Adventures in Disneyland

... and California Adventure, and the beach, and Hollywood Boulevard...

Our first really big family vacation since Everett was born, went off not only without a hitch, but was better even than we'd hoped! It was an ambitious undertaking to be sure, with 12 hours of total driving, 2 long days walking around theme parks, and another day of site-seeing around Hollywood. The boys had the time of their lives though, and were troopers throughout... Even Spencer, who had to make the trip with a sore tooth (details to follow in another blog)

We planned to leave bright and early on Thursday morning, but being us, we left late. It was nearly 10:30 by the time we'd dropped the dog off at the kennel and hit the road. We passed the California border after about 2 1/2 hours, and were promptly met with an awesome dust storm. Lunch at IHOP was cold and windy, as was the stop at Walmart for new wiper blades, more sunblock, and candy for the ride. We checked into our hotel in time for dinner, but were too tired from the trip to actually find someplace to eat. Chinese delivery to the rescue.

Friday morning we DID leave bright and early, and caught the shuttle bus to Disneyland. Our package from AAA came with many little perks, with being able to ride the bus to the parks for free just one of them. Our first stop was the character breakfast, where Everett was thrilled to see many of his favorites. After breakfast we headed to the Honey I Shrunk the Audience 3D show, which was the only bust of the entire trip. Ironically Everett found it hysterical, but Spencer and Paxton were freaked out, so we left early. We ended up having to hang around outside the theatre anyway, as Paxton realized he'd left his hat inside. 10 minutes later, hat in hand, and nerves calmed, we were ready to explore the rest of the park. The big boys' favorites were Autopia (a drive-your-own-car ride) and Astroblasters (where you get to shoot at bad guys for points) We all loved the canoe ride, Everett was in awe of It's a Small World, and Toontown was fun for everyone. Everett was beside himself with excitement at meeting Mickey Mouse, and he was not disappointed. He rode his first rollercoaster in Toontown too, which was met with mixed reviews. Shouts of "That was cool!!!" were later changed to "That was fun, but, I don't want to go on a rollercoaster again" Spencer and Paxton loved the rollercoaster, and it only whetted their appetite for more. Dinner that first night was at the Rainforest Cafe, and we went back to the park afterwards because we'd promised the boys souvenirs. Spencer and Paxton chose light sabers, and Everett got a little Mickey Mouse cell phone and an astro blaster, a very noisy, light-up, gun of sorts. He then proceeded to "shoot" everyone we passed, and thankfully all but one passerbys were good sports about it.

Saturday we hit the other theme park, California Adventure. Paxton had wanted to get his face painted the day before, so that was our first stop. We had preferred seating at Turtle Talk with Crush, a great interactive show which amused the kids and had me wondering how it all worked behind the scenes. Most of our morning was spent in the Bug's Life area, which was full of rides for kids as small as Everett, and with almost no wait! We went on everything they had to offer, then headed over to some of the taller-people rides where we took turns with the big boys. Ev was bummed that he had to sit out some of the attractions, but felt better after an icecream break :) I went on Soarin Over California by myself, and Mike was dying to go on the huge, highspeed coaster with loops... but it was shut down by technical difficulties by the time we got around to it. We finished off our day back at Disney, where we all rode Autopia and Astro Blasters one last time, explored Innoventions, enjoyed funnel cakes and cotton candy and lollipops, and watched the parade on the way out. Everett waved to Mickey, high on a float, and was certain that Mickey's return wave was just for him. We ended another busy day by RUNNING to catch the shuttle bus that had just arrived (we didn't want to wait the 20 minutes for the next one) and headed back to the hotel. We then proceeded to drive around for an hour looking for internet - for some reason we couldn't get it to work in the hotel- and finally found a connection outside a gas station. We got directions to where we needed to go in the morning, picked up a couple of pizzas to eat in the hotel, and called it a day.

On Sunday, the last day of our trip, we went hobnobbing with the stars. Hollywood was someplace that I'd always wanted to see, but assumed that it was the kind of place that you only needed to see ONCE. I was right. It was a neat thing to do, and a fun place to walk around, but CRAZY with tourists, especially as it got later in the day. We had breakfast at Starbucks, then browsed all the stars on the sidewalk, looking for our favorite names. We walked through the Hollywood Wax Museum, and spent a long time in the museum of the Guiness Book of World Records. We ended our Hollywood tour outside the famous Mann's Chinese Theatre. It was cool to see all the hand and footprints, and take a few pictures, but the crowds were insane by then so we didn't stay too long. Off we went to explore some more on our own. We drove up Mullholland Ave, a twisting, hairpin road which had amazing views of the Hollywood hills, and then turned around and came back down. We lost our way temporarily, and finally ended up at a Ralph's Supermarket, where we bought a map and made our way to Sunset. Driving down Sunset was really cool for someone like me, and the boys were unbelievably patient with their crazy mom who was getting all excited about passing things like The Viper Room (where River Phoenix died), the Laugh Factory where Dane Cook was performing, the Beverly Hills sign, and countless cars that cost more than our house. Our final stop? The beach, where we got our very first up-close-and-personal encounter with the Pacific Ocean. Very cool to realize that we'd finally officially been coast to coast. We watched the boys play (and of course took more pictures) and reluctantly headed home.

Dinner was early, and the ride home was uneventful (yet long) The kids slept most of the way home, and we pulled into our driveway at 10:30 at night. It was an incredible trip.

Baby makes three

Three rats that is! This is Zoey, the newest addition to our family. She was a spur-of-the-moment decision, brought on by the fact that we just fell in love with her! We weren't planning on getting another rat - and the timing isn't ideal - but she is seamlessly blending right in.

