Sea World and Christmas Eve

The Pasadena area has been bitterly cold for the last couple of weeks--we're waking up to temperatures below 50! So we fled south to San Diego to hang out with Mom and Dad's old friends the Fergs and check out some marine life.

Here, I have to say, pictures probably tell the story better...

(I saw my first movie in a theater, and it was in 3D, for good measure!)

Finally, we went to a Christmas Eve service at church. This church is apparently a bit imagination-impaired -- they brought in real animals to help them picture the nativity scene! No seriously, we love La Crescenta Pres. But just as seriously, these Angelenos like a bit of showbiz, don't they?


Unlike the flamingos pictured above, that donkey is not actually trying to eat my hair.

--Maddie

How to fall asleep

The scene: Maddie is in bed whispering to her stuffed lamb.

Mom: What are you doing?

Maddie: Talking to lambie.

Mom: About what?

Maddie: Sleep. Pause. How do you sleep?

Mom: I close my eyes and think happy thoughts. What do you do?

Maddie: I close my eyes and think naughty thoughts.

Lastly, the Santa Monica Pier

I rode my first roller coaster!


Just kidding! I did drive some cars and fly an airplane, though.

Daddy, however, says I need to take driver's education. I say, "Whatever."

Second, apple-picking

We also drove a long way in the hot sun to find apples to pick. I had more fun in the raspberry bushes but, alas, I have nothing to show for that. I ate most before we got home. It was like, Blueberries for Sal.



I learned that Granny Smith apples are a bit tart.

First, belated Halloween picture

At first, I was shy about walking up to strangers and saying this bizarre greeting, "Trick-or-treat." But, by my third packet of M&Ms, I was taking candy for each hand.

It's Obama Time!

So far I have learned to say "He's my first president!" when I see his picture in the newspaper. In his honor, I have adapted one of the masterpieces of Western literature:


Eight years are up.
It's getting late.
W's passed his expiry date.
It's Obama Time!

Good for society's bottom!
Good for its top!
Get your yourselves set to Obama-de-bop--
It's Obama Time!

Some voters are old
and some are new.
Some states are red
and some are blue.
Some voters' logic is fuzzy.
Some is not.
But we can all be happy with the president we've got.
It's Obama Time!
Ooooo yes, it's Obama Time!

Some voters are Hispanic and some are Asian,
But everyone's horrified by Sarah Palin.
She might be crazy or she might not--
Thanks McCain for making Barack the only choice we've got!

Obama unites the left.
Obama charms the right.
'Bama 'bama 'bama 'bama Biden!
Everybody's dancing in the streets tonight.
'Bama 'bama 'bama 'bama Biden!

Now everyone to Grant Park in one big crowd,
crying and marveling and yelling real loud.
It's Obama Time!

Yes we can, yes we can shine a light--
Do not go gentle into that good night.
It's Obama Time!
(LOUDER, LOUDER)
It's Obama Time!
(LOUDER, LOUDER)
IT'S OBAMA TIME!


Please feel free to share with your friends who are toddlers, or who have them. They are the only ones who are likely to get it.

Congratulations, President Obama!

One nice thing about living in California is that important things happen at more kid-friendly hours.


I was so happy I was doing flips.

Building a mommy

Sometimes she just doesn't come around fast enough when I need her so I have to make do.

The artist formerly known as Madster

I am always venturing into unknown territory. This time, I thought I'd try some abstract expressionism. Here is my new technique. What do you think?



I'm also, of course, working on realism. That's a picture of my grumpy mom who doesn't understand that naps and going to bed early are not part of an artist's life. Am I wrong?

You Win(d) Some, You Lose Some

We definitely lost this week, and I'm not talking about the value of my 529 account either. Though, at this rate, I'll be lucky to afford state schools when I am college-aged. But, back to my point, the Santa Ana winds hit early this week. I lost the patio umbrella that gave me shade whenever we ate outside in our beautiful garden. Mom lost new plants she just put into the ground, including some of our fall and winter vegetables. Dad lost his new pool floats. Apparently, the desert heats up and sends gales up to 75 mph through the valleys to the ocean, regularly. I thought we weren't in California anymore after a night of terrifying winds.




But, we still counted our blessings. One of mom's new mommy friends lost her home in a wildfire fueled by the winds, and another was evacuated at 2 am. Mom says she is going to pack a suitcase and leave it in the car when the Santa Anas return. I hope she remembers my blankies.

I had a playdate with my new friend Soo-ji today. A snippet of conversation from dinner:

Daddy: Do Soo-ji's parents speak Korean to her at home?

Mommy: I don't know. Yono claims she doesn't speak Korean. She understands it, but she doesn't speak it.

Me: I speak Korean.

Mommy and Daddy: (laughter)

Me: I speak Gram. Can we see Gram? [Note: Gram is pronounced "garee-am" in Maddie-ese and therefore sounds kind of like "Korean."]

