Backtracking a Bit

Our Thanksgiving trip to California was a bit of a mad dash, but we got to check off a few of our favorite LA activities, including a trip to the Huntington Library. This time we never made it inside (where the art exhibits are), choosing instead to spend the afternoon wandering the extensive, incredible gardens. I often leave the Huntington with the thought: Thank goodness for really, really rich people, without whom places like this would not exist.

We lingered for a while on a wide green lawn lined with classical statuary (featured in many Merchant-Ivory-esque productions) which reminded us of the scene in the Enchanted Castle where all the statues come to life in the moonlight. None of these figures are identified, so you're sometimes at a loss to explain what they're doing. For instance, what's up with this lady?

Simon's guess: "She's got the Boob of Power."

Here is Andrew explaining why Cupid is blindfolding his next -- apparently willing -- victim. Simon looks suitably trepidatious about the whole endeavor...


Josie didn't seem too put off, though.


In the Children's Garden we found the Cloud Grotto (our favorite feature) out of order, but were effectively distracted from our disappointment by a remarkable young person called Ethan, who marched everywhere wreaking havoc with a look of great determination on his face, while his father followed behind him offering plaintive admonishments. "You're not a pirate here, Ethan," he would say (clearly implying that marauding and pillaging were frequently engaged in -- and officially condoned -- elsewhere).

Ethan was two, or possibly three. If he caught you looking at him, he would stop suddenly, point a tiny, ferocious finger directly at your heart and announce, "You. Are. Dumb." before whirling around and continuing on his way. At one point he passed by a group of children busily sifting through a vat of magnetic sand. He pulled up behind Simon, hauled off and punched him hard in the kidneys, and marched away again. "Ethan!" his father called out, "That's not Edrick!" (Edrick was Ethan's long-suffering brother, who vaguely resembled Simon from behind, and is apparently an approved target).

It is a testament to the young man's powerful charisma that people on the receiving end of this behavior felt both extremely amused and mysteriously honored.

In addition to the Huntington, the kids and I went to the Santa Monica Pier, where we made a beeline for the rollercoaster. The first time we rode the West Coaster we discovered at the end that they had been filming us, so we bought the cheesy composite DVDs, which proved to be totally and absolutely worth the $10. We still watch them on occasion, when we need cheering up: Josie starts out with clasped hands and a nervous face, takes a giant gulp as the car reaches the top of the first big hill, and laughs hysterically throughout the remainder of the ride. Simon is rigid with terror at first, but keeps glancing up at me, holding his arms up tentatively in hopeful imitation, and eventually starts to smile. At the end of the video he can be seen pounding the restraint bar in front of him shouting, "That was the most funnest thing I've done in my entire life!"*

This year's rollercoaster experience did not disappoint. Simon's comment, possibly related to an Office episode we had watched the week before: "That was so fun -- I could never shun anyone right now!"

They had removed the cameras from the cars, alas, so this time we spent our extra $10 on a Ferris Wheel ride instead. There are few things nicer than rocking gently in the sun fifty feet up in the air with the Pacific Ocean laid out in front of you, Los Angeles sprawling behind you, and the coastline stretching away on either side (the blue and yellow striped tents are Cirque du Soleil's winter digs).

Except possibly rocking gently in the sun six inches off the ground on Granny Shan's deck. Which is free, I might add.

Many thanks to both grandmothers for a wonderful visit!

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* I made an attempt to transfer our rollercoaster videos into a format I could share here, but no dice. Instead I'll present this video Simon made Monday evening, after he discovered the Photo Booth video function on my new laptop.



In the background you can hear me giving Josie last-minute cooking instructions -- she had offered to make the mac 'n' cheese while I ran to the store for salad makings. I won't describe the truly astounding mess that awaited me upon my return, but I will say that the mac 'n' cheese was delicious, and we are looking forward to many more Josie-cooked meals in the years ahead!