dylan mac and cheese

happy holidays from dylan mac and cheese!

2011-12-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

...in which we say goodbye to 2011. we had a BLAST this year.

hugs,
the dylan mac and cheese crew

le shack: our new vintage trailer!

2011-11-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

we did it--john, dylan and i are now the proud owners of a very old camping trailer. we now have a surf shack and cabin on wheels.

i'm still in disbelief we did this--after searching and trolling ads for months, we ended up buying a 1973 constructam caravan, originally made in belgium, shipped to california years ago that eventually found its way on craigslist.

before taking it on its maiden voyage last weekend, we were fraught with questions--will we be able to tow this thing around? have we lost our minds? will it be fun?

a resounding yes, yes and yes.

we usually visit ojai in the fall, and we ended up taking 'le shack' to camp comfort since it's located a mile from downtown ojai--i imagined if anything went wrong or we needed supplies, we wouldn't be too far from civilization.

so the experience was all very civilized...

thank goodness the camp had electrical hook ups--we were able to plug in a coffee maker, toaster oven, ipod player, and of course, laptop for playing DVDs for dylan.

driving up the 101 wasn't too bad; we did lose a cracked skylight on the way (yikes) and it did start raining as soon as we hit the campground. john put up a tarp, and the rains fell like mad. we fell asleep listening to the thundering rain--and thanked our lucky stars we brought along that tarp.

mini kitchen

dylan plays sommelier and waiter for mom and dad. he had a ball.

in the morning, we woke up snug, warm and dry. nothing really works on the trailer--the sink needs to hooked up for running water, the european mini fridge runs on 240 voltage and needs to be replaced with a u.s. model, no bathroom on board; the trailer is rusty and crumbly and it will need work, inside and out.

but we absolutely adore it.

our site at camp comfort was nice, next to a babbling creek and john and dylan built a fire--what is it about men and boys and fire? the camp host donated firewood, and some of the other campers (who brought huge rvs complete with satellite, big screen tvs, etc.) shared firestarter and they were all very friendly and convivial. some even complimented our little trailer.

snacktime under the trees. those granny curtains will have to be replaced, asap!

i couldn't be happier.

kickin' it: ukulele and story time in the 'dining room'

being goofy, our dylan

dining room turned into bedrom

the other dining area turned into a sleeping area

camp comfort: like a glorified parking lot, but peaceful and quiet.

dylan had the most fun being tarzan--getting dirty and wet, and dragging everything through mud and soot and just having the time of his life. that's what happens when you go camping in the rain--the experience was akin to waldorf preschool--letting a kid run wild through the forest. it's just what this kid needs.

at this very moment, i'm impatient to hitch up 'le shack' and head out again--to the desert, beach, mountains? and we keep asking ourselves, why didn't we do this sooner?

autumn days: halloween, terranea and cold season

2011-11-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

autumn and halloween festivities came and went with a bang with parties and trick-or-treating and pumpkin patching. dylan's school hosted a harvest fest where the kids rode ponies, played with baby farm animals, and decorated pumpkins. so many events eventually will lead to one thing: colds! both dylan and john ended up with seasonally bad colds, with runny nose, cough and icky fever.

blech. we're glad that bout of sick is over.

dylan as an incredible...hand me down costumes are the best! thanks kayla!

now that we're no longer sick, let's drum!! dylan leads a deafening drum circle.

the jalama beach crew came by to cheer us up and to form a 'chase away cold virus spirits' drum circle--all that drumming must've worked, because we've been fine ever since.

apres-drumming, the crew headed down to the bar at nelson's at terranea resort. now, this place wasn't jalama beach. (terranea is a glorified mirage of a resort with its too pristine lawns, golf course, faux spanish architecture and golf carts whisking you here and there). but the place has nicely maintained trails which are accessible to the public.

our unofficial photog, sophia, took some lovely photos of us on the trails; we checked out the remnants of the old pier at marineland and climbed down the rocks.

heseon, jesse, one tired kid, john and mienah

after a rain, you could see the clear outlines of catalina island; the little harbor at avalon looked practically like a hop, skip and a jump away.

terranea lies on the site of what was once marineland; i remember as a little girl, my parents bringing the family here to see dolphin and whale shows and the aquarium in the 70s. i remember bringing home a plush orca whale toy as a souvenir.

that was a loooong time ago.

can you see catalina island in the distance? isn't it just gorgeous?

if you listen to the waves and look out at catalina in the distance, you can imagine for a moment that you were the only soul discovering, for the very first time, these rocky shores and dense marine life under the turquoise waters.

does anyone else remember orky and corky too, the great whales that used to perform at marineland? do you remember the old marineland?

thanks sophia for the photos!

kauai, the wild life on moloaa bay

2011-11-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

the temperature in l.a. has been getting a bit chillier with the chance of rain imminent this weekend. and our thoughts of course, go to memories of tropical, humid, beach-y places we've been.

we flew to kauai last month (thank you frequent flyer miles!) and the place left a warm impression on us: the friendly locals and their kids, the wild rivers, roosters and chickens running around, fiery, blazing sunsets and sunrises. all of these things.

kauai was this lush jungle isle and nothing more. intersecting the island were wide, navigable waterways, amidst flowering trees and vines, swaying palms, hurricane-damaged properties--it was all very old hawaii.

not only famous for its kodachrome sunsets, kauai was, for me, these smells--burnt beach bonfires, decomposing seaweed, guava, and everywhere you turned--white and pink blossoms. you string them together and make a lei, i told dylan, a necklace of flowers.

at kamokila, a reconstructed hawaiian village on the banks of the wailua (where many films have been shot), a tour guide talked about village life in old kauai, pointing out medicinal leaves and herbs, showing us altars, ruins and singing songs with her ukulele. we peeked inside the birthing hut, where women used to give birth, the natural way, straddling two flat boulders. fascinating.

the 'birth hut' at kamokila. just squat!

we also stopped to pet the village cat, napping in a woven palm-leaf basket. cozy.

dylan picked flowers, fed chickens and wild boars, and stayed clear of heavy breadfruit falling from the sky ; then a rain broke, forcing us to take shelter in a palm hut. it was dylan's first tropical rain storm.

let it come down.

the plumeria kid.

dylan befriends breadfruit at the hawaiian village.

how fantastic, we thought, to be a child and living in a place like kauai--rowing down its waterways and swimming in bath-warm waters, traipsing through forests and fern grottoes--all of it.

we had rented a house on moloa'a bay so we could be steps away from a locals-only beach; dylan said he wanted to stay there and live there. every morning, dylan and john boogie boarded and played gilligan's island, building driftwood huts and forts.

this was just fantastic in my book.

dylan watches out for waterbirds (and indiana jones) on the wailua river.

this is hawaii when you're three and a half:

you befriend local kids, and together, swing from vines and look for frogs hatching in the marsh. it was like tarzan, indiana jones, tom sawyer, huck finn, gilligan's island and robinson crusoe tales coming to life.

the most memorable scene: dylan and his friend tristan, a kauai local, are rafting through the moloaa river on body boards; they're catching frogs and pulling each other onto the riverbanks for hours on end. the sun is about to set, the light streams through the trees, making the marshy water sparkle and turning everything into a deep haze.

of course, the time came to go back home, and none of us were ready--we needed more time for neighborhood meetups at moloaa beach--we still hadn't tried all the shave ice stands, and we needed more time to hike the napali coast--and dylan would reply, 'i want to live here. in hawaii.'

what are the names of those flowers, we'd ask him.

'plumeria, hibiscus, ginger,' he would say. 'look! there's the bird of paradise!'

a huge thanks to dylan's buddies in moloaa bay for your generosity and friendship--we hope to meet up with you on our next visit!

DIRECTIONS TO MOLO A'A BAY:
heading on the kuhio highway toward the north shore, turn right when you hit the molo a'a sunrise fruit stand (pictured below). follow the road to molo a'a beach, where they filmed the pilot for gilligan's island. you should have the entire beach to yourself.

check out more moloaa bay photos here.

the moloaa sunrise fruit stand for fresh smoothies, local fruit and veg, and healthy snacks.

aloha from molo a'a beach!

away we go to jalama beach (glamping revisited)

2011-10-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

a getaway was in order for october. we caravanned up the 101 past santa barbara to the coastal area of the santa ynez mountains, past cow pastures and meandering valleys and vineyards and orchards, to a place far from civilization. we wanted to take the kids camping while the adults wanted the comforts of glamping; lucky for us, there were cabins available for rent and we managed to snag a reservation--when we got there, we could see that these cabins were some of the hottest bookings around.

where else in california can one camp at the beach, hike, explore coves and caves, roast marshmallows, hobnob with hippie surfers AND get away from it all? and go glamping in your very own furnished cabin? jalama beach, that's where. it was fabulous and relaxing, in a sort of magical way. jalama beach is the ultimate hippie surfer refugee camp. and i mean a refuge from l.a., from pollution, from cell reception, directv, from noise, urban blight and miles and miles away from any freeway or mall.

just the sound of the wind whipping over sand dunes, the sound of babies and kids frolicking in the sand. that's it. that sound.

and we went with the best bunch imaginable---everyone sharing stories, playing with the kids, cooking, tending to the fire, beachcombing, grilling, gathering sticks and stones, and most of all, we shared the sunset with each other, knowing that life is a good thing, indeed.

everyone contributed--even the little ones. dylan and his buddy benito built sand castles, tunnels, and rock and seaweed sculptures--as if they were born to do exactly those things.

they even did a breakfast party dance for their babysitters, mienah and sophia.

we love camping!!

and best of all, we sort of did nothing. in a very grand, nothing, sort of fashion. meaning, no reaching for smartphones, cells, emails, internets, no burying oneself in the art of facebooking or youtubing. none of it.

instead, we made up songs and games.

and we pretended that we were shipwrecked on a castaway island, in the middle of nowhere. we played pirate ships on the high seas.

fierce pirates land ho!

we reveled in the nothing....

and captured more ships....and treasure too. and we went to go hide the treasure in our secret limestone cave:

sophia led the way...

we buried our treasure, and then we had to go home.

it was the best time. ever. a big thank you to our jalama surf camp crew! you guys are awesome.

camping the san gabriel river, crystal lake and spotting snakes!

