Molly and Ozge examine the swatch books

Here are some pictures from the graduation last night. I'm really proud of the gift packs I made and they went over really big. They contained things like Acryloid B-72, PVA AYAA, Methyl Cellulose, little dropper bottles of acetone and ethanol, etc.


I cut the holes in the foam using a hole saw attachment (in the words of a fellow conservator) 'in a way you don't supposed to use it' because I couldn't figure out how you really use the things, but Ashley cleared it up for me. The real way involves a drill bit - my way involved heat and poisoning my coworkers. I wish I had known because it would have been a) faster and b) cleaner. I think I'll have to throw those bits out now. Ashley gave each of the students a materials swatch book that he has been working on which are very beautiful and the perfect thing for the newly graduated conservator. Even though my third year intern has graduated I get to keep her for a while longer and we're both very happy about it because she has started all kinds of important new projects and she becomes more valuable by the day. And I would be so lonely without her.





Tonight we went to see our friend Sage perform. Theron got out on the dance floor and gave his best kung fu/Spiderman web throwing moves. Daddy and I danced together for the first time in ages and I fell in love with him all over again.

So many things happen in June. We're just counting the days now till the end of the school year. We don't know how on earth we're going to be ready for this kid to be a 3rd grader in what, 3 or 4 months. He's doing multiplication now and he's doing it really well - how did this happen?

June is the month we have our Volunteer Recognition Luncheon at work and we have the greatest volunteers. Dennis, who is everywhere helping everyone drove my intern and me to look at our offsite records storage the other day and he has a beautiful Lexus. We just ooohed and ahhhed about it. I said, "I hope someday I can have a nice car like this, Dennis, instead of the Consumer Reports economy car Best Buy!" and he pulled over and offered to let us drive. Of course we said NOOO! No way. What if something happened? Then he wouldn't love us anymore. Or he would but we would be unworthy.

June is also graduation and the local conservation students had their thesis presentations today at UCLA. 4 out of the 6 have been interns with me over these last 3 years so I went to give my support. Tomorrow is their graduation and I made them all little kits of adhesives and solvents in cute little bottles in plastic flip-top boxes. I like to add a little touch of Martha to everything I do.

There's a lot of excitement here for all the movies coming out this month, too. Theron is COMPLETELY Hulk crazy. He even found the old Hulk tv series on Netflix "view instantly" and I found him in there watching it this weekend. Though he told me, that's not the REAL Hulk, he looks like a human. "And his hair is wrong!" He wasn't diggin' the Bill Bixby shag. He spent the afternoon today with Mike who was able to convince him that the tv Hulk is "Classic" Hulk. And we like him now. Anyway, he's taken to running around the house with no shirt on saying things like, "HULK TAKE BATH NOW!"

41

Well, so yes, I had a birthday, too, and it was very nice. I was going around saying I didn't need anymore birthdays, thank you, and then it occurred to me that what if something happened to me and that was the last thing people remembered me saying? It wouldn't be so funny anymore. So, that's okay, I'll take many more and I'll like them. Ashley promised to be the sole diswasher for the next month, a gift I would never dare have wished for, and Theron gave me the mirror and comb compact he got in his Speed Racer Happy Meal, also known as "the worst prize ever". Dads and Moms also did things they didn't have to, but I do appreciate it though they do so much for us year round it really isn't necessary. Most surprising, my intern made me an accordian book for keeping a scrapbook of my crafty ideas - I was speechless, it was so unexpected.
The boys and I went out for a lovely French dinner in Silverlake. We had mussels, and steak, and ratatouille, and escargot. Theron kept saying how it was Not Normal to eat snails! but we split them 3 ways and he ate his share, happily learning to master the tongs and fork. The ratatouille was very good, but we didn't see the rat chefs who made it. I think they were at my work eating the electrical cords and plastic ant traps.

The Iron Men Reunited for yet another superhero adventure. The movie was pretty good (well, okay, it was great, I love that Robert Downey, Jr.). The best part was seeing these two together again. Oh, and the air conditioning, that was good.

