My New Year's Resolution- No More Bitter Ranting About LA Housing

A dear, sweet friend of mine stopped by a few days before Christmas to deliver a lovely little present. We sat down for a chat, and unfortunately she brought up a subject I have found myself trying to avoid lately: the housing options in Los Angeles. Before I knew what had happened I was atop my soapbox, lamenting about how much it costs to be here, how long of a commute Ian would have if we moved somewhere affordable, how terrible the high schools are in the whole Los Angeles area, which is just a bit pitiful to bring up because it has zero impact on me until like fourteen years, anyways, I went on and on.

After she left I felt pretty ashamed of myself. I let my bitter ranting get the better of what could have been a sweet Christmas moment. I realized that after Ian and I found out we couldn't afford a home basically anywhere in LA, I got really angry about it. I felt we had done everything we were supposed to- we got great educations, well-paying jobs, frugal lifestyles- Didn't we have a right to the American Dream which, by definition, includes a little home that you own in an unfancy neighborhood that's not 10hours away from where dad works, that has comes with nice kids for my kids to go to Scout Camp and church with and decent schools that turn out well-educated, community-minded, if not a bit immature, graduates?

Well, it turns out that if we're looking at living anywhere in the Westside of Los Angeles in super pricey southern California, the answer is no. End of discussion. I can't have all of those things here. I can have one, or two of them if I really try, but I can't have all three, or four, or however many it is. And getting mad at the Los Angeles tax codes and grandfather clauses and urban sprawl is not going to make me feel one bit better. I realized that what I can do to OWN the fact that we are choosing to live here, we are choosing this- LA living and all its warts. I've looked at the other options- moving out of the area, hiring a nanny and going back to work, etc. etc. and honestly, none of them is a better fit. Maybe someday, but not now. So my only option is embracing what we've got. So yeah, anyways, I'm going to head over for a beautiful bike ride along the beach on a perfect balmy Saturday at the end of December with my husband who has a super short drive to work- oh yeah, and I'll schedule one in for July too ;)

'24' and Jack Bauer have nothing on me

I love taking the boys to the park mostly because they seem to love it, they shout and laugh as they climb and play, and they come home with big appetites and solid naps. But it is definitely not a casual, relaxing sort of event. I must have my mommy senses on high alert, my reflexes nimble as a kitty's. About half the time I'm there I feel like I'm training for some kind of combat mission, carefully positioning myself halfway between my active little dudes until my mommy-radar whirs into action- OH NO, JULIAN'S CHANCES OF TAKING A NOSEDIVE OFF THAT STEP STOOL PLAY THING ARE REGISTERING AT 75%, BUT CALEB'S PROBABILITY OF TUMBLING DOWN THE SLIDE ONTO ASPHALT IS AT 65% AND RISING- in an instant I calculate the angles, the content of materials they're about to come into contact with, the potential damage: SLIDE IS ONLY A FEW FEET LONG, POSSIBLY HEADED NOGGIN FIRST vs. STEPY STOOL PLAY THING'S ANGLE IS WILL POSITION JULIAN FOR A BACKWARD SOMMERSAULT ROLL INTO NASTY CORNER OF STRUCTURE. I like to think that I've somehow received superpowers for my mommy mission- in a flash I dive towards Julian and break his fall with my outstretched hand, then, heart pounding, adrenaline flushing, I use my leg to whir myself around and catch Caleb with my foot. Phewsh, saved the day again.

While at times I miss and one of the kids biffs it and smacks their head, so far no one has had to call 911 for me, like we did for another parent the other day when their kid fell onto the sidewalk and got a blood gush they'll never forget (we hung around for awhile, luckily the kid seemed to be OK). Who needs '24' and Jack Bauer, just hang out with me at the playground, you'll get your fill of action. Except maybe you wouldn't mind giving me a hand, things are far less eventful when I've got a 1:1 ratio. Then again, I need to get my workout in somehow ;)

