I have written before about my love-hate thing for LA. Well, yesterday there was no love at all.
I was taking my son to his swim lesson - he is two years old and the lesson is 15 minutes. The lesson was (supposed to be) at 6:15pm, so we left before 5pm because it usually takes us about 45 minutes. On a good day (happened only twice) we made it in less than 30 minutes. Once we did not make it at all, because we got stuck on I10 for so long that I just gave up and turned around.
We left the Santa Monica main library, which is at 6th and Santa Monica (for those of you who know the area) at 4:50pm. The destination was Fairfax and Olympic, I usually take I10, because even if it is slow, it is faster than taking surface streets. But the I10 ramp on 4th was completely backed up, all the way from the light on 4th, so I decided to take surface streets and get on I10 further up, on Centinela. I got to Pico and Centinela at 5:35. I was up on the highway at 6:00!!!!. Of course we could not make it by 6:15, so my hubby called to see if any instructor was available later. Fortunately, there was someone, at 6:45, so I kept going. Once I was on the highway, it was moving, slowly, but it was moving. I thought I should make it by 6:35, so I have enough time to change him and all, but we got to the pool at 6:45!! I could not believe it! I was so frustrated! No, I was mad!!! I just had my son strapped in his seat for 2 (TWO) hours, so he could swim for 10 minutes. And he was such a good boy. Can you imagine, two years old and did not complain once. I think he could sense that I was out of my mind, so he kept quiet.
When we got there, I rushed to change him, all the while explaining to him that L. (his instructor which he loves) is not there, so he would swim with V. (whome he never met). He is a bit shy and tends to attach to people he likes and than it is hard for him to go to sombody else. He seemed OK, he said he would go, until we were at the edge of the pool when he held me so tight I could not peel him off me. He would not go with V. Not a chance. And I did not want to push, I don't want him to be unhappy with swimming, he as doing so good, already floating and turning over by himself. But most importantly he enjoyed swimming so much, he would not want to leave at the end of the lesson; and he would say to me "swim with L.?" almost every day. I did not want that to change.
But then L. came and offered to take him for a few minutes. But he wouldn't go! Even with her! She even brough the little slide over, which helped a little - he eventually got in the water. She put him on the platform to climb on the slide, and then he started crying again, wantes to get out and go home. That was it. We went home. Another 45 minutes in the car, going back. Ten minutes into our ride he fell asleep. I guess he was too tired to swim. Poor kid. At this point I am rethinking the whole thing. Driving so far, twice a week, for 15 minutes of swimming! It seems crazy! It is crazy! But he loved it so much.
I am actually rethinking the whole driving in LA thing. I was so frustrated yesterday (I still am) that I don;t want to drive anywhere outside 10mile radius from our home. Actually I am rethingking the whlole LA thing...
One last thought - this is LA. LA! City on Pacific Ocean. 13 milion people or so. One of the biggest cities (area wise) in the world. And there is only ONE good swim school for kids (www.lennykswim.com). They started only a year ago, before that people who were serious about their kids learing how to swim early, took their kids down to Orange County. This is LA! One decent swim school (two locations, but still!). But there are plenty of plastic surgery clinics (9 just in Beverly Hills!).
That's LA (I grin).
I was taking my son to his swim lesson - he is two years old and the lesson is 15 minutes. The lesson was (supposed to be) at 6:15pm, so we left before 5pm because it usually takes us about 45 minutes. On a good day (happened only twice) we made it in less than 30 minutes. Once we did not make it at all, because we got stuck on I10 for so long that I just gave up and turned around.
We left the Santa Monica main library, which is at 6th and Santa Monica (for those of you who know the area) at 4:50pm. The destination was Fairfax and Olympic, I usually take I10, because even if it is slow, it is faster than taking surface streets. But the I10 ramp on 4th was completely backed up, all the way from the light on 4th, so I decided to take surface streets and get on I10 further up, on Centinela. I got to Pico and Centinela at 5:35. I was up on the highway at 6:00!!!!. Of course we could not make it by 6:15, so my hubby called to see if any instructor was available later. Fortunately, there was someone, at 6:45, so I kept going. Once I was on the highway, it was moving, slowly, but it was moving. I thought I should make it by 6:35, so I have enough time to change him and all, but we got to the pool at 6:45!! I could not believe it! I was so frustrated! No, I was mad!!! I just had my son strapped in his seat for 2 (TWO) hours, so he could swim for 10 minutes. And he was such a good boy. Can you imagine, two years old and did not complain once. I think he could sense that I was out of my mind, so he kept quiet.
When we got there, I rushed to change him, all the while explaining to him that L. (his instructor which he loves) is not there, so he would swim with V. (whome he never met). He is a bit shy and tends to attach to people he likes and than it is hard for him to go to sombody else. He seemed OK, he said he would go, until we were at the edge of the pool when he held me so tight I could not peel him off me. He would not go with V. Not a chance. And I did not want to push, I don't want him to be unhappy with swimming, he as doing so good, already floating and turning over by himself. But most importantly he enjoyed swimming so much, he would not want to leave at the end of the lesson; and he would say to me "swim with L.?" almost every day. I did not want that to change.
But then L. came and offered to take him for a few minutes. But he wouldn't go! Even with her! She even brough the little slide over, which helped a little - he eventually got in the water. She put him on the platform to climb on the slide, and then he started crying again, wantes to get out and go home. That was it. We went home. Another 45 minutes in the car, going back. Ten minutes into our ride he fell asleep. I guess he was too tired to swim. Poor kid. At this point I am rethinking the whole thing. Driving so far, twice a week, for 15 minutes of swimming! It seems crazy! It is crazy! But he loved it so much.
I am actually rethinking the whole driving in LA thing. I was so frustrated yesterday (I still am) that I don;t want to drive anywhere outside 10mile radius from our home. Actually I am rethingking the whlole LA thing...
One last thought - this is LA. LA! City on Pacific Ocean. 13 milion people or so. One of the biggest cities (area wise) in the world. And there is only ONE good swim school for kids (www.lennykswim.com). They started only a year ago, before that people who were serious about their kids learing how to swim early, took their kids down to Orange County. This is LA! One decent swim school (two locations, but still!). But there are plenty of plastic surgery clinics (9 just in Beverly Hills!).
That's LA (I grin).
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