Leeroy Jenkins

So, I used to play a lot of World of Warcraft. I'm actually pretty lucky my boyfriend and I broke up and I didn't personally own the computer hardware to let me continue my obsession, or I'm pretty sure they
would have found my diet soda encrusted body mummified circa 2005.

Anyway, I love this video, because leeeeeeeeeeeroy mmmJenkins is AMAZING.

Week 5: Papago Park Hole-in-the-Rock

Papago Park has  rich Native American History. It was also used as a P.O.W. camp for German prisoners during World War II. Its area includes the Phoenix Zoo, the botanical gardens and our chosen destination The Hole-in-the-Rock.

The Hole-in-the-Rock is a natural geological rock formation in Papago Park. There is evidence that the Hohokam Indians settled near this natural monument thousands of years ago. Climbing to the top is easy for kids of all ages. Better, you can park right at the base. Every time we go there are always a couple of families and grandparents with their grand kids.

So the trick to this Phoenix, Az,  thing is to get out early or stay out late, and since with little kids staying out late means lots of crying, screaming and possible biting, we tend to choose the early option. My kids are worlds better in the morning. The trick is getting them up and out early enough to enjoy the cool weather (by cool I mean 90 degrees guys, don't get too excited).

As we all know with kids, having definite plans is a no no. Things have a tendency to implode just at the critical moment, so I always start out the week thinking, some morning this week we will make it to Papago Park, and then, I am the best mom in the world because we DO make it to Papago Park some morning during the week. If I planned it for a specific day and it didn't work out, then I would feel like a failure. We missed one day that seemed promising due to an unforeseen shoe disappearance,but we managed to make it to Papago Park not once but twice this week! Take that universe!

Chompy calls it climbing a mountain, and ever since she did it for the first time with her big cousin she's been dying to go back! So we finally went. These pictures are from two different days. The climb is perfect for young kids because it's not too long, and there's plenty for older kids to do as well. Plus it's like a secret passageway when you climb up the back way. Super Awesome.

Stinko went, too, but he was in the carrier so no pictures! He's super fast, too, so he stayed in the carrier, too. I'm not trying to have him fall off a mini mountain when he's not even one yet.

Don't Mess with Nature

Seriously guys, we don't know what's going on out there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_sparrow_campaign

The Berenstein Bears

While my family and I were in Coronado, Chompy was taking a break from all the fun and watching a show with her pal. The show they were watching was called the Berenstain Bears. My husband mentioned to me that he remembered it being the BerenstEin bears when he was a kid, and then I realized I remembered it that way, too.

What the heck! I thought maybe they changed it so it was easier for the kids to spell, or some kind of crazy anti-Semitic craziness. So I got online and I googled it. I thought for sure there would be all kinds of crazy discussion about the craziness of how they changed the name, and why they changed the name, and how kids are all getting dumber or something because we're making everything homogeneous and boring, but man, I WAS WRONG. It has always been the BerenstAin bears, not the BerenstEin bears. My mind was completely blown. I even looked up picture after picture of the old books trying to find out if there was a changeover somewhere, but nope. 

This guy Reece has a pretty amazing theory about what's going on. So I'm going with that. At least until I talk to my mom and find out what she remembers. My mom knows everything.

Also, he recently posted an update about his theory, as in, in between the time I first looked up his post, so here it is.

No one Can Make Fire More Boring Than New Employee Orientation

Seriously, you guys. We talked about fire for two hours. You would think fires would be inherently interesting. I once was able to stay up for two extra hours after working an 8 hour bar shift (it was 6 am before I headed home) to watch the Baltimore Fire Department extinguish a 6 alarm fire. It was amazing.

Somehow the safety guy made me feel as though nothing would be more soothing than putting myself inside a fire while he was talking today. Sheesh, safety training.

Week 4: Cook with your kids

Cooking together is amazing. Kids like to do what their parents doing anyway, so cooking is perfect, since it's something that needs to be done and it can be done inside out of the million degree weather. We've made cookies together and shucked corn. Chompy helps me measure out the water for oatmeal, and stirs about everything we make together.

Saturday is the perfect day to get up early and walk over to the Phoenix public market. Living in downtown Phoenix is amazing because of the close proximity to so many things. I hate loading the kids up in the car, and they hate it, too. Walking is so much better for us, and the environment.

Chompy helped pick out fresh fruits and vegetables, including green beans, and she got to run around. Stinko enjoyed all the people making eyes at him and waving.

When we got home we enjoyed breaking off the ends of the green beans. Sometimes we got more ends than beans, but there was no complaining. Then Chompy washed all the beans in the sink, and ate quite a few, and then dried them all individually in a hand towel. No four star chef was as careful with these beans as Chompy.

AND when  our big pot of ham and green beans was finally cooked, Chompy ate tons, and enjoyed telling her dad that she helped cook them.

Week 3: Get Out of Town: Coronado Island

So here in Phoenix it's 110 degrees again today, so we were more than happy to have the opportunity to get out of town this past weekend.

Phoenix is unique because just a few hours drive can take you to an entirely different environment. Elevation changes can make all of the different, as can a trip to the Pacific Ocean, which is only a five hour drive away.

We are lucky in that we have some friends who kindly invited us to stay with us for the weekend at their house on Coronado Island in California, just outside of San Diego.

In 2012 Coronado Beach was named the top beach in the United States by Dr. Beach. The beach is 1.5 miles long and has sparkling  sand, caused by mica deposits. This beach is wide and flat, with a very long shallow area, perfect for toddlers to chase waves. Parents won't have their relaxation interrupted by stabs of panic when they can't locate their children because the flatness allows for unobstructed views.

The City of Coronado is super kid friendly. This 8 square mile island offers more than 6 parks for kids to play in when the parents get tired of cleaning the sand out of all of the crevices, and the streets are friendly for bike riding and walking to many different restaurants.

Downtown San Diego is a short ferry ride away, and families can walk to The New Children's Museum or take a bus or taxi to the San Diego Zoo.

Honestly, though, we didn't want to leave the island once. We walked everywhere and truly enjoyed eating and drinking outside on the patio, enjoying the Pacific breeze. We did enjoy a beer at the Coronado brewing Company (my favorite is the Mermaid's Red) and had delicious barbecue at Lil' Piggy's Bbq (the tacos are amazing, we added avocado, yum).

Here are some pictures of the nuggets enjoying the beach. Totally worth the 5 hour drive! On the way back they were so exhausted they slept most of the way. We had so much fun!

Stinko ate more sand than he played with, but that's what happens with babies on beaches.