Dinosaurs, marbles, and Ebay

The past couple of weeks have flown by with a rush of visitors, salesmen, repairmen, and doctor's appointments. In between, we've been organizing the toy room, unpacking long forgotten boxes, and working on new projects. Spencer built a dinosaur, we spent hours playing Marble Works, and as of last Sunday we have gone into business. After giving away countless tins of my lip balm over the past year, I decided to try my hand in selling them on Ebay. I mostly made them myself, and the boys have been excited to help with packing, labeling, and addressing. They especially like the shrink-wrapping part, which we have yet to fully get the hang of.

The Real World

I get a lot of emails from friends and aquaintances curious about homeschooling. Not too long ago, I got a bunch of questions from a very sweet woman on one of my message boards. One of them was this.. "If kids don't go to school, how can they learn about the real world?" Which is odd to me, because exactly which world are Mike and I (and by extension the kids) living in if not the real world? This is the real world, this is life, and the kids are completely immersed in it.

I was thinking about this again yesterday because yesterday was payday. Payday comes twice a month, and twice a month I sit in the morning with my coffee and pay the bills. Yesterday, Spencer and Paxton asked if they could help. So we paid the bills together, and chatted about budgets and utilities and how our mortgage comes down faster if we pay a little extra each month... how important it is to keep the checkbook balanced... how the internet has made bill-paying easier... what happens if you don't pay your bills.

I don't know, I don't think it gets more "real world" than that.

Everett's greatest hits

We tried a couple of times to get a video of Everett singing, and the one that Paxton took turned out the cutest!

Happy Spring

My parents left for New Hampshire last night, after a 9 day visit. It was great to see them as always, and even more great this time because no one was sick. The boys were sick to various degrees the last time both sets of grandparents visited, so this past week was a happy change of pace. It was all about having fun and enjoying the warm (and at times, hot) Phoenix sunshine!

Saturday, we all caught up and hung out here. We set up the bouncy house, the boys played with Spencer's new bow and arrow, and we cooked on the grill. Sunday was more of the same, except the location changed to Sandi's house. On Monday we went out for lunch, and the boys were happy to show Mom and Dad their newly found favorite playground on the way home.

Thursday was the zoo, which is always fun, followed by another dinner out. On Friday, we headed up to Camp Verde, to Mom and Dad's new house. It's about an hour away, the same distance we were in New Hampshire. But it's a BEAUTIFUL ride, and I can never make it without commenting on how incredibly gorgeous this state is! The boys spent the afternoon and evening with Mom and Dad... shooting a foam shooter, baking cookies, playing hide and go seek, and being pool sharks in the club house... while Mike and I went to Sedona for dinner and a movie. Talk about gorgeous! Sedona is fast becoming one of my favorite places.

Saturday we hung out here and watched a movie, and on Sunday we went north again, to go to church in Camp Verde. People were nice and the service was great... but the best part was that the kids decided, very happily, to go to kids' church, and had a wonderful time. Even Everett surprised us by going off to the nursery when a sweet woman came up and asked him (and us) if he wanted to go play. I would never leave my kids just because it was what I was expected to do, but given the choice they wanted to. They wanted to, and they had a blast.

Here are some pics from the week:


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Castle building

Tattoo Boy

The boys got a bunch of temporary tattoos for Valentine's Day. The big boys enjoy them, and are currently wearing 2 or 3 apiece, but Everett is in LOVE with them. He had on 6 for his doctor's appointment yesterday (a checkup, that was easy as could be), and he came home and put on at least a half dozen more. He looks so cute I of course had to take pictures!

In addition to all the tattoo-wearing, the boys have been busy playing with Spencer's new birthday presents. The first thing to be put together was his lego loader, followed the next day by his castle-building kit. Last night he spent a good hour at the Discovery Store's website trying to decide what to spend his gift certificate. He ultimately decided on a remote control helicopter.

Mike and I have both been called to jury duty, which has prompted lots of questions about what that means and how the system works. Last night I gave them an illustration using Everett as a defendant, the two of them and myself as the jury, Mike as the judge, and our pets as witnesses. It made them laugh, and gave them a good understanding at the same time.

Spencer

Ten years ago today, I met my first beautiful baby boy. An entire decade! I will never forget the way I felt the moment he was born… looking at that perfect little face, the tiny little body that had yet to grow into its own skin, the full head of black hair.. oh that hair. He was truly the most amazing creature I’d ever seen. My life changed that day, and all the clichés I’d read about in books were about to come true. Nothing I’d done up to that point (and nothing I’ve done since) even held a candle to the importance of bringing up my children.

The past ten years with Spencer have been indescribable. He is growing into a boy that I not only (obviously) love with every ounce of my being, but also admire. Spencer loves life. He lives in the moment, he makes friends wherever he goes, he wears his heart on his sleeve. He is pure and kind and never afraid to be exactly who he is. A kid who loves his family and his friends above all else, and a kid who wants everyone around him to be as happy as he is.

Happy 10th birthday Spencer!! We love you a million, billion, zillion.

Party party party

Spencer's 10th birthday party was yesterday, and the whole thing went off without a hitch! Spencer was beside himself with excitement for the past several weeks, and he wasn't disappointed.

It was a gorgeous day for a party, and the weather made us thankful - again - that we live in Arizona, where even the February birthday parties can be outside.

