chirp chirp chirp
Those are the crickets chirping after my last blog post. Oh dear, have I alienated myself from my entire readership? I actually had a few people email me their comments. Most people agreed with me and/or brought up other facets that I hadn't talked about (i.e., how women are portrayed on TV, the effects of social media such as Facebook on society, the effects of the internet in general).
Well I thought I would lighten things up a bit and how better to do that then talk about funny things my kids say and do?
Asha's been quite philosophical lately. We've had several discussions about why the seasons change and how it can be daytime here but nighttime in England but it's winter in both places. She's also going through a fun little phase where she is constantly a victim of unfortunate circumstances and everyone else is to blame. We signed her up for swimming lessons and her first class was the other day. The class was at 10:00am so it was an eternity for her to wait since she woke up at 7:00. She decided that I was making her wait on purpose just to be mean and I was going to make her late and miss the class. To this I replied in a sarcastic tone that I'm trying to stop using, "you're right. I searched all over L.A. looking for a good class for you to take. I then signed you up the minute registration began so you could get a spot. I then paid money not only for the class but also to park. I did all of this because I'm mean and I want you to be late and miss the class!". I don't know what it is but this constant laying of blame (and of course it's me getting blamed 95% of the time) makes me crazier than anything! Even whining!
But this is supposed to be about funny things Asha says, not annoying things. Yesterday we went for a walk / bike ride. It was one of the first times Asha had been back in the saddle since she broke her arm. She's been a bit hesitant to ride her bike again. She was definitely more cautious and slower than she used to be, much to Stobie's sagrine because he thought he was actually going to get a decent walk. Asha was cruising along pretty well until she suddenly stopped and gazed off into the distance. When I asked what she was doing she said, in a dramatic and melancholy voice "it's my grave". I didn't know what she meant but she explained that it was the site of the unfortunate arm-breaking incident. We had a moment of silence to mourn the loss of her intact arm bone and moved on. Our Asha definitely has a flair for the dramatic.
Asha is also doing a yoga class right now. Very L.A., right? Asha thinks that she has some innate yogic ability because her name is Indian. The class is pretty fun and involves things like standing up from a cross-legged position with your hands on your head. Try it! It's harder than it sounds! Well before Asha's first class she ran into her room so she could get on her yoga outfit. A few minutes later she came out wearing the following: leggings with shorts over top, a long-sleeved shirt with a tank top over top, sunglasses, and a pink cowboy hat. She insisted that that's what people wear to yoga class in California. When we got to the class I was shocked to see that everyone else had on the same outfit! Just kidding! Imagine if that happened!
Well enough about Asha. We can't forget about Nia! As a younger child myself I am acutely aware that the oldest child often steals the show. Nia and I share something in common which is a precocious, ultra-talkative older sister. My other sister, a classic middle child compensated by being very well behaved and therefore adored by all, especially teachers. So far, Nia seems to using my strategy of being extremely cute. Unfortunately I was irritating and very much aware of my cuteness. Nia, on the other hand, is just so damn cute and hilarious without even trying.
(Just a brief little interlude to give a shout-out to my sisters. As my girls get older I see them becoming genuine friends which I find thrilling. My sisters and I got along ridiculously well as kids too. I have so many great memories of them reading to me and playing with me in the backyard. We had our occasional scuffles such as when Natasha hit me in the face with a lunchbox. Or did I hit her? I can't remember. Siena was bossy and liked to play fun little tricks such as setting up a yard sale on her bed where I could buy her crappy old toys (including some stuff that was mine). But for the most part my sisters were the best big sisters I could have ever asked for, despite my aforementioned annoying cuteness.)
Anyway, when I look back at pictures from when we first moved here I realize that Nia was seriously homely. I mean this in the most loving way possible and I was certainly not aware of it at the time. I guess all parents are somewhat oblivious to their children's shortcomings. Maybe I'm still delusional but I'm pretty sure that Nia is becoming one ridiculously cute kid. She has quite the little personality on her. David is seriously concerned because Nia seems to be a bit of a fashionista. Each morning when David takes Nia and Stobie for a walk he takes Nia to her closet to choose a sweater. She is very discerning about what she chooses and usually matches her selection to what David is wearing. Nia is also obsessed with shoes and hats and purses.
So we've got a whole lotta personality going on in our house! I'm afraid for the teenage years. Sometimes I think about people who don't have kids and how nice it must be sometimes. Generally this happens at 2 in the morning when Asha has growing pains or 6 in the morning when Nia didn't get the memo about the time change. But more often there are times when I am busting a gut because of something funny one of our kids did. Or because of the ridiculousness that has become our life. I had a recent conversation with a couple of moms about the strangest thing we've ever found in our kid's diaper. One of the best I've ever heard of was light bright pegs. My personal best was a googly eye used for crafts. There's nothing more unsettling than something peering out at you from the depths of a diaper.
So yes, my life is ridiculous at times but that's what makes it so damn fun.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
That Wretched Stone
Alright. This is the post that has been brewing in my mind for the last 8 months but I haven't actually put down into words. The reason that I haven't written it yet is that the topic tends to alienate me from people. You see, I have found myself becoming increasingly weird and less like the norm. I sometimes ask myself if I've become the mom from About a Boy. Remember that movie? The mom is a vegan hippy who encourages her son to be unique and not fall prey to peer pressure. Unfortunately this results in him being a total outcast because he wears ugly shoes and spontaneously starts singing in the middle of class. Well I'm not as weird as that mom is nor do I have suicidal tendancies like her, thank goodness. Asha is definitely her own person but she isn't a social outcast (she does have a tendency to break into song at any given moment but she's 4 so it's still cute).
There's a fantastic kids' book called The Wretched Stone. It's by Chris Van Allsburg, the author of Jumanji and The Polar Express. It's about a ship of sailors who find a mysterious stone out at sea. The stone has a haunting glow and the sailors can't help but stare at it. Over time the sailors cease doing the things they loved to do such as reading, playing music and dancing and eventually they all turn to monkeys. In the end the captain covers up the stone and destroys it and the sailors return to normal (although they have an increased appetite for bananas!).
So the topic of this post is television. I'm just going to say it. I think television is responsible for the unravelling of the fabric of society. Phew. There it is. The reason that I'm hesitant to say this out loud is that people love TV and don't like to hear that it is evil. You would be amazed at how often television shows come up in conversation. I know, because I never have anything to offer in these conversations because we don't have TV.
Well we don't have cable or satellite or anything like that. I have to say up front that we do have a physical television set and we do watch movies so I'm not a complete media hermit. I have the entire second season of Modern Family on DVD and I am a bit of a closet "Gleek" so whenever those two shows come up in conversation I am so excited to contribute!! I also think that the second best decision I ever made as a parent was to limit my child's TV (or in our case movie) time to 1 movie a day. Asha knows that this occurs during Nia's nap so I have approximately 1 1/2 uninterrupted hours every day. Because she doesn't watch much TV Asha doesn't tune it out like most kids and carry on with other stuff. When she watches a movie she is totally engrossed so I can do whatever I want at that time. Seriously people, it's the best damn thing you can ever do for yourself as a parent (not to mention the benefits of limiting screen time on your kids but we'll get to that. By the way, this is the second best decision I ever made as a parent because the first is having my children with David. He's literally the best dad ever. I knew that he would be a good dad before we had kids but I never could have dreamed what a fun, engaged, and helpful dad he would be. But I digress...
