Pictures from Disneyland & Legoland

Mobile me gallery

These are unedited, it’s a work in progress :))) hope you enjoy !
Thank you for stopping by – Namaste – William

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Home sweet home …

Well , it’s nice to be back 🙂 It was an amazing trip filled with fun and adventure but in the end it’s always nice to get back and unwind. The unpacking complete, laundry , catching up on mail, dreading the bills to come … Hehe
I’ve uploaded all the pictures and video, ready for editing , well.. Almost… I did hit one little snag. It’s this cute little camcorder I picked up from Sony (DCR-SX43) , it seemed just perfect at the time, it uses an SD card to record and according to the box it works with iMovie … Unfortunately I am still trying to figure this one out. I’ve tried iMovie on my iPad, iPhone, Mac and to no avail. So off to the Sony website I went in search of clues… Sorry this software does not support OSX ! You have to be kidding ! Ok, I’ll try a few other sites such as the discussion forums at Apple.com, well, I found more people searching for the same answers…
If anyone knows how I can somehow convert the files so I can download my eight GB of video it would be hugely appreciated and I will be sure to pass on the advice to the other people faced with this problem.
My son & I were somewhat overloaded with gadgets on this trip ; 2 cameras, an iPad , iPhone , iPod , Nintendo DSi & the Camcorder , it was fun watching the people at customs marvel at the xray screen when our carry on went through. The funniest part was that the one thing that baffled each one of them was the novel my son had with him, I guess it looks like a big solid blob in the xray 🙂 the only pain with all these little gadgets is all the power cords and accessories that have to come along for the ride …
While we were away, a friend had a little baby girl (Congrats Ruby , welcome to this wonderful adventure called life ! 🙂 ) I couldn’t resist picking up a little Minnie Mouse outfit at Disney for her, I hope they like it.
My son’s first day back at school consisted of a Science field trip, kind of a cool way to get back into the swing of things. He’s doing so well at school, I am a very proud & lucky parent. Being a single parent has had it’s fair share of ups and downs but I wouldn’t give it up for anything .
On the trip back David was all ready talking about what we should do next year, and yes , you guessed it : Disney World in Florida ! Personally my preference would be exploring Castles in the UK, or a West Coast outdoor adventure involving kayaks, whales , mountains and massive old growth trees , but I think that should probably wait until he’s a bit older. David is 11 and right now it’s all about roller coasters , Harry Potter & Pirates 🙂
The great part about going to Florida , is that we have a place to stay and friends to visit along the way. We have an Aunt & Uncle who spend the winters in St. Petersburg and the summers up here in Canada. It’s a nice central location for exploring the state.
Now that we are back and I’ve completed my basement renovation, it’s time to hit the garden and get to work on the other outside work that needs to be done. This weekend we are going to refinish our deck and put together a gazebo. It will be nice to get the yard cleaned up and the garage emptied out, hey , I will be actually able to park my car in there again hehe…
I hope everyone’s spring is going well , I should get going on some sleep , work comes early …
Nite all , thanks so much for stopping by
– Namaste – William

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A day at Legoland

We spent a leisurely Sunday at Legoland in San Diego, California. I probably took more pictures there than any other place. It’s amazing what they can create with those little blocks ! My son’s big favorite was the new Star Wars exhibits, there is so much detail to everything.
There is a few cool rides for older children but for the most part the park is geared towards younger children. We had plenty of fun just the same. There is a very cool water park at Legoland but the hours were short (10-5) and there weather was not the best for swimming.
We stayed at the newly renovated Sheraton hotel right next to the park. It is a very modern and gorgeous hotel and Spa. David spent most of the evening in the heated pool and jaccuzi.
San Diego has so much to offer people looking for fun and fabulous food. Next time I would prefer spending a couple of days here. A car is a big plus as everything is somewhat spread out.

