Already 18

Day no 18 already, time flies. ME waking up to a beautiful early morning, had to set the alarm clock because we are in for another wake-up-packing routine. HE wakes up too and we quickly decide to go jogging on the beach, SHE and No3 still asleep. We leave a note and off we run. Beautiful! And very tempting to jump in the Pacific right away but it's freezing cold. So we go back, wake up the girls and do the routine.

The Three Teenagers are in for a surprise today because ME made the decision to finally play along with the LA tune and booked a really nice hotel, downtown close to Hollywood. The last four nights we will enjoy a nice room, a pool and all the wonderful things that come with staying in a hotel. But first The Three Teenagers and me have to check out, pack the car (did I ever mention that part? Maybe not, because its absolutely ridiculous. Does anyone know how it is to drive somewhere with three kids? Carseats do NOT come in doubles. There is only one drivers seat, one front seat, one middle....you get the picture. No matter how much you decide in the first place on a switch routine so everybody gets to sit everywhere in the car - except the drivers seat of course - each kid is always sitting in the wrong seat. Would you believe I booked a van just beacuse it has three rows of seats for The Three Teenagers so they do not have to sit in one row together? No3 is the most peculiar about it and we spent several hours - no kidding - during our cartrips with rearranging her backseat space. Up to the point, where No3 would be in charge of packing the car so every piece of luggage would be exactly where she wants it to be - she loves to build caves, if you know what I mean...) without having a nervous breakdown and take the short trip to our next hotel.

On the road we stop at a pancake place, that was on the what-you-have-to-do-in-the-US list. The Three Teenagers are not much into experiments, they order what they know, ME trying out some yummie sounding whole wheat blueberry thing with other seemingly healthy ingredients. The place is peculiar, right on Santa Monica Blvd, and the waitress surely things we are nuts because The Three Teenagers and me want to eat outside. But we love it and love every crumb of the pancakes.

On we go to Hyatt Century Plaza. Its right next to MGM building. We ascend to the 11th floor and step into a room with incredible view, south towards Santa Monica and the pacific in the distance - if there is ever a clear day. Yeah, I know, its a joke, LA and clear days...

The Three Teenagers and ME drop the luggage and head back to he car, its Hollywood Day. We do the tourist thing: Park the car (only $2 the whole day, if you get a stamp on the guest relation center) and do the walk of fame. Chinese theater. Only look at Madame Tussaud. Hard Rock Café. Souvenir Shops. Stars Stars Stars. Three hours later we had it and I can tell, that The Three Teenagers are not sure again wether they should like this or be disappointed. The Hollywood thing I mean. Its not as glamourous as you think...For instance no way getting close to the Michael Jackson star because a fake one was busy making money having his picture taken. I had George Clooney in my hands....

We go get the car and drive into Beverly Hills. After asking a real nice young man for directions because driving around and looking at houses makes you soooo dizzy, that you loose orientation, the day ends absolutely perfectly at friends house, where we - in lack of seats or tables or anything - have pizza on the floor. Some nightly grocerie shopping, good girls talk while more teenagers and spouse are watching a movie.

The Three Teenagers and ME go back to our giltterati hotel in the glitterati part of glitterati LA. The view at night from our room is breathtaking and ME putting The Three Teenagers to bed. First time in 18 days that ME leaves them alone to have a drink at the bar. Guess what: The bar was closed and it was only midnight. Partypoopers!