A couple of weeks ago, D ran another half marathon sponsored by Mazda.  This time it was in Los Angeles.  We all accompanied him the day before so he could pick up his bib, t-shirt, etc. 

The Expo was at the Convention Center, where they were charging $15 for parking.  However, we found a $5 lot that required a bit of walking.

We walked past Staples Center.

Afterward we drove to Little Tokyo.  I had grand plans to participate in the Hello Kitty Hungry Hunt, in order to obtain some cute HK-food related pins.  However, the first place that I visited said they were not giving the pins out until noon, so I gave up.  We did pick up some food to go at Marukai, though.

My sister told me about a night hike led by rangers from the OC Parks system being held at Peters Canyon, so we signed up.  There were refreshments (cookies and hot chocolate), and a short presentation of various animals that can be found at Peters Canyon.  The hike started a little late because we had to wait for everyone to use the restroom (a necessity after all that hot chocolate), and there were only two working stalls. 

We also told some friends from our small group and met them there.

There were two options—a longer hike and a shorter hike.  We opted for the shorter hike since we had to go somewhere afterward.  We were on the hunt for pack rats and tarantulas, but no such luck.  We did, however, come across these creatures:

Pretty freaky, huh?

No, they were not alive, but they were “real”.  Haha. 

Last week went by in a blur.  We had a health scare with n.  He started shifting/rolling his eyes to the right.  I took him to multiple doctor appointments and he had an MRI.  I was so thankful that n was able to be awake during the MRI and stay still for about 45 minutes, so he did not have to go under.  He was able to watch “Happy Feet” with special goggles.  Fortunately, everything seems to be “normal”, so we will just have to monitor him.  The problem seems to come and go, and may be a “tic”, which is more common in boys.

Due to my lack of blogging, I have a backlog of posts.  We will start with the story that having an edible garden continues to be an unfulfilled dream of mine.  However, one day we noticed some vines growing over our fence from one of our neighbors.

We were too lazy to cut them right away, and then we noticed fruit growing on the vines.  It turned out to be passion fruit!

There is not much inside, but the aroma of the pulp is quite fragrant.  We like to add it to our juicing creations.

I’m realizing that I am not a summer crafter.  It is just too hot.  When the weather starts to cool, my itch to create reignites.  I am actually not that into Halloween, but it is more fun now that the kids are older. 

These were the snacks I brought for k’s Girl Scout meeting.

We made m&m oatmeal cookies and “boo’d” our neighbors.  The kids had so much fun with this—ringing doorbells, leaving the cookies and RUNNING!  They were caught by our neighbors across the street, mainly because they had to watch out for cars before running back to our house. 

I actually sewed these trick or treat totes for the kids last year, but this is the first year they can use them.  We forgot them when we were driving to the Great Park.  Luckily, I remembered them not too far from our house, and I *insisted* that D turn back so we could bring them!

I was able to use up some scraps to sew this mini fabric basket using this tutorial.

I also added a touch of fall to our front door.  Can you tell that fall is my favorite season??

On Saturday we continued another fall tradition—going to the Great Park to trick or treat and pick out pumpkins.  This year was a little different because you had to RSVP for tickets and the event is going on every Saturday in October.  I like how this event motivates me to get the kids’ costumes done early.  In case you cannot tell, n is a shark, and k is a hula girl.

Here’s a shot of n’s “fin”.  A lot of the girl volunteers were exclaiming about n’s costume being homemade.  It made me happy that they appreciated my effort.

One tip is to arrive early if you want a large pumpkin, since there is a limited supply. 

The prizes for the carnival games were not as good this year, since there was a punch card which you redeem for a small prize at the end.  In previous years, the kids picked prizes at every game.  The trick or treating was also not as good—less candy, including gross marshmallow pops made in China.  One plus was that parking was free (previously $10), and the kids each had to donate five cans of food to a local food bank, which is a good cause in my book. 

We ventured into the new gallery space and came upon a hidden kids craft corner called “Trash for Learning”.  The idea is that the kids are supposed to come up with their own art projects using the neatly organized bins of recycled materials.  This was a little too unstructured for my liking, but the kids had fun.  They ended up taking some supplies home and it definitely kept them entertained for a while. 

