Highlights
We had such a wonderful trip to Disneyland Paris. We were just able to sit back and enjoy the kids, not once thinking that Waverly was anything less than a little girl loving Disney. She was able to meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and (her favorites!) Pooh & Tigger. She cried when she had to say goodbye to them. I think Waverly's highlights were watching the live Pooh & Friends show - she was mesmerized by the characters, the tea cup ride, flying Dumbo and the carousel. Oliver enjoyed the rides and his stuffed Mickey Mouse - he also loved eating! I was happy just watching Waverly. She had so much fun and smiled for most of our time there. Matt would probably say his highlight was breaking up a fist fight between 2 mothers - really, he did! I will let him post about that himself later. It was a wonderful get away for us.
Now to prepare for Waverly's birthday party. Plus, my Mom and Nana arrive early Saturday morning. We can't wait for their arrival!!
Comments
We were watching one of Disney's parades when it happened. A French lady and her family had staked out a spot next to us about a half hour before the parade started. It was pouring rain, but they toughed it out to make sure they had a good view of the parade. People were lining up behind us, probably three or four deep. Just as the parade was starting 5 teenage British girls cut up to the front - while at first I thought was obnoxious (as I too was waiting for half an hour in the rain so my monkeys could have an unobstructed view of the parade), the girls did manage to stand in front of a pillar that no one else had thought to stand in front of and certainly weren't in any body's way.
However, the French mom standing next to us did not see it that way. She, rather crazily, grabbed two of the girls and threw them through the crowd to the back of the pack. The British are nothing if not persistent, and the girls managed their way to the front of the crowd once more. Frenchie calmed down a bit, until one of the characters of the parade came up and did something do her that allowed the British girls to laugh. Hysterically. At her. Frenchie quietly seethed until the parade ended, at which time she took a pair of Mickey Mouse ears and a clump of hair right off the top of one of the girls' heads. Ouch!
Little beknownst to Frenchie, the earless girl's mother was watching all of this from across the street, and as soon as the parade ended she charged with all the ferocity an out of shape, middle aged mother of a few can muster to lay a body check on Frenchie. It was a decent shot - enough to make Frenchie stagger backwards and lose her footing. The thought of mother on mother violence in the happiest place on earth was too much to bear, so protecting my groin, I stepped in front of the British mom, grabbed her arms and held them down to her side. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw someone doing the same with Frenchie. Either he was really crappy at it, Frenchie was more crazy than I gave her credit for, or he was just helping her up and dusting her off to help her get back in the ring, because as I was restraining Britmom, Frenchie took a flying leap at one of the girls, trying to take another clump of hair for her scrap book. Britmom exerted some additional effort, but I kept her under control and calmed her down by convincing her a) she could get arrested, and b) Disney employees could take care of Frenchie (I was hoping to hear something like "don't taze me bro," but in French).
Disney security did eventually arrive. Frenchie was questioned by a Disney employee, which to my surprise ended with her laughing, giving the French employee a hug and then walking away. We talked with the Brits for a while, got hugs ourselves and let them know that, aww shucks, I didn't do anything any other American would have done.
If you have not had the chance to break up a fight recently, I highly recommend it (as long as it involves frumpy middle aged women and you're not likely to get hurt - leave the hard ones for professionals like Brian Bulger, an Indiana cop whose wife reads this blog). It's quite a rush.