Monday Theron had a dentist appointment to get a cap. We walked in and Theron ran to the room. They sat him right away and before I could ask the receptionist what I needed to do he was reclined in front of the video screen, being offered a choice of gas flavors (he chose strawberry). I asked the dentist what does the gas do to him, I've never had any. He said, "Oh, it's like having a margarita or two". Then he says, "So when he gets the shot instead of this", and he stabs at the air with his finger making an evil face, "it's like this", and he pokes me gently in the arm. I thought I might have a nervous breakdown having to overhear the procedure, but I didn't have to worry. He was flying high and the worse part for them was getting him to stop talking. They were telling him all kinds of crazy stories, like we're going for a hike around your tooth and then we're going to put a silver hat on it. Theron was like, "Whaaaaaa....? Whooo Hooo! Sponge Bob's coming on!!!"

Then he stumbles off the chair, plays a game of Donkey Kong, and angrily sorts through the treat basket. He was bombed. He chose a whoopie cushion and while he drank his Jamba Juice smoothie, dr's orders, made an elaborate plot to get Daddy with it, and then conked out in the car. The whole thing was over in about a half an hour, I didn't even get to finish reading People's Most Beautiful issue.

We want to wish Grandpa Flip a happy birthday today. We want to wish Grandma Mary happy birthday for tomorrow. We love you both!

Things I Love

Coming to pick up Theron from the afterschool program: another child, not mine, is in the Time Out chair; another child, not mine, is crying. My child is reading a book by himself and glowing with the aura of good behavior. On the way out the door he tells me when Daddy dropped him off today the goodest thing happened because Daddy stood up to the big boy who was harrassing him this week. That's all his says but he radiates bliss recalling his Daddy's defense.

On a lighter note: I love music. For discovering new music I love Bolchas Gratis. From Itunes I love the podcast from KEXP Seattle, Music That Matters. It's like getting a new mixed tape every week. And I love the International Mixtape Project, where you get are randomly assigned a recipient - you make them a mixtape and someone else makes one for you. I've sent and received cds from right here in LA and as far away as Ireland.

I love the library. My favorite recent read was a true story, The Zookeeper's Wife, by Diane Ackerman. During the war, Jan and Antonina Zabiniski, keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, were able to shelter Jews in the house and also in the enclosures originally meant for the animals that had since been confiscated or killed. Theirs was a home where everyone was welcome, animal and human. Several wild animals were raised in the house: lynx cubs, hyenas, a muskrat who built a nest in a stovepipe, a badger who learned to use a chamber pot. People called it the House Under a Crazy Star.
Jan found ways to get into the Ghetto, sometimes under the guise of collecting scraps for the animals, and he was able to distribute food and pass messages. Sometimes he was able to get people out. Antonina ran the house and kept watch over the Guests and the animals, maintaining secrecy even from her own maid. Their young son helped. Because of the public nature of their jobs and home people would come right in often without knocking, such as Nazi soldiers looking for supplies or information. At one point during the war Russian soldiers come in and start robbing the house. Antonina, alone with her son and newborn baby girl summons up enough rememberance of Russian to tell him, "Not allowed. Your mother, your sister, your wife". The soldier tells the men to put everything back and gives her a ring.
Ackerman is able to tell the story using Antonina's journal, interviews the Zabiniski's gave following the war, and by interviewing their son, Ryszard (Polish for lynx). Touching and heart-stopping.

Hope all you moms had a great day. Mother's Day in Long Island.

Oh, no, Mike - we missed Night of a Thousand Stevies! Maybe next year...

Rebecca's Etsy shop - Three Golden Eyes - is up and running!

"Ask Me About My Voodoo Doll"

For several months Theron's been playing an online Pirates of the Caribbean game. One can earn several different types of weapons and for what seems like ages he's been just dying to get a crew together to go to Cuba for a voodoo doll. It is all he talks about. Well, finally this week he got his wish, and oh man, if you ever wondered if you wanted or needed a voodoo doll you should talk to this kid. I know he's excited because normally when he goes on and on about something and I don't at least try to make convincing sounds of interest he'll stop to tell me that I'm only pretending to care and now's the time to make it real. In this case I don't even have to nod my head, all I have to do is direct his little body to the next destination, allowing me to save up all my fake enthusiasm for Ultimate Boxing. (And Ashley saves all his fake enthusiasm for cute Japanese dolls) (And I love him for it).

