Park Review - Fun Wednesday

Today we (my mom, sis and I) took the kids to Memorial Park in Claremont CA. I love taking my son to parks because it really allows him to release all of his toddler energy. He's a grump when he is indoors too long. I had often wished Claremont had a park, because I live so close. But I recently found out that they do have one. When we went to Claremont for their Spring Celebration, it was held at Memorial Park in Claremont. I was excited to see what this park had to offer. The day we went to the Spring Celebration, I was taken back by how big this park is. Very shaded, lots of green grass to run on, and a playground for the kiddies. It also had tennis courts and a basefall field. Perfect for a birthday party celebration or even a picnic with the kiddies. They had picnic areas you can rent out for the day too, which is what I'll likely do for my son's 2ND birthday.




We took the kids there today, because the Santa Ana's were amongst us today and we wanted somewhere that was wind free. For those of you who are not familiar with Santa Ana winds you are lucky. Claremont is usually wind free so it was a perfect opportunity to give this park a test run. It passed!! The weather was nice, the kids enjoyed it, we adults enjoyed it. The restrooms were close enough to the playground so if a kids gotta go, it's not a hike to the potty. The playground was a bit smaller then a lot of the newer parks, but it had all the necessities. This park also has a nice big open field which would be perfect for flying kites. I'll have to remember that for next time. This is also a sand playground, which my son loves! He loves to pick up the sand and cover the slide with it. He'll also sit and cover his feet, note to self to remember the sand toys next time.




If you live in the area, I recommend checking it out. It's located a couple blocks north of the Claremont Village. Have a great Wednesday everyone.

Another Park Story - Red Hill Community

Last week a friend of mine came across a very very cool park she had taken her little ones to. She let me know about it and I couldn't wait to take Logan, but day to day things kept getting in the way. Finally yesterday we made it out there. I packed a lunch, a couple of toys, and some bread to feed the ducks.

For those of you who live in the area, we went to Red Hill Park in Rancho Cucamonga. I pass this park ALL the time and never knew it was there. It's sort of hidden if you're driving down Baseline, or I'm just blind. Either way I'm glad she told me about it. It is HUGE!!! There are 2 fully equipped playgrounds, Enormous grassy fields, a trail, a lake, ducks and turtles.

We invited my Mom, Sister and the kiddies for an extra dose of fun. We all arrived at the park around the same time. We laid down the blanket for our picnic area and headed to the playground. This playground is huge. The kids played in the sand and went down the slides. They also enjoyed the swings and a doll house that they had there. Though the boys just loved covering the doll house table with sand, what little boy wouldn't love that? They also had a toy there that I had never seen before. It's this weird square bounching thingy. My sis and and tried it out and it was fun. My son wanted to try but he was too little so I held him there while my sister made it bounce. He looooved that thing!

After the playground the kids wanted to feed the ducks. So we grabbed our bread from the picnic area and headed to the lake. Their were so many ducks and turtles. Logan had never fed the ducks before so we had to explain to him and my nephew that you throw the bread to them. All three of them really seemed to enjoy this, the ducks did too. But eventually the bread was gone, so we went and looked at some turtles. There were so many turtles! I was holding Logan while we got a closer look, he looked so taken back by them. It was quite funny. Right next to the lake is a huge grassy hill which my son had taken off running up to the top. Then decided to lie down and roll down the hill, laughing the entire time. My niece decided to join him so they were both rolling down the hill. Made me dizzy just watching them. Then my nephew decided to join in the fun, but he really didn't understand what the heck they were doing. He took a running start down the hill then jumped, landing face first into the grass. My sister then took him to the top and showed him how to roll. They played and ran forever on that hill. I brought the squirt gun out and they had a ball with that too.

After awhile we got hungry, so we made our way to the picnic area and ate the lunch we brought. My son ignored his sandwich completely, all he wanted was strawberries s that's all he ate. When we were finished eating we went to the stage next to the lake. My niece wanted to do a dance but not all by herself. So we all got into a circle and did the songs she learned in her "class" she goes to once a week. One of them is Ring around the Roses, so we did that. All of the kids loved that. Logan was so excited when we'd go in the circle then drop to our knees. We even did it a few times because the kids loved it so much. After that we took one more trip to the lake before heading home. It was already after one and therefore past Logan's nap time. I could tell he was exhausted.

It just wouldn't a family outing without at least one stop to Starbucks. On the way home I took a glance at Logan and noticed he was almost asleep, but not quite. I decided I needed a little fuel for my fire so we pulled into an Upland Starbucks drive-thru (one I worked at many years ago), and I got a Iced with whip Chai. So refreshing and energizing! We got home, I put Logan to bed and I relaxed. Taking the kids to the park is very rewarding, but requires a lot of energy. Thank God for caffeine!

I totally recommend Red Hill park to anyone in the area. Little kids of all ages would get a kick out of this park. If my son were a little older I would bring a scooter or bike for him to ride along the trail. It's a great place for picnics, birthday parties or just some good 'ol fun. Thanks Cindy for the recommendation.

Indoor Picnicing at the Mall

Welcome to another gloomy day in the Inland Empire. I heard on the news that we were supposed to have "terrible thunder storms" all day, so I planned a fun, indoor picnic at The Montclair Plaza. When I got up this morning, I was shocked that it was not raining(though this would not be the first time the weather man was wrong), so I did my normal mom stuff, made lunches, packed the diaper bag and got us both dressed and ready to go. Still, NO RAIN!! Whatever, I already had it planned, so I stuck to it.

We got to the Montclair Plaza, where I walked a lap before heading to their play area. This way I could stretch my legs some too. We finally arrived at the play area and Logan was so excited to get out of his stroller and play. There were a few other kids there, about his age so it was nice. He always enjoys playing at this playground. It's perfect for toddlers, and young kids. I've been taking my son there since he was crawling, and it's interesting to see how far he's come. Now he can climb up the slides, and crawl all over everything, when just 6 months ago he had a hard time with a lot of it. Logan will usually play with other kids; or follow them, ultimately annoying them, while I mingle with other moms, grandmas, or dads. It's especially nice because it's located right next to the Barnes & Noble, so every once in awhile, I'll stop in and get myself some Starbucks. But on the flip side, it's also next to a Cinnabon, so if you're dieting(like I usually am), then this definitely becomes a challenge for your willpower.

Today, he played in their forever. I have so much fun watching him be a little boy. Running, climbing, jumping, and sliding. His pants were a little big for him, so I often saw his butt crack, so I'd have to make my way over to him, pulling up those pants.

Once he was done at the playground, I brought out the goodies I had packed for us. We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He had water to drink, while I drank my sugar free Amp. After our lunch, we strolled into Barnes & Noble to look at their children's section. I attempted to read to him, but he apparently still had some energy to burn off. I wish he loved books as much as I do. They have a wonderful children's corner, that I hope someday he learns to like.

The mall is a great place to take your young ins, it's great for all ages. Today's journey was especially great because it didn't cost me anything. Admission to mall: Free, Admission to playground: Free, Sack Lunch: Free, Reading a Book in Barnes & Noble: Free. Everyone wins!

I have a question though for you mom's. I love packing a lunch when we go places because it saves money, it's usually healthier, and it's quick. What are some HEALTHY snacks that your kids enjoy? Please share, I could use some ideas.

Thanks for listening!


Photo Credit: My Camera