Pickle Mishap #???

There was a little mishap at the bike race yesterday when Pickle stumbled and I ran into her. There was that sickening sound of head hitting asphalt and then her high pitched cry. Immediately a goose egg began to form on her forehead but the most obvious injury was to her cute little nose! There was some blood and a nice scrape all the way down her nose to her upper lip. This morning it looks like a rug burn. I really hope it doesn't leave a scar on her precious little face!

Weekend

We did nothing this weekend . . . absolutely nothing and it was fabulous! The Little Guy had an adventure on Saturday . . . check out this post on Cee Cee's blog for details: http://theadventuresofceecee.blogspot.com/2009/04/celebrating-birthdays.html

Destruction Update

To see what it looked like before check out this previous post. Here is what our den looks like now and we are already experiencing the joys of having an open kitchen. We are pausing our work until we can get an electrician in to take care of some of the wiring and then we should be able to finish taking down the walls you see here.Pickle walked in (with her purse of course) and thought I was taking her picture so she stopped to smile for the camera. Our construction time line got a little out of whack when we went to "order" our cabinets last week and they were in stock . . . so we have quite a pile of boxes waiting to be assembled. We were not quite that ready yet but I'll take them!

Bob

Yesterday as the kids sat down for breakfast I noticed a pale form in the fish tank and thought to myself, "Bob sure looks kind of pale today." It was a thought I almost said out loud but in the same instant I realized that Bob was floating! Yikes! It is the moment we dreaded when the fish arrived just a month ago.

We successfully distracted the Boy long enough to finish breakfast and then he wanted to feed the fish. In a very matter-of-fact way (the only way he knows) JP told him that Bob was dead. He took it really well but had a very sad tone in his voice as he asked questions like how did he die and where are we going to put him. I almost broke down myself when he stuck out his little palm and said, "can I hold him?"

And thus ended the story of Bob who was with us such a short time . . . but now he has constant concern about Chip . . . .

Happy Earth Day

It's Earth Day and I am working from home . . . my small contribution to saving the air quality. JP and I have long been making eco-friendly choices going back to the days when we lived in Colorado and had to keep our recyclables separated and then drive them ourselves to the recycling center. It kills us now to see people here in our neighborhood who do NOT recycle . . . there is a huge blue container in the alley RIGHT behind your house AND you don't have to separate anything out.

There was also the time we went on a camping trip and carted all our plastic water containers back to Phoenix because we could not find a recycling center in Colorado that accepted plastic. Actually we do this every year now when we go to Colorado but everyone has consciously brought and used less plastic when we are there to limit what has to be driven home.

Our house is equipped with only CFL bulbs and we have fabulous windows that have done a tremendous job of decreasing our electricity needs. This past fall we had more than the required amount of insulation blown into our attic. We try to limit our water usage, we are growing some of our own food, and we compost everything we can.

The point is we choose to do what we can and I encourage you to do your part. I grew up in a world where A/C was part of life and lights were left on all the time. Now I cringe if I see a light on in a room where no one is using it. The simple things will add up!

My latest push is to buy items with little packaging and/ or the packaging has to be recyclable. This has meant a change in shampoo as the John Frieda products I was using did not come in a recyclable bottle. We are also moving from body wash back to bar soap because it is a consumable item. Give this some thought the next time you are in the store. And while you are at it think about the little plastic bags you use for produce . . . they really are not necessary. I laugh when I see someone with a conveyor belt full of plastic produce bags and then they are put in the reusable canvas bags. Trying . . . but not quite getting it.

I will now get down from my soap box . . . and of course re-use it for something!

Happy Earth Day!

The Kids

Here is an "after" shot of The Little Guy's haircut and behind him is Pickle pushing the wheelbarrow. I guess she thought we needed another wheelbarrow in the house. This morning she had her "purse" (a little duck pouch left over from Easter) on her arm but it got in the way of driving the wheelbarrow so as any smart woman would do, she hooked her "purse" onto the handles!
Here is Pickle giving me a smile. I was trying to take a picture of her playing in her "indoor sandbox" but she saw the camera and started walking toward me with her big grin. The "indoor sandbox" is the pile of thin set that has been swept up in the dining room. She spends a lot of time filling tupperware and cups and transporting thin set around the house.

Race Day

Sunday was Race Day and we all packed up to spend a few hours down town. Even with the 90 degree temperatures it wasn't that bad in the shade of the buildings. The Little Guy raced first and rode really hard the whole time. JP raced as well and it seemed to be a little harder . . . certainly longer and hotter! Pickle and Baden enjoyed sharing the wagon, their sippy cups, and whatever food we had on hand!

Summer Cut

Today marked our first 90+ degree day and it was perfect timing for The Little Guy's summer cut. His hair grows so fast and I have tried to keep it trimmed but he still has to hold it out of his eyes to build Legos or other things that require his concentration. The back had also become its usual rats nest of knotted hair. He has great hair - thick with great natural highlights from the sun - so it is always sad when we cut it like this but he looks so cute and I know it is cooler for him. This picture shows off those great highlights and gives you an "almost before."And this one was about halfway through the cut when he said he thought it was good and Dad could stop . . . Umm, no we are not going to rock the mullet, son. I realize now that I did not get an after shot but I promise the mullet was corrected!

