OC Family - Moms. Kids. Life. - (Calif Lorna)

Picnik with the Orange County storms

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:20:00 GMT

I’ve been out and about the Balboa Peninsula, with my camera, trying to take some shots of the recent storms which have battered Orange County.

Once I’ve taken all my shots, I upload them onto Flickr, a photo-sharing site online. I love Flickr for a number of reasons. It’s a great place to store my photos, friends and family can see them and I can also submit them to other Groups online. My favorites are The Orange County – California and Newport Beach/Balboa Groups which means other people I don’t know can see my photos as well. And I can see their work and their ideas all featuring a different part of the OC.

The other thing I adore about Flickr is using their editing tool, Picnik. Some of my photos taken during the storm were a little dreary, the sun wasn’t out, the light wasn’t great but playing with some of the features in Picnik made them pop, as you can see.

Before:

After:

And another example, this time of the swell in Newport Harbor:

Before:

After:

And lastly, the pelicans were lined up together, they looked like they were protecting one another from the storm.

Before:

After:

To get started, load your photos onto Flickr and then click on 'Edit Photo.' Picnik will then load, it is slow but stick with it, it's worth the wait. From there, just play. You can use different features such as Auto-Fix, make a photo black and white or my favourite the Boost effect under the Create Section. Best thing? It's all free and you can un-do anything you don't like. So there's no risk that you'll lose a photo that you love, play as much as you like and un-do as you go if you're not happy.

Have fun playing!

OC moms Expressing Motherhood in LA

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:05:00 GMT

Sometimes I forget that I live in LA. I’m nestled away by the beach, away from Hollywood, celebrity and all the things connected with the city. I’m technically in Orange County, but to many people far away, I’m in Los Angeles. That’s where they place me as a point of reference.

I don’t make it into the city that often, so last night it was a treat to head into Los Angeles, whizz by the Hollywood sign and have dinner with a great group of women on Sunset Boulevard. The reason for our trip into the city was to see Expressing Motherhood at the Lillian Theater.

The play was created by moms and is quite simply ‘stories about motherhood told by moms on stage. Each mom delivers her story about being a mom in a different way.’ The various women featured included actresses, comedians and bloggers including a fellow Orange County blogger, Marcy Massura, who was performing during the show. Marcy was the main reason we were there, to support her and we were fascinated to hear what the other women had to say.

What a mixture of moms. The producers of the show had put together an intriguing mix of women who have experienced every element of motherhood. From Mona King singing about her Mini Van, to Anissa Mayhew’s beautifully written letter to her children to apologise for her daughter’s cancer, Sarah Maizes relish in being called a MILF and Marcy comparing throwing away your child’s artwork in super stealth mode, like a member of the mafia. Yes, I’ve done that. Haven’t we all?

Rather like reading other people’s blogs and thinking, oh thank god, I’m not the only one who thinks that about my children, last night was reassuring. Different experiences from real women, some I could relate to, some I couldn’t. Some were just a brief glimpse into another world of motherhood I will never experience, such as adopting or miscarriage. The women spoke with such raw emotion, it was incredibly moving.

The show is continuing on next weekend in Los Angeles and then moving onto Des Moines and Boston. They are accepting submissions, so if you live in one of those areas and feel you have something to offer, go for it, submit a piece. I was full of admiration for Marcy. Reading something you’ve written on stage is quite a daunting challenge, I was envious of her confidence.

The evening was also about laughter, lots of laughter. Don’t we all have a car like this?

Oh Bear Grylls, we do love you

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:53:00 GMT

Oh Bear Grylls, we do love you. We love it when you leap out of helicopters into shark-infested water. We love it when you eat bugs, just to keep up your energy for your adventures. We love it when you climb inside a camel carcass to avoid a sand storm in the Sahara, we just don’t want to get in it with you.

I know that sometimes you pretend to make things a bit more dramatic than they really are and we forgive you for that. We’ve seen people mocking you on You Tube. I’ve hidden the videos away from my youngest son, you are his hero and he wouldn’t be able to stand it. My oldest son isn’t quite so in love with you and finds them funny but I’ve made him promise to keep quiet about your occasional indiscretions.