Daddy: Not "Gram" -- "Korean"!

Me: Gram is in Korea?

We're the Mesopo-TAY-MEEE-ANS!

Dear Readers,

I'm going to turn this one over to dad, because I never know what he's talking about when he talks about work:

One of the interesting things about Los Angeles is that it appears to have a bit of an ancient Near East fetish. Not so much the universities, as you might expect (although there's a lot going on there, too) -- no, I mean the broader culture.

People will tell you that Glendale is the most Armenian place in America, and let me tell you -- those Armenians like them some ancient Near Eastern nostalgia. Mostly that plays out in names of restaurants and such, but straight down the hill from our house on the main road is this:



The first time I saw that (after I drove off the road), I took it as a clear Yahwistic omen that we were to buy this house. I mean, given, someone really didn't do their art history homework on this one -- I believe the technical term for this style is not "Urartian" but "Neo-Assyrianish" -- still, points for enthusiasm.

If it was an omen, there may be another house somewhere around Commerce, CA, that would have been equally divinely approved for us (although it would have been a long commute), because of this:







According to this Web site (and who would doubt the information of someone who reviews outlet malls for fun?): "The exterior of the Citadel Mall was created to look like the Babylonian palace of King Sargon II! The unusual Babylonian/Assyrian archetectural [sic] style was dreamed up by the owner of a tire-production company (first owner of this complex), and was built back in 1929. During its long history, this building was also used in the filming of the epic Hollywood movie, Ben Hur!"

The construction date makes it a late reflex of the popular fascination with Mesopotamia that started around the turn of the 20th century -- before the great Depression and the Second World War made such things look decadent (again), I suppose. Why is it that, to my knowledge, our very recently deceased Gilded Age didn't give rise to such ambitious Babylonisms? (I mean, Urartu Restaurant... that's just not a contender. Neither is this.)

So in sum, even on the far side of the world from the Holy Land, I am surrounded by reminders of my research. There is something right about the fact that they preside over outlet malls and banquet facilities.

I suppose if I were more of the Falwell stripe, I might take these as symbols that I have come to "Los Angeles Babylon," a cauldron of unholy loves singing about my ears. Instead, when I drive on the freeways of the Golden State, I simply enjoy hearing echoes of a very old culture in this young city.

...

Dear Readers,

Maddie here again. See what I mean? Gibberish. Back to me next time.

--Maddie

Dear Wall Street

Dear Wall Street,

I sent you a gift of $2000 today, and I am just writing to say that I hope you enjoy it. I hope that after all your six-figure bonuses, this little gift from me helps you to not feel the pinch of the economy too much, while small businesses are failing, and parents are dropping off their children at police stations because they can no longer take care of them.

And dear Congress, enjoy your back-slapping. Way to take a stand. It's amazing how much better that cow patty tasted when it was covered in pork, eh?

Of course, I didn't really send $2000...

...it could be more. Who knows how much this will end up costing me and the other two-year-olds of America?

Dad says this is what you get when you send anti-intellectual robber barons to the White House. I don't know anything about that; I just hope you and your rich friends feel better now, Mr. Paulson, because I'm a sweet little 2-year-old girl, and I like for everyone to be happy.

--Maddie

Odds and ends

This morning, Dad tried to bring me to bed with him and Mom when I woke up. Of course, I was up again in a couple of minutes. Then the house got very quiet for about 20 minutes -- so quiet that Dad got worried. This is what he found when he got to the back room:


Cousin Cathy brought the whole family to visit: husband Fonda, and daughters Irene and (another!) Yvonne.


They brought me pie and new friends. Enough said.

--Maddie

Mali(fa)bu: My shameless attempt to lure Gram back to the U.S.

Dear Gram,

Much to our surprise, we discovered this weekend that Malibu is little more than half an hour from where we live!

It took us barely a week to go from EST to PST, but six weeks more to actually lay eyes on the mighty Pacific.

I found my calling in life: Professional surfing.


One of the surfers offered to let me stand on her board, but I decided I would perfect my technique before I do that.


Also: Where does the water go when you pour it into a hole in the sand? Is there some elaborately engineered drainage system under the beach, or what?


It was hard to go home. Mom and Dad said we'd be back soon.

--Maddie

The scoop from SoCal

Well, it's been another very full week around here. Dad is all geeked out about some piece of paper he got in the mail, and it's not even his new CA driver's license:


If his head looks a little larger than normal in that photo, it's not a trick of the lens...

...so I am doing what I can to keep him in his place:


We don't spend all our time lounging around in the sun, though. Why, just yesterday we woke up to 60-degree temperatures and a strange gray substance blocking the sun. I had to consult a reference book to remind myself that they were called "clouds." It was awful -- they didn't burn off until almost noon!

We've been spending a lot of time trying to get our bearings in this brave new world, so I've been reading up on the area, perusing the L.A. Times over breakfast...


