It has been a really hot summer. I keep waiting for a break from the heat, but the best break we get around here is the occasionaly partly cloudy day that blocks the sun briefly.
It's monsoon season, but it's been rather dry ... and not even many clouds to speak of. The big afternoon monsoon clouds seem to hover around the valley, over the mountains.
Take a look at the August temp calender below. I looked ahead to September and the forecast indicates we won't see a break from these 100++ degree days til late September. And even then, the temps hover around the high 90s.
Today's "Special Moment" that Christian's teacher wrote down:
"Christian was teaching a new friend shapes. He would show it to him, and then tell him what it was. So cute!"
What a kid!
Christian has really been getting more interactive with the kids at school, and I'm so pleased! It's also been easier to drop him off this week ... he's much more comfortable with me leaving.
AND ... day six of the new bed, and he's STILL staying in it at bedtime and naptime!! He doesn't get out until I come in the room. Even if he drops a car on the floor while in his bed, he doesn't get out of the bed to fetch it.
Two years ago, today, we left the Land of Enchantment to make The Valley of the Sun our new home.
I somehow thought we'd be visiting Albuquerque / Santa Fe a lot. It's a relatively short drive, and an even shorter flight. But alas, I've only been back to Albuquerque twice since the movie, and not once have I returned to Santa Fe.
Ironically, I have no interest in returning to Santa Fe. Not because I didn't like Santa Fe. On the contrary, because I LOVE Santa Fe! I loved the city, loved our house, loved our view. I loved that our little Prince Charming was born in Santa Fe. In truth, it would just break my heart to visit Santa Fe. It would especially break my heart to drive past our former home. So I may end up avoiding Santa Fe forever.
I miss my friends. And I especially miss the view of the Sandia Mountains. Oh how I love those mountains:
But in the past two years, I've come to love living in the Phoenix area. I love our home and our community and Christian's new school. I love living in the country's fifth largest metro area - it means there's always something to do ... somewhere!
And I love the weather! Yes, it's unbearably hot during the summer and these 110+ days have become too numerous for my taste. It's crazy when I'm watching the 10:00pm news, and its still 104 outside. I will claim, as others do, that you just get used to the eat. Yes, it's true ... but getting used to it doesn't mean a 113 degree days is necessarily pleasant.
When I say I love the weather here, I mean overall. If you've ever been out here in the middle of the winter, you know what I'm talking about.
We're really enjoying our home and have completed lots of projects: three ceiling fans, three rooms painted (including my Tiffany Blue office and our newly-red kitchen!). If we can ever pick a green paint for our bedroom, we'll be painting that room, too. We've planted plants and trees and are in the process of planning what we're going to do to our big ol' backyard. I thrive on the planning and dreaming stage of a project!
Truth be told: I can't think of anywhere I'd rather live!
I was looking at some pics of how Christian looked two years ago. Awww, my baby!
As Christian approaches the Big Three, we've been pondering getting him a "big kid bed." While he didn't mind the shrinking confines of his crib, it was obvious that his days in the crib were numbered.
We checked out a couple of furniture stores a couple of weekends ago, but didn't really see anything. So we looked at IKEA on Sunday and VOILA! Christian now has a new bed.
We weren't too sure what he'd think of the new bed, but he didn't really care. I bought him "Cars" sheets, and he was pretty excited about them (which, I later learned, might be a problem since it keeps the movie active in his mind and he wants to watch the movie as soon as he wakes up!).
The first night in his bed (Sunday) was a few hours after returning from our Scottsdale resort adventure, and he'd only had a short nap in the car ... so he was exhausted. I laid down in the bed with him and told him we'd practice pulling the covers up (he loves getting "under the cubbers" in our bed). To our amazement, he slept through the night without incident. We chalked it up to fatigue.
The next day (yesterday) we waited for the real challenge: nap time. Christian still goes down for about four hours after daycare each day. Some days he gets really upset when I put him in his crib and walk out, closing the door behind me. Occasionally he's so angry about it the bangs his head on the wall. It's actually quite comical: I hear a loud bang and then a quiet, "Oww ..." I was prepared for the worst yesterday, but it didn't happen. I shut the door behind me and he stayed in his bed. Took him a while to go to sleep (as it often does), but he stayed in his bed.
