Family, the Grand Canyon, and tarantulas

Mom and Dad arrived safely back in New Hampshire this morning, after a wonderful, whirlwind week here in AZ.

Mike ended up getting the entire week off, so it was a happy - and welcome - vacation for all of us. They came late last Saturday night, and Sunday was a day of hanging out, catching up, and taking them on their first-ever trip to IKEA. We browsed for an hour, and I believe it was the first time that none of the boys had a meltdown by the time we headed out to the car.

On Monday, they headed up to Camp Verde to see (and stay at) their new house. We took them out to show them our first fix-up house on the way. The deal has since ended up falling through, but that's another story for another blog.

Tuesday was the 4th, and we headed up north to join Mom & Dad. Their house is completed, but empty, so we sat on camp chairs and stretched out on the new carpet. We played pool in the clubhouse, and board games in their living room. The view from their house is beautiful, and we were able to watch fireworks right from their driveway. We could see them going up and everything. The boys really enjoyed it, and Paxton liked the fact that because they were so far away, they weren't very loud at all.

On Wednesday, we all drove up to the Grand Canyon. It was a first for us McGrails, and we were not disappointed! The view was amazing, and we stopped at several look-out points before hiking a short way down the Bright Angel trail. It was quite a feat with 5 young kids (2 of them under age 3) but they did great!! Everett pointed out the mule poop every few steps, Paxton took pictures of a hawk we saw on one of the cliffs, and Spencer was having so much fun that he wanted to keep going after we decided we'd better head back. I can't wait to go again when the boys are older, and we can hike all the way down and camp out and everything. The ride back to Mom and Dad's took forever since we made about 92 bathroom breaks, but it was well worth it.

On Thursday we enjoyed a lazy morning and an awesome afternoon rain storm before heading home. We took the scenic route home and it was incredible! It was literally like we were driving through different countries... my favorite being the rolling green hills that made feel like we were going throught the Swiss Alps. I took pictures out the window like a tourist. Mike nearly gave me a heart attack when he suddenly gasped and slammed on the brakes. The emergency? He saw a tarantula crossing the road. We turned around and went back, and all piled out of the car, camera in hand. We watched it cross the road and go onto the shoulder. It stopped to let us look for awhile, then went on its way. It was actually quite beautiful up close, and very graceful when it moved. A couple more side-of-the-road potty stops, and dinner at Burger King, and we were home.

Friday morning, our bug guy came bright - VERY bright - and early in the morning. He's going to be coming more frequently since it is summer, and we have now seen three scorpions in the house. We were supposed to be going to our home inspection in the afternoon, but as I said above, it was a no-go. We did meet with a contractor though, so it wasn't a total bust. He was a great guy, very professional, and formerly homeschooled :) I'm sure we'll be using him on future projects.

Mom and Dad came back down here yesterday afternoon, and we were able to spend a few more hours together before we saw them off. It was a GREAT week! Now we just pray that their house in NH sells quickly, and that the next time they come, it's for good. And today we're resting, hanging out together, and still trying to figure out the best way to spend Mike's last day before he has to go back to work.

New friends and visitors

Last Saturday, we experienced our first real summer day at the zoo. They have a splash area for the kids during the hot months, and they had a good time cooling off. We went with some new friends.. Someone I actually "met" online a year ago, who also has a son Everett's age. We found we had a lot in common, and had a nice day watching and playing with the kids. We met bright and early at 8, so we'd have plenty of time to explore before we were ready to retreat home to the a/c at lunchtime. On Thursday, Sandi and the kids came over for an extended playdate. Spencer was so excited about it, he could barely sit still all week. She was supposed to be an extra in a movie shooting nearby (but her scenes ended up getting cancelled) and planned to spend the couple of nights at our house instead of driving back north. Thursday the kids were off the wall, and settled down just long enough to bake muffins and watch a little TV. Friday was much calmer, and everyone played and colored happily together. They drew picture after picture, and cracked themselves up making flip books of rocks falling on people's head, and in Isaac's case, puppies hatching from eggs. :) I watched all 5 kids without a hitch while Sandi went to an audition, and Mike did the same while she and I went out for a girls' night out to paint pottery. Last night was pizza, and another lazy walk through the commons before bed. It has been a great visit, and has made the wait for our next visitors - Mom & Dad, who are coming TONIGHT! - go even more quickly.

April Fool's

Last night, Spencer and I had the following conversation:

Spencer - Mommy, what's that holiday in April?
Me - Easter?
Spencer - No, the one where you play pranks on people?
Me - Oh, April Fool's Day
Spencer - Yeah, April's Fools. Can we pretend it's April Fool's Day right now? I want to play a prank.

Through his giggles, he asked me to put a rubber band around the sprayer on the sink, so whoever went to turn on the water would get soaked. This was of course, completely within earshot of everyone in the house. I did what he asked, and two minutes later he and Paxton came to me with a cup, and were just doubled-over with laughter. "Mommy, can you wash this cup for us?" Giggle giggle giggle. So I went to the sink - with great aplomb I might add - and turned on the water. The beauty of it was that it barely hit me, but instead drenched Mike who was trying to load the diswasher. The kids found that absolutely hysterical, and found the fact that Mike then grabbed me and positioned me in front of the spray even more hysterical. It didn't matter that no one wasn't expecting it. The laughter from the kids - real, hard, honest-to-goodness, belly laughter - made it a moment to cherish.

Father's Day

Summer has been unfolding way too quickly already. I'm going to have to start updating more often! On Wednesday, the boys and I joined another homeschooling family in a field trip to the Ceretta Candy company. We got a little tour of the factory, learned about the process, and bought & brought home several pieces of carefully chosen candy to share with Daddy.

On Thursday, Aunt Didi came over with the kids, and the boys had a blast playing with their cousins (as they always do) The energy was extra high this time though, and things didn't settle down until we all hunkered down in the living room to watch Napoleon Dynamite. They stayed for dinner and everything, and we had my personal favorite, pizza from Garlic Jim's.

Saturday was a little bit crazy. Spencer woke up with a cold (which I'm officially blaming on the play area at McDonald's, which we visited on Wednesday) We spent the morning cleaning and moving furniture to prepare for the carpet cleaners that were coming in the afternoon. Next was a trip to the vet for a check-up for Ally. Besides being 15 pounds overweight, and starting to show some signs of age, she is really quite healthy for a 12 year old. After we got home, we all hung around to watch and chat with the guy cleaning the carpet. We'd chosen a cleaner that used a non-toxic cleaning method, as opposed to the soapy extractors, and it was really pretty cool. After he'd finished, we went to go look at our new house. We'd been looking for almost two months for a fix-up to invest in, and we finally found one. The contract has been accepted and signed, and now we're just waiting to hear on details like closing dates. We walked around, took pictures, and took many notes on where to start. The boys are excited about the prospect, and look forward to starting a business as a family. The house made us hungry, so we had dinner at Denny's, followed by a quick trip to the grocery store for sundae fixings and all the ingredients we needed for Mike's requested Father's Day dinner of burgers.

Father's Day itself was quiet and relaxing. The boys had already given Mike his presents on Saturday night - they couldn't wait - and we enjoyed one of them Sunday afternoon. We got him his favorite movie ever, Duel, on DVD, and we all watched it together. The boys were riveted. We also played with their new playdough, built with blocks, and enjoyed our burgers. Bedtime was early... The boys were worn out from another busy weekend, and I finally admitted to myself that I have caught Spencer's cold.

Paint, slime, and other happy messes

So the heat has driven us inside, and it's turned out to be a huge blessing for all of us. The boys have rediscovered their big bin of paint (complete with several kinds of paint, about 8976234 different paint tools, and lots of paper) After several days in a row of dragging it in and out of the toy room, it's taken up residence in the floor of the dining room. They've been making masterpiece after masterpiece. Sometimes it's not the masterpiece they're after, but just the experience. And we're enjoying it together... the lovely, squishy, messy, joy of creating. They have some really cool stuff that you can mix with paint to create putty. It's actually more like slime than putty, and is lots of fun. Our carpet - of a rental house, no less - is bearing the evidence of our play. It's now speckled with multi-colored flecks of paint in addition to the ever growing mystery stains. The carpet cleaning guys are going to have to come sooner rather than later, but it's a small price to pay.

Memorial Day

Another holiday weekend, Arizona style. Mike had Monday off, and the 3 day holiday went by in a blur of kids and sun. Saturday we spent the morning doing what we've been doing every Saturday for the past month: scoping out houses and going out for lunch. On Sunday, our house turned into a revolving door, and no fewer than 8 neighborhood kids were in and out with the boys at different times. Monday we were invited to a pool party. Besides being the only ones under the age of 50, we had a nice time. The boys got to splash around in the pool (and work on their swimming) and we all got way too much sun before we retired in the shade for chips, hot wings, and sandwiches.

Beating the heat

The heat is upon us. The boys and I have been gradually shifting our days to more time spent indoors, in the shade, and cooling off. Friday we went to a local splash park with the homeschool group. It was geared towards very young kids, with little slides, waterfalls, faucets, squirting things, misters, and sand. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. They all ran around for awhile, and ended up setting up camp in the sand box, where they left only to fetch more water for their sand castles. Everett liked sitting in the trough of running water, and I stood there with him so long that I got a scorching sunburn on the back of my neck.