But Bear, you know how when you strike your flint, seconds later you have a roaring fire and you’re cooking camel steak? My boys have been striking their flints for hours. They’ve made piles of dried leaves, kindling, and newspaper. They’re not giving up but I have a feeling you’re making it easier than it is. Do you spend hours striking away at the flint and just don’t show it on camera? Does your producer have a trusty firelighter tucked away in his back pocket?

Father Christmas was very clever this year. Whilst shopping at Restoration Hardware, he spotted fire steels, ideal stocking stuffers for two boys obsessed with the Discovery Channel. When they were discovered in the stockings a loud ‘just like Bear Grylls!’ was screamed.

Now the boys have made piles of dry items on our patio and strike away at their flints. Nothing has happened yet. No fire. No camel steak roasting away on a hot rock. But it’s kept them occupied, they’re determined to make it work. Bear can do it, so they will be able to as well. Sparks fly, smoke wafts across but still no flames.

But thank you Bear, thanks for inspiring them to try. They’ve learned all about different countries and climates because of you. They know to pee on their t-shirt and wrap it around their head in the desert to keep cool. Or how to squeeze the stomach of a camel and drink its juices. They’re prepared to survive in any conditions and even think they may be in that very situation at some point in their lives.

They may need a bit more help with the fire though, if they’re relying on a fire steel for dinner, I may encourage them to always carry matches. If not, they may be going hungry, even if their head is cool and their thirst is quenched.

Oh Bear Grylls, we do love you.

Christmas is officially over

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:45:00 GMT

One sure sign that Christmas is well and truly over is Christmas trees on the beach. It’s a quintessential California scene. As people take down their decorations, they drag their tress out to the beach, where a rubbish truck will come and pick them up.

It’s hard to believe that the UK and Europe are suffering from frost, snow and freezing temperatures when you see Christmas trees on the beach. Talking to friends in the UK, they sound completely fed up with the cold temperatures and ice.

I wish I could package up some sun and send it their way.

Our tree is still up, the boys aren’t quite ready to part with it just yet. They’ve promised that when they come home from school today, it can go. They just want one more last goodbye.

First Christmas in the sun

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:06:00 GMT

This may have been our second Christmas in California but this year was our first warm Christmas Day. Last year, California clearly thought I needed to be eased in gently to the concept of heat and sun on Christmas Day. A huge wind and rainstorm hit knocking out phone lines and making sure we spent the day inside, opening presents and feeling cosy. With the turkey put on to cook, the weather forcing us to stay inside, it didn’t feel hugely different to the UK, just without the depressing EastEnders death scene and no Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special.

This year, the sun came out and with the weather in the mid 60s, it was impossible to think we were anywhere else but California. After opening presents and putting the turkey in the oven, we headed out on our bikes to ride along the boardwalk. We cycled by people wearing Santa hats and wished everyone Merry Christmas. We even took some Christmas music in our basket to play as we cruised along. It’s hard to take Bing Crosby crooning about a ‘White Christmas’ seriously when people are wearing shorts and flip-flops. There were loads of surfers in the water, more than a usual weekend morning and I liked the idea of a Christmas morning surf session, maybe we’ll add that to our traditions next year.

A good friend arrived for Christmas dinner at the end of the day and looked in bemusement as we waved crackers in his face to pull and really didn’t look comfortable wearing a paper crown during dinner. (Bah Humbug!) I won him over with my figgy pudding, especially setting light to it at the table.

Today it’s raining and for that I’m so grateful. We rarely have a day that keeps us indoors, just the opposite. We’re always outside, I think it’s that built in need to make use of the good weather. In the UK, you never know when the rain will come back. If there is a good day in December, you dash outside to sweep up leaves, enjoy the limited sunshine and make the most of it. Here it’s just the opposite, I love a good rainy day. They happen so rarely. Today we’re banished inside, packing away Christmas decorations, tidying up the chaos and enjoying the forced imprisonment. Tomorrow will be sunny, the New Year will be sunny, there’s no need to feel we’ll never get outside again.

