oooooowww

Today we went to a friend's 7 year old Birthday party at Mt. Scott Community Center.

It was was at the roller rink and my son had been roller skating, well I think this was his second time. He was pretty tentative on the rink but after about the 7th time around the rink he was feeling confident, so we rolled six year old style, which is to have mommy hold one hand and hold the rail with other. This worked really well until he wanted me to push him in front of me so he could go faster.

You know, before you have kids, skidding across a poorly maintained wood floor on your knees in only your work pants to cushion the fall would make you scream in agony, demand an escort to your car and martini to calm your nerves, but when you're a mom and you hurt yourself in front of your kids, there is sudden calm stoicism that tells you "I may have just sawed my arm off, but I am so not crying in front of my kid. If I cry, he'll never want to go roller skating again." So, I gathered him in my arms and said "oh, it's ok, let's skate some more!" and then slowly limped around the rink, blood dripping down my leg.

Good times.

California Adventures - Day 3

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Day three was probably the best part of the trip, I saw my friend Clare who I hadn't seen in 20+ years. She has the cutest little boy that Max just loved (right up until he grabbed Max's hair and wouldn't let go)

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

We met Clare in Fairfax, one of the Jewish districts of LA. Only here would you find kosher sushi

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Max was being silly with his mallard duck

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

This is the Hand of Miriam that was above a doorway at the restaurant in Fairfax. It is also known as the hand of Fatima for Muslims although it's believed that the symbol is actually much older than either Judaism or Islam

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

20+ years, 2 religions and 2 babies spanned the last time we met, but she felt like my best friend again in minutes ;-)

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Back on the road again. This was the view I saw for a long, long time.

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We visited Fort Tejon in the grapevine for a little bit. It was kind of "meh" but good to get out and stretch our legs.

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Cows as far as the eye could see!

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After a billion miles of desert (and conservative talk radio the only thing that comes in through central CA along I-5) we saw it, the great Anderson's Pea Soup restaurant

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Maxwell is goofball.

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Maxwell being a cobra

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Tower Mart! Just outside Sacramento is a little town named Lathrop. Aliens have landed there. At the tower mart. And they like milk.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

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See.

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California Adventures, Day 2

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

On December 1, 2007 we went to Knotts Berry Farm with my mom

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

This is what happens when you show up at the back gate as soon as an amusement park opens in the middle of winter.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Koi fish. They will make another appearance later.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Mom and Max

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Knotts has this little "ranger station" right next to the graveyard, so of course we had to go in. Since they they had just opened it, the "ranger" was feeding all the carnivorous animals. Mealworms...mmm

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

I got to hold a walking stick. Alas, cockroaches ever so much more interesting.

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Cockroaches

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And...on to the rides

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

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It's true. I wooed Maxwell with the "water ride" but never told him about the big drop at the end. I'm a bad, bad mother.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

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After the log ride.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Fiesta Cups! Nothing like the teacups at Disneyland at all. Except that it spins. And is exactly like the teacups at Disneyland. This was Max's favorite ride.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

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Rocko the triceratops at Camp Snoopy

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

This was a "kid powered" ride, a little train that went when you pulled back and forth on the handle.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

In case you are wondering, the blue blur towards the back is Maxwell

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

I was so proud of Maxwell on this ride, he stood in line all by himself!

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Alas, the actual ride, not as exciting as standing in line.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

I got Max a little duck stuffed animal...of course, he had to go out to the koi pond and show his mallard to a real mallard duck.

California Adventures - Day 1

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Our trip begins with an early morning trip from Portland to LAX, followed by an enormous bagel, the Tar Pits and traffic. Lots of traffic.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

This plane is boring. Boring, boring, boring.

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Behold my minions, I am drinking apple juice on a plane!!

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So called "snow" at our Reno layover

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Randy's Donuts. Almost immediately after arriving in LA, we are graced with some classic Roadside America, a giant donut from the golden age of weird signage!

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

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Drama at the Tar Pits. The Columbian Mammoths. Oh no! Not the mommy mammoth! Why is it always the mommy mammoth? What is the Page museum in bed with Disney or something?

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

This is just going to end badly for the Mastedon...

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Yes, I walked up to the tar bubbling up. Not my smartest move ever.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

I wonder what happens to the little orange cones? Do they get sucked down in the tar?

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Nothing makes me feel safe like knowing that I'm walking on tar and natural gas, with only the asphalt sidewalk between me and being sucked me down into the tar only to be dug by a sleezstack in 50,000 years, still clutching my Starbucks Iced-Mocha

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Again, with the feeling safe and secure while my offspring walks inches from the goo of death.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Is this Short Nosed Bear scratching himself? I swear he looks like he needs a beer and a TV.

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Pawprints...but where do they lead? Perhaps to Baker, I hear they have excellent seafood there.

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Note: NOT a tiger.

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See...not a tiger.

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I'm pretty sure this is a camel...maybe, well, I don't know. But there were camels there. Maybe these are the bones of one.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

This is Maxwell's representation of the tar pits

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

These are all skulls of Dire Wolves. They were either really numerous or really dumb, because they just pulled wolf after wolf out of the tar pits

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Dire wolves were pretty badass.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

I always wonder if there is an actual wolf skeleton under that plaster cast...

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

American Lion skeleton. Yes, lions too. Lions and camels and bears were in LA. But not tigers.

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

I have to say the best part of the tar pits (excluding the joy I felt at having to pay $6.00 for 2 AA batteries at the gift shop when my camera went dead) was the 1970's era movie about how the bones got there. It was incredibly cheesy, why SAG whose office was right across the street

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Originally uploaded by WeavesWithFire

Screen Actors Guild

couldn't just pony up a member or two to make a revised one I don't know, but Oh.My.God. Maxwell was just mesmerized by it. I thought he was going to cry when the horse got stuck in the tar pit. He seemed oddly satisfied that the horse in his demise was able to take two sabertooth cats and a pack of dire wolves with him...as if that were their just rewards for attacking that poor horse.