Saturday was errands, and Sunday was my 10th Mother's Day as a mom. Spencer woke me up bright and early at 6, to tell me Happy Mother's Day, and to double-check his spelling on the card he was making for me :) Then they all surprised me with a trip to the movies to see Ice Age 2, followed by IHOP for lunch.

This week is all about hanging out... Hanging out, playing, and waiting for some news that should be arriving tomorrow.

Busy busy busy

In my experience, there are at least two kinds of busy weeks.... 1. the kind that you spend running around in circles, only to get to the end of the week exhausted, but with no idea what you'd accomplished, and 2. the kind spent doing lots of cool, interesting, satisfying things, and feeling a sense of elation along with the exhaustion. While we've certainly had our share of the first kind, this week was the latter.

Spencer and Paxton logged many hours bike riding and on the computer, respectively.

We bought a coconut because Spencer wanted to try coconut milk. We cracked it open, tasted the milk, and threw most of it away.

We went to dinner at Denny's, spent a long time, savored our desserts.

The boys found a native american book and craft kit. We read the book, and made the craft together: A handmade dream-catcher that they hung in their room.

Mike and I met with a realtor, while the boys enjoyed a water fight with their friends next door.

We made peanut butter cookies, despite the 95 degree heat.

And today, we went to Walmart, both to pick up a few necessities, and so they boys could spend their Playstation profits. They took a long time, and carefully weighed all their options. Spencer ended up choosing a remote control truck, another John Deere tractor, and a Dale Jr lego set. Paxton browsed through the cars with Spencer, but I knew he wouldn't make his selection from those aisles. His came from another part of the store: electronics. After much deliberation he picked two PS2 games... Madagascar - because he loves his computer version so much - and Tokyo Extreme Racing. It was fun for me... both to watch them spend it, and to share in their excitement at their new toys. On the way out, there was a woman with a little table set up, collecting money for the needy. She asked if I could donate a dollar as we zipped passed, and I told her I was sorry but didn't have it (at the time I didn't think I did). That wasn't the example I wanted to set for my kids. I took a breath and stopped. I remembered I had some change, and let the boys help me count it up. We went back to her bucket and put the money in, stopping to chat for a couple of minutes. She told me I'd be blessed for my donation... but I already am.

Our baby boy

Everett turns two today! And while it seems I say this for every boy and every birthday, it really doesn't seem possible that my 6 pound little munchkin is really two: An official, full-fledged, no-holds-barred toddler.

He was lucky enough to get a 3 day celebration this year. Daddy had Friday off, and after a trip to the party store for Elmo balloons & the grocery store for sandwich fixings, we spent the day playing together. Saturday was his party, and the vast majority of it was spent out in the sunshine... watching the kids ride bikes, swimming in the pool, playing with new toys in the driveway. It was a fun, relaxing, and happy day. Sunday was part two of the party... another long lazy day outside, and when the heat got to be too much, an afternoon at the library.

The past two years have gone quickly to be sure. They've been full of new places, new things, and exciting changes. And the best part of all has been watching this little boy grow. At two, he is sweet and energetic and happy and strong and so very entertaining. He has a big heart in that tiny body.

Happy birthday Everett!!! We love you more than you'll ever know.

Adventures in Ebay

So the boys' PS2 had been really temperamental lately. The drawer would get stuck both opening and closing, the discs wouldn't read, and the front panel was falling off. It seemed to have just about had it on Friday, so I surprised them by buying the new, slim version when we were at Walmart on Saturday. We were about to toss the old one when I came to my senses just in the nick of a time. A project! Nothing makes Spencer happier than taking apart appliances. And maybe, I told them, if they could get it working again, they could sell it on Ebay and keep the proceeds. TWO pairs of eyes lit up at the prospect. So Sunday night they worked on it, with Dad's help. An hour later - while it was not quite good as new - it was working, and the drawer was sliding in and out with ease. This morning they helped me get it photographed and listed. Their first official auction is on, and they couldn't be more excited. Check it out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8279773643&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

Happy Easter

We've had our first Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.... and now Easter, in Arizona. The first time is always strange because while some traditions can stay the same, so very much is different. We had a nice Easter; a quiet Easter. We colored eggs with the boys on Saturday, and they woke us up before the crack of dawn Easter morning. Actually, Spencer woke us up, by bursting into our room and shouting. I don't really remember what he said, but it was happy, and it was loud.

After they hunted for eggs, ate some chocolate, and tried out their new Playstation controllers, we got ready for church. I was in the shower when Mike decided to cut Everett's hair. He claims I asked him to, but I maintain that I just made a general comment that it needed to be done soon. He apparently lost his mind for a moment, because when I came down he was cutting his hair with the clippers, with the SHORTEST attachment. All I could see when I came around the corner was Everett's grinning at me while his pale white scalp peeked through the 1/100000 of an inch of hair left on his head. We had a family picture scheduled for next weekend (which is now rescheduled) but I couldn't stay mad long. Mike felt horrible, and it was too funny to be upset about anyway.

We finally headed to church, and for a church with 6000 members, it's really amazing how homey and welcoming it is. The boys' friend wasn't there, so they decided against going to childrens' services. They sat with us during the adult services, and we watched an Easter presentation about the birth, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. We squeaked out a little bit early to make it to our brunch at a nearby Mexican restaurant. The food was outstanding, and the kids enjoyed it until Paxton took a bite of something a little too spicy and complained of his lip burning for the rest of our stay :-(

In the afternoon, we had a video chat with Maba and Pop, then snuggled up on the couch to watch movies.

Happy Easter everyone, from hot & sunny Arizona.

Police station, church, and plastic eggs

Happy Spring! I read the other day that our 100+ degree days are going to be starting in another month, so in the meantime we are very much enjoying the warm, beautiful outdoors. Saturday, we all went to an open house at the local police station. There was a car show, a SWAT team display, a house set up to fill with smoke to teach kids about fire safety, motorcycles, and lots of little freebies. Paxton and I went a tour of the police station and it was fascinating. We saw just about everything there was to see, from where they finger print and do mug shots, to holding cells and shooting ranges and dispatch rooms.

Monday we got an Easter package from Yaya, and the boys spent all afternoon playing with the goodies inside. Their favorite? Plastic eggs. Those things amaze me. Such a simple concept = hours of enjoyment. They filled them and hid them again and again.

This morning we did something I've been wanting to do for weeks now. A new friend, also a homeschooler, invited us to attend her church with her. They have a Wednesday morning ladies' tea. It was WONDERFUL! The lesson was one I was particularly needing to hear, and I had such an overwhelming sense of being exactly where I needed to be, exactly when I needed to be there. Everett sat through the class with me (and enjoyed sampling all the food) while the older boys had a blast playing in the kids' room. It was the first church that just "clicked" with all of us, and we can't wait to go back.

In other good news, Mike was officially offered a permanent, full-time position today! The boys were so excited when I explained what it meant, that they wanted to throw him a party. So we shopped for a party indeed... complete with balloons, Chicken Little plates, and an icecream cake from Cold Stone.

Perserverance

A couple of months ago, we took the training wheels off the boys' bikes. For one thing, they finally lived somewhere where they had someplace to practice. They also wanted to ride up and down the rounded curb, which they couldn't really do safely with training wheels.

Paxton decided he needed to learn, and learn NOW. He started at the top of the driveway, and coasted down into the street again and again. He fell, he got up, he fell again. He practiced picking up speed until he was ready to start peddling. His face was red and his legs were scraped. He wobbled and shook and by the end of the day he had it: He was riding like he'd been doing it his whole life.

Spencer scooted with his feet that first day, and for a few days afterwards. Then he started coasting, for longer and longer periods of time. He didn't go too fast, and he didn't put his feet on the pedals. Every day his balance got better and better. We asked if he wanted help learning to pedal and his answer was always the same. "No thank you." A month went by and then two. Some days he got discouraged, but most of the time he was self-assured and confident. He knew he'd do it when he was ready. And he did. Yesterday he started pedaling, just a few rotations at first... then more and more. When the cute girl next door also came out on her bike, he was distracted just enough to forget that he was still learning. He pedaled around the street like a pro, and made a new friend in the process.

Different kids, same result: A feeling of pride and accomplishment in learning to do something they wanted to do... in their own time, in their own way. Last night we went to Cold Stone to celebrate both of them.

Dandelion Bouquets

I remember two things about dandelions from my childhood: The joy of blowing the dried ones all over the yard; and the spirit-squashing grownups who griped about it. "It's a weed; you'll spread it all over the lawn; we want to get rid of them, not make more of them" Etc. My boys think dandelions are pretty, and I agree. They're bright and yellow and cheery. We went to the greens today - to roll down the hills, run around, and practice riding bikes - and their faces just lit up when they saw all the dandelions. Most of them were still yellow, but they found a few to blow and wish on. They asked me to help them gather some up, and we spent the better part of the afternoon picking dandelions, and talking about bees and pollen and flowers and gardens. We all came home with huge handfuls, and put them in a vase to enjoy in the living room.

Happy days

After spending too many days cooped up at home due to sickness, we woke up yesterday morning feeling better, feeling happy, and feeling ready to get back to life together. The boys started the day by watching Magic School Bus, then we all played Paxton's dinosaur dominoes for awhile. After that, the kids wanted to practice writing in cursive, so they played around with a cursive workbook, which quickly progressed into writing on the patio with chalk. Spencer doesn't always enjoy writing, but he finds cursive - and the fact that you rarely have to lift the pen from the paper - fascinating. They've both been writing a lot of letters lately, to both new and old friends.