We’ll be sitting on our patio celebrating New Year’s Eve tomorrow with our chiminea blazing. Last year, at midnight, some women wandered around the neighbourhood banging pots and pans and I’m intrigued to see if they’ll be doing that again. Couldn’t tell if that was a Californian tradition or just some locals who’d partaken of too much alcohol. This year I might join them and make that another tradition to add to our growing list.

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

Christmas in the West

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:55:00 GMT

The boys’ last day of school ended with some festive songs. I’m so used to 'We Wish you a Merry Christmas' and all the usual festive culprits, it was great to hear a new song – Christmas in the West.

Well it’s hot in the summer
And it’s hot in the fall
And it’s hot in the winter
So it doesn’t snow at all -
But we like to live where we do the best and
That’s how we celebrate Christmas in the west.

Bring on the turkey, bring on the yams
Cold apple pie and hot country ham.
Mix it with salsa to add some zest and
That’s how we celebrate Christmas in the west.

I love the ‘mix it with salsa to add some zest’ certainly no mince pies or figgy pudding here.

5 days and counting!

101st Annual Newport Beach Boat Parade

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:47:00 GMT

The biggest Christmas tradition in Newport Beach began last night – the 101st Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade.

Yachts, boats, kayaks and canoes covered in Christmas lights and decorations toured the harbor celebrating the festive season. The theme this year is the “The Joys of Christmas Toys.” The parade runs until Sunday when there will be a firework display at 9pm to officially end the celebrations. The fireworks will be launched from the Balboa Pier but will be visible from the harbor.

Houses along the bay participate as well with the Ring of Lights contest so not only are the boats decorated with lights, the houses compete for attention too. The one thing I love about the Boat Parade is that everyone can participate. You can walk along the side of the bay and watch the boats, it won’t cost you a penny. Or you can charter an expensive yacht for 200 of your closest friends and party the night away while cruising around the harbor. Another option is to book a restaurant on the water and let the parade pass you by while you dine. Whatever suits your budget, you can still join in with the event.

We’ll be riding our bikes up to watch this weekend and I’ll have my camera with me. I’ll post some updated photos next week.

Hope to see you there!

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

Gingerbread houses (and cathedrals)

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:12:00 GMT

I’m always fascinated to see which European influences have made it across the pond. Unfortunately, my beloved mince pies isn’t one of them but Swedish gingerbread is definitely a big influence here during the festive season.

Last week we visited the Discovery Science Center – the local children’s museum – for their Science of Gingerbread exhibit.

The Center hosts a competition each year and I have to say to entries were amazing.

Marisa O’Neil was there with her OC Parks colleagues. They won the prize for Best by a Corporation. I’d assumed they placed an order with a bakery for their gingerbread display so was surprised to learn they’d made their gingerbread design themselves. It looked so professional and really captured the spirit of OC Parks.

There were lots of other entries including Most Realistic for this Holiday Cathedral:

SpongeBob SquarePants was there too:

The Center has a great many hands on activities which the boys loved including putting marshmallows in a microwave to see what would happen and why. It even started snowing after the ‘Science of Snow’ stage show, which was pretty cool.

If you live locally, it’s worth a visit and the Science of Gingerbread runs until 3rd January.

We’re inspired now to be a big more creative when we make our gingerbread house this year. We may have to think a bit bigger than just a house.

Drinking toilet to tap water

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:40:00 GMT

I drove by a new storefront a few weeks ago called ‘The Water Brewery.’ It made me smile, only in California. I could see tubes and water bottles and was intrigued to know more about it.

So, a friend and I paid The Water Brewery a visit. I was expecting it to be full of all different types of water with flavors or vitamins added, rather like a microbrewery, when you try lots of different beers. There was just one big machine and lots of large plastic and glass bottles. The machine produces oxygenated, ph alkalized, revitalized, remineralized and energized water.

I have to say, after the sales guy told me that Newport Beach does ‘toilet to tap’ water, in other words, they recycle the water going down the toilet and then we drink it, I wanted to sign up for a few gallons right away. It’s hard to believe that the pharmaceuticals that everyone takes can possible get cleaned up. So, even if I live a healthy life and treat my body like a temple, the guy next door who’s hooked on heroin is peeing into his toilet and I’m drinking it!

