Whew!

I’ve been so busy having fun I’ve had no time to write. Isn’t that how it always is. So how about we skim through my virtual photo album really quick before I forget about all the little stories that have been happening along the way. I’ll try to be breezy.

Maybe you heard from my twitter stream and facebook updates that the neighbors across the street from Bethany set up a SUPER ULTRA DELUXE Bounce House that they just happen to own. No birthday party or baby shower, not even a family reunion. They just set it up because it was the weekend and the sun was shining.

Bethany has the best neighbors ever. First there is their giant front yard with a swing set and a slide, then there is this very very very tall tree with really long rope swing. You can climb up the jungle gym part of the swing set, grab onto the rope swing and then fly across the front yard like Tarzan. They also have a bed swing on their porch and a pool in the back yard! Seriously. We might have the beach and coffee shops within walking distance but we’ve never seen anything like this before. I think Bug will never want to leave.

Did I mention there was a slide inside the bounce house? Yeah. I went over a few times to check on Bug and the neighbors who were sitting on their veranda style porch watching the kids dared me to take a few turns in the bounce house. So I did. I didn’t want them to think Californians are all wimps or anything. I have to say it was pretty fun. Exhilarating really. When I finally climbed out of that bounce house I felt like I’d downed three shots of espresso. I was very productive with the box-unpacking after that. Just a note, you know, if you need something to help you get through the day.

Speaking of invigoration, the next day I was dragging again. I think I’m having this problem because besides all the fun I’ve been having, I’ve been eating all sorts of yummy baked treats and drinking coffee non-stop so when I crash, I crash hard. I’d sort of hit a wall with the organizing and badly needed a break. Bethany came up with the brilliant idea of taking a walk at a nearby park. It’s amazing how often I forget that a simple outing outside will make me feel like a brand new person.

Parks are always a win with kids of course.

Parks are very different here. The trees are very brushy and there is evidence of weather at every turn. For example we were walking along the path and suddenly we came upon a lamp post that was tipped over and just laying there on the side of the path with it’s screws sticking out.

All of us had to stop for a moment and contemplate it. That would never happen in California. They’d probably close down the park for two weeks for fear some little kid might climb on it and get tetanus or something. But here, I guess light posts falling over is just a fact of life. Snow happens. Or maybe they just don’t fix things as proactively as they do in Orange County where tax dollars roll in at a premium.

It was a fun photo walk. I wish we could go on more. I thought staying here for two weeks would be too long but I could easily stay a week longer because there is so much to do around here.

Speaking of…

We have seen the sights! We did a little speed-tourism on Saturday.

We whipped through the lobby of the Air and Space museum on the way to the Natural History Museum. It was fascinating. They had a little kite display going on which was really cool.

Bug is trying to copy the face on the kite here. And, yeah, that’s her thing: she looks away from the camera when I ask her to pose. I think she has camera-dismaysia or some other kind of cooperation aversion.

Next we hit up the Natural History Museum which is just as amazing as everyone said it would be. I’ve never really been to a museum with real giant dinosaur bones before so it was really neat to walk around and gawk. Of course it blew Bug’s mind and I’m sure she’ll be talking about it for years to come.

For the record, you know those funny little pokey things I’ve been calling Dingle Berries all these years? They’re actually called Sweet-Gum Gumballs. I hate it when Bethany is right—which she always is.

The Hope Diamond is not nearly as big as I thought it would be. It was still pretty fun to look at, if only to see all the other women ogling it. I particularly liked the giant salt molecule blown up that made me feel like I was falling into the land of Tron or something.

There was sooooo much more to write about but I’m going to have to break this post into parts because we are very very late for some other adventures. That and Bug has been interrupting me every five seconds. So, I’ll keep you posted. Hopefully sooner than later!