There were 12 kids all together, both old friends and new. They started out by jumping (and sliding, and climbing and wrestling and laughing) in the bouncy house, stopping only long enough to re-hydrate and rest their legs. The house started to tip a couple of times when things got a bit wild, but it only proved to make everyone laugh, pile out to re-group, and start jumping again. Spencer gave them all tours of our new house, and was proud to show off his room, his toys, and his remote control vehicles. He was a wonderful and gracious host, making sure he paid attention to everyone.

He got a lot of neat gifts, and was genuinely surprised that we'd actually gotten him something that he hadn't known about. The present-opening gave me one of my proudest moments of the day, when one of the other mothers commented on how attentive and appreciative he was as he opened them... asking who they were from, reading all the cards... instead of a flurry of ripping and setting aside.

Several of the kids tried out Spencer's new playstation game, they met the rats, they snacked as they wandered in and out of the house.

Spencer chose cupcakes instead of cake, which gave us the chance to make two kinds - confetti for the kids, and good old yellow with chocolate frosting for anyone who wanted something a little less sweet. The candles kept blowing out, and prompted a second chorus of "Happy Birthday" so they could be re-lit.

We did the pinata at the end, and Mike and I agreed that it was the best pinata experience we've ever had. It broke open in increments, raining small bits of candy each time, so everyone had a chance to both hit and to get plenty of candy. The boys' friend Clayton was the last one up to bat, and predictably creamed it, splitting it completely open, and littering the patio with candies. The kids scrambled to fill up their treat bags, and a few of the boys continued to hit the pinata, even as it lay on the ground, just for fun.

Everyone stayed around 3 hours, and Sandi, Mitch and the kids stayed later to join us for some grilled burgers for dinner. Everett and Anabelle were finally able to get some uninterupted jumping time in the bouncy house, after being a little freaked out by the high activity of the older kids. It was a good day, a fun day, a tiring day. Spencer went to sleep with a smile on his face, and for a special treat camped out on the living room floor with Daddy.


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New parks, new friends, new valentines

Friday we checked out both a new park and a new homeschool group. I was nervous, Spencer wasn't sure if he wanted to go, and we nearly backed out at the last minute. I'm so glad we didn't!

The park is right down the street, and it is a GREAT park. The boys made instant best friends, as they usually do, and were quickly wrapped up in games of tag and hide-and-go-seek. I wasn't sure if it was the right group for me at first - and quite honestly I'm still not - but the boys loved it and made a unanimous decision that they wanted to go back. We signed up for both the group and for their Valentine's Party for this Friday. It's a very active group, with lots of families and lots of activities, so I'm sure it will give us more than enough opportunities to keep ourselves busy this spring.

Recent Developments

Very often I'm thinking of interesting or cute or funny things that the boys have been doing, and mentally preparing in my head how I'll share about them. Then a day will pass, then another, then another.... then the moment has passed. And it occurred to me that one of the reasons while the little things never get around to the point of sharing is that I like to share them accompanied by pictures. I do take pictures nearly daily, but actually putting them on a blog means hooking up the camera, downloading, transferring, etc, etc, etc. And that's more work than a few quickly typed sentences. So, in a flash of brilliance, I reminded myself that YES, I can actually post a blog without pictures every once in awhile, if it means another blog gets posted that otherwise never would have come to be.

Now, after that lengthy introduction -

Spencer and Paxton have both been learning about atoms and molecules. They've been playing with marbles, measuring and estimating and calculating. Paxton has been playing with a game maker program on the computer, and he's learning how to use my Paint Shop program. And Everett... Everett is just busy making me laugh.

Tomorrow, weather and health permitting, we're checking out a new homeschool group. The season for hanging out at home seems to be coming to an end.

Who says it doesn't snow in Phoenix?

This weekend we went on our second off-roading adventure of the year, this time to Four Peaks. It was a beautiful, all-day ride, and the boys were thrilled to discover snow in the higher altitudes. We stopped to stomp in it, throw snowballs, and even made a baby snowman.

Yesterday was an inpromptu trip to the zoo, where we rode the train for the first time, spent a long time with the lion, brushed the goats, and enjoyed some icecream in the children's area. I forgot that there was a fee to pet the stingrays, so we're saving that for next time, along with the monkey village. We love the zoo.

Visit my Photobucket for all of January's pictures :)

Lazy days and grasshoppers

January is more than half over, and we're still easing into the New Year. The homeschool group started back up with park days and activities, but the boys have unanimously decided that they aren't interested for now. They'd rather stay home. It has been a great thing for all of us, and we're all thoroughly enjoying getting back into old hobbies and starting new ones. We've spent a lot of long, lazy days playing with pattern blocks, reading Magic School Bus books, playing with the toy money and cash register, and working on new projects. As I write, the three boys are working together, building with their Marble Works set.

Today Paxton asked me how far grasshoppers could jump (20 times the length of their body, in case you were wondering) We read about grasshoppers, got out the tape measure, had our own long-jump contests, and measured random things around the house. We watched a hummingbird today too, the first to visit my new feeder.

This is as simple as it should be.

Tie-dye boys

Check out their work! They each chose a different technique, and came out with 3 awesome, unique shirts.

Happy New Year 2007

What a strange and happy and sad New Year's Eve we had yesterday. We spent a good part of the day off-roading in Scottsdale. It was an amazing time, and the perfect way to cap off the year. We came home, prepared to just pick up a couple of things and head out again, only to find that Lilly - the rat - had died while we were gone. She had been fine the day before, hadn't been acting too well in the morning, and was gone just like that. The boys have dealt with the death of a pet before, but a fish is very different than a playful and cuddly rat... a rat that was cared for and loved dearly. We were all teary as we said our goodbyes and buried her in the backyard.