The owner of the business was also telling us about how bad it is to drink from plastic water bottles, apparently you shouldn’t buy them unless they are higher than a number 7, you’ll see the number next to the recycling symbol. Otherwise, the water is absorbing the plastic.

We currently have our water set up to come out of our fridge, it’s nice and cold and immediate. Much as I like the idea of revitalized, crap free water, I’m taking the easy route and sticking with my fridge water, I’m afraid. I know that even if I bought the plastic 5 gallon bottle, it would take me a couple of weeks to get around to re-filling it every time we ran out.

California is such a world of extremes. There are people here who worship their bodies, go to the gym religiously and have had so much plastic surgery, it’s laughable. As we cycle along the boardwalk, very obvious boob jobs come towards us. Really, if your boobs are pointing skywards, I’m not falling for it, you paid for them. I’ve even seen a couple of people with bandages wrapped around their heads, tentatively walking along the beach as they recuperate. These people have been nipped, tucked and are now perfect.

The other extreme is that the supermarket is loaded with processed food. We live in this amazing climate and have the Central Valley, which is the main farming area; you’d sort of expect everyone to be living off amazing produce. However, there are fast food chains everywhere offering $1 burgers and fries. It’s too easy and cheap to eat poorly.

I’m not convinced the Water Brewery is going to last. I hope it does, but everyone wants things immediately these days. It would be nice to get rid of the mass of plastic bottles you see outside the supermarket. It’s a shame to think those bottles are either going to landfill or will use energy to be recycled.

So we’ll be drinking ‘toilet to tap’ from now on. Or as a friend of mine called it Eau Du Toilette.

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

Sand in my fridge?

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:03:00 GMT

I have sand in my fridge.

I’m not the most domestic of goddesses, but really, how did I manage that? It’s one of the side effects of living at the beach. We wash off our feet before we enter the house, hose off the boys when they come off the beach, but still, it just gets everywhere. I’m considering having a layer of sand put down on the ground floor of the house. Then we could just rake it every few days, maybe put in a few feng shui swirls but surely that’s got to be easier than continually sweeping up endless piles of sand. I’m surprised there’s any left at the beach, it’s all come into our house.

The worse place for it to be is in bed. The boys always have piles on their sheets despite endless showers and baths. But it just gets everywhere especially into their hair and even after a shower it still seems to remain and slowly drop out around them.

The boys’ school is on the beach; literally their school playground is the beach. So when they come home, they’re covered. It’s in shoes, socks, pockets. Wherever we go we leave little piles of sand.

We recently visited the doctor for annual checkups. The boys removed their shoes and socks and you could hear the soft hiss of the sand draining out of their clothes and onto the floor. When the doctor arrived, the floor was covered and I was mortified. ‘Did you go to the beach today?’ she asked the boys. I offered to sweep it up before we left (yes, it was that bad) but she very kindly refused.

Then at the dentist we left a pile on the dentist chair. We leave it everywhere.

So, I’m sorry, if we visit you and we leave a pile of sand, it’s not our fault, honest. We do wash, we scrub but it just finds a way in somewhere and then out again at inappropriate moments.

And as for the sand in my fridge, I give up; I officially give up. I simply can’t explain how it got there.

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

etnies - a European tribe in Orange County

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:03:00 GMT

My youngest son is a skateboarder and a BMX rider. He wrecks his shoes.

For the first few years of his life we headed into Clarks, England’s main children’s shoe shop, to make sure the computer measured his feet correctly. Then the best black leather shoes were chosen to fit his feet perfectly so he would be smart for school.

On arrival in California, the Clarks’ black leather shoes were immediately ditched. Not only was black leather not appropriate here but everyone was wearing canvas skateboarding shoes plus there’s no uniform, no need to look smart.

In the back of my mind, I’ve been worried. Worried about the spotty teenager in the surf shop who measures my son’s feet and says ‘well dude, I think he, like, maybe, well could be a 2 or even a 3.’ How did I go from the thirty minute fitting at Clarks with the manager coming out to approve the size to ‘dude, you’re a 2?’

