An early morning drive to Venice Beach on a hazy Sunday, to squeeze in an hour long skate session before the local crowds roll in and claim the space. Arlo, now familiar with the infamous slopes and dips, slicing around with new vengeance since getting his cast off last month and regaining all old skills (and a few new) within weeks of having it off. Rex, newly inducted to Venice, spent a good chunk of his time fine turning his social skills in addition to his drop ins. Chatting with long haired teenagers (who seemed sweetly inspired by his style and confidence) while befriending just about everyone on the sidelines gathered too to watch the skate after breakfast. At one point, he was even interviewed by a film crew who asked him his name, age, favorite trick and reason for skating. Which he answered most professionally (for a 6 year old that is) explaining his long time love of the sport (because he started at four and it's basically a lifetime ago - according to him) his desire to get better, and his lasting devotion to Jay Adams because: "old school" style.
Both boys seeming to find their footing in and around the local skating circles, which has been really fun to watch, making new friends and get noticed for something they both love so dearly. But rarely competitively. Leon, on the other hand (as Leon is known to) being quite content doing his own thing. This weekend that meant testing his new metal detector on the sand while Hayes chased a flock of seagulls around the beach like a wild animal, tirelessly, clenching a bag full of crumbs that gave him the kind of control 2 year olds live and breathe for. Birds so desperate they were practically eating crackers from his hand. The closest he's ever come to snatching one up. Because the kid is determined, and one of these days I swear he's going to lunge faster than they fly.
Later in the day we headed to the canyon for a single night's stay. Booked when I realized the kids were off Monday and seized the opportunity because I've been itching for a short getaway.
We spent our time with friends and a grip of girls, kicking around the landscape on a strange hippy compound where a tree swing and tree house offered equal reason for fights, fits, and laughter. Basic kid quarrels over who's turn it was combined with complaints about unjust rulings and people taking cuts. In the middle of the fussing though there was some pretty delightful scenes and we managed (after all the wild roaming) to find a movie on my laptop which they all agreed on and were able to sit for nearly two hours at the table with a bottle of wine catching up and regaining lost rhythms to conversations that we learn to forsake whenever kids are around. In other words, we got to finish sentences, and train of thought, and gossip, and banter, and it was much appreciated.
Today we are back home battling weekend exhaustion, buried in mud soaked laundry and dreading the next two days wherein I'll find myself in a mad scramble every hour leading up to my flight on Thursday, trying to ensure things are in order, stocked, and prepared while I'm gone. The prep is always harder than the actual packing. So I should probably wrap this post and get back to business.
Hopefully returning with a couple more posts dedicated to two year old plights and the Million Woman March this week before I leave.
Hope you all had a lovely weekend too.
Labels: Scenes From a Weekend