a considerably different Christmas card list each and every year

So, I'm putting together all of our Christmas cards to mail out this year. While I'm thinking I may switch over to e-mail cards sometime in the future, I do love the feel of sending out something tangible that my friend is going to also hold in their hand. It feels real, even though we are all so far away from each other.
As I was going over all my old addresses and sending out the cards I was reminded of the fact that we have gone through another transition- friends we hung out with a ton about 18 months ago are now relegated to our occasional email category. People I didn't even know existed 6 months ago are now buddies we see multiple times a week. I'm realizing with increased awareness that doing the central urban thing means, sadly, that it seems like we are caught in a current of people that we meet, get to know, and then KIT a year or two later. We went to a white elephant party tonight and had a total blast with our current buddies. But I'm looking at them from a new perspective- how many of them are going to be here next year to do the same thing before the current pulls them, or us, away? I've learned from enough cycles through New York and 2 moves in LA that most of us won't be here next year- we will have moved to Vegas or Arizona or Utah or maybe even the Valley where we don't have to deal with schools and tight living quarters for big rent. Doing the central urban thing means that we don't set up traditions, we just live it up the best that we can, which is really fun. It also means I get to introduce friends that I meet and will be moving to the same city, which is a great connection to build for all of us, and it means I get to meet so many wonderful, amazing people with a variety of gifts and experiences to strengthen and support one another, but I do feel a bit sad. I felt a bit sad as I had to cross some names off my address list- people I've lost touched with so much I know they've moved, and I know they have a new address, but I can't easily get in contact with them to find out what it is. I wonder if it will always be this way, and if I might be a little sad at the revolving door nature of our experience, or if I can just embrace this time in our lives and the good things it offers- like a considerably different Christmas card list each and every year. ;)
ps. Is it like this for people that live in non-urban center places too?

christmas fun!

Thought you guys would get a kick out of this. Sister Lindsay is also featured. You may have to refresh it for the family faces to appear. Enjoy!

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

oh christmas tree

So, my 'letting it go' abilities were once again called into action when, upon decorating our tree, we discovered that our box of ornaments mysteriously disappeared. I try to be organized, I really do, (I found half my decorations) but my acknowledged lack of skills is not helped out any by the fact that our apartment offers only 'creative' storage options and I don't know if the decorations box got stashed somewhere weird when I was trying to cram everything in here (behind my sewing machine in the top shelf of our bedroom cupboard with the chess set Ian's grandpa gave him and he refuses to chuck although he hasn't touched it in 10 YEARS, or behind the piano with our IKEA table legs maybe, or in the ice cooler shoved into the linen closet??) I"m going to cross my fingers and hope we sent it to Ian's mom's house and not (gasp) mistaken for the busted bread mixer and abandoned by the dumpster.. So until I get really organized, I've decided that I just have to go with the flow and find positive, happy things to say about the wide ribbon we used to decorate our tree. It really did turn out lovely. I'm finding that looking at the positive is making my life a lot easier. Now, if only I can get it together enough to make sure I get all of our Christmas cards sent out ;)
We received a lovely sign that our friend Alissa gave us that fit well over our nativity. Our portrait of Christ will be placed on top. It's my favorite reminder of the reason for the season.

learning to let loose

So we got our tree yesterday, and since the boys offer more participation in our excursions now we decided that picking up a half dead fivefooter from Target wasn't our first choice. Ian and I both wanted to cut a tre and relive some childhood memories in the process. We had in mind a lovely woody area, with the scent of pine so thick and rich you could almost taste it. Ah yes, the perfect way to start the season. Unfortunately we didn't do our research very thoroughly, because we drove about 45minutes to land ourselves at a lot on a strip of land underneath some heavy duty power lines and a Jack in the Box across the street. I guess that wouldn't have been such a deal-breaker if there wasn't a single pine on the lot, just crazy looking spruces and cedar trees. The only smell was suburb. The kid showing us around while wielding a saw was trying hard to make a sale and kept steering us to the cedars- 'they do have a light scent' he said. I sniffed and sniffed and did not catch a whiff of anything. The kid looked at Ian, and Ian looked at me and said something about how I was the decision maker. Just as I was about to insist that we drive somewhere else to get the experience that I had in mind with the woods and the pine (even if it meant a superlong drive!) I decided to stop and take a breath. I reminded myself that the important thing was not what we did so much as how we did it, and if we came home witht he most beautiful tree it wouldn't matter if we were not having a good time together as a family. I realized we could come home with a cactus it didn't matter as long as we had a good time. What mattered was the good memories, and going with the flow was going to make everybody a whole lot happier. So we found a nice full cedar and felled it, netted it, and attached it to our car. The price was a bargain and we even got a handful of mistletoe to boot. We didn't overextend ourselves by trying to do too much, the mood was that of victory, and that evening when we set up the tree, lo and behold, the kid was right. A lovely piney-cedary smell filled the room. I decided I am going to have to learn to go with the flow wwwaaay more often ;) But next year, we'll do a bit more research. I'm realizing that it's a process to create family experiences, and we're not going to have everything all ironed out right now when we've got a brand new family. It doesn't matter though as long as we have fun.