This morning (day three), I heard he was awake and went in to get him. He was just sitting up in his bed waiting for me to come in. Surely he know he can easily get down onto the floor, if he'd like. He was doing it the first day the bed was set up. But he's used to having to wait until somebody gets him before he can get out. We'll see how long that lasts!
And right now, he's napping again. He never got out of his bed after I put him down, as far as I can tell.
We've seen enough episodes of "Super Nanny" to know that bedtime can become challenging. But for now, we're just thankful that the transition is going so smoothly!
A "staycation" is the word to describe a vacation where you stay at home and do "vacation things" while at home. We modified the defintion a bit by staying in the Phoenix metro area (Scottsdale) and enjoyed a weekend at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa.
Summer is the slow season for the hospitality industry out here, because it's so blasted hot. So there are some really great deals out there to attract the locals. It was a tough choice, but this particular Hyatt won because they are the only resort to have a sandy beach. And we figured that even if Christian didn't care for the swimming pool itself, he'd enjoy the sand.
However, Christian surprised us! Our first visit to the pool, shortly after checking in, was just supposed to a reconnaissance mission. He walked into the sand, and kept on going into the water - with his clothes on.
We spent as much time at the pool as possible during our stay because Christian LOVED it!
It was a really hot weekend. But, somehow being at a resort makes the obscene temps more tolerable.
Christian has now been at his new school for a couple of months and is doing great! Although, lately, he's been really anxious about me leaving the classroom. So, the other day, I started to prepare him on our drive, "Christian, I'm going to drop you off and you'll play with Miss Tiffany and all your friends for four hours. And then I'll come pick you up after lunch."
I'll tell him that again in the classroom. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Christian's reaction to my departure seems to depend on how many kids are in the room, how loud it is, etc.
He's surprised me this week by telling me on our drive, "Drop you off ... get you in four hours, after lunch." And he does it at the exact spot in the drive that I usually say it. What a kid! :)
He is teacher tells me that he's really been coming out of his shell lately ... he's playing more with the other kids in the class, laughing a lot and even initiated a game of "Peek-a-boo" with his friends. She also told me that he really likes to clean up, and that he'll even clean up the other kids' messes!
He sits on the potty twice a day at school, though he doesn't produce anything. When it's potty time, his teacher calls the kids to the bathroom individually. She said he often doesn't wait for his name to be called, but makes a beeline for the bathroom and is ready to sit on the potty. He's just as eager to sit on the toilet at home, but again, no production.
We are hoping to get him potty trained by the time he turns three in November, because if he's potty trained when he turns three, he moves onto the next level at school ... and his tuition rate goes down a bit. But, we're letting him take things in his own time. I know boys can take a while.
As Christian Granny has requested, here are some pics of Christian at school.
Happy Independence day, dear readers! We hope you enjoyed a marvelous day celebrating this fabulous country of ours!
We started the day at the annual Verrado 4th of July Bicycle Parade. Kids from across Verrado decorated their bikes, tricycles, Big Wheels, wagons and strollers and paraded around the main square.
We went as parade watchers this year - perhaps next year Christian will be interested in riding his own little bike with the kids!
Christian's ears seem to have grown very sensitive in recent weeks. During our time at the parade - which really wasn't all that noisy - he had his hands covering his ears.
So with that observation, there was no hope that he'd enjoy the fireworks that night. We tried anyway. We arrived at the golf club while it was still light, but there was loud music playing, and he immediately covered his ears. We sat as far from the music as we could, but his ears remained covered.
With the first loud firework that shot into the sky, Christian was instantly distressed. It was a few minutes until the next one went off, and Christian calmed down. But when the next one went up, he'd had his fill of excitment and wanted to go home.
We hurried to the car, hopeful that maybe he'd like to see the show from the safety and quiet of the car ... no such luck. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with the fireworks.
The dog days of summer have arrived in the Phoenix area (well, let's be honest .. it's been warm for months). Four months of non-stop 100+ degree weather. Before I moved here, I would always be shocked when I'd see the Phoenix summer temps on TV, but now that we live here, those high temps are just a way of life.