We actually ended up having no cable by accident. When we moved to our first home in Whitecourt it took the cable company 3 months to hook it up. We missed it at first but after a couple of months we realized that we were better off without it. We spent more time reading, cooking, exercising, sleeping and fixing up our house than when we had TV. We called the cable company and told them not to bother coming. We lived without TV for several months. Then came hockey season and we really missed watching the games. One "Hockey Night in Canada" we were really wishing we could watch the game and couldn't help but notice the cable box in the backyard. We figured it was worth a try to see if we could somehow get something out of it. It turned out the cable had never been cut off so we were able to get it for free.
Well, we were like ex-junkies that fell off the wagon. At first we said we would just watch the games but that slowly snowballed until we were watching every night. I should add (because if I don't David will) that David didn't actually watch much TV even when we could. He has a low tolerance for crappy TV and most of it really is crappy. So I'll say it like it is... I was like an ex-junkie that fell off the wagon. I didn't like the hold that TV seemed to have on me. If I sat down to watch one show I would end up staying up until midnight. I also found myself doing less of the other stuff that I enjoyed doing.
So when we moved into our log house we decided to not even wire the house for cable. I went through a brief withdrawal but then I was back to enjoying the extra time. Since getting rid of TV I think I changed in lots of subtle ways. I'm much less paranoid about things like serial killers and child molesters. The actually likelihood of getting murdered is extremely slim but when we hear about every single case that happens in the world it makes us think it happens all the time in our own backyard. I also think that I want to buy less stuff. I was never a big shopper but since I'm not being inundated by commercials I don't feel like I need every new thing that comes out. One of the best things about just watching DVDs instead of TV is that you don't get the advertising.
That brings me to the unravelling of society. When I think of what is wrong with our society, TV has a major part in all of these things. Obesity epidemic? Well not only does TV take away from our time to exercise but it blasts us with advertisements for unhealthy food. Decline in reading among children? A recent study showed a link between empathy in children and reading. A book allows you to get into a person's mind and therefore makes you more empathetic towards the feelings of other people. TV just doesn't do this in the same way. Increase in ADHD and other psychological disorders? It has been shown that watching TV actually changes the way a person's brain is wired. Television is constantly flashing from one shot to another. Kids' brains come to seek out constant changes in input and therefore have trouble focusing in the real world. A decline in community and family relationships? Everyone is holed up inside instead of sitting on their front porches interacting with other people. Families tend to split off and watch separate shows in separate rooms. Don't even get me started on kids having televisions in their bedrooms! I've already alluded to the general paranoia that people have and also an overall lack of trust for eachother. Think about how many shows there are about decent human beings versus the ones about psychos. Not to mention all of these "reality shows" that don't exactly paint a positive picture of humanity. I guess us decent, normal people don't make for very good TV, do we?
The most troubling thing about television is the pervasive consumerism. We need to remember that the purpose of TV is not to entertain us but to make us buy stuff. We tend to think that commercials are annoying interludes from our shows when the truth is the opposite. Companies pay billions of dollars to advertise and the shows are created to keep our interest. Even without the actual advertisements, products are planted in all of the shows that we watch. My beloved Modern Family had a whole episode about Phil desperately trying to get a new IPad. It was hilarious but still... The even bigger problem is that television sells a lifestyle that is out of reach for many people and just within grasp for many more. We feel like we need a new car, a bigger house, furniture to fill that big house and therefore we need to work more in order to afford all that new stuff. We are so overworked that we have no time for the things that matter in life. Then we're so damn tired at the end of the day that all we want to do it veg out in front of the TV.
I guess I just feel like we're all getting suckered. Why exactly do we pay for this crap? And it truly is crap. Whenever I get a chance to watch TV at a hotel or someone else's house I get a bit excited. But then I turn the TV on, flip through the channels a few times and turn it off because it's all such CRAP!
Now that I have kids I've gone from being somewhat anti-television to being downright pissed off. Dora doesn't exist to entertain or educate my children but to make them want a Dora toothbrush, Dora underwear, a Dora bike etc etc. The kids' television stations employ psychologists to help them get into kids' heads. Look on the credits for most of the shows and you'll see a psychologist listed. Everything has been manufactured, from the length of an episode to the size of Elmo's eyes to appeal to our kids as much as possible.
OK, I'm going to reel it in a little bit. I've gone a bit too conspiracy theory with all this. You may be wondering why we have a TV at all. I realize the hypocrisy of preaching about the evils of the small screen when we still watch movies (which are actually usually DVDs of TV shows). Asha is watching The Magic School Bus as I write this. Part of the reason is the aforementioned 1 1/2 hours a day that I get to myself. It would be dishonest if I just said it was for honorable reasons. But it's also because I don't want Asha to be a total social outcast and I've experienced first-hand how alienating it can be to not be able to contribute to water cooler conversations. I also quite a few sideways looks when I've told people that we don't watch TV. I usually avoid the topic because people think I'm just too weird. Asha's already unique enough. I don't need to fan future bully's flames. I also like to watch the occasional movie in the evening.
My friend Jodi recently visited with her beautiful baby Emma and we had an interesting discussion about television. She said that one of her favourite things to do with her husband is curl up on the couch together and watch TV. For them, TV is quality time. It made me think about what David and I do in the evenings (the ones where David is home and not at school). We often sit and chat but just as often we read or do homework which are very solitary activities. Jodi also told me that if I plan on lobbying against television it will be the hill I die on. She's probably right. Are we all turning into monkeys? Does anybody even care if we are?
There's a fantastic kids' book called The Wretched Stone. It's by Chris Van Allsburg, the author of Jumanji and The Polar Express. It's about a ship of sailors who find a mysterious stone out at sea. The stone has a haunting glow and the sailors can't help but stare at it. Over time the sailors cease doing the things they loved to do such as reading, playing music and dancing and eventually they all turn to monkeys. In the end the captain covers up the stone and destroys it and the sailors return to normal (although they have an increased appetite for bananas!).
So the topic of this post is television. I'm just going to say it. I think television is responsible for the unravelling of the fabric of society. Phew. There it is. The reason that I'm hesitant to say this out loud is that people love TV and don't like to hear that it is evil. You would be amazed at how often television shows come up in conversation. I know, because I never have anything to offer in these conversations because we don't have TV.
Well we don't have cable or satellite or anything like that. I have to say up front that we do have a physical television set and we do watch movies so I'm not a complete media hermit. I have the entire second season of Modern Family on DVD and I am a bit of a closet "Gleek" so whenever those two shows come up in conversation I am so excited to contribute!! I also think that the second best decision I ever made as a parent was to limit my child's TV (or in our case movie) time to 1 movie a day. Asha knows that this occurs during Nia's nap so I have approximately 1 1/2 uninterrupted hours every day. Because she doesn't watch much TV Asha doesn't tune it out like most kids and carry on with other stuff. When she watches a movie she is totally engrossed so I can do whatever I want at that time. Seriously people, it's the best damn thing you can ever do for yourself as a parent (not to mention the benefits of limiting screen time on your kids but we'll get to that. By the way, this is the second best decision I ever made as a parent because the first is having my children with David. He's literally the best dad ever. I knew that he would be a good dad before we had kids but I never could have dreamed what a fun, engaged, and helpful dad he would be. But I digress...
We actually ended up having no cable by accident. When we moved to our first home in Whitecourt it took the cable company 3 months to hook it up. We missed it at first but after a couple of months we realized that we were better off without it. We spent more time reading, cooking, exercising, sleeping and fixing up our house than when we had TV. We called the cable company and told them not to bother coming. We lived without TV for several months. Then came hockey season and we really missed watching the games. One "Hockey Night in Canada" we were really wishing we could watch the game and couldn't help but notice the cable box in the backyard. We figured it was worth a try to see if we could somehow get something out of it. It turned out the cable had never been cut off so we were able to get it for free.