Paxton had seen on tv that Chicken Little was just released on DVD, and Spencer wanted to get a brush for the dog, so we decided to spend the afternoon out. It was a welcome reprieve. We rented Paxton's movie, and the boys spent a long time browsing through the Playstation games while we there. From there we picked up a few groceries and snacks, as well as a new waffle maker - something Spencer and I have been wanting since we've moved here. We decided on the way to the pet store that we should get a new frog for the fish tank while we were there. We did get the frog, and a brush.. and another betta fish with his own little bowl. Fish are good pets.

We spent a good hour getting our new pets situated when we got home, then we snuggled up to watch Chicken Little. Mike had to work late, so after the movie we just heated up some microwave dinners, which the boys find very cool and exciting. When he got home at 8, we all all watched American Idol together and called it a day. Bedtime reading right now is a book about dinosaurs and how they tie in with the bible, and a book called The Whipping Boy, a story about two young boys in medieval times.

Good stuff.

Scorpions and Cows and Bug Guys oh MY

When we first starting seriously considering Arizona, one of the things that people kept saying to us was "Sure, there's no mosquitoes, but there's rattlesnakes and scorpions and black widows...." And we always replied "Yeah but you never see them. They're out in the desert, not in residential areas. "

A few nights ago we came home, and lo and behold, there was a scorpion IN OUR KITCHEN. Spencer thought this was very cool, and Paxton (who'd expressed some fear before we moved) was thankfully asleep in the truck. Mike carried him to bed after the scorpion had been scooped up and dealt with. It was a creepy-looking little thing, and I still haven't been able to shake the skin-crawling paranoia.

Tuesday we went on a field trip to see some bigger, and less scary, creatures. The boys and I went to a local dairy farm with the homeschool group, and we all had a great time. We took a tour of the farm, learned all about cows, and enjoyed a sample of their chocolate milk. The boys got to milk a cow, pet all the animals, and explore a maze made out of hay bales.

Yesterday, we were back to dealing with the little critters (I much prefer cows). Our bug guy, Mike came. He sprayed all around the house and yard, gave the boys lollipops, and patiently answered their questions. He found another scorpion in one of the glue traps, and he was kind enough to bring it inside to show me. He said the bug activity would be picking up since it was going to be getting warmer, and that we'd probably want him to come every 8 weeks. I'm thinking we'll have him come in 6.

A Taste of Home

As of last week, we hadn't seen Maba and Pop, or rain, since we moved here in November. This week we got to see both! :O)

They arrived on Saturday afternoon, while we were all out playing frisbee in the road, and we were so excited to welcome them. We spent most of the day playing outside, chatting, and catching up. On Sunday we all went up to Camp Verde, and then on to Sedona. I've decided that Sedona is one of the most beautiful places in the country, at the very least on the west coast. We drove up a bumpy, winding trail, and did a little bit of hiking. The view was spectacular. From there we went to watch the sunrise at the airport, and enjoyed Barro's pizza at Sandi and Mitch's before heading home.

On Monday, Pop's cousin Clint came to stay with us as well, and the boys instantly fell in love. Spencer especially enjoyed him when it came time to make dinner. He served as Clint's sous chef, as they made a big happy mess and a big happy feast of pasta, homemade sauce, and salad. More reminiscing, stories and lots of laughter followed.

Tuesday was a trip to the zoo, which is always a good time, followed by another Clint-and- Spencer-cooked meal. The boys also shared some of their favorite things (mostly PS2 games and repeats of Dukes and AFV) with Maba and Pop, and we all went to bed tired and happy.

On Thursday we went to the Desert Botanical Gardens, which we'd never been to before but really enjoyed. They gave the kids a sheet and a pencil for a scavenger hunt, and they were very excited about it. Looking for animals tracks, nests, and holes in cactuses made the visit even more interesting than it would have been otherwise. After the gardens, we said goodbye to Clint - who was heading back home - and went to a train park. We weren't too sure if the boys were up for another stop, but they got a second wind in the car and had a great time at the park. We rode the little train, went through the train museum, and spent a long time hanging out on the grass, flying a kite, and enjoying the nice (if a bit chilly) day.

On Friday, Maba and Pop went back up to Camp Verde - where they ended up signing on the dotted line for a new house!! - and the rest of us took advantage of Mike's last day at home before starting his new job. I got up early and finally got my AZ driver's license. After I got home, we all headed out to the park to meet up with the homeschool group, but it was a VERY windy day and no one had shown up. The boys were a little bummed about that, but perked up when we got to our next destination - off-roading in the desert. We spent a few hours driving the trails, eating a picnic lunch, and scratching the heck out of Mike's truck. Paxton was nervous we were going to get lost, so we gave him one of the maps, and showed him where we were on the trail. He forgot all about being nervous once we started going through some of the true off-roading washes, rocks and ditches. Even Everett laughed hysterically as the branches whipped up against the windows. I kept my eye out for rattlesnakes, but the only wildlife we saw were some calves, followed by some some very large and angry looking bulls. We didn't stick around too long to watch them.

Saturday morning we woke up to RAIN, and lots of it. It was the coolest sound to wake up to. Paxton came into our room around 6 in the morning, wondering what the tapping sound on his window was. It's been a long time! We had a nice pancake breakfast, played some games of chess, Payday, and Fusion Crew, and tried to enjoy a final day that went way too quickly. We were all sad to see them off when it was time for them to go back to the airport, and will be counting the days till they come again.

Reminiscing

Nine years ago today, we brought a tiny, hairy, 5 pound little Spencer home from the hospital. We were first time parents, full of awe and wonderment, and really had no idea what kind of joy and heartbreak was ahead of us. He was a quiet baby, what everyone else referred to as a "good" baby (a term I never liked, because there's no such thing as a "bad" baby). He was happy and affectionate and loved to snuggle up with his Mom and Dad. Spencer was the one who prompted my immediate decision not to return to work, followed by the decision to homeschool. He was the one who gave me the biggest "A-ha" moment of my life... the profound and life-changing realization of what was truly important to me. I finally "got it" after I had Spencer. Becoming a parent was everything I never knew I always wanted. There have been hard days to be sure, but the joy - the kind that makes your heart feel like it is too big to stay confined in your chest - has far overshadowed any bad day.

He is nine now. He's still hairy :) sometimes quiet, and always the same sweet soul I fell in love with in the hospital almost a decade ago. He's affectionate and passionate and curious. He loves the Dukes of Hazzard, cars, construction equipment, and learning about how the world works. Spencer is awesome.

Happy Birthday Spencer! We love you a million billion zillion.

New friends and Valentines

After months of thwarted plans, we finally made it to a park day with one of the local homeschool groups. After spending the first few weeks of February dealing with various sicknesses, it was a welcome outing for us all. We chose a Valentine's party for our first intro to the group, and it was a big success. In typical fashion, Spencer and Paxton both made quick work of making friends, and were soon able to tell me the names and ages of a dozen different kids. They exchanged valentines, enjoyed a nice potluck lunch, and explored the playground equipment. I chatted with the other moms, and while I was the odd one out when it came to my homeschooling style - which I've gotten used to - I met some great women. I exchanged email addresses with quite a few of them, and the boys can hardly wait to set up some playdates.

Our First Visitors

This past week held a lot of firsts. Barbara and Skip (AKA Yaya and Grandpa Skip) became our very first official visitors from back east. The boys were extremely excited about them coming to stay, and they thoroughly enjoyed the week we all got to spend together. One of the nice things about having visitors so soon after we've moved here, is that it gave us a great excuse to visit some of the local scenery that we otherwise might not have gotten to for awhile.

On Monday, we drove the Apache Trail through the Tonto National Forest. The ride itself was through winding, steep, and at times hair-raising mountainous roads, and had some of the most beautiful views I think I've ever seen. It was awe-inspiring, and I just wanted to share it with all the people who'd said "Why would you want to leave a beautiful state like New Hampshire?" We stopped to enjoy to view (and shake off some of the carsickness) at Canyon Lake, and again at Apache Lake. The road brought us to Roosevelt Dam, and from there we went for a hike and tour of some long-ago inhabited cliff dwellings. It was a long first day, and we capped it off with pizza from our favorite place down the street.

Mike had to work on Tuesday, and the rest of us took a trip to Phoenix. We visited two custom motorcyle shops, one of which gave us a tour of the workshop. We also stopped at a shop that laser-cuts decorative metal and tile. The boys were pretty tired by that point, but Paxton enjoyed the cat that kept wandering in and out, and they were both fascinated by the machine that cut using a high-pressure stream of water. They all got to take home their names cut out of diamond steel as a souvenier.

On Wednesday, we all traveled down to Tuscon, another first for all of us. We stopped at the Casa Grande Ruins, where we explored the ruins and museum, had a picnic lunch, and let the boys stretch their legs. Everett had a good time running around like a little tourist, carrying a brochure the entire time. From there we drove the rest of the way to the Saguaro National Forest. We enjoyed a nice hike through the desert, and though we kept our eyes peeled for rattlesnakes and other native animals, found none. We did see lots of animal droppings though, as well as huge cactuses, and a beautiful mountain view. The big boys had no problem with the rocky trail, and Everett walked for part of it, and rode the backpack for the rest. A woman stopped me to ask if I didn't worry about the baby getting poked by a cactus. I didn't tell her that the only person who'd gotten stuck with a cactus - twice - was the family clutz (me) and that everyone else had managed to avoid them.