Legoland
SeaWorld
San Diego

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Disney Vacation continued …

Today was spent at Disney’s California Adventure. We had such a blast with the shows and attractions. There are quite a few new ones under construction at the moment so next year the place will almost double in size it seems. We’ll have to come back and check it out again 🙂
I took quite a few pictures and video footage using the iPhone and a Sony camcorder. (my digital camera is broken but I am going to try and fix it for the trip to Legoland tomorrow)
One problem I encountered was, although I took the time to get the iPad all set up for our trip, I did not test the camera kit (SD card reader & camera connector) oops, apparently the camcorder doesn’t work with this version of iMovie & my USB cable for the camera is no where to be found. Oh well, these small problems are fixable as soon as we get home.
The World of Color debuted at Disney tonight, a fantastic mix of fountains, lights, lasers, video and fire all combining to make an incredible show. It was really amazing to watch. If you have a chance , book a fast pass really early to try and get in the blue section with the best views.
The main Disney park closed earlier today for a premiere of the new Pirates of the Caribbean show they have made, it is to officially open later this month.
My son has become completely hooked on roller coasters and can’t wait to try the one in West Edmonton Mall when we get home. Until now it freaked him out seeing people go upside down numerous times at crazy speeds 🙂
All in all, an amazing day ! I had better get my butt to bed , we are off to San Diego in the morning to check out the new LegoLand !
Best wishes and have a peaceful Mother’s Day tomorrow, be sure to spoil her if you can or call and send your love if you can’t . Mom’s are incredible and deserve all the best
– Namaste – William
P.s. So sorry to hear about the Canucks loosing tonight , we were cheering them on from afar and I was getting a million compliments on the Canucks jersey today 🙂 and a special thank you to my wonderful friend who kept me posted on the game !

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A day at Disneyland , California

The day is winding down here at Disney. The place is packed solid this friday night and everyone is talking about the big premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean that takes place here tomorrow evening.
It’s been a fantastic adventure so far, we’ve done every major ride that is open , watched a cool show, parade, etc. The line ups in the morning were not bad at all which was a pleasant surprise. The afternoon became much busier yet the longest line up we’ve hit was space mountain which was 45 minutes.
There sure is a lot to do for all ages here. My son whom is 11 & myself are here with my sister & here 2 year old son as well a Grandma. We’ve all been busy and have had a lot of fun.
The fireworks are about to start and the street is filling up. The place is really magical at night 🙂
We’ve been trying out the camera on the iPad and I am going to give the movie camera a try for the fireworks. We’ll see how the shots turn out. Tomorrow I am bringing my digital camera with me to take some better shots and hopefully catch some nice ones of the premiere.
One thing I like about these theme parks is the all inclusive tickets. One pass works for both parks and all your rides. This is a nice change from the amusement parks and carnivals we’ve been to in canada. It seems we are always running to buy more tickets for rides and games or paying extra for the cool rides…
We did a bit of shopping at the main street located in between the two parks. There are some really cool shops and restaurants. I’ll be sure to post some links and pics of the whole adventure once we return.
It’s almost fireworks time , have a great weekend people and thank you so much for dropping by !
Namaste from Disney – William

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The countdown to fun … Disneyland & Legoland !

Well , it’s almost here , the vacation we’ve been waiting for for a few years now 🙂 One more day to go and we’re off ! My son is so excited, he is at the age where he can now go on all the cool big rides and still young enough to enjoy the magic. As for myself , well, I am a big kid at heart and love doing fun things with him all the time. This trip should be a blast .
We went through the planning and booking of everything online using a number of different websites including the main Disneyland website , Legoland website, Westjet & Elite Parking
There are a lot of cool packages available and the sites were filled with a ton of info on where to stay, what to do, what to expect , etc.
Once our new iPad came in last week , I downloaded a few apps to help plan things out as well. A few of my favorite ones are :
Parktastiq for the iPad

It has a great map and tons of info on what is happening while your there.

