GLOW!

 

This past Saturday night we decided to go to an event that we always mean to catch and then never do... GLOW.  It is a lighted sculpture garden full of paths and live music out in Oracle (about an hour from our house) on a big ranch (yup pretty much as random as it sounds).  It was definitely as random and fabulous as I expected it to be. 

View from below of the lighted udders...

 

The event was complete with a water tank that you can walk inside, pull levers on, and lower and raise glowing udders.  I think my favorite was an oak tree filled with little lanterns that hung over a cool little metal stool to sit on.

 The finale of the night was a circus of sorts, where people played with fire and stood up on a big stand to be electrocuted.  While watching this spectacle Izzy told Patrick, "Daddy, I wouldn't ever do this, it is not safe." While the hula hooping with a hula hoop bedazzled with fire was decidedly impressive the rest of the show was just weird.  There was, however, good music, good cupcakes, and really cool (but random) art.

Fairies

Photo taken of the garden by Evie to use as an example for her school garden.

Izzy and Evie have a bit of a thing for fairies.  For years now they have both been building (and tending) fairy houses in our backyard, up at the cabin, and other random places (like in the nooks of trees at girl scout camp).  Last Friday Evie received a package in the mail from a mysterious place called Lakeland, Florida.  Within this package were a letter from a fairy named Luna, a whole lot of fairy dust, and a new book for Evie to read as a thank you.  Upon reading the note, which thanked Evie for her hospitality as a traveling fairy, Evie proclaimed "I just knew they were real.... I just knew it!" Izzy asked, "Mommy, do you think when I learn to read the fairies will send me a book too?"

Newest fairy house... pay no attention to the dirty dishes beside it :)

Within the note, Luna informed Evie that she has told her friends about her fairy garden and that they might use it as a way point as well.  This note served as a call to action for more housing, so last weekend we went to the craft store and bought a new house (and outdoor paint) to make sure that there was plenty of room at the inn for any traveling folk.  Although Evie does generally tend her fairy garden on most mornings on her way back in from feeding the chickens, the past week she has been extra careful to make sure that it is hospitable.... just in case some new fairies decide to visit.  Evie is now also kid in charge of the school fairy garden, which she is going to start building with her English teacher.

Izzy does Expo

Izzy's family tree.

This week Izzy had her first Expo of the year.  The unit was all about family.  For the expo she got up in front of the class, sat in the "hot seat", introduced herself and then read through her book she made on her family.  After this solo presentation she then stood up in front of the whole class and sang a little song in French.  Unfortunately I thought I was recording the whole thing, but as it turns out I recorded nothing, and don't even have a picture :(  Regardless, I was very impressed, especially because at the first one of these, at this time last year, we couldn't even get her to go up as part of a group, let alone as a solo act.  What a cool thing to see her get so brave over the course of just a year! 

Izzy and her best friend before the "show"

Weekend (and Week!) fun

It has been a busy few weeks. Most of our adventures have been of the around Tucson-type.  On Sunday nights we have been working on our French cuisine skills.  With Anna's help we are slowly making it through a french cookbook she bought for us.  Perhaps the best part of this cooking endevor is that (almost) the whole family is getting involved.  (The almost is for me.  I am these meals as my chance to just sit and watch everyone cook... and maybe be just a little bit of a backseat chef :)

 

We have also made it out to the Tucson Art museum, where Evie hit another very important milestone ...it has been awhile since we've discussed one of those!... first selfie:

I should probably note for the record that is is one of about 10 selfies she took in front of this painting in an attempt to get it just right.

This week we headed out on Thursday night for the first football game of the season.  I was able to get free tickets to the game and so we were even able to bring one of Anna's friends, an exchange student from the Netherlands.  It had been raining so much that day that we were going to skip it, but the girls (all four of them) were so excited about the game that we decided to give it a go, which turned out to be a great idea.  Not only did we not have any rain, but it was downright chilly up there way high in the stands.

 

There has also been quite a bit of at home play (our living room once again looks like a fort bomb went off).  With the girls making paper dolls, building legos and watching TV in their fort. Sadie is often a companion for these games....