So great is the excitement that I've been asked to make a voodoo doll. I told him I'd have to think about that, I can just imagine the parent/teacher conference. He has already asked me about this so many times I had to tell him that he would get his answer in a week. And everytime he asks me about it I will add another day to the wait. So I had lunch with Naomi today and started to tell her this story. I only got as far as saying that he had earned this new weapon when Naomi says, "Oh, do you want a voodoo doll?" And I said, "Wait - you have one?" and she says, yes, she had bought one for a gift but now she was just looking to get rid of it. So sometimes the universe decides these things for you. Thanks to some totally random story telling he'll get his doll MINUS the pins but if he gets caught using it for evil, it's out of here.

Ashley calls this segment, If It's Friday I must be in San Francisco

The week prior to Ashley's conference in Denver was excruciating as he had to assemble and coordinate assembly of swatchbooks of archival material for a workshop. Then he was off and Theron and I held down the fort. Theron helped plan the dinner menu. For instance, one night we had Rice A Roni, fried eggs, and sausage. He thinks his new job should be as the recipe-a-nator.

Friday I picked him up from school, drove directly to LAX, where we picked up Ashley at Terminal 7, put most of his luggage in the trunk, then headed to Terminal 6 for our flight to San Francisco. Our friends Kati and Geoffrey are in the States (from London) right now because Geoffrey's documentary, The English Surgeon, was in the San Francisco International Film Festival. Ash and I watched the film today at home and it is so beautiful. Really no wonder it is receiving such high acclaim. It won top prize in the Canadian Festival Hot Docs, last month. We had hoped to have dinner with them Friday and breakfast Saturday, but Geoffrey and Henry, the surgeon, had a busy Q&A session after the screening and Kati and I couldn't make our cell phones cooperate with each other. She says she can send and receive texts with her sister in Finland, but couldn't get anything from either me or Geoffrey. When she's complained before she's told "Well, it should work" and that this is the British answer to everything.

We stayed right off Union Square at the King George. We had a really nice little room with a very bright and cheery bathroom. Looking out our window at the rooftop across the street we saw what appeared to be really big dogs. I thought, oh look, sheep, ha ha, because I didn't have my glasses on, but then we heard bleating.

It's very funny because Ashley thought he was having a real vacation, getting away from the roosters that keep him awake in Echo Park. Those sheep were up kind of late.

The next morning we had breakfast with Kati while Geoffrey and Henry were being interviewed, then we went back to their hotel for a little visit.

Now I'm going to show something very embarrassing that I will call From 80's to Ladies. I'm making this first picture small because Kati hated her hair even back then, and the picture doesn't have to be any bigger to see mine - it can be seen from space.

Helsinki 1985

And now...

23 years and 75% less hair

It was a sweet but short visit as they had to start driving north. Theron shook hands with the men and told Henry, this brilliant neurosurgeon, that he looks like Alfred the butler from the Batman movies. Henry graciously accepted this observation as the compliment it was intended to be.

We had a super fun time in the city. I haven't been there in so long and sometimes I forgot it wasn't New York. We went to SF MoMA where there are some fantastic photography shows up and then we actually spent a long time in their store which is the very best museum store we've ever been in. It was so good that we even went in the one they have in the airport and spent even more money.

We went to Chinatown.

We walked and walked and shopped and shopped and then we took the Bart to the airport. It was just a short trip, barely a day all together. If it weren't for the opportunity to see Kati and Geoffrey I don't know when we'd ever have arranged to make the trip, but we'll be going back. The flight is inexpensive and only takes an hour. A terrific time was had by all. And now it is back to real life again.

Here's a picture of Victoria and Rebecca wearing my toolbelts. The next big thing in conservation supplies! They're both wearing Rebecca's cuffs.

Eight Years

On the phone with Daddy

Happy anniversary to us! We got to say it to each other in person this morning and now Ash is in Denver. My trip went fine. I could add some more laments, but really, things were just normal bad. The unexpected good part was that all four legs of my flights were either exactly on time or 10-15 minutes early (Southwest). Hmm. That kind of drains all the complaints right out of me. When we got to Denver the flight attendant made sure we knew to be thankful - "We're early - remember that next time we're running late". Then the "Bong" went off indicating we were allowed to get up and she growls in her saucy Southern drawl, "Okay, Get Out!"