Vacation - Part 4

This will finally be the last vacation post. Our last two days were spent around Lake Mead which was also very sad to see as the water level is very low. The Lakeshore Drive was pretty disappointing as well as it was sort of misleading . . . you couldn't really see the lake. It would have been more appropriate to call it Desert Drive. Here are some pictures of the kids (including Mickey of course) on a short hike around some interesting geologic features. Pickle stopped to pose for her shot . . . very much in the manner of "here I am and why are you not snapping my photo?"The best part about the day was riding on an old railroad bed through tunnels. The railroad was built for the sole purpose of transporting cement and other materials to Hoover Dam and it was pulled up in the 60's. It skirts the river and the trail will eventually go all the way to the Dam; however, once it leaves the railroad bed it becomes a little tougher for 5 year olds and non-cycling moms to ride. The Little Guy also received another Junior Ranger Badge for Lake Mead. If you are ever in the Las Vegas area the Lake Mead Visitor Center is one of the best National Park Visitor Centers I've ever been to and has a great bookstore.On the final day as we drove home we stopped at Hoover Dam to do the Power Plant tour. It takes you "into the earth" which was a big hit with The Little Guy as you can imagine although you couldn't tell it by looking at this picture:I will leave you with the following image . . . not sure if anyone reading this blog will ever have the need to drive from Arizona to Las Vegas but let me show you your tax dollars at work:One day this will connect to it's twin on the other side and there will be a bridge over the Colorado River right next to Hoover Dam. From the looks of it I am guessing millions of dollars in labor and materials is being spent to span the river to accomodate a small portion of the population who needs to get across the river right there.

Easter

Something about how we spent Easter morning seems a bit odd to me . . . maybe it is because the Easters that I remember growing up were all about being clean and getting dressed up. Our Easter morning was spent getting dirty!
Before -After -Now if you think we were heartless and denied our children the Easter basket tradition please note the "grass" mixed in with pieces of drywall:
And of course there was the hunting for eggs -
How about the outfit? Christmas pajamas and giraffe boots . . . just screams "Easter" doesn't it? Speaking of outfits . . . this one just says: little old lady going to church:Pickle wasn't much into finding eggs . . . she wanted to redistribute her "grass."Happy Easter everyone!

No Turning Back Now

Before -After -
Even Pickle can't contain her excitement!Construction or I guess I should say DEstruction is picking up pace! JP started working on the wall between the dining room and the living room and it is coming down pretty easily. We could get it down faster with brute force I am sure, but he is taking the time to cut out pieces of the sheet rock to keep it a tad bit cleaner. This was a moment of brute force -This is the view from in the dining room (at an earlier stage in the progress).
And this is the view from the front door.The strip of sheet rock still remaining is protecting the electrical wire that we need to cap and get into the ceiling. JP is still weighing the logistics and deciding if he wants to do that part himself or wait for the electrician to do it.

Stay tuned . . . more DEstruction pictures to come hopefully this weekend!

Bye-bye walls

Yesterday I was sitting around and I was thinking that "right now" would be a good time to start taking down the walls. So pickle and I started the demolition. I just poked a couple of holes at first and then started pulling. Not much taken out so far as I still have to find an electrician to take care of the outlets. I might do it myself though. It can't be that hard right? I guess I have to finish it now.

Vacation - Part 3

These are some of the cliffs that make Zion so special. The Great White Throne

Day three was about the river! The kids and I played along the river while waiting on JP to finish his ride. We got to see some deer up close that got Pickle pretty excited and Brother enjoyed finally getting to use the shovel he brought. The Riverwalk hike takes you along the river back into Zion Canyon to the start of the Narrows. The Narrows is an awesome hike that starts right at the river's edge and you just keep walking into the water to explore the many caves. Needless to say we didn't head into the Narrows with the kids but JP and I did it several years ago and I can't wait to do it again. The kids enjoyed playing in the water even though it was freezing!Day three ended with The Little Guy receving his Junior Ranger Badge for Zion. He loves doing the activities and takes his "job" as Junior Ranger very seriously!

Vacation - Part 2

Entering Zion National Park after a long day of driving we were treated not only to the gorgeous sights but also the Big Horn Sheep who were hanging out right along the road.
Arriving at the Visitor Center Pickle decided it was a perfect time to pose for a picture so Brother joined her . . . what a photo op!Daty two started with powdered donuts . . . a BIG HIT!
The kids and I enjoyed bike riding along the river while JP rode to the tunnel and back a few times and then we had a picnic and a couple of hikes. Unfortunately the camera battery died as we arrived at the Emerald Pools which are at the base of the beautiful waterfall below.Is this the picture of a Junior Ranger or what?

Vacation - Part 1

I'm a little behind in getting something posted about our trip which was a few weeks ago. When we returned we had my Dad's visit and then all the birthday fun not too mention our laptop went kaput. Well . . . I am using the new laptop now and it's beautiful! Here are a few pictures from our first day which was mostly spent driving.

The purpose of our trip was to visit Zion National Park in southern Utah but we were staying in Mesquite, NV a small town just over the border from Arizona (the northwest corner of Arizona). There is this part of our state that is completely sectioned off by the Grand Canyon, Utah, and Nevada and we drove through it everyday getting back and forth to Zion.

We took the long way getting to Mesquite so we could avoid Saturday traffic at Hoover Dam which would have been the most logical route. Our drive took us north through Flagstaff and then to Page where we stopped for lunch.This is some of the beautiful cliffs in Northern Arizona.Keeping the Pickle contained for lunch was tough along the lake! We found a "picnic area" near Glen Canyon Dam but it was deserted because the water level is so low. There were signs that referenced a "beach" even . . . so sad.
I captured Pickle's one nap that day . . . which was conveniently right when we came upon the visitor center for Escalante National Monument. This was a great visitor center that was all about dinosaurs!!
Um . . . one of the interesting things we saw on the road in Utah.