We spent the rest of the day out, getting special drinks at Starbucks, picking up more munchies for our New Year's Eve party, and browsing through Office Max. We came home to cook a grand feast, and enjoyed it while we watched Napolean Dynamite and Fever Pitch. Everett konked out at around 9:30, Paxton at 10:30, and Spencer made it till nearly 11:30.

Finally, I had a conversation with Paxton yesterday that I have to share. We don't talk about school all that often, but occasionally one of the kids will bring it up. A lot of people ask me if I'd ever send them to school if they wanted to go, and while I certainly would if that's what they want to do, I don't see it as an imminent possibility. Yesterday on the way home from off-roading, we passed a school, and we were talking about the playground. Then we had the following - brief - conversation.

Paxton: I don't ever want to go to school. I don't like school.
Me: How do you know you don't like it? You've never been.
Paxton: Well they'd teach me things I already know.
Me: You're right about that.
Paxton: What else would they teach me?
Me: Whatever the school decides it's time to teach. You'd be in first grade, so you'd be taught things that someone decided first graders should learn.
Paxton: Oh.....
I need to cut my fingernails.

The end.

Here's my final batch of pictures from 2006. First, the boys' latest projects of tie-dyed shirts, and Spencer's brick house (in progress), followed by pictures from our off-roading adventure yesterday.

Wishing you all a safe, happy, and blessed 2007.


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In with the new

Despite the lingering sniffles and coughs (which the boys graciously shared with their cousins) we had another wonderful Christmas. We were up by seven, and the presents were unwrapped in mere minutes. There were a few blips this year.... the remote control garbage truck that Mike had to tinker with for an hour just to get it to work; the new PS2 game that wouldn't play; the hockey game that lost a stick after just two days of use. In the end though, none of that mattered. The garbage truck works fine now, we have a call in to get a new Playstation, and are ordering a replacement player for the hockey game. There are plenty of other things to keep the boys busy in the meantime. And keeping busy they are!! On Christmas Day, Sandi and Mitch came over with the kids, and we spent the day visiting, playing with kids' new toys and games, and laughing. Lots of laughing. Spencer and Paxton occasionally disappeared, and spied on us using their new periscopes. We played outside with the new sand table. Played swingball. Broke in the new sidewalk chalk. Played Spencer's new card game, Qwitch. Watched Elf. Made creations with Playdough. It was a good day, and it was just like I remembered from my own childhood.

Mike had the day after Christmas off, and the play continued. The hockey game got lots of use (until it broke), the boys tried out their new pottery wheel, and we built and created and colored and chatted. We played with the pattern blocks (one of my favorites), and did project after project with the new electronics lab. Yesterday Spencer and I made a shirt with his new tie-dye kit, and today he plans to start building a model house.

The house is a complete mess at the moment, but it's a joyful mess. Joyful messes are good.

Santa Claus

Santa is currently over Kasakhstan. http://www.noradsanta.com/en/map/index.php We'll track him all day, while we play and watch movies and get ready for tomorrow. No one is 100%, but fevers are gone, spirits are high, and everyone is looking forward to tomorrow morning.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!

5 days till Christmas

5 days till Christmas and all through the house
No one is healthy, not even a mouse

Actually that's not true. I'm pretty healthy, and the rats are pretty healthy. But Everett is still congested, Spencer is a sneezy mess, and Paxton is couch bound, feeling lousy with a fever and cough. Ah, cold and flu season. My main goal (my only goal) for the week is to rest, play, and get these kids healthy in time for Christmas.

Last week was another visit that passed all too quickly, and was enjoyed by everyone, even my poor sick kids. I had grand plans to chronicle the week in detail, but alas it's not to be, at least right now. Instead, the pictures! Hopefully they'll speak for themselves. God bless Rockyou.


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Winter Wonderland

Mom and Dad have safely returned back to New Hampshire, and the visit was quick and memorable. We had a big holiday feast on the patio, we walked around the zoo in short sleeves, we went hiking in the desert, and the only snow the kids played in was of the imported variety. Still, it feels like winter. It feels like a holiday.

Saturday, they came down to visit and see the house for the first time. The boys were happy to give them a tour, and we spent the afternoon visiting and catching up. Sunday we had a huge Thanksgiving/Christmas feast, complete with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, wine, pies, and all the trimmings. After we ate, we followed our annual post-Thanksgiving tradition of going for a walk, this time in a nearby desert park. The kids unwrapped Christmas presents when we returned, and it was a fun end to a great day.

Monday we went up to Mom and Dad's new house for the afternoon, for lunch, hanging out, and playing pool in the clubhouse. Tuesday was a trip to the zoo. One of my favorite things about the zoo is that no two visits are ever alike. This time our first stop was the new stingray exhibit, where we got to pet, and feed, a huge pool of stingrays. VERY cool!! We stopped at the flamingoes (Isaac's favorite), the zebras (Paxton's favorite) ,rode the carousel, and spent the rest of our stay watching the squirrel monkeys.

Wednesday was the first day of our cabinet re-facing, so we spent the day out, visiting at Sandi's house. The kids all had colds - and still have colds - but still enjoyed the swingset and sandbox as much as always. We went with them to the community center while Anabelle had her gymnastics class, and played foosball, pool, and air hockey while we waited. Spencer and Paxton both made an instant friend, who joined them in their games.

Thursday we stayed home while the cabinets were completed. On Friday, Mom and Dad came down again, and we went shopping, went out for lunch, and spent the afternoon playing water balloons with the kids.