Thanksgiving Hangover

So I had an idea for a killer sauce to baste the turkey with. It was equal parts maple syrup, melted butter and brown ale. Suffice it to say that it surpassed my expectations and was enjoyed by all. However, I really only needed one bottle of beer for the sauce, but had to buy a six-pack. So I have 5 bottles of beer sitting in my kitchen. Any ideas as to how a non-beer drinker could productively use them? I was thinking chili, but we already have about 10 gallons of turkey soup. Anyway, would really appreciate any insights (both serious and goofy).

Thanks!

quilting cunundrums

I thought it would be fun to make a quilt because it seems like everyone else that I know is doing one too. And, it is fun. It is also addictive. I've never made one before, well, solo anyways. Grannie helped me to make a beautiful quilt back in the day, but I honestly can't take credit for it. I turned out far better than my skill set because, well, Grannie did about 80% of it. The idea of making a big handiwork project stitched with love for someone in need of some cheer was very romantic. I couldn't stop cutting, and sewing until I had lined the strips up. I think I was working so manically because I had a sneaking suspicion the entire time that it wasn't going to look quite right. Unfortunately I was right. The look wasn't quite what I was going for- a little too all over the place. I didn't want it to be too matchy, but in my quest to be mismatchy I had gone to far the other way. There was no common theme. It's a metaphor for life I guess- don't try to do too much or your life looks like an unharmonious quilt. I was crushed. The only solution?- pull out the offending quarters and replace them. The biggest mistake was the stripes on stripes- they were an eyesore throughout the quilt.

Homesick for Home Ec

My school didn't offer a home economics course, and I had absolutely no interest in pursuing anything akin to it in university. I'm not sure if home ec wasn't an option because at that point (mid 90's) people felt that those classes were part of a greater conspiracy to keep women in the kitchen as much as it was just my school didn't have the size or funding to pull it off. I think the whole conspiracy thing may have been part of the reason I steered way clear of anything to do with home, kids, cooking, finances etc. when I was in college. I vaguely knew that Some Day I would do all that stuff, but I didn't want to study it. Why take home economics when you can learn about Ancient Greek Architecture, or navel-gaze in Beginning Acting or get 75% off lift tickets through the PE ski class, and, lest I forget, focus on my adored major which was my route for gainful employ the day after I received my diploma. No one suggested I learn anything that would have been beneficial for a stay-at-home mom, and if they had I would have laughed and then been mild to medium offended.
Fast forward a few years to the days I'm trying to get nutritious, fast and simple dinners on the table on at least a bi-weekly basis (come on people!) with enough leftovers for Ian to take to lunch on the days he needs a lunch and without busting the budget each month on groceries. Looking back I really wish that I maybe had given home ec some thought. I'm going on three years now since my working has been transferred from a windowless office to my house and it's been a little bit crazy to try to figure it all out. It definitely was not instaknowledge like I had vaguely assumed. The skills I learned in college serve little to no purpose in my new life, except as a topic of conversation. People tell me- "oh, you'll go back to it someday when your kids start school" or "think of all you learned while you were working." Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that I studied what I studied and that I worked for awhile, and I don't know if I'd do anything different if I was to do it over again, to be honest. I guess I just wonder why colleges are dumping out hundreds of thousands of grads every year who can tell you precisely what painter did what when, but blink with wide-eyed wonder if you asked them to prepare a nutritious, economical meal for four each day of the week, or run a household with confident smoothness. I guess I feel like if I had prepared myself for being a mom even a micro faction as much as I prepared myself for my career- I think it would have come in reeaaalll handy right now.

Nana and Grandpa's House

We just got back from a big visit to Nana and Grandpa's House! Boys enjoyed crawling around in the kit- wait a minute, they aren't crawling anymore, they are walking EVeryWhere. They just started walking when we left LA and they got lots of opportunities to practice their newly developing skill in the long hallways and connecting rooms of their Seattle house. We enjoyed our time with our gracious hosts, it was wonderful to not have to worry about cooking meals and taking care of the household! The boys thrived with all the attention they were lavished with. Thanks for the great visit!

