Medieval Times

Josh, Tyler, and I had never been to Medieval Times and we found 2 for 1 passes so why the heck not. For an extra $2 a person we could visit the Hall of Torture. Sure! Torture sounds like fun. It was pretty interesting but I am glad that Josh doesn't understand as much as other 6 year olds because it would have been terrifying. They had a bunch of old (probably remakes of) torture devices and signs describing their uses. Some I have heard of, others were new, all of them horrifying to see and touch in person. We all squirmed and gave uncomfortable giggles and moans. Just the reaction they were going for I would guess.

Going into the Knight's Club to wait to be seated there was so much to see. In one of the rooms, they had stables behind plexy glass with horses in stalls on every wall. At first I thought they were animatronic horses--they were too clean, too well groomed, too still, too white to be real. But to my amazement they were, in fact, the actual real horses to be used that night. Josh convinced Sharon a suit of armor with a sword (sword #3 of the trip, we brought home a whole arsonal).



We were rooting for the green knight and soon we were sitting in our seats



The show was spectacular! The horses were so well trained and they even had a falcon that did some hunting tricks.



The food was yummy and plentiful. Our knight was definitely the best looking. The actors all did a great job. And Josh likes cheering for just about anything.



When they started jousting and sword fighting Josh was mesmerized. When the first guy got "killed" Josh was shocked and frightened. He looked at me like, "Did you see that mother?! They just killed that guy!" I tried to convince him they were pretending but the look on his face said he didn't believe me. Although he did seem to think we were watching a blood bath, he still looked like he enjoyed himself although a little stunned. I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

Disneyland day 2 (California Adventures)

It was our 6th day of vacationing when we decided to go to California Adventures (bad idea, in the future, sooner is better). Josh started out in a pretty good mood and we decided to walk again to save $17. We ended up getting there right on time for the opening and it was looking like it would be a beautiful day.



On our way to the rides, Josh spotted Donald Duck and for some unknown reason, he absolutely NEEDED to meet him. As far as I know he has never even watched anything with Donald Duck. Donald loved Josh's hat and even tickled him. The actor was really good.



The first ride we went on was Soarin' over California. It is a ride that picks you up to a screen and takes you on a "ride over California". Josh was terrified. He thought it was real and no amount of talking could convince him. He spent much of the ride with his head buried in his shoulder. He did like the airplane outside though.



We took the time to grab a couple of photos by the waterfall before going on the whitewater rafting ride. Josh wasn't happy that he was wet but he seemed to enjoy the ride on the whole.



We half bribed with candy, half tricked Josh to get into the Screamin' California roller coaster line (biggest roller coaster there, it even goes upside down). He didn't like the ride but he didn't cry before, during, or after which is better than I can say for my first real roller coaster ride. It was a great ride and I highly recommend it. One of the longest roller coasters I have ever been on. Afterwards we made it up to Josh by going on some kid rides. Pretty much from the fourth ride of the day onwards it was a fight to keep him happy. He kept telling us he wanted to go home. We held him through every line so that he could try to get a nap in and letting him practice his karate moves on us but nothing really helped. It began with anger.



We also let him take the camera for a bit so we have some interesting pictures but some of them turned out pretty good!



Since he was grumpy, we tried feeding him.



We tried taking him to Cars Land. It was really cool because it was just like walking onto Route 66. All of the stores were there, they had a really fun Mater ride, and we got to meet Mater and Lightning McQueen. From the pictures you can tell that Tyler was more enthused than Josh was.



Since that didn't wake him up, we tried Bug's World. He insisted on riding some of the rides but didn't look like he liked them at all.



So we did what any great parents would do. Since he wasn't waking up or enjoying the kids rides, let's take him on Tower of Terror. In our defense, we had heard it was a great ride but none of us had any idea what it was, just that it was a more grown up ride. By the time we made it through the line I had a pretty good idea of what it was, "an elevator ride gone wrong" could only mean one thing--we were going to be dropped from quite a distance at least once. I still made him get on. This ride was probably my favorite. Partly because of Josh's face each time we dropped. I have never seen eyes get that wide and a mouth get that stretched back that far into a grimace. I wish I had a picture, it was priceless. Again, no tears, but when we said he was so brave he just glared at us like, "I am not BRAVE! I was TRICKED!" He still doesn't like to talk about that ride.

