Kids. Can't live with 'em. Pass the beer nuts.

The kids all wanted to go back to Muscle beach this morning before we went to mom's house. It was crowded, but we got a spot in the parking lot on the beach and walked over to the bars and rings. Almost immediately, all three kids for different reasons and in different places start whining and or complaining. Elizabeth wants to do this thing on the rings, but can't understand what to do despite her doing it yesterday and me telling her and showing her. She starts crying. Miranda gets up on something, but can't get down and starts complaining and whining and then yelling at me. Then Parker wants to do this thing on the rings, but bonks his head and doesn't want to try again until I am out of arms' reach. Then he falls to the ground and looks/acts bored.

By this time (not 10 minutes after we had arrived) I'm ready to leave and tell them so. Then they all whine that they want to stay. But no one is doing anything and I'm pissed and tell them so. I have no patience for this kind of nonsense and they know it.

They recover fairly well and we all go get bikes out of the car. I let them ride up and back on the bike path which is terrifying for me as they are little, not so fast, but get out of site pretty quickly. Everyone, including Miranda who is still figuring out her big bike, does very well. I'm thinking that it was great to bounce back from such a lame beginning and then Miranda starts yelling and pouting that I'm not going to buy her a corn dog.

Renting vs Owning

Miranda: Julia, do you know that we didn't buy our house, we are renting it?

Julia: No.

Miranda: Do you know what renting means?

Julia: No.

Miranda: Renting is when you move into a house, but you don't stay there. Then you move again and rent. Then you move again and rent. Then you move again and rent. Then you buy a house and stay there forever and ever and ever.

Julia: Until you die?

Miranda: Yes.

Julia: Oh. Ok.

The Kids in LA

As usual, the kids are in heaven with each other. The boys are playing their ninendo, the girls are running like monkeys, and all of them are generally thrilled. We took the kids to muscle beach yesterday as I thought Elizabeth would really loved it. She did, but didn't do as much as I thought she would. She and Parker did climb this really high rope which impressed a few people standing around.







Three cute girls.

Saying Goodbye to the Puppies

Before our trip to LA we took the puppies back to the animal shelter. They are going to be fixed and then put up for adoption June 4th. Our wonderful, but apparently crazy, babysitter Jenna wants to adopt one. I've tried to convince her otherwise, but I remember when I wanted a kitten when I was 23 and there was no convincing me otherwise. Miranda was of course sad and wanted to know when we could get a pet that we could keep for ever and ever. I told her when all of our current pets had died, we could discuss it again. But I'll be damned if we get a puppy. We'll get the oldest, ugliest dog or cat at the shelter.

Oliver and Elizabeth

Parker's Official Tball Photo

More Iron Chef Party

Just got some pics from the party last Friday....Thanks to April for taking them!

Scenes from my 7 mile run along the lake

That's right. I said 7 miles.

Recent Kid Nonsense

Miranda says: "Are Oakland and Piedmont still friends even though Piedmont is smaller than Oakland?"


Parker says (in response to my question "What's Up?": "Mom, I'm not sure what to say when you say that."


Elizabeth says (when asked what she is doing because it looks like she is about to change clothes which she is not allowed to do): "Nothing, mom, just looking around."

Not cute.

The girls and I went to a retirement party for one of their preschool teachers. It was a nice event with years and years of alumni there. It was cute to see teenagers thanking her for making birthday crowns.

At one point, Elizabeth came up to me when I was talking to another mom and said, "There are some older kids climbing trees, but climbing trees is not allowed at Sequoia Nursery School."

I said it was a special night and she could climb the tree. But since she was wearing a fancy dress, I said she might not want because she would probably ruin the dress.

She replied, "That's ok. I have another dress at home" and ran off.

The other mom turned to me and so, "Oh my god, she is so cute. I just can't stand how cute she is."

I didn't see anything cute about the exchange. I found it annoying. Which I guess is what makes me different than most moms.

The definition of bullshit

When they give you turn-down service at the Ritz and don't leave a chocolate on your pillow.

Serously, what's up with that?!?

Iron Chef Party!

Last Friday night I hosted a dinner party with 20 women from my Boot Camp class. Since we couldn't invite more than a couple people over to our previous residence, as soon as we rented this one, I scheduled the party. Even before we moved in.