Hoot Owl Cookies

My mom used to make these when I was little... an all-time fav. for the big spooky day

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup white sugar
* 3/4 cup butter
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
* 1 cup cashew halves

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add baking powder and salt. Beat well. Add flour and mix until blended. Remove 2/3 of dough. Roll or pat dough out to form two 10 x 4 inch rectangles. Add cocoa to remaining 1/3 of dough. Mix until blended. Shape chocolate dough into two 10 inch long rolls. Place on rectangle and roll plain dough to cover chocolate dough completely, not including ends. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours.
3. Cut dough into 1/8 inch slices with a sharp knife. Place two slices side by side on a cookie sheet to resemble an owl's face. Pinch upper "corners" to resemble ears. Put chocolate chips in each dark circle for eyes and a cashew in the center for the beak.
4. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.

Happy Hallowe'en!

After visiting the boys' cousin Liam (and his parents of course!) I was impressed that Jamie took her little guy so often to the photo studio to get his picture taken. They really turned out so much nicer than the ones that I take at home. As I read all the adverts about how they grow so fast and you want to capture them at each stage before it's gone forever I became wistful. So when I got home and saw a Hallowe'en coupon from Picture People and I also glanced over at the boys' as yet unworn cute turtle costumes from Children's Place, I decided I better carpe the diem.
When we got to Picture People told the photolady I just wanted a shot where both boys were looking at the camera and smiling- no fancy poses. I guess I thought I'd sit back a little and let the photographer do her thing. Well, it wasn't working out so well- the photographer took the photos, of course, but I became much more involved than I was expecting! I kept running up to the boys and putting them in place next to each other, and then running back behind the photographer and making googly faces and noises to get them to look at me. We had been at it for awhile and I must have been looking really disshevelled and just sort of panting there because she said that she thought we were good. I said- no way! I haven't gotten my picture yet! Luckily after just a few more minutes we got the winning shot. It was a good thing I had made us keep going because out of the whole lot I only got one where both boys were looking at the camera and smiling. Phewsh- close one. Moral of the story: it's much easier at these things with one baby- or two adults. And no head items. :D

Pumpkin Patch!

On our way home from a ward party at the beach we ran into this pumpkin patch with our friends the Morrises. It's called McGrath St. Pumpkin Patch and it was the best pumpkin farm we've ever seen. They had free hayrides, although it was late in the day so we didn't take advantage, and bargain prices. They also had some of the wackiest pumpkins and gourds we've ever seen! We are going to carve our pumpkin tomorrow for FHE- looking forward to it!

Mischief Makers

I came across this video today as I was uploading the recent additions- it was taken just a week or two before the barricade went up... now you can see what I mean!

the party is so over

BUSTED!

It has been noted in recent weeks that a level of disruption unlike any other has descended upon the Puente household. While initially the dissemblement of pots, pans and other sundry items was met with tolerance and even encouragement, the frequency of such disruptions and disorderly behavior has risen so sharply as to really get on the nerves of the household's adult tenants. After much perusing of used baby items advertisements and a long drive to Torrance, relief may be at hand. As of September 29, 2006 the first gate was erected in the Puente home to prevent entry into what will be hereafter referred to as 'the kitchen.' The purpose of the blockade is to attempt to restore some semblance of order, and recover what precious little sanity remains.




Initially the disturbers were quite agitated about the inaccessibility into 'the kitchen' (aka their playroom), but they gradually got used to the idea and now use the blockade as a launching point to practice their walking.

caleb takes a few steps

Caleb is walking so often now that we'll turn our backs and look at him and he's teetering from one corner of the couch to the armchair across the carpet. We're wise enough to know that anything new our boys are doing seems to develop in fits and starts- one day they'll be doing it every chance they get and the next day they seem to have forgotten how, especially in front of the camera. But we did catch this little piece of fun last night. I'm predicting that he'll be walking exclusively by the end of October- right around the time of his unofficial first birthday/elusive due date of October 9.

Walkers!

This video was shot a couple weeks ago- 9/12/2007. Boys love their walkers! We took them out to the courtyard right in front of our apartment in the center of our complex. It's a big, smooth, contained place for them to walk around and they seemed to enjoy it. Lindsay and their Early Intervention therapist Priscilla were there to help out while I filmed. Since this video was shot they have started taking some steps all by themselves too. Our days of placid immobility- as tenuous as they have been these last few months since the boys have been crawling- are about to become completely extinct!

the Jane Austen Book Club Premiere

Yesterday Ian and I partook in a Hollywood tradition- we went to our first semi-big-deal premiere for the movie that the company Ian works for, Sony Pictures Classics, is releasing this weekend. We didn't know exactly what to expect. We showed up on time, which meant we had to wait for about 45min. before they started the movie, and we weren't sure if we were going to be overdressed. Not that we were wearing anything special- I was wearing a dress and Ian had on some slacks and a button-up. Turned out to be just right, although some people were there with jeans. The cast showed up decked to the nines for the most part. It was really fun to get an introduction to the movie from the director herself I guess it's the first movie she's directed although she's been adapting novels for the screen for years (Little Women, Memoirs of a Geisha). After the movie it was kind of weird to see all the cast members milling around. I don't know if I liked it so much because everybody that made it was there or because it's really good. I think it's really good, Ian said every time he looked over at me I had a huge smile on my face: 'extended glee' he called it.
yeay.

