Six Months in SoCal

We arrived here in California just over six months ago. I thought I'd take the occasion to reflect on life here in my new state.

I loved it when we got here, and half a year later, I still love it! Perhaps I'm still in the "honeymoon" phase? We'll have to check back later to see how I'm feeling. What do I like about California? Glad you asked!

The Weather/Climate
I hate to be so cliché, but it's just lovely here. It's almost always sunny with a gentle breeze. We're currently going through a cold snap where it's been dipping down into the 30s at night and only hitting 60 for a high temperature, but I don't even mind because I know it'll be scorching hot in a few months. When it does get hot, it's not humid, so you can still, you know, breathe outside. There are hardly any mosquitoes either, and it cools down in the evenings so you can open your windows without inviting an insect invasion.

This is my first time living in an area that's so sunny. It is awesome! I really don't know how all the Californians who have moved to the PNW survive in the gray winters. Maybe they still have friends/family down here and escape to soak up some Vitamin D on the weekends.

Geography
Living in a region with mountains makes me smile. Sure, some days it's too smoggy to see them, but lately the full San Gabriel Range has been on display. And then there's the other foothills and such that I don't know the names of yet, but they are also scenic. Nearby us there is a place called the Arroyo, which as far as I can tell means a dry canyon. It's rugged and rocky and makes you feel like you've escaped the city when you go there.

And then, don't forget the beach! Depending on traffic, it's about 45-60 minutes for us to get to a beach. By LA standards, that's far away but by Memphis standards, it's awesome :)

I know people also talk about skiing/mountain activities here. We haven't ventured North/East yet, but when we do, I'll be sure to blog about it.

Activities
This part's a bit overwhelming, actually. In Memphis it was kind of straightforward. If you have little kids, you want a membership to the zoo, children's museum, and/or botanic garden. Around here, sheesh! There are about 1,000 options, it seems like! I mean, there are the classic big theme parks, like Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Knotts Berry Farm. You've got too many museums to count, zoos, aquariums, gardens, science centers, theaters, and I don't even know how many other choices of things to do. Plus since the weather is almost always nice, you can explore all the various parks and outdoor spaces. If you ever hear me saying I'm bored, that's just crazy talk. I could live here for the rest of my life and still not do everything.

Food/Dietary Options
Since arriving in CA, I've decided to go dairy-free. Although I didn't test as allergic to milk, I just feel so much better without dairy. It's been a pretty easy transition thanks to all of the vegan options around here, both in grocery stores and at restaurants. And if you ask the waitstaff, "Does that have dairy?" you don't get a strange look or anything. Meanwhile, in Memphis, I once got a total eye roll for ordering enchiladas with no cheese at a Mexican restaurant.

Speaking of Mexican food, taco trucks here are legit and delicious. There are so many different types of food available here that it's impossible to list them all. Ever had Indonesian bone broth? There's a place just a couple blocks away from us with a simmering vat full! I want to go out to eat all the time. But my children aren't very adventurous eaters, so sometimes we opt for take-out for the grownups and chicken nuggets for the kids...

Closer to Relatives
My parents and siblings all live in Oregon. It's really nice to be close to them - just a quick 2 hour flight, instead of a whole-day travel ordeal, and you don't have to change time zones!

Public Services
I'm just starting to learn about this topic, but I guess all those personal income tax funds we're paying to the state are getting used for stuff! I've been attending a free weekly parent education class offered at a local community college. They have 10 or 15 different classes going every week, all free! It's my understanding that a combo of state funding and private fundraising covers the cost. The class is like a preschool where parents and children are there together. So cool!

And now, for the things that have been harder to cope with...

Huge Metropolis
I can't really explain to you how gigantic the Los Angeles metro area is. Apparently it's the second-largest metro area in the country. There are like 60 cities in the region, depending on how you define "city." I'm always having to check Google Maps to see where places are, because I'll read a blog or something about a fun weekend activity only to find out it's down in Orange County (an hour+ away). Short of hanging a giant regional map on the wall and studying it daily, I don't know how I'll ever wrap my head around the megalopolis that is Los Angeles.

