Famous among dozens
You know how a roomful of adults can be struck dumb by a baby in the room? Babytainment is better than fireworks.
The Dance Along Nutcracker is the only event I’ve ever been to where the roles are utterly reversed. The kids stand frozen and slack-jawed, mesmerized by the adults capering around in rented tutus.
This girl in yoga class is impeccable. Her body is aligned, her hands touch the floor, her head rests on her knees. The instructor aids everyone else, adjusting their position, giving them tips, but he leaves her be. That is, until the portion of class where we lay down and cover ourselves with a warm blanket. Then, he leans over her gently. “You’re holding some tension in your shoulders. Yes. Let the muscles in your face go…”
Apparently, she sucks at laying on the floor.
On the train, there is a sign. “If anything doesn’t look right, let us know.” Next to the sign, there is a middle-aged man. He is wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt with leaping dolphins airbrushed on the front.
This weekend, we went sledding with my niece and nephew. Having grown up in California, I’d sledded exactly once before. I was around eight. What I learned yesterday is that sledding on your stomach is better before you’ve developed breasts.
L: Everyone’s getting into fire hooping.
M: It’s San Francisco, throw a rock and you hit a fire dancer.
J: It ricochets off and hits a guy in a leather cop uniform.
M: Then it bounces and hits some guy on stilts.
If you’re wearing a faux fur coat, heeled boots, a skirt, and bright red lipstick, don’t make a quick stop at Home Depot. They look at you funny when you ask where the wrenches are.
Five things painted on the van parked near the panhandle:
John Adams, please report to the front desk.
In the museum music room, the security guard is asleep in his chair.
This little girl is standing on the sidewalk with her arms tied behind back. Her wrists are secured with a green nylon jump rope; she is about eight. It takes me a moment to figure out that this is a game, and not some freaky form of punishment being exacted by a missing adult. Her younger sister tries unsuccessfully to feed her sunflower seeds, and then doubles over laughing when the seeds fall on the pavement. This is why kids need backyards.
Mighty Girl 