Even after that he was not very awake but we had promised him he could make his own lightsaber.



And then he needed to test it out



By this point Josh no longer walked. He had to be carried everywhere. We took him on the monorail and he started doing the falling asleep head bob and looking like he was going to fall off his seat. Luckily, Tyler has all these nice new muscles and he was able to carry him most of the time.



I was thinking that maybe we should just go home but Tyler really wanted to stay to see the World of Colors light show. I was hesitant because it was almost 2 hours until the show. We stopped and ate and walked around shops trying to keep Josh happy. Finally it was time.

I was so tired and my feet hurt so badly I just wanted to get it over with. I was annoyed because to see it from the front you had to have a "fast pass" which of course we didn't have so we had to watch it from the backside of the show facing the people seeing it from the front. Yet another reason to be angry with stupid Disneyland and their stupid rules and stupid special passes. As the show started, despite the cotton candy and juice, Josh couldn't stand or move any longer. He asked for me to hold him. Great, a 15 minute show and I will have to hold you and my feet hurt...But I picked him up. I watched the show with my little boy's head on my shoulder and his gentle breathing in my ear. Rocking him back and forth like a baby, the lights were so beautiful and they project parts of Disney movies on sprays of water. For the first time, there were no rides to ride so we didn't have to hurry dragging Josh behind us, Josh wasn't whining/hitting/kicking/falling/asking to go home, it didn't matter that they didn't consider him disabled enough for their stupid pass, I was able to just watch the show. For the first time I began to feel that magic, the magic they show in the commercials, the hope I felt when I thought about going to Disneyland with my son. I began to feel all of those feelings you are supposed to feel in Disneyland. The show didn't feel like it was filled with fake emotion like many of the other times we had had in Disneyland. It felt real. Then the song came on, the song from Enchanted,

So Close by Jon McLaughlin

You’re in my arms
And all the world is calm
The music playing on for only two
So close together
And when I’m with you
So close to feeling alive

A life goes by
Romantic dreams will stop
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew
So close was waiting, waiting here with you
And now forever I know
All that I wanted to hold you
So close

So close to reaching that famous happy end
Almost believing this was not pretend
And now you’re beside me and look how far we’ve come
So far we are so close

How could I face the faceless days
If I should lose you now?
We’re so close
To reaching that famous happy end
And almost believing this was not pretend
Let’s go on dreaming for we know we are
So close
So close
And still so far

I cried. No, I bawled. I cried so hard I couldn't see the show. And there holding my son, knowing that we had reached the famous happy ending even though the days at Disney were so full of anger, frustration, fatigue, fakeness (on the part of the "happy" "helpful" Disney workers), and yes, I was almost believing that it was not pretend, and I didn't want to stop this dream, we were so close and the key was just holding and appreciating my son and my surroundings. My husband laughed at me for crying but the light show had me leaking at the eyes for the rest of the 15 minute show. I wasn't ready to try to explain what happened to me during that show, I still can't fully explain it. But the magic happened. In that moment I felt a little like a child, full of wonder, love, hope, and happiness. My feet stopped hurting, my biceps burned from holding 47 pounds for so long but it was a good burn. I managed to hold him all the way out of the park. Tyler carried him home. My feet still didn't hurt and my heart was feeling so many emotions my brain was having trouble making sense of them. It was a great day.

Disneyland 2013 (the first day)

Happiest place on earth! Where your dreams come true! These have been the phrases linked to Disneyland my whole life. I remember wanting to go as a child. When playing the "have you ever" game at get togethers, not having been was always one thing I could count on to get everyone else. Since having a son, the commercials for Disneyland seemed so magical and wondrous and filled with joy. I will admit to crying at their commercials with happiness that there was such a place on earth. A place for children to be just that, and where adults could re experience the amazement of being a child again. Needless to say, when we were planning the trip, I was brimming with excitement that my family and I could do this together. Then I saw the ticket prices. $100 a person a day?!! Are you kidding me? Okay, that is the price you have to pay for magic I guess. I could only swallow paying for 2 days with the hopper pass to also get into California Adventures. I was torn about this decision, "Is this enough time? Will Josh even do the rides? What if the characters scare him? But what if we don't see/experience everything we want to in 2 days?" I ruminated on these things for days, probably weeks. I asked others for their opinions but in the end it came down to keeping it at two days. I didn't want to tell Josh until we were on our way.

