All good things must come to an end...

What a fun vacation that was! So there was some stuff I left out while on vacation. Mostly because it takes me so long to put my thoughts into words and then longer to make them make sense to more than just me. One of my very favorite things in the world to do is to walk through model homes. If you have ever done this with me, you know that I could go on forever. Most people are "crying uncle" long before I am tired of it. There are some funny things I have noticed about model homes. Like this for instance:Honestly, would most people put these items on top of their dryer? Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all about every room in the house being a place that is pleasant to look at, but come on. Really? Would I really put more dirt voluntarily into one of the main rooms in the house dedicated to removing dirt? I'm just sayin'.

Here is another one that has me wondering. I love the theme and color scheme in this room. I find it cute beyond words, but, (you knew the but was coming right?) the life preserver on the bed? You know in my house it would be doing the opposite of preserving life if it were left on a child's bed. I am certain that some child would be trying to use it on a sibling as collar and leash or possibly a device of torture.

Ok, enough of that! So when Wednesday morning rolled around this week and we had to start heading home, there were so many tears cried by children begging to stay for just a few more days. They were honestly breaking my heart. The kids had slept in that morning, which was good. I could do so much more, faster without their sweet little selves distracting me. My Son and the Wild Child woke first. We tried to keep them quiet so they would not wake the others. That didn't work so well since any time we weren't watching they would sneak off into the other room and try to wake the others. When they did finally wake the 1st Child, she was not happy about it. She was still very tired from being out so late the night before. She comes to me and says, "Mom, these two woke me up with their running around and screaming. I wasn't ready to wake up and now they are making me annoying!"

Not ten minutes later I am trying to convince the Sea Monkeys to get dressed. I wanted to get packed up and on the road before it got too hot. The Little Jamaican walks over to me butt naked with her underwear around her neck saying as she sways, "Look at my beautisul scarf." Will you just get dressed please!!! This seems to be a recurring thought I have lately. I am wondering if I am raising nudists. It's not that hot! Put some close on for Pete's sake, and mine too for that fact.

Progress

If you visited us when we lived in the Valley of the Sun, we probably took you to El Rico's for some of the best Mexican food on the planet. Only then, there was just the shack that contained the kitchen and you had to eat outside, because there was no inside and no restrooms either. You would have to wait an hour in line just to order on a Friday night and they only took cash. (Yes, the food is that good that you would endure even the ridiculous heat of the summer, wait in line forever and run to the nearest gas station if you needed a restroom!)

Well things have changed!!! The new building as pictured below is air conditioned. They now take cash, debit or credit. They have very functional, nice restrooms. (I would know after repeatedly taking the children to the facilities during our two stops there.) The food is still as amazing, the people as nice as ever and you can still eat outside if you wish.

Oh to live where the Mexican food is amazing again.

The weekend in a few pictures...

The pictures below all crack me up. The first one with the Rocket Scientist smirking makes me smile, because I know I'm about to be heckled.

We were at friends house on Saturday night. They had a lovely garden growing like gangbusters. As soon as one child had a carrot from the garden, they all had to have a carrot. The Little Jamaican decided she had to eat hers in the pool.Aren't the goggles and the expression priceless? This kid was cracking me up Saturday night. OK, OK! I know most people would not find humor in this, but if I didn't, the Wild Child would be the death of me. The Rocket Scientist thinks that I should label these pictures something like "One too many days of vacation." She first started crying because her flip-flops fell off when we were driving. She thought that I should just whip right out of my seat while riding down the road and retrieve the wayward shoes. Then when we arrive at our destination she freaks out more since the door to her left closed while she was having the first tantrum. Apparently, that is the only door you may exit through if you are the Wild Child. The full-on melt down lasted only about 15 minutes.
See all better!
Well, all better for a minute! When the sea monkeys started to fight at the park we told them it was time to go. They like most kids said they weren't leaving. The Rocket Scientist and I decided to call their bluff. We decided to get in the car. When the First Child realizes this, she rounded them all up and pulled them to the car. They are crying, again, because they think we were going to leave them at the park. Like we could ever do that!? (eyes rolling)

Lunch and a show...

The first thing that cracked me up this morning was walking to the pool, the Little Jamaican points to this and says, "Mommy, somebody peeeeed." The storm last night left behind a lot of water. Some places locally received 2 inches of rain. That is a lot of rain in a very short period of time on parched ground. One of the best things that came from the storm was the pool was nice and cool, instead of feeling like bath water.After that last picture, there should be no question as to why I call them "sea monkeys." It was really fun playing in the water. The First Child learned how to do a "belly slam" as she calls it. Knowing it's real name, I think "belly slam" might be a better suited name for how it feels.

For lunch we went to the most requested restaurant in our home. My sea monkeys call it Cheeto Bambito's. Of course this restaurant is in the Valley of the Sun and not in the state to the North. So this is a huge treat. Chino Bandido's is a Chinese/Mexican food mix place that has been featured on the Food Network. http://chinobandido.com/ If you are ever in the Valley of the Sun, you need to go. Nothing like it anywhere I've been and the snicker doodles are amazing!

Food Network's Guy from Diner's, Drive ins' and Dives below on signed poster.

When we get back to the condo we are staying at, the Wild Child tells me there is a song she heard at "Cheetos" that goes like this:

You can see that the First Child decided that she needed to sing it too. What can I say? We can entertain!

