Walks

If you know me - or us - you know we like to take walks. We usually take the same route, down Kenneth, keep going, turn around just in time before a tantrum may ensue. Sometimes we don't walk. Sometimes we consider the LA zoo the walk. Sometimes we get babysitters so we can walk. Sometimes the kids use strollers. Sometimes they don't.

I like when the kids are sitting quietly in a stroller. But that rarely happens. This is what usually happens:

I put the girls in the stroller. I go back inside for that last princess toy that needs to be in a princess bag of course with some extra accessories. I come outside and the girls are out of the stroller, and Alex says : Let them walk.

My first instinct has recently been: No way Jose. No way. Take the stroller. If they wanna walk, they can walk, but if they don't want to they can sit down. I don't want to carry anyone. I don't want anyone on my shoulders, and I especially do not want to carry two of them who don't want to be carried by the husband. But lately my fears have just been that - fears, cuz the walks without the strollers ain't so bad. Alex ends up carrying Effie who seems to like her Dad a bit more these days, and Celia just walks. Miles sometimes, all by herself.

And so, the other day we wanted to take a walk. But the big boss Celia - who insists Effie is the boss - said she didn't want to walk to see Ryan (the guy at the liquor store), or run, or sit in the stroller, nothing. But my hippy husband, and I say hippy cuz he was wearing tie dye that day, said "Take your instruments and we'll march"

"Ok! But I (stress the I) will be the leader." (said Celia)

We took off, Celia with a yellow recorder in the front.
Effie behind her with a brown recorder and a fat orange maraca in the other hand.
Me with a recorder and Alex with a blue melodica - (for those of you who don't know what it is, it's mini-teeny piano with a long tube you blow through.

I think it was the fastest mile and a half we ever walked. We definitely woke up the neighborhood. It was quite embarassing (but not as embarrassing as walking to the grocery store yesterday next to Alex who was wearing a woman's wig that Celia asked him to wear. Now THAT was embarrassing, and I will not write on that subject any further cuz it offends my nature).

But I digress. The marching band thing was pretty fun, but whenever we passed anyone, I was too scared of not blowing like a dork into the recorder out of the fear that Celia may not want to continue walking if I were to cease my screeching sounds, and I never made eye contact with the passers-by. I just kept tooting that little pseudo-instrument and stopping whenever the leader would shout "HOOOO!" It was so funny cuz Effie would always slam into her when she'd abruptly stop. Then of course commands were given to continue the march and this continued well on into a business sector of the neighborhood, then back into residential, and finally back home.

I felt like we looked like some messed up 60's wierdo family scampering the sidewalks cuz of the tie-dye thing, and nothing like the Partridge family (which would be a step up) cuz the sounds we were making were quite awful and ear piercing.

In the end we made it home, and as soon as we walked in the door, Celia collapsed on the service porch (a.k.a laundry room floor) moaning in fatigue. But she sure was a good leader.

I'm proud of the kid for walking so much. Effie made it half way and spent the rest blowing the melodica tube on Alex's shoulders.

And since it's been awhile, again, I'll just say to you all that I miss you, hope you're well, and that we can see eachother soon.
Oh, I just remembered a funny thing Celia told me the other day. The same night we did the marching walk, she and Effie Rosey cakes did one of the "let's do something crazy before bed to prolong the agony for mom things" and carefully emptied the 4 pairs of high heels I own and took turns with them all walking around the house like "fawncy ladies" (say it like an old English woman) then Celia said to me :

"Mom! Mom! Mom! Turn out the lights!!! Turn out the lights!"
"What for? So you guys can fall on your faces in the dark with those high heels?"
"No - I need you to turn off the light so that the dark matches my high heels." (she was wearing black ones)

Well, it was funny to me. And even better, cuz no one fell on their face.

Bad Memory

I was listening to some program on the radio one day while washing the dishes (which is my new thing, cuz listening makes me feel like I have company while I do the dirty work) and they (who's they you ask? I don't know) were talking about how some guy who works for microsoft has been wearing a teeny tiny camera attached to his eyebrow for many years now, and at the end of each day, he watches his entire day in some fast forward version that takes 3 minutes and I guess the point is that you forget exactly HOW much you actually do in a day. And I think My point is that I wish I had one of those things, cuz various times throughout the day something happens that I want to recall for the blog, but by this time I can't remember a thing. And forget the end of each day... I haven't written in weeks and I know a zillion funny wonderful things have happened but I don't even know where to begin.

Hmmm... let's see how I can update you the best. Hmm. Ok, fine I'll make a list. I like lists. I just wish I could make lists of things to do that I'd actually do. But that's besides the point.

!. I decided to stop taking Celia to the Nazi ballet teacher. Effie refused to dance, and I got too sleepy watching Celia yawn 37 times in 30 minutes.
2. We went to the Observatory to see... Hershel, and found out that if they say you can't park up at the top, just tell em that you have to drop off two crying babies with one parent, then they'll let you go up, and there will inevitably be parking up there.
3. Offspring number 2 is talking. A LOT! She likes to say "No way Jose". But it sounds like "Naway Ze".
4. I think Alex and I have been out 2 times without babies at night in 2 weeks thanks to Mo and Tree.
5. I started working again, not much, but just enough, and it'z cool.
6. I really miss writing this blog, and hope to get back into a weekly routine, so please, be patient with me.
7. Went bowling, and found out Effie has no problem lifting 12 pound bowling balls but likes dropping them.

So as you can see things have been ... normal... I guess. A lot has happened and things haven't been too crazy. I've been able to deal positively with the girls and now am just worried about Kindergarten and the fact that they are getting too big, too fast, and it scares me.

I've gots to go, but I think that I'm gonna keep a little pen with me to write notes on my hand or a scrap piece of paper so as not to offend my father (cuz he doesn't dig the writing on the hand thing) so I can be sure to blog next time about all the freakin funny stuff my kids say everyday. And if you miss them, come visit, or call, or write, cuz the girls are absolutely incredible.