TUESDAY

(Jacob and Abby trying to watch the Muppet pre-show while Mom is trying to get a cute pic!)

FIVE MINUTES until the laundry is done, then back to the hotel room. Today sure has gone by fast. Unfortunately the normalcys of life just don't go away. I really try to be a minimalist when packing, Jase will tell you otherwise, but there are just some unforseen things like blowouts, tons of spit up, potty trained accidents, you get the picture. Anyhow when I sit down to write I definately lose momentum and my body starts to recognize that it is exhausted only to realize that tomorrow is comming no matter how much I might want it to be delayed for a few more hours.

Today was our last day with the Bartold family. Jacob and Josh are the best of buds. This morning when we were leaving the hotel room Jacob said to me "Mom I have to go with Joshy he is my best pal." He says some of the cutest most precious things. I knew from the moment that Jacob was born and Josh held him and saw him for the first time that they were going to be best buds. I love spending time with Jason's family like this. It bonds the relationships of these cousins like they are brothers and sisters. They are all truely best pals and will keep in contact for years to come. I had a wonderful childhood and grew in love with my family, but I never had the love with my extended family as these children do. They love each other sooooooo much. I love my cousins, but I defianately don't know them, to be in a room and have a conversation with them is almost to have a conversation with a stranger only to find out that you have the same grandparents. I love being from a large family, it's all I've ever known, but now I am finding out the benefits of having a small one.

(The cousin clan)

LAuNDRY's DONE!!! We hit the park hard today, knowing that it would be our last all together. We went to fantasy land with our early admittance, then we did the Matterhorn, what a fun ride. Then we headed over to California Adventure and saw some characters. Jason and his family tried to convince me to go on "Tower of Terror", but I absolutely refused. I hate the rides where you free fall. I lose my entire sense of control every time. You know those dreams where you are falling, and then you wake up landing on your bed, your body actually jumps and bounces the bed, well it's like that, and I truly do not like it at all. So Jacob and I bought a Churro and shared it with another young boy who was standing next to us while we were waiting. Jacob also had some fruit punch Crystal Light which made his upperlip stained red. Consequently, all of his pictures have a red mustache little boy. What would life be if there weren't pictures of little boys with red mustaches? We then went to the Muppet 3-D show and over to the water rapids one more time. We all had ponchos on so we wouldn't get wet, but the water came up from a spout in the bottom of the bot that is supposed to drain the water out and sprayed jason from the underside. His shorts were soaking, but his top was dry, quite the site. We had a lot of laughs, it was fun. Then over to get some lunch and say good bye to the Bartolds. Everyone commenced to see thier own attractions as individual families from there. We went and visited a few more characters, then we went to the Tiki room where there is a bird show production, saw Jasmine and Aladin, went on the "Pirates of the Caribbean", and then on the train that goes all around the park.

(He bought the churro all by himself, it was so cute!)

Jacob has been asking us to go on the "Squishy" train since yesterday night. Jason and I have had the hardest time figuring out what this was. So, we went on the red train again. We kept asking hi questions like what color it was, and if it went fast or slow. Well, apparently it goes FAST and It has ONE ORANGE STRIPE! While we were on the red train we asked him if it was the Monorail as it went by, and he said yes, but not to definately, Jason and I were still unsure. This was the only other train in the park that we could think of. When we went out to dinner with Grandma and Grandpa to Knotts Berry Farm, for the Chicken dinner, ohhh, so good, we related the story to them. Grandpa says, yeah, the monorail, how come you guys didn't take Jacob on it? We said how is that the "Squishy" train, he said cause it "Swooshes by". Jason and I were still confused, then the light turned on in both of our heads, Ohhh, the "SWISHY" train!!! Thank you Grandpa for interpreting.

So, tomorrow morning off to the "SWISHY" train!