Family Fun Week 2010!

Nine kids ranging from 10 to 5 months old

Every year we pick one week out of the summer to have a Family Fun Week. I think it all started when Alex started Kindergarten and Melody had to take weeks off during summer because he didn't go to the daycare in her building anymore. Anyway, it is basically a week to be a Southern California tourist, hit up Amusement Parks, act like money grows on trees and enjoy time with the family. It was a fun week but exhausting week!
Day 1: Legoland
We headed down south to Legoland to start FFW off. It is a great amusement park for any child over 34 inches. Charlotte is about 32 or 33 so she missed out on a lot of rides. I don't think she even noticed though. Some of her favorite things were: playing in the stationary Lego cars, building with Legos in front of rides she wasn't tall enough to ride, riding in the Fairytale boat ride, making instruments play by jumping on the circles, sliding down enormous slides, trying to climb into the Mini Legolands and eating pasta noodles. By far her favorite was when Jimmy took her into a netted room filled with shooting balls flying everywhere! She had the time of her life in there!

Silly Daddy!

Kisses for Baby Aidan

Where is your paci?

Making music!

Adelyn driving the fire truck to the fire...we came in last!

I love you Grandma!

I love driving cars!

My cool cousin Alex does too!

Ginny and her boys...

Christopher and Khoury

Cassie and Nolan

While waiting for our food we made princesses and princes with the salt and pepper shakers. Charlie was the dragon monster who spit fire (salt)! I love the world of pretend!


Almost everyone got Toy Store 3 trains to play with back at the hotel.

Day 2: Legoland, Legoland Aquarium and Legoland Water Park

It was a little hotter the second day so we enjoyed the water park and aquarium as well as Legoland again. The aquarium is small but cute. However, it smells like fish! (I don't remember smelling the fish I looked at at the Long Beach Aquarium.) The coolest part was when we got to see the octopus moving around in its home. I don't ever remember seeing an octopus so lively before. It was pretty neat. The water park was fun too. There are small water slides the kids go go on and a mini lazy river too. Charlie had fun going down the slide with me and playing in the water with Jimmy. She was fearless walking out into the water. The mini lazy river was so cool because the tubes weren't hollow in the middle. She sat like a froggy while I pushed her around. Adelyn really enjoyed the water slides. She looked so tiny walking up to the slides all by herself. I would tell her to walk and as soon as she would turn the corner she would run up the ramp. It was so cute to see her little bottom wiggle as she ran to the slides! Charlie also got to spend a lot of time in the Dino Dig area digging for dinosaur bones. She loves sand so it was heaven for her to be in such a big sandbox. We enjoyed Legoland and will be back next year...

Daddy always lets me touch things.

Digging for dinosaur bones

Can I please have your paci?

Day 3: Splash in La Mirada
I let Charlie sleep in a little this day and we were late to Splash. Ooops! The rule at Splash is you have to wear a life vest in the water at all times. Charlie is not very fond of life vests so it was a learning day for her. She cried for the first few minutes and then had a scowl on her face the rest of the day. I took her in the water, but she didn't like the splashing water (or the vest on). I took her in the big lazy river and she didn't much care for the tube I put her in (or the vest). Then I took her to the splashing fountains and she didn't find the splashes appealing either. When we stopped for a snowcone she was a happy camper. She kept shoveling the snowcone into her mouth over and over again. Remind me never to share a snowcone with Charlotte again...I didn't get much! Hopefully next time will be more enjoyable.

Ryan, Charlotte and Brendan - She is always so happy with her favorite twins!

Pop-eye!

Doesn't she look so uncomfortable!

After Splash we needed some "stay at home and rest" time. Charlie had fun playing in the backyard with her toys. Of course, she splashed in the dogs' water bowl for most of the time.

Day 4: DCA Cancelled...Swim Day Instead

We were all too tired to stick to the original plan. So instead of going to DCA all day we decided to have a swim day at Grandma's house instead. It was fun with so many people in the pool swimming and eating El Pollo Loco.

Day 5: Disneyland
We spent our last day all day at Disneyland. When we got there we went on a few Fantasyland rides while Cassie turned into a princess Tiana at Cinderella's Godmother's Boutique. I have never seen Cassie smile and sparkle as much as she did that day! One day we will have to see if Charlotte wants to do the same...I know Adelyn will! She sat there for the whole hour mesmerized they could do such a thing. We headed over to Hungry Bear for lunch. Then we were off to Winnie the Pooh (by far Charlie's favorite ride ever) and the Haunted Mansion. Charlie fell asleep right when we got on the ride. Evan and I enjoyed it when the ride stopped at all the air conditioner spots and he pointed out many things I had never seen before. Charlotte woke up just in time for the Jungle Cruise and the Tikki Bird Room (her other two favorites at Disneyland). Charlie and I had to leave a little early to meet Jimmy out on Harbor Blvd because we were off to the river with the Flores family for the weekend. Best part of the day: I bought a spraying water bottle fan. The best $17 I ever spent! It was a hot day!

It was a very successful FFW. I can't wait for next year!