Thursday morning was a much needed morning of rest, and the boys enjoyed playing games and doing puzzles with Yaya and Grandpa Skip. The afternoon brought us to lunch and browsing at IKEA. Friday was the boys' choice, and they wanted to go to the zoo. One of the things I love most about the zoo is that you see something different every time. This time we saw rattlesnakes eating their breakfast of mice, and the bobcat being fed. We also threw bread to the ducks while we ate our picnic lunch, and watched while the boys enjoyed playing on the tractors in the children's area. It was a good day.

For Saturday, the last day of their stay, we went to visit with some old friends. For dinner, they took us to Rockin R Ranch where we went on a wagon ride, panned for gold, ate a traditional cowboy supper on tin plates, saw a wonderful country song and dance show, and capped it all off with a staged gun fight. It was a fun way to wrap up the week, and the boys had a blast. Even Everett was clapping and hollering for more during the show.

We all said our goodbyes on Saturday night since the plane was boarding at 6:30 AM on Sunday. We'd all had a great time, and enjoyed the visit. We also all agreed that it had gone by extremely quickly. We packed a lot into one visit! The only downfall? The boys were plum worn out from all the driving, late nights, and activity, so there were many meltdowns. Something Mike and I will definitely learn from for the next time. Still, a couple early nights and lazy mornings later, and they are good to go, and already asking about the next visit.

The Swing of Things

Mike has been back to work for a week now, and I'm actually surprised at how quickly we've all adjusted. Our days have been busy and happy.

Spencer decided several days ago that he wanted to practice his spelling some more, that maybe writing wouldn't frustrate him so much if he could spell better. Fully expecting a "no thanks," I asked him if he wanted me to print a spelling list for him to work on. He actually said yes, so I hopped online (God bless the person who invented the internet) and found one. I guessed on the grade, since grade level has never been an issue, but 3rd grade fit the bill just fine. It's been hanging around the living room all week, and both boys have been using it to quiz each other.

On Friday, our furniture came as promised, although we waited at home all day only for it to come at 5:30 in the evening. Our house looks more like a real house now, and it doesn't make it look too much smaller like I'd feared. It's been a real treat to watch tv on a couch like a civilized family.

This weekend was spent out and about, spending Christmas gift certificates, and preparing our house for our first overnight visitors. Sunday we spent four hours at the Toyota dealership, where the boys got an up-close and personal look at the car buying process. They were INCREDIBLY patient throughout the whole thing, even though it meant skipping lunch and dining on vending machine candy and chiclets. Mike bought a 2003 Toyota Tacoma, and it was good news for all us. For one thing, now we can go off-roading as a family (and my 4Runner can be spared the scratches), and we also have a vehicle again while Mike is at work. We're all itching to get back to some semblance of having a social life.

Hanging Around

Happy 2006.

We rang in the New Year just as we planned.. with fun food and movies. The past few days have been quiet and restful, spent almost exclusively at home. The boys were exhausted on New Years day... Spencer made it till midnight, and Everett and Paxton lasted till about 11:30. We've been playing lots of games both old new, including several rounds of Monopoly, Herd Your Horses, Sorry, Chutes and Ladders, and Parcheezi. Paxton has been on another computer
kick, and he and I are both very thankful that I have a laptop on order. Spencer's fixation at the moment is still the Dukes of Hazard, and he is in the middle of watching the second season on DVD, an early birthday present. The boys have also been doing a lot of reading. Spencer has re-discovered his Boxcar Kids books, and both he and Paxton have been working their way through an Earth and Space book. Everett's choice for the past few nights has been Where is Baby's Belly Button, a very cute lift-the-flap book from Yaya and Grandpa Skip.

Yesterday we got a phone call we have been waiting for for weeks, telling us that our furniture is scheduled to be delivered on Friday. We were all very relieved to hear this, as we had had
nothing but the futon that we'd bought for the guest room. Now it can go in the room where it belongs, and we can finally set up our living room.

Our second phone call of interest came this morning. Mike was offered a temporary job at the local University. He starts at 9:00 tomorrow morning. The boys and I have mixed feelings about him going to work, but know of course that it is necessary. Mike is looking forward to it. He's spending today, his last day home for awhile, with the big boys. Right now they are out running errands, including a stop at the DMV to register the car. Not the most exciting of outings, but they never seem to care as long as they're with Dad.

Movies, hotwings, and giant playgrounds

The final day of 2005. It was a big year, a stressful year, and a fun year.. and we're all looking forward to a new start in 2006. Since we have the rest of our lives to go out on New Years, we'll be ringing in the New Year at home with the boys. We all went out this morning to rent a couple movies - Robots to watch with the kids, I Heart Huckabees to watch after they're asleep - and loaded up on snacks for our little party. We'll spread a big blanket on the living room floor so we can eat picnic-style, and will be dining on hotwings, pizza, corndogs, popcorn chicken, and shrimp. On the way home from the store, we stopped at a local park that we had yet to visit. We relaxed and played for an hour, and made a mental note that we needed to buy a good basketball and volleyball for the next time. The playground was HUGE, and we counted over 10 different slides. Everett spent a long time playing in the sand. Paxton liked the tire-swing. Spencer kept gravitating to the race cars, where he played Dukes and jumped and slid over the hood. When we got home, our neighbor rang our doorbell with a Christmas gift of homemade cookies, chocolates, and coated nuts. We used them to get our stomachs primed for all our late-night eating tonight.

Happy New Year, and wishes for a safe and blessed 2006.

The Aftermath

Santa was very good to the boys this year. Three days after Christmas, we are still finding homes for all the new toys, games, books, and craft supplies. Our first Christmas in Arizona went well... we listened to Christmas music, read our Christmas books, ate too many cookies, and played played played. Like most everything else we've encountered so far, it was different, and will take some getting used to. I tried my best to keep some traditions intact though. We stayed home on Christmas Eve, we read The Night Before Christmas, and we put out our cookies for Santa. The boys were beside themselves with excitement (Spencer so much so that he was awake half the night) and they weren't disappointed in the morning. We enjoyed a quiet
morning with the 5 of us, and were very happy to Sandi, Mitch and the kids for dinner. Maba and Pop called to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and we tried to do a video chat. Computers and firewalls being what they are, we couldn't get it to work until the day after Christmas, but it was worth it. They sent a Christmas video of themselves singing to the boys as well, and they watched it at least 5 times.

Now that Christmas is over, we're back about the business of getting settled in, and returning to our new normal. Daddy's interviews have picked up again. The boys are looking forward to going to some homeschool activities. We're waiting - mostly patiently - for our new furniture to be delivered. And today, December 28th, is our second trip to the zoo.

'Twas Four Days Before Christmas

Four days before Christmas, and we went to the zoo! It was a strange and wonderful feeling to be walking around a zoo, enjoying the sunshine, less than a week before Christmas. It seemed a fitting thing to do for our first holiday season in Arizona. Still
looking like tourists, we all went in short sleeves, while most of the "locals" were in jackets and sweatshirts despite the 70+ degrees. Funny.

It took less than 20 minutes to get there, even with a little bit of traffic. It was a great zoo, nice and big, and the boys had a
blast. We could have sat and watched the monkeys all day. We stayed nearly 5 hours, almost till closing, and still had so much left to see. We took our time, walked around, and read all about
the animals. Paxton rode the carousel, they all had icecream, and
Spencer got some popcorn on the way out. If I wasn't positive I
wanted a membership before we went, I was after we left. It was
the first thing I did when I got home, and we are all excited to get our memberships cards in the mail. I see a lot more zoo visits in our future. Next trip we'll start off with the areas we didn't
make it to this time - the snake house, the reptiles, and the petting area.

This morning we had a visit from an exterminator - something we've never done before, but need to get used to. He sprayed all around the perimeter of the house, both inside and out. The boys liked him because he was nice and patient and answered their questions.. and because he gave them lolipops. I liked him because he's going to keep the cockroaches away.

It's beginning to look a lot

...like Christmas.

The tree is trimmed, the presents are wrapped, we've all had colds, and
we've watched The Grinch. Our projects for today were to clean
the house, and get started on our cookies. In the interest of
simplifying, I was only going to make one kind this year, but majority
ruled. Oreo balls were first, followed by a new recipe for butter
cookies (the best I've ever tried.) Peanut butter with Hershey's
kisses will round out the list. It's fun baking with the older
boys... they're great at following directions, have no problem with the
measuring and the math, and don't make TOO big of a mess. Everett
hasn't quite gotten to the point where his help is actually helpful,
but he sure has a good time. :O)

I also ventured out by myself to find the local Blockbuster - 3 minutes
away - and rented Herbie for the boys. They loved the movie, and
asked that it be put on their "to buy someday" list. Children
after my own heart, their list is getting as long as mine.

Desert Run

Mike and Mich took off for the day for a run through the desert today. It was something he'd been dying to do since we got here, and he wasn't disappointed. In fact, I think the comment he made was "It's worth living in Arizona just to be able to do that." They were gone for several hours, traveling over dirt roads and old washes. They had a really good time, so much so that I was willing to forgive the new scratches on my 4Runner.

