Our first full day in California was spent at Disneyland in the morning and California Adventure in the afternoon. We arrived early to beat the crowds.
I guess we didn't arrive early enough... The park officially opened at 10:00 so we arrived at 9:30. They opened the gates at 9:40 to allow everyone onto Main Street where we waited with the crowds until they removed the barricades.
Our first ride was Peter Pan.
The camera flash exposing behind the scenes... The ride is pitch black so, normally, we couldn't the other riders.
Fighting Captain Hook!
Waiting to get on Dumbo.
All aboard the flying elephant...
The Mad Tea Party
Giving Daddy a strange look...
I think Winnie the Pooh's around here somewhere...
We found Tigger!
Chloe was not impressed.
Bye, Tigger.
Here's Pooh!
On our way into the Haunted Mansion!
In Tarzan's tree house.
"The naked guy is Tarzan," says Lucy.
Ready for a Jungle Cruise!
Lucy's looking for some animals.
Found some monkeys!
We headed over to California Adventure, right next door to Disneyland, for some lunch and new rides for the kids.
Charlie on the Jumpin' Jellyfish.
Chloe, keeping busy while everyone else takes turns on the Silly Symphony Swings.
Can you see Lucy, Phil and Charlie?
Looking up at Mickey's Fun Wheel. You can choose to ride in a stable seat the just does the circle or a swinging seat the slides along the track as the whole wheel rotates.
Waiting in line can be hard for a 3 year old.
On the Fun Wheel. It wasn't too much fun for Charlie who wanted the non swinging lineup. We picked the swinging because it was a 20 minute wait instead of 30.
Picking Sea Creatures to ride on King Triton's Carousel.
Here we go!
Waiting in line for the most boring ride ever, according to Charlie.
Judging by the look on his face, it must be a horrible ride... Lucy seems to be enjoying it though!
Ahh, she get's her prince...
Meeting Mater!
And Lightning McQueen!
Wearing his 3D glasses for It's Tough to be a Bug!
Phil and the big kids on Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies.
Daddy chose to sit out the Francis' Ladybug Boogie but the rest of us had fun spinning around!
The kids loved Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue.
We finished off the day with the World of Color light and fountain show.
Lucy is out!
Soon, Chloe will be too...
On our second day in California, we took a break from the theme parks and went to LA to the California Science Center. Here, Phil, with some help from Lucy and Charlie, lifts a truck off the ground.
Riding on a turtle in the Desert Ecosystem exhibit.
Mr. Lizard
Lucy and some bugs.
The girls snowmobiling through the Arctic.
Touching the ice wall.
Charlie takes a turn on the snowmobile.
Lucy and Chloe loved this outdoor garden in the Kids' Play Area. Such a cool idea to use bark mulch so they don't get dirty!
Planting carrots for the bunnies.
After a quick lunch, we headed over to Venice Beach to play in the sand. 
We had to climb over a big sand hill parallel to the beach.
And on the other side was the ocean!
Charlie and Lucy went straight for the surf while Chloe hesitated...
But soon, they were all trying to outrun the surf.
Loving the feeling of bare feet in squishy sand!
And waves splashing over feet...
We went for a walk on the pier and saw dolphins jumping out of the water, which we didn't get a picture of. But we did get a picture of this sea gull...
Climbing up the sand hill.
On top of the sand hill.
Time to go home...