2011-07-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

we took dylan camping for the first time--we decided the sierras were out, since six-hour car rides are just exhausting; but the san gabriel mountains is just an hour's drive from the beach so decided to stay local and took the dogs camping too. last weekend, we stayed overnight in big bear and this past 'carmageddon' weekend, we drove to the east fork of the san gabriel river, a totally hidden, freeflowing, refreshing stream that dips into secret swimming holes, waterfalls, and lots of places to camp river-side. inspired by our hiking and foraging friends gregory and emily (check out greg's foraging finds on his latest blog post), we also drove up the west fork up to crystal lake (where we ran into not one but two snakes! yikes!). dylan took to camping easily--we took favorite blankets and read his bedtime stories by flashlight and lantern inside a bare-bones cedar cabin at camp williams, a totally rustic campground directly on the river.

hiking up to crystal lake (bring a fishing pole), dylan demonstrates how to scare away bears (and people).

the stairs down to crystal lake

summertime at camp williams, where the livin' is easy (and refreshing) bring your tent! and there's gold in them thar hills! the east fork of the river is notorious for gold-panners and prospectors.

john herds the boaters onto the river

django and his frisbee wows the crowd yet again.

now, camp williams was neither fashionable nor trendy; it sure wasn't "glamping" nor was our cabin the ace hotel and the people who lived there---well, imagine what a place would look like if people were still panning for gold in the river in 2011. that's the sort of place this was--no joke--a bunch of outlaws, bikers, and homesteaders. (i even managed to find tiny bits of gold in the river myself! big thrill!) but the folks who ran the place were more than helpful, friendly and nice. when we arrived, it looked like we had the entire campground to ourselves, with views of the river and mountains, loads of peace and quiet. we set up camp, made dinner and went to bed listening to the sounds of the river. so nice.

the next morning was a different story--we woke up to find an entire tent city being erected all around us, our peace and solitude gone. an entire herd of trucks and minivans had carvavaned into the campsite, and a huge group set up camp right in front of us, as loads of kids ran around and adults set up all sorts of equipment. we said bye bye to any privacy and our efforts to 'get away from it all.' phooey on them.

i thought we had gone into the mountains to escape urban life and here was urban life encroaching on us--in the wilderness, in the middle of nowhere. how could this happen? moan and groan. then, dylan started kicking a soccer ball with some of the kids in the group, congregants of a church on a camp retreat. we met the families, they invited us to join their meals and dylan ended up becoming fast friends with the boys, who played soccer in front of our cabin. everyone took turns throwing frisbee with django and he became the camp dog. the church group welcomed us into their fold, they played with dylan, and we looked after each other.

so in our desire for escape, we got a lesson in being neighborly and learning to get along--no matter the circumstances, crowded campsite or not. lessons sure do find you when you least expect it. so while our first camping venture wasn't the thoreau-esque adventure we were seeking, we did end up making some good friends with the gang from semilla nueva catholic church (new seed) from santa ana. and while it's good to escape from the city, it's always good to have lots of company, too, we found.

here's dylan and his friends:

oh--and mom got a lesson in how not to apply sunscreen to a kids' back---because it just might turn out like the photo above! oops. sorry dylan, mom thinks she's a big joker.

check out the video of dylan and friends rafting down the san gabriel river at camp williams. i believe a good time was had by all. and this experience all happened in the confines of l.a.!

stay local!

spring and summer greatest hits: l.a. edition

2011-06-01T01:19:00.000-07:00

weepin' willows! tika and dyl do a little tree huggin' at the huntington library chinese gardens.
dont' bother us, we're having fun.

readers of this blog might be asking...what has the crew at dylan mac and cheese been doing? anyone home? well, we've been busy having fun and exploring the city--our 'salad days' if you will, as dyl's the rose-colored filter for our travails and travels through life. he's also our plus one for the car pool lane on the freeways! thanks dylan, high five!

so this spring we've had visitors, namely cousins and friends, and we like to "hang out," as dylan would say.

beachcombin' with cousin amara looking for anemone and crabs near the pier.

last one in is a rotten egg! says amara.

anemones at redondo beach

at lacma: that's the biggest balloon animal i've seen, dad. yup.

a little highbrow: daddy and dylan next to a giant jeff koons egg at lacma.

lowbrow art: i can paint my tongue to match my shirt, and i can do it all day, says dylan.

even though the little guy is still very 'green' (see photo above) we've realized dylan has made some big leaps: learning to ride a kids bike with training wheels; bonding with his kitty, deniro; learning with favorite pals at school; browsing exhibits at local museums; meeting cousins for the first time; and as always, learning to say goodbye to cherished friends--all a part of life.

dyl, miss k and mr. t play 'pirates of the caribbean attack the playground in search of treasure' game. arrrgh.
we will miss you miss k!! thanks for being best buds.

dylan and mr. t get their racing gear on.

ciao, ciao! tika and dylan at the huntington, whoopin' it up in springtime.
tika, see you next year in italy bella!

cousin gabe gives his best 'it wasn't me, it was dylan' mug for the camera while dylan steals sips from uncle ken's smoothie at gumtree cafe in hermosa. cousin katherine and dylan audition for 'silly kid' contests before hitting the sand.

we miss our cousins!

dylan has these odd habits....if you want to call them that. he likes to tote a toolbox everywhere (like in the photo above); likes to wear rain boots with most outfits; has trouble putting on socks and has us do the job; still loves mac and cheese; and starts every sentence with 'can't even' (ex: i can't even put on my socks! i can't even sing this song right now! i can't even find a tissue for my two boogers, etc.). and loves having cousins and enjoys having extended family all around him.

it's never all fun and games and playtimes, though. sometimes we let friends go, wherever their destinations, and keep them in our hearts.

we miss our friends mars, ina, allan, tika, viviana, chris, kelsey, tatiana and sean and wish them well on their new adventures (good luck in oakland, la bella italia, and the bay area guys!).

dylan hosts a construction worker party and turns three

2011-01-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

it's been birthday week here at dylan mac and cheese. dylan got to celebrate his birthday not once but twice, a school party and a construction workers' party. dylan has lately been obsessed with bob the builder, handy manny and general contractor work--and loves tools, building, fixing and tearing things apart. so what better way to celebrate this third birthday than with a construction party? we set up the scene at california science center, where dylan and his best buddies helped build a house, donned hardhats, got home depot aprons, and ran around scavenging for tools. everyone seemed to have a great time and of course, the girls loved the pretend play as much as the boys.

sydney hard at work lifting buckets of bricks up to the second level.

...while tika supplies bricks from down below.

of course, there was a fair amount of sharing (pulling and taking and pushing) from the crew.

so much hard work! everyone took a break for lunch.

while the adults posed for silly pictures.

john as manure pile bulldozer driver.

sometimes eating pizza is hard work indeed, thinks arriel.

fun times ahead! dylan got a dump truck full of 'compost cake' made with yummy chocolate buttercream frosted cake layered with worms, cigarette butts and dirt.

the party and the cake seemed to be a huge hit---at least dylan's harmony, linda, and charles think so (who ate all the gummy worms? are there more chocolate pretzels? why are we digging around for crumbs?)

happy birthday dylan! we love you, our little guy. we hope you had a blast.

love, mom and dad and harmony (construction crew)

ojai how we love you so

2010-11-22T22:10:00.000-08:00

autumn means one thing: road trip! and this time we headed out of the madness of the urban sprawl that is the city and into the wilderness of ojai and the los padres national forest. dylan absolutely, madly, positively fell in love with ojai, and of 'our house' or as dylan now calls it, 'my house!'

ojai has always had a special place in my heart ever since i had the chance of going to school here many many years ago. i look upon that year with fondness and i appreciate the tie i have to this picturesque town and its spiritual centers, meditation retreats and orchards. i wouldn't have a problem, say, if i had to live here again, especially if i owned this house we stayed in. and what a house.

here's a picture of 'our house' (oh we wish, we wish...) or rather the view from one of the many windows. you can see a small section of a walking trail that leads to soule park in the middle of this photo. the parks, trails, bike path and downtown were mere steps away from the house, though it looks as if we were miles from civilization.

it's officially 'our house' now. i think we fell in love, not with just the house itself, but with its views and peaceful energy. i can dream forever of the grove of trees spiraling into its little canyon and creeks.

here's a view of the house from the walking trail.

like i said, dylan fell head over heels for the house the minute he stepped in. he didn't want to leave and spent hours gathering sticks, rocks, playing in the grass, exploring the magical attic room, its gardens, and of course, playing on the furniture.

the house was a pristine, restored craftsman from the 1920s. i could not get enough of the house, the stunning setting, the french vintage pieces, the european bathroom and fixtures, and on and on that made the house such an architectural gem. we thoroughly enjoyed nestling into the 'bones' of the house -- and seeing the details that makes a house a house; we could feel the love and passion and time the owner spent in making the house not just a collection of rooms, but into a story---the collection of vintage pieces lovingly restored back to life, the art on the walls, the bob dylan poster in the basement, the pool table, the old california pottery collection. the more i pored over everything the house had to offer, i could feel the house saying, here's my story, my history, my place. here is how the house should be used, here is where one thinks, where one is inspired, where one relaxes and heals and rests. and how does one do that in a house. very carefully, i imagine. i imagine the owner just pluckily, luckily, LOVING the house, as she culled each unique piece and curated each room, one by one, with patience and devotion. yard sales, travels, antique stores, found objects...the house was absolutely loved. the owner wanted to tell a story by filling a beautiful house.

we also delighted in watching dylan explore the house and its grounds. everything to him was a game, a fairy tale, or a railroad; he'd sit under the trees and re-enact stories, recite songs and plotlines from the hundreds of children's stories we read to him at bedtime, says john. and that was pretty magical to see. it's as if the the trees were a canopy for his imagination and his wondering.

every morning, the mountains were misty (view from the ojai sunday farmer's market).

and every morning, we soaked in the greenery of the outside and inside.

it made me wonder, how come we don't get out of town more often? (terrible traffic.) how come we don't have fresh organic fruits and produce and baked goods from the best farmer's market ever? (BEST EVER IN CALIFORNIA, in my opinion, anyway.) how come we don't breathe in fresh, clean, mountain air every day?

and how come we don't stop to notice the little things, like how delicious a frozen grape is for breakfast, and how smelly a dog can get after a wet rain. well, actually we notice our smelly dogs often, and it's pretty pungent.

of course, django and dylan fell into a predictable routine at mealtimes. django would beg for scraps, dylan would munch happily away, and django would subsequently drool on the carpet. home sweet home.

we did a lot of exploring around the valley. we love small towns, and ventura county has got some gems. fillmore is an agricultural town situated beneath the topa topa mountains, and is true-blue working class; whereas ojai's art galleries attract a yoga-fied, crunchy-organic, hippie-chic glamour retiree set, fillmore is totally old california at heart: miles and miles of citrus orchards, vineyards, fruit stands, some rough neighborhoods, and dazzling sunsets over the topa topas. fillmore also means one thing for dylan---the old train museum at the fillmore railway!

all aboard! dylan and john ran into a one 'conductor charlie' who was getting ready to run the diesel engine for that night's 'murder mystery' dinner train. when john explained that dylan loved trains, charlie was nice enough to give them a birds' eye view from the cab of the engine. they also toured the kitchen and dining cars as the crew prepped for the mystery dinner. the mystery train sounds so kitschy and so 'medieval times' that we've got a hankering to come back one of these saturday nights and experience the campy theatrics (and the food on the train) for ourselves.

stay tuned for more 'ojai road trip part two'!

Q&A session about dylan: an interview

2010-09-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Q: what's dylan's favorite music to dance to?

mom: dylan loves pj harvey, van morrison, devo, the ramones. he also likes some jack johnson, but that's because we had the curious george soundtrack on repeat. he'll spontaneously break out singing songs like, 'down by the water' by pj harvey. 'big fish, little fish, swimming in the water, big fish, little fish, give me my daughter,' he sings. it goes to show that he's been listening all this time and is learning to decipher lyrics. he also loves 'rock the casbah' by the clash and 'rebel yell' by billy idol. apt songs for the tumultuous twos!

Q: what does dylan like to eat?

mom: lollipops! his tastebuds take after john and myself; he loves rice with furikake sprinkled on it. miso soup with spinach, seaweed. 'mmmm' he says, 'good.' he still loves mac and cheese. he can devour an entire plate of broccoli, strip steak, roast chicken, and any kind of pasta. he also loves kimbap, korean sushi with fish cake. dylan is a processed fish cake product fan: o-deng, tempura, imitation crab, etc. we took him down to the fish market at the pier and he dug the smoked fish and steamed whole crabs. it makes me happy to see him munch away on things like falafel, gyro, kebab, tacos. and just like his daddy, dylan LOVES pizza with any kind of topping.

Q: what's it like going through the terrible twos?

mom: dylan is two and a half; and parents always either say that this is the worst time or that the worst is going to come. you sort of get tired, instilling discipline (i.e., constant yelling) every five minutes. but this is the time that toddlers are sort of pushing the envelope, in terms of boundaries and what they can get away with. it means that they trust us--they feel secure enough to test the waters, and to see how far they can go, but when it happens (kicking, screaming, defiance, arms crossed the chest, scowling---i can go on and on), it sure ain't fun. you sort of count the many grey hairs on your head and you give it another go. tomorrow is another day and it starts all over again.