The conference was unexpectedly good. The talks were nearly all very interesting and useful. My favorite part though was seeing Rachael, Rebecca, Marian, Susan, Molly, Arnaldo, and staying with Ozge and Vanessa. Rebecca gave me one of the gorgeous leather cuffs she's been working on. I got everyone to try on the prototype toolbelts I've been designing, and they've agreed to field test my first completed batch. The last night there we went for Peruvian food and on the way back to the hotel Vanessa exclaimed that a new episode of Lost was on so we hurried back to curl up in our pajamas and watch tv until midnight.

Rebecca's tooled and painted creation

The boys did just fine. Mike picked Theron up from school two days in a row and they had a grand time. They watched Jurassic Park on video, ate Happy Meals, and went to a birthday party. Mike is a lifesaver.

Anyway, at least Ash and I were both here when Theron lost his first top front tooth. Someone elbowed him in the mouth. It's kind of like a tradition.

The Jet Setters

Something strange happened and both Ash and I got work funds to go to conferences. I go to Denver Wednesday for a conservation conference and 4 days after I get back, Ashley goes TO DENVER for a museum conference. I guess I should be happy to get to go, and I am, but I want to take a minute to complain. No, not complain, maybe lament is the word. I want to lament the days you could go to the airport and not have to stand in line "in your feet" as Theron would say. I don't like to wear socks and I really hate putting my bare feet on the same floor as all of America, or digging up a matching pair of socks just for the occasion. Also, I want to lament the days one could grab one's purse and a carry-on bag without having to clean out said purse, ridding it of knitting needles or sewing scissors and bagging anything wet or gel-ly. I don't want a clean purse. I don't budget time for cleaning out the purse into my schedule. I like my purse to be a bag of possibilities. I like to believe that when I rummage for something like a tape measure or Halloween candy it might be in there, I just can't see it. Also, I hate that I can't take my whole tube of toothpaste unless I check my bag because I can rarely find the brands I like in travel size and I end up using a Crest sample that came in the Sunday paper.

I'll have more laments on the way back.

Science Fair

Theron was very proud of his science fair contribution. Daddy mixed up the dirt using porcelain clay combined with sand and vermiculite. Theron placed the bones, then Ash put it in the oven since we were short on time. Theron did all the excavating and brushing himself. He used dental probes just like a real paleotologist. We all thought it looked pretty good.

Science Times

Remember when I asked you guys to save me chicken bones? Well now Ashley's asking you to save us road kill. Preferably fresh and ideally a raccoon or possum. But a deer or a squirrel would be good too, thanks. We had this great idea after putting together Theron's science fair contribution where he digs up the chicken bones with dental tools and a brush, just like a real paleontologist. We did promise that we would help the rest of the class have the same experience so we were talking should we have a little box of dirt for each child or have one big dirt box they can all work on at the same time? Ashley votes for the big box. Since none of you came up with chicken bones for me, I'm not optimistic about the road kill. You don't have to touch it, just call. Come on. And then stay away from our backyard for awhile.

On a cleaner front, Theron's doing great with harmonica. Most of the lessons involve reminding him to stop fooling around, but when this happens he actually does pretty well. He told his teacher last week , "I wish I were 20. I want to be a teacher and I want to teach music just like you". The teacher swoons. Then Theron adds, "Only not as bald".

I always forget how much I love this website: Cute Overload

Pug on Eames

Spring sheep in Devon - thanks to strategically placed feed and border collies. Here's the article about them in the Telegraph. The dogs have a tv series called Mist: Sheepdog Tales.

And my own cutie, reading a Snapple cap: "'Honey is the only food that never spoils'... That must be a fact". Takes a sip. "Not an opinion".

The story of my casserole

Tonight I made a yummy chicken/rice/green chili casserole. I really wanted to use brown rice but I couldn't remember if the rest of the casserole was yummy enough to cover it up. We have a lot of chicken around here to use up and by the way, if anyone is making a whole chicken soon and can take pity on us, please save me the bones. I'll come pick them up. Ashley and I had our parent/teacher conference yesterday and we accidentally volunteered to help the teacher do a fake fossil project. I thought we were just volunteering to give him a gift card to Office Mart and next thing I know I'm searching the internet to see if anyone would sell me a bag of chicken bones. And the answer is no. Anyway, everytime I use this casserole recipe I can't help but remember where I got it.