This past Saturday, their last day in AZ, was arguably the best day yet, at least for the kids. We went to a winter carnival, complete with snow for them to play in, bouncy houses and slides, pony rides, and cotton candy. They had a great time, and it was a fun way to cap off the week.

Mom and Dad are already planning their next trip out for March, and we're counting down the days.

Here are some pictures from the week!


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A night of rest

Tonight is the first night in a LONG time that we haven't had a project going... no painting, no hanging blinds, no unpacking, no setting up tv stands. Mike and the boys are relaxing with PS2, and in a little while we'll all retire to the other room to catch up on Survivor. We have been working like crazy people on the house, but it is finally, blissfully, almost done. Tonight Mom and Dad arrived from NH to visit for a week, and tomorrow we'll all get together for a big fancy Thanksgiving/Christmas feast.

Some worth-mentioning notes about the kids:

The other day Spencer asked me what hip-hop music was, so I found a random hip-hop band on MySpace, and they danced and danced until they collapsed with exhaustion. They've all been learning lots of Spanish, and Spencer surprised me the other day while I was coloring with Everett - he knows almost every color in Espanol. Everett has been showing an interest in shapes lately, and was naming some of them off to me while we looked at a book. He came to a heart, and called it a "kiss", which I thought was one of the sweetest things I've ever heard. Paxton and I have made about a million snowflakes for the Salvation Army at this site http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays and I'm sure will make a million more. Tuesday night we all watched Charlie Brown Christmas. It's been awhile since I've seen it, and I so loved getting to enjoy it with the kids. They loved it, and were especially in awe of the fact that it was made before Mike and I were even born.

Christmas pictures

Every year, we send photo Christmas cards with pictures of the boys. For Spencer's first few Christmases, I made a major production of this, buying him fancy new clothes, staging the perfect background, and generally making everyone miserable in the process.

Things evolve.

This year, the kids wore old shorts and t-shirts (except for Everett, who was wearing a t-shirt and Paxton's Spongebob boxers) Paxton had his rat Miley on his shoulder. They were laughing and being themselves and goofing off in the front of the Christmas tree. It was the easiest, and happiest, photo session yet.

Home, Sweet Home

This weekend we returned home, and we're ready for things to get back to normal. The problem is, we're all still trying to figure out what 'normal' is! We moved in, started to get unpacked, promptly went to California for a week, and are now back in the midst of more unpacking, house renovations, holiday preparations, and company coming in two weeks.

Some highlights from the trip to CA:

Mike had to go to a 4 day training for work, so the boys and I tagged along. We stayed at a hotel right by a friend's house in the Bay area, while Mike went further north to his own hotel for his meetings. It was great to visit with friends, see a new part of the country, and take a little break from the headaches with the house for awhile!

The area was hilly, green, and a beautiful change of pace. The boys collected fall leaves, HUGE ones, from a supermarket parking lot. They were gorgeous leaves, and the biggest ones I've ever seen. A nice treat for Arizonians :)

On Tuesday, we went to visit my friend's husband at work. He works at EA games (and has Paxton's dream job as a video game designer) We got a tour of the facility, had lunch, visited the store... and the kids even got to test out a game that's not ready to hit the shelves for another year. Cool!! It was an impressive place, and we learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes of the gaming industry.

The rest of the week, we visited! Visited, hung out, and played. The big boys played playstation for hours and hours, while Everett enjoyed the company of his fellow two year old buddy.

Mike met us back at their house on Thursday, and we headed home. The ride went very smoothly, both ways, even with staying up all night. The boys slept through most of it (as was the plan) but they cheerfully woke for breaks and snacks and to appreciate the lights of the cities we passed through. They especially loved any bridges we went over. We're planning a vacation out to Disney next spring, and now I am even more excited about it!

Fall/Halloween pictures

Create Your Own!

Math books? We don't need no stinkin' math books!

We went out to find our new library today. It was closer than our last one, and it took all of 5 minutes to get there. I'd forgotten to look at my watch when we left, so I asked the kids how long we'd been driving. Paxton told me it was about 3 minutes, "or 180 seconds. If it had been 4 minutes, it would have been 240 seconds." Pause. "5 would be be 300 seconds." He stopped at 7.

Their picks from the library? Books on rats, horses, squid, zebras, and constuction vehicles.

Fall in AZ

It's fall in Arizona, and I've decided it's arguably the most perfect weather I've ever experienced. It's still usually warm enough to wear shorts if you're so inclined, but not too hot for jeans if they're your preference. It's warm and sunny and breezy and dry.

We went to the Fall Harvest Party with the homeschool group last week, and the kids had a good time painting pumpkins, dipping their apples, eating lots of sugar, and just running themselves ragged at the park. Spencer made another new friend, Paxton spent a long time walking the balance beam on the playground, and Everett didn't want to leave the swings. On Saturday, we officially moved to the new house, and last night was our first ever Halloween - and trick-or-treating - in the new neighborhood. Mike was late getting out of work, so we headed straight out when he got home. Spencer and Paxton had been excited about it for weeks, and even Everett got really into it this year. We didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to be a wonderful area for trick-or-treating. The neighborhood was friendly and festive and filled with kids. We actually hadn't gone for a couple of years, but the boys knew the ropes. They had no problem ringing doorbells, saying "trick or treat" or wishing everyone a Happy Halloween. Everett started to complain that his feet were hurting at one point, and we carried him from house to house. His bucket was getting so heavy that he was literally grunting at its weight, but all offers of helping him carry it were met with a resounding "NO, Ebbet carry it." It was a fun night, and the kids came home with a year's worth of candy. After trick-or-tricking we headed to Panda Express (Mike and the kids' new favorite) for dinner, and to Home Depot for an emergency part to fix a leaky valve in the kitchen. The boys had fun seeing all the people who were out and about with costumes on, and were tired and happy when we finally got home.