Q: what are dylan's goals and dreams, aspirations?

mom: dylan announces at dinnertime, daily, this sentence. 'when i get older, i drink coffee and wine. and climb a ladder!' these are some of the things we promise that we'll allow him to do, 'when he gets older.' he also says he wants to be a chef and a fireman.

Q: does he have favorite stuffed animals? games?

mom: he has names for his favorite teddy bears and stuffed rabbits, which he takes to bed. one of them is named 'ice cream boba' bear. his favorite pretend play is called 'dylan's restaurant.' he places chairs around the coffee table, seats boba the bear, and then he 'serves' them food and gives them menus and pours water.

Q: what are his favorite words?

mom: i'm not sure where dylan learned to use the words 'actually' and 'either' but they've become his go-to phrases. he just started preschool and i have a feeling he's emulating the way his teachers speak, and uses these words judiciously:

"i want to climb a ladder, ACTUALLY."

"and dylan didn't poo-poo in the bathtub, EITHER!"

and sometimes he combines them in one sentence:

"i don't want lemonade ACTUALLY, EITHER!"

stay tuned for part II of the interview. thanks for visiting!

scenes of summer 2010

2010-07-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

it's a lazy summer so far, filled with lemonade, ice cream, modern american art, first day of preschool, picnics, and going up and down angel's flight downtown! we love downtown l.a.: even those nifty, self-cleaning public toilets right on the street!

dyl captures the seaweed at redondo beach...

we go CRAZY over ice cream at the park, or anywhere, really.

arriel and dylan hold tight to those fruity helados... but enough fun and games! it's time to head into the city, to peruse some art.

Dylan's first visit to moca downtown. I give the little one (dyl) and the big one (John) a lesson about modern, influential American art, namely frank stella's 'cstesiphon 1.'

Of course, we're here for the cafe culture as well, so we try the cupcakes and lemonade at Lemonade Cafe inside MOCA.

Roy Lichtenstein "Man with Folded Arms"

and Andy Warhol's "Telephone"

Angel's Flight is back! Dylan's favorite 'train ride' so far! We're so happy Angel's Flight is up and running to take us up from Grand Central Market to MOCA and California Plaza downtown. We are such tourists.

Gotta Go Daddy! We are happy to report that these public toilets that we spotted up in San Francisco, are also up and running Downtown. And after all that lemonade, dylan fancies these automated public-toilets downtown or APTs as they are known. Dyl liked these so much, he kept wanting to wait in line to use them. Click on the video below to see how these toilets work. And remember to mind your place in line. These toilets draw quite a crowd.

Also on view at MOCA's permanent exhibit is this work by Barbara Kruger. The untitled work says it all for this tired, worn-out mama... sometime's it's all about a woman's work...hard work...and lots of it! we're absolutely pooped here in dylan-mac-and-cheese-land!

But it's been a happy summer so far!

the korean grandma way of feeding a toddler

2010-06-27T23:08:00.000-07:00

we miss our family in korea. we especially miss all the grannies and aunties and uncles to help feed dylan. who needs utensils, napkins, bowls or plates, even?

dylan is a firm believer in the traditional korean grandma way of eating--just say 'ahhh.'

seoul is for little ones

2010-06-13T20:57:00.001-07:00

children's musuem, lotus flower
Originally uploaded by deniro and mango

we are back from our korea trip and had an awesome time visiting jeju island, busan and all around seoul. the capital of korea has to be one of the most cosmopolitan, stylish, energetic, soulful, modern yet ancient cities i've ever visited. the people and the city move at the speed of light---seoul is hyperkinetic---in the best sense.

see more korea photos and of dylan's ice cream tour here.

you've got futuristic highrises rising above plastic covered pojang macha street carts selling spicy tteokboki--everyone's videophoning and blogging and texting and milling about the seoul subways--while the oldtimers haul junk and recyclables in rickety old wagons. seoul is a blend of the 'old korea' and the new---though my relatives tell me that the korea of old is getting harder and harder to find these days---as traditional korea is now being waylayed to its museums, UNESCO heritage sites, to remote temples in the mountains and in far-flung villages to the south of the peninsula.

for a taste of old korea, we had to visit recreated sets, like this real working village called min sok chon in yongin, just south of seoul, that still produces hand-made goods and crafts.

new shiny buildings and the noise of construction dominate, edging out the more traditional dwellings with blue tiled roofs, making way for new H&Ms, starbucks and coffee bean and tea leafs with wi-fi---in the name of redevelopment and progress. i found that the real korea that i had always imagined and dreamed about just didn't exist anymore. at mealtimes though, people still ate traditionally, the old way; meals mostly of fish and rice, seaweed and soybean stews and blood sausage and rice cakes and pojang machas selling dried squid--such a contrast with the multitude of dunkin' donuts, mcdonalds, burger kings on offer on the streets. yet, even at these multi-national chain places--even these western experiences somehow intrinsically become korean in the end, sort of turned up on its side, and get knocked off its feet--east somehow meets west, but it's still very, very korean.

and that's what made the trip so fascinating to me.

dylan fends off the paparazzi of cellphone shutterbugs at the shilla hotel, jeju island.

for dylan---i found that seoul was also a wonderful place for kids---lots of amusement parks, cultural places, museums, kid-focused play areas--dyl was like a little rock star wherever he went--hoards of schoolgirls, guys, grannies, and tourists took cellphone pics of him at the most random places--and everybody commented on how cute he was. but for dyl--korea was special as it meant having loads of relatives spoiling and playing with you all day, letting you get away with everything and, the best part: having them treat you to ice cream whenever you wanted.

what made seoul fun were these wacky and wonderful moments:

like when dylan got pulled over by the lady cop. i'm still not sure what happened here, at the tight-security area that was the presidential palace grounds.

and when dylan got to indulge his love of trains near the dmz. he got to ride this one, the freedom express, at the imjingak peace park, about 7 km from the demilitarized zone.

now that's a vacation.

we can't wait for our next trip to seoul!

all the photos from seoul are here.

a little bit of paris in l.a.

2010-03-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

this is not the cote d'azure in the background--but django and sophia like to strike a pose and pretend they're hiking the rugged trails of the south of france--when we're really in the palos verdes peninsula (can you see catalina island in the distance?).

we love to travel here in dylanland, but it's not always the best or economical thing to fly to 'get away from it all.' so we explore, we hike, we like to play tourist with our little guy.

downtown or tijuana? we visited olvera street downtown, and dylan and dad got to order flautas and dylan got to play street busker singing balladas romanticas. (notice: john is a sucker for cheap souvenirs and is always willing to drop some good dough on touristy tchotchkes. that means our kid gets outfitted in souvenir t-shirts emblazoned with names of places we've been; and instead of real toys, dyl has to play spindly 'guitarras.' the list of souvenirs is endless: caps, magnets, t-shirts, mouse pads, mugs, what have you. could someone please tell john to watch an episode of 'hoarders' couldja? ... sigh...).

c'est pas paris! it's not paris, but that sure looks like a crepe de la france. it's dylan's favorite and he loves to watch the lady with the beret make his weekly crepe. made on an authentic crepe pan (just like on the streets of paris!), the one dylan orders has spinach, tomato, swiss cheese and his favorite topping, mushrooms. 'mushrooms, mushrooms,' chants dylan when the crepe lady--in her breton striped boatneck shirt--spreads the batter, lets the edges brown, flips the crepe over, spreads cheese and goodies, then a little sizzle, sizzle and voila! une crepe--straight outta brittany.

cheaper than a flight to paris. and complete with a real beret-wearing french chef making your crepe. c'est bon!

the crepe lady stand

manhattan beach farmer's market

every tuesday

no number or website, sorry

children's museum of la habra; ice cream at ye dang

2010-02-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

a good day was had by all today---with harmony and uncle seung in tow. we headed to the children's museum of la habra--there was a playroom for toddlers with lots of toys and books; authentic caboose from the 1940s to explore; a play bus, model railroads on display, a carousel ride, and a mini petting zoo. definitely worth a couple hours to tire out the little ones. as usual, dylan did not get tired...

for lunch, dylan got to eat all kinds of fish and grilled barbecue meats (some of which ended up on the floor) at ye dang restaurant -- probably some of the best korean food i've had eating out--it tasted like real down-home 'seoul' food--very authentic korean ban chan.

what is a refreshing change at a korean place is how they accomomodate children--there is no separate 'kids menu' with crayons and coloring books. no chicken fingers or mac and cheese or deep fried frozen foods. at ye dang, the waitress places two bowls--one with steamed rice and with seaweed soup--in front of dylan, and announces, 'here's food for the baby.' dylan then starts digging into his soup and rice. behind dylan sat a little girl, about the same age, simultaneously eating ice cream and using her spoon to get at pieces of whole grilled fish.

now that's good eating if you ask me.

we also discovered a new food 'trend' in orange county: most if not all korean restaurants along the beach boulevard corridor in fullerton/la mirada (the 'beverly hills' of suburban koreatowns, as my brother seung likes to call it) offer free ice cream for kids.

free ice cream? dylan's all over this one.

at ye dang, you get to scoop your own ice cream from a freezer case, self serve, no questions asked. and to think, we've been in kept in the dark all this time when we could've been partaking of free ice cream in the north o.c.

we'll be back at ye dang---if not for the ice cream, but for the tasty ban chan. and we'll definitely be back at the children's museum for more train exploration with uncle seung.

cooking, reading, eating doughnuts

2010-02-21T23:40:00.000-08:00

our routines are fairly simple at home. we read a lot, both together and alone. every morning dylan hits the books: favorite books include dinosaurs ('bones, bones, bones,' he says), curious george, barney, elmo, puppies, ice cream, trains, trucks, and cars. in that order. we're lucky that dylan is an insatiable reader and will read a book 5-6 times in a row until he's satisfied. the best moment of my day is at night--books, books! says dylan, and runs into the bedroom.

that's when i tiptoe in, and see john and dylan together, under the lamplight--i stare at them: john animating the characters, dylan, mesmerized. i sort of hold my breath, enjoying seeing them during this quiet part of the day. these are the moments that get burnished into my mind, and that make me so happy and content.

recently, i've started giving dylan small tasks in the kitchen, instead of fending him off when i'm making dinner. dylan is now learning how to make rice (grab the 25 lb bag of rice, drag it out of the cabinet, scoop out a few cups into the pot, being careful not to spill any rice on the floor. next, put step stool next to sink; then wash, wash the rice with our clean hands; then press the button on the rice cooker) with mom's help, of course.

rice cooker rice is so simple, even a two-year old can do it.

he even had a chance to take a whack at some pork cutlets with the meat tenderizer. always wash your hands afterwards!

and when the sun is blazing hot like it was this week, we hit the beach and gaze longingly at faraway lands across the sea, wave at helicopters, look for blimps in the sky, we chase birds and dig endless sandpits. maybe this is why, when i'm putting dylan to bed and singing to him at night, he always smells like the sea.

weekend comes, and our routine calls for a little sugary goodness. for valentine's, dylan gobbled up a heart shaped doughnut from bob's coffee and donuts at the grove.

the best doughnuts around! live a little, we like to say around here.

so even though we've had stormy, rainy weather these past few, we've also had some really nice sunshiney days filled with friends and family. dylan even got to wear uncle john's red sox cap on the double decker trolley at the grove.

and we are learning, that the best way to eat ice cream is to share your cone with a buddy. yum. thanks for sharing, auntie min!

we are so grateful to our friends and family! we cherish our friends and want to thank you all for showering us with love, cards, flowers, prayers and support these past few weeks.

our hearts are filled.

more cuteness: welcome mars!

