afloat, I'm slowly chipping away at a post about our Thanksgiving trip to New Mexico and all the fun before / after. However, I did want to log something recent that was very special to me while it is on the tip-of-my-mind.

To set the stage, let me take you back to circa 1988. A little Bret, say 6-years-old, was gently shaken awake by his Dad. "I've got a surprise for you." Groggily, Bret asks, "What is it?" Dad grins. "Get yourself ready and get your suitcase packed, we're going to Disneyland today!" Bret is instantly awake, though he can barely believe it. A SURPRISE trip to Disneyland.

Best. Dad. Ever.

In a flurry, little Bret sits by the front door, struggling to get his bag zipped with his overexcited fingers. It's only then that Dad comes over, grinning even wider than before.

"April Fools!"

(Note: Dad doesn't fully remember this happening, he does admit that it sounds like something he'd do. And I don't believe my mom was in on the prank. I'm not sure any mother could do that and live with themselves afterward. I love my Dad to the end of days -- as painful as it can be at times :)

Anyhow, forget the years of memory suppression and hatred of practical jokes, and fast forward to last week. Through a long series of events I won't bog you with, I had to take a quick flight somewhere before the year's end. My brain immediately returned to the scars of my childhood as it so often does (Note: sarcasm). A plan formed and within an hour, I had the whole thing booked and figured out.

This past Friday morning at 5:15 AM, I walked into E's room and gently shook him awake. I grinned. I couldn't help it. Groggy, he whined a little.

"I've got a surprise for you."

"What is it?" Instantly, he was fully awake. Lisa and I took him into the kitchen and showed him a video of the Main Street Christmas Parade (provided by Uncle Brian).

"What is it?" He asked again, barely able to contain himself.

Unable to hold back the surprise any longer, I blurted, "We're going to Disneyland today!"

After potty, a bite of eggs, quick teeth brush, and kisses to Mommy, we loaded up in the car just after 5:35AM. We whizzed through security, got some coffee / juice, and strolled onto the plane without any problem. E mostly played games and I talked to the grandmother next to us, who had nothing but nice things to say about E's behavior (seriously, how did toddlers travel before handheld entertainment?). A little after 8:30 AM, we were in the rental car...or the "vacation car" as E calls it...and heading to Disneyland.

I'm not sure I've ever been that excited to pass the gates, even if I actually had gone when I was six. E mirrored my enthusiasm as we zipped over to Fantasyland to hit those rides before things got too packed. We rode Alice in Wonderland and Dumbo by 10:30 when we met up with Uncle Brian -- who'd previously scheduled to come down independently. It was off to the Nemo submarines and on to Tomorrowland. I rode Space Mountain solo while Brian took E on Buzz Lightyear. We decided to do a quick Pizza / Pasta stop there to avoid the lunch rush before heading over to California Adventure.

E was pumped to see Mickey singing and dancing on a trolley car at the entrance. Carsland was just as cool as ever and the car snowmen, tire wreaths, and cone trees are touches only Disney would do. I attempted to get some pictures of him with some of the stuff, but he's hit the toddler phase where he'll smile for the camera -- but with a smile that looks like I'm yanking off his toenails.

Next, we rode E's favorite ride: the Tractors. After that Brian took him on the Zephyrs across the park while I did my favorite ride: the Tower of Terror. By the time I met up with them back at Disneyland, E was zonked out in his stroller. I grabbed a much needed S-bucks, then squatted on Main Street to wait for nap to finish / parade to begin.

I've always been impressed with how deeply E sleeps when he's motivated and the proof is Disneyland before a parade. Though we did find the threshold of that ability when the second marching band came by. It didn't matter too much, since I was about to wake him anyhow for the highlight of his day: the Christmas Parade. He was so excited to see the characters (especially Tigger for some reason). Watching his excitement and happiness in that moment was the highlight of my day, too.

After the parade, we only had a handful of minutes left, so we headed back to California Adventure. We parted ways with Brian and took a quick visit to Bugsland for the Bugs' Movie (E was not a fan) and for the Caterpillar train ride (E was a huge fan). As our last activity, we walked through Carsland again just as they were turning on all the Christmas lights.

The drive back to the airport in our vacation car was pretty uneventful. E spent most of it smacking on a lollipop I'd given him. One time, I heard him coughing and he said, "too much lollipop." Getting through security was a breeze and we had rice bowls for dinner. While we waited for our flight, which was an hour delayed, we watched the planes pull in and out of the gates. E informed me that when he gets bigger he "will be the man with the glow sticks, telling the planes where to go."

Already past his bedtime, we boarded the plane. On the flight, I kept expecting him to 1) meltdown or 2) zonk out. But by the allure of the iPad puzzles and coloring games, he powered through. In fact, as we deplaned, the girl next to me -- who had not spoken a word the entire time -- said, "he was the best kid I've ever seen on a flight." True it is all Apple's doing, not my parenting skills, but either way I was a proud daddy.

I thought he'd fall asleep on the car ride home. Nope. Too many Christmas lights to look at. At 9:30 PM we pulled into the driveway. As he quickly got ready for bed, E and I told Mommy all about our great day. Once in his crib, needless to say, he passed out. As did I soon after.

I hate cliches, but in this case I truly mean it: This was one of the happiest days of my life and one that I shall cherish forever.