All-in-all it has been pretty busy (especially because I was in Wisconsin last weekend... but more on that later) but a lot of fun!

Fall Activites

Izzy all dressed up for ballet (minus the ballet shoes)

Three weeks into the school year and we are settling into the routines of up early and out to school and then after school fun and homework and then to bed.  Although many nights it is a bit exhausting for all of us it is nice to have a routine again.  The fall activity line up includes Tucson Girl's Chorus for Evie and Saturday morning ballet for Izzy.  After school (at school) activities include science, math and choir clubs for Evie and active play, zumba, and storybook clubs for Izzy.  Evie really wanted to be in science club this year, but girl's chorus is on Monday too so she asked permission to leave science club early so she could make it to choir.  Her teacher said that was ok, but now as a result our week starts off with the most chaotic day.... I guess it is perhaps good to get it out of the way? Anyway, new this year both girls are also taking guitar lessons two mornings a week before school.  So far I think the favorite for Evie is the guitar lessons and for Izzy its the ballet.

Writing it all out like this it feels like a lot!  We'll see how tired everyone is come Halloween and perhaps re-evaluate for the spring :)

Chirahauas

Last weekend we decided to go for a little bit of summer-vacation-is-over denial and go on a mini vacation to a friend's place in the Chiricahua Mountains. It was a monsoony afternoon, which complicated packing the car, so we didn't get out of Tucson until after 5:00.  Beautiful thunderstorms were all around for the whole drive, and when it was not pouring rain it was utterly gorgeous. We stopped in Benson for a Mexican food dinner... resulting in chimichanga and chipolte chicken-filled bellies fueling the last 2 hours of the drive.  Once off the freeway (and now in the utter dark) we set our odometer to 0 as instructed by our friend, and counted on his detailed instructions to get us there through a pitch black night interrupted intermittently by lightning in the distance. Round about mile 24 down a dirt road, after coati, owl, and many small creature sightings, we came to an exceptionally narrow and rough road... with still no cabin in sight.  By this point all of the backseat folks were tired and not just a little bit unsure of our navigation skills, but fortunately after 10 minutes of creeping up a steep and bumpy road we arrived at our little home for the weekend.  We managed to find the hidden key, but turning on the water for the night was just not going to happen.

The next morning (with water turned on thankfully) we ate breakfast, explored where a pipe led to, and then piled into the car for an over-the-mountain 4x4 drive to Chiricahua National Monument.  Although most of the area had burned in 2011 (including the area all around the place we stayed) it was a beautiful drive with great scenery.  It is also one of the wettest places in Arizona, and as such it poured rain for almost the entire drive up and over the mountain.

Fortunately by the time we arrived at the National Monument is was only drizzling (and we managed to find a covered picnic table for lunch).

 

 Everyone enjoyed climbing on the rocks (and the fact that it wasn't over 100 degrees!) Izzy in particular was very excited about climbing (and not just a little bit silly)

Then we drove down the road to another short hike to "the grottos"  Evie, Anna, and I went ahead, figuring Izzy and Patrick wouldn't make the whole hike.  Then on our way back we met up with them and decided to hike the little bit more for a second time so they could see the grottos too (because it really was just that cool)

After a long day of adventure we decided we did not need the adventure of going back up and over the mountain (especially given that it was muddy in the morning, and it looked like the area had received rain all day long).  So we took a less hairy back-road back...

In the evening Evie relaxed and read all of the New Yorkers in the house (well really just the cartoons.. but she was entertained by this for at least an hour) and then we made a taco dinner.

The next morning we packed up our bags and headed back to Tucson.  On the way home we made a stop at Apple Annie's to pick apples, pears and peaches (and a lunch of hamburgers).  Although it was pretty hot in Wilcox, it was a lot of fun and is definitely a stop that we'll add to our back and forth from the cabin itinerary for the future, especially because dogs were allowed and welcome!

