THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH- DAY 3

Our last day at the parks was probably our best day!  Yes, part of us was sad this would be it at Disney, but really we weren't even supposed to be at the parks for a third day, so it was special.  The story is that we only bought a 2-day park hopper pass, figuring the first day we would be checking into our hotel and enjoying the pools and Downtown Disney, and then doing the parks for two days.  However, while we were out there, the forecast kept on predicting all of these crazy storms for the two days we were going to be at the parks and not for our first day checking in, so we figured we might as well use the park pass for the first two days, and just play the third day by ear.  Well, the first two days were bright and sunny (it only rained overnight on the second day), so we used the park pass then.  The third day we woke up to a rainy and cloudy day and figured we would hang out at the hotel and do whatever activities they had planned for inclement weather.  Well, they didn't have any!  Yes, Disneyland which is considered one of the "Happiest Places on Earth," and a Disneyland property hotel, apparently hasn't yet figured out what to do in the event of rain.  The Grand Californian Hotel has three magnificent pools (all outside), and their one thing planned for a rainy day was some hour-long Pinocchio activity...what were we to do?  I decided to speak to a Hotel Manager who at first offered to send free dvd's up to our room.  When I explained my kids were three and one, and that that probably wouldn't work, he offered us a free park hopper pass for the day for all of us (I'm talking four adults and one child- Brody was free)!!!  I thought they might do something nice for us, but I truly never expected that sort of kindness and generosity.  But, the other thing I haven't mentioned yet is that a lot of the major rides were closed for renovation during our visit, which no one told us when we booked our trip, so that was also part of their consideration into giving us the free passes.  Either way, it was really nice and we had an amazing time.  Rich and I even went back late night, just the two of us, and rode some fun rides we couldn't do with the kids like Indiana Jones and Space Mountain.  I will tell you, our experience really made us feel like we did visit the "Happiest Place on Earth!"  We can't wait to go again!

LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA

Talk about fun for the entire family...Legoland is an awesome and unique park good for little kids and even big ones like us!  I guess now that I'm a "boy mom," I'm automatically supposed to love legos, but I have to say even if you're not, and not into legos, you will still enjoy this place.  First of all, it's huge and there are so many rides and so much to do.  Secondly, everything around the park is constructed out of legos from small little animal statues to a giant replica of the New York City skyline and the Taj Mahal (and there are signs telling you how many legos it took to construct from hundreds to tens of thousands).  There were plenty of small rides that my kids could enjoy, and there were a lot of rides that Rich and I had so much fun on.  We went on a train ride, drove lego cars, went on a plane ride and a boat ride, to name a few.  The place is so colorful, and there is so much beautiful natural scenery around too- it's so pretty!  Now I have to say, I've heard from a lot of people and even read it a lot online, Legoland is pretty expensive.  In fact, the price to get into Legoland is pretty comparable to what it costs to get into Disneyland- which is sort of crazy.  That being said, I really do think it's worth every penny because the place is enormous.  There are ways you can reduce the price of your entrance fee like going in the afternoon and only staying for two hours.  But, since we planned our trip that we only had one day to be there we figured why not go for it.  Legoland was amazing, and if you have kids between 4-10 years old, you really should check this place out!

MAKE THE MOST OF HOLIDAY TRAVEL WITH KIDS

Hitting the road for the holidays? A little bit of planning can go a long way towards keeping spirits bright, especially with kids! Here are some helpful tips:
1- Bored kids are restless kids. Bring along plenty of quiet but interactive activities without too many pieces to drop or throw.
2- Don't kick off the holidays with a fussy flyer in your lap. Pick a flight time when your baby's most likely to be asleep.
3- If you're staying in anything bigger than a hotel room, be sure to bring your baby monitor for extra piece of mind.
4- Hitting some public restrooms along the way? A portable potty seat provides a nice clean layer between your child and the toilet.
5- Pack a portable travel cot for a bed away from home- all the better if it can double as a playpen!
6- Bring along a favorite baby blanket: the familiar smell is soothing for your child.