2010-02-19T14:40:00.001-08:00

more cuteness
Originally uploaded by see_ina

i forgot to make a mention of some new babies in our world. please give a big red balloon welcome to baby mars, born in november. i hear she says 'ohio' and likes to hide out under the covers while her mama ina snaps photos while her daddy allan goes night night. shhh, don't wake up daddy, okay. dylan and i are her biggest fans. isn't she darling? just a beaute.

saying goodbye to grandpa

2010-02-18T00:18:00.000-08:00

when dylan was born in 2008, he didn't have a name, and days passed---one week later he still didn't have a name. people called, emailed, wanting to know what name we had given our new baby. we couldn't agree on a name, john and i--every time he'd think of a name, i didn't like it, or he didn't like any of the ones that i liked. then one day, my parents were over at the house, and they were talking, drinking coffee, visiting the new baby (who didn't have a name!). but, yet, there was no rush. according to california law, you have up to a year to file a birth certificate with your chosen name. and john comes rushing into the bedroom, where i was nursing dylan.

'how about dylan?' he asks.

i love the name, love it, it's a great name. but we can't, i said. too many dylans in our friends' families--too many dylans that we know. let's start over, go hit the baby names book again, i said.

but i just had a conversation with your dad, john said. he said that when you were born, your name meant 'deep water'... big ocean. and i just looked up dylan, and dylan means 'son of the ocean.' your name means water, or ocean, and you're the mother, so it makes sense.

and with that conversation, over coffee, john and my dad, at the breakfast table, they had found dylan's name. and i couldn't argue--it was a perfect name for our baby. in welsh dylan means 'son of the ocean' and he is my son. my ocean. we are forever grateful for the name, dad.

what i'll remember is this:

one of the last conversations we had at the hospital, a few days before he died, my dad was telling me to take care of dylan--admonishing me to go home. he promised that he was going to get better, and that he would come home soon. back at the house, that's when he would see dylan, he said. 'i will see him at home,' he said. i'm not sure if he was saying that for my benefit, if he didn't want me to be sad. i'm not sure.

'go home' he said. the traffic is bad out there, and it's night.

goodbye, i said, i'll come back to see you. take care. and get better, i said.

he looked at the clock, it was barely 6 p.m. but it was dark and rainy outside.

it's a long night, he said, and he smiled, talking about the long stretch of night he had ahead of him. and with that, i left, and he closed his eyes, preparing for sleep.

and that was one of our last conversations before talking got too difficult for him. and he was 100 percent typical dad, as always, concerned about me, the rain outside, the terrible l.a. traffic, my safety---and wanting to know how dylan was.

we are forever grateful for your kindness and love and legacy and pride.

may you forever guide us to new directions, and whisper in our ears about rainy weather and busy freeways. give us your blessings and continued love in spirit. an ocean recedes, they lap, they burrow, waves crash, and you leave. the seas part, and they take away. but may the waters always, always bring you back to us.

our favorite papa

2010-02-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

dylan with his favorite 'papa' harabuji grandpa and harmony grandma, learning the finer points of drumming (dylan's about a year old in this picture).

how do you tell a two-year old that someone they love dearly is sick, ill, getting old? how do you relate to them that when people get older, they won't always be here? this is one of the challenges i'm facing as my dad, dylan's grandpa 'harabuji' in korean, has been hospitalized and is very ill.

and when i underestimate or assume how much dylan knows or doesn't know since he's still a baby, he crawls up to me, and puts his hand on my face; he starts to trace an imaginary stream of tears going down my face, and says to me, 'papa. doc-tor. doc-tor.' and then i realize he understands every word and emotion that you can name.

do you understand why mama is sad? i ask. 'um-humm.' he says. 'papa is very sick right now, do you know this? 'umm-hmm,' he says again and again, not releasing his hug. and this breaks my heart, down to my very bones.

we are wishing our 'papa' well right now. we, as well as dylan, love him very much.

the reillys. from ireland to ellis island on a ship

2010-01-30T00:55:00.000-08:00

at travel town, dylan engineers an authentic southern pacific railroad engine--much like the one his great grandpa cornelius must've worked on in the early part of the century.

little wonder dylan loves trains and railroads--it's in his blood. his great grandpa cornelius, or 'con' as he was better known, had a job working for southern pacific, and raised his family in east l.a.'s lincoln heights. dylan is the youngest descendant of con reilly and nellie downey--who came to the u.s. via ellis island sometime around 1900. grandpa emmett says that his father came from a village called knockadoon in county cork, ireland, and nellie from county kerry.

to pay homage to his grandparents, john made his way to ellis island last year and took a ferry from new york city--and i imagine he arrived there just like con and nellie did over a hundred years ago. ship records state that cornelius arrived with $20 in his pocket.

cornelius came as an indentured worker who eventually had to pay back his ship's passage, and i assume once the debt was paid, he made his way to california---and in l.a. is this where he met nellie downey? did they meet at a church, at a social gathering, at a dance? what was lincoln heights like back then in old l.a.?

grandpa emmett's sister may, john's aunt, was born in a boxcar as the story goes, and that his mother nellie always welcomed in a hungry friend or neighbor with a hot meal. she turned away no one, emmett recalls.

my heart sort of fills with longing, wanting to know who they were, what their lives were like.

years ago, john had contributed his grandparents' names to the wall of honor memorial at ellis island. he came to see if their names were on the wall.

and there were their names: cornelius, and four names below is nellie downey, dylan's great grandparents.

two years old!

2010-01-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

happy second birthday dylan! you've come a long way, babe! here's a quick look back at the last two years in which you've grown so much. rock on!

we welcomed dylan's second birthday weekend here at the beach with the best weather--balmy, warm and super clear.
the littlest traveler takes in a whirlwind trip! right before his birthday, we had to celebrate new years' in san francisco. dylan's a frequent flier, and makes sure that mom and dad gets to the airport on time. dylan proves he's a big boy pictured here in union square. where's the bart station?

first big guitar (having a kid makes us the worst possible tourist types, too--we have to stop and pose in front of tacky tourist spots like the hard rock cafe--this one's at pier 39 in san francisco). this isn't the first time dyl breaks out dancing at the drop of a hat. dancing his 'happy happy' dance.

first big slide....here we go, navigating our world, climbing to the top, seeing the sights! at 21 months.
at 16 months. first time i put dylan's long curly hair in ponytails (thanks mom, thanks a lot) but not the first time for odd photo sessions...
dylan's first christmas, 2008! here, at almost a year old.

first time at a photo studio for his 100 day portrait! here with mom.
hey daddy, here i am, so small.

the official 100 day portrait! taken in orange county's koreatown, at a garden grove studio. hopefully the last time we take 'boudoir' style shots. oy vey. but i thought this pic was cute.

who would've thought this little fella would be lugging our bags to the airport? a true world traveler, this one.

we love dylan!!! happy birthday to our little guy.

dylan's grandparents

2009-12-27T23:10:00.001-08:00

'look at my dump truck!' dylan and his 'papa' emmett at christmas at the reilly residence.

i couldn't help but notice that when dylan's at the playground--he goes right up to people--kids, their moms, nannies, dads, grandpas, grandmas (really, anyone who looks like they're having fun) dylan goes up to them, slips his hand into theirs, sits next to them, gives them hugs, says "DYN-AN" "me, me" to almost anyone who would listen and who would hold his hand or hug him in return. and i stand there, both embarrassed and astonished that this kid has so much heart--or so much courage to go up to strangers like that. is this proper? should i stop him, i wonder? i wonder if i am doing the right thing---i usually go up to dylan, if the people look embarrassed, and tell him that these people are busy and we shouldn't bother them. and usually, they always say that it's okay, and to let dylan do what he's doing. they're usually pretty pleased when dylan shows an interest in them, and think it's a very cute kid thing.

it warms my heart to see my kid so open and free and affectionate--throwing his arms around the world, literally.

i wonder how this almost two year old, this little kid of mine, what compels him to do this. i'm sure it isn't us, his parents---we haven't modeled or encouraged this brazen behavior in little dyl---at least i think i haven't. we don't go around randomly grabbing strangers' hands or cozying up next to them and slappin' high fives! and then i wonder.... i wonder how my kid got so NEEDY all of a sudden. or is that me just projecting. or is dylan being the toddler in his natural state, and it's me that's strange and weird and twisted when i think there's something wrong. he's a people person, for sure. people at the playground say, 'he sure is SHY!' and then we laugh a little together.

today was a typical dylan sort of day. we took dylan to the park, john and i. it's sunday, a leisurely day, and i want to tire dylan out before heading back home for dinner. at the park is a grandpa, whom we've seen before, with his grandson, collin. he's a few years older than dylan. he's a cute kid, and the grandpa was very engaging, demonstrating his new toy---a remote controlled motorcycle on the ball court. the motorcycle's zooming in and out, just like a real cycle would---doing wheelies, going around curves, then hitting the pavement--and collin and dylan would act as runners, seeing who could get the motorcycle first.

collin's grandpa turns to me and says that dylan took his hand---and we both laugh, saying how cute that was. and then i notice that for dylan, he doesn't have a grandpa like collin's -- both of dylan's grandpas are housebound---and it just killed me to think how unfair that was--that dylan had to suffer that. then this thought sort of lead me to blame myself---for having old parents! how could this happen? for being old parents ourselves, john and i! oh the indignity of it all--and getting old--well, that----that----is no fun, i say.

then i sort of take a deep breath and think...that's not very nice of me. i shouldn't judge. everything is perfect the way it is, i say---even though dylan's grandparents are sort of doing what they can--to be there for him. and i gulp, take a deep breath and just thank god for what we do have. that we have grandparents, and parents, who are still with us---in the most imperfect scenarios--however and whichever, that is family.

and whatever i've imagined a perfect family to be---well, it's sort of like the toy motorcyle--it sort of crashed and burned and needed new batteries right away. it's an illusion, no one is perfect, no family is perfect---and still, i find myself, trying to learn this lesson in life. again and again. and what do i teach dylan?

in the car, dylan started chattering about the motorcycle, about collin and collin's grandpa--and i just let him revel in it, and i start asking questions. did you like collin? did you have fun with his grandpa, his 'papa' and wasn't he nice to let you play with his motorcycle. and for me, all is perfect and well, as the sun goes down. i know we are headed home, we will have dinner, we will make spaghetti together, this very seemingly imperfect family of ours---john, me, dylan---us, way too old and crazy as parents---we will make spaghetti and eat dinner together. it is now nighttime and we have to leave the playground. and that is what we did. and i realized that everything was perfect the way it was.

happy new year, everyone. here's to 2010!

The GoPottys Jam!

2009-12-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

arriel came by, finally, so that he and dylan could jam a little and work on their music. they're working on some songs for the GoPottys' new album (a blend of toddler-thrasher-punk with a bit of afro-indie rhythm thrown in).

dylan's guide to trains

2009-12-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

dyl is mad for trains. even though he's not yet two, this tot has done the one thing that most l.a. folk still find daunting: taking public transport! he's been on all manner of trains, from amtrak to mta lines to kiddie trains, all over town. he's navigated more public transportation and rail lines than most citizens. phooey on them, they don't know what they're missing.

one of the places to nerd out on a train is at the free rides at wilson park in torrance; one train practically takes you from torrance to lomita it seemed, and challenging too--john had to straddle this long seat, while clutching dylan on his lap. we recommend leaving the texting/iphoning at home for this ride.
and here he is, at dylan's favorite place, well, one of them, at least. travel town in griffith park has got a kiddie train, (seen here, pictured with daddy) old trains to climb and explore, a train museum, and a train gift shop--sort of a train disneyland, with lots of history and education, to boot. going there brings dyl glee to the utmost (as you can see in this picture on the trolley below).
GLEE!
choo-choo! being the 'duck-tor' on the southern railway engine.
wherever he goes, trains sort of find their way to dylan. here he points out the train collection at phillipes french dip restaurant downtown.
keys, keys, keys!! give me those keys, says dylan, so i can hop this boxcar. here, he tries to unlock the freight train at the lomita railroad museum--using daddy's keys. someone must be reading kerouac's on the road---that or thomas the tank engine. more likely the latter, in dylan's case.
i am the 'ducktor' and give me your money and your tickets, says dylan.
the best part about legoland was the mini train ride. we geeked out here too--dylan refused to get off this ride, and rode it umpteen times. john's a good sport about things like this.
the best thing about trains --- all the things to see and hear and experience.

his most adventurous ride to date has to be the metro trip. here, dylan contemplates the funky public art at the green line platform, en route to downtown l.a. via the green and blue lines. the metro was dylan's most 'BIGGen'* ride--and most memorable were the people dylan met in the cars--playing peekaboo with the old jewish gentleman, the little girl who shared her bag of candy (that was the best, says dylan), chatting up the british tourists, thanking people who gave up their seats for us, and looking at the art installations. it's like l.a. was a real city, of all things--with art, even, and courteous people going out of their way to help.

dylan's next stop--the red line, gold? see you on the rails!

