Harrison's first visit to Disneyland!

Disneyland has always been a special place for us. Before kids, Tuan and I were annual pass holders and would go whenever we had a free weekend. We've celebrated birthdays and anniversaries at the parks and have collected a lot of "celebration" buttons over the years. So much has changed with both parks since the last time we visited two years ago and we had a great time exploring all the new additions through the eyes of our little first timer. Thinking of taking your baby for their first visit after the COVID-19 scare is over? Read my post from the first time we took Parker, all those mom tips still hold true. 

Thank you, big gray rain clouds, for keeping the crowds at home and the lines short. 

[Harrison's first ride was Astroblasters and he loved it!]

Between strategically timing our fast passes and the rain, the ride lines were short all day. Woo hoo! Honestly, I think that was the biggest factor to making our day a success. It's tough to keep a baby entertained while standing in place! If you do happen to get stuck in long lines during your visit, a great way to pass the time is with yummy snacks. Harry noshed on apple crisps and pret els.

[Biggie doing biggie things like climbing into every nook and cranny he could find.]

[Cousin crew!]

[My attempt at getting a photo with Tuan sans children. We failed.]

One of my personal highlights was getting Parker to ride this rollercoaster and a few other "big kid" rides with me. He is so brave now! After he grows a couple more inches he is going to be my roller coaster partner, something Tuan is not able to do since he gets terrible motion sickness.

Harrison enjoyed the rides but he loved the open play spaces the most. The playground at Goofy's House in Toon Town is a great spot for littles to play and explore.

There are so many dining options at Disneyland but I always seem to find myself back at Pi   a Port. Their chicken fusili is a crowd pleaser and I discovered this new salad. 

[We couldn't resist the slinky dog ears. Long bodied dogs have a special place in our hearts.]

Parker's new favorite ride is Gri  ly Bear Run in DCA. We went 3 times because there was basically no line. My shoes were completely soaked through and I had to buy new socks but it was worth it to see how happy he was! Ponchos are an absolute must for this ride unless you want to be walking around in wet clothes.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is another open play space that I adore. The boys love to climb all the rocks and structures and you can often spot Chip and Dale hanging out. On the day we went, C&D came and played Red Light, Green Light with the kids. 

We waited until evening to visit Star Wars Land and holy moly it was mind blowing. As someone who is not a big Star Wars fan, I could appreciate the level of detail that went into creating this truly immersive experience. We waited about 40 minutes for the Millenium Falcon ride which was fun and interactive. Afterwards, we walked around and checked out the rest of the displays. Ama ing! No one does experiential marketing like Disney so I'm not surprised that many guests end up paying $200 for a custom lightsaber or that there's a 3 month waitlist just to buy said lightsaber. 

We have 3 more park hopper days on our passes and I can't wait to go back after we kick the coronavirus' butt. Stay healthy, mamas!

Baby on Board: Parker's First Time Snowboarding

We just returned from our annual Friends Big Bear trip. The weekend was filled with snow play, laughter, video games and big shared meals. On this trip, Parker went snowboarding for the first time with Tuan while I stayed back at the cabin with baby Harrison. Since I wasn't there first hand, the rest of this post is what was relayed to me by Tuan.

Outfit/gear details

Snow clothes: Cat & Jack from last year

Helmet: Giro Youth Tilt

Goggles: Smith

Snowboard and boots: rented from Big Bear Boards

At first little man was hyped to go up the mountain and board with his tiny friends. Look how cute they are with their boards!

He had a little spill and "almost fell off the mountain" after getting off the lift. After crying and asking for mommy, he got back up on his board and did fantastic. Isn't is crazy how fast kids can pick things up? Check out the video below. The guy falling all over the place in the background? That would have been me. 

I absolutely suck at snowboarding so I'm glad I had a reason to stay back at the cabin to hang with baby H and take selfies with the cute snowman the kids made. After a couple of hours of boarding, the kids returned to the cabin to an epic snowball fight and then hours and hours of video games.

10 Kid-Friendly Places to Eat & Explore in Nashville

Nashville is a soulful city steeped in country music culture full of good eats and live music. We didn't plan much before heading to there because I was mostly going to be working and Tuan said he would just "wing it" with Parker but thanks to recommendations from friends, family, TripAdvisor and Yelp we managed to fit a lot into our 5 days in Music City, USA. The list below is in no particular order except for #1. You can't go to Nashville without eating hot chicken! 

Shout out to my husband for basically being a single dad for 5 days while I worked. You're the best, babe.

1. Hattie B's

We landed in Nashville around 2 PM on a rainy Friday. After checking into the Omni, we took an Uber straight to Hattie B's and stood in line in the rain to try the much hyped hot chicken. Hattie B's did not disappoint! The chicken and all the sides were delicious and so perfect after a long flight. Hattie B's has a few tables inside and picnic-style tables outside on their covered patio. It's casual and was perfect for Parker who is currently allergic to sitting in chairs. 

Mom tip: Kid-friendly menus were available everywhere we went in Nashville. There was always some mix of chicken tenders, french fries and mac n cheese.