It's similar to a northern Midwest winter, just in the summer: you stay inside mostly and tolerate the extreme temperature for moments at a time, like from your air conditioned car to the air conditioned store, etc.
Today, our community's landscaping crew was outside and I watched them through my office window. The were all wearing hardhats and dark, long-sleeved shirts (why dark??). Those poor guys ... that is a miserable job to have in the summer.
As you can imagine, putting a pool in your backyard is very popular here in the Phoenix area ... so we had to join the bandwagon! :)
Okay, on a much smaller, cheaper level!
There's no way we'd get an in-ground pool. Our backyard is big enough, but wow ... what a liability! Each summer, there are reports on the TV about children drowning ... children who managed to get past the gate surrounding the pool. There is no way I'd ever have an in-ground pool in my backyard.
Besides, they are expensive and require lots of maintenance. And we're perfectly happy having a little pool that is just the right size for Christian (and our feet!).
You know how some dads just sit back and let the Mommy do everthing? Not MY Papa!!
Here's what my Papa does for me:
loves me
plays with me
feeds me
gives me baths
tickles me
teaches me how to spell new words (did you know I can now spell "poo poo" all by myself?)
puts me to bed
reads to me
prays with me
Papa will even change my diaper, no matter how messy and stinky it might be
My Papa can make a kite fly, even when there is no wind. He is amazing!
Swings with me on the swing (and just taught me how to do it myself!), even though it makes him feel sick.
Sure, my Mommy does some of that, too. But today I am saluting my Papa because it is Father's Day!
My Papa even made my bedroom into a "big kid" room by putting up blinds/curtains, a cool ceiling fan, shelves, a little red table, and hooks for my backpacks:
Thanks for everything you do for me, Papa! I am very blessed that God chose you to be my Papa!
"Nohpt" is Christian's new word that he came up with tonight. It is apparently his new word for "No." He must have heard one of us say "Nope" with an emphasized "p" at the end and though he heard a "t."
Christian, do you want any more dinner? "Nohpt."
Do you want any more milk? "Nohpt."
Do you want to take a bath? "Nohpt."
Do you want to say "Nohpt"? "Nohpt ... ... ... YES" (giggle giggle) He realized we were trying to trick him. Clever kid!
Two year old are just so "magical"! Their wonder and awe are so adorable to observe. And their ability to expand their languge skills is amazing! Lately Christian has really been a little chatterbox ... here are some of the things he's saying:
"I said please." Over the past few weeks, rather than simply saying please, he says, "I said please" when we prompt him to say the magic word.
"No, thank you." This phrase might be among my favorites. He'll say it when he's in a good mood, and even when he's in a bad mood ... or is frustrated. "Christian, do you want some more milk?" "No, thank you." "Christian, let's go take a bath!!" "No, thank you."
"I can't see." We're not too sure where he picked that one up ... but it is funny!
"Did you hear ... that sound?" He said that one out of the blue yesterday when he heard a loud truck outside.
"Water, sir." A little phrase Jonathan taught him at bathtime.
"Cheers!" He likes to "tink" glasses with Jonthan and say "Cheers!"
"Spell _______." Our little boy wonder is so amazing with words, letters, and numbers. Lately, he likes for us to spell words for him. Christian: "Spell diaper." Mommy: "Okay ... d - i - a - p - e = r." And he'll come up with several more words for me to spell. He'll also start trying to spell the word himself by coming up with various letters. Such a bright two year old!
"Yes! I found bubbles." He cracked me up the other day with this one. The bubbles were up on the counter and he got on his tippy toes and could finally see them. "Yes! I found bubbles!"
"Get some paper." Whenever even the smallest drop of liquid lands on Christian or is spilled elsewhere, Christian says, "Get some paper." We hand him a napkin or whatever, and he wipes up the liquid.
"Oh no!" This phrase is so funny becuase he uses it with a variety of enthusiasm levels and moods. It could be a very happy, "Oh no!" or a very frustrated, "Oh no!" Makes me giggle inside every time.
"Be nice!" Christian usually says this one when he's close to Bella, because he's heard us tell him many times, "Be nice to Bella!"
