LA Moms Blog

Making Lemon Snow Cones From The Big Bear Freeze Out

It all started so innocently enough. A trip to the mountains.We could all go tubing and the children could build a snowman, fort and have a snow ball fight. We would go with our Adventure Friends. We found a house and secured a date. We paid our fee. The house had a foosball table, a pool table, games and fireplaces. The kids were excited. The parents were too. What we didn’t count on was the weather.

Southern California’s recent deluge of rain resulted in an abundance of bright, white beautiful snow in our mountains. Big Bear Snow that beckoned and teased but, ultimately, eluded us.When the rain did not let up on Thursday, my husband and I discussed foregoing our accommodations on Friday and driving up on Saturday. It was still snowing in Big Bear on Friday. We had dinner with our Adventure Friends and plotted our early rise and caravan on Saturday to the snow.

Up early, out and dreaming of an afternoon of snow play, cocoa and a foosball tournament that night, we set out on Saturday (idealistic even though the roads were still closed – we thought they’d open up after sunrise). Almost there at 9:00am, the roads were still closed. Parents regroup. That was the whole weekend for the parents. Take in new information, process, regroup, change plans and make it all worth it to the children.

Three adults and two kids in a one bedroom house

Every year is same. My husband stays home and works, while I drive my kids and I the 18 hours to Seattle, to spend the summer with family. Every year I feel the same excitement, as the summer gets closer. And then, the same anxiety, when the days draw near.

I love traveling, so it is natural for me to anticipate my next adventure. Getting out of LA, to spend the summer camping, visiting friends and family, and cruising around the Northwest, is a perfect summer for me. But then I am reminded of the difficulty and drama that arises every year. First there is the difficulty of driving 18 hours, with kids anxious to be there already. Then there is the drama that arises when we are stuck for too long in a one bedroom house with three adults and two kids, one that does not usually contain children. Then the drama that arises while spending 10 days camping with three other families, and the drama that arises when grandma's methods come in conflict with my own.

I need to mentally prepare myself now. The first couple years, I really took every outburst and frustration personally. But now, I have come to understand that it is not about me. I think we all have hopes and expectations of how the time will be spent. But it doesn't always work out like expected. Normal routines are thrown out the window and the natural balance upset. No matter how much our families love us, having two rambunctious kids in the normally quiet house can be overwhelming.

Becoming a Californian

Growing up in Seattle,Washington, we used to curse out the Californians, for their crappy driving and for coming in, buying up the houses, and raising our real estate prices.  We’d see someone with CA plates and make comments such as “there goes another damn Californian!”  or “those f***ing CA drivers!”, as they pulled in front of us in traffic.  But more and more these days, I see myself becoming one.

The first time I caught myself was in the grocery store, visiting my sister in Arizona.  Entering the store, a woman had leisurely left her cart in the middle of the aisle, as she browsed the shelves.  Irritated, I shoved her cart aside, as I crazily rushed past to complete my shopping.   In my mind I thought, “how inconsiderate, to leave the cart in the middle of the way!”  I looked to my sister for validation, but all I got was her staring back at me like I was a mad woman.  The store was not busy; it was midday, during the week.  We were in a small desert town, accompanied by only a handful of other shoppers.  I caught myself.  It makes sense in LA to be an assertive shopper, as almost any time, or day, of the week finds the best stores packed, but we were no longer in LA.  I realized my heart was racing and I was in some sort of fight or flight mode.  Unintentionally, every time I started towards a store, my primordial self took over.  I took a deep breath and tried to relax.  There was really no hurry.

Culture Contrast

For the Holidays last month our plan was a little unusual compared to other times. My husband couldn’t take any vacation days and since we are a intercultural family, my “Venezuelan” side was calling for a visit (My dad hadn’t met our 2 year old son, Adrian, yet in person since he was born and it had been about 5 years since I didn’t see the city which I grew up in). So I left to Caracas with Adrian  for 2 weeks and came back before Christmas.

I knew it was going to be very different for me to go around in the city of Caracas with a 2 year old compared to LA but I wasn’t prepared to notice so many little differences so easy, it was fascinating!