Well, we were like ex-junkies that fell off the wagon. At first we said we would just watch the games but that slowly snowballed until we were watching every night. I should add (because if I don't David will) that David didn't actually watch much TV even when we could. He has a low tolerance for crappy TV and most of it really is crappy. So I'll say it like it is... I was like an ex-junkie that fell off the wagon. I didn't like the hold that TV seemed to have on me. If I sat down to watch one show I would end up staying up until midnight. I also found myself doing less of the other stuff that I enjoyed doing.
So when we moved into our log house we decided to not even wire the house for cable. I went through a brief withdrawal but then I was back to enjoying the extra time. Since getting rid of TV I think I changed in lots of subtle ways. I'm much less paranoid about things like serial killers and child molesters. The actually likelihood of getting murdered is extremely slim but when we hear about every single case that happens in the world it makes us think it happens all the time in our own backyard. I also think that I want to buy less stuff. I was never a big shopper but since I'm not being inundated by commercials I don't feel like I need every new thing that comes out. One of the best things about just watching DVDs instead of TV is that you don't get the advertising.
That brings me to the unravelling of society. When I think of what is wrong with our society, TV has a major part in all of these things. Obesity epidemic? Well not only does TV take away from our time to exercise but it blasts us with advertisements for unhealthy food. Decline in reading among children? A recent study showed a link between empathy in children and reading. A book allows you to get into a person's mind and therefore makes you more empathetic towards the feelings of other people. TV just doesn't do this in the same way. Increase in ADHD and other psychological disorders? It has been shown that watching TV actually changes the way a person's brain is wired. Television is constantly flashing from one shot to another. Kids' brains come to seek out constant changes in input and therefore have trouble focusing in the real world. A decline in community and family relationships? Everyone is holed up inside instead of sitting on their front porches interacting with other people. Families tend to split off and watch separate shows in separate rooms. Don't even get me started on kids having televisions in their bedrooms! I've already alluded to the general paranoia that people have and also an overall lack of trust for eachother. Think about how many shows there are about decent human beings versus the ones about psychos. Not to mention all of these "reality shows" that don't exactly paint a positive picture of humanity. I guess us decent, normal people don't make for very good TV, do we?
The most troubling thing about television is the pervasive consumerism. We need to remember that the purpose of TV is not to entertain us but to make us buy stuff. We tend to think that commercials are annoying interludes from our shows when the truth is the opposite. Companies pay billions of dollars to advertise and the shows are created to keep our interest. Even without the actual advertisements, products are planted in all of the shows that we watch. My beloved Modern Family had a whole episode about Phil desperately trying to get a new IPad. It was hilarious but still... The even bigger problem is that television sells a lifestyle that is out of reach for many people and just within grasp for many more. We feel like we need a new car, a bigger house, furniture to fill that big house and therefore we need to work more in order to afford all that new stuff. We are so overworked that we have no time for the things that matter in life. Then we're so damn tired at the end of the day that all we want to do it veg out in front of the TV.
I guess I just feel like we're all getting suckered. Why exactly do we pay for this crap? And it truly is crap. Whenever I get a chance to watch TV at a hotel or someone else's house I get a bit excited. But then I turn the TV on, flip through the channels a few times and turn it off because it's all such CRAP!
Now that I have kids I've gone from being somewhat anti-television to being downright pissed off. Dora doesn't exist to entertain or educate my children but to make them want a Dora toothbrush, Dora underwear, a Dora bike etc etc. The kids' television stations employ psychologists to help them get into kids' heads. Look on the credits for most of the shows and you'll see a psychologist listed. Everything has been manufactured, from the length of an episode to the size of Elmo's eyes to appeal to our kids as much as possible.
OK, I'm going to reel it in a little bit. I've gone a bit too conspiracy theory with all this. You may be wondering why we have a TV at all. I realize the hypocrisy of preaching about the evils of the small screen when we still watch movies (which are actually usually DVDs of TV shows). Asha is watching The Magic School Bus as I write this. Part of the reason is the aforementioned 1 1/2 hours a day that I get to myself. It would be dishonest if I just said it was for honorable reasons. But it's also because I don't want Asha to be a total social outcast and I've experienced first-hand how alienating it can be to not be able to contribute to water cooler conversations. I also quite a few sideways looks when I've told people that we don't watch TV. I usually avoid the topic because people think I'm just too weird. Asha's already unique enough. I don't need to fan future bully's flames. I also like to watch the occasional movie in the evening.
My friend Jodi recently visited with her beautiful baby Emma and we had an interesting discussion about television. She said that one of her favourite things to do with her husband is curl up on the couch together and watch TV. For them, TV is quality time. It made me think about what David and I do in the evenings (the ones where David is home and not at school). We often sit and chat but just as often we read or do homework which are very solitary activities. Jodi also told me that if I plan on lobbying against television it will be the hill I die on. She's probably right. Are we all turning into monkeys? Does anybody even care if we are?
Friday, February 17, 2012
Girl Dating
I've never really dated. I kind of went from my high school boyfriend to dating a guy who was already my friend to dating (and then marrying) my best friend's brother. So I've never really had to be involved in the whole courting thing. I always thought that I was lucky but I think it left me completely unprepare for something much worse than dating: friend courting. Moving to a new city is fun and exciting but it also leaves you without any close girlfriends nearby and making new friends is not an easy endeavour.
I am reading a book right now called "MWF seeking BFF". Hilarious title, right? It's a memoir of a woman who moved from New York City to Chicago and vowed to go on 52 girl dates in a year in order to find a new best friend in her new city. When I heard about his book I had to get it because it totally struck home. She talks about how it's not actually that hard to make acquaintances if you're a half-way friendly person but it's so hard to take it to the next level where it becomes an actual friendship. The writer of the book is recently married and has no kids so her situation is a bit different than mine but the idea is the same.
Being a mom has made it much easier to meet people in a new city. People are much more likely to talk to you if you have kids with you. I have also met lots of moms with kids Asha's age so I have no shortage of acquaintances around town. It helps that Asha is insanely outgoing. Whenever we go to a park, Asha usually finds the girl closest to her in age and immediately befriends her. I've even seen Asha effortlessly bust into a group of established friends. It's amazing to watch. So I often end up chatting with the other kid's mom which sometimes results in an exchange of phone numbers and a "they should have a playdate some time" send-off.
The thing that I find hard is that just because our kids play together it doesn't mean that the mom and I will have anything else in common. Sometimes the child is lovely but the mom is wierd. Sometimes the mom is lovely but the child is wierd. It's also hard to actually make that next move. I feel wierd phoning someone up and saying "Remember me? The Canadian from the park? Wanna play sometime?". It feels a bit desperate.
The closest I've come to a friendship has been with Catie. Her daughter was in summer camp with Asha and she has a cool casualness about her that I like. Her two daughters are almost the exact same age to the day as my girls. Our kids even have similar dispositions (the eldest are outgoing and strong-willed and the youngest are quiet and easygoing). Another nice thing is that Catie has lived in L.A. for less than a year so she doesn't have a super-established social network yet. I always think that people who have lived here for a long time already have friends so why would they want to befriend me?
Well our kids have had many playdates and it's now the sort of situation where I can just call her up and say "we're going to the park. Wanna come?". I even house/dog sat for them when they went back east to visit family. The trouble is that we aren't really friends per se as much as fellow moms. We've never hung out without our kids. Another problem is that Asha and Catie's eldest, Jayna don't actually seem to like eachother. When they play at eachother's houses they generally just fight over toys. When they play at the park they usually find other kids to play with. Apparently two outgoing, strongwilled four year olds is a bad combination. I'm not sure if Catie hasn't noticed this or if she's just choosing to ignore it like me. I think we're at a point now where we need to decide if we're friends independent of our children or not. I feel like I would have to put myself out there and ask her out on a girl date! What do I do? Ask her out to dinner?! Somehow asking a girl out is way worse than asking a boy out on a date (not that I've ever done that).
