Sound of Silence

Growing up in the woods, I get antsy when the miles of concrete around me sizzle in the summer heat so Camille and I ventured out into the wilderness recently to see what we could see. And what we saw was surprisingly silent and beautiful. It is amazing that just 16 miles from our doorstep along the Angeles Crest Highway, this legit brand of nature exists! The ironic thing is that before I was born, my parents lived on and built the Pacific Crest Trail which runs through the Angeles Crest. Things go full circle as usual.

It was her first time out in the woods in the summer and she really dug it...especially the little creek running through one of the trail areas that we stopped. When I was little we always had a pair of what we called "steam waders" which amounted to last year's tennies that we used to stomp around in the creeks without cutting our feet on the rocky bottom. She was pretty surprised when I told her to just wade in in her sneakers and kept insisting that I take them off for her. When she finally relented, her eyes lit up as if she was being allowed to do something naughty just for this occasion!

Little frog, only about an inch long!! There were tons of them hopping all over the creek bed.

It was so nice to see tiny frogs, beautiful butterflies, crazy squirrels and quick little water skeeters with Camille. Watching her trip out more with each discovery. Thanks to a couple of friendly park visitors, we managed to steer clear of the huge clumps of poison oak that littered the trail banks. We didn't have it where I grew up so I was grateful for their info. Wouldn't that have sucked?!

Eyeing the tiny pine cones and contemplating eating them?

We came home loaded down with souvenirs from our adventure...acorns of all shapes and sizes (they
make a great tea set as Ms. Cam discovered), itty bitty pine cones and bits of white granite. But the best souvenir of all was the Zen-like calm my little terror had for the rest of the day. Thank you Mother Nature!

Did I say Zen? Maybe I meant Zombie!

Little Roller Girl

So we have now learned that Camille's love for shoes extends to roller skates. Roller skating is tricky for those of us who have been walking for 30+ years, you can only imagine how it must be for someone who has only had her legs under her for just over a year. Neverthless, this minor obstacle did not stop her from wanting to roller skate with the big kids on a recent outing to the roller rink. This kid kills me.

PS. Is it really possible that roller rink decor has remained unchanged since my fourth grade year? Gotta love it!

Get Back To Where You Once Belonged

It is a trip having a kid...just plain and simple. It makes you try with all your might to remember back when you were their age and what it felt like. Before this hostile world started chipping away at the soft parts of your being and before those chips made you go to the flea market and pick up some right nice armour to protect yourself. Oh I know that sounds dramatic but lets face it, having a two year old makes you realize that you have somehow become a dried up, jaded ol' crone without even noticing. And more than that, it makes you strive to get back to where you once belonged so they can stay like this forever.

All of this reflecting lately has made me so glad my hi-tech mom found Dropbox and has been scanning photos from my childhood. It is so cool to walk down memory lane at the same time you are helping your own kid create memories of her own. It turns out that even 38 years doesn't change much in the way of family.


Dad in Viet Nam before he met mom

Mom in Berkeley before me



Carl and Augs, SF 2007



Me and Augs, LA 2008

Mom and me, Rocky Point, OR 1973



Camille and me, LA 2009



Me, Palm Springs 1974

Camille and me, Palm Springs 2010

Wendy and me on my 2nd birthday 1975

Camille, Carl and me on her 2nd birthday 2011



The Doggy Days Of Summer

 

At last we have found a dog beach that doesn't reek of stinky poo and have you clutching your baby tight to keep her out of the galloping labradors' line of fire. It is called Arroyo Burro County Beach, aka Hendry's Beach and it is the beach that dogs and dog mamas and obbis dream of.

As usual, Camille set to work spreading her sand dreams all over my obsessively anti-sand world but I am starting to learn to live with the gritty reality that beach = sand = lovely family time. I have a bit of the OCD, what can I say?! I have recently found a beach blanket that has a one-way ticket for sand and I intend to get one as soon as our ship comes in.

All in all, the day was delightful except for the pair of couples that planted themselves between us and the beach and decided to have a big suck-face session. I mean come on people, is that necessary?? I guess no matter how Zen I strive to become, there will always be a part of me that remains the jaded San Francisco gal. It is endearing, right?

Finding Wonderland

My beloved Camille is two. How on earth has this happened? It really does seem like yesterday that I was uncomfortably hot and enormously pregnant wishing like mad that I could meet our little gem. Now she is out and disturbing the peace like nobody's business!

So, to commemorate the terrible-two occasion, Carley and I set out to create a Wonderland vision that would make Alice green with envy. It all started with colored tissue paper and a little OCD and turned into a party that we will never forget.

Of course there were hitches in our giddyup like the dislocated elbow sustained by our little angel and a San Francisco-esque fog that set in the morning of the party but in the end, all turned out remarkably beautiful and the guests made the fete even more amazing!

Now that I have had two years of birthday parties that fulfill my childhood dreams, I will be able to relent a bit easier if next year she wants a jumpy house and hot dogs.