First Day of Pre-School

August 19, 2011 was a very important day in the Best household. It was Ahmed's birthday and his first day at A.F.I. (2yr film school program) and it was also Marley's first day of preschool at Los Feliz Corners. It was a hectic morning, getting the boys off to school! We all left at the same time, Ahmed having to leave slightly earlier than Marley. I packed his book bag and lunch, and we arrived! Breathe! Is this happening? The teachers greeted us at the door, Marley ran in with excitement and he said "Hi" to teachers Kent, Kristi and some of the other children. I showed him the bathroom and the mini toilets ......he was so excited. He asked if he could go poopie and he did! Yay. We're partially potty trained. So, after we washed our hands, I stooped down to Marley and said "Mommy is going to leave, have fun and Mommy loves you". He quickly said "Okaayyyy, Love you MOM.". Huh? My baby had so much fun. I called a couple of times during the day. He did great. Had fun. His teachers said he asked for me a couple of times and he also didn't want to take a nap. But other than that......They were very impressed with his first day of school. We are going to put him in Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. Sometimes full days and sometimes half days, depending on my schedule. I am so happy that he loves school.

ARt MuSic & FoOd

This summer has been a real fun exploring with a 2 1/2 year old. I am so exhausted sometimes,

from multitasking the details of daily life, but at the end of the day when I put my Marley to sleep.....it's all so worth it.

Music: Marley pictured with Herman Matthews

This summer I have been making extra efforts to take Marley to live music events in Los Angeles. It so funny how he is past the point of being amused, he is actually studying and memorizing lyrics and melodies. He seizes any opportunity to go up on a stage and ask the drummer if he can play, sometimes they politely say no, but most of the time they prop Marley on their knee and let him play.

Which leads to my epiphany this year.....My 2 yr old gets it! He takes the bull by the horns and goes for it. Honestly, I admire him for his boldness, of course he knows no better, but its his instinct! We all were born with that right? When did it go away? Anyways, this is why I have never been so present in my life. I spent a lot of time in my life worrying about what people thought of me, hanging on to hurtful words, and beating myself up for not meeting unrealistic expectations. It blinded me and outweighed all the amazing things that has happened to me. Well No more. Life is too short and it took me thirty something years to understand ........"that energy & negative people", has nothing to do with you. So my remedy! I really try to stay in the moment, focus and be grateful for everything I have, most importantly family and friends. I treasure every minute with my son. He is life. He is happiness. He is a part of me. If one were to ask me .."What makes you great?" I would say "I with the love of my life was a part of creating one of the most amazing human beings on Earth."

Art:

Everyone in Los Angeles seems to been really into finding the hippest places to receive services, especially for their children. Why? I don't need an art studio to teach Marley to paint. All he needs is water paint, paper, brushes and space! So, we went around the corner to the art store, bought all of our supplies and Marley just went to town. He actually made some really

interesting pieces. One was called "Robot" he made that for his daddy. And the second painting is called "Chocolate ice cream......cold,cold." for his grand mommie. I am not joking that is what he called it when I asked him what it was.

FOOD:

Well my little foodie has a grocery list of things he loves. It goes as such: Kefir, Bread, Cheese, Cereal, Apple Juice, Corn on the Cob, Soup with noodles, pasta, Salmon, California Rolls, avocado, apples, Tortilla chips, Pizza, Broccoli, Lemon, Oranges, Watermelon, rice, cooked carrots, tamales, and Veggie burgers. I am sure there is more, but these are his staples.

In our neighborhood, we have an array of restaurants and cafes to choose from. I often go for a stroll to see what's new and to take advantage of the lunch specials. We walked pass one sports bar with outdoor seating. The sign said "Free pizza with purchase of a beer". I asked Marley if he wanted pizza. Of course he said "YaY, Mama!" So needless to say it was happy hour for both of us.

With all of this said. I feel like I'm experiencing the best years of my life. It seems like I get a new pair of eyes, which in turn has allowed me to recognize my sons passion and gifts. Opening up my heart so much that all I want to do is nurture and give him all the tools to further enjoy what he loves to do. And all I'm doing is taking his lead. I Love you Marley.

It's a Beachday Birthday Party!!!

July 31, 2011 We had the joy of celebrating Skender Laybourne's 2nd Birthday at Santa Monica Beach. First of all, he is one of the most amazing little boys ever. He is so cute and dreamy. Every time I look into his little face, I melt. So you could imagine my heart looking at all the children playing together. So special. We are really lucky to share with his parents and dear friends Sam and Herran Laybourne these priceless milestones. We were missing our band mates Nainoa and the Delaforces.....which has a nice ring to it. A family band....hmm? A perfect day. A day I will never forget. Happy Birthday Skender and a Big Welcome to Lulit! A beauty. The Love Regime Lives.

www.beachhouse.smgov.net

The Best@ Los Feliz Fair

I have had a fear of snakes for a long time. I might have seen a couple of garden snakes in my life, but for the most part it was the Zoo......and those scary Snake movies, where they constrict your neck so that you cannot breathe or bite you with some venom that is fatal! So, when I see people with snakes ....I freeze and walk the other way. Ignorance paralyzes you! I know nothing about snakes. And honestly I can live without them.

If it were not for Marley,I would not have looked nor asked all the questions I wanted to know ........... Marley had the courage to touch them and this was my moment to be brave? Yikes.... Okay...Hahahah Nice .....Snakey.......Oh isn't that nice? Let's just say, Marley thinks mommy is pretty cool.

Any more snakes for me? Nah. I'm Good. ;)