It's similarly wierd with the parents at Asha's school. Most of the kids in Asha's class were in school together last year so they all know eachother well. Asha, of course, has seamlessly fit herself into this situation. The parents are all very nice and friendly. We've been invited to the park and the beach several times by other parents. The thing is, several of the parents are also friends independent of their kids. I overhear them talking about dinner parties that they've had over the weekend. How am I supposed to bust into that situation?
This brings me back to the temporariness of our time here. Is there any point in asking Catie out on a girl-date if we might move in 3 months? It's not like I don't have any friends they just happen to be scattered all over the place. I've managed to hang on to at least one person from each of my stages of life. Those are my lifer friends who will never get rid of me (you know who you are). Maybe it's enough to have the lifer friends who I can call whenever I need them and then a bunch of acquaintances who I can have the daily not-so-deep interactions with. Or maybe I'm just to chicken to ask Catie on a girl date or chat up one of the other parents from Asha's class.
Or maybe I just need to take a page from Asha's book. When she gets to the park is she thinking, "That girl has lots of friends already. She doesn't want to be friends with me."? Yeah right! Is she thinking, "We might be moving in 3 months so what's the point of starting a game of tag."? No way! Asha has actually been openly shunned by a girl and it didn't phase her one bit. The girl actually said "Go away. I don't want to play with you". I wanted to tear that girl limb from limb and hollar at her mom for raising such a mean child. Asha persisted for a while but then moved on. I guess it's one more thing on a very long list that I need to learn from my daughter. I will one day turn this list into a book entitled How to Live Like a Preschooler. It includes taking naps, getting really excited every time you see an airplane, and splashing in puddles. It'll be a bestseller!
I am reading a book right now called "MWF seeking BFF". Hilarious title, right? It's a memoir of a woman who moved from New York City to Chicago and vowed to go on 52 girl dates in a year in order to find a new best friend in her new city. When I heard about his book I had to get it because it totally struck home. She talks about how it's not actually that hard to make acquaintances if you're a half-way friendly person but it's so hard to take it to the next level where it becomes an actual friendship. The writer of the book is recently married and has no kids so her situation is a bit different than mine but the idea is the same.
Being a mom has made it much easier to meet people in a new city. People are much more likely to talk to you if you have kids with you. I have also met lots of moms with kids Asha's age so I have no shortage of acquaintances around town. It helps that Asha is insanely outgoing. Whenever we go to a park, Asha usually finds the girl closest to her in age and immediately befriends her. I've even seen Asha effortlessly bust into a group of established friends. It's amazing to watch. So I often end up chatting with the other kid's mom which sometimes results in an exchange of phone numbers and a "they should have a playdate some time" send-off.
The thing that I find hard is that just because our kids play together it doesn't mean that the mom and I will have anything else in common. Sometimes the child is lovely but the mom is wierd. Sometimes the mom is lovely but the child is wierd. It's also hard to actually make that next move. I feel wierd phoning someone up and saying "Remember me? The Canadian from the park? Wanna play sometime?". It feels a bit desperate.
The closest I've come to a friendship has been with Catie. Her daughter was in summer camp with Asha and she has a cool casualness about her that I like. Her two daughters are almost the exact same age to the day as my girls. Our kids even have similar dispositions (the eldest are outgoing and strong-willed and the youngest are quiet and easygoing). Another nice thing is that Catie has lived in L.A. for less than a year so she doesn't have a super-established social network yet. I always think that people who have lived here for a long time already have friends so why would they want to befriend me?
Well our kids have had many playdates and it's now the sort of situation where I can just call her up and say "we're going to the park. Wanna come?". I even house/dog sat for them when they went back east to visit family. The trouble is that we aren't really friends per se as much as fellow moms. We've never hung out without our kids. Another problem is that Asha and Catie's eldest, Jayna don't actually seem to like eachother. When they play at eachother's houses they generally just fight over toys. When they play at the park they usually find other kids to play with. Apparently two outgoing, strongwilled four year olds is a bad combination. I'm not sure if Catie hasn't noticed this or if she's just choosing to ignore it like me. I think we're at a point now where we need to decide if we're friends independent of our children or not. I feel like I would have to put myself out there and ask her out on a girl date! What do I do? Ask her out to dinner?! Somehow asking a girl out is way worse than asking a boy out on a date (not that I've ever done that).
It's similarly wierd with the parents at Asha's school. Most of the kids in Asha's class were in school together last year so they all know eachother well. Asha, of course, has seamlessly fit herself into this situation. The parents are all very nice and friendly. We've been invited to the park and the beach several times by other parents. The thing is, several of the parents are also friends independent of their kids. I overhear them talking about dinner parties that they've had over the weekend. How am I supposed to bust into that situation?
This brings me back to the temporariness of our time here. Is there any point in asking Catie out on a girl-date if we might move in 3 months? It's not like I don't have any friends they just happen to be scattered all over the place. I've managed to hang on to at least one person from each of my stages of life. Those are my lifer friends who will never get rid of me (you know who you are). Maybe it's enough to have the lifer friends who I can call whenever I need them and then a bunch of acquaintances who I can have the daily not-so-deep interactions with. Or maybe I'm just to chicken to ask Catie on a girl date or chat up one of the other parents from Asha's class.
Or maybe I just need to take a page from Asha's book. When she gets to the park is she thinking, "That girl has lots of friends already. She doesn't want to be friends with me."? Yeah right! Is she thinking, "We might be moving in 3 months so what's the point of starting a game of tag."? No way! Asha has actually been openly shunned by a girl and it didn't phase her one bit. The girl actually said "Go away. I don't want to play with you". I wanted to tear that girl limb from limb and hollar at her mom for raising such a mean child. Asha persisted for a while but then moved on. I guess it's one more thing on a very long list that I need to learn from my daughter. I will one day turn this list into a book entitled How to Live Like a Preschooler. It includes taking naps, getting really excited every time you see an airplane, and splashing in puddles. It'll be a bestseller!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Living in Tinseltown
So I am really enjoying my Beach Bootcamp class. It's a great excuse to get outside and get some exercise. A few weeks ago my class was cancelled and I didn't know until I'd gone all the way down there. Texas had sent an email but of course I didn't get it because I'm a computer moron who checks her email once a day (this is also the reason that I haven't posted anything in 3 weeks! Sorry!). Anyway, when I got back home I told David to guess why the class was cancelled. My hint was that it was a very L.A. reason. His first guess was traffic. Quite possible but incorrect. His next guess was an earthquake. Not so likely and also incorrect.
The correct answer was that they were filming a movie on the beach. A big chunk of the beach was closed off and there were trucks and trailers everywhere. I saw a tall, thin woman coming out of one of the Star Wagons (the trailers that celebrities use) and I figured she was someone famous. I didn't recognize her but I am a bit of a media hermit so that's no surprise. I must admit that I slowed down as I drove by in the hopes that I would recognize someone.
I suppose I knew that the film industry was sort of a big deal here but for some reason it still surprises me how much Hollywood permeates the whole city. A friend of mine is a costumer for TV and films which involves buying several sets of the same outfit for an actor and then breaking them down so they look worn-in and authentic. The mother of one of Asha's classmates is a talent agent. One of the singers in my choir's husband is a movie extra (but in his heart he's a songwriter/rapper. Seriously.).
