Well, I can't seem to get my cursor above the first picture. I can't wait until Hazel can help me with my computer skills. That was the obligatory annual birthday photo with a painted number. After her birthday party, there were still plenty of birthday celebrations to go. Here she is the night before her birthday, opening gifts from us and Aunt Trudy. 
She was most excited about extra track for her Hex Bugs, yelling, "Yes, yes, yes!" as she opened the package.
Much more confident in her writing skills now, she's enjoying all chances to practice.
If you're familiar with the Hazel Dazel Candy Company, Hazel sold the factory to her workers after Christmas and hit the road with a co-worker to go "picking" for items to sell at her new venture - World Wide Antiques. She's been watching "American Pickers" with us and enjoys finding treasures in dusty places now. I took her to an antique store and had to drag her away after an hour. One of the items she liked was this brass carousel horse, which I surprised her with for her birthday. 
The reason she was opening presents the night before her birthday is because on her birthday, we flew to Oregon to attend the jazz festival in Seaside with Daddy's family. This is an annual birthday trip and Hazel's fourth year at the festival. She really enjoyed the music this year, having fun dragging us all up to dance with her. We'll have to work on some more coordinated steps for next year, and by "we" I mean me. There were also a few more presents to open...
Reading a new Lego book... so many things to build...
Two lovely ladies getting ready to listen to some jazz.
The lighting was awful, so I won't included the photos of Hazel and Daddy in the pool. Call us awful parents, but this was Hazel's first time swimming. The pool was rather chilly, but they had a great time, and I'll sign her up for lessons soon. It was very windy and rainy this year, but we made up for missing the beach with a little outlet shopping.And then, as long as were in the lower 48, Hazel and I headed to California to visit Hilary & Milton and take our annual birthday trip to the Disney parks. Each trip is always a little different, and it's fun to see how Hazel's enjoyment of the park changes. Usually she just chats with the fairies and princesses, but this time Hazel wanted to collect autographs, so we visited with all the non-scary characters we could find.
Some we had to chase down, like Perla the mouse, who was signing autographs on the run. It pays to persevere.
Waiting for the parade to start, which I filmed in its entirety this year. The Target dollar bins are always great for providing cheap light up fun like the glowing wand below, but I did cave and buy a pretty light up rose the next night.
Look, a moose! Just like at home! This was the first of at least four trips through It's A Small World. Believe it or not, I actually don't get tired of this ride, and neither does Hazel.
I know the stroller seems silly at age five, but it's so much better than walking at her pace or dragging her along when she's tired. And while we were hung up at the ticket booth, she had a comfortable place to read. "Hello... Hazel... we're at Disneyland. Put down the reading material." She's a lot like her mother sometimes...
Hazel and her pal Lightning McQueen. If only we could have collected a tire tread print. I just had to include the second photo so you all can see how she's grown since her first trip here.
Some pals from Bug's Life.
First slide she's been on since October. I'm surprised she remembered how to use one.
Little did I know that our trip was going to include Leap Day. For the first time ever, Disneyland decided to open for 24 straight hours in celebration (6am - 6am), and this meant crowds like I haven't seen since my first trip during Spring Break in 1981. It was a madhouse, as Disney fans slogged through hours of traffic and waiting in lines just to enter the park, just so they could say they were there. They certainly didn't come for the rides, as the wait times were ridiculous. Fortunately, we had spent most of our day at the less crowded CA Adventure park and headed over to Disneyland early, before the hordes arrived after work - intending to party all night long. It was fun to see the characters in pajamas, but we declined to wait over an hour to meet and greet. Instead, we waited in the shorter line to get the rare chance to meet some of the bears from Country Bear Jamboree, which I wish were still one of the attractions.
We left at midnight, after meeting the bears, and laughed at all the people sitting in Disney traffic that snaked out onto the freeway. We took a break the next day and went shopping and played at a park. The park was almost a bigger treat than Disneyland, since our parks at home have been buried in snow since the end of October. I thought Hazel would be her usual hesitant self after not playing on playground equipment for so long, but she ran, climbed and slid like a pro.
I was surprised she wasn't scared of this slide.
It was nice to be outside...
Hazel still had a few more birthday presents arriving...
And back to the parks for more autographs and rides.
This was our first time meeting Princess Tiana.
Brer Bear was a tricky fellow. He was playing keep away with Hazel's pen - to the point of holding onto it so tightly while she tugged that it broke. Fortunately she thought it was funny, because she just as easily could have burst into tears. Hazel reassembled the pen and we discovered the teeny tiny spring was missing, but Uncle Milton saved the day by returning to the scene of the crime and discovering someone had actually picked it up and held onto it. Whew! 
We waited in line for Tigger, again, because Eeyore was there this time. Just so he wouldn't feel bad at Hazel's snub at another photo with him, Hilary and Milton posed with Tigger.
Some we had to chase down, like Perla the mouse, who was signing autographs on the run. It pays to persevere.