Years ago Ashley and I were house/petsitting and I found this and several other really nice recipes from the woman's stack of healthy cooking magazines. It's handwritten so everytime I read it I have to squint and wonder what is egg sw? Then I remember it was egg "sub" but I never remember how many actual eggs I use. Anyway -

This woman was/is super nice. One of the nicest. She had 2 or 3 cats and a dog. She gave us a bunch of instructions about feeding which we mostly forgot but we did recall that she told us they would all only eat their own food. I know better than this, but she seemed sure. Anyway, it should have been no surprise at all that feeding time was complete and utter chaos. And it was complete and utter chaos twice a day.

I don't think all the animals were really old but there was this one cat that was simply ancient. She looked flat, like road kill. I do remember that all the animals seemed a little crazy and you know things are bad when Ashley's complaining because Ashley LOVES animals. He's the sweetest to them. Things were beginning to feel a little out of control, not just because of the animals (mostly but not only), but we also couldn't remember the feeding instructions, the owner was out of phone contact, and everyone was eating something different - Except they weren't!!! It was beginning to look like maybe we had some extra cans even though we were slinging food everywhere and it seemed impossible but they were eating everything we threw at them. I considered throwing food away to make it look like we knew what we were doing.
I found the whole thing exasperating, but maybe a little funny, until the day we came home and found that the dog had eaten the crotch out of my underwear. That was it for me. I told that dog I'm not talking to you anymore, you can't do something like that and expect to stay friends.

On the last night there Ashley got up in the dark of the morning and was gone awhile. I remembered to ask him what that was about when we got up and he said the old cat sat by his side of the bed and pawed at his arm for about an hour. And I believe him. He felt like he was being tortured so he got up to feed her.

And then I got a delicious recipe from the magazines.

This recipe also reminds me of the time I made it for a potluck at work and there was a HUGE storm in New York. I sat on the freeway not moving for so long I grated cheese in my car. On my way home I drove two people who couldn't take the subway because of closures and Shira ate the cheese off the grater while we waited in more bad traffic because she thought we couldn't see what she was doing back there.

And that is the story of my casserole.

I wonder if we were to be around crazy pets now if we would even notice since having a little kid around has made us much more immune to chaos. This week I went to get ice out of the maker and I got frozen hash browns. I told Ashley and he just said okay. I didn't bother to make another drink because so what, potatoes don't really taste like much. Ashley dumped out the tray and told me one more glass and someone would have had a cup full of ground beef, too. Next time we can just throw in some peas and make it a Shepherd's Pie dispenser.

How many times until April 15th can I say "I'll do it tomorrow?" I think we're about to find out.

On the way home tonight Theron told me some crazy story about how his teacher told them to get some chicken bones and some clay from the dollar store and make a dinosaur, or something. I said, okay, when? And he didn't know of course, but he tried to talk me into getting a chicken tonight. I said, tell your Daddy, and he said, I did, after school when he picked me up. Anyway, when we walked in the door Ash had a whole chicken cooking on the stove, because he's such a good daddy. But we still don't know anything and this happens all the time. Theron gets some bizarre assignment and we don't ever know the details. When I do ask his teacher, he tells me but then he also says, Just ask Theron, he knows. To which I would say, Have you met my son? He forgot he was wearing pants with no underwear. So anyway, we're eating chicken for dinner.

The other thing about the boy is that he seems to be entering another growth spurt and he's like a little furnance. Lately he's asking for two breakfasts - he wants oatmeal AND an egg and toast. I put healthy snacks in his bag and when I pick him up he's begging for more. That's when I say, Can I interest you in a Dr. Andrew Weil protein bar? I thought so....

I got a new intern today, she'll be coming in one day a week until June. First days are hard, but it'll be fine. She's very nice and she's an extrovert. I showed her around and she was all smiles and acceptance. Then I told her what I tell everyone, I said, Oh, and I'm not fun. I didn't mean that I'm a bitch or anything, just that I'm not cool and I'm not funny and I'm not entertaining, but I am nice and helpful. Anyway, I said I'm not fun and usually I at least get a laugh, maybe my only one ever, but the look on her face - I can't even decipher it. Maybe confused? I don't know. Then I wanted to say to her, See? It's started already. This absence of fun.