Adventures in Eating

Let's just say that I'm really glad we have a washer and dryer at our place- the laundry we've got nowadays- oy.

Squirrel!

We had a visitor yesterday morning on our patio a deck- a squirrel! I was so excited to see it I called to the boys to come over and take a peek. The squirrel seemed to be pretty friendly and he came up closer to the glass and we got a good look at him. I noticed the boys seemed to be a bit nervous and then I took a closer look at the squirrel- he had gone up on his hindlegs and I was amazed at how huge he was when he did this. He started walking towards the glass door (it looked really creepy when he was on his hind legs actually) and came so close it seriously looked like he was trying to get in!! He seemed to be looking all over the door for a way in. Then I noticed that his left paw looked as if it had been chewed right off of his arm. Suddenly, he didn't look so friendly anymore. I tried to scare him off- (actually, I was pretty nervous now too and glanced over the door to make sure he actually COUldn't get in) but he was practically touching the glass... smiling maliciously. Luckily he got bored and took off after that. Boys watched him leave to the last second.

!!

where daddy works

Boys visited daddy where he works on the Sony lot. It was really fun to walk around all the old movie sets!

Pride and Prejudice rules

Alright, I know that I am terribly behind in my exposure to films. This movie came out when we were right in the midst of our IVF cycles so I missed it. I've just recently gotten caught up on currents and am cycling back to see what I missed in the last... oh, two years. You'd think I just got back from a mission. ANYWAYS, I rarely, rarely see a movie more than once, and especially in the same year (unless I'm working on it). I've watched this movie five times in the past three weeks. I bought the soundtrack and even- I know, very ambitious- the piano music. I just can't get enough of these characters, the story, the way Darcy detested Elizabeth's weaknesses like her crazy family, and then did all that he could to help them out when they were stuck in a pickle. I loved this movie rendition- of course it cuts out a lot of story as all movies must in order to fit their 2 hr. time frame- but in some ways that really worked because the themes and the plot stuck out a lot more and I saw the story in a different way. Timeless, classic, to die for. I think I'm going to go watch it again.

aah... summer. I can't believe we're already nearing the end of August- where has it gone? Luckily, we live in a place where it's somewhat of an endless summer. However, I will lament traditional summer when it leaves. We took the boys to Morris' pool today and had a blast while the boys splashed around.

I heart LA

Something has shifted over the past few weeks, or was it the past year? maybe it was when we discovered 'dainties' the fantastic cupcake bakery two blocks from our house, inconspicuously wedged behind Winchell's and Chicken Zankou. Maybe it's that the weather is amazing- 70 degrees most days of the year- crowned with a sky perfected by ocean breezes and unblemished by drizzle. Maybe it's that we started going to the beach more often and Ian's tried his hand (er... legs) at surfing. Or that we live just down the street from the temple, or that I love the jackarannas that burst out in spring on the avenues, like Anne of Green Gable's white way of delight only gorgeous purple. Or maybe it's the sweeet park just a brisk jaunt from our front door with the lovely cool creek perfect for bare little tootsies, or the new H&M that opened last year at the Beverly Center. It's got to be one of those things, because Los Angeles feels like home the way no place has in a very long time.
i know LA's got a bit of a shady past- the city is watered by subterfuge, General Motor's robbed us of a good public transportation system, and housing prices skyrocketed since we got here. Yes, it's not perfect- Los Angeles has too many broke waiter-actors, too many insecure old dudes who feel the need to buy Hummers. People complain LA's got no culture, no architecture, no... soul. But if you should find yourself here, somewhere in the Los Angeles sprawl- somewhere not too far from the gorgeous Union Station, the hallowed old MGM studio lot where Ian works (now Sony Studios), or yummy Pinkberry's on a little leaguers night, let's just say that there is no doubt about this: there are far worse places to wind up.

We've been Simpsonized!!

We recently auditioned for a part in the upcoming movie- the Simpsons. They did a pretty good job with the hair and makeup... check out www.simpsonizeme.com to audition.