Minor league day

We started Thursday off with a Minor League Baseball game. My children were hot and complaining, except for my Son, who kept asking every time someone new was up to bat, if it was his turn. The kid cracks me up!!! We were there for only the last 3 innings, so we didn't torture them too much in the heat. (Not that you can tell by the expression on the Little Jamaican's face.)

So we thought about a movie after lunch, but didn't make it in time, so we made preparations to do this: http://www.dbg.org/index.php/plan/calendar/eventdisplay?evt=flashlightour. In my opinion, totally worth the trip!!! If I had to leave for home after that, I would still feel like I had been on vacation. There are things and people I would have been bummed about missing. Just the same, it would still feel like I had been on vacation.

The much anticipated Monsoon season made it's appearance when we were at the Desert Botanical Garden. It started off benign enough. It was overcast, hot and humid, with no chance of seeing the sunset. As we entered the gardens they were giving out personal fans from Target to everyone who entered. They didn't want anyone to get too hot. I think they just wanted to keep my kids hands off the cacti. Truth be known, I'm good with that. This works out really well, because they have a fan in one hand and a flashlight in the other. Well it worked really well till my Son figures out this:

And this:

We were enjoying the beautiful gardens and learning about tarantulas, scorpions, and all the other wonders of the desert.

As you can tell from the pictures we were having "fun" when the weather decided to do what the meteorologists have been saying it would do for days. First there were a few drops of rain. My Son and I were at the "kids corner" doing an art project when the wind started blowing...and I mean blowing. Ripping papers out of kids hands and the works. Me, thinking it is just a little storm blowing through, push my kids to continue the tour. It is now raining BIG drops of water and the wind is gusting. I look at the Rocket Scientist and ask if we should go. He thinks so. He thinks the sea monkeys are really freaked out. Just then, I notice the lightning. I guess the rest of my family had noticed it a while before I had. Trees are really swaying now. Some of their branches touching the sidewalk as they blow in the gusting wind. Whatever is blowing in the wind is starting to sting a little when it hits your skin. Everyone else is being ushered into an exhibit type room ahead. The sea monkeys are bustin' a move. They are getting out of this storm. The First Child is holding the Little Jamaican's hand to make sure she doesn't get lost. Another enormous gust of wind flies by and a sudden crack. I look to my left and see the tree, less than 20 feet away, lose a HUGE branch. Half a second later I hear a "thunk" and the Little Jamaican start to cry. My heart pounding, I turn around to see the Rocket Scientist chuckling. The Little Jamaican wrapped around a small pole and the First Child trying desperately move her forward. In all the excitement, the First Child is trying to get herself and her baby sister to safety and walks her into a pole unknowingly. The funny part is, she has still not realized this is what has happened and is still trying to pull her sister forward.

The Sea Monkeys tell us they never want to go back to "that" place again. They some how believe that either storms originate from there or that if we go there a storm will always come. I love this family of mine. They are more fun than I could have ever dreamed of.

Does the Rocket Scientist have a point?

We made it!!! Finally, no more children asking if we are there yet. My Son no longer asking if we are going home or if we are going to eat pizza. We arrived in the Valley of the Sun this evening. It truly feels like the Sun's valley. I love how the heat here makes you chill for the first instant here. I knew I liked here, but I wasn't prepared for how much I love it here. I missed this place so much.

Since we moved North a state and to the North part of that state, we have not had really good pizza. So we could not wait a day longer and went to Barro's Pizza for dinner. It was worth the trip for the pizza alone.

As you might imagine, traveling two days in a car with four children ranging from almost 4 to 7, has it's moments. The Wild Child is wound up and apparently hungry when we make it to the restaurant. The salad bar is between where you order and where you sit. The Wild Child helps her self to a cherry tomato. The 1st One notices and decides that this not right. She takes the tomato from the Wild Child and puts it back into the salad bar. The Rocket Scientists notices this happen and tries to keep the tomato from ending up back in the tomato container. As he doing this, the Little Jamaican notices a very tempting ladle in the Italian Dressing container and pulls it out. As she starts to realize the her dad has caught what she is doing, she throws it on the floor so she can't be busted for touching something she's not suppose to.

Finally, everyone is at the table and we are patiently waiting for our pizza. (Well, some of us, patiently.) The Wild Child repeatedly tells us that, "It took for a long to time to get here and now I 'm not going to get to go swimming." You would have thought that we drove two days for her to go swimming the way she was going on and on about it.

After eating as the Rocket Scientist and I try to get the Sea Monkeys, back in the car so they can go swimming. They are running around like wild animals in the African Savanna. The Wild Child notices something blue and sticky on the sidewalk. My Son walks over to check it out as the Wild Child is peeling it off the side walk. Seconds before The Wild Child put "someone we don't know's" discarded gum in her mouth, the Rocket Scientist yells at her to put it down. She laughs and drops it as my Son decides to pick-up. Yuck!!!! Why are kids so disgusting? As the Rocket Scientist and I are wiping their hands off and trying to minimize whatever they may have just picked up, the man tells me, "We're done! D - O - N - E! Done, Karen." I've been telling him for years that we are not done. That we need another two sea monkeys before we can be D-O-N-E, but after tonight's outing, I am wondering if the man might have a point.