Universal Studios

Today John and I spent the day at Universal Studios LA, a virtual playground for adults. We are in town for the AFP annual conferece but came in a couple of days early for a weekend of play. We started the day with the Studio Tour, as the voice from nowhere suggested we do, which takes you through the actual lots where movies and shows are filmed. It is crazy interesting to see how they create the scenes that they do and to actually experience some of those effects first hand. The subway station earthquake was impressive, the Mummy spinning cave...that I could have done with out. You sit there in the tram while these claustrophobic cave walls spin in circles around you and it feels like you are just turning circles - waiting for the first person to vomit and lose. Outside of the tour, we hit up the majority of the attractions that didn't have a 40 minute wait or the word Horror in the title. The second was my rule. I can barely take the haunted railroad thing at Frontier City. Something about the anticipation of things jumping out of the dark. We started on the Jurassic Park ride. Noted 12 times: you will get wet. I was in control until the huge T-Rex came out of the waterfall, preceeding the 30 foot drop. The picture stop on the way out showed John screaming and Laura...wait, where is Laura? Oh, there she is, you can see the back of her head curled into a ball in the front row. Next stop, The Mummy ride. Of course, we were right back into the dark cavelike surroundings and me, attached to John's side alternating between snatching his hand and covering my eyes. All I remember is something about joining someone in the afterlife and then the quickest acceleration I have ever experienced, hurdling at what I am certain is an unsafe speed through the dark until slamming on the breaks inches from a wall and then taking the entire trip back in reverse. I haven't had that terrified but happy; screaming but laughing feeling in too long. The strange thing... As we were walking into the rides we kept seeing these signs that say Child Switch Area with no further explanation. Child Switch? Am I the only one not clear on what that is? When I hear switch, I think beating with sticks or black market exchange. Certain that neither of those would be in clearly marked areas, I still have no idea what it meant. All I know is that if you need to switch your child, you have several spots available to you in Universal City, LA. In addition to rides, they have special effect shows like Backdraft and two 3D adventures. Terminator 2: 3D and Shrek 4D. The last 3D movie I saw was at Disneyland when I was like 11 and all I remember is Michael Jackson and maybe space? Terminator had a mix of video and live actors. Strobes and fog and the liquid terminator inches from your face. The skynet hunters did manage to get a few gasps, but it was Shrek 4D that definitely stole the show. You get the drift of what 4D means when the first time Donkey sneezes, you feel the spray of water hit you and your mind translates it into snot. "Gross." Surprise number two? When the screen spiders virtually drop onto the crowd and the sound of them crawling fills the room, that puff of air on the back of your neck brings the "bugs on me" paranoia too close to home. When not riding you are eating and paying 8.95 for a slice of pizza or churros. You know, I had forgotten how much I love churros. Cinnamon goodness in a stick. Outside of the theme park is the CityWalk with all sorts of shops and restaurants. Most importantly, Ben & Jerry's and a wonderful Chocolate Brownie Fudge cone to end the day. Well, half of a Chocolate Brownie Fudge cone as I gave John the rest after his fell to an untimely demise. Friends don't let friends eat cones and close trunks. All in all, it was a brilliant day. I felt like a kid. I felt like John and I were dating. So happy to be with each other, so happy to just be in that day. It was the perfect size park to see in one day and other than the "Blues Brothers" butchering classic jazz there is no downside to a day at Universal. Definitely a two thumbs up day.

