Replacement Cards

Inspired by a 4-0 start to the season, Owen got into some of the football fever infecting the Valley (not to be confused with the more serious Valley Fever infecting the Valley). Well, since then the Cards have gone 0-4. This unfortunate turn of events has really taken the wind out of our sails collectively, but Owen decided to do something about it.  Completely on his own, he decided to make a team of his own. He made them numbers and figured they would have a better chance of racking up a few wins.

In all seriousness, it's kind of fun to see Owen get into sports. He does like football and asks who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. He's not exactly sure what the guys on the field are doing, but he can recognize a good play when he sees one and it's fun to see him get all excited and start flapping when someone passes for a long touchdown or something.

It's Pumpkin Time

Holy moly, time is flying by. Fall kind of creeps up on you when you live in Arizona. We are finally seeing cooler temperatures, and by cooler I mean in the 80's. It's wonderful.

Halloween is fast approaching and per Owen he, "absolutely cannot wait until Halloween" and is, "so excited!" We have decorated the house with Owen pushing for more and more decorations and scarier ones. (Though to him "scarier" is really cute spiders. He's not into really scary stuff yet.) He was going to be Iron Man, but then the dog ate his mask, so now he is going to be Bumblebee from Transformers.

We went to a pumpkin patch last weekend to get pumpkins. It was a pretty impressive set-up of things to do from a train ride, tractor riding, corn maze, petting zoo. You could even shoot tomatoes out of an air gun. Needless to say, Owen had a blast.

While there it dawned on me that not many pumpkin patches include La Bamba blaring over speakers, people wearing tank tops, and palm trees scattered along the edge of the field. That's fall in Arizona, folks!

New School, New Job

I realized we had not posted anything about Owen's new preschool and my new (kind of) job. I'll start at the beginning for those who may not know the whole story. We attend a monthly parents group put on by Miles' mom that is located at their church. One of the parents who attends the parents group is the director of a preschool that is located on the church's grounds. When she heard that I was unemployed, she asked if I wanted to work part-time and have Owen attend the school while I worked.

I had been feeling bad about not having Owen in a preschool because he made such good friends at his last one, and was going a little stir crazy staying at home full time, so it was kind of a win-win situation. The preschool gets some much needed help, and Owen and I get to leave the house and spend time with some very nice people.

As I said earlier, the preschool is on church grounds, but unlike his last school, the two are not blended so he does not have any religious study. The school is based off of the Reggio Emilia philosophy. It's an interesting concept and what it boils down to is a very loving, creative, and supportive environment. (The school is sometimes jokingly called a hippie school because it's laid back and artsy.)
 

Here are two of the lovely and incredibly patient teachers I get to work with.  The one on the left is technically Owen's teacher, though the classes work together quite a bit. I'm with Owen about half the time and the other half I am helping out with the little guys (1-3 year olds). I'm learning a lot by working here and Owen is enjoying himself and making new friends.

Pondering Life

Last year Owen went to a daycare that was part of a church and he went to chapel twice a week. He would listen to stories and songs about Jesus and God, so every once and awhile Owen will bring up Jesus.

Owen: (Looking at the sky) Where does Jesus live?
Us: He lives up in Heaven.
Owen: He's up in the stars? 
Us: Way, way up with the stars. 
Owen: Jesus lives in us too, right? 
Us: Yes, he lives in our hearts.
Owen: Well, I think Jesus is playing Wipeout in my heart right now cause it's beating really fast!

Owen: When people die, do they go to Heaven?
Us: Yes, they go to Heaven.
Owen: What happens if you go to Heaven, but you aren't really dead?
Us: Then you go back home.
Owen: How do you get home? Does God take you home?
Us: God has a special way of sending you back home. It's like magic.
Owen: No. I think God would take you home. God's a good guy. He would walk you home.

We love his little curious mind.

Don't Mind Me

Sometimes Iron Man "dies" in very inconvenient locations. Heartless as it may seem, we've learned to just work around it.

I'm starting to wonder if this costume is going to make it till Halloween considering it gets worn almost every day.

Oscar the Lizard

There was quite a bit of excitement in the Wilhelme house the other day. A lizard got into the house and we wanted to catch it before the cat and dog decided to have some fun with the little guy.

