How to impress Jenny

My good friend Jenny called me on Sunday to say that they were planning a last minute trip to southern Cal and would be at my house on Tues and Wed. I was so excited to see her and her family I couldn't wait. Then I hung up the phone and reality set in. Jenny is my OCD cleaning friend that wipes out her refrigerator EVERY morning (I think I wiped ours out a few months ago). I started to stress. There is no way that I could get our house up to her standards in two days... so I decided not to even try. She lived next door to me for three years and knows that cleaning is not my strength.

Jenny was such a trooper, even though we were up late getting kids to sleep, she woke up early and went riding with Melissa and I at 5:30 am!

So where did I take my great friend (and her 4 clean adorable children) while she was here... probably the dirtiest street in LA, Santee alley.

We bought designer sunglasses ($5 each) and checked out all the purses, clothing and jewelry.

Her little boys were having fun playing ring around the umbrella pole, trash can and taking turns jumping over the sick liquid in the middle of the street. Jenny just kept dispensing antibacterial gel.

Then the unthinkable happened....
Weston announced that he needed to use the bathroom.

"NOOOO" Jenny said really loud as if her detesting would make it not true. It was clear that he couldn't hold it, so we found out that there was a bathroom not far away up some stairs and on the roof.
We had to pay .50 cents each to walk into the bathroom only to find the most pathetic looking and smelling bathroom you could imagine. I said "Oh my gosh, there is not even toilet paper". At this point Jenny was hyperventilating from watching her kids touch every surface possible. Then the Lady that collected our money came in and handed us each a toilet seat cover and a piece of toilet paper that she had personally unrolled and folded for us. So sick.

About 10 stores later, Taylor (Jenny's oldest) said "Oh my gosh, I left the bag with the sunglasses in the bathroom". I watched the other kids as Jenny and Taylor returned to their now favorite hang out in LA. to retrieve the bag.

When we came home, I picked up my girls from school and the kids were all thrilled to play. Jenny and I were exhausted, but made a trip to our local Mexican market to grab some stuff for dinner. Jenny was dancing in the isles to the music in the store and we were cracking up.

As I am typing about what we did when she was here, I am wondering why I took her to every dirty place here, maybe I was subconsciously trying to make my house looks cleaner.

After dinner we roasted marshmallows over sterno in the garage. This is my kids favorite thing to do and Jenny's kids loved it too.


I fell in love with Jenny's youngest Weston. He is so handsome and loves animals. He would carry Opal around upside down and just sit and hug and love her forever.
Did I mention that the 2nd night they were at our house we had a 4.1 earth quake followed by a 1.9? We really know how to bring the best of LA to our visitors.

Jenny- I feel like I need a do over! We should have gone to Balboa Island or Disneyland.

LA field trip

A couple of month ago my Sister and her Husband went to Brazil and brought me back this beautiful blue topaz.  I wanted to get it set in a ring but everything I found was super expensive. Yesterday my Mom and Sister were in town and we decided to go to the LA jewelry district (with my 3 kids in tow).  I told my girls on the drive out that there was going to be a lot of walking but I would give them each $5 to buy whatever they wanted.  Ha Ha.  When I was a kid they had lots of sterling rings for kids and inexpensive earrings, now it all just hard core jewelry.

We went in several shops and looked at tons of ring settings. My Sister was looking for settings for several stones she brought back from Brazil and ended up only finding one.  I had looked at a ton, but given up on finding something in my price range.  

When my Mom and Sister left for the airport and the girls and I started walking towards the parking garage it started:

"This place is the worst... You said we could buy something... We didn't get anything... why did you bring us." A choir of disgruntled children.

Ruby asked if we could go in one last shop and I agreed. There was a setting I liked and after talking him down for a while it was in my price range. I told him if he could have it sized and set in 15 min I would take it. He said "No problem".  He sent me up to his jewelry maker to have it sized right away.  The jeweler was super nice and obviously liked kids because they were talking a mile a minute and asking a ton of questions and he did not mind at all. 

At one point Lucy said "I wish we were all bald because them we wouldn't get dust in our hair and we wouldn't need to wash it".   Later Ruby said "Why is it so dirty in here and what is that bad smell" then she processed to plug her nose. Of course I wanted to die.

I kept looking at my watch because it was taking way more then 15 min and I had to be home by 6:30 for a work dinner with Eric. As soon as he finished my ring he said "Come with me" and took us down the hall. He started into the most interesting lesson for my girls about how jewelry is made. I was torn because it was getting late and I knew traffic was going to be bad... but the girls were LOVING it.

Heck I was loving it. It was really interesting and I couldn't believe what a great teacher he was for children.  During our lesson he received a call from someone and in a very angry voice he yelled "It will be done when it's done" and hung up the phone.  Then he went back to our lesson in a nice voice.

 
He ended up cutting out wax rings for Lucy and Ruby and a pendant for Haley.  They were on cloud nine when we left saying "that was SOOO cool... can we get a hotel out here and come back tomorrow... I can't believe he let us keep these awesome rings".  

I was thrilled for the presentation and happy girls, but I was sweating and my heart was racing because it was 5:oo and I knew I would never make it home by 6:30.  I ended up getting on the freeway in the wrong direction and did not realize it until I saw signs for Watts.  I turned around and got back on it in the right direction knowing that Eric was going to be bugged that I left so late and missed the dinner.

I have never driven back from LA without traffic, never.  Somehow through divine intervention I flew home during rush hour traffic without a stitch of traffic! I walked in the door at 6:20 (5 min before Eric) and we made it to the dinner!  Maybe my new ring has magical powers!