More Akemi in Monterey

Back to Real Life

Well we sure had a great trip - short though it was. We definitely got our money's worth. We were scheduled to do two days whale watching but I got a reprieve because in Ashley's estimation we saw plenty of whales on our one day out and it was 3 hours out of the day we could be doing something else. My stomach was so relieved. Theron and Ash loved it though, they were at the very front of the boat riding the waves. I was at the back wishing I had a seat belt. It took me almost an hour to inch along the wall with my back plastered against it, just to visit them. Theron was the picture of glee.

It sure was nice to have some quality family time. We really just don't see each other enough, but my goodness, that boy can talk. When he's not talking he's singing. When he's not singing he's making sound effects. When he's not making any sound at all it's probably because he's sliding on his back under the dinner table. Oh, yes, and don't think just because we're on vacation and we love your little face more than life that you can't get in trouble. We needed that quality time just to remind this little person how to sit in a chair and use actual utensils. Ashley and I are going to invent a double-stick tape seat cushion for parents in restaurants.


Here's Theron learning how sea anemones catch their prey.

We explored tide pools, played at the beach, spent a day at the Aquarium, drove down 17 Mile Drive, saw deer and crabs and sea otters and sea lions, etc... We used the hotel pool, we ate A LOT. Ahhh... We stopped to see Grandpa Flip and Grandma Rita and got back on the train in San Luis. Ash and I finished the second book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy The Golem's Eye (FANTASTIC!!!!) (I thought the skeleton was SCARY but Ash thought he was funny!)

At the Aquarium

Art and Entertainment

The recital went pretty well, though Ashley confirmed, very nicely, what I already figured - that it did sound like a bunch of amateurs, because it was. But it was still very grand. I started to enjoy it, hearing everyone all together, and I was so happy and then I lost my place and had to figure it out. Then I started to enjoy it again and lost my place a second time so after that I just gave attention to reading the music and all I really heard was where we were and when to play. We were told to come in formal dress and for some people that just meant skin tight jeans and black vans. I have itchy black clothing and adorable put-you-in-the-hospital shoes for various work events so it was no problem for me.

Then we left for vacation. We knew we wanted to go somewhere for Spring Break and Ashley so happened to get an email from the hotel we stayed at in Monterey two years ago (for a conference). They had a reasonable package going so we booked. I'll have to say I was so surprised Ashley would suggest it because then, as now, we had an ocean-facing room and while I found the sound of the waves to be absolutely dreamy, Ashley could not get any rest because to him the surf sounded like "a dumpster being dragged across a parking lot".

Anyway, then we got this great idea to take Amtrack up here. It is good and very inexpensive, but it's a LONG trip. Only two hours longer than driving and you can read or sleep or walk around, so it's better, but still long. Traveling these days with a 6 year old has a lot of advantages over traveling with a baby:

- He can carry his own bag of toys and treats

- We don't have to haul a car seat or stroller

- I know there's more but, hmm, I can't think of any right now

There are a variety of cons that mostly have to do with his mouth.


Here he is on the train being an angel. This picture was taken around 10:30. We were on the train from 10 to almost 7 p.m. Around 11 a.m. he puts the book down and says to me, "If we're not there in 6 minutes I'm going to start complaining. A LOT."




He did find things to do and one of the more entertaining things on any trip is to buy snacks at 400% markup. We went to the snack bar 3 times. I had a backpack full of treats and he did eat some, but we all know that food from home, nutritious and free, just doesn't cut it.

Anyhoo, our first day in Monterey we took a whale watching tour and saw a bunch of grey whales and some humpbacks. Of course in the Bay, close to shore, were otters and the ever present sea lions.


We did see a bunch of tail flukes but I couldn't get a picture because it happens too fast and I didn't think it was fun to stand there with a camera to my face the whole trip. So here are some whale backs. Theron thought standing at the front of the boat and riding the waves was super fun.

This is the view in front of our room where Ashley saw someone propose. We got their email to send them the picture.

Health and Welfare

Probably the only thing more fun than watching the guys eat brown rice for dinner is a mole check. The doctor said everything is fine, at least at this point, even after all those years of frying on the beaches of Southern California. Nothing needed to come off but she did offer to burn, freeze or cut off anything that was bugging me. She's great.

