Park Hopping

After many a frustrating morning, I finally figured out that the day goes so much better if we start it off at the park! We are very fortunate and have lots of parks within walking distance.  This summer, we have been taking advantage of each and every one!  The park is such a happy place for me.  I can sit and nurse Josiah.  All the kids play happily with squabbles requiring parental intervention being few and far between. The pictures speak for themselves:)

Urey Park

Lower Pool Park 

Vista Bonita Park

Gabrielino Park

The Secret Park

University Park--this one is actually not within walking distance, but it is right next to the public library.  The library doesn't open until 10 am, so we usually go and play at the park and then head over to the library.

Summer Cleaning Frenzy

I don't really know how, but I got into some sort of cleaning frenzy this summer! Maybe it's an indication of the level of filth that had become normal and acceptable to us, ha, ha! Seriously, have you ever noticed that as soon as you clean one thing, you notice five other things that are also in need of attention? This is how it happened in our home.

I started with my favorite room in the house, the kitchen. The kitchen is to me like the garage is to David. It is my safe haven.  I like it to be clean because I spend so much of my time there!  After almost a year of neglect, though, the cabinets were looking pretty dirty, so I started by taking everything out and cleaning the shelf paper and putting everything back. Of course, in the process, cabinets and drawers got reorganized, extraneous jars recycled and three champagne flutes broken. After the kitchen cabinets were cleaned inside, though, I noticed that they were really dirty on the outside. I tried just cleaning them with soap and water, but they still seemed kind of lackluster, so I splurged on Murphy's oil soap. Ahhhh...beautiful cabinets (of course, they are already dirty again, but I enjoyed them for a short time.) Then, I cleaned the dishwasher, the refrigerator and the oven. I even cleaned the stove to an impressive shine with vinegar! It was really nice to look at, so nice that I avoided cooking anything for a little while. I know...don't you feel bad for my family???

I'm kind of an all-or-nothing type person, so I moved on to the rest of the cabinets. We have a big cabinet in the hall used for linens, one in each of our two bathrooms, one in the living room used for books and games, and several in the laundry room. Everything came out. Shelves were cleaned. Almost everything went back in a more orderly fashion. And, again, Murphy's oil soap made the cabinets beautiful, for a little while at least!

Cabinets done!  Next, I really wanted to tackle the grout. Our neighbors, Bob and Terry, held an open house as an opportunity to meet everyone on the block. All I could think about the whole time we were there was, "Wow!  This grout is really clean!"  Oh, the deep thoughts that I have as a mom!  I am ashamed to admit that never before had I even contemplated cleaning grout. That's pretty bad considering we lived previously owned a house with floor tile in the kitchen and living room, the most heavily used areas! To give you an idea of how big this task was I think I need only tell you that we have floor tile in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room and that I have five children. I was encouraged, though, when I read a few blogs indicating that Oxi-Clean will clean floor tile effortlessly.  Ha, ha, that was funny, right? Sure, it may have worked if I put some blinders on!  Maybe the fact that this didn't work for me is some indication of just how dirty my grout was!  Regardless, I resorted to  the bleach and baking soda solution.  I made a paste by mixing bleach and baking soda and applied it to the grout with a toothbrush and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Then, I just wiped it clean with a cloth and water. Ahhhh...clean grout!

Once the floors were clean, though, the grout on the bathroom counters and in the shower looked really dingy.  Then, I noticed the shower door had a lot of soap scum on it. You may be wondering why I didn't notice that all these things were dirty before?  Ummm...don't go there!  I found an amazing solution for the shower door online: a paste of baking soda and vinegar. I applied the paste to the door and let it sit for 15 minutes and then wipes it clean with a wet cloth.  Yay!  An effortless solution that actually works!  Afterwards, I cleaned the door and window with Rain X 2-in-1 glass cleaner to help repel water and prevent the soap scum build-up, not my idea, of course I found it online somewhere!

About this time, I think my husband started asking me WHEN I was going to be done with the spring cleaning! He reminded me that I have five children!

But, the walls were covered with marks from little fingers, toes, tongues, and noses, not to mention the occasional runaway marker.  I really tried not to worry about them, since we are planning to repaint next summer anyways, but my OCD kicked in!  My mother-in-law had given me some magic erasers for Christmas, which I thought were at least worth a try.  I thought I would just use the one package and be happy with semi-clean walls.  I used the entire package on the kitchen walls.  Mr. Clean now has a loyal customer.  I seriously spent a small fortune on the magic erasers and cleaned every mark off of the walls in this house.  My husband was so impressed that he said, "Wow!  This house hasn't been this clean since we moved in."  My revelry in cleanliness was very, very brief.  Somehow, the little fingers, toes, tongues and noses have already gotten to the walls:(

Then, I tackled baseboards and doors!  One nifty trick I read online was to go over the baseboards with a dryer sheet after cleaning to repel dust and dirt in the future.

Again, my husband asked WHEN I was going to be done spring cleaning. He reminded me that I have five children.