It turns out that the beach where my bootcamp class is is one of the top 10 film locations in the city. On the weekend as I returned to my car after my class I saw some people playing croquet in a field near the beach. I thought this was wierd but it turned out that they were filming a scene. By the way, if you ever see a movie or a TV show with a blond pre-teen girl and a boy with red hair playing croquet look out for me! I'm the sweaty lady in the background trying to convince a 4 year old to put her shoes on to cross the street.
I'm not a person who is obsessed with celebrity. I don't buy People or Us magazines although I must admit that I check out the front covers when I'm waiting in line at the grocery store. Is Angelina really pregnant again? How is it possible for a body that skinny to grow a baby?? Increasingly though, I don't even know who the people on those magazines are. Recently I saw an interview with a woman and the interviewer said "what does it feel like to be the world's most recognizable person?". I literally didn't know who it was. It turns out that it was Lady Gaga. I do know who she is but I guess I don't know what she looks like!
Speaking of Lady Gaga, there was a women's conference at our babysitter's private school and Lady Gaga performed at it. Maria Shriver's kids go the the school. Isn't that crazy? These are things that just happen in this city! Even though I don't really care about celebrities all that much I still felt the need to write to all of you about Maria Shriver's kids going to my babysitter's school! I'm practically famous!
I have decided that I would like to see a celebrity while we're in L.A. because it's such a truly L.A. experience. I think I might have seen the redheaded kid from the Harry Potter movies at the airport but David says it doesn't count because a) I don't know if it was him and b) he's not really famous. I definitely did see Vern, one of the designers from Trading Spaces but he's not famous enough either. The thing is, there are so many celebrities in this city it wouldn't actually take much effort for me to see one. Anyone can stand outside of a movie premiere to catch a glimpse of someone famous. I just don't think I can be bothered. I either have too much pride or too little energy, or both. Weston and Hillary (remember the fancy people from David's school?) told me that we just have to go to the Ivy which is the restaurant where all the celebrities go. Sounds expensive.
I guess I'll just wait and see if I happen to stumble upon a celebrity some time. I don't even know what I'd do if I did see someone. I would have too much pride to say something but David says that it doesn't count as a celebrity sighting if you don't confirm if it really is them. Hmmm.
The correct answer was that they were filming a movie on the beach. A big chunk of the beach was closed off and there were trucks and trailers everywhere. I saw a tall, thin woman coming out of one of the Star Wagons (the trailers that celebrities use) and I figured she was someone famous. I didn't recognize her but I am a bit of a media hermit so that's no surprise. I must admit that I slowed down as I drove by in the hopes that I would recognize someone.
I suppose I knew that the film industry was sort of a big deal here but for some reason it still surprises me how much Hollywood permeates the whole city. A friend of mine is a costumer for TV and films which involves buying several sets of the same outfit for an actor and then breaking them down so they look worn-in and authentic. The mother of one of Asha's classmates is a talent agent. One of the singers in my choir's husband is a movie extra (but in his heart he's a songwriter/rapper. Seriously.).
It turns out that the beach where my bootcamp class is is one of the top 10 film locations in the city. On the weekend as I returned to my car after my class I saw some people playing croquet in a field near the beach. I thought this was wierd but it turned out that they were filming a scene. By the way, if you ever see a movie or a TV show with a blond pre-teen girl and a boy with red hair playing croquet look out for me! I'm the sweaty lady in the background trying to convince a 4 year old to put her shoes on to cross the street.
I'm not a person who is obsessed with celebrity. I don't buy People or Us magazines although I must admit that I check out the front covers when I'm waiting in line at the grocery store. Is Angelina really pregnant again? How is it possible for a body that skinny to grow a baby?? Increasingly though, I don't even know who the people on those magazines are. Recently I saw an interview with a woman and the interviewer said "what does it feel like to be the world's most recognizable person?". I literally didn't know who it was. It turns out that it was Lady Gaga. I do know who she is but I guess I don't know what she looks like!
Speaking of Lady Gaga, there was a women's conference at our babysitter's private school and Lady Gaga performed at it. Maria Shriver's kids go the the school. Isn't that crazy? These are things that just happen in this city! Even though I don't really care about celebrities all that much I still felt the need to write to all of you about Maria Shriver's kids going to my babysitter's school! I'm practically famous!
I have decided that I would like to see a celebrity while we're in L.A. because it's such a truly L.A. experience. I think I might have seen the redheaded kid from the Harry Potter movies at the airport but David says it doesn't count because a) I don't know if it was him and b) he's not really famous. I definitely did see Vern, one of the designers from Trading Spaces but he's not famous enough either. The thing is, there are so many celebrities in this city it wouldn't actually take much effort for me to see one. Anyone can stand outside of a movie premiere to catch a glimpse of someone famous. I just don't think I can be bothered. I either have too much pride or too little energy, or both. Weston and Hillary (remember the fancy people from David's school?) told me that we just have to go to the Ivy which is the restaurant where all the celebrities go. Sounds expensive.
I guess I'll just wait and see if I happen to stumble upon a celebrity some time. I don't even know what I'd do if I did see someone. I would have too much pride to say something but David says that it doesn't count as a celebrity sighting if you don't confirm if it really is them. Hmmm.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Private and Charter and Magnet, Oh My!
David is now in his last semester of school and you may be wondering just where we're going to live once he's done. Well we're still undecided. The whole time we've been living here we have assumed that it was temporary. We still have all the boxes we moved down with in the garage so we can pack everything up again. We kept Alberta registration on our vehicles. We've bought very little furniture that will be difficult to move by the time the year is up.
It feels strange to live in a temporary situation. What's the point of making good friends when we're going to move away anyway? Why buy a new bed when we're going to have to haul it across the continent in a few months? It can be uncomfortable, both mentally (in the case of the lack of friends) and physically (in the case of the bed). But in some ways it's also nice. Yes, there are brown widow spiders in our backyard but we'll move away soon and never have to deal with them again (my mama bear instinct makes me want to annihilate every last one of them but the pacifist in me makes me apologize profusely as I do it).
One of the main reasons that I like to think about our time here being temporary is because then I don't have to think about where Asha would go to school next year. You would not believe the tizzy that people get themselves into about schooling around here. Westchester, the area where we live, is a fairly decent area. David recently read that it has the 4th lowest crime rate in all of L.A.! It's no Beverly Hills but it's a pretty average, middle class neighbourhood. Soon after we moved here I heard several people comment that Westchester is a nice place to live but it's a shame that the schools are so terrible. I also couldn't help but notice that all of the kids on our street go to schools elsewhere. Our next-door neighbours pretend that they live at a friend's house so they can get their kids into school in an adjacent area called El Segundo. Doesn't El Segundo sound like a place where greasy men would sell Chihuahuas out of the back of a pickup truck? Well it seems to be a pretty exclusive place.
Anyway, I had been to a family fun day at the school that Asha is now going to and it seemed like a good school! I didn't get it. Were people just super picky about schools here? Well it turns out that the public elementary and middle schools in Westchester are pretty good but the problem is with the high school. Students get bussed in to Westchester High from the inner city much to the local people's dismay. My initial reaction was that the inner city kids deserve a good education too but apparently the school has become a pretty scary place.
So for the most part people try to get their kids out of the Westchester public school system as early as possible. There is a labrynthine system that one has to tackle in order to do this. There are charter schools which are kind of part of the public school system but they don't actually have to adhere to the rules and curriculum of a public school. They seem to be more granola than your typical school. I heard one parent comment that at a charter school called Ocean Charter School they don't learn to read until 5th grade. I think she was exaggerating. Charter schools are incredibly hard to get into. Most of them have a lottery system.
