Universal Studios

I haven't been to Universal Studios since I was a kid myself. But with the Harry Potter area, I have been itching to go. With the kids getting a three week winter break, we decided to go to Universal Studios during the third week. On their website, it said it was a middle level of busy (there are three levels) and I was pleasantly surprised with how mild the crowds were. 

We started out in the Harry Potter area and it did not disappoint. Though, I must say that the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride was quite scary for kids. But, I would say that was the case with most of the rides at Universal. It's definitely a place for older children, rather than younger. However, we went into Ollivanders Wand Shop and that experience was just amazing! Connor and Isla were chosen to be fitted for wands. It took about five minutes and was so fun. After they let the crowd out of the room, they called us forward and offered for Callum to be fitted as well, but he was hesitant, so we said no. I thought it was cool that they offered to do it to him too, so he wouldn't feel left out. We ended up buying the interactive wands and that was a cool experience. Making fire come from a chimney, a door unlock, tea pour, etc. Definitely a highlight. Makes me want to go to Florida where there is an entire park dedicated to Harry Potter. 

Some of the other highlights were the "real" dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park area. You could interact with them and they would respond to you. The kids really liked that. There was also a play area down there that was a big hit with the kids. We did the studio tour. It is longer than I expected, just over an hour. But it was highly entertaining. There are some scary parts and Isla definitely wasn't a fan. There is also a play area and a couple smaller kid rides in the Despicable Me section, so we spent a fair bit of time over there. Callum really just likes playing anywhere there are kids! 

Given the ages of our children and that Universal and Disneyland are basically the same price, I would do Disneyland over Universal. Though, that hurts my heart a little because the (small) Harry Potter area was so cool! Also, the parking situation at Universal was better, there was Starbucks IN the park...along with other chains like Panda Express. And, their characters did an amazing job at interacting with the kids. Frankenstein playing peek-a-boo with Willa was a highlight. But Disneyland is significantly bigger, so yeah.

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Ice Cream for Lunch

I've become really good at blogging like maybe once a week. Alas, I will trudge on, as this is how I keep our memories going. After we went to the Pacific Pinball Museum (a little over a week ago!), we crossed into San Francisco to go to Salt and Straw. This was the reason for the trip anyway. And it was obviously destined for us because first there was literally no one at the toll booths to get on the bay bridge. I've never seen it like this before. It was crazy. Then, we head to an ice cream shop in the middle of San Francisco and manage to score street parking right in front on the first pass through. WHAT?! The ice cream was obviously meant to be!!!

Even though it was past lunch time and no one had eaten yet, we basically used ice cream as lunch because, well, everyone got a lot of it! The ice cream itself was quirky and fun. I got a gingerbread cookie dough one and it did not disappoint. All the flavors were quirky and sometimes things like that can throw the kids off, but they liked it. Of course, I think the ginormous waffle cones Connor and Isla got helped! They ended up with ones way bigger than me somehow...all because they "split flavors". Apparently the 50 cent up charge for splitting flavors for a single scoop really is code for getting two scoops. It was kind of crazy.

It was a fun little stop in a cute area of San Francisco - Hayes Valley. We've never been to this particular area before, but would definitely go back and explore more as there were just so many cute shops all around there.

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Pacific Pinball Museum

This past weekend was Ian's last holiday off until the end of busy season. It felt appropriate to do something fun as a family. We were going to go to the snow, but found out the snow level was rather high and decided to scrap that...we were hoping more for an experience like last year. Which apparently, now looking back on that, it was in March. So there is still hope for a really good snow for us to go play in. But I digress. Ian and Isla had read about a new ice cream place in San Francisco recently and we decided to go there instead. Except, driving to San Francisco just for ice cream seemed a little bit wasteful. So, I started searching for something fun to do. We have done tons of Bay Area activities over the years, so I was kind of looking for something we hadn't done yet. That's when I stumbled across the Pacific Pinball Museum. 