Those suckers are fast! Took us a while, but we managed to catch him. Owen wanted to keep him forever. He really wants a lizard (or a frog, or fish, or a guinea pig), so he tried to come up with some good arguments why he should be able to keep this little guy. He decided to name him Oscar after one of his favorite cartoons, Oscar's Oasis.

After a little bit, Owen realized that maybe the lizard did not want to live with us and he let it go in the garden. Owen now likes to leave a window open, just a little bit, in case Oscar wants to come back and play.

Even Superheroes Need Groceries

I felt very safe at the grocery store today. Not a single villain approached me.

Can't a Guy Just Sit on a Wall?

The kid cracks me up. This photo was all his idea. He wanted me to take it so he could show Ed when he got home. He knew it would make Ed laugh. Even sweeter, he wanted Ed to take the photo to school to show his boys and girls because Owen just knew they would find it funny. Either he's on to something, or I'm really immature, but this picture cracks me up every time I look at it.

The Trip - Part 3 - Bryce Canyon

If somebody asked whether they should visit Bryce Canyon or the Grand Canyon, we would definitely say Bryce Canyon. What an incredible place. The red rock is breathtaking and the geology is awe-inspiring.

The weather was still in the upper 90s, but fortunately our campsite had a pool which provided much needed relief during the middle of the day.

Imaginations take over when there is no technology around to distract. Here the boys are shooting the evil guys who are trying to take over our campsite.

 

Enjoying a dinner of spaghetti, the go-to camping meal for vegans.

Utah was celebrating Prairie Dog Day while we were in Bryce Canyon. Ed got swept up in the festivities.

Simply gorgeous. The photo doesn't do the canyon justice. We would like to go back someday and hike in the canyon.

Owen was much better here than the Grand Canyon. He seemed to enjoy Bryce Canyon: it was cool to look at; he got to ride a bus; there were ATVs everywhere; and there was a pool.

Ed still had to hold him tight at times. The kid fears no danger.

A rare family photo, and a pretty decent one at that.

Dog Nap

The boy and the dog take a little cat nap. (Not pictured: cat.)

We're Melting

Was I just complaining earlier about it being too hot? Man, what a wimp I was.  You see, our air conditioner is no longer working. I think our a/c has technically not been working since Wednesday, but we were in denial that it had gone out. It's been very humid since it's monsoon season so we just figured our a/c was struggling to keep up with the heat and the humidity. (Unfortunately, this lack of a/c coincided with my first week of being a stay-at-home mom, so that was a lot of fun.) But we had to face facts that it is not normal for a house to be 90 degrees at all hours of the day, or to have it actually be cooler outside than inside the house... in August... in Arizona.

We have an a/c guy coming early Monday morning and until then we are spending as much time away from the house as possible. We also decided a slumber party was in order in the room that seemed to be the coolest. That part is kind of fun. Lemons into lemonade, right?

Carrot Monster

One of our favorite parts of eating more healthy is that Owen has jumped on the wagon.  He asks me if I eat chicken and I tell him that it hurts my tummy.  He chimes in with it hurts his tummy too (yet he proceeds to pop down chicken nuggets).  But what I really like is that he is A-Okay with eating fruits and veggies.  We have fun with him.  

Carrie was grating some carrots for salad when the Carrot Monster came and terrorized salad town. 

Pretty scary Carrot Monster.

 Oh, Carrot Monster only wanted carrots. (Makes sense when you use the Cookie Monster model of monsters.)

Ahh, Carrot Monster isn't so bad once he has some carrots in his tummy.

The Trip - Part 2 - Grand Canyon

As mentioned in the earlier post, the majority of the photos taken at the Grand Canyon were deleted. This is slightly okay since this was one of the rougher stops of the trip. It was probably a combination of the heat (100 degrees); lack of ways to get out of the heat; novelty of camping wearing off; and a giant hole that could not have rocks thrown into it that made Owen a bit of a terror.

One cool thing about the trip was the annual Grand Canyon Star Party was happening while we were there. Dozens of amateur astronomers brought their own telescopes and set them up in the visitor's center parking lot. We were able to view the stars and Saturn through some incredible telescopes.

It's funny, we posted this picture on Facebook and received many warm comments regarding the photo (bonding with your son, incredible experience, etc.) This is a great photo and we are happy to have it, but the truth behind the photo is far from warm. This was an instance when Owen was hitting his peak of terror-dom. Ed was holding him tightly because Owen kept trying to climb down. We were getting some dirty looks from people trying to enjoy the scenery, and understandably so. We left shortly after this photo was taken. Ahhh, family vacations.