2. Rocket Fizz

While I was working long hours at an expo, Tuan and Parker bought every kind of sour candy they could get their hands on to replicate some sour candy challenge that Parker saw on YouTube. They really hit the motherlode when we found Rocket Fizz candy shop while strolling 2nd street. Every shelf in this charming little candy shop was loaded with sweets and old school sodas.

Two kids in a candy store. Picking out candy for our sour candy challenge! 🍭 // #parkerprojectblog #visitnashville #nashville #trekarooing #travelwithkids #candy #candystore

A post shared by Mary Chu (@parkerproject) on Jun 24, 2017 at 7:10pm PDT

3. Mike's Ice Cream

After chowing down on BBQ at Peg Leg Porker's, we wanted to hit up Jeni's Splended Ice Cream but it was closed so we went to Mike's Ice Cream instead. I'm glad we did too because it was delicious and the perfect way to cool down in the Nashville heat.

Mom tip: Many places are closed or close early on Sundays.

4. Nashville Zoo

It's hard for us to be impressed by zoos since the world famous San Diego Zoo is in our hometown. However, the Nashville Zoo did have some things that we don't have at home. Parker was really excited to pet a kangaroo and play in the incredible jungle gym. He was really impressed by the poisonous frogs and snakes on display at the zoo. 

Mom tip: An Uber to the zoo was about $20. 

5. John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

The city of Nashville is bordered by the Cumberland River and you would really be missing out if you didn't take a stroll across the pedestrian bridge. The views of the skyline from the bridge are incredible. It was great to watch the action on the river below as well.

Mom tip: Everything in downtown Nashville is easily walkable. If you don't feel like walking, Ubers and Lyfts are readily available. 

Tonight we walked the pedestrian bridge and the views of the skyline were incredible. Parker celebrated with a dab! 🌃// #parkerprojectblog #nashville #visitnashville #letthembelittle #dab #trekarooing #travelwithkids #welltraveledkids #nguyenonvacation

A post shared by Mary Chu (@parkerproject) on Jun 25, 2017 at 8:00pm PDT

6. Adventure Science Center

Parker's favorite exhibits at the Adventure Science Center were BodyQuest, a hands on exploration of the human body which included a fart slide, and Dino Rumble, an exhibit of dinosaurs that move and growl. Tuan said they spent a long time building robots out of blocks. I really wish I could have been there to experience it in person.

Whoever designed this fart sound slide for the Nashville Science Adventure Center is a genius. 🍑💨 // #parkerprojectblog #welltraveledkids #travelwithkids #trekarooing #letthembelittle #visitnashville #nashville #scienceyeah #nguyenonvacation

A post shared by Mary Chu (@parkerproject) on Jun 26, 2017 at 3:36pm PDT

7. Martin's BBQ

Our room at the Omni faced Martin's BBQ and there seemed to be a line there no matter what time of day it was. So on our last day in Nashville, we waited until the line looked a little shorter and made our way across the street to experience it for ourselves. Martin's specializes in whole hog BBQ and the meat and sides were delicious. After our meal, we checked out the backyard beer garden and one of the staff was kind enough to give us a peek of the whole hog pits. Tuan was in BBQ heaven. What an incredible experience.

8. Omni Nashville

We had a great experience staying on the top floor of the Omni Nashville. Our room was spacious, clean and the staff was friendly. Parker just about died when he saw our view of a working construction site (they're building a Marriott across the street). He also loved the rooftop pool which has a nice shallow end for little kids and a bar for mom and dad. The Omni is conveniently across the street from the convention center, where I spent most of my time, and connected to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Hatch Show Print.

Parker is feeling inspired after an episode of American Ninja Warrior. 🤸🏻‍♀️// #parkerprojectblog #travelwithkids #trekarooing #welltraveledkids @omninashville #goodnightnashville #hotelliving

A post shared by Mary Chu (@parkerproject) on Jun 24, 2017 at 7:17pm PDT

After 4 days of conferencing, it's good to be hanging out in the shallow end of the pool with these two. 😍// #parkerprojectblog #visitnashville #letthembelittle #trekarooing #travelwithkids #welltraveledkids #pooltime #rooftoppool #nguyenonvacation

A post shared by Mary Chu (@parkerproject) on Jun 27, 2017 at 6:17pm PDT

9. Biscuit Love

Bonuts = biscuit + donuts. Need I say more?  This bright and modern restaurant was a nice change from all the dark, sticky BBQ places we ate at in Nashville. Like the BBQ places, however, this place also had a line out the door. Their bonuts are so good and perfect for sharing. 

10. Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant

I don't have any photos of Puckett's but it's definitely worth adding to this list. I was in Nashville for a convention and had to work long hours. After one particularly late night, we wandered to Puckett's to pick up a to-go order and took it back to our hotel to have a late-night picnic on the bed. The pulled pork sandwich from Puckett's was very good and I can see why there is so much hype for this place. It's too bad we didn't have time to dine in and enjoy the live music.