Cabin Fever started our summer...

Is it even summer yet? I mean I don't know cause it feels like a scheduled school day if you ask me. I am taking Nicholas everyday to Lacrosse practice between 12-2 which is hard to do much but man I am loving he is really dedicated and learning a new sport. I think even he is getting burned out doing this in the heat though and during summer break (it's almost over though).... So is it summer yet? I mean we have only been to the beach once, the pool once as a family. The only way I can get Jacob to go is by himself with his friends but I'll take it though. No water balloon fights, no water parks no nothing really. Well I guess we have been sleeping in (I mean the kids have been). I can't sleep in during summer. I think my body only wants to sleep in on school days when I need to be woken by an alarm. As for them sleeping in we have also all become super lazy. No one wants to go anywhere. The usual moans and groans go something like this..It's too hot..but do I have to...I'm playing online with my friends!. We have been  home A LOT and that is totally bringing on Cabin Fever!
                                                                           

We are more bitter with each other. I think they are making bigger messes, they think that I am being harder on them.The common ground here has been lost!! And my throat hurts from yelling and breaking up stupid cap that goes on over and over and over. I feel I have lost it with them and myself. So that was it! I searched google for interesting things to do in LA and came back with some interesting and not so interesting places so I made a plan. I let them sleep in then had them slowly get dressed and ready no rushing you know because it is summer and we have time so let's just chill (Plus I don't want the attitudes either that follow the rush).

Our adventure begins.. Now the key to getting my kids to do anything or go anywhere is it has to be something new (I guess I am the same way as also is Mondo)...
In the car.."Where are we going?" They are not good with surprises anymore so I tell them..First stop Galco's Soda Shop! "But what do we do there?" Really kids...just Buckle up!

We pull up to  Galcos None of us have been so we have no idea what to expect. Looks like an old grocery store from the outside. We go in and there is tons of different sodas and beer and candy (a lot of old fashioned ones). I tell them go ahead choose a drink to go with your lunch. Well Jacob spotted an area where you can make you own bottle soda. SCORE!! I knew something cool had to come out of driving all the way there. So they all made there own sodas and then bottled them. It was super cool. Made the experience worth it. I didn't get any pics. I am really bummed about that. Guess we will have to go again!

Next stop... The Old LA Zoo.. now this really got my attention. It's free, there's a picnic area, and they can run and climb and act like BOYS. Win win! So googled this in maps got there with no abandoned zoo in site but noticed picnic benches and stairs. So we all decided to have our lunch first then seek out.

As we get up the stairs we see rocks and cages and we go straight to the cages. The kids were able to go in and climb on.
                                                                 

So much graffiti but that made it all look even more cooler honestly.
The kids and I want to search pics of the zoo when it was up and running.  We just kept exploring wondering what animals were in these cages.  We went up in the back and found even more cooler areas. It was hot but there were shady spots.



 I was kind of freaked out about snakes I must say. I did see people posting pics of snakes while searching about this place, but it was the risk we took right? Made it even more creepy.  Over all we had a fun time exploring hiking and also Geo caching. It is a place we must take Mondo back to. Cause I see him being like a little kid going in and out of the cages. We really needed to get out and do something active like this and together. The kids were getting along and playing with each other. I just smiled... This is summer!! Well the place is not huge and we were over it after about 40 minutes of that.                                                                      

So next stop.. Merry Go Round! Yeah it wasn't a planned spot but why not we were there already. Nicky and I stayed back while the others went and I bought the boys Churros. They even got there own cause they were only $1 (yes my kids share Churros at Disneyland when we get them) Sharing is caring LOL ..

Now with a little sugar running through there blood off to the next stop... Griffith Observatory.. They did not want to go here. They cry "We have been there" It's boring" "Can we go to Pink's!?"  I told them "Did you just eat a Churro that I bought you?" Good then be quiet and let's get back to enjoying our day."PARKING LOT FULL" umm well we aren't hiking up there. So it took us about 5 minutes to get a spot in the "FULL" lot as it always does.

As we walk up the kids want a picture with The Hollywood sign.

We get inside its totally packed yeah maybe this was a bad idea I started thinking but whatever let's breeze though it all I mean we have been here before and we have seen it all right? Well... Jacob hears over the loud speaker "Free Show"I like the sound of that!

 So we go even with a grumpy one who doesn't want to. But I am just ignoring the grumpiness at this point. Well the guys were funny. We learned stuff and also how to make a comet (which we will be doing tonight it looks like). That was a win and something new in my book! We also got to see the Tesla Coil go off. Everyone thought it was way cool! If you go find out what time they do it at.

The boys ended up having a great time.

 I loved watching Caleb reading things and rushing over to tell me about. I do hate when they ask me questions and I don't   know the answers to though. After that we decided to check out a couple more things we missed and headed out. Went to dinner at our fave..Red Robin.. and walked around the Galleria..
The boys kept saying how much fun they had and kept thanking me for taking them. We really needed this day, and I think we all ended up agreeing to that at the end of the night. It was nice to go home and get ready for bed and go to bed without the chaos that the day had built up.. The older these boys get the harder it is to do things we all enjoy... But we all seem to have a great time no matter what we do..Now just one week till Bass Lake! Cannot wait! I think we can be lazy and fight with each other till then...