 

 

First day of School and Fire on the Mountain

Monday was the first day of school for the girls.  Third grade for Evie and preschool for Izzy.  Summer has definitely gotten the best of us and both girls had gotten into the habit of late to bed and late to rise.  As a consequence on Monday morning (when I woke them up at 6:45  am) I had to carry both of them (in separate trips of course) half awake to the breakfast table.

Regardless of their difficulty getting going on Monday, they were both excited to go back to school for primarily friend reasons... Evie is facing some changes this year as she will have new teachers for math, French, English, and science.  She really wanted her form tutor (aka homeroom) to be with the German teacher (that she knows well) and was very excited when she arrived at school and this was the case.  Unfortunately a few minutes into the day it was discovered that she was erroneously placed there, and she was switched to a different form tutor.  This change caused an apparent tragedy and caused her to proclaim that her first day was "just awful"  Izzy on the other hand was thrilled with her lot in life, in the kindergarten/preschool combined class along with her best friends Anaise and Bobs.  Fortunately by the end of the second day Evie had recovered from her tragedy and was happy and interested in school again.

Although new teachers are an adjustment, perhaps the biggest change in our world this school year is the addition of a new child!  Last Friday we welcomed Anna from France into our home for the school year.  She is attending our local high school, and Patrick and I received a before our time experience on Monday registering her for classes and getting her enrolled in school. Anna's first day of school was today and she informed us that it was "horrible" because she struggled to understand what was going on.  Here is to hoping, like Genevieve, that her second (or third, or fourth) day(s) are better.  She has already endeared herself to our dogs, as her job is to walk them each morning, and both girls.  Genevieve, in an exercise for her math class today, apparently already counts our family as a unit of 5.

In other interesting news, the Catalinas were lit up like something out of a JRR Tolkien novel last night (but fortunately not tonight) due to a wildfire on the mountain. I tried my best to capture it, but without a tripod it was very hard....

Last Week of Summer

When did summer get so short?  It seems like only a week has gone by since the end of the school year instead of a whole two months.  Although I think we are all a little sad to see summer break go, we certainly had a ton of fun!

We went for a hike, where the girls pretended to be princesses with super powers that they gained by finding treasures in the woods.  Notable powers gained on the hike included everlasting life, gained by finding a bone; camouflage, gained by finding a mushroom; and super running power gained by I am not sure what, but it certainly came in handy toward the end of the 3 mile hike.

 

We also took the girls to the Tal WiWi for lunch and then over to Big Lake, so they could try their hands at fishing.  No fish were caught during our 3.5 hour stint on the lake, but Evie proved herself to be a dedicated fisher, which at one point had both of the fishing rods. (Fishing rods that were barbie and tinkerbell.... not sure when I've ever seen barbie fish.... )

I was also a pretty darn dedicated fisherwoman... The pole to the right of my foot is proof. While my dedication to fishing is clear, my skill at rowing leaves something to be desired.  At one point I was trying to row us away from other boats and ended up getting us even closer and then just twisting us around in circles for about 10 minutes... Luckily for us Patrick can row.

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of the fishing trip was getting Izzy back in a boat after her hour long bear hug of Patrick caused by an overwhelming fear of boats when we took her out in a canoe earlier in the summer. By the end of the time on the boat she was walking around, putting her hand in the water and generally just having fun.

After a bushwacky hike (where Izzy had on sandals... what a mistake... that I feel like we have made multiple times in our lives....) that has no photo record, but a big bag of limestone chalk to remember it by, Patrick spent sometime fashioning weapons for the girls out of willow branches.  Evie was very excited about her bow and Izzy is very fond of the staff that he made for her.

I am not much of a weapon maker myself, so the next day I helped the girls partake in one of my favorite cabin activities.... painting rocks. 

Finally, on our last night we braved the muddy, slippery road up to town to go to the candy shop (of course) and then out for dinner and a little music (and dancing!) I spent quite a bit of time up at the cabin practicing my banjo, so I particularly enjoyed watching the banjo player.  Patrick (I think) enjoyed his spicy elk burger and the girls enjoyed the free hot chocolate that the waitress brought out for all of the kids at one point.

Disneyland 2015!