To be honest, I wasn't sure how much the kids would like the outing. They always seem rather bah humbug about leaving the house. But they were actually on board...even though I'm not sure they were fully aware what pinball was. When we got there, they were totally excited. You pay a flat fee to get in, then all the pinball machines are free play. They start with the oldest machines, then get newer as you wind through the museum. The old ones are pretty neat because they are wood and you actually have to load your own balls. They also apparently used to have some gambling involved as well and say "minors not permitted" on them. The last room with the newest pinball machines in it was just crazy busy. Too busy for me, even though I did want to try my hand at the Monopoly and Back to the Future machines. But the added chaos (my kids were enough for me already!) just wasn't worth it. So we stuck to the other machines. And to be honest, I was plenty entertained by all the other machines and so were the kids. 

We stayed at the pinball museum for a couple hours before heading to get ice cream. But I could totally see going for a couple hours, then leaving and getting lunch or something, then going back in, as they have in and out privileges. It was a fun stop, one I am sure we will hit up again sometime, as the kids really enjoyed it. 

^^ My kids are total and complete suckers for those souvenir penny machines and of course walked away with a couple. 

^^ Callum was by far the most animated about the pinball machines. Which the museum had step stools for the kids, which was awesome. 

^^ Callum was very serious until the ball went in at the bottom, then would get super excited. 

^^ Loading the ball in one of the old machines.

If you are looking for something unique and entertaining to do with your kids, I highly recommend the pinball museum. 

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Los Angeles

Ian had to go out of town last week for work, so I decided to take the kids down to Los Angeles and visit my parents. I always love how there is just so much to see and do constantly there. We took the kids to the Santa Monica Pier one day, in which Callum had his first experience at riding carnival rides and was totally into it. He was NOT into leaving though, and was sure to let us know.  Technically Callum was 1 inch too short to ride unattended on the rides and I thought I was going to have to bite the bullet and go round and round and round some more all day, but somehow the workers were fine with Connor or Isla being his "adult". Yes, the sign clearly said adult, but I did not complain, at the decision was in my stomach's favor. Connor rode the big roller coaster 14 times by himself...well, the worker convinced my dad to go on with him,  for free, on the last ride.

No trip to LA is complete without my mom and I dragging the kids to a couple thrift stores. We also fed the turtles in Echo Park lake, where we also managed to let the older two have popsicles without Callum knowing. We made them stay behind the stroller the whole time and it actually worked. Which, this decision too was in my favor, as I didn't want to deal with a sticky mess of a toddler and a destroyed stroller. 

Let us not forget our trip to Ikea...hello free childcare! Or playing at Travel Town, a train museum. Here is where I discovered Connor's love of trains is still there, and his imagination is still active as ever. We also went and had dinner with my aunt and uncle, which is always nice. 

It was a good trip. Being with people I love, who will also help with the kids, is always much nicer than a week home alone, going at it alone. 

^^ Their first time on the planes Callum sat in front of the controls and they basically stayed on the ground the whole time, only bouncing up and down a little.

^^ With Isla at the controls 

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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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Discovery Cube LA

My parents were going to take the kids to Knotts Berry Farm for one of their christmas presents. As luck would have it, it was pouring down rain on the days we could go. So we decided to do something indoors instead. The kids had so much fun at the discovery cube last year and always ask to go back when we are in LA. So, I told my parents they would love it. As a HUGE bonus, all the schools were back from christmas break in LA, so we literally had the place to ourselves. 

Last year when we were there, they had a lego exhibit going on. This time it was doc mcstuffin. It did not disappoint. It was set up like a hospital and their attention to detail was amazing. Not to mention it was well manned and people made sure there were dolls on all the beds, babies in all the basinets and all the tools were replaced constantly. Isla had so much fun following the directions and treating the patients. Callum had fun playing with the balls that were in the veterinarian section. 

Like a cool person, I kept playing this trash sorting game they had and winning. Callum was enthralled with the helicopter tour, in fact probably the most still I have ever seen him awake. And Connor loved the house you go through and the LA Kings interactive exhibit. 

I wish there was cool stuff like this for kids nearer to where we live. We have to drive like an hour and a half in any direction to get to something of such. Sigh. 

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