By the second day at the Grand Canyon, Owen had calmed down a bit so we attempted to see the Canyon again.  It was still very hot so our sighting seeing was short lived and we mostly explored the surrounding area trying to find shade.

All the photos of our camp site were deleted except for this cute one of the boys having their morning cup of coffee/cocoa. Overall, the campsite was nice and quiet. The sites were small, but the campgrounds were clean. And the view of the stars and night was amazing. Ed and I were able to enjoy them, when Owen finally went to sleep, over a glass of wine and a cigar.

The Trip - Part I - Departure and Sedona

We've been home from our road trip for a couple of weeks and, coincidentally, it takes a couple of weeks to get situated after a huge trip like that.  This is especially true when you get a puppy in the interim.  That being said, we are ready to start the series of posts chronicling our experience.  We don't know how many parts there are going to be and I'm sure they will be interwoven with current posts, but we're looking forward to getting a narrative put together.

It wouldn't represent our departure if I didn't say that at 1:30AM the evening before we left, my Dad called me to tell me my Grandmother had unexpectedly been taken to the hospital and would not make a recovery.  This news transformed the enthusiasm we were feeling into uncertainty.  We departed with heavy hearts, kept afloat by the encouragement of our family that this trip was still the right thing to do.  Upon reflection, I believe it was, but the decisions were not easy and I am grateful for the support of Carrie, my Dad, and all of our loved ones who helped me get through the grieving process from afar.

Once our decision had been made to embark, focusing on the tasks involved in camping and traveling was helpful.  Long stretches of interstate are ideal for slow, thoughtful conversations.  Setting up camp is ideal for punctuating those conversations. 

This is the first live run setting up the tent.  We had practiced in the back yard a couple of times, but this was the real thing.  It worked our beautifully.  We set up camp in Oak Creek, just outside of Sedona.  This was the only site on the way up to Montana we had scheduled for only one evening.  I am happy for that because setting up in the afternoon and breaking camp the next morning is not fun.

This is the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona.  I happened to be in Sedona a number of years ago when I heard the news that my Great Uncle Paul (my Grandmother's brother) had passed away.  This church has vigil candles lining the walls, so I lit one for Paul.  I knew when we were traveling through Sedona, I would light a candle for my Grandmother.  When we got into the church, I thought about lighting a candle for my Grandmother and felt that somehow a solemn candle didn't feel right and realized I should light another candle for my Great Aunt Thelma who passed away in 2008 with whom my Grandmother had a special bond.  I lit two candles close to the window overlooking a beautiful red-rock valley. When I told my Uncle Dave this, he told me that he and his cousin Lori had lit a vigil candle in the same church in 1986 for my Great Grandmother (Paul, Thelma and my Grandmother's Mother) when she passed away. Wow.

The red rocks of Sedona. They are beautiful and spiritual and awe-inspiring.  I am so happy this was our first stop.

And our campsite.  I accidentally erased some of our pictures from Sedona and the Grand Canyon.  Boo Ed. Luckily of the 3000 pictures or so we took, 99% of them survived.  Yeah! (Plus, Owen was being a butt at the Grand Canyon, so if some had to go...).

Baby It's Hot in Here

We want to get our trips photos up. We really do. Unfortunately, there are just a few things working against us at this time:

• We have a 4-year old.
• We have a puppy that, unless constantly supervised, pees wherever and chews whatever.
• It is regularly 110-115 degrees. Right now, at 8:30 p.m., it is 110 degrees outside and 86 degrees inside our house. 
• We cannot take the puppy on walks because his paws would get burnt on the sidewalk. Potty breaks for the dog consist of running out to our sadly burnt grass, peeing quickly, and running back inside.
• School starts back up on Monday.

To top it off, there are crickets in our air vents. It could be one, it could be ten, but what I do know is that those suckers are loud. 

Have we ever mentioned August is our least favorite month in Arizona? Followed by September.

Just a photo reminder that a little over a month ago we were very cold and huddled around a fire. (Photo taken at Yellowstone.) Ah well. Time to give the cat and dog some ice cubes to lick, pour a cold glass of beer, and lay in front of a fan.