Trippin'

We've been field tripping all over the place.  Trippin' with Little T is quite an experience.  While getting ready for one of our trips this week, I stood in the shower and listened to Little T pound all over the house yelling "I'm not ready to go yet!  I'm not ready to go yet!"

Later, in the car, watching all the people stuck in our hideous Bay Area traffic, I remarked on the awesomeness of the carpool lane.  And as we zipped past all those barely moving cars, my sweet five year old pointed at them and said: "Yeah, SUCK-AHS!"


Sigh.

Anyway, our trips this month: We went to the John Muir Historical Site, and learned about one of the greatest hippies who ever lived.  He had a "scribble den" in his big beautiful house.  I want a scribble den.    A photo from the trip:

We went to the California Academy of Sciences, a place that rocks.  And that has lots of cool rocks, too.  A video of that trip:

There are a surprising amount of fish in the Academy: everywhere you go, there is a fish habitat, or a huge tank, or some way to see fish behind glass.  Later, on our way to a soccer field, Little T said:

This is wi-wee weird, mommy.  I feel kind of like a swimming fish right now.  Because we saw all those fish through glass today, and now we are sitting here with the car windows around us, and I feel like I'm a fish behind glass.  This is wi-wee weird, mommy.

See? Trippin' with Little T.

We went to Sutter's Fort State Historic Park, and learned a little about life right before and during the Gold Rush.  We learned, for example, that if you had strep throat in the 1840s , the doctor at the Fort would stick a glass tube down your throat, with an opening at the bottom just big enough for the mouth (but not the body) of a leech to fit through, thus allowing the leech to feast upon the swollen tissue of your throat, thereby removing the bacteria from your body.  I think the "thus" and "thereby" in the previous sentence do a nice job of balancing the disgusting subject matter.

We also went to the State Capitol building and took a very informative tour; the highlight for me was seeing the State Assembly Gallery, where Assemblymembers cast their votes and make the laws that govern our lives.  Very cool.  Some more photos:

The awesome dome.

Jerry Brown, our state's youngest (from 1975-1983) and
oldest (currently!) Governor, and his super funky portrait.

Where the Assembly debates and votes!

I am all field tripped out.  Must rest up before we go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium next month.