*BIGGen: when dylan wants to say something is real big or very large, he says 'BIGGen!'.

el hombre con sombrero amarillo y dylan curioso

2009-11-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

dylan and daddy got to play dress up this halloween---and then they went knockin' on people's doors. little curious george got to pick out as much candy as he wanted (but then we hid the candy away after halloween night). but the best thing about halloween....
is having a daddy....
who doesn't take himself that seriously. thanks dad, the man with the yellow hat.

downtown days

2009-10-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

urban playdate. dylan contemplates the original french dip at phillipes (we didn't order any violet-tinted pickled eggs, but we will one of these days) yet prefers his thomas the tank engine train.
dylan takes a first bite of lamb french dip at phillipes the original. mais oui!

we've been indulging our love of all things downtown these days--once a week or even twice or every other week--whenever we can--you will always find us museum-cafe-park and playground-hoppin' around downtown. whether we're strolling the beautiful rose garden at the natural history museum, roaming the halls of the california science center, dining at the street-chic bottega louie, climbing the jungle gym at griffith, or checkin out the animals at the l.a. zoo, we've made going into the city a priority for kid-friendly adventures. dylan is one happenin' tot and he's sure getting around.

today, after a halloween playdate at zowen's in los feliz, we met up with daddy john at phillipes french dip for a quick supper. it is a place, that i like to call, one of the great equalizers in los angeles---people from all walks of life congregate here, like a big bus terminal and it is as film noir as an old fashioned sandwich counter can get.* you will see big latino families with babies in strollers, truckers sitting on stools watching the game, old timers who look like they've walked out of raymond chandler or bukowski novels, chinese mothers and their teenage sons, black church groups on an evening out, alterna dudes who could double for the band weezer, and then there's us--with dylan in tow. 'hi,' the everfriendly dylan announces--to everyone. 'HI!' and 'hello,' everyone responds, with smiles and chuckles.

for as long as i can remember, phillipes was my first great introduction to downtown l.a. i first came here with my friend lia when i was 14 (thanks lia!)---that was about five years ago, i tell john (ha ha!). and now it is on dylan's list of unique and great and awesome places to go and see with mom and dad.

and like phillipes, our toddler is a great equalizer. he connects with everyone and anyone and is happy to offer a wave and greeting to everyone he meets: pretty ladies, old folks, waiters, the homeless, babies, kids, the handicapped, the chipper and the not-so-happy folk. all are fair game to dylan, everyone is welcome, everyone is kind. he is more social than most people i know, and really knows how to work a room. and that is why we ended up at phillipes french dip, it is as great as l.a. can aspire to be, and as scruffy, well worn and authentic as the chipped cafeteria trays on those long communal tables, as rough as the sawdust on the floor, as ever present as the bottles of nose-searing horseradish sauce, for all to share. here's to more downtown days with dylan!

*you'll be happy to know that a cup of coffee still costs 10 cents. with phillipes, who needs starbucks?

summer of love

2009-09-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

it's been a hot, sweltering summer here in redondo. how did we stay chill? we partied hard, hit the beach, visited friends new and old, hung out with cool chicks, and got ice cream off the truck. in other words, it has been boatloads of fun. here's an ode to summer:

partying!

we celebrated with capirinhas and barbecue at samba (daddy had a birthday!) with grandma and grandpa. we sang silly songs, and watched the sun set by the pier.... and watched daddy face a reckoning of skewered, sizzling meats, and wrestle with the ordeal that is brazilian all-you-can-eat-churascaria: how do you say, 'stop this meat fest' in portuguese?

beached it!

we built sand castles with new friends who came in to town... welcome to my world, says dylan, just don't stomp on my castle.

did we mention that we love the beach?

it was also a summer of firsts. the summer dylan discovered.... ice cream! first visit to san fran, first playdate with zoe and her big brother evan. we miss our bay area buddies and can't wait to see everyone again. (more ice cream and cupcakes, i reckon!!!)

and of course, hip-hop happenin' times with our hapa crew at home. we look forward to more hikes with peyton and niki... (if only they'd stop teasing me, says dyl).

Abalone Cove

so, to recap, it's not so bad being a toddler. there are so many things to discover, like digging for clams and mussels, tide pools filled with seaweed, sand crabs and fat starfish! dylan and margot take a peek inside those seashells by the seashore.

'ick,' says margot. 'i've had trader joe's sushi that tastes better than this clam.'

'it sure ain't strawberry ice cream,' says dylan.

til next summer!

dylan's drum circle

2009-09-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

dylan's summer has all been all about.... drumming! 'drum,' he says, 'boomboomboom.'

we're glad dylan has an extracurricular hobby, something he's a bit obsessed with... as you can see in these photos.

at home 'potty learning' while beating on a ghanaian drum...

at wilderness park, beating a tree stump... anything can produce music! even in nature...

and at home, beating on the cool tike-size drum set (thanks daddy!). it's been a rollickin' summer! hold on to your hats!

san francisco: kara's cupcakes

2009-07-25T13:12:00.001-07:00

we all scream for cupcakes!

on our weekend july 4th trip to san fran, we made an awesome discovery: kara's cupcakes! by far, the best, most delish cupcake we've ever tried. dylan concurs. try the chocolate velvet, amongst others, the freshest cupcake ever on the planet.

the man cave, and the music

2009-07-24T09:45:00.001-07:00

every little man needs time for reflection, solace, whatever you want to call it. sometimes you just want to beat on a drum and contemplate all of life's mysteries. in this case, an inexpensive play tent from ikea provides for the perfect 'man cave' and a little music. this is what we do for fun around here.

take a peek inside the goings and doings in dylan's man cave.

dylan rocking the opening

2009-07-21T11:38:00.001-07:00

dylan rocking the opening
Originally uploaded by ms.bang

last saturday night, dylan rocked, popped, and deejayed ina's 'momentum' show at the nucleus gallery. we let him enjoy his club night and he got to stay out late. photo from auntie vivian.

cafe bebe

2009-06-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

we hosted our first cafe bebe yesterday, it was a big hit. the babies got to nosh on crackers, raisins, and blueberries while the moms ate pesto-mozzarella finger sandwiches and sipped organic green tea. the babes then splashed around in dylan's 12 dollar kiddie pool from kmart.

we even had a live music session, courtesy of mama yvonne. she cajoled her young fans luca, dylan and arriel to eat healthy, share toys, and behave. instead, they ate chocolate chip cookies, flung toys, and pulled and tugged at each other until they fell to the ground. in other words, a good time being toddlers.

dyl, arriel and luca contemplate just how much fun cheap plastic can be. very!!

NO!

2009-06-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

dylan at lacma, on a big unnamed pink thing; navigating street lamps; crawling underneath a henry moore.

what we've learned... is that if you use baby sign language long enough, they will start to sign back. it just amazes me to see dylan use signs for food, when he's hungry or when he wants to feed the dogs or cats. he points up to the sky when he hears a booming sound, and will twirl his finger in the air for 'helicopter.' he will make whisker signs and say 'maow' when he sees the cats. and whenever he sees a dog, he pats his leg or chest.

dylan is talking (phew!), and at 17m months i think he's making great progress, if you want to call it that. i've noticed that all the hours and minutes spent reading books to him have been paying off--all the words he uses come from his story and word books, mostly. oft-repeated words from dylster are:

ball, book, bird, duck, mama, dada (or just 'da'), ssszia! (for sophia our dog), and lots of animal and barnyard sounds. and 'nmo' (a very nasal 'no').

he has a new word for 'grandpa'--dylan loves his grandparents so--'papa.' we will point to pics in the photo album and he will point out his 'papas.'

he obsesses reading his books, poring over his favorite nursery rhymes like 'bingo' and jack and jill and humpty dumpty again and again, and he loves looking at family and friend photos.

now if he only voraciously ate everything his mama makes him for dinner, i'd be happy.

don't break my heart, my achy breaky.....

2009-06-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

we think...

it's about time...

that dylan got a haircut.

dylan says: rock out with your mullet out!

more dynamic mullet looks here.

a few playdate friends

2009-06-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

dylan has been plenty busy with playdates, outings, classes now that it's summer. he just started swim lessons, and can now jump in the pool, put his face in the water, blow bubbles and generally have a fun time splashing about with other babies.

a stone's throw from redondo beach is wilderness park, a small wooded oasis filled with wildflowers, pine trees, and ponds filled with beijing ducks (the white feathered kind). we're learning about ducks and a pack of red-eared slider turtles, found breeding in the pond, even spotting a lone leather-back turtle sunning itself on a rock in a marsh. this has to be one of dylan's favorite places to hike and play. the best thing, according to dylan, is hanging out and romping in the grass with the likes of his buds arriel, matisse and arqum.

a boy and his dog

2009-05-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

'pssst, don't tell anyone, but that tv set is straight outta the 80s, i tell you!'

'i'm just lookin for my ball. and my frisbee. give a brother a hand here.'

'look, dust bunnies--and a corn chip! score!'

'and you kid, you look like you could use a haircut.'

'you're right. i'm beginning to look a bit like peter frampton here.'

'peter who??'

the 16 month old: milestones

2009-05-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

dylan's hit 16 months! and what has he learned so far?

-- is learning korean (he knows one word well: bang-goo. when asked to 'bang-goo,' he will create a fart noise with his mouth. this makes me a proud, proud mama, yup)

-- can chew, then spit up and spread wet food all around the kitchen (yay for this! we say)

-- he now brushes his teeth (sort of)

-- climbs on top of the stool in the bathroom and combs and brushes his hair; wants to put on lotion and lipstick; wants to put on sunscreen by himself.

-- knows sophia dog from django dog

-- can sip from a real cup and use real dishes (not just plastic!)

-- called the dog sophia by name the other day ('sophia' he said)

-- uses sign language often ('hot' 'dog' 'ball' 'phone')

-- can put his foot in his mouth if asked (literally and not figuratively)

-- throws a hot tantrum with ease and aplomb (toddlers, what joy!!)

-- is learning about the joys of irish music (seen here in this video hitting the bodhran and singing the 'mama' song)

just watch and sing along and be irish like dylan:

hot dance moves: the mall

2009-04-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

we had unseasonably warm, humid climes here at the beach. so when auntie kathy came down to visit, we had no choice but to head to the mall to partake of a/c. and dylan did what he always does, when he's at the mall confronted with dance pop piped into each store: he went into the limited, and let his dancing feet take over. watch dylan dance like a celebrity who thinks he can dance (or whatever that crummy show is called). and if you think his moves are cool, then it's his dad you have to thank (or blame)!

if you notice, i've got on my very bossy 'stage mom' voice. DANCE, BOY, DANCE.

dylan models spring fashions: project baby runway, part 2

2009-04-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

dylan was all over the place this spring. here he is, with daddy in south redondo for easter, modeling the latest in baby outerwear. he wears his infamous hat, as always, to shield the bright hot sun.

another look! having fun at the playground in kalorama heights, neighborhood of d.c.

gettin' dirty in the dirt! dylan tries his hand at community gardening at kalorama park, d.c.