Then there are private schools. They are, as expected, very expensive but our neighbours' kids got some sort of subsidy so they're not as snobby as you might think. It is pretty commonplace for kids to go to private school here. Before I moved here the only people I heard of going to private school were Prince William and a kid I knew from elementary school who was really bad (and I think his parents just wanted to get rid of him).
The other option is a magnet school. These are schools that focus on a specific academic area. There are science magnet schools, performing arts magnet schools, even business magnet schools. Apparently you need points to get into magnet schools. You get points for living near the school, having a sibling in the school, etc. But if a child has gone to one magnet school you get points for other magnet schools.
So it's enough to make a person want to homeschool! And it's very hard not to get wrapped up in it all. I just keep telling myself that I don't have to worry about it. Asha and I were recently at a birthday party and it was all the parents could talk about. Maya's on the list for Open Charter so they've got their fingers crossed. Amanda's got an in at a magnet school because her sisters both go there. Malachi's mom is interviewing for a performing arts magnet school near their house. I couldn't help but notice that while all the other kids were playing in the bouncy house and playing elaborate imaginative games, Malachi was in the corner spinning wheels on a toy train for half an hour. Well he might not go for performing arts but at least he'll get points for another magnet school! The conversation was exhausting. It was so lovely that when they asked where Asha would be going I could say "we probably won't be living here next year".
David has said that if we do stay in L.A. he wants to put Asha in a private school. My initial reaction is that it is way to elitist for me. I believe in public education. I believe that every kid has the right to a good education for free. But the truth of the matter is that the public education system in California is a giant mess. The schools are so hung up on their ratings and test score that they've lost sight of what really matters. Several teachers have recently been caught helping their students cheat in order to boost test scores. I feel like private school is a band-aid solution but do I want Asha to go to Westchester High with students that carry guns and sell drugs?
So these are some of the fun little things that I have to consider if we are to stay here in L.A. When the lady from my bootcamp class said that you either need to live in a good area (and by good she means Beverly Hills) or pay for private school she wasn't really exaggerating!
I also feel like people put a lot of pressure on kids here to do well in school. They recently decided to shift the school year so that kids finish school early in June and start up again in August. This is apparently so that kids graduating from high school have time to do more summer school so they can be competetive with kids from the East Coast in university. What is going on!? Asha has a friend who started kindergarten this year in Chinese immersion in Venice Beach. Her mom drives her 45 minutes to school, then she has a full day of school (all kindergarten is full-day here which I personally think is messed up), then 45 minutes to get home. I think that's a pretty full day for a 5 year old. Well in order help her keep up her parents have gotten her an IPad so that she can practice Chinese for an hour each evening. When I saw her recently and asked her how school was going, she said "hard".
So, here's what I'm wondering... is this a California thing? I haven't decided if this mass hysteria is warranted or everyone around here has lost their minds. Is it like this in Canada? I have this notion that in Canada you just put your kids in the school closest to your home because that's what my parents did. There are some exceptions like if you want your kid in Catholic school or French immersion but I feel like there isn't this madness in Canada. Have I idealized the way things are back home?
One quick story to wrap up this tirade... the other day at beach bootcamp the ladies were talking about how to get into a great pre-K program in El Segundo. One of the women said "whatever you do don't teach your daughter to skip". Well apparently it's a program specifically for kids who are not ready for kindergarten yet so there's some sort of reverse competency test to get in. One of the gross motor skills they test is skipping so that if a child is able the skip then they're ready for kindergarten and don't get in. Parents actually help their kids flunk the test so they can get into the program. So much for putting too much pressure on kids to succeed! I found myself thinking "yes! Asha can't skip! She'd get in for sure!" Oh no. I'm becoming one of them...
It feels strange to live in a temporary situation. What's the point of making good friends when we're going to move away anyway? Why buy a new bed when we're going to have to haul it across the continent in a few months? It can be uncomfortable, both mentally (in the case of the lack of friends) and physically (in the case of the bed). But in some ways it's also nice. Yes, there are brown widow spiders in our backyard but we'll move away soon and never have to deal with them again (my mama bear instinct makes me want to annihilate every last one of them but the pacifist in me makes me apologize profusely as I do it).
One of the main reasons that I like to think about our time here being temporary is because then I don't have to think about where Asha would go to school next year. You would not believe the tizzy that people get themselves into about schooling around here. Westchester, the area where we live, is a fairly decent area. David recently read that it has the 4th lowest crime rate in all of L.A.! It's no Beverly Hills but it's a pretty average, middle class neighbourhood. Soon after we moved here I heard several people comment that Westchester is a nice place to live but it's a shame that the schools are so terrible. I also couldn't help but notice that all of the kids on our street go to schools elsewhere. Our next-door neighbours pretend that they live at a friend's house so they can get their kids into school in an adjacent area called El Segundo. Doesn't El Segundo sound like a place where greasy men would sell Chihuahuas out of the back of a pickup truck? Well it seems to be a pretty exclusive place.
Anyway, I had been to a family fun day at the school that Asha is now going to and it seemed like a good school! I didn't get it. Were people just super picky about schools here? Well it turns out that the public elementary and middle schools in Westchester are pretty good but the problem is with the high school. Students get bussed in to Westchester High from the inner city much to the local people's dismay. My initial reaction was that the inner city kids deserve a good education too but apparently the school has become a pretty scary place.
So for the most part people try to get their kids out of the Westchester public school system as early as possible. There is a labrynthine system that one has to tackle in order to do this. There are charter schools which are kind of part of the public school system but they don't actually have to adhere to the rules and curriculum of a public school. They seem to be more granola than your typical school. I heard one parent comment that at a charter school called Ocean Charter School they don't learn to read until 5th grade. I think she was exaggerating. Charter schools are incredibly hard to get into. Most of them have a lottery system.
Then there are private schools. They are, as expected, very expensive but our neighbours' kids got some sort of subsidy so they're not as snobby as you might think. It is pretty commonplace for kids to go to private school here. Before I moved here the only people I heard of going to private school were Prince William and a kid I knew from elementary school who was really bad (and I think his parents just wanted to get rid of him).
The other option is a magnet school. These are schools that focus on a specific academic area. There are science magnet schools, performing arts magnet schools, even business magnet schools. Apparently you need points to get into magnet schools. You get points for living near the school, having a sibling in the school, etc. But if a child has gone to one magnet school you get points for other magnet schools.
So it's enough to make a person want to homeschool! And it's very hard not to get wrapped up in it all. I just keep telling myself that I don't have to worry about it. Asha and I were recently at a birthday party and it was all the parents could talk about. Maya's on the list for Open Charter so they've got their fingers crossed. Amanda's got an in at a magnet school because her sisters both go there. Malachi's mom is interviewing for a performing arts magnet school near their house. I couldn't help but notice that while all the other kids were playing in the bouncy house and playing elaborate imaginative games, Malachi was in the corner spinning wheels on a toy train for half an hour. Well he might not go for performing arts but at least he'll get points for another magnet school! The conversation was exhausting. It was so lovely that when they asked where Asha would be going I could say "we probably won't be living here next year".
David has said that if we do stay in L.A. he wants to put Asha in a private school. My initial reaction is that it is way to elitist for me. I believe in public education. I believe that every kid has the right to a good education for free. But the truth of the matter is that the public education system in California is a giant mess. The schools are so hung up on their ratings and test score that they've lost sight of what really matters. Several teachers have recently been caught helping their students cheat in order to boost test scores. I feel like private school is a band-aid solution but do I want Asha to go to Westchester High with students that carry guns and sell drugs?
So these are some of the fun little things that I have to consider if we are to stay here in L.A. When the lady from my bootcamp class said that you either need to live in a good area (and by good she means Beverly Hills) or pay for private school she wasn't really exaggerating!