Pictures coming soon!

Moving, Monopoly, and scorpion-colored lizards

The day after tomorrow, all this back-and-forthing will finally end, and we will officially move into the new house. The renovations are far from being finished, but given the choice of a house under construction and a house overrun with scorpions, we'll take the construction any day of the week.

The boys are alternating between enthusiastically helping with packing and moving and, well, being boys! They have been on a Monopoly kick lately, especially Paxton, and we've played many hours-long games over the course of the past several days. Tuesday we went to quarry where our countertops are being made, and got a tour of the facility. They really enjoyed seeing behind-the-scenes, and asked a lot of questions. Spencer was particularly in awe of the forklifts moving the giant slabs of granite. Tomorrow we're headed to a homeschool harvest party, and they're looking forward to painting pumpkins, and dipping their own caramel apples. And on Saturday, we MOVE! I think we'll all be relieved to settle in at the house and adjust to a new sense of normal.... hopefully a normal that does NOT include scorpions!!! Saturday night I looked out at the patio of the new house and saw what looked to me like a gigantic bark scorpion scurrying along the wall. I was ready to put the house on the market, and move to.... I don't even know where. Somewhere else. But it turned out to be just a lizard, and was soon joined by two of its lizard friends. The kids thought they were really cool, but I couldn't shake the resemblance - even if just from a quick glance - to the straw colored scorpions that have plagued us for the past several months.

In other news, Paxton is very proud (and excited and freaked out and anxious) about his very first loose tooth.

Miley, meet Lilly

All our research on rats led us to the conclusion that Miley needed a cagemate. Rats are extremely social animals, and do the best in pairs. So Sunday night we were off to PetSmart yet again, this time to pick our second rat... an adorable tan and white one we named Lilly. We all spent close to two hours shut into our spare bedroom so they could play and get re-acquainted. They'd been cagemates at the store though, so they took to each other right away. It was the first time we really let them climb all over us, and it was as important for us as it was for them. The two of them have so far proven to be wonderful pets, and a great distraction from everything else that is going on.

The constant back and forth from this house to the new house has everyone tired, and it's beginning to show. The boys have been incredible troopers though, and they always bounce back after a few hours of R & R. Saturday night we watched a marathon session of Property Ladder together, and it amused me to note that the kids already know more about house flipping than some of the people on the show.

We started choosing paint colors this weekend, and it took a lot of brainstorming for everyone to come to a conclusion on the boys' rooms. There are only 3 bedrooms - one for us, and two to split up among the 3 boys. One is right by the master, and the other is clear on the other side of the house. Spencer and Paxton finally decided that they'd each choose the color for, and decorate, their own rooms.. but that for now they'd sleep together in the room closest to us.

This morning was the first showing of this house to a potential renter. The boys and I (and the rats) took off for an hour, grabbed a couple donuts and drinks, and had ourselves a little tail-gate picnic in the parking lot. It was a fun excursion, and a completely gorgeous fall day.

Congratulations, it's a girl!

Meet the newest member of the McGrail household! This is Miley (named after Miley Cyrus, AKA Hannah Montana), a 5 month old Fancy Rat.

Paxton wanted a hamster for his birthday, but ended up deciding at the last minute that he'd rather have a bike right now, and hamster for Christmas. We got the bike, he rode it a few times.... then decided it was a little too tall for him, and gave it to Spencer. He was completely fine and happy with his decision, but I wanted him to have another present. So we looked into the hamster. We read all the websites, and researched all the small pets.... and found that rats make even better pets. They're highly social, intelligent, and friendly (and as a bonus, live much longer than hamsters too) Paxton was very certain that a rat was his choice, and couldn't wait to get one.

We were going to wait until we were in the new house, but we're not always good with waiting, especially when Mom (aka Me) is excited about something. :-) Everything's been so crazy and busy lately, with packing and cleaning and going back and forth to the new house. I was really wanting a distraction, for the boys and for me. Plus, I just wanted to do something fun with them, completely unrelated to moving or renovations. We had to have the carpets cleaned on Wednesday, which meant spending the afternoon out while they dried. We hit Barnes and Noble first, to browse and play with the trains, and then headed to PetSmart. We found a great, knowledgeable salesclerk who helped us pick out everything we needed to get started, and finally picked the rat herself. Paxton chose a black and white one, and she was hands-down the cutest one there.

We set up her cage together, and have been focusing on her helping her get settled and acclimated to her new home. I never thought I would be a rat owner, but she is a wonderful pet!! She is curious and sweet, and she keeps us all laughing. The boys spent the first day running up and down the stairs every fifteen minutes to check on her, so the second day we brought her down to her new home on my desk. We're still researching like crazy, and both boys are scouring the internet - both with me, and on their own - for info, photos, tips, and ideas for food, toys, and games. They are so excited about her they can barely sleep.

She was exactly what we needed, exactly when we needed it.

