Lessons learned in LA.

We just got back last night from a long weekend in Los Angeles, and it was a good trip. Every time we travel with Madame we get a little better at doing it, and we learn a little more. The difficult part is she keeps growing and changing, so just when we think we know exactly how to handle things, she decides to change the rules. So, at almost 13 months, this is what we learned:

• Damn the baby needs her nap. We knew that this trip would be a lot different from her usual weekday schedule where she gets a nap in the middle of the day, but we figured it would be OK. We thought she would sleep here and there in the car on the way to stuff, and in the end she'd have the same sunny disposition she usually has. That, as it turns out, was completely wrong. By the end of the day she was cranky and beside herself; barely able to function. Which brings me to my next revelation.
• You can really only do one thing per day. Going out in the morning for some shopping, then lunch, then a museum, then dinner out is way too aggressive. I have to learn that this isn't my old life, and even though there's tons more I want to do, I need to pare it down. Because ultimately stuff starts getting less and less fun the crankier she gets.
• King Tut was a let down. Where was the golden death mask, the boyhood throne and the big senet game I remember seeing when I was a kid back in the 70s? The exhibit was still worth seeing, but if you do get to go, know that it's not the same as what you may remember. And don't bring your 13 month old, at least to LACMA. The exhibit is way too crowded, people don't move, and even though strollers are allowed, eventually your kid will start to loose it; no matter how much of a nap she got on the way there.
• Caffe Angeli wasn't exactly what I thought it would be. On Saturday we had dinner on Melrose at this Italian rustico restaurant called Caffe Angeli. I had read that the chef had re-worked the restaurant to cater to parents who wanted a great meal in a place where their kids would be welcome too, so I thought it would be perfect. (Apparently they do fun things for kids like give them pizza dough to make into shapes for their own personalized pizza). Although the staff was extremely friendly and accommodating, and we had very early reservations; we were the only family there with a child of any age, which wasn't really what I had in mind. But my dinner was very, very good (and if Madame had been less cranky it would have been great).
• The Boston Red Sox are still the greatest sports team ever. We took Madame to her first Red Sox game on Sunday in Anaheim, and the Red Sox won in dramatic fashion. It was great, but I do pity anyone who lives in southern California and has to drive north/south on any freeway. US 5 is absolutely miserable.

Comments

[Beth Lee]

Next time you're in LA, try one of these two places; both are kid-friendly. Piccolo, in Venice, is fantastic, and the owners have a 1 yr old, so they totally understand and they're lovely. The other is Campanile, on La Brea. Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton both have been quoted saying that children are welcome at the restaurant, and I've seen lots there, including my less-than-6-months baby.