Anaheim Vacation Guide

This has been a ton of help but leaves me wanting to stay for the entire summer 🙂

Disneyland iguide – Walkee

This is a Fun & useful guide for the iPhone ( which is much easier to carry around the park )

It should be quite an adventure. We’ll be sure to post some pics !
For those of you that have been there any suggestions would be appreciated or perhaps share a fun story from your adventure 🙂

Best wishes and thank you for stopping by – Namaste – William

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Alberta Human Rights Act

This has always been one of my favorite pictures and something I’ve always believed in and stood up for.
It seemed kind of fitting today when my son brought home a letter from the Edmonton School Board about the Alberta Human Rights Act and how it plays a part in Education. Although the death of Osama bin laden brought a feeling of justice to millions of people , the human rights act reminds us that he is only one man and he does not speak for all people whom share his faith, or lived in the same region of the world as him.
All too often is see people getting treated badly because of their attire , skin color, gender , religious beliefs or sexual orientation. It’s hard to believe we are in the 21st century at times…
Quote from the letter :
“On September 1,2010, Section 11.1 of the Alberta Human Rights Act comes into force. The section requires school boards to notify parents where “courses of study, educational programs or instructional materials, or instruction or exercises include subject matter that deals primarily and explicitly with religion, human sexuality, religious themes or sexual orientation.”
School boards must provide parents with the opportunity to exempt their children from instruction that primarily and explicitly involves this subject matter.”
You have to be kidding … Exclude ??? Why would a parent want to do that ? Oh yeah, I remember now ; it takes a license to drive , a license to hunt or fish , but anyone can be a parent !
Getting back to Mr. Bin Laden , I would like to thank all the brave Soldiers whom helped rid the world of this hate monger and all the wonderful people working in the war torn areas helping the innocent people caught in the middle of this big mess. I hope this is the beginning of the end and we can see everyone home safe and sound soon… But please don’t forget a turban does not equal hate and neither do crosses, anchs , star of david’s , different shapes, sizes, colors of people , etc ….
To quote from Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves :
” did God paint you ? (little girl)
For certain little one (Morgan Freeman)
Why ? (little girl)
Because Allah loves wondrous variety (Morgan Freeman)

– Namaste – William

Edmonton Public Schools

Alberta Human Rights Act

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Working towards goals …

My son David (pictured above),  is a fantastic nine-year old boy so full of energy you could put him on a cross trainer and power a small town 🙂 Yes , he can tend to be a bit hyper at times at has a few issues he is working on , but his good points far outweigh his weaknesses. He is extremely outgoing , a straight A student and loves to help out and be Mr. independent. I love him dearly and try my best to be a good parent and give him the tools to make sound choices in life.

His teachers believe that he has mild ADHD among other things and I have been trying quite a few different things to help improve his condition. I have been very reluctant to use medications for a number of reasons, i would rather leave that as a last resort once we’ve exhausted all other avenues. I found an incredible website that provides natural ways to improve the effects of ADHD and ordered a book which explains a number of things a person can do to improve their life. Most of them are very common practices that we have tried with wonderful success.  Meditation such as Reiki & Yoga, nutrition & vitamins, proper exercise,family counseling and behavioral management, etc.

We are still working hard and continuing to introduce new methods into our lives and with luck and a bit of hard work things are looking up. One thing i have found that seems to work really well with David is setting goals to help keep him focused with a lot of positive reinforcement when he tries his best and does well. This week he has done so well after struggling quite a bit this year in a new school.   His birthday is coming up in a few weeks and his goal this week was to drastically improve his behavior during class time. Show patience , not to display anger towards others, deal with situations in a proper manner, etc. So far it’s been excellent and his reward for each day of great work is to be able to invite a friend to his bday party. He’s up to 3 and counting , if he makes it past the week , i will have my hands full come party time ~ hehe

If you would like some info about ADHD or the website i recommend here are some links :

wiki : ADHD – info on ADHD

www.treatadhdnaturally.com – recommended website on natural remedies

www.dad-blogs.com – a really cool parenting blog for a little bit of everything 🙂

A huge thankyou goes out to my incredible fiancée who is so fantastic with David and helps out in so many ways. ( Love you Colleen )

I hope everyone is having a great week so far , thanks for stopping by ~ Namaste ~ william

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