Blueberry Picking

I love blueberry picking. It's something I find fun and I just love to take the kids. I had never even heard of blueberry picking before we moved back here seven years ago...maybe it's more recently become a thing? Who knows. Anyway, I knew I wanted to get out there this year, before the season had passed and before it was unbearably hot. 

We've had something going on every day of summer break so far and Friday was our first day free. I thought we would relax a bit. But the kids woke up and were at each other all morning. Just endless fighting and whining and I knew we needed to get out of the house. So, I loaded them up and took them blueberry picking.

The blueberry picking itself was quite successful. Now that I have two children that don't just sit there and eat all they pick! We managed to go home with just over four pounds. But the third child...well, he ate everything he picked and we had to guard the other buckets from him!

Right when we were getting back to the barn from picking blueberries, I looked like a bit of a circus act. Callum was trying to run away from me to the playground. I was pulling the wagon and trying to manage everyone else. Then I ran into someone I knew who offered to help. I kindly asked that she keep an eye on Callum at the playground while I go pay. Which, I must say, mom solidarity is just the best. We moms should always be willing to help each other out, yet so often don't. But back to the story. 

After I paid, we went out to the playground. The older two ran off and Callum was in the sand box, so I planted myself there. I was staring at the sandbox, but really in a daze, trying to decompress from the morning's events. I watched a kid repeatedly throw sand in another kid's face and it wasn't until the other parent intervened that I realized the sand throwing kid was MY KID. I was a bit mortified that I was literally staring at it happening, yet did nothing. Well, long story short, no matter what I tried, the sand throwing (literally directly in other kids faces) kept happening, so we left. 

But the blueberry picking itself, well that was great. And the blueberries are delicious. So, I'm chalking it up to a win. 

^^ These two lazy bums had me pull them in from the field. I'm pretty sure this is where the circus act started. I was pulling the wagon with one hand and holding on to Callum with the other, as he kept running away. 

Now to eat all those blueberries, which is never hard for us.

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Things to do in Northern California with Kids

With summer literally right around the corner, I thought it would be good for me to remind myself of all the fun things we have to do in our area. Some things are near by and may only take up a couple hours and others are day trips. But all are good things to do with kids.


Modesto

Great Valley Museum
Kidspace
Fruit picking at Ott Farms or Jessop Farms
Hilmar Cheese - tour and ice cream
Modesto Nuts game
MB2 Raceway (indoor go karts)
Miniture golf at Boomers or Funworks


Central Valley

Railtown 1897 (Jamestown) - bring a picnic, ride the train
Knights Ferry - go on a hike, play in the river, grab ice cream in town
Columbia - pan for gold, grab some lunch and take a stage coach ride
Children's Museum of Stockton
World of Wonders Science Museum (Lodi) - it's like a miniature Exploratorium
Kiddieland (Merced) - located in Applegate park. It's run by the Kiwanis club. It has a few vintage rides at really cheap prices.
Micke Grove Zoo (Lodi)
Castle Air Museum (Atwater)


Coast

Beach day
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Dennis the Menace Park (Monterey)


Bay Area

Exploratorium (San Francisco)
San Francisco Zoo - one of my favorite zoos…and it's right across from the beach!
Golden Gate Park (San Francisco) - so much to do here, museums, play areas, and more
Bay Area Discovery Museum (San Francisco)
Fairyland (Oakland)
Lawrence Hall of Science (Berkeley)
Oakland Zoo
Jelly Belly Factory (Fairfield)


Sacramento Area

California State Railroad Museum (in Old Town Sacramento)
Old Town Sacramento
Fairytale Town (Sacramento)
Sacramento Zoo


Believe it or not, we have done virtually all of these things over the last few years of having kids. Some of these places we have visited many, many times. But, it's always a good reminder of what there is to do in our area.

And, if you are really desperate, there is always Ikea…free childcare for an hour (or an hour and a half if you are a member) and my kids always love playing in the childcare center ;)

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Bath Time Fun

We have probably used/owned practically every kids bath toy/product out there. I've learned what works and what doesn't. And by "what works" I don't mean what entertains the kids, because really it all does, what I mean is what doesn't destroy the bathtub. Like, a long time ago, I learned that bath crayons are about the hardest thing ever to remove from bath walls. So, I've never gotten them again. Bath paint is a huge hit in our house and always easy clean up. The kids shaving kits and foaming soaps are great as well. But that stuff leaves behind MAJOR soap scum…which, speaking from experience, dawn and vinegar in a spray bottle will take it off literally without any scrubbing…pinterest for the win! But, the product that has the most staying power and I buy over and over are those crayola color drops. They don't stain the tub or the walls, so really require no clean up. The color possibilities are endless. And the kids love them.