The day came. We all got ready, we told Josh (he barely reacted, nothing like all those commercials), we packed a lunch and...pouring rain. The rain let up a bit and we hemmed and hawed about whether we should go and decided we were an hour behind schedule but we would do it. We waited in line for the shuttle. It filled up right before we got on. Doesn't come for another 15 minutes? Lets walk. We get there but wait, "Did anyone remember the cameras?" Nope. And I am not walking back. We will take pictures on day 2.

Now let me back track a bit. For years I have been told that when we finally do go to Disneyland that we could get special accommodations because Josh is disabled. People have told me to not worry because he will get a special pass to get to the front of the line so we won't have to wait. They gushed about how great it was when they took their children with disabilities. I was counting on this. Because of this pass, I wouldn't have to worry about him in a line and we could see everything we wanted to in two days. We were told to go to City Hall and they would just give us one. Wrong. We got there and they pretty much asked us to prove it. It didn't matter to them that he has brain damage and cerebral palsy. "I see he is wearing leg braces but what is actually the worst thing that could happen to him in line?" Are you kidding me?! I wanted to scream. No offense to those of you who have the "right disabilities" for Disneyland but many of those disabilities are similar to my son's so what makes his not valid? He has both physical and intellectual disabilities and ADHD to boot. He falls often, I have seen him standing with nothing to challenge his balance and suddenly-over he goes. He has yet to beat any 2 year old in a race on stairs and still tends to scoot down them on his bum. He has just as hard time waiting in any line and an extremely difficult time understanding and following directions. I had just had a difficult talk with his teacher not even a week before this day about how he "might" be able to hold down a simple, hand picked, job in the future and how he "might" be able to live in a group home with supervision when he grows up. That he wouldn't be dating or driving in high school. That he still doesn't understand symbols and he isn't even on the level of many preschoolers, that he probably will never read a book. Now tell me again how my son isn't the right kind of disabled to get your special little pass. TELL ME!! Obviously I am angry about this and I hope I am not offending anyone because I do believe those with the "right disabilities" should get that special treatment, I just am mad that my son, with many of the same troubles, doesn't. I know of a few people with fewer physical and the same amount of intellectual disabilities that get this pass immediately no questions asked. I was so shocked I just stood there and mumbled a little. I was not prepared to spout out the worst things about my son in a room of strangers. She gave us a pass that explicitly says he may go through a different entrance to skip stairs on rides with stairs but absolutely is not allowed to get in the front of the line. I was so embarrassed. I am not finding an employee to show this pass to on the rides. He isn't in a wheelchair, I don't need to be judged by any more of these fake Disney employees. We will either hold up the lines or we will carry him on the stairs. Screw you people.

Since this experience, I walked into Disneyland with disgust. Everything is insanely expensive. Now that we have to wait through the whole line, it is beginning to feel like a time game. We have 10 hours to fit in all the rides, all the attractions of Disneyland so the next time we can go to California Adventures. Josh can't keep up between rides, we are either waiting constantly for him to catch up, dragging him, carrying him, or he runs ahead karate chopping plants, screaming, and going in the wrong directions. I am so tired of calling him and redirecting him and we have only been there an hour or two. In line, the only way to keep him in line and happy is letting him punch and kick our hands. We hold them out and he goes crazy. It gets painful and we have to switch off (Tyler took more than his fair share of the hits) or let him take pictures or find other distractions to try to keep him in line. He trips on our feet, his feet, the air; each time I feel more angry that he isn't "special enough" for their stupid pass. Don't get me wrong, the place is beautiful, the details are amazing, the rides were fantastic. It was all the inbetween where I was too angry to see the beauty. This is my fault, I am well aware. In hindsight, I wish I had not been so hurt, things may have been different.