Theron had an appointment, too, at the dentist. Unfortunately he has to go back because he has two cavities, but he doesn't really mind so much because they have so many fun games and stuff. While he and Ash were waiting a little boy came in with his mom and Theron became the perfect host, "Would you like to come over here? They have lots of fun activities." Then when Ash wasn't looking, he disappeared and was in the treatment room interrogating the dentist, who was with a patient, about how to play the video game in the room. Anyway, we have to make two more appointments and can I just say I've probably had something done to every tooth in my head starting when I wasn't much older than Theron and at no time along the way has anyone ever offered me:
- cartoons and video games
- gas
- chocolate-flavored downers

I have to go and watch them drill his tiny little teeth - what about the mommy? I could use some relaxation.

Ashley said the x-rays showed his top front teeth close to coming through. A few days after the dentist Theron's second tooth, from the bottom front, finally fell out. The tooth fairy hasn't been by yet though because she needs to go to the bank and also she's exhausted because the time change caught her off guard and she needs 17 hours of sleep every day.

Theron and I have colds and we stayed home yesterday. Guess what was on Oprah? The episode was called The Truth About Food! How happy was I? I would have taken the day off just to see this one. It was good because our supplements were running low and I was losing some of my enthusiasm, only some, so Thank you, Oprah! Tonight we ate artichokes (fiber, iron, magnesium, vitamin c) and whole wheat molasses quick bread (more iron and fiber and calcium). I watch them eat and think 'yessssssss'....

I finished Kafka on the Shore. I only think I know what happened but I really, really loved it. Now I just need to have lunch with Naomi so we can discuss. She also recommended the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. It was with sadness that I finally put Kafka aside because it requires more than one reading to begin deciphering it, and I was reluctant to start something new, but the first book, The Amulet of Samarkand is immediately fabulous and I can't believe I haven't read these before.

Obsessed with Nutrition

Recently I read a book called The Crazy Makers and now every day I've been making the guys take extra supplements and most nights I go to bed reading about nutrition. Theron grew a quarter inch in about 7 weeks (before my current fixation) and I'm obsessed with putting good things into his little body to make it stronger, bigger, smarter. Before I fall asleep I think about what he ate that day, I look it up, and imagine how it's working in his body. I'm wondering if I can get him tall enough by September to look like an actual 3rd grader. Ash and Theron just eat what I give them. Fortunately we all like vegetables and non-meat proteins, etc, so it's not really a big battle. But it makes me happy. I made a batch of whole wheat chocolate chip cookies with a 1/3 less sugar. They look healthy and taste healthy, though I'm sure they're only "less bad" which is not really the same thing. Theron eats them, though and is willing to accept that they are "cookies".

Saturday there was a book fair at the school and Ash and I were so excited but Theron, a huge reader, was remarkably subdued. Going through the stacks I had a pang of a happy memory of book fairs past. Ash and I kept finding things we wanted to read but Theron was really only interested in the Hulk and a giant pencil with a pointing finger on it. The fair was in the little library and on the shelves we saw Big Duck's doppelganger (that's not really the right word, but I like it) - a newer, cleaner, more hair on his head, version.

Theron with Big Duck, his constant companion

The birds

Yesterday at Theron's school I saw a flock of wild parrots. Of course it was the one day I didn't have a camera. But we have our own beautiful birds at work. The native gardens around the building attract the most gorgeous little creatures. Here is a flowering bush.

What you can't see are all the little yellow birds going crazy on the blooms. When I got closer they flew away but until then it was like a fairy tale Christmas tree. Here are some grainy closeups from the same picture. My heart... they are so sweet.

Pictures from Scott's pirate birthday party.

Theron started harmonica lessons and learned the scales. If he works hard he gets to have a real chromatic harmonica. I hope he can hang on and do it. He really wants to be good NOW.

Not much has really been going on: Theron has a new loose tooth, Ashley had a birthday. Theron was excited to find a card that had a donkey with jiggly eyes that said Happy Birthday from your smart ass kid. I replenished my library hold list and started reading a recommendation from Naomi, Kafka on the Shore, which is already, just a few chapters in, so amazing.
Otherwise ho hum, not much of note...

