Video: L.A. toddlers

We had a very car day today. I picked up Sylvia at 5 p.m., which means an interminable ride home or, in this case, to the grocery store. Oddly, when we arrived, all the kids wanted to do was get back in a car:

OK, so we can't escape the fact that we are raising our children in Los Angeles, land of terrible traffic, where car culture reigns.

Another inescapable fact: Kevin and I spend a lot of time on our phones and, as a consequence, our children love to play with them. Today, both kids spent some time playing "phone." Tavio kept picking mine up, holding it to his ear, and making little "conversation" noises. The only recognizable word is the sing-songy "Hiiiiiiii." Sometimes, instead of picking up the actual phone, he would pick up the ear bud and hold it to his ear. Other times, he would put it in his mouth.

At bathtime, Sylvia took up the scuba tanks that her little bath diver wears and hung it off her ear. "This is my phone," she announced. "I'm going to make a call." Then, staring off in the distance, she said, "Hello? Hi! I'm finally here. We were stuck in traffic. Hello? I lost you."

Kevin and I could not help cracking up. "Mama," she called, "what are you laughing at?"