Since the Murphy's oil soap made the cabinets look so nice, I decided to clean all of the furniture with it. In the process, I even cleaned up all the glops of wood glue. I came to realize two things. First, I really like the smell of good ole Murphy's. Second, my husband's handiwork is all over our house! I'm so thankful for him and all the hard work he has put into sanding and finishing and staining just about every piece of furniture we own!

Somewhere in the process, I reorganized closets and bookshelves and drawers...and then I tackled the blinds and windows. Can I just say right now that we have way too many windows! Light is so overrated! It took forever to clean the blinds. First, I dusted them off with a brush. Then, I cleaned each individual slat with a paper towel soaked in vinegar. Some blogs say you can do this with a sock or a glove, but it didn't work for me:( Then, I went over each slat with a dryer sheet to repel dust build-up in the future. After the blinds were clean, I cleaned the screens with soap and water in the bathtub. Since we are in the process of landscaping the backyard, cleaning them outside was not an option! Then, I cleaned the windows inside and out.  Of course, there are streaks, but, eh, I was getting kind of burnt out by this point.

Again, my husband asked WHEN I was going to be done with the spring cleaning.  He reminded me that  I have five children.

But, I just couldn't live with myself if I continued to allow my children to play with dirty toys, so I decided that they really needed to be cleaned!  Ordinarily, I think the disinfecting wipes are a huge waste of money for household purposes, but I bought them for the kids to use to clean the toys. When I started to clean the wooden blocks, my husband stepped in and told me I was taking things a bit too far. I thank God for that man!

The downside of spring cleaning is that I have come up with a lot of home improvement ideas for my husband to execute in 2014!!!  The upside is that the kids are going to be really happy for school to start!!!

Mary cleaning the shopping cart!

Maggie cleaning the stacking rings!

Matthew cleaning the magnets!

Jonathan cleaning the magnets!

Cute picture of Josiah and Daddy!

The Newly Organized Kids' Bathroom

After nine months I finally became sufficiently frustrated with the lack of organization in the kids' bathroom. It seemed I was always in search of a hairbrush or hanging a washcloth that was left on the counter or retrieving someone's toothbrush from a sibling's mouth! A google search led me to this.  That was exactly what we needed!  So, David went to the hardware store and bought five hose clamps, five hooks, and one big piece of wood.  He sawed the wood into five equal pieces.  I went to Target and bought red, purple, and blue plastic cups, painted and mod-podged the wood.  Then, David attached the hose clamps and hooks to the wood and attached the wood to the wall.  So far, the new organization is working out great, which is to say that washcloths are being hung up to dry and toothbrushes and hairbrushes are easily found in the appropriate cups (not in siblings' mouths)!  I'm so thankful for my handy husband who is ever willing to execute my crazy home-improvement projects!

Swimming Lessons!

One of the many perks of David's employment at UCI is swimming lessons in our backyard (practically).  UCI offers inexpensive lessons at the recreational center on a regular basis.  In addition, for two weeks in the summer, they offer swimming lessons for children ages 3 and up at one of our neighborhood pools.  This was super-easy for me.  I just loaded Matthew and Jonathan in the stroller and Josiah in the Ergo and we all walked together a short ways to the pool three days a week for two weeks.  There is even a park next to the pool where the boys can play while the girls swim.

It has been a real joy to watch the girls improve and gain confidence in the water!  Maggie took Level 1 and is able to jump in and swim to her instructor.  She uses "big arms", blows bubbles, and kicks all at the same time!  Mary took Level 2 and can swim the whole width of the pool using freestyle and backstroke! Not only were the lessons super-convenient, but I was also really pleased with the instructors.  They taught skills but also made the time really fun for the kids! 

Gloria, Mary and Matte!

Maggie with sub Emily!

Matthew and Jonathan had a great time playing with the umbrellas!

 

Goat Hill Junction Railroad

This past Saturday, we took a family excursion to Goat Hill Junction Railroad. Every third weekend of the month, the Orange County Model Engineers offer free train rides between 10:00 am and 3:30 pm. We arrived shortly after 10am and there was already a line of people waiting. We did not have to wait very long, though, because they run several different trains. Unfortunately, they would not allow me to take Josiah on board because children must be able to sit on the bench and cannot be carried. There was plenty of time to take a few pictures before the train left the station. There was also time for a picture of the train in motion, since it makes two loops around the track. Although I wasn't on the train myself, David said that the track was impressive and clearly designed by people who do this for enjoyment.

Crafty Mary

Recently, Mary has developed an interest in the handicrafts. For some time, she was collecting scraps from my sewing projects, which are, truth be told, few and far between. Not only was she saving the fabric scraps but also the discarded thread! N-U-T!  Having observed her interest in sewing, Nana and Papa gifted her with a sewing box filled with sewing supplies for her seventh birthday. Her first project was the tea towel she's holding in the picture above. Among the sewing supplies she received were flour sacks, iron-on transfers, needles, and embroidery floss. She chose the April pattern because her birthday falls in April. Then, she chose her favorite colors of floss and we began the towel. I was really surprised how quickly she picked up the knack. It seemed the only difficulty she had was with threading the needle, but this task was simplified with the aide of a needle threader. She was able to stitch the entire pattern herself all except for the words, which were a little tricky! Upon completion, she gifted me the towel, since my birthday also falls in April. It's sitting in my towel drawer, but I find it too beautiful to use! 