Tons of People
Remember all those things I listed above that I like about SoCal? Yeah, a bunch of other people also like those things, so they all want to live here, too. Traffic is intense. You really do have to plan your trips around traffic if you don't want to spend your whole life sitting on a freeway. And then when you go places and do things, a bunch of other people are also there at the same places wanting to do the same things. We went to the zoo on President's Day and it was packed to the gills! I have never been to a zoo that was so busy before. I suppose it being a school holiday, parents were looking for a way to entertain their kids, but still, we had to wait in the members line for like 10-15 minutes just to get through the front gate!

Cost of Living
Really, this one hasn't bothered me too much because I knew what we were getting into, but I feel compelled to mention it. It is certainly more expensive to live here than Memphis. It seems more expensive than Seattle, too, though we left that city nearly 5 years ago so my mental price list is probably outdated. The cost of housing around LA is shockingly high. We keep debating if we should buy a place here. Then we look at the prices and say, "it's got to be a bubble, right? It'll pop soon." But the prices just keep on rising...!

Mommy Water Mommy

My kids have started bookending things they say with "Mommy _____ Mommy!" If they want a cookie, it's "Mommy cookie Mommy." I don't even know how to punctuate it - should there be commas? "Mommy, fruit snacks, Mommy." And don't worry, Daddy isn't left out of the mix. "Daddy, train, Daddy!" 

On the one hand, it kind of drives me crazy. Who else would they be asking for water, or a cookie, or fruit snacks when I'm the only grown up home? And why must they say Mommy twice? I heard them the first time!

But on the other hand, how precious is it that I have two little people who rely on me to meet their needs that they keep asking me, by name, to fulfill their requests? And even when I say, "No, we aren't having cookies right now," they don't give up :)

Everyone says these days with little ones don't last forever, and I know it's true. Life is short - too short, we are reminded in times of tragedy. I'm reminded of these song lyrics from Psalm 62. 

Though life is but a fleeting breath,

A sigh too brief to measure,

My King has crushed the curse of death

And I am His forever  

Today, I pray "God, peace, God." "God, love, God." "God, help, God!" Thanks for the reminder, kids. May we raise you to shine your lights into the darkness.

Language Learning

I think we've crossed that "language explosion" threshold over here - Gus and Gibson have been chattering up a storm! It's pretty cute to watch their vocabulary expand and language develop. Here are a few highlights.

• "Hey! Hey! Blaaaanket!" <or other noun> Most often said by Gibson when he sees something new or unexpected. In this example, he got up from nap and observed a blanket on the couch.
• Singing "A-B-C-A-B-C-A-B-C" as the alphabet song
• When they see text, they point and say "letters!" They also say "numbers" sometimes...I am not sure if they understand that letters and numbers are different yet.
• "Me eat ALL!" Said in reference to any food item, such as a box of 40 mini pancakes. "Me eat all pa-pace!" "No," says brother, "ME eat all!" "Boys," I say, "We have plenty of pancakes for everyone."
• And that leads to the first 5-word sentence I heard, "No eat all apples, Gus!" said Gibson, after Gus threatened to polish off a two-pound sack.
• Verb confusion with words like see/look. "No see me," they say, when they mean don't look at me. Most often accompanied by a stay-back gesture when sitting on the potty. 
• Subject/object confusion such as saying "show me" while pulling on my hand, meaning I want to show you something

This afternoon, they had a whole conversation about an ice pack and things that are cold. It went on for a few minutes without any input from me. I was impressed! 

I was told that a good rule of thumb for language development is that by age 3, your kids should be understood by other people (not immediate family members) about 80% of the time. Oh my. I spend all day with them and I only understand like 50-60% of what they say. Good thing we have a few months to work on our pronunciation before their 3-year check up.