Last week, I was invited to tour etnies as part of an OC Family bloggers event. I didn’t know anything about etnies, I’d grouped it together with all the other surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding brands. Nice shoes, nice designs and that’s about it. What a great surprise to find out that a Frenchman and an Englishman founded the company. How wonderful to have a European influence on the skateboarding industry right here in Orange County.

On arrival, the first thing that hit me was the design of the building. It’s beautiful, all curves and not a straight line in sight – just like skateboarding.

The founder of etnies, Pierre André Senizergues was there to meet us and explain the philosophy behind the company and their products along with Don Brown, etnies’ marketing guru and fellow Brit (Don is from Brighton). As skateboarders in Europe in the 80s, Pierre and Don headed out to California to follow their love of the sport and together started designing shoes that would last because ‘skateboarding is the worst thing that can happen to a pair of shoes.’

Etnies do a great deal of biomechanics research on the impact skateboarding has on the body. Skateboarding has a force of 17 times your body weight on your feet when you land. The closest another sport comes to that is when a basketball player does a slam-dunk. Their biomechanics lab was fascinating and we watched as a skateboarder, covered in sensors, performed a trick and the computer analyzed his movements and where the body takes the most impact.

I liked the fact hat the company is environmentally friendly, incredibly so. Along with that I appreciated how fascinated they were with a group of women, all bloggers, all with children and how we all have our own individual voices here in Orange County.

Of course, now I’m re-thinking what my son wears when he’s skateboarding and BMX riding. It’s good to know that there is a company out there putting so much thought into the impact the sport has on the body.

My favourite quote of the day? From Pierre André Senizergues:

Skateboarding, like life, is all about balance.

Suz Broughton from Alive in Wonderland created a great video of our etnies day.

Marcy at The Glamorous Life was also in attendance.

See a special etnies promotion on Marcy’s blog.

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

Mommy? Who's that?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:26:00 GMT

I like to think I’m a cool Mum. I take my boys to the skate park, watch Jackass (yes, I really am that cool), blast The Killers from my car speakers and drive fast. I like irreverent humor and will laugh with my boys at silly things.

I even wear Vans, hurl myself off waterslides and boogie board (although I always worry that my bum looks big in my wetsuit.)

Don’t you think all that warrants respect and admiration from my boys?!

I think my sons appreciate the fact that I’m a cool mum. They ask me to do things with them and tend to gravitate to me when they’re at home.

However, as soon as we approach the school gates, my coolness disappears. I’m an embarrassment and my oldest son is ashamed to be seen with me.

Nowadays, I have to say goodbye to my son two blocks away from school. He’ll come alongside me on his bicycle and mutter goodbye, trying not to make eye contact, god forbid someone might see him talking to me.

The absolute worst thing I can do is speak to him at school. That would suggest we’re somehow related, that I somehow know him.

On Friday I had to do just that. There he was in the school playground, surrounded by friends and I had to walk up to him, call his name and tell him to meet me at the Book Fair after school. I’d forgotten to give him this vital piece of information before we’d left the house. The look of complete and utter horror and disgust on his face said it all. How dare I talk to him? How embarrassing!

What happened to the great time we had when I took you to see Coldplay in concert last summer? Or No Doubt? Remember how we jumped up and down in the stadium and sang along together? Or when I took you deep sea fishing and wrangled live fish bait for you?

All for nothing. I need to learn my place. At home I’m cool, at school I’m worthless.

In future all messages must be relayed before we leave home, no exceptions. I must not talk to him unless it is a complete and utter emergency, then I must approach with caution and wait until he is separated from his friends. No one can know that we are connected in any shape or form.

Believe me, I’ve learnt my place.

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

Three acres of wilderness right here in Newport Beach

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:06:00 GMT

I’ve lived in or visited Newport Beach for the last twenty years and I thought I knew it pretty well. One place I hadn’t discovered, until recently, was the Environmental Nature Center, an amazing area of 3.5 acres behind Newport Harbor High School. It’s a combination of California native plant communities, wildlife habitats and walking trails.