President's Day

I would say Saturday and Sunday were pretty good overall considering neither Ashley nor I had to go to work. Since that has not happened for a while things were off to a good start. Sunday we all took a long walk and took pictures. Monday Ashley had to work while Theron and I were off, so I planned a surprise outing to Kidspace in Pasadena. When I told him we were going out he wasn't really that happy since he was in the middle of his online pirate game where he was trying to get to Cuba to pick up a voodoo doll. But he got over it. Here he is at Kidspace pretending to be an ant...
Climbing a tower



Serving up food at the Bug Cafe. Those kids were working hard. No sooner had we finished the Water Beetle Sushi than they were bringing over a fresh Dung Beetle Poo Poo Platter. They were busing the tables like pros.
Here he is in the water pretending to be King Kong looking for fish.

Then we came home and I bottled up some of my homemade grog for Scott's Pirate birthday party - Apple and Blueberry. Just joking! I buy my grog at Trader Joe's and paste my own label on it.

Art and Culture Week

these lights at night

This week many of us at work went to the member's opening of the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum, BCAM, at LACMA. You know, it's pretty much the exact opposite of the collection we normally see everyday, and it was very fun. Probably everyone's favorite was a Robert Therrien piece that is a giant table and chairs. Giant. You walk underneath and it's so delightful.

Wednesday after school I took Theron by the music school to meet my teacher. We've been a little worried about Theron's musical abilities, but my teacher says it's all just work and the most important thing is to get him started on something he really wants to learn. One thing he has talked about a lot is the harmonica and this is one of the many instruments my instructor teaches. So, it was very cute. Keith gave Theron (gave him) an inexpensive harmonica and told him it was his but he had to promise to play it. Then he taught him some fundamentals, such as that harmonica players don't suck, they draw. When Keith opened the case with his beautiful chromatic harmonica Theron looked like one of those cartoon wolves with the bulging eyes, heart-shaped pupils, tongue hanging out. He was told that if he's serious about playing this is the kind of instrument he will be using. He played some music for him and Theron spun around and collapsed in giggles. He will start lessons next week. In the meantime he's been using it a lot. He's composed something he calls The Popular Song and he is inventing a code: hole 4 means I love you, hole 6 means I understand, and hole 10 means I'm sleepy.

For Valentine's Day Ash helped Theron buy me a very thoughtful card and chocolate. Ashley and I made each other cds of our favorite new songs. I LOVE the cd he made me, probably my favorite track is Chuck Prophet's Freckle Song.

And now it's too hot... Saturday it was 86 degrees so we went to the park where they had 70 tons of manmade snow.

Can a person freeze at 50 degrees? We're beginning to think so, what big babies we are. This morning Theron and I bounced out of the house into the glorious sunshine and half a block away we realized we were icicles. Theron zipped up his coat and announced he was now bullet-proof.


In spite of the fact that both Ashley and I had to work this weekend it was still fun in places. We spent a few hours at the Natural History Museum per Theron's request. He was getting mad at us though because we failed to give the appropriate responses. The correct response was "Cool!" , etc. Also, we were rushing through the dioramas of mammals and Theron yelled at us for not giving him time to "read the inches and diets". He was mad at the coyote for eating a house cat.


Sunday I got to go to my orchestra lesson. I'm four times older than many of the participants. The teacher makes me laugh, though he's not trying. It's not all music instruction. A lot of it is him saying, "Stop kicking. Stop kicking. Stop kicking. Put your hand down. Turn off the phone and put it away". I know it's not really funny, but I'm amused. Also, though, it is really fun.

While Ashley was at work Sunday, Theron came out of his room and asked when his birthday is. I told him, he said thanks and went back to his room, shutting the door. After a few minutes I went to see what was going on. Theron was trying to sign up for an online Pirates of the Carribean game. He would have never managed it, but we did have to have the little talk about using the internet. He's 6! It's bad enough that time passes so fast we can barely keep up with one emergency to the next. Theron's advancement to second grade makes us feel like we've literally lost a year of his life. I know it sounds unreasonable, but in 7 months he starts 3rd grade!!! ??? Sunrise, sunset! Oh, well, maybe later this summer he can finally get us set up for wireless printing.

Oh, I finished all but one of my library books, so any recommendations, I'm ready for more. There's only one pending on my hold list now.