"Don't sing." Christian has finally caught on that his mommy has a bad signing voice (no American Idol aspirations for me ...). So sometimes when I sing, he very bluntly tells me, "Don't sing" and uses his hand to close my mouth.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... dinosaur!" The "ohhhhhh" sound is like Darth Vader breathing in. When I'm holding Christian, he likes to have me open my mouth ... and then he makes the "ohhhh" sound and looks at my teeth and says, "Dinosaur!" I'm going to assume he gets that from a visitor they had at school who talked about dinosaurs ... maybe she showed them dinosaur teeth. Or maybe my teeth just look like dinosaurs to Chrsitian. Hard to say.
"Ummmm .... hmmmm ... _______" Christian will say something like, "Let's go to ... ummmm .... hmmm ... the park." Like he's totally thinking about what he wants to say. He must have somehow picked it up from Jonathan and/or me. It makes us giggle every time he does it. It's such an adult thing to do!
"One time!" As toddlers often do, Christian likes for us to read the same book to him over and over again (or, keeps bringing us books to read to delay his bedtime). So we'll say, "One time" when he brings us a book. And he now says it himself, with his index finger pointed upwards, "One time ..."
"Mommy!!!" One of my favorite moments of the day is picking Christian up from school. He's always sitting down eating his lunch and he sees me approach the window that looks into his classroom. I hear him squeal, "Mommy!" (which often startles his teacher) and I walk into the room and he's still sqealing, "Mommy" as he points to me and looks at his teacher. I think one of the most heartwarming things a mom can experience is having her child be so delighted and excited to see her.
Of course, that list isn't exhaustive ... just a few examples I could think of to share today. :)
As you'll recall from this post, I selected the San Diego option for our five year anniversary trip. The trip was delayed for a few weeks, but it was good timing as temps in the Phoenix area had reached a steady 100+ degrees and we were longing for some cooler air.
The drive between our house and San Diego is about five hours. I was't too sure how our Boy Wonder would do, as it's been about a year since our last roadtrip, but he handled it like a trooper (sure, Mommy had to hop in the back seat and read the same book over and over and over again ... but, whatever it takes).
We stayed downtown at the Manchester Grand Hyatt which sits right on San Diego Bay and were blessed to have a suite (a must-have for young children, in my opinion) and get a free breakfast each morning (a mighty fine buffet that rivals the buffets in Las Vegas).
Seaport Village was filled with lots of shops and restaurants, which is why we were there quite a bit. There's a nice pedestrian walkway that goes along the waters edge filled with people walking, running and biking. From there you can see all of the activity in the bay, includig the Naval Base across the bay. It's really amazing to see those huge vessels in the distance!
We took a tour of the U.S.S. Midway. We'd never been on an aircraft carrier and were amazed at the sheer size of the ship. Christian loved to see all of the aircraft on the top deck (okay, we did, too!). Most of the ship is opened to tours and we got to see quite a bit. However, when you have a toddler in tow, it just isn't possible to see everything in one visit. It would be nice to visit the Midway again in the future and see some more.
Seaworld was an interesting adventure! I had never been before and didn't realize it was an entire theme park (I had assumed it was just a whale show or two).
Christian enjoyed Seaworld until ... Cirque de la Mer. We were sitting in the stands waiting for the show to start when a couple of weird clowns came out to interact with the audience. Christian bolted and Jonathan went after him ... and they watched the show from the most remote location in the stadium. By the time I got to them after the show, Jonathan - who had been holding Christian in his lap - discovered that Christian's diaper had been leaking. So, I had two wet men on my hands. And I only had an extra shirt for Christian ... no extra shorts.
Lesson learned.
Fortuantely, there was a Sesame Street store nearby and we soon had Christian in new shorts ... and Jonathan just air dried.
After that ... we headed to the new Blue Horizons show. We arrived and the stadium was filling up quickly, so we were delighted to see there were a couple of seats still available right in front Boy, did we feel fortunate! Christian would have seats that were eye level with the tank (ahem ... remember, I had never been to Seaworld before and was unaware of what would happen in that front row).
We sat there waiting for a few minutes as the stands completely filled up. Vendors walked past us announcing towels and rain ponchos for sale. I thought to myself, "Geeze, everybody's gotta make a buck, I guess."