I offered to help out on a school trip to the ENC and couldn’t believe that I could feel lost in the wilderness right behind PCH. The ENC runs school programs throughout the school year with lessons and tours of the area but you can also just visit to walk around the trails and see what wildlife you can find.

There are walking trails, demonstration areas including a fossil specimen area, a recycling stream and pond, an amphitheater, a propagation area with greenhouse, picnic tables and even a Butterfly House.

It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon with children, take a picnic and wander the trails. Plus, because of all the trees, it’s beautifully shaded so enjoyable at all times of the year.

When you visit, take a close look at the Visitor Center. The ENC is the first building in Orange County to receive LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of certification which means it has smaller development footprints and a healthier environments for the occupants.

It’s an impressive place and the children loved it. For more details take a look at their web site and check out the upcoming events.

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

Dreading Conference Week

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:13:00 GMT

It’s Conference Week in the Newport-Mesa School District. School days are finishing early all week, we have the whole day off on Wednesday and I live in fear of seeing our sons’ teachers.

Yesterday as we headed to school to see our youngest son’s teacher, my stomach suddenly lurched sideways and continued to do somersaults for the rest of the journey. It didn’t settle until we’d made it into the classroom and sat down.

Why was I so nervous? I know how my son is getting on in school. I know how he behaves, what his schoolwork is like. I know his ability level. It’s so intimidating going into school, sitting on a small chair and hearing someone’s opinion on your child.

Luckily, all was as I expected, there were no nasty surprises and my stomach finally stopped lurching around all over the place.

I love seeing my oldest son’s teacher. Each year, the teacher always comes to the same conclusion, that he’s very confident, but needs to let others speak. He always wants to answer everything and has an opinion that he feels the entire class should hear. He’s just like my husband. So as the teachers see this as something he should improve upon, I feel like giving up. Yes, I should help him to learn to let others have their turn but it’s in his genes. He’s passionate about everything and if he knows the answer he wants to be the one to say it.

I would have hated him at school. I would have been the one sitting next to him muttering ‘nerd.’ But it’s good that there are children out there like that. Children who will answer all the questions for those of use who’d rather not. Those of us who took the easy route of slipping back down in our chairs and hoped to go unseen in the classroom.

At 2pm this afternoon, I’ll be sitting on a child’s chair to hear about my confident son, hoping no tough questions will be thrown my way (I’ll slope down in my chair if they do). I’ll watch a big smile appear on my husband’s face. A smile that says ‘that’s my boy.'

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

Reading to my boys

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:31:00 GMT

I read to my boys almost every night, it’s our treasured time. We used to all climb into bed for about 45 minutes with a pile of books and work our way through them. Now that they’re bigger, we sit on the sofa and read from maybe just one or two books with longer stories. It’s made a huge difference to their love of reading and passion for books. I don’t think I’m the greatest mother on the planet by a long shot, but this is one area that I’m really proud I’ve taken the time.

Our youngest son, who is in third grade, has a great new teacher who invites Mystery Readers to visit the classroom each week. I went in last week and it was such a pleasure to do so. When you arrive at school, you visit the school office, give three clues as to your identity, the school secretary then calls the classroom and relays the clues. During the time it takes to walk from the school office to the classroom, the children try to guess who it is. They’d guessed my identity and were gathered on the floor in front of a chair ready for me to read. I was so nervous! Reading out loud to a group of children was intimidating but I enjoyed it so much.

We’ve been introducing school classmates here to Horrid Henry. Apparently the books aren’t available here easily due to the fact that he’s such a rude character, hence why my boys love him, he’s disgraceful! The author, Francesca Simon, is a Californian who lives in the UK. The description of the Nativity Play is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read; it was a joy to read with them. There’s also a great Horrid Henry website for the children to play on. You can even find out your Horrid Henry name, mine is Lippy Lorna.

Another British institution that the boys love reading is The Beano, a weekly comic. We have it delivered every week in California and to my mind, it was a must have. Every British boy should read this growing up. It’s a rite of passage. Yes, the characters are rude and naughty, but aren’t all boys? Being the mother of boys you quickly realize that farts, burps and any other rude noise they can produce is their idea of heaven. The Beano has an international delivery and of course, the boys love having something in the post each week.