Me and My Decisions

I have made the official decision to begin wearing my hair in a ponytail everyday. It takes 5 minutes to do, it stays out of my face when needing to rub my forehead in deep concentration, it takes me straight from the office to the gym (ha) and it says to the world that I have too much on my plate to mess with hair. Of course, this does join a pantheon of decisions I have made: New Leaf Laura, Athletic Laura, Learn Chinese Laura. In all honesty, my success record has been rather...well...low; however, this decision centers around laziness which seems to give it a foot up on Bring my Lunch Every Day Laura and Clean the House Regularly Laura. Still, there have been some successes such as Dispatch is my Second Favorite Band Laura, Only Take the Stairs When People are Watching Laura and Eat Half a Sandwich So You Can Go For the Three Cookies Laura. There are the failures we don't talk about such as Don't Take Your Shoes Off At your Desk If They are Sweaty (i.e. smelly) Laura. But those are seemingly outweighed by Pass the CTP to Show Up Naysayers Laura. No More Singing Without Regards to Volume at your Desk Laura has been sketchy but Blog More Regularly Even if You Have Absolutely Nothing of Value to Say Laura is something something and taking names. Clearly, Remember Sayings Before you Try and Use Them Laura could handle some brushing up. So, Ponytail Laura it is. While I can never be certain, it seems like the ultimate "can't fail". Not such good news for Straighten your Hair So that you Can Only Wash It Every Three Days Laura, but sometimes you've got to cut your losses to get the ultimate win.

Quote of the Week

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" - Dr. Robert Schuller

Pumpkin Patch

On Saturday we went to TG Farms in Norman to pick our pumpkins. They had an entire setup of fun things for the boys to enjoy on top of the pumpkin patch. There were black tubes doubling as slides and now that I think about it, not entirely that secure. It took some cajoling to get Joshy down the dark tube and as a final act before hopping in, he let Jessi know one more time that she had better catch him.

One thing I found rather ingenious was how they had turned tires into horse swings. I would have never come up with that idea in a million years. Well, maybe in a million years. That is a lot of years. Still, it was pretty clever.

Ben was just happy if he could sit and play in the sand. Every time he would start to go for a patch of grass out of his grasp, we would will him to crawl. I am sure the other parent's at the make shift sandbox enjoyed the chanting of "Go boozer, go...go boozer, go". You know, boozer has just become this extension of boo but now that I think about it, that may not be the best idea for a baby's nickname. He has been ridiculously close to crawling for several weeks now but comes up just shy each time.

At one point, John said that he and Joshy were going to go walk through the maze. When I looked over to check on them a bit later, I couldn't help but laugh. It may just be me but I think that they may have missed the point of "maze".

Then again, what they lacked in maze understanding they made up for in their literal interpretation of hay ride. It only took about two minutes before Joshy was practically buried in hay. Good thing there were no adults around to get onto them.

The main event was the pumpkin patch itself where we each got to pick out one pumpkin. John and I took our standard picture, which is apparently the only pose we have. We have talked about building up our repertoire but you know, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. I had great intentions of getting a picture of the boys together but if one was happy, the other didn't want to sit and if the other would sit, the first was crying. The best laid plans...

To round off the day we went to Chili's for dinner. The waiter took our order without writing it down and then had to come back while punching it in to ask us "What did you want, again?". Seriously, just write it down when we are ordering. The coolness factor is lost when you have to come back for repeats.

My boys

We put Ben in the bath behind Joshy and everytime we let go, he would maneuver his way up next to Joshy. So, for as much as I laughed about Joshy wanting everything Ben had, I guess it goes both ways.