We ate in the backyard and I rented tables, chairs, put out flowers and candles and even got some of those out door heaters. The party had a theme too. It was a Bacon and Mushroom Iron Chef party. That meant that everyone had to bring something that had bacon or mushroom in it. Or both.

We had salads, sides, mac n cheese (with both!), appetizers, enchiladas, rissoto with quinoa and even dessert. In addition to the bacon rice crispie treats that I made, there was bacon cheesecake brownies, and maple bacon ice cream with candied bacon. And one truly inspired lady made merigue in the shape of a mushroom with chocolate in it. It didn't have the secret ingredients, but it was awesome. Then we voted and the winners got prizes.

It seemed everyone had a lovely time (since they stayed very late) and it was nice to hang out with people I usually only see half dressed and sweaty.

Special thanks to Michael for helping me set up, fixing the heaters, taking the kids out of the house and doing a lot of the clean up. He was super supportive of this ridiculous event.

Here are the ladies after a few left. Our instructor Kym is holding the camera everyone is looking at.

Chicago

I'm here for a couple of days of work. But the work mostly consists of having a board meeting, which will take 30 minutes, and lounging in expensive restaurants, talking about marketing. Here's the view from the 29th floor of the Ritz:

Elizabeth gymnastics videos

Elizabeth's group was paired with the group doing tumbling development, which meant that my line of sight was constantly obstructed by kids doing trampoline-assisted somersaults. Which is actually pretty amusing.

She's on the floor doing straddle pressups:



Here's she's getting some help going into a handstand:



Here she is on the bar:



And here she is doing leg lifts on the bar.

Miranda Gymnastics videos

Here's some really crappy video of Miranda doing her routine. She's the little spec in the pink leotard.

Gymnastics Roundup

Overall the gymnastics show was about the event that I expected. The performances were the kind that only a parent could love, with a packed audience every one of whom had a camera, and positively ruinous snow cone prices. Your typical small organization shin dig. There was plenty of parking, happy to say.

The kids all did very well, both in their performances, but also in how they carried themselves through the day. It was pretty chaotic, and all sorts of unfamiliar things going on, and they all held up perfectly. I was a bit worried for Miranda when her regular coach wasn't waiting there in the pre-show area, but she got into line, and found her way through the performance, and was very proud of herself afterwards. Her coach was on the course, so she was able to say hi to him.

After the performance we went outside to where they had a little carnival going, with two big jumpy houses, and food stands, and a couple of rather lame-o games. I got enough tickets for them all to do two things, and everyone but me got something from the baked goods stand. Parker did both of the games, and Elizabeth & miranda each did one, and then we went to the endless jumpy house line for that. I offered to get our own jumpy house out if we could just go home, but according to Elizabeth, ours isn't crazy enough. Go figure.

I did pretty well myself. Those sorts of things are not my general cup of tea; I like crowds little enough, but with three kids in tow it's fairly excruciating for me. But this was good, and I had my head on properly for the occasion, and we all had a nice time. I made sure they got their goody bags, which included just an assortment of branded crap for the gym, including a big tattoo which they all now have on their forearms, and herded them home for a hot lunch and a nice long jump on the trampoline. Which is where they are now.

Gymnastics liveblogging 6

That's Parker in the grey shirt.

Gymnastics liveblogging 5

Another blue ribbon performance

Gymnastics liveblogging 4

Blue ribbon performance from our gym kid...

Gymnastics liveblogging 3

The first act is Gym toddlers, which consists of amused parents shepherding their toddlers across a very soft obstacle course. I'm hoping it's uphill from here.

Gymnastics liveblogging 2

10 minutes behind schedule before the show has started. Not an auspicious beginning.

Gymnastics liveblogging

It's the big "show" for the kids gymnastics school, which the cynical parent views as a transparent fundraising shakedown. But the kids are excited, and it promises to be entertaining. I got here early enough to snag seats in the back next to the exit, since I'm assuming I'll need to hand-deliver each kid to the preshow area in turn.

It's mild chaos here on the brink of showtime.

Miranda in action

Miranda at the park

Swings