California Dreamin', Day Two

Our second day in San Jose started pretty early. Because of the time zone change and a tiring travel schedule, the kids went to bed at their usual hour - 7p - but were up before 3 the next morning. It was so early we actually had two full breakfasts before we headed out for our first activity, a trip to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo around 10.

Happy Hollow was delightful, as Aaron and Jada are in the sweet spot of the place's age range. So they reveled in rides, playgrounds, and goat petting, and then we returned home for lunch. Aaron fell asleep on the car ride home and seemed a lock to continue sleeping when we got home, but ended up only napping for a few minutes. I think we had counted on long afternoon naps by both of them, or at least Aaron, to enable them to stay up later and therefore wake up later.

With the whole afternoon in front of us, we decided to give our Christmas gifts to Agong and Ama, hang out some with them, and then head out to a nearby playground so the kids could have some run-around time. We got about two-thirds of the way before Jada announced that in fact she did have to go to the bathroom, despite answering in the negative all three times I asked her before we left the house.

So we walked back home and then decided to scrap the playground and walk to my cousin's house, so the kids could play with his kids and their dog and toys. From there, we split up: tired and whiny Aaron was escorted home by me, and Amy accompanied Jada to the local shopping plaza to pick out coloring books.

When we all arrived home, Agong was finishing up dinner preparations, Aaron and Jada were summarily bathed, and Auntie Mester and Uncle Dither arrived. We enjoyed excellent food and even more excellent conversation, the kids eating in the first shift and then dismissed to play upstairs. Around 7, Aaron limped downstairs to announce he was ready for bed, so once again we were unable to extend their evening, which likely means we have yet another early morning ahead of us. Oh well: California living is still good times.