Declan Hercules: Celebrating FIVE at Disneyland & Alisal

This is going to be a long post - so just skim if you want, but this blog also serves as my baby book to document all my progress through life, so I have to get this crazy insane busy week all down!

Can you believe that I'm FIVE years old????  Mama and Dada really can't, so I have to remind them all the time.  I turned five on July 7th, right after a fun 4th of July weekend where I got to watch fireworks with a bunch of my friends from school.   Then we went to Disneyland & Alisal which I'll tell you about in a little bit, but first a little update on me!

At age 5, I am still the sweetest boy (according to my family).  I absolutely love to spend every minute with Mama and Dada, though I tolerate school as well.  My favorite thing in the world is to work on any kind of project - carpentry, crafts, cooking, gardening, and making everything into some kind of fan or windmill.  Yes, I still love fans and windmills, and am getting more and more sophisticated at making them!  I love working with my hands so much that I find that I have minimal time (and interest) for letters and reading.  Mama is trying to work hard with me on these and I just got a new star chart to document my progress.  By this time next year, if I work hard on my letters and am reading books to Mama, I get to take a cool vacation next year!  I'm still loving gymnastics and especially swimming.  And I'm loving my baby sister - she is so amazing!  She's sitting up all by herself, babbling, grabbing for everything and throwing it on the floor, walking a bit when holding onto grown ups hands, and just starting to eat a bit of solid food (though she doesn't like it much).  I can always make her laugh, and it's the cutest thing you've ever heard!  

Adorable siblings!

Snuffing out the birthday candle at school

My gift to the classroom - a butterfly windchime for my Butterfly class (yes, for our birthdays, we give something to our school)

With Kaleb on our school hike on my birthday

At Westwood hills on school hike with my classroom

My first time sleeping in a tent in our backyard - for my birthday!

Happy 4th of July!

Beautiful Keevah Nyx

Goofing off with friends at July 4th celebration

My best buddy Kaleb

Fireworks!

Keevah's first fireworks show - she liked it and didn't even mind the noise!

For Easter, Mama and Dada told me that I would get to go to Disneyland for my birthday celebration (followed by our annual family reunion in Solvang)...so I've been eagerly awaiting this vacation for months.    Dada woke me up at 4am on July 5th, and we drove to Anaheim.  Keevah and I slept almost the whole way there, which apparently made Mama and Dada very happy.   We stayed at a hotel right inside Disneyland and spent the first afternoon playing in the pool and going down the water slide!  We had a super fancy dinner where Mama and Dada bought a bottle of 1998 Dunn Cabernet (ostensibly to celebrate MY birthday).    Back in the room, I discovered that Mickey Mouse had left me a bag of goodies!  I was amazed that he knew I was at Disneyland!  He even brought me new gifts every day! 

4am!

Going down the super fast slide all by myself!

Peaceful beautiful Nyx

My Mickey Mouse gifts!

Nice family dinner for my birthday

Day One - We loved Disneyland!  I sang along to the words in Small World while Sissy slept.  My favorite was the Pirates of the Caribbean, followed by the Haunted Mansion. I was a bit spooked the first time on the Haunted Mansion, but when I realized there actually were doors letting us out of the spooky room, I wanted to do it again!  I also loved Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and the Matterhorn (but I didn't really like the scary Abominable Snowman there...until I realized he worked with motors and fans, and then I wanted to inspect him more closely).  We even ate dinner inside Pirates of the Caribbean and then watched the new Electrical Parade followed by fireworks.  Overall a huge success, and though I claimed not to be tired at all when we finally got back to our room at 10pm, I fell asleep in my clothes on the floor.  Sissy was amazing too - she even got to go on a lot of the rides (Small World, Pirates, Haunted Mansion - where she actually drank a whole bottle, Winnie the Pooh, Jungle Boat). 

Pluto joined us at our Critter Breakfast at the hotel - I loved the Mickey Mouse waffles

Sissy just wanted to grab Pluto's whiskers

On splash mountain with Dada - Mama didn't want to pay for the photo package, so she just took pictures of the pictures!

Splash mountain with Mama

Hi Tigger!

In front of Small World

The boat ride was relaxing for Sister

Tarzan's treehouse

Nyx watching the roller coaster at Big Thunder Railroad-  she's standing by herself!

loving Space Mountain!

Space Mountain with Mama 

I was such a good boy that I got a Mickey shaped popcorn bucket

Jungle Boat cruise

Astro zoomers!

Cinderella's castle

Getting ready for the night parade!

