What's your L.A. Story, Debi Derryberry?

What's your L.A. Story, Debi Derryberry? from LA Story on Vimeo.

Part II:

What's your L.A. Story, Debi Derryberry? Part II from LA Story on Vimeo.

If you're a parent -- and maybe even if you're not -- you've probably heard Debi Derryberry's voice in your home a million times. And not in a stalker kind of way. She's the talent behind "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" himself, as well as characters on "Oswald" and "Curious George."

But the voice talent and singer/songwriter is also mom to 8-year-old son River and has recently launched her newest children's CD, "Baby Banana."

Debi talks road trips, museums, piano lessons and the trio of chickens she shares with son River and her art consultant husband, Harvey Jordan, in the latest installment of "What's your L.A. Story?"

To check out more of Debi's work, order her CDs and see her event schedule, visit www.mybabybanana.com

Thanks again, Debi! Had a great time chatting with you!

LA Moms Blog: Moms under Super Why! spell

Check out the joint Los Angeles Moms Blog and Silicon Valley Moms Blog post about our recent chat with PBS KIDS and the creator of tot show "Super Why!"

It's interesting to see how each of the moms responded to the event and how their kids got involved with the at-home "tool kit."

CC learned a lot during that 5-day process. I was truly amazed and wrote about it here.

She still asks to hear the "Alpha Pig song," aka the Alphabet.

The circus comes to town, and it's magical

The magic words at last night's Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus opener weren't the usual hocus-pocus. There wasn't even an abracadabra in shouting distance.

It was Zing, Zang, Zoom all the way, and, man, did it captivate my daughter. And yes, me too.

I haven't been to the circus in *cough* decades *cough*, and have since become a little jaded. (Or maybe that's just because I watched HBO's Carnivale.) So I was eager to see what CC would think of her first trip to that traveling childhood attraction.

During the pre-show at Staples Center, which started an hour before the main event, we got to walk around the floor and get an up-close glimpse of what it's like to be a tightrope walker, an aerialist and one of those colorful, crazy clowns. There was even a Technicolor motorcycle that CC tried to climb on and ride out of town. (I had to judiciously pull her back under the velvet rope.)

For CC, this seemed to be a crowded but unintimidating play land that she's come to navigate effortlessly. (That's a whole other blog entry -- how CC is becoming a kids' event veteran.)

But once we got to our seats, and the lights came up, she was dazzled. Nonstop. But, seriously, how can you argue with ponies and zebras and elephants and clowns, and more elephants (CC loved them!) and the newest addition to the circus: Magic.

As I wrote in an earlier post, Ringling Bros. has re-imagined the circus this time out to include some sleight of hand on a massive 360-degree scale. Alex Ramon, our energetic 24-year-old Zingmaster, oversaw such tricks as making an elephant disappear and turning the night's pseudo-villain Mr. Gravity, into a tiger.

Acrobats twisted, swung and flipped from all sorts of moving objects, and a couple of daring artists balanced on spinning wheels, which seemed to be a mile above the audience.

When two women were shot out of twin canons across the stadium, I thought my heart would stop.

After intermission, I noticed that nets had gone up all around the floor's perimeter and a mechanical device descended from the rafters revealing a circular chain-link fence. This was actually the first time I had felt any sense of real terror at an animal show.

Maybe it's because we're living in a post-Sigfried & Roy world. I mean, when did I think a tiger could really maul you in the safety of an urban convention center, much less the intoxicated Sin City? Don't they go out for drinks after the show, too?

But this time, with my 2-year-old in tow, I was kinda digging on all the safety precautions.

The show concluded with another parade of CC's fave elephants, and it was a little hard to leave. The circus hasn't connected with me in a long time, and I was happy that it didn't disappoint.

"Did you have fun tonight?" I asked CC on the way out.

"YEAH!!!" she yelled, eyes gleaming.

And with her head resting on my shoulder, looking back at the dark floor that was shutting down for the night, she said, "Bye-bye, Circus."

Truly magical.

Zing Zang Zoom
Staples Center: July 8-12
Honda Center, Anaheim: July 15-26
Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario: July 29-Aug. 2
Tickets $12-$90
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.ringling.com

**SPECIAL PRICE**

A four-pack of tickets are $44 when you enter the code "MOM" on Ticketmaster.com or when you purchase tickets at arena box offices.
* The code must be entered in the "MC Promotion Box," and you must purchase at least four tickets for the price to be valid. Each additional ticket purchased is still priced at $11.
* Not valid on circus celebrity, front row or VIP seats, and facility fees still apply.

Coming Attraction: Free Family Day at Japanese American National Museum

The Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo will be hosting a free family day on Saturday, July 11, thanks to the support of Target.

This month's focus is on books, so not only can kids create their own notebook, bookmark and origami tome, they can also listen to master storyteller Rodney Kageyama read Allen Say's "Under the Cherry Blossom Tree."

If kids want to tell their own stories, they can also create their own kamishibai -- a form of storytelling that originated in Japanese Buddhist temples in the 12th century.

So say "Konichiwa" to this downtown museum if you haven't already stopped by. After all, you can't beat the price.

Japanese American National Museum
369 E. 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-625-0414
11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Video courtesy of the Japanese American National Museum

Coming Attraction: Music in the L.A. Zoo

The Los Angeles Zoo will be rocking out twice this month, with World Music Night and Classic Rock Night headlining Music in the L.A. Zoo.

The first installment, World Music Night, kicks off at 6 p.m. after the gates close on Tuesday, July 14, and will play host to an international medley of musicians. Polynesian, African, Irish and Latin bands will tune up under the stars, while zoo-goers can picnic or partake of the available Hawaiian Luau among the park's permanent residents.

