The L.A. Dime

This is a few weeks late but the last time Brad and I went for our check-up at the dentist, we took Sophie along so Dr. Knitter could take a look at her teeth too. She watched Dada have his teeth cleaned first and then she hopped right up into the dentist chair. The dental hygienist was very calm and didn’t get discouraged when Sophie would only keep her mouth open for a few seconds and was really more interested in eating the polishing paste than sitting still. The dentist also took a quick peek and gave us the thumbs up. All in all, it was a good attempt at getting her used to the idea and getting a new toothbrush with Elmo on it was a sure way to win over Sophie for her next appointment.

It seems that after you’ve been dating your significant other for a while, people start to ask “so, how did you two meet”. Every couple has their own story and ours began on Thanksgiving Day, thirteen years ago. I won’t bore you with the details but for all that know us, you know that it’s what we call our “typical KY story”, which we then follow with a chuckle and a big smile. So every year, I am reminded of that cold day at the Walters’ annual Turkey Bash, where a college freshman was standing in the kitchen getting a drink, when her tall, handsome “all american boy” walked in…and into her heart.

But enough about that….Thanksgiving is Brad’s favorite holiday. I believe it is because he has many, many years of fond memories which include an amazing meal, every family member surrounding multiple tables, all the cousins making fun of each other, lots of football watching and maybe even a quick nap on a well-loved couch.

Moving to LA 10 years ago meant that we’d start our own traditions and memories. It began with us hosting Turkey Day at our apartment in Hollywood and inviting anyone that didn’t have a family close by….which was mostly Brad’s USC friends. Over time, that group expanded to and include dates, girlfriends/boyfriends and eventually spouses. While there certainly is a bit of preparing and trying to figure out where to seat everyone, the actual task of making the turkey is one that I don’t find that hard and actually quite enjoy. I’ve done it since my college years at Xavier and very much look forward to it. Back then, I’d get up early to put the bird in the oven and then sleep for a few more hours. Today, our little Sophie doesn’t allow for a lot of sleeping in but she sure was excited this year (it seems that she’s starting to understand the anticipation and then happening of big events).

A few years back, we started taking turns with our dear friends Mark & Faleena. This year, it was their turn to host and we were so looking forward to having it at their new house, with their new baby Caitlin. They did an amazing job with the food, decorations and making everyone feel right at home.

I am thankful to have the opportunity to be with our little family; to be surrounded by our dear friends who are there for us when and where ever; family that supports our adventures; to have our health (and that includes having figured out about Brad’s Celiac disease); to have a job that helps provide for us; and the moments of happiness that come from simple things like hearing Sophie call for me and Brad smiling at me for no reason at all.

Our neighborhood isn’t the best for trick-or-treating, so we’d made plans with the Shepherds to join them in Santa Monica. After all 3 boys got sick though, we were left to scramble at the last minute to find a new neighborhood to go to.

And so began another “wow – we live in a crazy place adventure”. A few of my work friends had told me about a neighborhood in Westlake Village where the residents goes all out with decorating their homes; setting up stations where several neighbors congregate in one driveway to give out candy and even play music. It gets so crowded that the area is watched by policemen on horses and a team of “Disaster Recovery Officers”.

We’d told Sophie that we were going trick-or-treating that night so she happily obliged the 40 minute drive (I know, who drives somewhere to go trick-or-treating, right?) and put on her elephant costume. She grabbed her pumpkin bucket and headed to the first house. At first she was pretty good about saying “truck or treat” but that quickly changed to “let’s go to the next house”. She loved seeing all the other kids dressed up and got quite a few compliments herself. She did great walking from house to house and was very interested in all the decorations. After about an hour and a cotton candy treat for Brad & I (yup, one house had a cotton candy machine set up as their treat), we left to go home. Wanting to let Sophie enjoy her treats but also not wanting to cause a sugar rush, we decided to give her a lollipop and when asking her what she thought about Halloween she responded with “Lollipop gooooooood”.