Yesterday, we took Lulu to a salon for African Americans and had her hair braided. We started with a trip to Sally’s to buy hair (the bargain of the day at $7 for three packages) and then the stylist started braiding around 11:00. She braided. And braided. And braided. We thought it would never end. The stylist told us we needed to leave Lulu there and just go do our thing, and I felt so badly about not being with her the whole time, but poor Lulu was there for over NINE hours! NINE! We came and went every couple of hours, bringing her lunch and treats and checking on her status. Fortunately, the stylist was very kind and accommodating. Lulu got lots of snacks and breaks and got to watch TV the entire time. All day eating and TV watchig are off limits at our house, so she felt pretty pamapered.

While we were waiting, my mom, my husband and I took the kids to a play area in my parents’ neighborhood so they could play for a while. They played basketball, dodge ball, searched the bushes for snails and lizards, and got themselves soaking wet with a few of their empty water bottles and a ready drinking fountain. None of this could have taken place back home in 20 degree weather!

Every time I’m in California, I feel conflicted. I miss it so much! I miss the big city, the restaurants, the people, and all the things there are to do, but I don’t miss the frantic pace (at least it feels frantic to me now) and I don’t miss the stucco. I hate stucco. As one of my eight year olds commented after our walk home from the playground, “All the houses look the same here, mom.” Yep, that’s because they’re all various shade of taupe and beige with tile roofs and stucco. ;)

But what I really miss about California is the diversity, and the relative ease with which so many ethnic groups live together. As a mom of multiracial kids, I miss having easy access to products I need for their care, and more importantly, the constant access to people who share their heritage. Our home community has become much more diverse over the last few years, but we can still go several days without seeing another Asian or Black person. If it weren’t for the diversity in our church, it would be much harder to feel good about staying where we are. For now, though, we’re enjoying the sites and sounds around us and feeling grateful that it’s indeed possible to travel to such a place with a family the size of ours.

Today: more haircuts and hair highlights, some shopping and dinner.
Tomorrow: San Diego Zoo!