Mickey on the parade float

Day Two - California Adventure -  I was a bit sleepy in the morning, but we still managed to get up early to beat everyone else to the park.  I loved the Cars ride (and went on it three times!) and the Tower Drop (basically a free fall) was crazy too!   Granddad and Boppy and Cousin Laura met us there and it was so great to see them.  We had a little excitement when the giant Mickey Ferris Wheel got stuck with us at the tippy top (in a sliding carriage and with Miss Nyx too!)   - but we ended up just fine back on solid ground.  We finished the day on a water rapids ride and a ropes course where I had fun climbing with Laura. 

The Cars ride

With Mama and Cousin Laura

bumper cars (or bumper caterpillars) with Granddad

Ladybug spin ride with Granddad, Boppy, Cousin Laura, and sissy

In front of the big Mickey Wheel (where we later got stuck!)

My family on a ropes course

Rock climbing (that's Laura in the background) 

I made good use of my Mickey water FAN

After two wonderful days at Disneyland, it was time to go see my family at Alisal Guest Ranch in Solvang!  I've been every year of my life, and really look forward to going to this Dude Ranch every year. Dada's family has been going for 40 years!  This was Keevah Nyx's very first time at Alisal, so I got to show her all my favorite things.  Only Uncle Hans, Aunt Kristi & Cousin Sophie couldn't make it this year - we missed them! But, I had so much fun with my other cousins.  My favorite was the petting zoo and riding the sweet horse Boomer who got a lot of hugs from me.  Feeding the guinea pigs and the critter cart are also always so much fun.  We spent our afternoons swimming and making crafts in the craft room.  We even played a very silly game "Pie in the Face" - I was smart enough just to watch, but it was hilarious watching my other cousins and even Granddad & Boppy get whipped cream on their face!  I danced late at night at the Saturday BBQ and in the Oak Room after Sunday dinner - and begged for some extra cherries from a slightly frazzled bartender!

The whole gang:  Uncle Kevin with Logan, Auntie Kendall with Davis, Uncle Steve with Owen, Auntie Beth with baby girl in belly, Boppy, Granddad with me in front, Mama with Keevah, Dada, Auntie Chloe, Uncle Chris, Harper, Laura, and Lexi!

Granddad & Boppy with the Cousin Crew:  back: Owen, Keevah, Davis;  front: Lexi, Harper, Logan, Laura, and Declan

Everyone is happy!

Coordinating with Keeva

Sister with Auntie Kendall

As close as you get to all the boy cousins sitting still and looking at a camera:  Davis, me, and Owen

Family photo on the Hay Ride

Sissy finding hay to eat

Dada entertaining Sissy

Family photo at the pancake breakfast

Nyx in the California foothills

Riding Boomer


Hugging Boomer

Riding Boomer with Sister

Keevah on her first horse!

Critter Cart! Holding some form of reptile with Auntie Beth

Holding the baby birds with Cousin Harper

Feeding chickens

Feeding so many bunnies and guinea pigs

Brushing Mr. Dill Pickle with Sister

Being too cute in our matching swimsuits

I can fly, I can fly!!

Swimming with Mama


Sister with Granddad & Boppy

Deep in conversation with Cousin Harper

With Uncle Rainbow, Dada, Cousins Harper & Laura in the jacuzzi

Keevah and me with Laura and Harper

Swimming with Granddad

Late night jacuzzi with Dada

Mama with Auntie Chloe and sister

Water balloon toss!

Watching Granddad get hit in the face with Whipped Cream

Sister was a bit exhausted!

Dancing at the BBQ with Harper

The Boppy dance circle:  Declan, Lexi, Harper, Logan, and Owen

The boys photo (plus Lexi):  Lexi, Uncle Chris, Owen, Uncle Steve, Uncle Kevin with Cousin Davis, Granddad, and me with Dada (I just woke up from a nap and was a bit sleepy!)

Playing on the porch with Logan and Lexi

The kids table: from me clockwise:  me, David, Michael, Logan, Lexi, Laura, Jesse, Noelle, Remi, Harper

The July Birthday cake for me (5), Remi (9), Auntie Beth, and Granddad

Dancing with Mama, Keevah, Second-Cousin Remi, and Cousin Logan

Dancing with Cousin Logan

My family plus Harper!

Keevah dancing with Uncle Chris

Mama dancing with both her babies in the Oak Room

Dada and Nyx dancing in the Oak Room

So, that was Alisal...and Disneyland...and July 4th...and my FIFTH birthday!

I returned to Napa to start my fun summer of different camps and time with family...and to recover from such an awesome week!  Mama and Dada will also be recovering for awhile!