Isadora really likes hotels.  Not sure where this affinity for rooms away from home comes from, but for the past year or so this love has grown to the point where she is constantly asking when we will take our next trip just so she can go to a hotel.  So, we figured for her birthday a few nice hotels and a trip to Disneyland would be just the thing!  (That and we took Evie to Disneyland for her 4th birthday and she had a blast... and we are all about equity here) Once the idea was planted round about Christmas time she has been anticipating and asking about it just about every day.  All of this is to say there was a fair amount of build up for this 5 day excursion over to California.

 

We first went to a fancy hotel in Marina del Rey, thinking a beach stay would be nice.  The hotel definitely fit the bill and the girls enjoyed a little harbor beachy time (and the pool of course).  Then, after lunch at the Killer Cafe (whose logo was a coffee cup with brass knuckles for a handle...awesome) we drove over to Anahiem and the main event.  That night we walked over to Downtown Disney for dinner (and a little birthday present shopping because Evie wanted to wait to get her present at Disneyland).  I bought an Anna shirt for Evie with a little cape so she could have a new something to wear the next day at Disneyland. We ate dinner at the same place Patrick and I ate at lo these many years ago when we came for my 25th birthday.... although not quite the same romantic 3 hour dinner we had last time, it was still a beautiful California summer evening!

The next morning we woke up early because we had an appointment with Minnie Mouse for breakfast.  Izzy opened her presents, including an Elsa dress, and Elsa doll, and a little puppy wrapped in a blanket that Evie bought for her (as an aside, some brilliant Disney marketer decided to take all of the characters, including the Cheshire cat and Merida, and make them stuffed animal babies wrapped in blankets.  Not sure why this causes young women to swoon, but both girls are totally infatuated with baby characters wrapped in blankets... and a bit embarrassedly I admit we now own 3 of them) Izzy started out the day well enough... birthday girl in her dress and Evie in her new shirt and cape....but even as we were getting going Izzy let us know that perhaps she'd just like to stay in the room and play with her new toys instead of this whole Disneyland thing.

The must have castle in the background picture... you can see the doubt in Izzy's face.... not to mention the crowds, at 8 am!

When we brought Evie to Disneyland for her 4th birthday, one of the highlights was the breakfast with Minnie.  We thought that this was such a hit with kid 1 that it would also be the perfect b-day experience for kid 2.... of course ignoring the fact that kid 2 is not like kid 1 in all respects and said kid 2 hid under the table the entire time we did this whole breakfast thing the last time we came to Disneyland when she was almost 2....

Well, I am happy to report that Izzy only went under the table to avoid the characters once or twice during our breakfast this time and (as you can see) Patrick and Evie enjoyed themselves.  After many attempts by the characters to woo Izzy. I think by the very end she almost cracked a smile.

Having finished a not so successful (at least in the birthday joy department) breakfast, we decided to go on the rocket ships, because last time Izzy really liked this ride.  We wait in line for 10 minutes or so, and then Isadora freaks out, starts screaming, and refuses to get in... Patrick picks her up and places her in the rocket with me (not sure what else to do at this point) and we ride off.  After a few seconds she realizes it isn't a secret plot to off her, and seems to enjoy herself maybe just a little bit.  With this limited success under our belts we decide to go on star tours because there is no line, and gosh if Izzy doesn't like Star Wars (no really she does!).  The lesson learned with that one is, when your kid is afraid of the rockets.... why would you think a bumpy simulation ride would be a good idea?

So after now terrifying Izzy on a few accounts, and totally convinced her that indeed Disneyland is (not) the happiest place on earth, we let her decide what she wants to do next.  She picks the rockets again, and this time it goes much better....

 Meanwhile, because terror shouldn't be reserved for just one child, Evie and I picked up fast passes for space mountain....

Evie survived but had no desire to go again... and she lost the cape to her shirt because she gave it to me and it fell out of my bag (probably when I took out the camera to take this picture...) After a few more rides, including the jungle cruise and the haunted mansion (which, by the way, Izzy said gave her the willes, and then promptly asked to go on again) We ate the most relaxing lunch at Aladdin's oasis where there was literally no one else there! During lunch, and at Izzy's pleading, it was decided that Patrick and Izzy would go back to the hotel for a little rest while Evie and I stayed at Disneyland.

