This weekend we went to Slide Rock, just outside of Sedona. Mostly we wanted to get out of the heat, and we dragged Grandma and Aunt Tori along with us. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much shade, and the weather was probably in the 80s. While a gorgeous day for those of us used to 100-plus degree weather … we all still came home a little toasty.

We didn’t actually ride the chute of water at Slide Rock, but we did wade in the shallow parts with the boys. The water was icy and cold, but it was like the boys didn’t even feel it. We didn’t bring swim trunks, but that didn’t stop them from getting as wet as they could.

They also spent a lot of time throwing rocks in the water, which was a great way to pass the time. Nate only fell in the water once, and needed a cuddle from Mom, along with a chocolate chip cookie, to make things better. While he recuperated, Gabe and Dad sat together and threw rocks.

All in all, it was a great day. We’ll go back, but probably not until the boys are a little older and are able to swim.

This is probably the worst part of summer: late August. The monsoons are here, but the heat rising up from all the concrete in the city pushes out the rain clouds, and it feels like the heat from the sun and the heat from the ground are just meeting in the middle to sweat you out.

I always rely on Ryan to let me know when summer has gotten old. Each summer he goes a little longer before he says, “OK, I’ve had enough.” It was this past Saturday when he said it this year. Unfortunately, and as he knows, it’ll be another three months before it really cools off.

So, we do our best to escape the heat. We take the kids to the indoor play area at the mall. We go to the park early in the morning. We spend time at local splash pads. Unfortunately, this only eats up a couple of hours, and after an afternoon nap, the boys are 100% again, ready to be entertained.

We found out last Monday that Ryan is being laid off from his employer due to the market conditions. This Friday is his last day with Montalbano Homes, and this loss is probably worse than the others: Ryan actually likes this company, and his boss is a good man to work for. I’ve met him a couple of times, and he seems like a helluva smart guy, and very funny, too.

On the upside, Ryan is starting to take classes again. By May 2009, he should have at least one IT certification under his belt, and hopefully a path to a new career. While home building is still OK for some folks to stay in, it’s just too hard when you have a family to think about.

In the meantime, he’s looking for work, and I have all the confidence in the world that he’ll find something. There’s no doubt in my mind. In the meantime, though … the boys’ room sure could use a fresh paint job to turn it from a baby’s room into a “big boy” room …

He and I actually were in his classroom yesterday for orientation. All of his classmates were there, too, along with their parents, so it was a little crowded to say the least. His teacher, Miss Meggan, informed us that the class is full.

She has – brace yourself – 13 boys and zero girls in her morning class this year. I caught her eye as she said that, and I know I had a clear, “I’m so sorry to hear that …” expression on my face. She promised us there would be plenty of recesses this year.

Gabe played as I filled out paperwork, and a couple of times he came over to say “bye bye!” When he finally realized that I wasn’t leaving, he came up with a command: “Say ‘bye bye,’ Mama!” He was very upset when I told him it was time to leave … and even more upset to learn that he would not be riding the bus back to Miss Maria’s house. To me, these were all good signs: He was excited about school.

Last night I took him shopping and we picked out a brand new Lightening McQueen backpack, which he loves. He generously agreed that his old Diego backpack could now be handed down to Nate. This morning, he was walking around the house in his pj’s with the backpack on his back.

Maria called me after the bus came and picked him up (around 8:30) and said everything went just fine. This afternoon, when I went to pick him and Nate up, she said that the schedule worked perfectly: He got back from school a little after noon, ate lunch, then crashed for a nice afternoon nap.

We’ve started to try to ask him open-ended questions (rather than the regular yes/no type), and he seems to be improving: Today, he was able to tell us that his teacher’s name is Miss Meggan, and that’s great.

It’s strange to know that our 3-year-old boy is riding the bus to a public school every day, but we know this will just make the transition to kindergarten that much easier. And he loves school so much, we’ve been excited for this first day for him. We plan to get Nathan enrolled in the same preschool once he turns 3 … which is just a little more than a year away.

Time sure does fly!

We went to Stride Rite Wednesday night, as they were having a buy one, get the second pair at 50% off. We let Gabe pick his own sneakers (from an overall style we chose). It was so funny. He poked his little finger out and waved it around the seven or eight pairs of shoes saying, “Ummm … ummm … ummm …” Finally he landed on “This one!” - a pair of silver and black velcro sneakers.

We chose Nate’s for him, a navy blue and gold pair of velcro sneakers.

To say that they love their shoes is an understatement. Thursday morning (yesterday), they couldn’t wait for Maria the Babysitter to notice their new shoes. Once she did (and made the big deal they wanted her to), it was all they could do to contain their excitement.

That afternoon, she told me that for the whole day Nate refused to take his sneakers off, and at one point she finally got one shoe off … and he screamed bloody blue murder. He even napped in the crib with his new shoes firmly on his feet. Thankfully, he willingly took them off when we got home, and today he was fine taking them off at her house.

But then Grandma came over tonight and, again, they couldn’t wait to show off their new shoes.

