Busy weekend

After I swam, R. finished mock trial practice, and David and A. did some science fair and unicycle work we all had lunch and were ready for family time.  This week had an All-American theme.

First stop - the mall!  Not so many photo opportunities, but this is the one thing we purchased (not spontaneously).  Some assembly required.

Can you count the 4,295 pieces?

Next stop on the American tour was the drive in.  It was my first time being the driver and I was a little disappointed to have a person come to the window instead of getting to talk to a box.  It was the kids' first experience at a drive through and the first time at In-N-Out for 75% of the people in the car.

Final stop was Memorial Park in Upland where we played with frisbee-like disks and tried out the standing see-saw on the playground.

We ended the evening with a fund raiser at the Dale Bros. Brewery, which hosted a fund raiser for A.'s soccer team.  A friend said it was like a pub in the U.K. because there were families enjoying the evening and having a drink, but not having that be the only source of enjoyment.

Los Whateveros preparing to perform

A. had a sleepover so David could cycle, I could run, we could both enjoy browsing the farmers market while R. slept.  We had a playdate with a friend's dog in order to get to know each other before committing to hosting the dog for a week this summer.  She was great and we look forward to temporary dog ownership - good when she arrives, good when she leaves.  

After A. and David played a casual soccer game (kids v. adults) it was more dog time, walking one to help out friends.  The funniest part of the outing was when I tried to get the dog to drink water from my hands and then she wiped her face on the grass.  Turns out she will only drink water at home!

Homework and music were next, followed by brick sorting.  I am wondering if this project will last until the end of screen-free week.

The evening ended with company for dinner and open mic night at the Folk Music Center.  

Singing The Circle Game

Now we are ready for Screen-Free Week.  I wonder if I will take fewer pictures knowing that I won't be posting on a blog for a week.  You can always call me if you want to know.

Screen Free Week

Our family talked about participating in Screen Free Week last year, but it didn't get a lot of support.  This year we said it was optional and even offered a bribe (money toward an activity, like a Lego set).

There isn't one right way to do it and each person will decide what it means (is Skyping allowed?  using the computer for work or school okay?).  I have my own list, which excludes Facebook, newspapers, and comics.  I won't post here and won't check the weather.  I will still use the computer for volunteer activities and to communicate with the school.

I will buy the LA Times on the days we don't have it delivered.  Maybe I'll write in the kids' baby books, which has been on my to-do list for a year.  Maybe I'll work on the sweater I started ages ago.  I am hoping we play more board games, including Iota, which I read about on one of my favorite blogs.

I hope you'll let me know how your week goes if you decide to give it a try.

p.s.  I am adding this after reading a bit more of the Screen Free Week material.  If the American Academy of Pediatrics supports reducing screen time, maybe we can eliminate screens in pediatric waiting rooms (yes, I know it entertains without sharing germs toys harbor, but maybe we can find another option?).  Maybe restaurants could have screen-free sections so people have a choice?

Culture in the morning

A.'s chamber orchestra director was so excited about taking the group to the Disney Concert Hall to hear the L.A. Philharmonic that it was contagious.  Even though A. gets sick on the bus he was enthusiastic to go and even happier when I said we could drive there.

I was excited to be included because I have fond memories of going to similar concerts at Severance Hall.

 We got there early and had time to walk around the building, 

which looks nothing like the Severance Hall.

The inside color scheme goes well with A.'s sneakers and pants.

No one was at the instrument petting zoo so A. could try the violin, viola, and percussion instruments.

This is a close-up of the flower in the background of the previous picture.

After we met up with the group we got to take part in a percussion (boomwhacker, tambourine, and hand drum) rhythm workshop.  It was a good idea to have some participatory event before having the kids be quiet members of the audience.

The bearded fellow on the cover of the program is Mussorgsky and the other four people are student composers whose works had their world premier at the concert.  The students I was sitting with seemed fascinated that teenagers could be composers and especially enjoyed seeing them in person (although they were disappointed to be unable to get autographs).

A big thanks goes to Foothill Philharmonic Committee for making this possible.

Culture in the afternoon

Last December I raved about a field trip to the Maloof Foundation campus and now my daughter has art hanging in their garden!