...poses for pics with mom at the tidal basin, cherry trees, d.c. at the mall.

... points out his belly button with dad in his goldfish diaper.

... and wants grandpa's cell phone!

learning how to share

2009-04-18T23:37:00.000-07:00

some pics from a playdate at shiva's (aka shivvie), with fellow toddlers joelle (with her daddy), shivvie and his mama, charlie, and learning how to share with layla. thanks playdate mates--we had an exhausting fun-filled time, and looking forward to our next gathering--big thanks to anu and maneesh for a fab party!

dylan jams!

2009-04-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

dylan can say a few words, like mama, daddy, hot, and duck. but what he's really into is music, banging on drums, and making impromptu musical instruments out of found objects. he's also fond of dancing. he finally got a chance to jam with a local indie band over at the library yesterday. he, of course, chose to follow the beat of his own drum, as only a fiercely independent toddler can.

the million dollar question

2009-04-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

i get asked this question almost every day, sometimes twice a day, when we're out and about. 'where did you get that hat?' it's not the prettiest or coolest looking hat, but it's probably the most useful item for a tot: it stays on, has velcro chin straps and we got it at gymboree, similar to this one. now that we've got that cleared up, let's go out to play!

(here, dylan sports his hat in embassy row in d.c. next to some brazen-lookin hyacinths, daffodils).

it's spring in d.c.: our visit to see the sakura trees

2009-04-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

we just got back from our d.c. trip, where sakura blossoms, tulips, magnolias, dogwoods made for a showy april. d.c. is a fascinating place, and not stuffy as i had perceived it to be. it's got a lot of history, culture, interesting neighborhoods and really great restaurants, not to mention a ton of museums to while away your hours. we stopped by the white house to say 'hi' to barack, michelle and the kids on our way to the jefferson memorial, where acres of cherry blossoms graced the lawns and walkways, hovered over the potomac river and made everything glow with snowy white and pink petals.

what i didn't realize is that d.c. is so green--the city is surrounded by parks, wilderness, forests, trees and miles of hiking and biking paths; the city may be chic and urban, but you're always reminded that you're surrounded by nature.

old abe does his best to provoke tears in us tourists, at the awe-inspiring lincoln memorial. (not shown: THRONGS of tourists, international, national, local, and just plain loco as well).

let me go, says dylan, i've got to make sand pancakes! grunt, grunt, stomp stomp. here, cousin julia contemplates a new career as a teenage-babysitter-in-training.

aye, aye aye! mucho gente aqui. when i get stressed, i start speaking spanish. it was a bit nerve-wracking trying to get to the trees, as lovely as they were, when you're trying to navigate amongst humanity itself. the tidal basin was awash with tourists--we're talkin' strollers, families, ice cream, lemonade stands, people posing for pictures and digital cameras being held up in the air, everywhere you looked. once we got to the trees, they were lovely, and otherworldly, ephemeral, angelic things, petals landing in your hair and at your feet.

hiking and belly buttons

2009-04-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

dylan has been able to locate his cute little belly button these days, always pulling up his shirt and pointing to his navel, or pulling on your shirt to look at yours. when he hears the phone ring, he holds his hand up to his ear ("hello?"), point to his ears when asked, and is able to go and grab his favorite books (dylan, go get 'working on the railroad') and he'll go get it. here he is, being held up by his big buddy payton, as they hike 'burma road' in palos verdes. see all the wildflowers? apparently, these mustard grasses and yellow flowers are all edible, according to this latimes article about local vegetation in the peninsula.

here, mei mei and big bro payton give dylan a lesson in hiking.

'push!' says dylan, to mei mei, his newest bff.

if only all days were as clear as this, with sparkly views to catalina island that stretch as far as your feet, as high as the tallest oaks. here's to beautiful spring days, hiking, and belly buttons.

in your face, dad.

2009-03-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

this entry is one in a series of 'like obama' posts.

in addition to working out, being stress free and practicing mindfulness, dylan has been nibbling organic goodies, like the folks at the white house. fresh plums, bananas, watermelons, sweet potatoes, and cherry tomatoes fill this guy's snack bag. foods dylan rather give to the dogs include broccoli, blue cheese and peanut butter. thanks from django and sophia, who are happy to partake of scraps!

all this organic eating will lead to organic peeing, we've found. st paddy's day, we all go to bed, after a night of corned beef, cabbage, guinness, the works. dylan gets up in the middle of the night, and i couldn't bother to wake up. so what's a sleepy baby to do when confronted with a midnight pee? so dyl did what every baby needs to do, when they have a wet diaper: he climbed up on the bed, crawled on top of john, and threw the offending diaper on his dad's face. 'dad,' he seemed to want to say, ' change my friggin' diaper.' NOW.

here's to more organic livin'!

ec update at 14 months old

2009-03-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

after the heavy rains, flowers and grasses and dewy clover have carpeted the walks and parks and playgrounds. which means dylan has been exploring, and this is a beautiful thing. dylan plucks dandelions, daisies, and takes us toward shady trees, for him to straddle and climb. he points upwards with his hand, toward leaves, branches, or toward a swatch of dandelions, and watches them blow in the breeze. he makes me get down on the ground next to him, and makes me look, for a moment, at the wonder he's experiencing, and for that, i thank him. 'thank you,' i say. for making me notice.

and speaking of heavy rains, dylan has been having quite a few great weeks, the past month or so, in the ec realm--not only has he been signing 'toilet,' 'milk' and 'diaper change'--just this morning, he stopped and paused next to the potty when he needed to go. i de-pantsed him, he sat on the potty, and he went. just like that. well, this didn't happen overnight. to get here, i had to take another deep breath, and just trust that he will want to sit on the potty--by himself, that is. this month, we've had the wet accident here and there--on the floor, on the bed, on the couch. but i had to trust that if i put him in underwear, and diapers when we go out, that he would have 'body awareness' and not want to sit around in a wet pants. so according to the 'ec' method, there is reward for just observing your baby, and that is all one needs to really parent. trusting this is not as simple--you sort of have to have blind faith about this method--but millions of women around the world have been doing this for millenia, and they haven't been wrong.

and it's never as simple as just putting dylan in underwear, of course, sometimes i miss the signs and urges and cries completely. sometimes i forget to sign to dylan, sometimes i forget to explain what i'm doing, sometimes i forget that he needs me to communicate to him, that there's an actual person--a brain--behind the baby smiles and spittle.

but when i get quiet, and let dylan do his thing, he lets me know with a wave of his hand if needs to pee or poo. as easy as picking dandelions on a grassy knoll. just amazing.

dylan is signing, OMG! ec journey continues!

2009-02-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

dylan has been officially signing 'toilet' to me this week. first time it was in the car, john's driving, i'm in the back seat next to dylan. he starts signing, and unfortunately, we can't stop to let dylan go pee.

today, he stops playing with his toys, looks at me, sticks his left hand out, makes his fingers into a 'toilet' sign and waves it back and forth. 'you gotta go potty?' i ask. then he starts running away and i take him to the potty. he does his thing, i put his underwear back on and i give him a high five!

omg! so they are listening! they are paying attention to the sign language!

too good to be true!

we love life!

2009-02-14T20:02:00.001-08:00

we love to play, grow and have fun.

we love family and cherish each moment with them. here's 96-year old great-grandma playing with dylan.

we love art and big feet (ucla sculpture garden, westwood).

we love flowers on valentine's day! (thanks john and dylan!)

we love making everyone laugh!

happy valentine's day!

love, dylan.

cupcakes for change!

2009-01-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

at times, being at the inaugural felt like we were navigating a souk of obama-gear, from the white house to the capitol building to the lincoln monument. a ginormous obama swapmeet, if you will. reportedly, over 550 licensed vendors were showing their goods, all manner of tacky t-shirts, hats, backpacks, baby onesies, pins, pens, mousepads, bags, totes, magnets, postcards, calendars, you name it they had it. on second thought, i shoulda grabbed that pink 'michelle first lady' apron when i had the chance!!

top photo: dylan models an obama hat with dad at bull run battlefield in manassass, va.

but here's our favorite: cupcakes! dylan grabbed his at the newseum cafe, the first museum dedicated to the history of print and broadcast news, a fascinating, engaging place in d.c. it was definitely a highlight of the trip.

yes we were there! inaugural photos with barack!

2009-01-27T10:51:00.003-08:00

we just returned from a whirlwind baltimore to arlington to d.c. inaugural trip to see the 44th president sworn into office. here a few photos from our trip. lo and behold, we had our photo moment with barack, though we'd have to admit that he just didn't have that 'star quality' that we've heard about. he looks a bit flat in these photos, no? judge for yourself.

the night before the inauguration, we took a stroll around the national mall and saw the parade floats, up close. this is barack's hawaiian float. you can see dylan asleep in his stroller, he was so tired, but check out his little feet! i'm not sure what the big blob is on top of the float--kilauea, about to erupt, i imagine. all constructed with cans of spam, probably.

who's the cardboard cutout in the photo (bottom)? john looks a bit like a cnn hologram in this farewell-to-inaugural-festivities photo, taken the day after the big event at john's cousin glenn's house (l to r). glenn, dylan, me, barack, lori, cheryl and john pose for our unofficial inaugural portrait. unfortunately, john has decided not to deed his sweater to the smithsonian for its inaugural exhibit. too bad.

we also want to send a big 'thank you' to glenn, lori and the kids in arlington for giving us shelter, and for shuttling us to and fro around d.c. (though we'll have to hit the chili bowl on our next trip!). they were the best hosts, and we couldn't have done our inaugural trek without their help and hospitality! these pilgrims are grateful!

happy new year! a song from dylan

2009-01-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

dylan's been practicing with john's ukulele. this baby is self-taught! watch the video:

here's to the year of the ox!

countdown to dol!

2008-12-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

guess what's around the corner? why is dylan wearing a hanbok? why is grandma struggling to keep him in his silk outfit and not run away? just a preview of things to come in the new year!

back from winter break

2008-12-16T16:00:00.001-08:00

we want to be back in the caribbean.

From san juan y aguadilla

we spent a week back in puerto rico, visiting friends in san juan, then sunning and funning and surfing in aguadilla.

From san juan y aguadilla

it was paradise, at best. bananas everywhere!!

From san juan y aguadilla

john and dylan got to play gilligan's island.

From san juan y aguadilla

back home, and it's like we're in alaska with this unseasonably cold weather. it makes us wish we were back!

From san juan y aguadilla

til next time!

a long weekend, giving thanks and the 'tea dance'

2008-11-30T10:17:00.000-08:00

dylan celebrated his first thanksgiving this long, long weekend. we are grateful for:

grateful for a good game of frisbee with the dogs on thanksgiving day in palos verdes...
grateful for aunties (vivian) who perform the 'tea dance' in broad daylight on sunset in front of casbah cafe in silver lake...
lovely friends...
face-shaped cookies! dylan attended his first birthday party to wish baby margot a happy one year! happy birthday to the super-cute margot of lilmargot. a good time was had by all at the party, where dylan got to get drunk on his first box of grape juice. hick* burp*

autumn leaves

2008-11-19T21:39:00.000-08:00

everyone here at dylanreilly's web site has been quiet--the unseasonably terrible, acrid, ashen weather has left us a bit phlegm-y, weezy and teary. dylan is also nursing a bit of a rough cold, so we've been doing things like getting bundled up and going to the playground early in the a.m., going to the indoors mall down the street. the problem is the ash still falling from the weekend's fires, landing softly like snowdrift. ash is everywhere--on the car, on the patio, on ourselves, and seeps in through the windows as well. a bit of rain would do us some good right about now! until then, we are left with ourselves, as we explore...the falling leaves, a lonely branch here and there, a glint of light hitting a foil wrapper on the ground, this is all very new, this is all we know, this is what we see and taste and feel. off to explore, in every nook and cranny, under each rock, stone, blade of grass, acorn, stem, petal. what is there? what does this feel like?

happy autumn!

congrats prez obama!