Apparently Mary got some sort of a craft fever. After she completed the towel, she asked me to take her to the craft store so that she could buy a weaving loom that she could use to make potholders. So, I printed out a coupon and we stopped by Jo Ann's on our way to church. Instead of buying the weaving loom, she chose to buy this knitting loom. She picked up the knack for this pretty quickly also and made a beautiful hat for Maggie's birthday!

The Things I'll Do To My Kids For Free Food

Today is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. That means free food for anyone wearing a cow costume. I am so not going to dress up like a cow, but I'll make my kids do it! Ha, ha! It was actually pretty easy.  There is a cow costume printable available on the website, so I just printed four copies, cut out the pieces, and pinned them on to white shirts. The ears were a little tricky. For the girls, I taped them on hairbands; for the boys, I pinned them to their firetruck hats. I wasn't sure if my do-as-little-as-possible-for-free-food strategy would really work, but I figured it was worth a go. We just barely passed the screening!  The kids all enjoyed grilled chicken nuggets, waffle fries, and chocolate milk...until...THE COW. I don't know what it was, the size, the surprise, but Matthew and Jonathan were terrified of the cow, so terrified that they let out blood curdling screams whenever they saw him! I really did not anticipate that reaction! Poor guys. I tried to calm them down, but they were so inconsolable.  They refused to eat and everyone in the restaurant was staring at us, so we exited quickly, well, as quickly as a mom with five children can possibly exit. The boys ate the rest of their meal in the car safe from THE COW.

Hypatia Court's Fourth of July Party

This year, a neighboring family organized an awesome block party for the Fourth of July. Thank you, Grant and Dara! There was bike decorating, a water balloon toss, relays, delicious food, and special prizes for everyone! Grant and Dara plan to make this Fourth of July party a recurring event and hope that it will continue to grow and evolve as the kids mature over the years!

Maggie and her decorated bike!

Mary and her decorated bike!

Look at Maggie go without training wheels!

The line-up for the bike parade!

The water balloon toss!

This is a picture of Grant, the mastermind behind the day's festivities!

Cupcake decorating!

Sidewalk chalk!

Matthew and Jonathan loved playing with these "wiggle cars!"  Christmas present idea???  Hint, hint!

Bob is just about mummified!

Oatmeal raisin cookies fresh from the barbeque!

Check out these patriotic desserts, courtesy of Bob and Terri!

At last the kids have some real fun, spraying one another with the garden hose!

Our Family Staycation: Irvine Regional Park

The final destination of our staycation was Irvine Regional Park.  Specifically, we were interested in going to the Orange County Zoo.  I had taken the kids to the zoo myself once before, but everyone wanted to return with Daddy for a chance at some of the other activities available, like riding horses, a surrey bike or a paddle boat.  We found most of the activities to be expensive, but we really wanted to take the boys on the train and offered the girls either a train ride or a pony ride.  The girls, of course, chose the pony ride.  There is so much more to do at Irvine Regional Park, and we do hope to in the coming years, but we had to limit ourselves in order to allow time for naps. 

The Orange County Zoo is a small zoo, especially in comparison to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, but, in my opinion, it's the perfect size.  The zoo focuses on plants and animals native to the southwestern United States, so you won't find elephants and tigers there, but you will find bears, bobcats, and coyotes!  At the entrance, we discovered they had a scavenger hunt for children.  Upon completion, the children can choose a decorative patch to take home.  There is also a small petting zoo to explore.

After spending the morning at the zoo, we went on a train ride through the park.  The girls changed their minds about the ponies and opted instead to come along on the train.  It was definitely a fun-filled day.  It was also inexpensive because our admission was free with a coupon we received from last summer's library reading program.  Plus, we had some BOGO coupons for the train ride.    

Mary doesn't mind waiting for Josiah to finish eating before we can go in!

Matthew and Jonathan are looking at an owl.

This is a picture of my friend, Bia, who came along with her son, Josiah (Yoshie).

This is a picture of Josiah, the First.

Mary really enjoyed the scavenger hunt.

Maggie's wingspan is that of a barn owl!

Mary's wingspan is that of a red-tailed hawk!

Jonathan was a little apprehensive to pet the goat.

Matthew was not really apprehensive but was characteristically rough.

Maggie, on the other hand, is very gentle!

Everyone's ready to ride the train: Yoshie, Matthew, Mary, Jonathan, Hezy, and Maggie!

This is a picture of my friend, Esther, trying to get a picture of all of us on the train!

Matthew and Jonathan were really excited!

And so was Josiah!

This is Esther's son, Hezy!

Clearly, trains bring great delight to Matthew!  You wouldn't know it from this picture, but it is WAY past naptime!

Jonathan has the sleepy-time sillies!