Josh was having a good time. He went on all the rides and loved them. He likes roller coasters but only mild ones. The Matterhorn was one of his favorites. It was one of the first rides we went on and he laughed the entire time. He loves any of the interactive shooting rides (Toy Story and Buzz Lightyear). Tyler always got the most points in those rides but I didn't do too shabby. He liked Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. He often was the first person to spot the characters and would point them out then stare wide eyed and open mouthed. When we asked if he wanted to meet them he always shook his head slowly and backed away a little. We found that if he began acting yucky, if we fed him something he was cured! WE all liked the Indiana Jones ride. Even though the line was long, there was so much to look at that at one point we said we were almost moving too quickly in the line because we weren't able to explore the fun stuff in the line. Star Tours was the same way, all of the animatronic robots were so fun Josh didn't want to leave the line. Sharon had promised him any baseball style of hat he wanted and he found the most adorable Goofy hat and had to have it. The instant he saw it he started laughing. He put it on and didn't stop laughing until after we left the store. (There will be pictures of the hat from day 2 of Disneyland) We stayed until closing time but we could have kept going for a couple more hours at least. It was great to see the wonder in my son's eyes and the magic reflected in his face. And there were times that I got a glimpse of the magic myself. A small piece of wonder. But I was disappointed to not feel what I felt when I watched the commercials. I I appreciated the details but couldn't feel that childhood wonder. More than likely it was my bad mood since City Hall. I wish I had felt differently. (I know this ends in kind of a bummer way but I promise the next Disney trip ends better)

The Santa Ana Zoo (the zoo of 50 Monkeys)

My choice of things to do was the Santa Ana Zoo. I love going to new zoos. Going to zoos you know is still fun, but a new zoo...*sigh* a new zoo is awesome. You get to see animals you are not used to seeing and read new facts about them. Each zoo has its own unique flavor depending on where it is located. Some are deserty or foresty, you get the idea. So I was excited to go to this zoo. Also, Josh loves monkeys and this zoo pledged to always have 50 monkeys at the zoo at all times years ago (I think a promise to the guy who began it). The front desk guy at the condo said with mild distain, "Oh, that zoo is a microzoo. It will take 2 hours tops to go through the whole thing." Well sir, I scoff at your pathetic 2 hours. You obviously have never hung out with my extremely distractable slow moving son or me, the info nerd, to a zoo.




This zoo was based on the Neotropics (The biogeographic region of the New World that stretches southward from the Tropic of Cancer and includes southern Mexico, Central and South America, and the West Indies). It was like walking through a small tropical jungle. They had this awesome "explorers corner" with skulls and small animals and explorer gear and facts all over the place. I had fun trying to explain the differences in carnivorous and herbivorous animal skulls to Josh. Honestly I have no idea how much he is picking up but I spent my time in there showing him things and talking non stop. I remember when I was little my mother and brothers and sisters helping me explore and learn about animals (heck, Abby and Richard still give me that experience even though there is an ocean between us!). I was so excited about what was in the explorers corner I didn't take any pictures but these were outside of it:



They had a really amazing aviary where we spent at least half an hour or more searching for the tropical birds and laughing at the adorable turtles.



Now if I was as awesome as Richard and Abby I would remember all of the names of the birds and tell you neat little facts about them. Honestly, birds are pretty but not my favorite so although I read the little signs, I can't remember. The red ones are Scarlet somethings, the pink one is a something Spoonbill, the turtle is a Red Eared Pond Slider (doesn't he look like he is smiling?) and the rest are pretty birds. Whatever. There are four that we recognized immediately, here they are: Donatello, Raphael, Michalangelo, and Leonardo



Then of course we saw the monkeys. They had (I am adding picures of only the most unusual or beautiful ones: Golden Lion Tamarins,

Golden Lion Headed Tamarins, Cottontop Tamarins,
Capuchins, Colobus, Spider monkeys, Philippine Tarsier (thought to be the world's smallest primate is as big as a human thumb when born and only gets to be 6 oz as an adult!), Emperor Tamarins , Howler monkeys....I know I am forgetting a bunch but you get the idea.



So much fun! Tyler said that it looked like I was playing a game called name-that-animal-and-a-random-fact-about-it-before-reading-the-sign. If it was a game, I did pretty awesome. "Oh look! A ________ I believe that is the one that (special thing about it). Let's see. Yeah look! It says it on the sign, I was right." Tyler thinks I watch too much Discovery and Animal Planet. Silly, there is no such thing. I was super excited for two of their animals: The Giant Ant Eater


and a Bintarong (it was sleeping and we could barely see it so the pictures are from the interwebs). Just look at that cute face! I am sad we didn't see her too well. Bintarongs are also called Bear cats because of their resemblance to both creatures and smell like buttered popcorn. No joke, I have always wanted to smell one.



They also many other assorted creatures and a little farm with farm animals. Two hours my butt! We were there at least 4.