Clawed Logic

Musical theater is not my first love. In truth, it's not even on my top 10. The words that have to be sung instead of just spoken, the over-dramatic dance gestures, the gratuitously glittery costumes ... it's all wasted on my unsophisticated-West Coast-let's-just-go-to-the-movies-centric hapless brain.

So why did I attend last night's premiere of CATS, arguably one of the most argued about Broadway imports to land (on its feet, of course) at the Pantages on Hollywood Boulevard? Three reasons:

1. I feel that exposure to these things might help me beef up the "love" part of the love/hate relationship I have with musicals. It's my version of immersion therapy.


2. Attending these performances is part of my cultural education. At the next cocktail party, I want to make sure I can comment on the obvious comparisons between feline ethos and our own humble and decidedly less refined human existence.


3. Kate LOVES musical theater.

I've written about Kate's adoration of the theater before (see my previous post on Riverdance), and I feel very strongly about the fact that I need to ensure that she is as familiar with T.S. Eliot's role in CATS as she is with Zack Efron's associations with basketball. While she embraces the "boards," I am equally motivated to deliver her to an L.A. Sparks game or a Ziggy Marley concert.

And as her escort in the manner of these affairs, I'm not always going to be the rabid (sorry, "cats") fan of them that she is (and vice-versa, of course). To wit, at last night's performance, her uncouth mother could not understand that despite our third-row view of CATS in all their feline finery, she needed a booster seat for a better view.

Me: Kate, what are you doing? We're almost the same size, and I can see each whisker on those cats' faces.

Kate: But I can't see their feet. That's the important part.

Oh. Yeah. OK.

So as we add Broadway musicals to the cultural dance card, I've had to, shall we say, devise some survival strategies. Perhaps if you have a similar dynamic in your home, you might find these tips helpful. Here goes:

• About every 15-20 minutes, look over at the unadulterated joy on your child's face. All the "Why are the lyrics so strange?" and "Is that cat going to heaven?" questions (from me) just melt away.
  
  That's MY favorite kitty in the center. Photo credit: © 2008, G CREATIVE


• Make it a bonding experience. Kate and I rode the Metro Red Line, giving us time to chat about her school life. She even confessed to having her first "crush" as we giggled together on the subway.


• Have treats! Intermission should be all about the chocolate chip cookies. Oh, and the Pantages has a bar.


• Enjoy the crowd-watching. At the previous musical, Joanne Worley entertained us with her signature laugh and shook hands with all of us in nearby rows.


• Pick a kitty. I favored the white lady cat, who had a beautiful "coat." And when she slinked into the audience she pawed at my shoe. We connected. She was a brilliant dancer, and I watched her reactions onstage and how deeply she stayed in character throughout the show. This method also worked for me during Riverdance. Just find a favorite and follow them.

Do that, and your child might look like this by nights' end:



Totally worth it, right?

Tickets for CATS, which runs through March 21, are $25-$78 (children under 5 are not admitted, so hold off on their Broadway education till they're old enough to appreciate the power of "Memory").

Oh, and please leave a comment below if you can tell me what CATS is about and how to better appreciate the performances.

A Ruff Hangout

A day in the life of Olive, the Graham Family dog:

• Wake up at the crack of dawn so I can wake everyone else up at the crack of dawn.


• Thoroughly sniff out wet lawn for wayward squirrels and birds.


• Track muddy footprints collected from wet lawn through house.


• Bark at UPS delivery person.


• Take a nap.


• Dig up musty rawhide and place in Carolyn's bed.


• Take a nap.


• Go get musty rawhide out of yard and return it to rightful place in Carolyn's bed.


• Stare forlornly at Carolyn in order to remind her that dinner should be served promptly at 6 p.m.

Hotel Indigo guests enjoy drinks with their dogs.

That makes for a long dog-day afternoon, so it stands to reason that she – and all other pups out there with similarly demanding agendas – would need to kick back and relax at their local watering hole. That's why you'll find Canine Cocktails at the Hotel Indigo San Diego, which this spring is bringing back its popular happy hour geared for the four-legged.

Hotel doggie ambassador Sandie dives into the reflecting pool with a pal.

Collies, poodles, labs and all manners of mutts are invited onto the hotel's ninth floor Phi Terrace Bar from 6:30-9 p.m. one Tuesday per month to enjoy some complimentary dog bones, snacks and bottled water  as well as the reflecting pool and green rooftop (the next event is March 16). Their people can sample the tapas from Phi Bar and Bistro and then feel good about ordering up one of the specialty cocktails – such as the signature Blue Indigo "Phi" martini – since a dollar of every drink sold is donated to the San Diego Humane Society. There's no cover charge for the Canine Cocktails, but dogs must be on a leash and keep their paws off tables and chairs (and no growling – remember, this is "happy" hour).