Work and Play

Everything has shifted into over-drive lately, as we work to get the new house re-modeled, our rental house packed up, and try to keep some semblance of life as we know it. Friday we went up to spend the weekend at the house again. Dinner was fast-food, and the boys toasted marshmellows over a candle for dessert. We worked most of the morning on Saturday, pausing only to play army guys and Fusion Crew with the kids. We shopped all afternoon, and decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner out - nicer than fast food anyway, which has become a little too common-place for our weekend meals lately. We found a nearby Applebees, and had such a good time that we decided we needed to do it more often.

Sunday morning we spent an inordinate amount of time at Home Depot, finalizing and paying for our granite selection. The boys made friends with some other kids in the kitchen section, and kept themselves busy while they waited. Next, it was up to Anthem for Anabelle's birthday party. We enjoyed lunch, cake, and presents, and the boys spent hours outside on the swingset. It felt good to visit, play, and relax for the afternoon.

Monday morning was a meeting with our contractor, and back to Tempe in time to be home for the bug guy. Yesterday was packing, and today was babysitting. In between, the kids have played with their friends, learned about electricity, played at new math and geography websites, and re-discovered old toys and games before they packed up them up for the journey up to Phoenix.

Spencer and tractors

Spencer has always (always always) been fascinated by construction equipment. At 9, the interest is as strong as ever. He enjoys other things, but not with the same intense passion that he has for big machinery. Last week we placed an order with Amazon, and each of the boys picked something new. Paxton chose a playstation game that he'd played and liked at a friend's house, and Spencer picked a 1/16th scale forklift. The forklift arrived just a couple minutes ago, and he was through the roof with excitement. If you've ever seen Spencer get really excited about something, you know what I'm talking about... joyful, estatic, full-body excitement.

I know what we're playing with today.

The ER, sleepovers, and renovations

And so it goes...

Last Wednesday night, we got a call from Sandi that Isaac was in the hospital, and could we come. Mitch was back east on business, so she was alone with both Isaac and Anabelle in the hospital. He is ok now (and home), after lots and lots of tests, although they're still figuring out what's going on. But that night he had to spend the night, so we all went to the hospital to lend some help and some moral support. Mike and Spencer went to her house to take care of the pets and pick up some necessities, while me and the kids stayed at the hospital and played in the playroom with Isaac and Anabelle. It was a great playroom, and a great pediatric floor for that matter. The kids actually had a blast, and were very patient about the fact that we were there well past 10 PM. We brought Anabelle home with us to spend the night, so she wouldn't have to stay at the hospital, and the boys treated her like a princess... making sure she was happy and comfortable and had everything she needed. It was a very late night and a very early morning. A couple of crazy days. Thankfully everyone is happy and safe and home now.

We were going to go the first homeschool group party of the season on Friday, but decided to rest instead. Rest and pack up for our first official working weekend at the house. We got there Friday night, and started working first thing in the morning. The boys completely rose to the challenge, and worked as hard as I've ever seen them work. They both commented - more than once - how much fun it was, and how glad they were that we were doing it.

I started a whole new blog, just for house updates, and you can view it here

Our Flip Files

Sunday night, after we got home, we went to the grocery store for our poor empty kitchen. I saw someone, an older gentlemen, watching me and Spencer talking as I picked the coffee. I'm not even sure what we were talking about, but I know he said something sweet and then I hugged him. The man came up to me in the next aisle and said "You have a wonderful, well-behaved boy there. What a nice boy."

Random compliments feel good.

Halloween and a problem solved

The kids wanted to learn about why we celebrate Halloween, and where all the traditions came from, so we looked it up. I'd heard some of it before of course, but a lot of it was new to me too. This was a good site:

http://www.holidays.net/halloween/story.htm

Paxton just informed me that you can tell a hard boiled egg from an uncooked egg by spinning them on the counter. The hard boiled one spins faster. I am happy to have this information, because I've been keeping lots of both in the fridge lately, and always losing track. Thank you, Food Network.

And the demo begins!

In my state of post-conference euphoria, I neglected to mention some big happenings! We closed on our house last Monday, and it was very different than it was in NH. In NH, it was a big deal.. a table full of buyers and sellers and agents and title people. We signed papers, exchanged keys, shook hands & extended good wishes. Here it was just us, alone in a room with a "Document Signing Specialist" (a position I didn't know existed) All three boys came along. Paxton layed on the floor and read a science experiment book he'd brought with him. Spencer poured through the conference directory, looking up all his new friends; and Everett alternately drew and played with trucks. It was very strange, and kind of anti-climactic.

On Saturday, everything was ready for us to take possession. We met our realtor at the house first thing in the morning. He gave us the keys, examined the property with us, and chatted about our ideas for the place. Spencer was dying to get started on some demolition, and apparently so was Mike. The instant the realtor left they took down some cabinets. Spencer was still raring to go once that was finished, so we got him started ripping up the carpet in two of the bedrooms. He went straight to work, and we barely saw him for most of the day. They completed an outdoor project together too, digging dirt away from the foundation (there was a small termite problem) It made my heart happy to see Spencer working so hard. He truly is in his element when he has a hands-on project to tackle. Flipping houses is right up his ally!

Sandi and the kids joined us at the house in the afternoon, and we had lunch, played, and just enjoyed the gorgeous day. We stopped at Home Dept on the way home to put a deposit on our kitchen countertops, one of the last big projects we'd yet to schedule. It was a feel-good day of the highest order.

Random kid news:

Spencer taught me about the different kinds of symmetry last night while I was getting ready for bed. Paxton continues his immense interest in the computer, and they are both looking forward to a "Not Back To School" Party this week, a field trip to an air museum, and Halloween.

Paxton's Comedic Debut

Live and Learn!!