While the other half of the Lacroix's slept, Evie and I made it to the teacups, splash mountain, princess visiting, and Indiana Jones. We also trekked across the park to look for her cape and then out of the park to wait for Patrick (who was still battling Izzy to get her to come back and meet us).  All said, due to our whirlwind 3 hours alone in the park Evie and I ended up walking over 13 miles that day!

On splash mountain, the gregarious lady in front of Evie is blocking her expression... which I am sure was one of fright.

Izzy and Patrick made it back by 6 pm and in time to go through the haunted mansion again.  We then ate dinner and went on Its a Small World (which, finally! Izzy loved).  Then over to our "reserved" place for the Fantasmic show, which ended up being standing in a place we couldn't really see at the end of a long day, which meant everyone was just a tad grumpy (myself included) by the end.  (At least at this point we had a backpack for Izzy, what a lifesaver). After the show, during the 1/2 hour it took for us to move through the cattle-like herd of people trying to exit, a herd exacerbated by a technical difficulty that meant no fireworks (and of course equaled dissatisfied guests), Izzy managed to lose the little blanket wrap for one of her "babies" that she had acquired.  So between the blanket and the cape it was a bit of a tragic day.

I of course spent the night feeling terribly sad that my little girl's 4th birthday wasn't all sorts of fabulous, woke up early, found coffee and read a book on our (rather fabulous) deck.  At around 8 am when everyone woke up, I was determined to set the sights lower and just go with the flow.  And oh what a good decision that was!  We made it into the park around 10 am, and went to splash mountain because Patrick decided he wanted to try his hand at a roller coaster and Evie graciously agreed to accompany him.  When we got there it was only a 10 minute wait so the two of them ran through the line while Izzy and I had a snack and waited for them to come down the waterfall.  I trained my camera just right and managed to catch them as they came down.... the expression on Patrick's face says it all:

Then we went on Its a Small World Again and headed out of the park for lunch and a break.  On the way to lunch we stopped at the lost and found, hoping to find a leaf blanket and a cape.  No great surprise, but there were neither a blanket nor a cape to be found at lost and found... but the lovely lady who helped us "found" a Mickey and Minnie doll for the girls instead.  After all of the stress (and perhaps lack of sleep) this little kindness almost (well OK did, but just a little) make me cry.  After a lunch, a birthday sorbet and a few hours at the hotel pool we came back for the night's activities.  We arrived just in time for a short stint in ToonTown and then a ride on the teacups that  coincided with the light parade.... and a realization that the best seat for said parade was on the teacups or in line for them... so we went on the teacups another 2 times.  Izzy and Evie now were both all smiles and life was good.

Normally I wouldn't post such a blurry picture, but somehow this just sums it up!

Then we followed along with the throng until we realized that there was no line for Dumbo... so we had to do that...

Then we realized (at around 9 pm) that hey we should have dinner (while fabulous fireworks were exploding all around) and maybe sing a little Happy Birthday (albeit a day late) to our birthday girl... so we did that... (oh and the utterly delicious german chocolate cupcake seen here was not terribly interesting to Izzy, who as proven herself to be a salty, not sweet, kind of gal... but the song and the candles were clearly most appreciated)

We then made our way home, with Izzy in the Ergo pack (for probably the last time in her life) totally asleep, and Evie walking zombie-like (until we hit a bench at the bus stop where she too fell asleep). Another exhausting day at the happiest place on earth.... but this time actually pretty darn happy....

And what is the lesson learned from all of this vacation fabulousness?  One, I need more than 5 days to call it a vacation (especially when two of those days are largely consumed by a car ride and interrupted by stressed associated with finishing a proposal for work), and two, never assume that the first kid is like the second kid... they are each remarkable in their own way! Oh and it is probably worth mentioning that this week Izzy has asked me more than once when she can go back to Disneyland....