A voice came over the loud speakers, "The first 12 rows are the 'Splash Zone' and you WILL get wet." Jonathan and I both looked at each other. I said, "Well, if we're at the bottom of the first 12 rows, maybe the water will go OVER us and hit the rest of the rows."
*sigh*
Within minutes of the show starting, a nice little dolphin swam over to our section ... and right in front of us, lifted its tail and, "SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH!!!!" We were soaked and Christian was very unhappy. He tried to get down and leave, but we held onto him tightly, for getting up during the show was a no-no.
I had hoped it would be the one and only splash, but no such luck. We tried to keep Christain dry through the second wave that hit us a few minutes later, but it was hopeless. Christian was hating it. We had put his little windbreaker over his head to keep him dry ... and he kept that jacket over his head for the rest of the show. We tried talking to him with happy voices and taking the jacket off, but he'd have none of that. Well, at least he was able to create his own little "comfort zone."
Another lesson learned: sit higher in the stands for shows involving large swimming mammals.
There is just too much to see at Seaworld, and we missed out on the Shamu show and other shows. But there's always next time.
The trip was short ... we were only gone Thursday - Sunday. We were sad to leave the cooler temps of San Diego. As we left the shore and headed inland, Jonathan called out the temps as they got higher and higher. By the time we got home five hours later, it was a sizzling 109 in the Phoenix area.
Great time, fantastic memories and lots of pictures to show Christian when he gets older!
Just 60 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix in the northern reaches of the great Southwest's Sonoran Desert, Wickenburg is noted for its clean air, good country living, western hospitality, and all-around high quality of life.
So on a whim, we ventured out to Wickenburg. Although we only saw the "touristy" areas (and not all Wickenburg has to offer), we had a grand time! When you've got a two year old, you've got to do things quick!
Unfortunately, most of the shops were closed because of Memorial Day, so there wasn't much more to do than walk around and stop off for some lunch. There is a nice resort there (maybe next year, as it appears the resort closes for the hot summer months) and apparently plenty of "dude ranches." We think a dude ranch adventure would be great when Christian gets older.
Christian started a new "school" this week: The Goddard School. After over a year of being in Melissa's care, we moved Christian to this new school in our community, as making two long round-trip drives each day had become too difficult. We will be forever grateful to Melissa for the love and care she gave our little boy!
Jonathan and I were a bit nervous: how would he do in a brand new environment? How would he do with a lot of other kids in the room? How would he adjust to a new routine and a new adult in charge?
I am happy to report that Christian had a wonderful first week! YAY!
He did some things that he doesn't do (or won't do) at home:
1. Drank out of a "big boy cup" 2. Washed his hands with soap and water at the sink 3. Sat on the potty (more than once)! 4. Allowed sunscreen to be applied without having a meltdown
Each day, we get a report from his teacher on what he and his class did ... and a special note about something specific that Christian did. The first comment of the week on his sheet was that he sat very quietly for the library visitor and can speak very clearly.
This week at school was all about France (there is a different country each week throughout the summer. Next week is Ireland). The kiddos learned some key French words such as "Merci" and "Au Revoir." They read books on France, built an Eiffel Tower, ate French food, etc.
Both his teacher and the school's assistant director commented on his manners. We have spent a long time (since he could utter his first words) working on "please" and "thank you." And so it warmed my heart to know that he's using these words outside the home without Mommy or Daddy reminding him.
At the entrance of the school is a large monitor that shows various pics of the kiddos from that week. Christian was in a few and looks happy ... and that makes ME happy! What was interesting is that rather than being amused by his own photo on the monitor, he was excited to see his friend from class, Charlie. "Charlie ... Charlie!" he yelled out. Awww ... he has a friend!
I drop Christian off at 7:45am and pick him up at noon, just as he's finishing up his lunch. It's a different routine to get accustomed to: I used to take him to Melissa's and she's feed him breakfast and lunch. But now, I feed him breakfast before we leave for school, and I also pack him a lunch ... and hope that he'll be in the mood to eat what I've given him. So far, so good.
Next week ... Ireland! :)
Chistian with his Elmo "pack-ack" and his Cars lunch bag.