In continuing our quest for free shaved snow, we went to the grand opening of Fluff Ice in Irvine after the fire station.  We arrived before the opening, but there was a small crowd already starting to form.  Service was pretty slow, partly because they did not have a menu visible to the people in line in the beginning.  k and D ordered mango with mango, n ordered strawberry snow with mango topping and I ordered green tea snow with egg pudding topping.  The mango was a little under ripe and my snow seemed a little too melty, but it was free, so I should not complain!

And they have a cute cups, always a plus in my book!

On another note, we celebrated National Sausage Pizza Day for dinner (from Costco).

It has become an October tradition for us to visit the Orange County Fire Authority’s Open House event.  It is convenient, free, and fun, so we continue to go.  We have the scheduling down to a science: arrive at least 15 minutes before the 10:00 start time so we can park in the main parking lot, head straight for the fire engine ride towards the back, collect freebies from the various booths, go to the arts and craft station, and stand in line for the free hot dog lunch (usually starts at 11:30). 

For the past couple of years, Salvation Army has provided free Krispy Kreme donuts.

Thank you to all of the firefighters who put their lives on the line to keep our community safe!

Last week, D and I had a weeknight date night at the Irvine Marriott.  Yelp sponsored the event as a fundraiser for CHOC.  There were drinks and appetizers in a cool outdoor space.  There was a DJ, but the music was questionable.  Food highlights included sushi, summer rolls, and a fancy grilled cheese.  I was looking forward to chef-prepared s’mores, but they had mini churros instead. 

The peanut sauce was so good!  Too bad they ran out and did not replenish it for a long time. 

I always enjoy shopping at Trader Joe’s, but this time of the year is my favorite…pumpkin time!  Trader Joe’s has really amped up their pumpkin selection in recent years, and it is always fun to see what they come up with.  The newest Fearless Flyer highlights so many pumpkin products.  Is it weird that I think that the Fearless Flyer is perfect bedtime reading? 

I could not resist buying a few mini gourds/pumpkins, 69 cents-99 cents.  I added some found pine cones to make a little autumnal centerpiece.  As you can see, I restrained myself and only bought the pumpkin toaster pastries and pumpkin joe-joes.  I have read good reviews on both items, so we will see.  I was really looking forward to trying the pumpkin mochi ice cream but my local TJ’s did not have it in stock.  I guess that means a return trip in the near future!

We took a whirlwind trip to San Jose last weekend so that D could run the San Jose Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon.  We also managed to see D’s family and have dinner with our friends.  D’s cousin and his wife graciously let us crash at their place Friday and Saturday nights.  I feel bad for not taking more pictures.  I just was not in a picture-taking mood, I guess.

We waited until k was let out of school to leave.  This was strange to us, since we usually leave before sun up.

This sums up why we usually leave early!  We ended up arriving in Santa Clara at around 9:45 p.m., about seven hours of driving. 

On Saturday morning, D picked up his race bib at the San Jose Convention Center. 

Had to make a stop at the photo booth.

Stopped in at the Mazda booth and scored a few goodies (not as much as Vegas, though!)

We woke up bright and early to accompany D on race day.  We hung out in the lobby of The Fairmont.  I did not realize this tree was made out of chocolate until n said that he could smell it.

I was excited to see this Muji store, until I read that it did not open until 11:00 a.m. (after we were leaving—darn!)

D and I had VIP bracelets for the VIP lounge at McCormick & Schmicks.  Luckily, they said kids under 8 could come in for free.  k just made it!  The continental breakfast was ok, but D did not want to eat too much pre-race.  He was able to forego the long lines at the port-a-potties and use the restaurant bathroom, though, so that was worth it!  We were also able to pick any entrée from the brunch menu after the race, which was the best perk of all!  I had salmon, D had an omelet, the kids had eggs and bacon, and D’s co-worker (who also ran the race) had eggs benedict. 

The start line.

I had to yell out to D a couple of times to get his attention along the race course.  The spectator next to me said “He’s focused!”  D is very serious when he runs.  Look at that woman in front of him smiling away—haha.

The kids and I wandered the streets of San Jose while D ran.  There are some nice parts, and some not-so-nice parts, which is the case with most cities, I guess.

D ended up running the half marathon in 1:49:18, his second best time for that distance.  That was really good, considering the race did not start until 8:00 a.m., and it was a warm day!  The headliner band was Echosmith, but we missed them–“I wish that I could be like the cool kids”.