There’s a lot of repetition in childrens books between the UK and the US but we did discover the Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The other new book we’ve found is the Geronimo Stilton series which my younger son is enjoying reading and disappears for awhile whenever we get a new story.

At the moment we’re all reading The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, there are so many cliffhangers at the end of each chapter; it’s hard to put down. The boys beg for another chapter every night.

I’ve also realized to lead by example is one of the best things ever. Reading seemed such a guilty pleasure when there’s so much else I should be doing. However, I’ve decided that curling up on the sofa to read a few chapters and encouraging the boys to do the same is so worth it, for me and for them.

This afternoon, I’ll be curled up reading Jodi Picoult while the boys tackle Wimpy Kid - Dog Days and a new Gernonimo Stilton adventure. They can’t wait to get to the book store (and neither can I).

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

Bad Influences?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:45:00 GMT

Chronic Taco had a great party at their restaurant in Mission Viejo last week. The highlight of the event was the opportunity to meet Wee Man from Jackass. The boys rushed out of school and couldn’t wait to get to the restaurant and see him.

If you haven’t come across Jackass yet, it’s an MTV program where a group of guys do stupid stunts such as blindfolded skateboarding, human bowling, human slingshots, you get the idea. The boys have been watching Jackass with complete and utter glee. I’ve gone between thinking I’m an uber cool, hip Mum for letting them watch and thinking I’m irresponsible. When they turn into teenagers who think it’s fun to pull pranks and swallow live goldfish, I’m sure I’ll bitterly regret it.

At the Chronic Tacos party Wee Man was sitting behind a table signing photos and the boys walked up, star struck. Normally, the boys won’t stop talking but they just stood there grinning from ear to ear and incapable of speech. Wee Man is their hero!

Now when they watch Jackass, Wee Man is their favorite prankster, they shout out his name like he’s a friend of theirs.

The other irresponsible fellows they love are the Top Gear guys. I have to say, I love them too. It’s one of the few television programs that can make me laugh out loud. Top Gear is a motoring program produced by the BBC but they too pull crazy stunts and are completely irresponsible. My favorite element of the program is the dynamic between the three presenters. They completely ridicule and mock one another. It’s truly one of the funniest things on television.

The third worrying influence over my boys is Destroyed in Seconds or any disaster program on Discovery where people come within inches of death but always survive. The more dramatic the disaster the better. The presenter, Ron Pitts, has a fantastically serious style as he introduces all the disasters; it’s hard not to mock.

I do question whether these are good influences for the boys. We let them watch these programs and then when they do a stupid prank, we tell them off. It makes no sense whatsoever.

The Top Gear guys always drive their cars into one another whenever they stop driving. The boys mimic this when they’re on their bikes, crashing into one another. If Jeremy, Richard and James do it, I laugh. If my boys do it, I tell them off. Yes, I know that’s completely unfair.

I love someone that can make me laugh. My biggest attraction to all these guys is that they can make me laugh.

And yes, we even laugh at Destroyed in Seconds sometimes, but I probably shouldn’t admit that.

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please come and visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

The Horrible Boys Guide to a Posh Hotel

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:58:00 GMT

We’ve recently come back from a four-day trip to Texas. My husband had work to do and the boys and I went along so that we could all visit the Space Centre in Houston (which I highly recommend by the way).

The Revolving Door:

As it was work related, we stayed at a great hotel. I both love and live in fear of such places. With two small boys in tow, what should feel like complete luxury turns into fear as soon as we start rotating through the revolving door and the boys decide to stop it half way round for a laugh. We all stop and bump into the door in front of us. But so does the guy in the suit, who’s in the other section of the door, and suddenly it’s not so funny (well, maybe it’s a little funny.)

The Hotel Lobby:

Next is negotiating the hotel lobby. A simple thing to do. Walk in a straight line towards the check in desk and give them your name. Of course, walking in a straight line is far too straightforward. Best to weave around the group of business people arranging where to have lunch, or even better, knock into them with your backpack. Let them know you’ve arrived.

