This is one of my favorite local parks, mainly due to its proximity to the library and because there is a small lake.

The playground has a fun nautical theme.

Be careful on this boat.  One of k’s classmates broke a bone while playing on it.

See-saws always feel like a novelty.

I was not too sure what activities were available in Big Bear in the summer.  n’s friend’s dad is a fisherman, so they woke up bright and early and went down to the lake to fish.

Our first group activity of the day was panning for “gold” at the nature center.

This was harder than it looks.

Next we went for a short hike.  n has made good use of his Camelbak.  As you can see, this was not a serious hike, as n was wearing flip flops.

After lunch, there was a water balloon fight with the kids v. the dads.

Later in the afternoon we made a stop at Safeway for ice cream.

After that, it was time for the Alpine Slide!

You take a chair lift up and ride down on a sled with a brake.

I think the kids had the most fun just hanging out at the house.  They played hide and go seek and kept each other entertained for hours.  I can see the plus side of vacationing with other families!

Time to say good-bye!

We picked up McDonalds and ate at a park close to the lake.

Since we did not spend any actual time at the lake, I felt the need to stop by on our way down the mountain.

I made D take a picture of me to prove that I was there!

Last month we rented a large house in Big Bear with k’s basketball team and stayed over for a weekend.  We arrived late Friday afternoon.  The house was four stories and had nine bedrooms, which was plenty spacious for six families.

D and I chose this bedroom, which had an adjoining bathroom.

All the girls slept in this bedroom.  I love the Orla Kiely bedding!

Here are some of the other bedrooms, just to give you an idea…

1 of the 2 lounge areas.  The other room had a pool table and foosball.

The kitchen was pretty small for such a large house.  We mostly prepared simple food, so we saved on eating out.  As you can see, we were well-supplied with carbs!

This park is conveniently close to n’s swim lessons, so we stopped by before.  Like many of our local parks, it has two sections.  One is geared to the younger set, and the other is for older kids.

There is also a nice shaded picnic table area.  I used to come here with mom friends from BSF.

n color coordinated with the playground equipment!

The kids’ favorite feature of this park is the slanted “zip line”.

Each June, our church has “Promotion Sunday”, and each class gives a little presentation.

k’s class read their favorite Bible verses.

k’s verse was John 14:6-7: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my father also.'”

n’s class did a handbell rendition of “Jesus Loves Me”.

When I see the older classes do their presentations, I always think that k and n would have a difficult time doing it at that age.  I need to stop underestimating them!

I recently read in a local free family magazine that this park should be avoided because of trash and flooding.  I would have to disagree, as I have never witnessed either of these problems.   It is a beautiful park that is surrounded by a grove of trees, with the added bonus of exercise equipment!

The best feature of this park is that the playground has a canopy over it.  There is a pretty steep slide that the kids like too.  It is called a sports park because it has a baseball field, soccer field, and basketball courts.  There is even a snack bar, but I have never seen it in operation.

Our second stop in our park tour was Victory Park in the new Tustin Legacy development.  We visited in the afternoon, so it was pretty hot and fairly crowded.

There were some unique features in the playground which the kids enjoyed exploring.

There is also a miniature hill with pretend telescopes; perfect for pretend play.

I have been trying to make good on my promise to the kids to take them to a lot of parks this summer.  The first stop in our Park Tour was Valencia Park in West Irvine.  We went before n’s swim lesson to avoid the hot sun.  An added benefit to going early is that we had the playground to ourselves.  I was also able to get some walking in since there is a nice path circling the playground area.

Although you cannot really see it in this picture, there is a nautical theme to the play structure, which is cute.  k and n also like this park because of the large field, which is perfect for soccer practice and cartwheels.  It is also pretty perfect for learning how to ride a bicycle since there is a nice wide paved path that circles the field.

Although it was only last week, the last week of school all seems like a blur now.  Here’s a quick recap:

Crazy Hair Day

Twin Day

Shaved Ice Party for 3rd Graders

Last Walk to School

Celebratory Last Day of School Dinner

Summer surprises to keep them busy.  (Most of which I won!)