We just returned from our first-ever Live and Learn Conference in Albuquerque NM, and it was a RAGING success. We went with no expectations other than to soak it all in, and enjoy being around other unschoolers. We got that, and so very much more. The boys truly had the time of their lives.

It was amazing to be around so many other unschoolers (over 500!)... people who truly "get it." I've never been around a collected group of adults who treated my kids with such patience, kindness, and respect. I've never been around a collected group of kids who treated each OTHER with such patience, kindness, and respect. Kids of all ages working and playing together, helping each other, supporting each other. Teenagers stopping what they were doing to sit on the floor and give their attention to littler kids. Kids and adults alike gathered into inprompto cirlces of card games, hacky sacks, or guitar playing. It sounds corny to say it, but I honestly don't think I've ever been amongst a group of such peaceful, joy-filled people.

We headed out bright and early on Wednesday morning. The 8 hour ride went smoothly and relatively quickly, thanks in part to my laptop and a stack of DVDs. We made many bathroom stops, especially towards the end, and Paxton experienced a variety of ailments.... ranging from chapped lips to donut crumbs in his underwear. Still, we were all in good spirits when we got there, and excited to check into the hotel. We decided to skip the opening ice cream social, since it was nearly over once we arrived, and pretty much just crashed in our room after dinner. It rained at some point, and the kids excitedly pointed out a rainbow before we called it a night.

The conference officially started on Thursday, and the kids jumped in with both feet. Mike took all three boys to the Building Toys Funshop, where they played with all kinds of building toys from blocks and legos and tinker toys, to new ones we've never seen before. I was able to catch a couple of discussions while they were playing. The first was Sandra Dodd's Big Noisy Peace, about finding peace and calm in your household (and in your heart) amongst the noise and hustle and bustle that comes with unschooling. I also listened to Diana Jenner, an inspiring mom and unschooler who lost both her husband and beautiful little girl to cancer, and faces the world with grace, gratitude, and humor. After I caught up with Mike and the kids (and hugged all four of them) we broke for lunch and got ready for the Funshop that Spencer was most looking forward to: the r/c cars. Stopping only to watch a huge beetle on the front entrance of the hotel, we headed outside for over two hours of sun and cars and playing in the dirt. The last Funshop we hit that day was for playing dress-up, and neither Paxton or Everett were ready to leave when it was over. We checked out a local Mexican place for dinner (which was very very good) and the kids were excited to see some of their new friends there as well. That night was the first of two talent shows, and we were all exhausted when we headed up to bed at 10.

Friday was a whirlwind. There were more r/c cars and playing outside. Spencer and Everett made kites, Paxton made a homemade rain stick and a wallet out of duct tape. All three boys made collages. Everett and I got our faces painted. Mike, Paxton, and I all played chess in the chess Funshop. We went to an Art Trading Card (ATC) Funshop, which was something I'd never heard before, but was actually pretty cool. People made and traded decorated cards, ranging from simple to very elaborate. Both Spencer and Paxton came home with some really neat cards, and a desire to make more. We had lunch at a recommended local pizza place, and the boys enjoyed watching them toss the crust. Paxton decided at the last minute that he wanted to be in the talent show, and they squeezed him in. He picked 5 jokes, and practiced and practiced. He'd never done anything in front of a large crowd before and we didn't know what to expect. He went on at around 9:00, and spoke clearly and confidently and like he did it all the time. He told me later that he was a little bit nervous, but that it felt pretty cool hearing the people laugh and clap. The talent show in general was a blast. Everett slept through the whole thing, having konked out on Mike's lap 5 minutes after it started.

On Saturday morning, we enjoyed a big breakfast buffet at the hotel. We all went to the Wikki Stix Funshop, where we again met up with new friends. I listened to a discussion on living by principles instead of rules, and it was both interesting and inspiring. Paxton set up camp in the back of the main hall, where a guy was demonstrating his game, the Egg Game - Basically a stone egg, spun and balanced on a round board. Paxton played it for nearly 3 hours straight, while Mike, Spencer and Everett played water games and races outside, and I bounced back and forth. In the afternoon, I listened to a discussion on parenting myths. (Some examples: If you let children have unlimited access to tv or video games that's all they'll do... If you let children eat what they want, all they'll eat is candy....If you don't teach them math/grammar/spelling (fill in the blank) they won't get into college....If you don't punish children, they'll become hellions.) I'd prettied much debunked all the myths in my own heart, but it was re-affirming to hear new takes on the matter. Spencer and Paxton made and shot water rockets, and spent most of the rest of the afternoon running around in the courtyard with their friends, and playing with someone's Styrofoam plane. We bought raffle tickets, a bumper sticker, and our very own Egg Game to take home. That night, there was a Mexican banquet and dance. Thankfully, we arrived just in time to get a table with friends. The food was ok, but the conversation and laughter was better. We ducked out pretty early, and retired to the hall. The boys joined some other kids playing with boxes and cars in the hall until the wee hours of the night. We finally went up to our room around 11.

Sunday morning, we slept late, and resigned ourselves to the fact that it was time to pack up and go home. We're already trying to figure out if it's feasible to make next year's conference in North Carolina. Paxton and I both won something in the raffle... he won a window art kit, and I won a book by Sandra Dodd (which kept me happily occupied for most of the ride home) Spencer was disappointed that he didn't win anything, but felt better after a long nap in the car. The ride home went very quickly. We talked about the conference for awhile, and then moved on to talking about 9/11, the meaning of the word "politics", mud flaps, storm clouds, and hubcaps.

It was an incredible trip.

And now, some more pictures!



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