The Lobby Fountain:

We have our key and now head to the elevators but there’s a beautiful fountain on the way, so a quick stop to throw in the five-cent coin you found on the ground. But you miss the water and actually manage to get it on the fountain itself. The pristine fountain that’s hard to reach, a beautiful minimalist piece of metal jetting out of the wall, now with a coin lodged in the middle of the jet.

The Hotel Elevator:

When traveling up in the elevator make sure you push every single button after your floor so that the lift stops at each one before returning to collect someone else. The taller the hotel the more fun this is, more buttons to push. And one final thing, be sure to jump when you estimate the lift arrives at your floor for extra effect.

The Hotel Bed:

Next the hotel room itself. You’ve been stuck on a plane for a couple of hours, make sure you use up all that energy by jumping from one bed to the next. If it’s a super luxury hotel, there will be extra pillows. For more of a launch effect, pile high on one bed before leaping onto the other.

The Hotel Shower:

When taking a shower ensure both shower curtains are out of the bathtub, this allows for maximum flooding of the bathroom.

The Hotel Pool:

Finally, the hotel pool. Again, the better the hotel, the higher the potential for mischief. If the pool has jets projecting water into the pool for a beautiful effect, stand behind them and make it look as though you’re peeing into the pool. Then, get your older brother to lay on the floor so it looks as though you’re peeing into his mouth, shout across the pool very loudly ‘look mummy, I’m peeing into his mouth – get the camera.’ That won’t embarrass your mother at all, she’ll love it and be so proud.

You’d really think that I might be making this up but no; this was the result of our two-night stay in Fort Worth. My boys do have manners, I promise. It’s just the more stars a hotel has, the worst their behavior. At the moment, we’re more of a Motel 6 family than a Ritz Carlton. Or maybe we should just stick to camping until they’re eighteen and safe to let out in public.

They’ll be OK by then, won’t they?

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please come and visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.

Orange County? Where's that?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:26:00 GMT

My discovery that Orange County existed happened about twenty years ago when I met some American guy in London. The guy was visiting the UK and told me about California, Orange County and the Balboa Peninsula, where he was living at the time. Such was his passion for the place, he drew me a picture of the peninsula marking out prominent places like the piers, the Fun Zone, the ferry and Balboa Island. He was desperate for me to understand what an amazing place it was. The sketch was a pencil drawing of a place I never thought I’d visit but I kept the drawing, tucking it away for safe keeping. Six months later I was on a plane to LA to visit the guy and the place he had drawn for me in London.

Of course, I fell head over heels in love with the peninsula (and with the guy). I could understand his passion and the need to try to explain and outline Balboa to me.

The guy soon became my husband and two boys later and after living in the UK for a while; we’re now back living in Newport Beach. We made the move just over a year ago and this time I’m coming back as a Mum (sorry, I just can’t make the transition to mom, not yet anyway) and what a difference that has made. I’m now completely ensconced in the community. Complete and utter fear of taking my sons away from their friends, teachers, soccer coaches and family in England has been replaced by pure joy as we cycle around the peninsula and other kids shout hello to them, or when we go into a store or restaurant and people high five my boys. Two boys with British accents don’t blend in very well here on the peninsula and they’ve quickly made friends.

Within weeks of our arrival play dates had been made, teachers met, and parents offered advice on dentists, doctors and baseball leagues. I love the feeling of being part of the community and this is entirely down to the fact that I now have two boys. I spend my Sundays at baseball games, trying to understand the rules; I’m getting there, slowly.

We love the Orange County lifestyle and the weather; I can’t even begin to explain how much I love the weather. Although the boys ask about England now and then, with a great school and new friends, they’re slowly letting go of their life in the UK and embracing their life here.

And the guy I met in London is so happy to be home! I still have the sketch he drew for me twenty years ago, tucked away in a keepsake box, the peninsula is exactly the same as the picture. It’s just as it should be, it’s home.

For more on our life in Orange Country from a British point of view, please come and visit me at Calif Lorna and follow me on Twitter for daily cultural misunderstandings.