Aglow in the Park (or The Sun Doesn't Set Until, like, 8:30)

Like I said earlier, you would be hard pressed to find enough free time in your life to take advantage of all the summertime fun the City of Temecula offers. But how do you know what's worth your time, and what's just gonna make your kids crabby? Well, wait for me to do it first, of course! The other Friday evening, we decided to load everyone up and troop (it's actually just around the corner) to the Ronald Reagan Sports park for the 2nd annual Aglow in the Park, during which they (who? I don't really know...) light up several hot air baloons and the kids run around and say "ooooooh! look! mom! can I go in one? oooooh!". That part was super awesome.



In addition, they had a live band playing beforehand- a Beach Boys cover band that was super good and oh-so fun. Because, like, apparently the sun doesn't set until 8:30 pm, something I had not thought of, but which turned out okay. This part of the event was also really fun for the kids. They loved running in the grass with the music playing, doing cartwheels, getting ketchup all over themselves, insisting that they absolutely did not need to go potty, and engaging in general merriment. Oh, and don't forget the scavenger hunt and the dance-off! Had I known this part was going to be so fun, I would have gotten there earlier.



On to the Next-Year-We're-Gonna-Skip-its:

• The movie they show in tandem with the glowing balloons. The screen is not big enough, the sound is all distorted, and did I mention that the sun doesn't go down until, like, 8:30? That's late in my world. And who really wants to watch "Surf's Up" anyway? I mean....for realz, people.
• Buying the "cheap" food at the event so I don't have to make dinner. If by 'cheap' you mean in quality, then yes. If you mean price, then not so much. We ended up spending $34 (I know! WTF?!?!?) on hot dogs and coke. Next year, we'll pick up a pizza on the way there like half the other experienced folk did.

In conclusion: Get there early, bring your own food, dance and play, then high-tail it out of there the second they start cranking up that movie screen.