Baby Thor

Caleb cannot get enough of his hammer! Everywhere he goes he wants to bring it with him, he crawls with it in one hand, he pounds on the couch or the table with it, he brings it into his crib, the bath, and his high chair. Some kids like to have a security blanket, or one little boy we knew loved his stuffed froggy... I guess Caleb feels secure with a good hammer in his hand.

How Melissa Got Her Bite Back

Brace Yourself:
Photo top: me at 11- heavy metals
Photo middle: at 14- round 2- trying to hide those metal buds behind my smile. Strangely, I don't have a lot of open smiles during this photo period. It was a self-conscious time...
Photo bottom: metaled out mama

I was a cute enough kid, but by around the time I was eight or nine, something funky started happening to my teeth. My grandma said that when I smiled she would find it hard to smile back because my teeth were so crooked it was a little bit disturbing. And some thing strange happened to my bite- my chin sunk back, I couldn't chew without stretching out my face, and my teeth didn't fit together anymore. So, from about the time I was nineish until the time I was eighteen I went through a plethora of orthodontia- braces, brackets, elastics, retainers, headgear, bridges even this really painfully huge hunk of plastic that prevented me from speaking and made me look like the Incredible Hulk. I remember my poor little jaw being so sore- and to no avail! While my teeth got straightened up-- thankfully, so my grandma could smile at me without worrying about my future-- my poor little bite just couldn't get it together. After having braces reapplied for the third (or was it fourth?) time when I was seventeen I said 'enough is enough' and I quit my orthodontist. I never knew you could quit an orthodontist, but I did it. Follow-up care with more seasoned orthodontists gave a dire recommendation: surgery. Jaw surgery. Aargh! Jaw surgery- hadn't I paid my dues? What?! Why?! I decided that maybe if I left it alone it would fix itself. See no evil, hear no evil? I spent several years without seeing an orthodontist, a dentist, or anybody with a reclining chair for that matter.
When Ian and I finally got finished with school and started to be able to go to the dentist again one of the first things I heard was: "you need braces." Also: "You should see an orthodontist." We switched dentists. The next guy said the same thing-totally unsolicited. So, I went. I went to the orthodontist, and lo and behold, it was like an echo from Canada thirteen years earlier: surgery. Shucks. Well, I guess you can run, but you can't hide. Over the next two years I almost got braces put on but I kept chickening out and cancelling my appointments. Braces... braces.... braces are so lame! Finally I took a very deep breath, squinched my eyes together. When I opened them I was a twenty-nine year old braces wearer. My other Grandma started laughing when she saw me in May: "didn't you spend your childhood in braces?' Aargh, yes. Yes Grandma, I did. And, it appears, part of my adulthood.... it's hilarious, I know.
Well, yesterday was a sort of monumentous occasion. After nine months of patient braces-wearing, I had The Surgery. Ohmygoodness, Melissa got her bite back. It was hiding out there for twenty odd years... and now it looks and feels amazing. Just to clarify, I don't look and feel amazing, I'm about as swollen as a blowfish, but my bite feels great. I'm hoping for a speedy recovery. I may not be able to talk on the phone for a few weeks, talking is a little tough (my jaw is elasticized completely shut) and hopefullly this swelling goes down a lot, but I am very grateful for all the people who helped make it possible- mom and dad, Ian for taking amazing care of me, and my orthodontist and maxofacial surgeon. You guys rock. The journey's not over yet, but we're getting there and hopefully, before I'm thirty-one, I'll say good bye to braces forever. I may have to do the retainer thing for awhile, but that's OK. Orthodontia has been such a big part of my past, I guess if it sticks around a little in my future that won't be so bad.
;)

first Camping Trip

So, we were pretty adventerous. We went camping in San Onofre with three other couples who have babies that are close to Julian and Caleb's age. It was pretty crazy- on one site we had four tents, five babies, and one long night. Actually, the kids did really well. We've got Halle- the only girl of the bunch- Josh a bit bigger than the twins, and Beckham- also bigger than the twins but the youngest of the pack. We did some surfing, and some cooking and talking. The Taylors made a pineapple upside down cake over the fire. It was so good! We were all thinking about staying two nights, then on Saturday the 4pm snooze crush hit and everybody decided to bail. One minute we were sitting around the fire chatting about doing some shopping, the next minute after we agreed to go home it was like we couldn't get there quickly enough. Ian and I were literally throwing items into our car right before the rubber hit the road. So was everybody else. Funny ending to a super fun trip.