Recently I was cleaning out the kitchen and set out a tea pot to get rid of. One of the kids grabbed it and started playing with it. And it somehow (cough, Isla, cough) migrated to the bathtub. Then started a tradition of me making a surprise color in it and the kids learning the color when either them or I poured it into the tub. I know it sounds corny, but it really is fun. I think the mystery of the color makes it fun for them. And I enjoy watching the concentrated color hit the water and spread like a cloud through the bath water. This is just another one of those things that proves it really is the little things in life!

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Grinch Fun Run

A week ago, we took the kids downtown to the Grinch Fun Run. We told them about it ahead of time and talked about how they needed to chase the Grinch to keep him from stealing Christmas. That morning, I let both the kids pick out their outfits, but told them they needed to dress festive. Isla wore completely inappropriate shoes for running (cat ballet flats) but she said they were running shoes, so I went with it.

The event itself was totally chaotic and not well planned out, but the kids didn't seem to notice and still enjoyed themselves. And Connor was totally stoked about his running number and participation medal. Isla was just stoked about life (aka: full of energy), so you know.

Callum was safely nestled inside of his stroller and slept through the whole event. I am glad he stayed asleep because it was actually quite cold outside. Connor and Isla refused to wear coats, making it seem warmer than it really was, but it was a pretty chilly morning. Maybe all the running (the fun run was only two blocks) kept them nice and toasty.

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Kids Apps

I have to be honest, the real reason I am writing this post is I feel we are in a rut with apps for the kids, so I am hoping that by sharing some of our favorite ones, you will return the favor and tell me some of your favorite kids apps.

We don't have very many apps for the kids. I really never remember to search for them, so the ones we have usually come about via recommendation, though I have found a few by myself. I am cheap, so most of the apps are free.

These apps are listed in no particular order. I did try to rate what age I think they are appropriate for, based on how often my kids play with them. Connor seems to be outgrowing most of our apps, so I am on the market for some that are appropriate for 5 year olds, if you have any suggestions. But, here are our current favorites:

1. Lego Duplo Train (free) - This is a pretty simple app that allows you to build a train, then drive it around a track, pick up loads/people, etc. It's simple and basic, but fun for kids that like trains and duplos. It is good for ages 2-3.

2. Monkey Preschool Lunchbox ($1.99) - This app has memory games, puzzles, counting and more. I like how its educational and fun. But, expect to get some of the sayings stuck in your head. I would say it is good for ages 2-4. 

3. Despicable Me: Minion Rush (free) - What respectable Despicable Me fan would be caught without this app?! I must admit, Connor is WAY better at it than me and gets mad when he needs help and I do worse than him. Whoops! Isla is just starting to play with this app, but doesn't know how to use it. She usually just stares at the dancing minion on the main screen. I would say this app is great for ages 3 and up. 

4. Easy-Bake Treats! (free) - This is a fun app where you mix, bake, decorate and eat things like cake, cupcakes and cake pops. Both Connor and Isla like this app. This app is really great for all ages.

5. Bible for Kids (free) - I really, really like this app. If you want your kids to learn about the bible, this is the app for you. It tells the bible stories in book format and shows pictures. It tells the bible just like it is (and, well, the bible is rather violent) so be prepared for some interesting questions. This app is great for all ages. 

6. Little People Learning Market (free) - This is a fun app that helps kids match things (grocery shopping via a picture list) and also uses colors. It must be entertaining because both Connor and Isla like it, though Isla now plays it more than Connor. This app is good for ages 2-5. 

7. Little People (or Fisher Price) really has a few great apps, especially for young children. Two of our favorites when the kids were young were Animal Sounds and Laugh & Learn Shapes & Colors. Very simple, just tough the screen to make it do something. But, be prepared to have annoying little kids songs stuck in your head! These apps are good from the time you want to introduce electronics to your kid until about 2.  

8. Zoo Train ($1.99) - This app has a few different activities in it. There are simple puzzles, letter matching, shape matching in the form of building a railroad and train building. Isla really enjoys this app a lot. Connor did, but has outgrown it. I would say it is great for ages 2-4. 

9. Elmo Loves ABCs lite (free) - We have the free version of this on our ipad. There is a paid version for $4.99. As far as I know, this app is only for ipads. It is a really neat app though. It (obviously) focuses on the abc's. Kids can trace both uppercase and lowercase letters. There are little Elmo video clips that come on when the kid gets a letter correct. There is also is a coloring portion, like a coloring book for the ipad. Both Connor and Isla enjoy this app. I would say it is good for ages 2-5. 

What are your kids favorite apps?

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