Happy Birthday Joshua!

Today you are 6, Joshua! Where does the time go??? We love your joy, your crazy sense of humor and your gentle, sensitive spirit.

Yesterday we spent a wonderful day at Disneyland. It really IS the happiest place on earth, I'm convinced of it. We were there before the gates opened, rode a ton of rides, went back to the hotel for a couple of hours in the afternoon to swim and nap, and then spent the evening back at Disney. Disney really bends over backwards to accomodate those with special needs. We were able to get a GAC (guest assistance card) to allow us to use Noah's stroller as a wheelchair, and with this, bypass most of the lines. What a tremendous help this was! Brad said he felt kind of bad when we'd wait a few minutes while everyone else was often waiting an hour or more. But I think we've put in our waiting time many times over and I certainly didn't feel guilty using the system that was put in place for children like Noah.

Noah was entranced with everything, especially the characters (Tigger in particular...must be the bright orange)! Many of them paid special attention to him, even during the parade, which touched my heart!

This morning, we celebrated Joshua's birthday with a special character brunch at Goofy's Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel. The kids had a blast and were able to interact with a bunch of characters. They especially enjoyed dancing and banging pots/pans with Goofy...oh, yes, and eating dirt cake with worms for breakfast!

Then we headed to Downtown Disney to Build A Bear Workshop. The kids have been saving their money, so they each were able to make a bear.
Then it was off to San Diego. We spent a bit of time at the ocean and the tidal pools in La Jolla on our way. Noah was thrilled with the sand!! What a huge mess trying to keep it out of his tubes and pumps!
We are now settled in the Marriot, and looking forward to the conference tomorrow.