I talked to the leader of a local homeschool group while he was gone, and the boys and I are looking forward to joining. I have to fill out and sign a waiver to be "official", something that wasn't necessary for our little meet-in-the-gym-once-a-week group in NH. One of the big upsides to joining a larger group? Diversity; in homeschooling styles, culture, and religion, to name just a few. Diversity is good. Getting involved in the group will be good for them too, although they've been more than happy at home. Today they made Christmas cards, played with their legos, read some more of their castle book, and played several rounds of GT4. This was all in between their usual venture outside, for bike riding, bug hunting, and mail gathering.

Tonight we decided it was time to try out the local pizza places, and got take-out from a place just around the corner. The pizza was good, and the proximity couldn't be beat.

I still feel like a tourist, walking around with my mouth hanging open.

A new kind of church

We tried a new church yesterday, and it was unlike any church we'd ever been to. As we walked from the car(once we'd finally found a place to park) to the information center, I was trying very hard not to point or comment to loud; already feeling like we had a glaring sign on our foreheads that we were not only visitors, but from another part of the country as well.

The church was not just a little church building, but in fact several buildings, spread out over an entire campus. I never did find out the membership number, but I'm pretty sure it was larger than the town of Andover. They don't have churches that size in New Hampshire. A very friendly woman gave us a map, and a tour, and walked us to where we needed to go. Both Spencer and Paxton tried the kids' classes, and - aside from a scared and confused moment when Paxton's class switched buildings and he was afraid we wouldn't find him - had a good time. He said he was ready to stay by himself, so we'd dropped him off, but he didn't understand how it would work or where we would meet him. A bad parenting moment. We joined them for the kids' services, which was a great presentation of songs, puppets, and lessons. After the service they went back to their classes, and this time Mike went with Paxton, and Everett and I went with Spencer, to make sure everyone was ok. They enjoyed the rest of the morning, and both want to go back next week. Next week we'll see if Everett is interested in the toddler class, and when everyone is happy and comfortable and ready, we'll check out the adult services.

We visited Sandi, Mitch, and the kids yesterday too, and spent the afternoon playing at the playground. We picked up the Usborne books we'd ordered from her too, and the boys went to bed happily reading about tractors, castles, and dinosaurs.

Fractions and creature games

Yesterday was the first really "normal"-feeling, comfortable, happy day since we've moved in. The boys are adjusting, and we're getting into a rhythm again. We've been unpacking box after box, and I've given a preference to the kids' stuff, so that they'd feel at home as soon as possible. They found a fraction pizza game that they'd forgotten about, and we all played several rounds first thing in the morning. Paxton has also been really into these Weird N Wild Creature cards that he got in the mail, and we played with those too.. learning about creatures like anacondas, sharks, velociraptors, and the loch ness monster.

It's been in the mid-sixties, and all of our neighbors are complaining about how "cold" it is. We've met quite a few of them now, and they've been friendly. The most eventful meeting by far was a few nights ago:

It was a nice quiet afternoon. Mike and the boys were playing outside and had just come in. I was inside with Everett because he wasn't feeling well, and we were sitting and chatting on the computer. The doorbell rang, and it was two boys, one of them hysterical and bleeding, and he was so upset that it was hard to get a story out of him as to what happened. He just kept asking for help over and over. After what felt like forever (but was probably less than a minute) he told us that a dog had gotten into the yard and attacked his dog, and he'd gotten bit trying to separate them. We called 911, had him sit down - right on the cement of our entranceway because he was starting to seem like he was going to hyperventilate - and I ran and got him a towel for his hand. One of his fingers was very badly bitten. They said something about their cousin and their dog still being in the house, so I went across the street to find three very freaked out, but unhurt, other kids coming out of the front door. They were all crying, and I tried to calm them down and find out if there were parents or friends or anyone I could call. One of the girls was holding her dog, who'd also gotten badly bitten. By this time, Mike and the first two boys were coming across the street. The one who was bitten had calmed down by then, and we just stayed with them while we waited for the paramedics and everyone to get there. The paramedics came first, and were getting the one who was hurt ready to go to the hospital. The girl's father came home, then the mother. They thanked us profusely and said they were sorry to be meeting under those circumstances. The police came, and animal control. They captured the dog who'd caused the whole thing - a PITBULL - and took it away. The dog wasn't leashed, and had somehow climbed onto something to get over the wall into their backyard.

Once everything was under control, we came home. It was very scary. On a side note, they seem like very nice neighbors.

Making a house a home

Our main objective for the week - aside from continuing Mike's job search - was to just keep on working on settling in. This has meant unpacking... lots and lots of unpacking... which is exciting for the kids. They've been rediscovering long-lost books, toys and games. Spencer spent the morning playing around with a How To Draw Animals book, and Paxton played Uno. We're slowly filling up bookcases, shelves and closets. We've started hanging things on the walls. No longer just some random house we are renting, it is becoming home. Home extends out the doors too... after lunch the older boys and I took a long, slow walk around the block, chatting and checking out the neighbors' cars and houses.

We got a catalog for local classes in the mail yesterday, and we're looking forward to jumping in in January. Paxton is planning on taking a karate class; Spencer and I are going to take a parent/child yoga class; and I'm signing Everett up for toddler tumbling. I'm hoping to try a new church this weekend, and the boys are excited about its childrens' programs. We're all still in awe at everything the area has to offer.

Adjusting

We've discovered that the transition to a new home (in a new city, in a new state, in a new part of the country no less) is very much a process. We were thinking that the boys were handling it very well, given the circumstances, and that it would just get better and better. In fact the opposite seems to be happening. As they get more and more comfortable, more and more layers come off, and we're seeing stronger reactions to the change. Yesterday was a hard day, with too many tears and yelling and frustrations. We cannot blame them... exciting as it is for all of us, it is HARD. It is tiring. It is overwhelming. It is new. It is scary. They really ARE handling it well, and as we cycle through this adjustment, we know we'll hit an upswing soon. Last night and today were huge steps to returning to normalcy, or at least to a new normalcy. Last night we met Sandi, Mitch and the kids at a big indoor play area down the street. For two hours we forgot about everything else and just played together... in tubes, slides, ziplines, trees, mazes, and forts. It was a great time, and it was needed by all. Today was needed just as well - a true day of a rest. A lazy morning, a late lunch, and a walk down the street to the park. The boys went on the swings and slides, and Mike and I laughed about all the people wearing sweatshirts and hoods and gloves in the 65 degree weather.

Just two good old boys

The other day, Mike and the boys were playing Grand Turismo, a racing game on Playstation,and one of them was racing a car like the General Lee on Dukes of Hazzard. Mike introduced them to the show, and they are hooked. The three of them have been watching it together twice a day for the past two days. Mike is reliving a good memory from childhood, and the boys are enjoying a fun new show with adventure and car chases. When they're not watching it, they're playing it, with four little lego people standing in for Bo, Luke, and Daisy.

We have been spending a little more time at home, started to find some rhythm to our days again. Yesterday our one outing was a fun one, a trip to get a new Christmas tree. We got a nice artificial one - already pre-strung with white lights - and let the boys each choose one new decoration apiece. Some new red and gold balls and candy canes and we were good to go. After dinner and baths and haircuts, we were too tired to do it last night... so it's our first project on tap for this weekend.

A place to sit

We picked up our new dining room chairs yesterday, and Mike and Spencer had them assembled quickly. They are nice chairs, but after a week of eating either off the floor or standing at the table, it wouldn't take much to impress me. We found a final home for our table, and lazily sat, drinking coffee, and eating Krispy Kreme donuts this morning. It was a little bit like heaven.

The beds have been set up. Spencer and Paxton had their rooms all picked out, and decided on the second night here that they'd rather share. So they're happily sleeping in the same room, and sleeping well. Dressers are in, boxes are in the process of being unpacked. Satellite is installed, cable internet is installed, and our furnace problem is fixed. We found the local post office, the library, and the church I want to try on Sunday. I ordered a magazine subscription from a college kid raising money for a trip to the Bahamas. I started my online shopping. Mike updated his posted resume with our local information, and promptly got 3 phone calls from recruiters. It is 66 degrees out, and the boys are playing in the backyard. It's 66 degrees out, and it's almost Christmas.

IKEA, icecream, and new fish

I love our new house; it is quickly feeling like a home, even though we seem to be never here. Yesterday it was back to Walmart for towels and trashcans and accessories. Spencer and I went alone together, and it was my first foray driving by myself. I am a wimp when it comes to city driving, but it really couldn't have been easier. All the streets are all gridded out and organized - not like NH cities at all. We had a good time together, and decided we'd make a Spencer & Mommy outing a regular occurence. When we got home, we got all three bathrooms set up, and the boys were very excited about their Finding Nemo/fish/dolphin decor.

We finally got our furniture paid for today, and took our first trip to IKEA. The woman greeting us noted our looks of confusion, and gave us a road map. Neat place! The boys, first excited just by the sight of an escalator, had a blast looking through the showroom with us. We picked several things, and decided to come back another day to get them. Tonight was a long awaited visit to Cold Stone, the best icecream place ever. Mike and I made a mental note that the next time the small size would be more than sufficient.