I also feel like people put a lot of pressure on kids here to do well in school. They recently decided to shift the school year so that kids finish school early in June and start up again in August. This is apparently so that kids graduating from high school have time to do more summer school so they can be competetive with kids from the East Coast in university. What is going on!? Asha has a friend who started kindergarten this year in Chinese immersion in Venice Beach. Her mom drives her 45 minutes to school, then she has a full day of school (all kindergarten is full-day here which I personally think is messed up), then 45 minutes to get home. I think that's a pretty full day for a 5 year old. Well in order help her keep up her parents have gotten her an IPad so that she can practice Chinese for an hour each evening. When I saw her recently and asked her how school was going, she said "hard".
So, here's what I'm wondering... is this a California thing? I haven't decided if this mass hysteria is warranted or everyone around here has lost their minds. Is it like this in Canada? I have this notion that in Canada you just put your kids in the school closest to your home because that's what my parents did. There are some exceptions like if you want your kid in Catholic school or French immersion but I feel like there isn't this madness in Canada. Have I idealized the way things are back home?
One quick story to wrap up this tirade... the other day at beach bootcamp the ladies were talking about how to get into a great pre-K program in El Segundo. One of the women said "whatever you do don't teach your daughter to skip". Well apparently it's a program specifically for kids who are not ready for kindergarten yet so there's some sort of reverse competency test to get in. One of the gross motor skills they test is skipping so that if a child is able the skip then they're ready for kindergarten and don't get in. Parents actually help their kids flunk the test so they can get into the program. So much for putting too much pressure on kids to succeed! I found myself thinking "yes! Asha can't skip! She'd get in for sure!" Oh no. I'm becoming one of them...
Friday, January 20, 2012
Beach Bootcamp and an Armenian Head
Man I really suck these days at keeping up my blog. I'm sorry everyone! Assuming that anyone is still out there reading this. Well I've been putting off writing this post for a while because it seemed a bit, well, rude. I was waiting for the weather back home to be less than brutal before I wrote about my adventures on the beach. Then it went down to minus 50 in Edmonton and I thought "screw it!". By the way, I am not exaggerating when I say that people can not comprehend the concept of negative temperatures. It is in small part because of the whole celsius/fahrenheit thing but mostly because they don't understand that a temperature can have a negative sign in front of it.
So, my new favourite thing about living in L.A. is a little thing called Beach Bootcamp. Yes, the "bootcamp" part may sound less than fun but doesn't everything sound better with the word "beach" in front of it? I was looking for an exercise class and I came upon a Beach Bootcamp class taught by Markus and Texas. Are those great names or what? I had images of two heavily-muscled ex-marines yelling at me to run faster. Wohoo! Well upon further investigation I found out that Texas is in fact a woman and she and Markus are married. They run a class for women where you can bring your kids and they play on the beach while you work out. Sign me up!
I showed up at the beach and saw a woman setting up for a class. I assumed this was Texas herself. I walked up to her and said "are you Texas?" to which the woman replied "is that a person?". It turns out that there are several fitness classes on the beach and the one I was looking for was a bit further down. When I finally found Markus he told me to take off my shoes and go for a run in the sand. Well, he had me at "take off your shoes". Something you must know about me is that I loathe shoes. I have worn flip-flops every single day that I have lived here. A workout where you don't wear shoes?! Sweet! Running in the sand is not so sweet but it is a fantastic workout.
I've been doing the class for two weeks now and I love it. To be honest it's not as challenging as I had hoped but it's still a pretty good workout. (As a side note... Jolene's Stroller Bootcamp in Whitecourt is the best fitness class I've ever taken. If you live in Whitecourt and have had or will ever have a baby you MUST take this class. Also, if you live anywhere near one of Alberta's recreation facilities I hope you're taking advantage of it! There is NOTHING like Whitecourt's Allan & Jean Miller Centre here!)
I am lucky enough that Asha is in school when I go to the class and David is home most mornings so Nia stays at home with him. So after my class I go down by the water and stretch and meditate. How very Californian of me! It's a great way to start my day.
So do you hate me yet? Well my bootcamp class has also been a bit of a reminder of the not-so-great things about L.A.. There was sewage spill the other day so there were signs all over the beach that you couldn't swim in the water. Apparently it happens all the time. I guess the system that manages the waste of 8 million people is bound to fail sometimes. A fellow bootcamper also told me the other day that you have to have money to live in L.A. because you either need to pay to live in a fancy area or pay for private schools because the public schools in the other areas suck. I think this is a comment on both the insane standard of living here but also the frenzy that people get into about schools in this city. But that's a whole other post...
Finally, the topic of conversation at class today was that a human head was found by a hiker near the Hollywood sign. The body (or I guess the lack thereof) had not been identified but apparently it was suspected that they were Armenian. How exactly would they know that?! When I first moved to Whitecourt there had been a stabbing a few days before and I was horrified. What kind of place had I moved to!?
So living in L.A. is not all sand and meditation but I'm doing my best to take advantage of all the good stuff. Nothing beats the feeling of sand in my toes and sun on my face.
Oh, and one quick Asha-ism before I sign off. The other day she asked me "what's unnergah?" to which I replied "I have no idea". She said "in the pledgaleedgence?". To which I replied "I literally have no idea what you are talking about". So it turns out that they are learning the Pledge of Allegiance in school. It's a bit wierd that Asha is pledging her allegiance to a foreign flag but I guess I have to expect it if I'm going to put her in a Yankee school. So here's how her version goes:
"A pledgaleedgence to the flag. On which it stand. In invisible. Unnergah."
I figure it's OK that she's pledging her allegiance to a foreign flag because she clearly has no idea what she is saying.
So, my new favourite thing about living in L.A. is a little thing called Beach Bootcamp. Yes, the "bootcamp" part may sound less than fun but doesn't everything sound better with the word "beach" in front of it? I was looking for an exercise class and I came upon a Beach Bootcamp class taught by Markus and Texas. Are those great names or what? I had images of two heavily-muscled ex-marines yelling at me to run faster. Wohoo! Well upon further investigation I found out that Texas is in fact a woman and she and Markus are married. They run a class for women where you can bring your kids and they play on the beach while you work out. Sign me up!
I showed up at the beach and saw a woman setting up for a class. I assumed this was Texas herself. I walked up to her and said "are you Texas?" to which the woman replied "is that a person?". It turns out that there are several fitness classes on the beach and the one I was looking for was a bit further down. When I finally found Markus he told me to take off my shoes and go for a run in the sand. Well, he had me at "take off your shoes". Something you must know about me is that I loathe shoes. I have worn flip-flops every single day that I have lived here. A workout where you don't wear shoes?! Sweet! Running in the sand is not so sweet but it is a fantastic workout.
I've been doing the class for two weeks now and I love it. To be honest it's not as challenging as I had hoped but it's still a pretty good workout. (As a side note... Jolene's Stroller Bootcamp in Whitecourt is the best fitness class I've ever taken. If you live in Whitecourt and have had or will ever have a baby you MUST take this class. Also, if you live anywhere near one of Alberta's recreation facilities I hope you're taking advantage of it! There is NOTHING like Whitecourt's Allan & Jean Miller Centre here!)
I am lucky enough that Asha is in school when I go to the class and David is home most mornings so Nia stays at home with him. So after my class I go down by the water and stretch and meditate. How very Californian of me! It's a great way to start my day.
So do you hate me yet? Well my bootcamp class has also been a bit of a reminder of the not-so-great things about L.A.. There was sewage spill the other day so there were signs all over the beach that you couldn't swim in the water. Apparently it happens all the time. I guess the system that manages the waste of 8 million people is bound to fail sometimes. A fellow bootcamper also told me the other day that you have to have money to live in L.A. because you either need to pay to live in a fancy area or pay for private schools because the public schools in the other areas suck. I think this is a comment on both the insane standard of living here but also the frenzy that people get into about schools in this city. But that's a whole other post...