A view from the trail

The submarine birdhouse in the fig tree

There were over a dozen birdhouses, including a backpack (or was it a lunchbox?) and a toadstool.

Unfortunately the s'more got hung upside down.

I didn't catch the title of this piece.

The art will be left hanging until June in case a bird decides to use one of them.

We also had a chance to take a tour of the house

An oud made of walnut and spruce by the father of A.'s friend

and see a special exhibit, "With Strings Attached." 

I appreciate that the Maloof Foundation thought to include high school students in their exhibit so we could have a perfect excuse to spend an afternoon there.

And now for something completely different

It isn't exactly completely different, but it isn't cycling.

This shows the warm up area, which is separated from the competition area by a bulkhead.

One of my goals for the year was to swim in two meets and compete in the 100 fly.  Check and check.  The first meet was at Cal Tech last month and today I swam at UCLA, which has a great facility.

The meet was not well attended, which meant in my age-group in my events there were only two swimmers and for one event I was the only one.  Swimming is a relative sport so I can compare my times to previous swims and my 100 fly time today was almost exactly the same as at my first big swim meet in February 1983.  I hope I swim it again in June 2043 and I'll keep you posted.

Parking

It is great to ride a bike, but what to do with it when you aren't riding it?

A friend gave us an unusual rack that is now in the garage, which I realize is hard to see because of all the other bicycles.

Around town there are some relatively new bike racks.

There are also some old racks.

And a not-so-useful rack.

This is at the optometry office.

This is at the sporting goods store.  Would you park your bike on it?  There is one just like it at the intermediate school and when David tried to park his bike against it he was reprimanded and told it was a piece of art.

Across the street from the school is this metal bicycle.  Is it art or a bike rack?

Historical item

Here is A., a fourth grader, on a pogo stick.

Here I am, in the middle, a fourth grader with the exact same pogo stick!

Random pictures

The kids had soft-boiled eggs at my parents' house and chose an egg cup for the first time.

I stopped by the botanic garden to buy a gift and came across this, but wasn't quite sure what it was.  A similar piece is near the entrance, but I don't know what to make of it.  Any ideas?

Belated Celebration

I did not mention it in my Valentine's Day post , but I broke from tradition and gave David a gift, which was a bike ride with me!  Two months later we were waking before 6 a.m. and heading off to the L.A. Police Academy for the City of Angels Ride.

 

A painting by our lunch spot.

This ride was unusual because we had a police escort the entire way, meaning we didn't stop for stoplights, stop signs, or anything else.

They made it all possible (and this doesn't even show them all).

Because I was on the back of the tandem I could take lots of photos, but because I was on the back of the tandem, a lot of them didn't turn out.

City of Angels

Riding through the Second St. tunnel near the LA Times Building (legally, unlike problems mentioned here).

in Chinatown

in Koreatown

We crossed lots of cool crosswalks, we passed the Los Angeles County of Central Heating and Refrigeration Plant (I had no idea there was such a thing), and we cycled right through the heart of Hollywood's tourist district.

The Jim Henson Company, just like in the 2011movie.

near USC

Happy Valentine's Day, David.  I love you!

David with the loot he won.

Memories

Most posts I write with parents in mind as the audience, but today I am writing for my own pleasure.

My parents might not want to remember how many times they brought 

me here to take lessons, to teach lessons, and for swim practice.

They still haven't invented a way to send scents through the computer?  You'll 

just have to feel the warm air, breathe deeply, and smell the wonderful scent of chlorine.

In the old days there were two diving boards and no starting blocks at this end.

I can't decide whether I love the windows or not.

We dove into the shallow water at this end 

and used these funky backstroke handlebars.

We also used to scratch things in the ring around the pool 

that was on the white tiles, but it is much cleaner now.

Remember when the pool had a bar instead of an eye hook and the coach would 

threaten to make the opponents' lanes narrower?  Not an option anymore.

And remember the funky gutter?  I did not 

remember that were markings for each foot and yard.

So entertaining to read the records (click to enlarge)!

Before swim lessons the door would open downstairs and 

we would walk down this long hall to the locker room.

This is where the team kept its stuff.

The showers haven't changed much.

My new coach wonders why I can't keep my head still

for backstroke, but the sky has no lines like this.

Take one last smell - ahh.