NYC-Antidote to Crazy

I had reached the end of my tether.  I was impatient and snappy with the kids, irritable with my husband, unable to concentrate or focus on anything, unable to get anything done.  I couldn’t even eat.  (When I lose my appetite you KNOW something’s wrong.)  Oh yeah, and the writer’s block.  It had been torturing me for two months.  In short, I was overwhelmed.  This is not particularly surprising, as we are engaged in the first part of a home remodel, one whose outlines seem to expand and change on a daily basis.  As if that were not enough, I had (and still have) to keep up with all my other daily duties.  And multi-tasking has never been one of my strong suits.  So I decided it was high time for one of my solo mental health breaks.

Ah, The Joys Of Airplane Travel With Children

Especially during the holidays! Ah, the humanity! I remember a time when it was fun to fly, and I realize how that dates me.

But come with me down memory lane for a moment: people could walk you into the terminal and hang out with you at the gate, which made for great goodbye and hello kissing scenes. I remember a TV movie once years ago where a couple went to the airport just so they could kiss wildy in public and have it be acceptable -- they called it the "goodbye game" and they just kept moving from gate to gate. But I digress.

Anyway, nowadays it's an endurance test as you navigate parking lots or taxi cabs, shuttle buses, check-in lines, and security screenings: a test of anyone's patience, for sure, but especially so for those of us with kids.

Not a Happy Camper

When I was a kid, my family went camping a lot. I'm sure I liked it at the time. In fact, I know I did. But since I've been a grown-up it's not my first choice of outings. I really appreciate indoor plumbing and sleeping in a bed, things you just have to give up when you camp.

I had no intention of going camping, ever again if I could help it. But wouldn't you know it, I have a group of friends who like to camp. They go to Lake Casitas in Ojai every summer and they have a blast. Still, I wasn't lured into the camping trap until my kids got wind of the whole thing. But once they knew, it was all over. There's only so much begging and pleading I can take. Plus, Lake Casitas has a secret weapon: a water park with a lazy river. Pretty much my idea of heaven.

So, I relented. And that's how I ended up spending my birthday setting up a tent that I would then have to sleep in. On my birthday.

Emergency Vacation

I have to admit, I’ve been kind of smooth sailing through the first year of motherhood. Thanks to my son Gabe, of course, who has managed to avoid some tough baby issues…colic, fear of strangers…or whatever might crop up to pose a challenge in need of a solution. But also, (and I’ve been priding myself on this) I found my inner mother to be natural. Wake me up six times a night, I didn’t care. No need to be extra-vigilant about things like whether to wash off his pacifier after he drops it. I'm going laissez-faire.  It’s all going to be fine.

That is, until we went on vacation.

On Sunday they rested: a road trip tale

This summer has supposedly been the year of the "staycation," but not for my family. We - my husband and me, my stepkids, and my mother-in-law - had been planning a road trip to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon for nearly a year, and the heck with gas at $4.50 a gallon! (Well, it actually did get cheaper once we left California.) Bright and early on a Saturday morning, the day after the school year ended, we got on our way.

We spent all of our second day on the road driving through Utah, which was new territory to all of us. There's a lot of nice ranch land in central Utah, but not much else. Sunday is a quiet travel day, and many businesses are closed. This was particularly surprising to the kids, who are used to the 24/7 culture of Southern California, and were just stunned by the empty parking lots and the fact that we could not find a Subway that was open.

Have Baby, Will Travel

I was recently returning home to L.A. on a flight from Minneapolis with my 1 year old daughter in tow. If you’ve never experienced the joys of trying to hold a human being who has just learned to walk, on your lap in a cramped, germy, stale smelling capsule, hurtling through the air at 30,000 feet above ground with a few hundred other human beings on board for approximately three and a half hours straight… well, you just haven’t lived. Carpe diem people – find a toddler and fly!

I’m a comedian. I travel for a living. On my travels, I encounter many different people. Some interesting. Some kind. Some are irritating and rude. Most people, when traveling, keep to themselves and some who don’t, really should.