Finally, the topic of conversation at class today was that a human head was found by a hiker near the Hollywood sign. The body (or I guess the lack thereof) had not been identified but apparently it was suspected that they were Armenian. How exactly would they know that?! When I first moved to Whitecourt there had been a stabbing a few days before and I was horrified. What kind of place had I moved to!?
So living in L.A. is not all sand and meditation but I'm doing my best to take advantage of all the good stuff. Nothing beats the feeling of sand in my toes and sun on my face.
Oh, and one quick Asha-ism before I sign off. The other day she asked me "what's unnergah?" to which I replied "I have no idea". She said "in the pledgaleedgence?". To which I replied "I literally have no idea what you are talking about". So it turns out that they are learning the Pledge of Allegiance in school. It's a bit wierd that Asha is pledging her allegiance to a foreign flag but I guess I have to expect it if I'm going to put her in a Yankee school. So here's how her version goes:
"A pledgaleedgence to the flag. On which it stand. In invisible. Unnergah."
I figure it's OK that she's pledging her allegiance to a foreign flag because she clearly has no idea what she is saying.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
The Open Road
I am writing this while sitting in a moving vehicle just outside of Beaver, Utah. Isn't the modern age crazy? So you may be wondering why I am just outside of Beaver,Utah. Well, Jeanette and I are on a little bit of a road trip.
Since moving to L.A. we have been driving David's truck. The truck has served us well but it was time to move on. I am not exaggerating when I say that it is the most beat up and dirtiest vehicle in the entire state of California. It was already a bit worse for wear when we first got to L.A. but it has only gone downhill from there. David got his official "welcome to L.A." salute by getting rear-ended a few months ago. The body damage was bad enough to write off our truck but it was still drive-able. Did you know that you can wait for a year to make an insurance claim and continue driving the vehicle? Well you can!
Since then I had a bit of a run-in with a parked truck made of solid steel resulting in a wee bit of a scratch. The truck has also started backfiring and I'm a bit scared of getting stranded on the side of the freeway with my kids in the back. So, it's time for something new, don't you think? I'm all for being frugal but come on now. I recently went to Beverly Hills for a choir rehearsal and someone asked me if I saw the Beverly Hillbillies to which I replied "I WAS the Beverly Hillbillies!".
Long story short, my sister sold us her old Rav 4 which Asha lovingly christened Amelia Bedelia. It's the perfect vehicle for us. Unfortunately my parents' neighbours' teenage son backed into poor Amelia and destroyed the driver's door. This is one of those occasions when I thank my lucky stars that David is not only the kind of guy who can get straight A's in grad school but also the kind of guy who can find a new door for a vehicle and put it on in record time. It was going to take the bodyshop over a week which wouldn't have left us enough time to drive to L.A. before David and the girls arrive. The only door for a Rav 4 in all of Alberta was red and there wasn't time to get it painted so poor Amelia Bedelia looks a little ridiculous. We just can't escape our hillbilly ways! Don't worry. We will get it painted once we get to L.A..
So that brings us to two girls, two dogs, and the open road. Jeanette was planning on visiting us in the new year anyway so she came along for the ride! Luckily David is also the kind of guy who can be left with his two kids while his wife Thelma-and-Louises it up with her best friend! Don't worry, we're staying away from Brad Pitt and the Grand Canyon.
Just outside of Red Deer we started to notice a peculiar sound coming from Amelia's front left wheel well. We immediately called David and tried to get him to listen to the sound through the phone. When we pulled over and looked we couldn't help but notice the mud flap hanging down rubbing against the wheel. When we told David he sarcastically said "I love that you called me before you even looked at it. ". Whatever. He loves helping us damsels in distress.
As we carried on further south we were told that there were not one, not two, but THREE fires burning in Southern Alberta. In January. What the hell? The highway had been closed because of smoke as well as winds so strong that they were pushing over semis and RVs. This led to a minor detour but we managed to cross the border without a problem. The border security guy waved us through quite quickly. It might have been that we were little nervous and became giggly and annoying. Why is it that I always get nervous at customs even though I have nothing to hide?
So the rest of the trip has included 2 provinces, 5 states, several bathroom breaks, and a covert operation to sneak Stobie into a hotel room. We have seen the Big Montana sky, the beautiful mountains of Idaho & Utah, and we're entering the Nevada desert. We'll be in Las Vegas soon. Oh dear! Hopefully we can survive Sin City!
Since moving to L.A. we have been driving David's truck. The truck has served us well but it was time to move on. I am not exaggerating when I say that it is the most beat up and dirtiest vehicle in the entire state of California. It was already a bit worse for wear when we first got to L.A. but it has only gone downhill from there. David got his official "welcome to L.A." salute by getting rear-ended a few months ago. The body damage was bad enough to write off our truck but it was still drive-able. Did you know that you can wait for a year to make an insurance claim and continue driving the vehicle? Well you can!
Since then I had a bit of a run-in with a parked truck made of solid steel resulting in a wee bit of a scratch. The truck has also started backfiring and I'm a bit scared of getting stranded on the side of the freeway with my kids in the back. So, it's time for something new, don't you think? I'm all for being frugal but come on now. I recently went to Beverly Hills for a choir rehearsal and someone asked me if I saw the Beverly Hillbillies to which I replied "I WAS the Beverly Hillbillies!".
Long story short, my sister sold us her old Rav 4 which Asha lovingly christened Amelia Bedelia. It's the perfect vehicle for us. Unfortunately my parents' neighbours' teenage son backed into poor Amelia and destroyed the driver's door. This is one of those occasions when I thank my lucky stars that David is not only the kind of guy who can get straight A's in grad school but also the kind of guy who can find a new door for a vehicle and put it on in record time. It was going to take the bodyshop over a week which wouldn't have left us enough time to drive to L.A. before David and the girls arrive. The only door for a Rav 4 in all of Alberta was red and there wasn't time to get it painted so poor Amelia Bedelia looks a little ridiculous. We just can't escape our hillbilly ways! Don't worry. We will get it painted once we get to L.A..
So that brings us to two girls, two dogs, and the open road. Jeanette was planning on visiting us in the new year anyway so she came along for the ride! Luckily David is also the kind of guy who can be left with his two kids while his wife Thelma-and-Louises it up with her best friend! Don't worry, we're staying away from Brad Pitt and the Grand Canyon.
Just outside of Red Deer we started to notice a peculiar sound coming from Amelia's front left wheel well. We immediately called David and tried to get him to listen to the sound through the phone. When we pulled over and looked we couldn't help but notice the mud flap hanging down rubbing against the wheel. When we told David he sarcastically said "I love that you called me before you even looked at it. ". Whatever. He loves helping us damsels in distress.
As we carried on further south we were told that there were not one, not two, but THREE fires burning in Southern Alberta. In January. What the hell? The highway had been closed because of smoke as well as winds so strong that they were pushing over semis and RVs. This led to a minor detour but we managed to cross the border without a problem. The border security guy waved us through quite quickly. It might have been that we were little nervous and became giggly and annoying. Why is it that I always get nervous at customs even though I have nothing to hide?
So the rest of the trip has included 2 provinces, 5 states, several bathroom breaks, and a covert operation to sneak Stobie into a hotel room. We have seen the Big Montana sky, the beautiful mountains of Idaho & Utah, and we're entering the Nevada desert. We'll be in Las Vegas soon. Oh dear! Hopefully we can survive Sin City!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)