Legoland

We spent a few days down the coast in Carlsbad in between Christmas and New Years. The main reason for the quick getaway was to spend a day at Legoland.

We told Nash when he turned five that he could earn a big prize if he stopped sucking his thumb. He thought about it long and hard and decided that he wanted to go to Legoland as a reward. We thought he would hunker down over the summer but he wasn't quite ready to give up his favorite habit just yet and we didn't push it too much. When the possibility of going to Legoland over Christmas break came into play at the end of November, he was ready to get serious.

We followed the same program we used for Blake when he was five. Some bitter tasting polish on the thumb before bed and a sticker chart to fill up in order to redeem the prize. Nash was at just the right age to feel motivated to put his thumbsucking days behind him. Minus a few rough moments, he kicked his habit with relative ease.

There was no way he was going to miss out on a potential Legoland trip. The boys plopped right down on the bricks once we entered the park to study the guide and plan out our day.

Crew was tall enough to ride on his very first roller coaster. His face says it all. He was concerned for most of the ride but he begged to go again once we were safely back on the ground.

Crew was having the time of his life until he accidentally bumped his head on Santa's arm.

Everyone's favorite part of Legoland was playing in the snow during the holiday snow days event. It was the closest thing to real snow in Southern California.

The boys loved making snowballs to throw at targets.

Crew especially got a kick out of adding facial features and accessories to the snowmen.

Finn and I played with giant blocks while the rest of the group waited in line for a ride. His hair was a static electricity magnet.

One of the most impressive parts of Legoland was Mini-land, where we caught a glimpse of spectacular LEGO replicas of Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington DC and New York City. The detail was astounding and Crew loved how the buildings were decorated with Christmas themes and Santa appearances.

Of course, the older boys managed to squeeze in some roller coasters and thrill rides as well.

Nash was completely satisfied with his hard earned reward to Legoland. He seems so grown up now that his thumbsucking is thing of the past. The best part about the day we happened to visit was Legoland was running a holiday "Our Gift to You" special, which meant we qualified for tickets to visit again before the end of February. The crowds were high over the holidays and we didn't make it to some of the attractions so we're excited to do it all over again soon.