Sunday 25 October 2015

Train Park

We took a drive to the train park in Scottsdale.  My family couldn't get it together to take a picture on or near the actual train (which you can ride and it goes all around the park, pretty much the best thing ever for kids).  This one from standing in line to get on is pretty cute though.







We took turns riding the carousel with Clementine.  I went first and it was her first time.  She was all cool before it started moving.  After a few up and downs on the horse, she threw her arms around my head and said "SKEEEWWWYY!!" (scary) for the rest of the ride.  It is not easy to stand upright with a tiny human on a galloping horse attached to ones head, let me tell you, least not of all while trying to ensure that said tiny human does not fall off of the galloping horse herself.

Even after all that she wanted to go again right away with Dada.

We moseyed over to the most epic complex of playground equipment, where Clem discovered misters and wet sand.  Here she is when we arrived, clean and angelic:


Here's forty seconds later:

My girl loves to play in the water and mud, like a moth to a lightbulb.  Its even better if she can rub it all over her clothes and in her hair.  She could have played this game for hours.


Seth and Bennet are the teenageriest teenagers.  Thankfully they are still perfectly wonderful to hang out with (even if they think that Alec is way more interesting than me now).


So tired on the drive home.

A walk around the neighborhood

Slowly, slowly over the last few years, my Mom's pocket of Arcadia has become hip.  Suddenly everyone is riding bikes everywhere (something that certainly never happened ten years ago).

These houses were built in the 50s which is nearly Medieval by Phoenix standards.  Most of the houses have been remodeled by well-to-do young people, but I think I prefer the original style homes.  They've been around long enough that their style has had time to develop, but you can still see where they all came from.  Everyone is planting their winter lawns this week so the grass is extra green.  

Alec, Bob, Clem and I took a walk around the block.  They jibber jabbered about politics or something and I took pictures.




Love that dusty blue tree with a yellow fence.  








The house across the street from us has converted their yard into a farm.  It's highly unusual for Phoenix but I think its rad.  What I wouldn't give to have as much planting space in our tiny Melbourne garden.

Back home again.  I really don't mind this fall weather at all.

Swomming

Every morning Clementine requests to go "swomming" in the pool.  The water is a bit chilled for the grown ups but she doesn't mind in the least.  She stands on the steps and pours water around with various cups or does her best to throw rocks in when we aren't looking.  Throwing rocks in water is Clem's current second favorite activity, right after playing in mud.

She refuses 68% of attempts to tie her hair out of her face.  Oh well!
































Sunday 18 October 2015

Back in Phoenix

We've been at my Mom's house in Phoenix for a couple days now.  Alec and I have made a concerted effort to relax as much as possible and there has been much eating of the cereal, Mexican food, sushi, bagels, pancakes, bacon, pizza, and tacos, only blemished by a few moments of panic here and there when either of us feels like we should be doing something but then remembers we have no where to be but here.  

We are surrounded by family.  Clementine is loving every minute and has a house full of people to dote on her.  I think maybe because I am achieving full relax mode, I convinced Alec to take a little drive while Clem napped.  

I splurged on this Marni tshirt the other day and I felt it was fully deserving of its own photo adventure.  We are enjoying a rare humid week in Phoenix, we drove up the road from my Mom's toward "Mount Camelback" (Camelback Mountain), parked the car, and creeped on the diversity of desert plants in people's front yards.  The humidity collected on the backs of our necks and the thunder grumbled from the mountains.