We go to California a lot.  Tyme’s company is based out there and they like to get some face time once in a while.  This was a relatively short trip - only 10 days long.  We still managed to squeeze in a lot of fun and had a fantastic time!

On Thanksgiving morning, we woke up at 4 AM, packed the girls in the van, and then headed to the Atlanta airport, where we met Toby at the gate.  We flew to Irvine, and then rented a car and drove to San Diego.  We got to Sea World, our first destination, at about 2 PM Pacific time.  We spent Thanksgiving Day through Sunday there, pretty much from open to close each day.

Click on the photo to view a larger version.  Or see the whole set here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizebeth_joy/sets/72157628335616615/

Walking with the girls and Toby in the early morning.  I would like to note that we didn’t have a stroller all four days, and Carolyn, who is 2, walked for 95% of it.  We would only pick her up and piggy back her if we had to run somewhere or if she fell asleep.

Tyme and Carolyn rode in one sky bucket together while Toby, Carmen and I rode in the other.

We were treated with an amazing sight on Saturday night - a traveler’s moon with earthshine sat right next to Venus.

A dolphin comes to say hello to Carmen.

Carmen asks the zoo keeper some questions at the sea star exhibit.  If she wants to know something, she’s not afraid to find the person to ask.  One more thing I love about her.

Carolyn holds a sea star

A sea star noms on a shrimp.

We found Carolyn’s doppelganger!  The little girl the purple shirt is about six months older than her, but could have been her twin sister.  

The resemblance was downright eerie.  They even have the same forehead.

Carolyn admires the blue and yellow tangs in one of the tropical aquariums.

A penguin swallows a fish… impressive!

Toby and I took the girls to Irvine Park and the Orange County Zoo on Monday while Tyme was working.  We started at the playground, then made the zoo rounds.

The girls enjoy a springy ride before heading into the zoo

The crows here are spectacular.  And photogenic.

The girls always love visiting these goats… it must feel like home

Four peahens strut along the path

On Tuesday, after dropping Toby off at the airport, the kids and I went to the Children’s Museum in La Habra.  They had an amazing castle exhibit, with different sections offering hands-on activities that would have been found in a castle of times past.

Carmen mixes up a potion in the apothecary.

Carmen knows what hammers and anvils are for.

Carmen does the deed in the butcher shop.

Carolyn was having tea, then decided that she needed fresh milk for it.

Carolyn enjoys a pretend snack while Snowman hangs in her cart.  

Carmen catches fairies outside of the Children’s Museum.  Turns out these were not fairies… they are some kind of citrus plague.  Oops.

On Wednesday, we went and visited Lernie.  I took the camera with us, but neglected to take it out of the case all day.  Same with Thursday, when we drove out to Riverside to hang out with Debi, aka Henna Crone.  Bad me!  We rested for most of Friday, did some knitting and ran around the hotel’s courtyard.  When Tyme got home, he and I went to his company’s Christmas party while the girls enjoyed their babysitter.  Saturday morning was packup and boogie day, since I had a concert to play on Sunday.  We got home late Saturday night to a clean house and a hot bowl of chili, thanks to Toby, who had driven up early to meet us at home.