The day Paxton's fish died, we told him that whenever he was ready, we'd get him a new one. This morning he announced that he was ready, so that was our last stop of the day. Spencer wanted to get a fish too, but because two bettas can't live in the same tank, they had to pick two different kinds. They browsed through all the fish, we talked to sales lady at length.... but they both wanted bettas. So we went in for one new fish, and came out with two new fish, another little betta tank, and a tiny frog that can live with bettas. Paxton named his fish Nick, Spencer's is Morgan, and I named the frog Jerry, after the greatest tv show of all time.

Furniture, IHOP & our first visitors

We did something crazy, something that we never ever do. We went shopping the day after Thanksgiving. We didn't go Christmas shopping, but because it was the day for it, we we were faced with the typical throngs of people. We went to the mall (our new, big, super close mall) of all places, to price washers and dryers. It was an adventure, to say the least, and we didn't even buy anything. I promised the kids we'd come back sometime after the holidays though, because they saw a spectacular game room that they couldn't wait to check out.

After the mall we headed to a discount furniture store, and after a looooong time browsing, chose two new couches, love seat, 3 chairs, coffee table and end tables. We started the ordering process but couldn't complete it because our checking account has a limit on the amount of money put on the debit card each day. We've paid off and cut up our credit cards, so we couldn't use those; and they wouldn't accept an out of state check. Because it was after 3 AZ time, the bank was closed and we couldn't even call to get it raised for the day. Bummer.

Today Mike called the bank bright and early to get our limit lifted so we could buy our big items. The catch was that we only had till 10 AM, because our bank closed at noon eastern time. Fun fun fun. It felt like we were on a reality show, rushing to get through a shopping spree. First up was Best Buy for washer, dryer, and TV. Then hurry to the furniture store only to find it didn't open till 10. We tried, but got declined again, and decided to console ourself with a nice breakfast at IHOP (another something I'd been greatly looking forward to having close by) We made the mistake of adding Walmart to our trip, and were rewarded with another meltdown and hasty exit.

Sandi, Mike and the kids came by in the afternoon, both to visit and to loan their muscles for moving in some of the big stuff. The kids had a good time playing, and we all ate Thanksgiving leftovers - while standing, since we still haven't gotten kitchen chairs.

A (mostly) Happy Thanksgiving

In the past, Thanksgiving has always meant baking a brocolli casserole, wearing a new cozy sweater, and spending the day feasting and visiting with family.

I didn't make a casserole, and it was way too warm to wear a sweater... but we did spend the day feasting and visiting with family. Our second full day as Arizona residents was spent traveling up to Anthem to share Thanksgiving with Sandi, Mike and the kids. They invited some friends as well, who had three kids of their own, so it was a full and busy house. It was a wonderful meal, and the kids had a blast playing together. Instead of bundling up and taking a walk after dinner - our usual after-turkey activity - we stood outside in our short sleeves while the kids rode bikes and played in the street. We were about to round everyone up and walk to the park when two of the boys came running outside to tell us that Paxton (who had been happily playing with them on the computer) had just gotten sick. Sad for him, and disappointed about calling it a day, we packed up and said our goodbyes and thank yous and nice-to-meet-yous before heading back home. It was a rough ride home, but we made it with just one stop. The poor kid fell asleep at 6, and slept the entire night. Today he is his normal Paxton self, no worse for the wear.

Setting up & Settling In - Our first full day

Still on NH time, we woke early to the sound of birds singing. We'd all slept on our mattresses on the floor, about as far as we got unpacking. Our goal for the first day was to find and unpack our coffee maker. It took a few hours to do so, and when we did we realized we had no filters. Our first cups of coffee in our new house were brew with paper towels for filters, and stirred with steak knives. The kids were feeling lousy with colds, so we spent most of the morning hanging around the house. We walked to the mailbox and checked out the pool and park. Lunch was at Quiznos, which was a nice change from Subway, and we ate outside, commenting how strange it felt to be so warm the day before Thanksgiving.

We poured through the local phonebooks, wildly excited about how very close we are to, well, EVERYTHING. It's a far cry from Andover, where even a simple trip to the grocery store required an hour's round trip driving. We all took a trip to Linens N Things to get started on our massive list of things we needed for the house. It was a bit too ambitious for our first day, as there was a meltdown by the time we were done. The rest of the day was at home... the boys played, Mike made all the phone calls for getting phone and satellite and internet hooked up, and I worked on getting the kitchen in order.

We wanted to pick up some groceries, but didn't think being in a grocery store the evening before Thanksgiving would be too fun, so we hit the town again for some dinner. 5 minutes down the street we found a drive-through Wendy's, and ate sitting on the floor, our food on the coffee table.

The Trip - From NH to AZ

Day 1 - Departure

We planned to leave NH at 8:00 AM, and ended up leaving at 8:45. Not bad considering that it was a cold, rainy, dreary day. The first leg of the trip went incredibly smoothly. The boys slept off and on, and we rarely heard a peep from the animals. We had lunch in New York, and it was also somewhere in New York that I first noticed that our trailer swayed like crazy everytime a tractor trailer passed us. I vowed I wouldn't look back anymore, because it freaked me out, but of course it just made me look EVERY time. The drizzly sky finally completely opened up and poured on us as we entered Pennsylvania, and we all laughed as we ran through the rain into to PA Welcome Center. First overnight stop: Mifflinville, Pennsylvania. We got some sandwiches from Arby's, then spent the evening playing the bingo game that Paxton got in his kid's meal at lunch.

Day 2

We woke to freezing temperatures and snow. It snowed on and off all day, but thankfully never enough to delay our trip. We entered Ohio, and had lunch in Akron. There were tears in Akron too - lots of them - over where we were going to eat. A scene was made, and I think there's a distinct possibility that we won't be welcome at that Subway ever again. Ah, traveling with kids. Everyone felt a lot better after we ate, and we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset coming through Columbus. The boys broke out their gameboys after lunch, and I ate my way through a box of Junior Caramels while I read two more magazines and caught up on all my pop-culture news. We noticed a strange thump in the trailer, and couldn't figure out what it was. We were excited to see gas prices drop below $2.00, a very good thing since our 4Runner was barely making 11 MPG with the weight of the trailer. Second overnight stop: Dayton, Ohio. There was a Perkins right next to our hotel, so that fit the bill for dinner. We'd never eaten there before, but the boys and I were able to get pancakes, and Mike got some sort of meat, so we were happy. The hotel was NOT a four-star establishment, and I had to laugh each time I found something wrong.... a lamp that didn't work, a missing clock, a shower drain that didn't drain, and not even a single spare roll of toilet paper.

Day 3

This time we woke to the first casualty of the trip. My Christmas cactus, lovingly grown from a shoot from a plant that was originally my Grandmothers, was frozen dead in the truck. Our luck continued through the morning into Missouri. It was a boring stretch of highway, and a rough stretch of highway, so much so that I was starting to feel carsick. Everett was starting to get grumpy and bored, so I picked up a little chalkboard for him to play with. It kept him happily drawing for 20 minutes or so, until he found more creative uses for it, like bopping his big brothers in the head. It revived me a little bit to come into St Louis, and I took several pictures of the arch. It finally started to warm up a bit too, something that made us all happy. We played the alphabet game in the afternoon, and we got to "Z" just as we passed a Lake of the Ozarks sign. Third overnight stop: Lebanon, Missouri (at a much nicer hotel than the night before.) We rolled into the parking lot with less than a half a gallon of gas, checked in, and ordered a pizza. While we waited for dinner to arrive, the boys ran around the courtyard for a good half hour, waving their arms over their heads, shouting "We're freeeeeeeee!!"

Day 4

We had a rough, windy ride first thing in the morning, but it cleared up as the morning wore on. The boys played their gameboys, and I finished the second of the 4 books I brought with me. We crossed into Oklahoma, and had lunch in Tulsa. We saw our first official cowboy in Wendy's, complete with Wrangler jeans, cowboy boots, hat and silver belt buckle. The boys were excited at lunch because they got new prizes in their kids' meals (we'd already eaten fast food enough times that they'd gotten some repeats) The day was going smoothly, if long, and we booked our hotel for the night. We were about 60 miles away from our destination, and I turned to Mike to tell him what good time we were making, how happy I was that we were ahead of schedule. BOOM. Or bang or pop or whatever words conjure up a dreadfully loud and sudden explosion sound. In the ten seconds it took me to realize we weren't in fact being shot at, but had blown a tire out on our trailer, Mike already had the truck under control and was maneuvering it onto the shoulder. Unfortunately it happened on the one of the worst possible places on the highway... a barely-there shoulder, a tight curve, and a 75 mph speed limit. We just sat in the truck for a minute, looking at each other, while tractor trailers zoomed by fast enough to make our teeth rattle. We did have a spare, but neither of us were comfortable with Mike changing a tire by himself on that section of road. We wanted a professional, preferably with flashing lights. We called AAA, who sent someone out, and it took about 20 minutes for him to arrive. It was dark by this time, and 2 of the 3 boys were crying, exhausted and freaked out. It was a quick fix once he got there; and ten minutes (and $120) later, we were on our again, stopping at a closer hotel than planned. Fourth overnight stop: Elk City, Oklahoma. We were exceedingly thankful to get there safe and sound, and the hotel room - complete with its hot pink sheets - was very inviting. I stayed with the baby, while Mike and the older boys ran out to pick something up for dinner. I found Racing Stripes on HBO, and thought they'd be excited about that when they got back. They were.