...and Los Angeles Magazine's listing of the top high schools in the region:

I figure I might as well make some use of my time on the potty, since I don't know what else to do with it yet. (Is that TMI? Sorry.) Anyhow, two of the top 12 public high schools are walkable from our house. So if I can make it to high school, I should be all set. But I like painting so much that I could end up at a conservatory or something:




Normally I talk a lot more than this -- and without any prompting -- but Dad was interrupting a contemplative moment as I was trying to figure out how to get as much paint on the furniture as possible.

I hope you had a fun week, too, dear reader. Remember -- for better or worse, the Madster is watching you:


--Maddie

Learning to be Chinese

Dear Friends,

I have not been ignoring you! You've been in my thoughts, but I've been trying to relax in my new fabulous home and recover from the exhaustion of moving -- taking in the mountain air and views in the lounge chair.

However, Grandma and my great aunt Helen would have none of it:

They taught me what Chinese discipline and hard work are all about:

When I was not sweeping the patio, I was training to be the next Michael Phelps. I understand the Chinese treat their victorious Olympians very well. (Maybe they're even allowed to have a second child?) Although I may not have Chinese citizenship, I feel sure China will grant it so they can dream of medaling in swimming in 2012. I look fabulous in red.



Yes, if you do the math, I won't be old enough to compete -- but as you know, that doesn't stop the Chinese.

--Maddie

July and August at a Glance

What can I possibly do to catch up after so long away from the keyboard, and so many miles and so much water under the bridge?

I am overwhelmed.

I remain full of surprises:

(Farewell, 1162 Russell! Farewell, Georgia!)

And the world, blessedly, continues to surprise me:

(Hello, Descanso Gardens! Hello, California!)

I remain cool:

(I have no idea what this picture is. In fact, I assert that it was Photoshopped.)

I am still a party animal, as I demonstrated again at Uncle Jerry and Aunt Olivia's wedding:


Perhaps most importantly, I am still fabulous... and California has only augmented my fabulosity:

(Thanks for my Paris Hilton shades, Abbey! The future is so bright that I will need them.)

--Maddie

I am still alive

I got this message today from Gandalf:

Dear Maddie,

It has been a month since you last posted anything on your blog. Were you so swept away by your first kiss that you have lost interest in communicating with the grown-up world? I would have expected that in 10 or 12 years time, but are you extraordinarily precocious in this respect, too?

I know that you have made a big move to a new home. Those of us who are far away would love to have some photos and hear your perspective on your new digs.

Eagerly awaiting some further postings.

Love,

Gandalf

Therefore I will soon tear myself away from the Summer Olympics (and from performing balance-beam routines on our rolled-up carpet) and return to blogging.

--Maddie

My first kiss

Today, when Mama and I were saying goodbye to my friend Charlie at Chick-fil-A, he kissed me!

This came as a shock to Daddy, who thought he had about ten more years before he had to worry about this sort of thing... and who was dead sure that I was at least going to be toilet trained.

After giving it some thought, Daddy had a conversation with me at the dinner table:

Daddy: Maddie, if a boy ever tries to kiss you again, you bop him in the nose, OK?

(Pause.)

Me: (Smiling impishly) Is that funny?

Well, Mommy and Daddy thought it was pretty funny that I knew it was funny.

One last photo

I realized that we had not yet had a photo of the beautiful bride...

Sarah's wedding, Take 3

Sarah's wedding photog has now posted some photos from the wedding. Here are ones that are relevant to Maddie enthusiasts:




I also want to officially welcome Uncle Ken to the family:

Caption contest!

Boy, it's been a long time since we've had a caption contest here -- possibly because the first few were unmitigated flops. But we are not so easily deterred. Therefore, I present to you another photo from Sarah and Ken's reception, courtesy of Uncle Tim:



And finally, uncle Jerry sent in this photo, which portrays me at about 10:30 p.m. central time, i.e. approximately three hours past my bedtime:


After this picture was taken, however, I rallied, of course!

--Maddie

My Wedding, During Which Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ken Got Married

Congratulations to Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ken! I understand that sometime after I walked down the aisle tossing flower petals, made too much noise, and was escorted out by mom, you two tied the knot! Good on you! Two fine people in love -- what could be better?

There's so much to report. First, for my faithful fans, a reprise of one of last year's greatest hits, the getting-pretty-for-the-wedding photo:

I've come a long way, baby.

I practiced really hard to be a flower girl, along with Annalise and the other Madeleine who was also born on March 7, 2006 (spooky). This entailed a lot of physical conditioning:

We also played a rousing round of "London Bridge is falling down" with Mama:

It was an awesome reception with a great band. Daddy and I danced the night away:

So much fun! I wanted to be sure that Aunt Kate really savored the whole experience:

In sum, I hope to have many more weddings before I get married.

--Maddie