No, really. Today we hitched a lift in to Santa Monica with Jess and headed for the Pier. Fun park doesn’t open till 12 though so I had to succumb to Arlo’s urging and take off my shoes and traipse across the beach through the grainy gritty sand and am I whinging? Yes I am. We built a volcano, not a castle.
The rollercoaster was fun – for me. Arlo was not so crazy about it; it was a little uncomfortable and rattly for him since he only just skimmed over the height limit.
What we saw and heard today: lots of Australians, some Kiwis, a fair few French and some Italians. We ate Starbucks (I know, I know, but I was too nervous about screwing up the tipping to eat at a restaurant and I couldn’t find a bakery), we drank lots of water, we saw a guy offering $1 jokes (laughs guaranteed), we fondled two large pythons, and we took a 2 hr bus ride home. And now we’re slathered in aloe because, yes, I’m a bad mother and we both got tinged with a little pink today.
The second last is something I’m pretty proud of. OK, Jess worked out the bus route for me and printed me map and timetables, but I got us to the bus stop, worked out where we were and when we had to get off and change buses, and we made it home without hiccup. I haven’t travelled overseas in 6 years, and even when I used to travel more frequently it was usually with Mark so I had an adult to confer with. Last time I had to navigate transit on my own was in 2005, also in the US. And since having Arlo, I’ve probably retreated a little and played everything safe. So this three week trip on my own with a child in tow is something of a challenge and a test for myself. The next big excitement will be making my way from Newark airport to the tippy top of Manhattan on Saturday afternoon – with all our luggage. That one should be interesting!
I’m also incredibly proud of my boy. He’s travelling so well, being patient and cool with enough enthusiasm that when I was a little stressed about the buses today he totally hyped me out of it. He’s such an awesome kid.
Still playing the piano ages later; so beautiful hearing the songs roll out across the sand. It really carried.
Stripey socks and a magic carpet?
Sitting in the snakepit. ”Help a student buy some roosters” was her catchphrase; I still wonder if she was buying the roosters to feed to the pythons.
This next shot is Arlo’s bemused face. He had read the first part of the sign and wasn’t sure why people should pay for jokes.
On the second bus.