I guess their future girlfriends and wives will be happy to have boyfriends and husbands who like to shop for shoes …

Today, after dinner, I recalled that I couldn’t remember the last time we got the mail. What a fruitful trip it was! In today’s (and perhaps Saturday’s) post, we received:

• A letter from Gabriel’s preschool, Desert Springs Elementary, announcing that next Tuesday is his first day of class.
• A postcard from Nearly Naked Theatre, where Ryan and I have seen two plays in the past year or so. They’ve been in production for 10 years and to celebrate their anniversary they’re hosting the Rocky Horror Picture Show later this month.
• A notice that I have to go to jury duty next month.
• The latest issue of Family Fun magazine, which always has lots of craft ideas.
• A $10 coupon to my favorite kitchen store, Sur La Table.

Sometimes it pays to pick up the mail.

But what’s really killing me are the so-called “Green Warriors.” A friend of mine who drives a Tahoe to and from work every day (30-mile commute one-way) works with a Green Warrior. She approached him one day, asked about his vehicle choice (it’s a lease his wife took out, and he’s just running out the mileage until December when the lease is up), and asked him if he’s considered trading in for something more fuel efficient and “green.”

Holy crap, I almost choked when he told me that.

Why would anyone choose to follow a movement started by Al Gore? That alone should keep anyone off that path. There are many, many articles online that dispute his “An Inconvenient Truth,” and here’s just one.

I don’t know why it infuriates me like it does, but it does. It ranks up there with pushing religion on someone. And if a Green Warrior decides to talk to me about my vehicle choice or why I don’t use the back of a piece of paper, my response might be my own question: Have you considered converting to Catholicism?

Ryan says that religion and being green aren’t on the same level. He says that being green is an attempt to save the planet. My response: Choosing Christ is an attempt to save your soul. Which is a bigger deal? The 50 or 60 years you’ll be on this planet … or eternity?

Now, I’m no proponent of pushing religion … but I’m also not a proponent of pushing political agendas. I am a proponent of not being wasteful, and I am a proponent of not regularly spending $60 a week on gas. If that means I re-use something until it’s useful life is gone, or if that means carpooling, then so be it.

But don’t call me green, because it just makes me see red.

Today, as a parent of two young kids, I’m glad I’m a morning person because, as it turns out, kids are morning people. As in “wake up at 5 a.m. people.” And 5 a.m. is early even for me. Especially on a Saturday.

But we were smart this week and planned ahead of time to get up for our regular wake-up call and make an effort to get out of the house before it got too hot. We ate a hearty breakfast, packed a few snacks, and found ourselves at The Phoenix Zoo by about 7:15.

We started out at the playground area, and I got a great photo of the boys in the giant kangaroo. I also got a new knothole picture of Gabe. Nate got in on the hallowed-out tree action, too, and we have a similar picture of him.

After the playground, we made our way to the petting zoo. For the first time, we let Nate wander around on his own. Even though he’s been walking for many months now, in the past it’s been too hot, too smelly or there have been too many kids in the area. But this time, we got there before the barn doors had even opened, and we were the first ones there.

Nate kept calling them “doggies,” but he loved the goats. Gabe did, too, and made sure to pet as many as he could. One of the bigger goats was climbing up on the wall of the petting zoo area, nibbling bites of leaves from the trees. He (or she) drew quite a crowd, including the kids.

Oh, and Nate picked up a pebble of goat poop. Of course. Squished it in his fingers and everything. Thank God for the hand-washing area (supplied with plenty of antibacterial soap) in the barn.

After the petting zoo, the boys were fairly hot and sweaty, so we went to the splash pad. Again, we were the first ones in the area, so the boys had the place to themselves for quite awhile.

We got home, gave everyone a bath, and then it was time for a two-hour nap for the kids while we started laundry, scrubbed bathrooms and cleaned house.

Forget the Army: We did all of this by 11 a.m.

A boy?

Really?

Snips and Snails

For the five or so months I’d been pregnant to that point, I’d felt pretty unsure about the sex of the baby. But when she pointed out his little penis in the ultrasound, I was shocked. I didn’t know anything about boys!

When I was pregnant with Nate, he was too shy during the first ultrasound and we didn’t find out the sex. I was just sure that this time I’d have my girl. He felt like a girl. I just knew it.

Once again, imagine my surprise.

And Puppy Dog Tails

Life with boys is interesting. They like to play rough games. They get a funny smell after playing outside. They can live on hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. (Wait a minute, maybe that’s what I’m smelling…)

But they’re also sweet and cuddly. And when Ryan starts tickling me and I’m yelling for him to stop, I can count on my Gabe to come to the rescue, arms flying, yelling “No Daddy! No! No!”

Perhaps it won’t be so bad being queen to a couple of princes.

My intent in this blog is to talk about life in the desert, whether that means family, friends, news or sharp things that poke you as you walk by. Like Monica, I enjoy writing. Hopefully you’ll enjoy reading.

And, just to be on the up and up, I do write a blog for my job that you’re welcome to check out.