I'm glad I'm not too old to spin yet.
Waiting for the parade to start, which I filmed in its entirety this year. The Target dollar bins are always great for providing cheap light up fun like the glowing wand below, but I did cave and buy a pretty light up rose the next night.
Look, a moose! Just like at home! This was the first of at least four trips through It's A Small World. Believe it or not, I actually don't get tired of this ride, and neither does Hazel.
I know the stroller seems silly at age five, but it's so much better than walking at her pace or dragging her along when she's tired. And while we were hung up at the ticket booth, she had a comfortable place to read. "Hello... Hazel... we're at Disneyland. Put down the reading material." She's a lot like her mother sometimes...
Hazel and her pal Lightning McQueen. If only we could have collected a tire tread print. I just had to include the second photo so you all can see how she's grown since her first trip here.
Some pals from Bug's Life.
First slide she's been on since October. I'm surprised she remembered how to use one.
Little did I know that our trip was going to include Leap Day. For the first time ever, Disneyland decided to open for 24 straight hours in celebration (6am - 6am), and this meant crowds like I haven't seen since my first trip during Spring Break in 1981. It was a madhouse, as Disney fans slogged through hours of traffic and waiting in lines just to enter the park, just so they could say they were there. They certainly didn't come for the rides, as the wait times were ridiculous. Fortunately, we had spent most of our day at the less crowded CA Adventure park and headed over to Disneyland early, before the hordes arrived after work - intending to party all night long. It was fun to see the characters in pajamas, but we declined to wait over an hour to meet and greet. Instead, we waited in the shorter line to get the rare chance to meet some of the bears from Country Bear Jamboree, which I wish were still one of the attractions.
We left at midnight, after meeting the bears, and laughed at all the people sitting in Disney traffic that snaked out onto the freeway. We took a break the next day and went shopping and played at a park. The park was almost a bigger treat than Disneyland, since our parks at home have been buried in snow since the end of October. I thought Hazel would be her usual hesitant self after not playing on playground equipment for so long, but she ran, climbed and slid like a pro.
I was surprised she wasn't scared of this slide.
It was nice to be outside...
Hazel still had a few more birthday presents arriving...
And back to the parks for more autographs and rides.
This was our first time meeting Princess Tiana.
Brer Bear was a tricky fellow. He was playing keep away with Hazel's pen - to the point of holding onto it so tightly while she tugged that it broke. Fortunately she thought it was funny, because she just as easily could have burst into tears. Hazel reassembled the pen and we discovered the teeny tiny spring was missing, but Uncle Milton saved the day by returning to the scene of the crime and discovering someone had actually picked it up and held onto it. Whew! 
We waited in line for Tigger, again, because Eeyore was there this time. Just so he wouldn't feel bad at Hazel's snub at another photo with him, Hilary and Milton posed with Tigger.
A fuzzy hug fill of snout...
A romp around Tom Sawyer Island, including a tree fort and streams we missed last time.
She had to scramble up on the rocks like the other kids were. I'll get over my over protectiveness some time, right? When she's maybe... say... hmm... no, I guess I won't.
This was Hazel's frequent pose, fingers in her ears because she thought everything was too noisy. And no pictures, but she was brave enough for Pirates of the Carribean at last. She loved it and we rode it twice.
Here's a little treat for you Radiator Springs fans. All the lights were lit on the strip for Cars Land, opening this summer. The neon of Main Street didn't photograph well, but all our favorite places like the Cozy Cone Motel were lit, just like when Lightning lights them up for Sally. These are the lights for Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. We're all very excited to see this area open next time!
Here's Hazel on her last night with her most prized souvineer, a light up Tinker Bell pin. These were suprisingly hard to track down, with several vendors never having heard of them, but they were indeed available at the store outside Small World. Bad photo, but a very cool Tink.
A romp around Tom Sawyer Island, including a tree fort and streams we missed last time.
She had to scramble up on the rocks like the other kids were. I'll get over my over protectiveness some time, right? When she's maybe... say... hmm... no, I guess I won't.
This was Hazel's frequent pose, fingers in her ears because she thought everything was too noisy. And no pictures, but she was brave enough for Pirates of the Carribean at last. She loved it and we rode it twice.
Here's a little treat for you Radiator Springs fans. All the lights were lit on the strip for Cars Land, opening this summer. The neon of Main Street didn't photograph well, but all our favorite places like the Cozy Cone Motel were lit, just like when Lightning lights them up for Sally. These are the lights for Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. We're all very excited to see this area open next time!
Here's Hazel on her last night with her most prized souvineer, a light up Tinker Bell pin. These were suprisingly hard to track down, with several vendors never having heard of them, but they were indeed available at the store outside Small World. Bad photo, but a very cool Tink.
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2 comments:
What a wonderful narrative of a fun trip! I love reading about your adventures. Can you believe the difference of the two pics in front of Lightening McQ? How did she get so grown up?
She has her nose in a book just like you did! ~mom.
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