Day 5

Everett woke up hot with a fever, but with no other symptoms. I felt bad making him get in the car for another day of driving, but knew that he'd get the sleep he needed to fight whatever it was off. And sleep he did. We drove around most of the morning looking for someplace to buy another spare tire for the trailer, but it was a difficult feat being a Sunday when everything was closed. Walmart's tire center was open but did not have the right size. We took the chance while we were there to grab a few things we needed... snacks, baby tylenol, another magazine, new magnadoodles for the kids. The guy at Walmart sent us to a truck stop, also open, also wrong size. We finally found a service station that appeared to be open. The guy who worked there, called in on an emergency repair for somebody else, was gracious enough to help us. We were back on the road by 10:30 AM, and finally crossed into Texas. Lunch was at McDonalds in Amarillo. The boys wanted an icecream after lunch, and were bummed to find out that their icecream machine was broken. After lunch we crossed the border into New Mexico, and it was just as beautiful as I remembered it from the first trip. There's just something about the miles and miles of wide open spaces, mountains, and red rock buttes that's good for the soul. I love the southwest; I always have. The difference between this time and our trip in June is that in June it felt like a vacation, and this time it feels like going home. Fifth overnight stop: Albuquerque, New Mexico. The kids made me smile when they walked into our rather typical $60 a night hotel room and said, with all sincerity "Wow, what a great room!" We had dinner at an interesting cafeteria-style family restaurant in a not-very-nice part of town. We'd promised the boys icecream.... and the icecream machine was broken there too. We headed back to our hotel, and to the McDonald's sharing its parking lot, for icecream and another night of much needed rest. We pulled out the US map as we had every night so far, and marveled at how far we'd come.

Day 6

Everett's fever was thankfully of the 36 hour variety, and he woke up cool and happy and his usual stinker self. The older boys however woke up with their own unique versions of impending colds... Paxton a hacking cough, and Spencer a flurry of sneezes. We'd set the alarm for 7, but not being used to the time change we woke up at 5:45, ready to get going. We had our first really good cup of coffee of the trip when I spotted a nearby Starbucks. Mike ran in for them, and came back swearing that he was never going to Starbucks again.... too many complicated choices for a simple cup of coffee. We enjoyed a relaxing drive through the rest of New Mexico, and I finished my 3rd book of the trip in between drinking in all the scenery. We crossed into Arizona before noon, and began the long stretch of desert highway. Exits were few and far between, so when we stopped for a bathroom break, Mike decided to fill up the gas tank just in case. He was already up to $40 before he realized that the gas was almost FOUR DOLLARS a gallon. We shed our jackets sometime around lunchtime, and enjoyed the warm air. Lunch was at Denny's in Holbrook, and we decided to call it a nice early day. Last overnight stop: Flagstaff, AZ. We stayed at a nicer hotel than the previous ones, in a two-room suite, which was fitting for our last night of the trip. We got their at 4:00, enjoyed a complimentary cocktail social hour, gave the kids baths, ordered room service, and vegged out in front of the TV.

Day 7: Arrival day

We woke up early again, and were lounging around in bed watching the local news. Mike got a weird look on his face when he heard that it had dipped below 20 degrees overnight. I just stared at him until he said "Paxton's fish." It had been so warm in the evening, we hadn't thought about the fact that we were in the mountains and that it might get cold at night. Paxton's fish - who'd made it completely across the country just fine - had been left in the truck in the cold, and didn't make it. We'd brought him into the hotel with us the nights we knew it was going to get cold, but were fooled by the warm Arizona evening. We felt HORRIBLE. Paxton was of course sad, but handled it better than either one of us would have expected. He seemed as excited as the rest of us that it was our last day of driving, and that we were only 3 hours away from our new home. We fueled up at a nice breakfast buffet, complete with belgian waffles, and let Everett run up and down the corridors while Mike loaded up the truck. We took it easy on the 2 hour drive down to Anthem, both because we didn't want to blow another tire and plummet off the side of the mountain, and because our overloaded trailer didn't let us do otherwise. The views coming down into Phoenix were, as we remembered, spectacular.

We got to my sister's house at noon, and it was like no time had passed between us.. certainly not 4 months. We chatted and visited, and the kids wasted no time getting down to the business of playing with their cousins. It was warm and sunny and happy, and it felt good just to be there. We called our realtor and set up a time to meet her at our house. As we drove down to Tempe, I was literally so excited that I thought I was going to hyperventilate. I had to keep telling myself, and the kids (who were nearly bouncing off the ceiling) to calm down. We underestimated how much time it would take to get there, and we were 15 minutes late meeting the realtor. The house was very easy to find off the highway, and the area was just as she'd promised - a nice, clean, beautiful family neighborhood. She promised we wouldn't be disappointed, and we were not. One misconception I think people have about Arizona in general is that everything is drab and brown, and it's just not. As we drove into the development there was green grass and palm trees, petunias and marigolds, and a whole bunch of gorgeous blooming bushes that I've yet to learn the name of. It was everything we'd hoped for... and if it hadn't been for the occasional crying, the fever, the blown-out tire, and the dead fish, the trip would've been too perfect. We made it safely across the country together, and it's all good.

The Closing

It was a test of patience to be sure, but after weeks of waiting and wondering and postponing and praying, we closed on the sale of our house. The boys kept asking us what "a closing" was, and we told them it was basically us signing a whole bunch of papers, handing over our keys, and officially selling the house to the buyers. It was that... and it was so much more. Practically, it went very very smoothly. It was quick and simple, and there was a lot of chatting and joking as we signed. For a transaction that had so many snags along the way, it wound up very neat and tidy in the end. To Mike and I (and by extension, the kids) this house sale was the key to a new life, a new adventure, new possibilities, something we've been waiting a long time for. We were ready. Whoever said timing is everything wasn't kidding. Had we done it a year earlier, I would have been sad to leave the house that we'd put so much blood, sweat and tears into.. but today I wasn't. That house had been a stepping stone, and a blessing to be sure, but it was just a stopping off place for us. Today we were ready to leave it, to let someone else enjoy it. And everything from our buyers to the job market to the homeschool groups to the rental house that just happened to become available when we needed it, fell into place to tell us that the time was now. We're ready. And we're excited. And we're so very very thankful.

Ch-Ch-Ch Changes

The last several days have been a whirlwind of a activity, a final sprint in this leg of the journey. Thursday the boys and I went to Concord for errands, and it was with a very strange sense of finality that we went to Walmart, the grocery store, and to Friendly's. It's starting to sink in to all of us that this is the last time we'll eat at a Friendly's; the last time we'll go to this Walmart; the last time we'll shop at this grocery store. God-willing, in just a couple of weeks, our whole sense of "normal" will be completely different. Friday someone came from Mike's work to pick up some furniture. She bought our remaining couch, two chairs, and three dressers. Our house feels big and strange and empty... and it echoes. Yesterday was packing, packing, and more packing. The boys are saying temporary goodbyes to many of their toys now. Mike took the bed frames apart - because they'll go in the trailer next - so we all camped out on the living room floor. We'll stay there for the next 8 nights (possibly up to 26 nights if the closing date gets extended again) but it is part of the adventure. Last night we all snuggled up, found The Parent Trap on tv, and stayed up way too late. This morning is pancakes - which is very normal for a Sunday morning - but this morning, my 8 year old is making them. He's helped before, but never done it on his own. At my last glance, they were round, fluffy, and perfectly golden.

Changes.

Rain

All this house-showing and rushing around is starting to take its toll on the kids. Yesterday, Paxton burst into tears when it was time to put the Playstation away to get ready to get out of the house. It didn't help that the realtor and prospective buyers were over 20 minutes early, and we had to rush even more than usual to get the last final things picked up. The mood was already somber for most of the weekend, because of the relentless rain. The rain is doing its fair share of damage too, with streets and roads and dams flooded and breached. Alstead got hit even harder... businesses and homes have been completely washed away. We watched the destruction on the news yesterday afternoon, and the boys found it awe-inspiring, after being reassured that everyone they loved was safe. Saturday was Mike's 31st birthday, so we all went out for breakfast (and then drove around in the rain during another showing) The rest of the weekend, and storm, was waited out at home, playing Playstation, computer games, and packing. The boys were asking about fractions when they went to bed last night, and made me promise we'd talk about them this morning.. And we will, as soon as they wake up.

The best laid plans...

We were supposed to be closing - and moving - 8 days from today. We will possibly be closing in a month, maybe with these buyers, perhaps with new buyers.

Possibly... maybe... perhaps.

We are in limbo more than ever right now, and our main concern at the moment is keeping things as normal as possible for the kids. This is difficult, as we only have one car, and have to shuffle our lives around the continually showings on the house. Still, even with the occasional tantrum (the kids also have tantrums sometimes), we are managing to keep our heads above water. The older boys had their physicals this week, and they are both healthy, strong, and good to go. On Tuesday, we all had to get up early to drive Mike to work so we could have the truck. We had two showings scheduled, and we spent the first one wandering around Walmart for nearly 2 hours. We came home and worked on the latest workbook from the kids' Top Secret Adventures, this time about Kenya. Luckily, the second showing was at 5, and we were already going to be out picking Mike up, so we didn't have to do anything differently. Yesterday the excavator came to do the digging for the neighbor's addition. This meant that Spencer spent most of the day camped at window, keeping me updated on the progress. We capped off the day by playing ball in the driveway. And "ball" by the way, means three different things to the three boys..... for Everett it means walking around carrying, and occasionally throwing, his big playground ball, all the while yelling "Ba! Ba!" with a big grin on his face.... for Paxton, it's a jumping, sliding, rolling, kicking, throwing combination of soccer, baseball and volleyball... and for Spencer, it's occasional pausing from his excited bouncing to either catch or throw the ball. We did a lot of packing yesterday too, which was put on hold for the moment, at least until we get a better idea of what's happening with our house and move. Today was cookie-making. And tomorrow? I couldn't even hazard a guess about what tomorrow will bring. I know it'll be interesting.