While you're there, be sure to introduce your pooch to Sandie (San Diego without the "go"), the hotel's Lab mix who was adopted from the San Diego Humane Society and who now serves as the hotel's mascot and ambassador.

During the summer, the Canine Cocktails will commence to every Tuesday. And dog-loving Angelenos don't have to worry about making the long drive just for the day – the 210-room property located in the Gaslamp District (and appropriately just one block from PETCO Park) welcomes pooches to stay overnight (nightly rates start at $199, with no extra charge or deposit for pets).

Punching the Clock

As the self-proclaimed queen of "I Don't Have Time For This," I often wear that title as though it is a burden that has been thrust upon me. The truth is, my perceived lack of time is caused by a series of choices that I have made. I chose to put my daughter in Girl Scouts. I chose to put my kids in a school that requires a long commute from my job. Yes, I chose to have a job. Heck, I chose to have kids!

The choices we make and how we spend our time essentially make us the people we are. That's the message I received loud and clear from Diane Flannery, Ph.D., director and co-founder of the brand-new UCLA Family Commons (read more about the center's mission at Health-E). By applying scientific studies and research to our real lives, the facility provides a nonjudgmental space for parents to gather resources, evaluate the issues they're dealing with and ultimately, help create healthy, mindful families.

Getting to that point means taking a close look at yourself.

One of the first things the folks at the center do to help parents is to give them a Family Wellness Checkup. Since "we are what we do," Flannery says, this test helps break down, hour by hour, how you spend your life. Then you take those results and compare them to your values to see if it all matches up.

It was eye-opening last year when I started counting calories to help me shed a few pounds. If you look at, think about and quantify each bite, then you figure out pretty quickly why you can't see your feet when you look down at the scale. I had the same experience when I started looking at my always-empty bank account. We eat, spend and do stuff throughout the course of a week without even realizing how much or how little.

When I looked at my 168 hours of the week, I realized that almost 100 of those went to work and sleep. A big chunk went to school. My chart showed very tiny bubbles for exercise, family activities, fun and relaxation. Does that correspond to my values? Do does it motivate me to make some changes? No and yes.

If you're interested in taking a Family Wellness Checkup you can sign up at the UCLA Commons site. Flannery sent me home with the "5-Minute Hourglass," an item you can buy at the center. The hourglass helps you dedicate five minutes to focus on whatever matters most to you. And trust me, you have time for that.

Out & About

L.A. Parent had a blast at the Baby & Kids Expo that we sponsored at the end of January at the Pasadena Convention Center. A HUGE thanks goes out to all the great companies that provided prizes for our giveaways, including Kazaam, Suave and Ubisoft, among others. And thanks to all of our loyal and new readers, who came by to say 'hi' and to show off their adorable kids!

Check out these photos from the event (thanks to staffers Dean Gojobori and Terresa Burgess for taking photos at the event, too!):

We gave away tons of cool stuff for kids and parents!

We brought along some L.A. Parent advertisers!

And we had a great time!

There Rides a Peace Troop

The Peace Troop was orginated by 12 selfless girls who wanted to make a difference.

That's a quote from L.A. mom Kelly Gibbels who recently wrote to tell me about her brand-new, very grassroots organization. She's technically "the leader," she writes, but the ideas and motivation come squarely from the minds of the young citizens she helps guide.

They are not involved for recognition purposes, to get into the school of their choice or for the latest "Wii" program. They do it because it makes them feel good to live outside their own "bubble," and wish to share their hearts and souls with the world.

Wow. Since these 9-year-olds came together and called themselves a troop, they have participated in beach clean-ups, visited elderly and disabled people and started selling necklaces to raise funds for earthquake victims in Haiti.

Gibbels, a former Girl Scout leader, joined forces with fellow Peace Trooper mom Cheri Hofer to take a hands-on approach to the activities that the group has organically developed and feels that it's made a strong impact on the girls. The girls are certainly engaged in what they're doing, and Gibbels is thinking about expanding and maybe taking the concept to a more "organized" level.

But for now, at least, the group is doing a lot of good – both for themselves and those around them.

So, congrats to Elllie, Lindsey,  Luna, Sophie G., Morgan H., Calia, Talia, Ori, Isabel, Sierra, Sophie S. and Coco for a job well done!