Relax

You know what? I am tired of having to "do" my hair. Even when I straighten it and get away with washing it only every other day, that means if I live to 60, I am going to have to dry and fix my hair at least 5480 more times. I am already sick of it now. Add in cleaning, which is completely erased two days after it is done, a good night's sleep cancelled after only 12 hours, mowing that has to be redone in two weeks, hair that grows, food that gets eaten, make-up that gets applied, diapers that get changed... This life is crazy. Mr. Checotah's idea of a solution? Relaxation and Meditation Yoga. All right, I say. So I sign up for the coming Wednesday. Of course I, in true Laura fashion, was running late that day and by the time I pummeled my way through the door, they were already in full on meditation. They had their yoga mats out and were sitting on some Indian blankets...you know, the ones you buy in Tijuana from the little street shops for a haggled price. I went with the mat sans blankets and assumed the stereotypical crossed legs, hand to heart position. I had told LeAnn when I signed up with her that if they even had me "um", I was out of there. So, there I sit listening to the instructions of how I am to "let go". Instead of just saying "open your chest", you have to go through the 2 minute mental trip of "taking the skin from on top of your breast bone and pulling it up over your head and then down to the floor". Basically the method of making "pull your shoulders back" sound elusive and spiritual. You are paying for this, after all. Once we have checked off the relaxing of every muscle, your mouth, your legs, your ears, we head on into the mental relaxation where you are supposed to picture three things you are thankful for. Oh but don't think of any memories or run down any mental paths, he says. So I am letting faces flash through my mind, thinking about how I am not supposed to be thinking, convinced I am doing something wrong because of all the things I am feeling, one with the nothingness isn't there. Personally, when I close my eyes, I am either dreaming or thinking. There is no empty space of thought. If you are thinking of nothing you are really just thinking about thinking about nothing, but whatever, I have emptied my mind. Meditation...check. Now on to the yoga where I am positive I stayed in a toe touch for at least 30 minutes. I will say that by the end, my hands, which originally gave up after reaching the ankles could touch the floor. Whether or not something tore in the process of getting them there? Irrelevant. It is not about comfort after all, it is about relaxation. Still, if I can't relax on my own, what makes them think a toe touch will do the trick? If not annoyed by growing hair or grass, I am worried about being healthy or why that third donut would be a bad idea. There is building the access database and did I fill Joshy's prescription and I'm sorry, I know I have already met you three times but what was your name? There is nothing in my life that 45 minutes on an Indian blanket can wash away. Now, a good book in the speckled shade of a big tree with iced tea and a gentle breeze...that is the class there needs to be. Still, with three classes to go this month, looks like I have no choice but to stop and smell the incense even if the only relaxation I can foresee is if my 20 minutes on the yoga mat included a fuzzy blanket and some power z's.

A Day with Thomas

This weekend the Oklahoma Railway Museum had a very special visitor come to town. Quite aware of how many times I have had to watch his adventures over and over...and over, I couldn't deny Joshy the chance to meet his friend. A very good engine. Per the narrator, anyway. The museum had a tent setup with tables full of train sets of all different types. The kids were free to just have at it and immediately it drew Joshy in. Even Ben got in on the action with a brown railway car. In other words, the train car that bought mama that much more time before the bottle meltdown began.

They also had a table set up to stamp and color. Every time Joshy successfully stamped the paper, he would look up with the biggest smile, wanting to see if I had witnessed the triumph.

The main event was the ride on Thomas to and from the station. Our tickets were for the caboose and when we stepped inside, there were these seats up in an alcove that we quickly snatched up. The staff members were wonderful. As we took off from the station we all helped Thomas by yelling "push Thomas push, push Thomas push". Once we were free of the station, we helped him pull. Joshy had non stop questions...like "If I put my head outside the window a tree will cut it off?" Don't know where he got that idea from... At one point he just looked at Ben, bent down and kissed him on the leg. Ben lovingly responded by hitting him on the head.

As we left for the day, walking away with our train whistle and set (the gift shops get you every time) we walked past Thomas one last time from a distance. Without warning Joshy yells at the top of his lungs, "Goodbye Thomas". It was a very good day.

Quote of the Week

"I took a speed reading course and read 'War and Peace' in twenty minutes. It involves Russia." - Woody Allen

Rubber Duckie, your the one...

To make bath time easier with Ben, we bought a little blow up duckie that is a perfect fit for him. He is able to sit and play in the water without us worrying about him slipping in the tub or having to hold him up the entire time. I pulled the duck out to give him a bath for the first time and he loved it. However, when I went to run Joshy's bath next, he would have none of it. He adamantly wanted to bathe in the duck, just like his brother. So, in he climbs, happy to be assured there is nothing Ben has that he can't have as well...