Doggie tea and other toddler adventures

Last night we got back from spending a few days at Maba and Pop's. We went up on Thursday night, both for the visit & the getaway, and also because we had yet another showing of the house on Friday.

Friday proved to be rewarding, yet incredibly exhausting. We started the day by watching The Sound of Music. The boys had never seen it, and it had been several years for me, so we all enjoyed it. We also played MadGab and got out some cards and poker chips, though we never got around to playing poker. Everett found the chips to be great fun, and spread them all over the living room. He also discovered Mom's shelf of teas, and before I could stop him he'd brewed himself a nice batch of tea in the dog's water bowl. While I was cleaning that up he returned to the living room to add the deck of cards and the MadGab game to the poker chips that were all over the floor. Deciding that the house would be safer if we weren't actually in it, we started picking up the messes and getting ready to head outside. Paxton wanted a snack, so they he went to look in the pantry for something to eat. Everett followed, and came out with a can of soup and some salad dressing. That wasn't working. I took him in the bathroom with me to get ready, where he flung open doors and drawers and at some point, relocated the bottle of salad dressing to a drawer in the vanity. We fared better outside, and had a nice day picking blueberries, swinging, and sliding. That night we played a two hour long game of Monopoly Jr while Everett napped in Pop's lap. Mike and I went to a late movie, which was a nice (and incredibly rare) treat, but it left us tired for yesterday - another day of hard playing outside.

Today is haircuts and packing and resting, and praying that this week we'll finally get an answer about when we'll actually be moving.

Goodbyes

Sunday was the last time we'll be seeing the McGrail side of the family for a long time. There were goodbyes and hugs and tears from almost everyone, but the boys took it remarkably in stride. They gave their hugs and kisses, happily waved at the door, and went back to the business of playing. Mike thinks that maybe they don't really understand that this was a real goodbye, for several months, but I tend to think the opposite is true. I think they understand better than we give them credit for, better than we as adults can understand.

A friend and I recently had a discussion about children and how they dealt with death. She recently lost a cousin to a car accident, and was telling me how her children were handling it. Her 8 year old (who is a lot like Spencer in many ways) accepted it in a way that many adults just can't. She told me that she just KNEW her cousin was in a better place, and that she WOULD see her again. There was no question in her mind.

Moving away from family is obviously different than death, but it is still a life-changing transition. And Spencer and Paxton seem to understand better than anybody that while, yes, it's a big deal, it's not something to be sad about. That relationships that are worth having are not going to dissipate just because of a few (or a few thousand) miles. That they will continue to see and share and talk with the people that love them. That this is a good, and positive, and exciting move for our family, and that it's where we need to be right now. Their hearts are pure and open and trusting, and not all clogged up with the negative garbage that us adults have accumulated.

They understand.

Sonic Heroes, math and the USA

Yesterday Paxton asked me what 3 x 5 was. I answered his question, and he asked another. I showed him what a multiplication table was, and his excitement drew Spencer over to see what we were doing. They both found it very very cool. Spencer wanted to check my answers, so I got him a calculator, and he spent most of the afternoon plugging in problems, amazed that I had them all right (or possibly amazed that the calculator got them all right) It was the last thing he did before he went to bed, and the first thing he did when he woke up.

Paxton spent a long portion of the past two days playing Sonic Heroes, both with and without me. It is one of five new PS2 games he got for his birthday, and it is pretty fun. He learns how to play new games almost instantly and I do not, so it took me awhile before I could even give him some honest competition.

This afternoon, I looked up a United States map on the internet. The one we had hanging on our wall is packed someplace, and I wanted to know what surrounded Utah. I stumbled across a really neat geography site, with games for learning and quizzing yourself on the states, capitals, rivers and lakes. We all played with it for quite awhile - and I do know where Utah is now - and the boys had me bookmark it for later.

Right now they are watching Cyberchase on TV, the baby is sleeping, and I can almost hear the house sighing as the day starts to wind down.

Moving

On August 10th, our house officially hit the market. 13 days later we received (and accepted) an offer. Barring any problems, we will close on October 14th, hitch up our trailer and start our new adventure in AZ. As the buyers have a home sale contingency on the contract, we are continuing to do showings, and our life very much feels like it is revolving around cleaning and getting out of the house for walk-throughs. Surprisingly, though it's not entirely pleasant scrubbing the house for strangers to critique it - whether we're in the mood for cleaning or not - everyone has been adjusting rather well. The boys have been very helpful in packing and keeping the house picked up; and have only complained minimally about leaving at a moments' notice when they'd much rather be home playing Playstation.

There are actually many upsides to having to be out of the house all the time. We've been going out to eat a lot, which while certainly pricey, has been really nice. We've also been spending a lot of time in the car together, which we always enjoy. If it weren't for the price of gas, we would likely be driving around even more. We explored miles of back roads the other day, when we came home after an hour and the people still hadn't left, and it was a lovely little detour.

We're all excited about moving, and are starting to shift our focus to Arizona. I've signed up with homeschool groups, researched churches, and searched for a gym. It's a strange state of limbo we're in right now, but in a way it's forcing us to live in the moment even more fully. The boys and I are appreciative of days like today, when we're home, together, and don't have any showings or plans.

Paxton started his day with Playstation today, and Spencer started by writing words on the chalkboard and quizzing me. He asked why his friend Becca (one year older than him) knew how to spell longer words than he did. I told him that it was probably because she went to school, and had to learn words for spelling tests... and that he could practice longer words any time he wanted to. He then got out a map of the world, taped it next to the chalkboard, and started copying the names of countries.

The mail distracted us, as it always does, and now the boys are pouring through a toy catalog, adding to their growing Christmas wish list. Very strange to think about our first Christmas without any snow.

Yard Sales, Roofers, and $80 Icecream

Saturday was our first foray into yard saling. We've been to yard sales before, but until this weekend had never held our own. Despite some pretty ominous looking clouds, the weather held out, and it was by and large a success. The boys were very excited about it, Spencer so much so that he had Mike wake him up at 6:30 in the morning to help set up. He was a great help, greeting everyone as they walked up, and trying his hardest to promote one of the old lawnmowers we were getting rid of. We'd promised the boys that they could keep all the money from their own items that sold, and they both happily deposited 5.50 into their banks at the end of the day. They helped us load all the leftovers into the garage, poised to be taken out again for try #2 next weekend.

Sunday I wanted to take the family out for icecream. We had to go grocery shopping, but didn't feel like driving all the way to Concord - ha - so we went to New London and planned on stopping at the TCBY on the way out. We'd forgotten that everything in New London closes insanely early on Sundays. We got there at 2:15, and they'd closed at 2:00. I had promised my boys icecream, so we weren't going home without icecream. We headed out to Newport, since we were out that way and it was only another 15 minutes. No icecream places. We couldn't turn around at that point, so we drove the next 10 miles to Claremont. Surely they would have a Friendly's. Couldn't find one. Hopped on the highway, and ended up driving into Vermont. We were on a mission. I thought of Lebanon, and was positive that they'd have icecream. The exit we wanted was several miles away, but we were having a grand time. I was slightly worried about the fact that the truck's gas gauge had said empty for awhile - we hadn't been planning a big outing - but we made it to the exit and the gas station on fumes. We were so empty, it cost over $40 to fill it, something that I think has happened only one other time since we've had it. And right down the street from the station was.....a Friendly's! By that time, it was after 5:00, so we were all hungry for dinner too. We had a nice dinner, followed by our long awaited icecream sundaes. They were worth it. The boys were happy and sticky when we headed home an hour later.

Yesterday, the men arrived to start working on our new roof. Days like that I am especially glad that we homeschool. The boys spent nearly all day outside... watching, asking questions, listening patiently and maturely to where they could and could not stand, taking pictures of the progress. Something you just can't get in public school.

Therapy

I have some pretty terrific kids.

There have been stresses lately - big ones - too big for even chocolate to fix. I was sitting and sipping my 3rd cup of coffee at the computer, trying to focus long enough to get something done. I turned on the computer's dvd player, loaded up with one of my mixes, and "Drift Away" started playing. I only halfway heard it, and it did nothing to raise my spirits.

Paxton, sweet sweet Paxton, came into the room without saying a word, took the mouse and selected track 16 - the theme song to Friends. Within minutes, all four of us were laughing and dancing around the living room. He played it again and again, and we danced and we danced. As far as I'm concerned, no matter what else we do today or this week, it'll all be secondary to that moment we spent together, just forgetting about everything and having fun together.

I love these kids so much. I'll never know what I ever did to deserve them.

Happy first birthday Everett!!!! We can't believe you are one already!!!