2008-11-10T10:25:00.000-08:00

pics from election day, last week, at the polls.

dylan is suffering from post-election withdrawal, and is now considering becoming a political pundit. he also would like to think that his vote pushed the obama/biden ticket to victory. all he can say is, 'phew'! and for the first time ever, he's finally proud of his country. he's also happy that he will be growing up under the amber glow of current good times, and to be a baby in the midst of obama-mania. long live intellectual rule! long live ideas, ideals, morals, freedom! long live the u.s.a.!

in the meantime, dylan is catching up with the obamas as they transition to the white house on their new site: change.gov, the official transition website.

first halloween!

2008-11-03T21:51:00.000-08:00

we neither had the inclination nor energy to get a proper costume for dylan's first halloween, so we had to make do with what we had:

okay, so mom ties on a japanese kimono found at little tokyo and a headband around his head, and he becomes:

SAMURAI SUSHI CHEF!

i know, this is playing to all sorts of stereotypes. it was the only thing we could come up with at a minute's notice. we then took dylan trick or treating to some neighbors' houses.

here's our neighbor jason, who bravely goes under dylan's 'knife.' jason made the mistake of asking 'trick or treat' and this is what he got. dylan's a little tough guy.

dylan walks (and does chores)

2008-11-03T21:41:00.000-08:00

to contribute to household chores, dylan has taken to light tasks, seen here sweeping. it helps that the boy has been walking since taking his first steps at 8 months, 3 weeks of age! today, dylan is 10 months old and has been walking for well over a month. this video, taken two weeks ago, shows that dylan has absolutely no fashion sense (note one orange sock on left foot). deniro the cat makes a quick cameo too.

dylan at royal claytons: his first english pub

2008-10-24T09:03:00.001-07:00

we met up with friends last night at royal claytons, in the nitty-gritty artists lofts district just to the east of downtown's little tokyo for vivian's birthday. the pub, in a brick warehouse setting, is in the toy lofts building---the area is both burgeoning hot spot and former homeless alley while the pub is a glorified pool hall for the downtown set with okay pub grub. dylan had a chance to say hi to his new baby friends klee and eden before he pooped out -- so he couldn't stay to try the menu items--bangers and mash, bubble and squeak, fish and chips. worth another visit? the wait staff even brought out a high chair for dylan, while all his uncles and aunties cooed, bounced, and jostled him about, like we were in a dylan mosh pit. rock on, dylan!

From october 2008

dylan wants the bubble and squeak!

From october 2008

ina, gregory, emily, heseon and pumpkin head.

Royal Claytons
1855 Industrial St
Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 622-0512
www.royalclaytonstavern.com

riding the rails

2008-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

dylan took a train ride last week...

where did dylan visit? where was he headed?

welcome baby zowen!!!

2008-10-19T23:32:00.001-07:00

we'd like to say 'how-do' to baby zowen, who's traveled a long nine-month road to arrive in our little world! he is our youngest compatriot and newest democrat, and soon-to-be playmate to dylan. zowen james ajemian was born last sunday to proud parents and friends diana and zeth. di and zeth are going to be great parents and we want to send them lots of love, luck and of course, sleep, as usual. here he is, pictured at a mere five days old, and he already has a cool haircut! wow! welcome to the little cutie, zowen!

From october 2008

photo: 'hey world, look out' says newbie zowen james ajemian, weighing in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces. bienvenue!

palin-trash-talkin' in silver lake

2008-10-19T20:49:00.001-07:00

From october 2008

winner of the coolest obama shirt! min's been EXPANDING her political views for obama. picture taken at local in silver lake. dylan sports a very eco-friendly bum genius diaper. take that, you liberal media elite.

we met up with fellow obama-ites min and john in silver lake for a political pow-wow and dinner at a new eatery, local, in silver lake---which means while we put down republican candidates sarah palin and john mccain with food in our mouths, and expounded on the last presidential debate, we chowed down on locally grown vittles--at local, the chicken, pork, greens, cheese on the menu are all locally grown and sourced. who knew that someone could grow a chicken so tasty, with such little bones, so tender and succulent, in the silver lake area? wow! who knew that the pulled pork on john's plate came from a little pig, that grew up right here in urban los angeles? i didn't say local was a vegan place, but their small menu was excellent, i can't recommend it enough. dylan helped us toast each other's company and helped us make friends with the local crowd, and even made a little friend with another baby diner, as is dylan's sunny personality's want. we finished off with a caramelized peach dessert that was the white flag of surrender to yumminess. ha!

From october 2008

min's jersey wins for the coolest obama 08 shirt, hands down.

From october 2008

dylan wants more peaches, not pundits, and no politicos. just peaches, thank you, local.

From october 2008

we'll definitely be back to local!

Local
2943 W. Sunset Blvd., between Parkman Avenue and Hamilton Way, Silver Lake
323-662-4740
BABY FRIENDLY: 2 STARS
GOOD: organic food, good for baby. life-size mannequin in restroom, not good for baby. a bit scary, really.

brunch: casa arigato, south redondo

2008-10-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

while we had salmon omelettes at the improbably named casa arigato by the beach in the hollywood riviera (south redondo beach), dylan had baby yogurt. dylan is growing up (sniff, sniff!). i do declare when we play with him, this has to be the cutest time in a baby's life. he is always happy, always up for a show, to play, to smile, to learn--and to eat. here he is, at a little over nine months, climbing on top of the tables.
while casa arigato had extremely friendly servers, this sunny cafe steps from the beach had a small breakfast menu--but tasty, healthy, veggie-based, fresh. they brought out a baby bowl, spoon, and a cup of water with a straw, which was a nice touch. it's nice to go somewhere where they're making dylan feel at home, even helping to pick up the plastic thomas the tank engine bowl that dylan kept throwing onto the floor. we'll be back, casa arigato!

Casa Arigato
215 Avenue I # 101
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 316-8988‎
BABY FRIENDLY: 4 STARS
high chair, nice wait staff, baby bowl, water.

dylan walks the walk: videos

2008-10-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

i shot this video of dylan practicing his steps at the playground in hermosa beach last week; here, you can see the little guy slowly teetering, tottering, putting one step forward, then another, and agin, but walking, nonetheless. all this, even before he hit nine months! he even manages to multi-task, the little straight-a-student! he grabs the ball, tries to bounce and chew it, and walk at the same time. i have difficulty doing this as an adult so go figure. just watch the video:

of course, as walking is a new curious thing, and dylan doesn't want to just tumble off into the sand, you can see that dylan uses caution here on a little slope down into the sandbox. it's too cute:

brunch with adam

2008-10-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

another new dylan fan club member has joined the club: adam. at la creperie in manhattan beach, dylan's favorite weekend brunch spot, he got to suck on adam's thumb, while everyone wondered who these two men were, with their asian baby?? g*y d*ds? one has to wonder...

dylan's first obama rally: sanjang coffee garden in silver lake

2008-10-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

photos: vivian holds up dylan, sporting his obama button; josh gets to meet dylan for the first time; cool obama buttons from campaign volunteer min; greg rallies for a better economy...and a better bowl of ramen (the pickles and jalapenos aren't really helping).

dylan got to host his own impromptu obama-ramen meet up at sanjang coffee house in silverlake/koreatown last weekend. everyone showed up, including vivian, josue, greg, eric, linus, min, john p. and shane. bowls of ramen and patbingsoo were doled out, as were cool obama pins from min, bad sarah palin imitations from me, mccain slams from everyone, and general anti-gop-republican sentiment rallying for change---and more kiwi juice from sanjang. a change is a comin' says dylan, who rode around in his obamamobile wishing to all patrons to 'vote for obama or i pity the fool!' you go, dylan! and don't forget to vote november 4.

yes we can! dylan canvasses for obama

2008-10-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

dylan is not only a volunteer for the obama/biden 08 campaign, he's a bona fide ardent fan and would one day be honored to be on this new website, devoted to photos of obama holding babies on the campaign trail. since we're already slated to attend the inauguration parade in january, we hope to get a pic of dylan and obama, if we're lucky! until then, we'll have to tide you over with this pic of dylan in his little car, dubbed the 'obamamobile.' we're all doing our thing. now go out and canvass for voters.

visit:
http://yeswecanholdbabies.wordpress.com/

medusas and me

2008-10-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

by the shore, by the seaside, me, seagulls and mom.

getting to feed the birds on my very first trip to the long beach aquarium. lorikeets, according to dad.

swimming behind the looking glass, a school of medusas (jellyfish) tumble, fumble.

summer babes---highlights!

2008-10-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

dylan, emily, margot and gregory pose as the new 'nukular' family.

I met a girl crazy for me/Met a boy cute as can be/Summer days driftin' away...

here's a snapshot of dylan's summer two months ago in august, where he and fellow babe margot are hanging out at a local ice cream parlor. or are they being considered for 'adoption' by potential new parents gregory and emily, local scenesters and bloggers over at apartment therapy?

greg and em are still on the wait list, and are welcome to babysit and visit anytime!

i guess living in the south bay is like one endless summer for dyl...

lovely photo courtesy of jenny.

dylan's new friend, klee

2008-10-02T11:15:00.001-07:00

klee hyoun kang, about 2 weeks old in this picture

dylan got to visit his new baby friend klee this week--klee (pronounced klay, like artist paul klee) she is oh so sweet and oh so pink! i hear her daddy can hold her in the palm of his hand. the new family is bonding and doing well---even lolly the dog. see here, klee's SMILING---what newborn smiles?? if you knew sara, then it makes sense, as klee seems to be taking after her happy energetic mama. we love klee, welcome to our world!

dylan is walking!

2008-10-01T12:20:00.001-07:00

believe it or not, readers, dylan says. i's walkin'!

i have yet to get a video of dylan walking, but a week ago, he took his first steps on his own, without our help, or holding on to anything. this is the usual scenario: he gets on his two feet, steadies himself, then takes a deft step forward, then another, then another, then plops down on his bum. the other day when his grandma and gramps were over, he took eight tiny steps by himself, and the amazing thing? he's not even nine months old. go dylan!!

video to come!

dylan's new ride

2008-09-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

dylan hates strollers, period. so, the alternative was to enroll dylan at driver's ed training and get him a learner's permit, so we did. here he is, pimpin' his new set of wheels.

frisbee with django

2008-09-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

all summer long, we've been taking dylan and the dogs to the local park, where it's lush, green, summery. john throws frisbee, and dylan gnaws on the grass. whatever you do, don't juggle the baby, a mug of beer and throw a frisbee to a crazy dog named django--the beer will end up all over your shirt, with your face planted in the dirt when the dog drags you to the other end of the park. let that be a lesson to you, john. more dylan-dogs-park-summer-pics here.

how dylan will save the world: cloth diapers!

2008-09-26T15:24:00.001-07:00

as you know, we've been cloth diapering dylan since birth, and he loves it, we love it, it's easy, and really very comfy on the bum. his, not ours. i've also been making dylan some diapers, and here's the latest, made by yours truly on my granny's vintage sewing machine.

welcome baby klee!

