Red, White, and Boo

This past July 4th fell on a Sunday, and in many ways, it was like any other Sunday. First thing in the morning, we drove down to Gardena to meet our dear friends Julie, Shawn, and Nolan for dim sum. It was, as always, very nice to see them, but later in the day I had someone even more exciting to hang out with...
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The Boo!

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For two whole years, it was just the two of us. Since his sister's arrival, though, he's no longer been able to have my undivided attention, and I could feel that this was causing him considerable stress. Even worse than that, however, is the fact that I haven't been able to spend any quality time with him. I really missed my Boo.
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So on the afternoon of this past Independence Day, Vince watched the baby so that I could spend some one-on-one time with my firstborn. Since it was such a beautiful day, we decided to take Benjamin's balance bike out for a spin. I loved watching him "pedal" away, his little fists gripping the handlebars tightly and a determined look on his face.
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We stopped to catch our breath in one of the neighborhood parks. The sun had warmed the ground, and Benjamin couldn't resist taking his shoes off to dig his toes into the dirt.

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Before heading home, we finished our date with dessert at Pinkberry. It was a treat to watch him demolish his frozen treat.

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Later in the evening after the kids had gone to bed, we attended a Fourth of July party at our neighbors' home. These people were young professionals with no kids, as were the majority of their guests. Vince and I stood on their balcony in our sleek outfits and watched fireworks go off in the distance while we sipped cocktails, ate sushi, and engaged in adult conversation uninterrupted by the needs of small children. How refreshing! You'd think that it would have been the highlight of my day, but it wasn't. My mind kept flitting back to the afternoon I'd spent with my wonderfully grubby, stinky little boy with whom conversation consisted of being interrupted by monosyllables and incomplete sentences.

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I'll take him over cocktails and sushi any day!

Meeting of the Minds

Look at these two munchkins... Doesn't it seem like they're having a heated conversation? I wonder what they were talking about. I went over to find out, but as soon as they spotted me, the conversation abruptly ended. I guess I'll never know!

Weekend of Wonders Day 3: Concert in the Park

On the final day of our Weekend of Wonders, we met with friends for a summer concert in the park.
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Since we never pass up an opportunity to dine together, the hubbies went to nearby Piknic Restaurant to order take-out. I try my darndest to keep this blog happy and positive, so I won't discuss how we now feel about this establishment. Let's just say that they're lucky that they're the only restaurant in the neighborhood. Very lucky.
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It was a perfect Sunday afternoon, and the park was packed with neighborhood families. As the band launched into their set, I noticed a very serious, very official-looking security guard down in front. He was standing there with his chest puffed out, his arms crossed, and his face in a stern expression that dared crazed fans to just try and rush the stage.
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I'm not sure if he noticed that the fans were all under four feet tall.
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The Boo didn't let the presence of a domineering bouncer to cramp his style. Instead, he boogied, danced, and vogued his little ass off.
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His fancy footwork caught the attention of a few little ladies. I swear they're tossing coy looks his way. And look - one of them is even clapping!
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His sister, on the other hand, found his moves to be laughable.
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Still, the Boo danced on, grabbing his best gal pal Kayla for a spin on the dance floor. Nolan tried to cut in and steal her away, but it didn't happen. Benjamin 'hawk blocked him.

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:)

Weekend of Wonders Day 2: Bureau of Sanitation Open House

Every year, the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation hosts open houses at various distruct refuse yards. If you're thinking that the last place you'd like to go to an open house is at a trash collection site, then think again! It's actually really interesting - and not at all smelly!
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Julie and Shawn took Nolan last year, and he had so much fun that the families Chan and Ilardi joined in this time around.
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As soon as we entered the facility, each child was given a bright yellow construction hat. Unfortunately, only Nolan kept his hat on. Calliope's head was too small, and neither Benjamin nor Kayla wanted to disturb their perfect coifs.

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Our first stop on the tour was at a large trash truck which was remarkably neat and clean. The truck was so clean that my own car seemed disgusting in comparison, which is pretty pathetic considering that the dirtiest thing in my car is my mouth.
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Clean or not, Benjamin didn't really enjoy his tour of the truck's cab, and he had to be rescued by his father. I guess Benjamin prefers the comparatively filthy interior of his mama's ride.
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The next stop on the tour, however, got rave reviews. The kids took turns pulling a lever in the back of the truck and watching this big metal scoopy thing raise up into the air. These are very technical terms I'm using here, folks.
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After the Big Metal Scoopy Thing stop on the tour, the ladies (including the littlest lady Calliope) decided to grab some food and a table while the boys continued on the rest of the tour. The lines must have been pretty long, because it was nearly an hour before they joined us. By then, we had already finished eating most of the food we had gotten. Needless to say, they weren't too pleased with us. Ooops!
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Luckily, it only took another hour of waiting in line for the boys to score some grub.

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Many thanks to the Bowens for clueing us in to just how interesting waste management can be. And no, I am NOT being facetious. If you don't believe me, check it out yourself ! You won't be disappointed!

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Next up: the final installment of the Weekend of Wonders series!