Chuckaluffugus

Can I just say something ('cause it really doesn't get said often enough)? I love this guy. Yesterday was his 60th birthday and even though he's spent most of his life in California he'd never been to Disneyland. Katy wanted to take him, and Doug and I have been listening to our little girl beg to go back since the last time we went 2 1/2 years ago, so we tagged along with the Keila Bug, and had a ball. (Though, unfortunately, Katy and I both had some trouble with our brains at 5am so even though between us we had 3 cameras, we had no camera batteries, so all my photos are with my iPhone). Chuck was about the best thing that could've happened to Katy for my sake (like how that ends up being about me?:) ). I love my in laws tremendously, but their personalities and manner of functioning, both independently and in relation to one another, was so foreign to the environment I was raised in and my own personality that he was a steadying influence for me right from the start as I adjusted to my new family. He is good natured and patient, low key with a remarkably long fuse. His personality and manner of dealing with life is pretty similar to my own (hilariously and frustratingly apparent in the ways our respective spouses--who are a lot like each other--get frustrated with us and in the things they appreciate about each of us). Of course, he's much more patient and low-key than I am, and that's why I love him. He just quietly gets things done and thinks about others without much thought for his own desires most of the time. You know what I love best about him, though? This:

He is a marvelous grandpa to my kids, who adore him. They call him Grandpa Chuck, or just Papa Chuck, and they love when he dances (don't we all, really?). He teases Keilana playfully and she does it right back. He's generous with his time and affection, and I love him immensely for that.

On a related note, Keilana was so great at Disneyland yesterday. She wanted to spend her time seeing Princesses and doing the little kid rides, of course, but we didn't actually spend much time on that (it was Grandpa's birthday, after all). But she went on the Matterhorn, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Haunted Mansion, and the Hollywood Tower Hotel, and the only one where she really freaked out was the Hollywood Tower, and that was before the ride. During the ride, she handled it quite well. She liked all the roller coasters better than I anticipated. The only thing she didn't like about the Matterhorn was the Sasquatch! But her favorite was Soarin' Over California (I think that was Grandpa's favorite too!), followed in a close second by the Teacups :)

We upgraded all three of our tickets into SoCal annual passports, so we will take her back at some point and do the Fantasyland/Princess/Pixar thing. She earned it!!