2008-09-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

our friends mike (left, cowboy pic) and sara (center, ballerina pic) is makin' space in their busy lives for a baby dynamo, klee hyoun kang, born just this last friday. sara had a quick and easy labor, and klee came shining through. isn't she a beaute? we're really tickled pink for them. happy parenting, happy family bonding time!!

elimination communication in the ny times

2008-09-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

i just ran into these articles on elimination communication in the ny times, from 2005. here's another one.

starting to babble

2008-09-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

about a week ago, john woke up and took dylan to the toilet to pee (a la elimination communication). john brings dylan back to bed and says, 'i think dylan said 'mama'. really? nah, i said, 'dylan's just babbling.' ever since last week, dylan has been saying 'ma-ma' except it's more like, 'mah-mah-mah, meh-meh.......' (repeat as needed). translation: i'm hungry, angry, tired, i want that zebra figurine from kenya that has toxic lead paint so i can chew it off, i want food, i want more yogurt. or at least that's what i think he's saying when he's saying 'mama.'

video of babbling to come!

dylan deejays, yo

2008-09-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

a month ago, we took dylan back to the photo studio where he had his korean '100-day' photos taken in orange county's koreatown. we finally went back to retrieve the photos, but dylan had other ideas. he went straight for the studio's prop room and hung out, just beating on drums and improvising on the fire engine bell. a future sheila e.? poncho sanchez? or one of those beat box deejays?

watch him go:

september: teeth and stairs

2008-09-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

dylan has hit eight months. already??

dylan's two front bottom teeth have poked through, and he's been teething like mad, biting fingers, chewing on purse handles, stuffing the dog's toys into his mouth. he's also mastered climbing stairs, and climbs them like a banshee! though, it will be some time before he can go down the stairs, i imagine. never underestimate our little curious george, we're constantly being reminded.

photos: dylan, seven and a half months old.

dylan: girls on film!

2008-08-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

just like marcello mastroianni in 8 1/2, the film by federico fellini, dylan revisits his relationships with his bevy of gal pals, ladies and aunties in his life. here he's confronted by his cool but not cold, sophisticated yet down to earth baby friend, margot. 'it's like we're looking in the mirror........' they'd say, if they could talk.

dylan and tika display a little 'splendor in the grass'. quelle charmant! tika, fresh from her travels abroad and after a stint in paris, visits dylan in the south bay. 'it's not the french riviera,' says tika, 'but it will do. for now.'

dylan takes a 'breathless' jean paul belmondo/jean seberg turn, at his favorite haunt in manhattan beach, la creperie. michelle is his favorite fan and favorite waitress there, he goes every chance he gets. he always orders the nutella crepe and big hugs and kisses. aren't they cute together?

like water for chocolate. dylan also has to be in the know, at the latest hot spots. at ortega 120, in south redondo beach, he cavorts with evan, may and zoe, visiting from san francisco.

bottom photo: dylan's favorite 'sex and the city' star! spotted together at ina and allan's get together, dylan professes sweet love for his favorite auntie, vivian. watch for her in the new upcoming jim carrey flick.

soph, dyl and me

2008-08-26T16:06:00.001-07:00

soph, dyl and me
Originally uploaded by deniro and mango

august was for days in the park, with dylan and dogs in tow. more pics here.

Manhattan Beach: Finger Sucking Again

2008-08-18T23:21:00.001-07:00

Manhattan Beach
Originally uploaded by chiffonade

spotted finger sucking is dylan, yet again, taking advantage of people's free digits. thanks, people, for making yourselves available for dylan at this teething stage. ouch.

Don Juan woos Emily

2008-08-18T21:13:00.001-07:00

Don Juan woos Emily
Originally uploaded by TypeFiend

dylan seems to have a curious habit as of late, um, sucking on people's fingers. here he is, sucking on emily's digits at delicieuse cafe in redondo beach this past weekend.

i can has poo! dylan walks!

2008-08-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

news flash: dylan can now take steps with his lion push-toy. seen here, seven months!

if you've noticed that dylan's blog veers toward poo now and again, well you're spot on! so here's another story devoted to the topic. last night, we had dinner with dave, a friend of john's, at our favorite lebanese cafe in long beach, sunnin. john starts to tell dave the story of when, one morning, dylan poos all over john's shirt sleeves. i had asked john to take dylan to the toilet. dylan poos, john brings him back to bed, and john finishes getting dressed when he notices poo on the cuffs on his freshly laundered, ironed dress shirt. so then he starts to take off his shirt, and grabs another from the closet all while muttering, 'i'm late, i'm late, god dammit!' and i'm laughing, hee hee hee while snuggling with dylan in bed.

so then dave, who's got two kids of his own, says, well my good friend i've got a story for you! when his little boy ben was two, dave and his wife were in the checkout line at the supermarket. it was crowded, and there was a long line of people waiting. so the cashier's scanning each item, and they're trying to get all the groceries out of the cart, when all of a sudden, ben, dave's son, reaches into the back of his diaper, grabs a hunk of poo and slams it onto the scanner glass! talk about slam dunk.

and i'm not done, says dave. not to be outdone, his daughter also had a mishap. they're at a resort on vacation somewhere, and dave is in charge of babysitting his daughter, then five years old, in the pool. she's splashing about in the kiddie pool and there are a ton of other mothers and their kids and babies, all wading and playing, while cool man dave is at the bar, keeping an eye on his girl from afar and trying to get his pina coladas at the same time.

she starts screaming from across the pool to the bar area:

'DAD, POO'S COMING, POO'S COMING!'

everyone in the pool starts to panic, and clamor out of the pool. dave tells her, 'honey, hold on, i'm coming...' that he'll be right there, just wait! but no, she can't wait, as soon as dave gets his drinks and gets to his daughter, there is only his daughter in the pool, everyone else has exited.

she says, 'poo's here.'

moral to the story: dads, forgo the bar, when you've got a baby with a full load. and tell your baby that you're in the '10 items or less' line.

interlude: stupid pet tricks

2008-07-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

we interrupt this dylan-devoted website to bring you a minute of some clever dog videos. even though dylan may get all the attention, django's pretty neat. please excuse the cheesey windows movie maker novice video editing.

by any other name

2008-07-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

here are some of the cutesey bitsy teensey weensey pookey names we've penned for dylan:
'baboy' (baby + boy = weird, i know)
little d
big d
little dude
babycakes
'cakes' (short for babycakes)
bubba
buh-bah
booboo
mumunah
dill-dill
dilly dill
p diddy dilly

just don't blame us if dylan starts grabbin' his crotch and wears his cap to the side, and asks us for more 'bling'.

photo: little puff daddy dilly wears a hand-me-down shirt from baby keohi and wears handmade pants made by his mom, reused from an old kozyndan shirt. how's that for recycling?

july highlights: nearly walking, standing, and fast crawling

2008-07-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

july was a HUGE month for the little guy, punctuated with visits from lots of friends, uncles, aunties, and playtime at the pool, with daddy, standing, and crawling with the cats---and surprise to say that all this in dylan's sixth month! go dylan!!!

uncle gary from sacramento and katherine (dylan's irish clanfolk) came by to tickle dylan's little tumtum.

more swimming and frolicking in the pool with daddy.

hitting the beach! with dark shades, dylan and dad on the lookout for fresh waves, bra.

dylan now can crawl, with tummy off the floor, and can now compete in cat olympics. one minute he's in the kitchen, playing with wooden spoons, the next he's in the bedroom, playing bongos on the furniture. check out his little cowlick!

if you whip out a camera, dylan now darts for the camera in your hand. he is cellphone-camera-remote control-obsessed. listen to dylan making his monkey-primate noises.

bff

2008-07-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

guess who've become fast friends? deniro and dylan.

bbq at uncle gary's

2008-07-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

gary's not really an uncle, and he didn't really offer dylan a cold beer, but we did have fun at his house saturday. it was a rustic yet urban get together. we got to sit and enjoy the views of laurel canyon, gary grilled dogs and burgers, and gary and john posed for the proverbial 'life is good' photos with their long-time mentor, jerry and his lovely wife janna.

dylan got to hang out with janna.

everyone got a chance to check out dylan in his little sun hat, and got to hold him, while he crawled all about gary's cabin.

partying is sure hard work.... dylan crashes at dusk for a short nap. off to snoozeville.

benny and the jets!

2008-07-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

dylan: elton john's got nothin' on me.

john: you said it, elton d.

dylan: i'm still standin.

signing!

2008-07-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

i've found the best site for learning baby sign language!

best baby ever!

2008-07-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

so...we've been hanging out with parents, with all the bbqs, pool parties and picnics we've been attending, and invariably, parents will tell other parents what to do or not to do. and of course, if my baby doesn't sleep through the night or isn't eating homecooked baby food, well, i must be a total loser. and that's when you hold your baby a little bit tighter to your bosom, and you whisper in their ear, 'you still love me, right, even if i'm not the best parent ever? yes?' so if you're not giving your baby flat head syndrome or a lifetime of weirdness stemming from your having given him some starbucks green tea latte (oops!) the other day, you're going to do something wrong, or so these parents are trying to say.

so, if you're more britney spears than dr. sears, you should read this blog to better parent your child:

http://bestparentever.com.

the site discusses parenting methods like breastfeeding, the circumcision/keeping-it-intact decision, elimination c ommunication, babywearing, homeschooling and homemade baby foods. it's the humorous parenting counterpart to the 'stuff white people like' blog.

read it and see what you parents are doing wrong! ha.

Good Quote of the Day!

2008-07-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

From Time Magazine, Tuesday, Jul. 08, 2008

All good mothers are addicted to their newborn babies.

P. READ MONTAGUE,neuroscientist, on a new study explaining the neurological roots of maternal bonding that includes mothers getting a high from seeing their baby smile

I'd certainly have to agree with this quote! I can't believe Dylan is six months old already---his feet are much bigger now than in this photo taken more than three months back. Just when I'm tired and I can't look at another messy floor, baby bottle, load of laundry, spittle, I realize that this is right where I want to be, with my little one, to see him smile, squeal, laugh and giggle.

Seen here, Dylan, six months old.

That's all the mushy gushy I'll leave for today. Til next time!

get up, stand up....

2008-06-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

guess who's standing?

this week, dylan has been pulling himself up and supporting himself to a standing position. he's been doing this all day, pull, stand, fall, flop, cry, get up, pull up, stand, fall, and all over again. this new exercise of his is keeping me pretty busy. i wonder if they sell little baby crash helmets?

go dylan!! here, dylan is seen trying out his new crib for the first time. "crawling is for babies," he says.

dylan, five and a half months old.

first swim!

2008-06-23T12:37:00.001-07:00

splash!!

dylan got along swimmingly with his new girl-friend margot of lilmargot fame. it was a lovely day of sun, fun and swim at his grandparents' pool and cabana. the adults acted like little kids in the pool, doing belly flops and the like. the babies nursed, and the adults snacked on hot dogs, chips, ice cream, and lots of margaritas and beers.

margot sucked her thumb under her daddy martin's watchful eye--and got to model her new baby uv swimwear from coolibar.

dylan even went under water, and did really well. looks like we'll get him enrolled in swim school soon.

when not going incognito under her big hat, the luscious cute little margot hides a shock of glossy jet black hairstyle, so retro and so new wave.

five and a half months!

2008-06-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

dylan: mom likes to sneak up on me with the camera.

at left: here i am, at five and a half months. i can now sit up on the potty, stand with help, sit in a high chair, and do an expert belly crawl. i can also do baby pushups and raise myself on my hands and feet, like a spider.

i can also do the 'side lean' to reach up and grab toys, that and mom's hair.

the 'ec' journey continues....

rainforests, coqui frogs and mofongo in puerto rico

2008-06-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

last week, we got back from a 10-day caribbean trip with dylan, where he got to sample papaya, banana and kiwi for the first time. we also got to meet up with john's friend kory, who took us around the island to taste more adult foods, like mofongo (garlic mashed plantains), lechon pork, bacalaito salt cod fritters, conch dishes and lots of bananas and coco frios. the time spent together was oh so much fun and heavenly, as were the pina coladas and drinks made with don q rum. it was lovely meeting kory's wife grisselle, and their baby also named dylan, one month older than our dylan. some pics of old san juan:

dylan and i climb up the tower at el yunque rainforest, and hide out from the rain.

dylan: now that's a big coco frio. pinones beach kioskos.

and dylan learned how to take it easy, boricua-style.

you can see more pics from our puerto rico trip here. catch a glimpse of dylan taking his first steps with help from dad in this short video clip.