Classic Rock Night takes the stage Friday, July 24, and will feature cover bands of music by The Beatles, The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan, among others. Look for good ol' American BBQ to be served that night.

Both World Music Night and Classic Rock Night will also include 10 interactive animal education and conservation stations located throughout the zoo, staffed by zoo docents as well as 60 mom-and-daughter volunteers from the Glendale chapter of the National Charity League.

World Music Night focuses on international animals, while Classic Rock Night focuses on animals native to California.

Look forward to seeing what the zoo inhabitants are like after hours and which animal-monikered band they prefer -- Paddy's Pig from Ireland or the music of the all-American Eagles?

I have to give a special shout-out to Ian's mom, who gave us a zoo family pass while she was in town. Thank you, N!

Music in the L.A. Zoo
World Music Night: July 14, 6-9 p.m.
Classic Rock Night: July 24, 6-9 p.m.
Admission for members: $12.50 (adults); $7.50 (ages 6-15)
Admission for nonmembers: $16.50 (adults); $10.50 (ages 6-15)
Children 5 and under: Free
5333 Zoo Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Zoo

Los Angeles mourns Michael Jackson

There's a certain irony in the fact that CC's and my planned trip to the Staples Center today for a circus-related event was postponed.

Today Los Angeles is mourning the death of pop legend Michael Jackson, who passed away here June 25. The Staples Center is hosting the memorial service, which has been the subject of so much talk and general hysteria for the past week. First there was the confusion about where the service would be. Then there was the heated fury of trying to get tickets in an online lottery. Next there was the announcement of the lucky 17,000 who could attend, and then the terror of navigating Tuesday traffic downtown -- if you were allowed down there at all.

And today is the day.

I will always remember Michael Jackson from 1983, when I was in third grade and, along with my friend Alana, was totally enamored of his music. I owned his record (yes, record) "Thriller," listened to it religiously and even had the misfortune of trying to moonwalk.

He was talented, fun, adventurous and had effing amazing songs you could rock out to. He was "It," and what he had was magical and infectious.

What happened to Michael Jackson between that golden year (for me) of 1983 and 2009 is a mystery for so many. And I don't think I'll ever wrap my head around it.

I didn't write about his death on June 25 because everything about it seemed to be a, well, circus. And that's too bad. It wasn't the kind of circus I wanted CC to remember.

When another music "King" Elvis Presley died in 1977, I was 2 1/2 -- CC's age. What I know of Elvis is based purely on the breathless memories of others. Forget his downward spiral. Forget the drugs. He was the King.

So, CC, when you're older and discover the truly awesome music of Michael Jackson, I hope you appreciate the good stuff and rock out like your mom did.

As if there weren't enough chocoholics

Death by chocolate? OK, so maybe not death -- but something along the lines of diabetic coma is what happened after baking semi-homemade Sprinkles Cupcakes on the Fourth of July.

And I mean that in a good way.

Instead of making that ubiquitous flag cake with the red and blue berries, I decided that CC and I would spend some mother-daughter time baking cupcakes. My friend Laura had given me a sleek canister of the Sprinkles mix a while ago, and it was time to grab all the necessary ingredients to make the dark-chocolate goodness a flag-waving reality.

The canister ($14) consists of the cupcake mix, the signature modern dots, instructions and a recipe for frosting. And it's work, lemme tell ya. So not only do you get the cachet of making "Sprinkles" cupcakes, but you also put enough of your own energy into it to safely call them something very close to your own.

So after getting the milk, unsalted butter, huge bar of bittersweet chocolate to later melt, eggs, vanilla, powdered sugar and huge dose of stamina to psych myself up, I called my 2-year-old into the kitchen to add that extra je ne sais quois to the recipe.

Yes, there was spilled milk. There was also chocolate batter smeared all over my child's face and clothing (the bib went on a little too late). Throw in a little yelling and chasing. Not to mention chocolate-smuggling by a certain pint-sized bandit. (That kid is fast!) And you get a recipe for one of the most natural of disasters -- me in the kitchen with a toddler.

But it was worth it.

In the end, we created 12 amazingly delicious, chocolate-y -- probably the richest I've ever tasted, and Ian agrees -- bundles of sweet Sprinkles joy.

Which is better than a flag cake any day, even on the Fourth of July.

'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' trailer

Sony Pictures Animation has just released its second -- and I think better -- trailer for its first 3-D animated movie "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."

The movie, which boasts a voice cast including Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg and -- wait for it -- Mr T. (!), opens in theaters Sept. 18.

The story, based on the children's book by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett, revolves around a town so down on its luck that its residents have to eat sardines. And because sardines are "super gross" (and super cheap, too, I'm guessing), a kooky inventor figures out a way to make cheeseburgers and pancakes fall from the sky like rain. Mmm, pancakes. But flying ginormous food turns out to be another problem in and of itself.

Wonder if Sony can compete with the likes of Disney/Pixar and DreamWorks Animation in the 3-D department. We'll see.

In the meantime, while you wait for September to roll around, Sony has created an online game where you can have a food fight with Steve the Monkey (voiced in the movie by the awesome Neil Patrick Harris).

This could get addictive. After all, who doesn't enjoy throwing cherry pie and whipped cream at a monkey?

Happy 4th of July!

Hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July!

As I posted before, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is firing off the huge sparklers for free tonight, but here's a link, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times, to a list of other events around Southern California.

Happy Birthday, America!


Photo credit: © MAXFX - Fotolia.com