Sunday, November 9, 2008

Family vacation 2008

We got home yesterday from a week in California, and I caught myself wondering why it's so chilly here. Then I remembered this is what November is really like. California felt like summer!

We went to Disneyland. Here we are on the steamboat . . .





And here's A. and T. crossing the pontoon bridge on Tom Sawyer Island for about the 18th time . . .


















Both of the boys enjoying the Dumbo ride . . .













T. on the carousel . . .











And Mike and M. showing off how wet they got on the Grizzly River ride in California Adventure.

M. was a little hesitant about roller coasters, but she agreed to try a couple with me. After the first one, she decided she wanted to ride every roller coaster they had! Since the younger kids had had enough of "fast scary rides" after the Matterhorn, M. got to trade off with Mike and me so we could go on things like Splash Mountain and Space Mountain. She and I even went on California Screamin' (the huge roller coaster in California Adventure that goes upside down) twice in a row.

We also went to a science museum called Discovery Science Center. They have all kinds of things to play with, including a virtual harp with laser sensors instead of strings, a virtual volleyball game, a bed of nails that M. was brave enough to lie on, and a remote-control airplane you can fly in a wind tunnel.


One of the best things we did was go to the coast. Near one of the big public beaches, we found a smaller beach called Little Corona del Mar. It was a great kids' beach, with sand, rocks, tide pools, birds, and lots of waves, but small enough that not too many people were there.


It really was a perfect day to be at the beach.



The water was a little cold at first . . .





. . . but the kids didn't care at all.



In fact, they didn't want to leave. We had to, though, since we were having dinner with some of Mike's family that night before heading home the next day.

We got home safely, and now it's back to laundry, dishes, and eating in instead of out. But we had a great time!

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