Liam's Meets Disney Characters for the First Time

Our sweet Leopold was not too thrilled about meeting the Disney characters on our recent vacation to Euro Disney. I can understand... they're huge and don't look a thing like the loving people in his life. And to him, they seemed to be a little too unpredictable and overly, well, I suppose enthusiastic is a good word.

We were a little surprised because Benjamin met them at about the same age and loved it. But I doubt we spent as much time or got as close as we did this time... since this time Ben, at the age of 3, was all about meeting and greeting all the characters. And I just couldn't get a character autograph/picture book for B without getting one for L!

If I don't look at him, then he's not really there... If I don't look at him, then he's not really there... If I don't look at him... let's get out of here Grandma!

This almost looks like a smile, but it's actually a nervous laugh-cry. I didn't even know babies could do that. And he's pulling on me to try to get me to move away from the surely rabid dog!

Not the happy mouse... personal space, YOU'RE IN MY PERSONAL SPACE!

No I will NOT look at the camera. He might have Daddy and Ben fooled, but I'm not taking my eyes off this shady character.

Geez, that guy is huge. He'd better not try anything funny, just sign the book and we'll be on our way buddy. Shifty eyes, I tell you, shifty eyes.

He did, however, really like one of the characters... Baloo from The Jungle Book. But as luck would have it, of course I didn't get a good photo of that meeting. Instead I got the following :) Despite what it appears, we were not trying to torture him. Most times he would seem to be OK with it, and even a little intrigued with them... until we moved in closer for a photo. I think it was just a little too close for him. And certainly, if it wasn't mommy holding him, well then it was pretty much torture.

And my absolute favorite shots I think are of Grandpa holding him at the Character dinner. We had just been visited by, horror of all horrors, TIGGER! He totally sent Liam over the top, poor little guy. In fact, he got upset just looking at a picture of him on my camera later on. Anyway, even after Tigger left... Liam would not, COULD NOT, peel his eyes off of that crazy orange beast! No matter how far away he got... Liam followed him like a hawk until he was completely out of sight, and stayed that way. Then, and only then, did he fall asleep on Grandma... while still keeping a partial heavy eye on the door Tigger made his exit through. Poor little guy. Sure makes for a funny memory :)

He's finally getting more used to this posing with characters drill... and has decided that it's not too terrible as long as mommy is holding him, on the her outside arm, furthest away from the character, the character doesn't make eye contact or heaven forbid reach out a hand to him, and he is able to put the death grip hold on mommy's shirt and her delicate skin underneath, we move in and out quickly and never, EVER, make physical contact of any kind :)

In hindsight, we should have done all the photos this way :)

We'll have to try it again in couple years :)