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April, 2015 | No Place Like Travel
Archive | April, 2015
Thursday, 30 April 2015

Daily Pics: Time

We received some news today. The type of news where from that moment onward everything changes, yet everything is as it is and still stays the same. Life plays on. Sadness descends, only to the kept at bay by remembering how fortune has smiled on all of us and still continues to do so. How lucky we have been to have time and to have spent it wisely, without regret. For it is the only currency that cannot be earned back, traded or bought.

 

Skype with Sevenoaks

News no one wants to hear

 

Baby boy o and monkey

Bonding with monkey

 

Undercover RV storage

A place out of the sun

 

RV storage

Rover's temporary home

 

In and out burger joint

Old time burgers

 

In and out burger and fries

English Hubby's favorite

 

Seal coming off RV

Coming apart in more ways than one

 

English hubby fixing seal

Some things can be fixed

 

Smiling baby boy o

Moments like this add up to a life well lived

 

Dinner outside

Dinner Al fresco

 

Skype with mum

So far, yet so close

 

Us together

So much to be grateful for

 

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

Daily Pics: Not a Day Over 55

Arizona is a snowbird retirement mecca, and finding an RV park that caters to the under 55 crowd is as easy as putting an octopus in a string bag (as Reader likes to say). Lucky for us, English Hubby has lovely salt and pepper colored hair, and many places tend to take a don't ask, don't tell approach, so we haven't yet been carded or denied. According to Jim, these RV resorts get quite wild in the Winter. Good to know we have something to look forward to!

 

Rice pot

What's cooking?!

 
Indian curry

Loving last night's leftovers

 

Laundry in stroller

Babe doing laundry

 

Washing up

More washing up

 

Baby boy o and box

Playing outside the box

 

Chicken thighs

Meal prep, thank you Real Simple!

 

Park models

Trailer trash or park models

 

Palm tree

Palm tree street

 

Golf carts

Rush hour at the activity center

 

Fitstar

Two sessions!

 

Resort living

Resort living

 

Swimming pool at monte vista

Not bad at all

 

Drumming

Kitchen drumming

 

Baby boy O with green bowl on head

Funny boy!

 

Biting dog

Not quite getting the concept of giving Spot a kiss

 

Site 1423

Farewell 1423

 

Safeway trolley

Going for a spin around Safeway

 

Melon

Cruising with a melon

 

Casa grande

Casa Grand not Grande

 

Baby boy o smiling

Post office smiles

 

USPS boxes

Picking up a few more boxes

 
Pool instructions

We're definitely hanging with the over 55 crowd

 

Pool

Been spoilt at Monte Vista

 

Narcissus

Baby Narcissus smacked his head trying to touch his reflection

 

Bubbles

Nothing like an afternoon bubble blowing session

 

Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Daily Pics: New York Frame of Mind

Less than two weeks now before we are back in New York City. In some ways it is exciting to be heading back to the big smoke, the land of take out and delivery, the city of convienience and cabs. That being said, I will miss leisurely strolls through the wide aisles of Safeway and not having to battle constantly for personal space. We've started putting our city lives back together. Organizing movers, renovations, toddler classes, nanny interviews from afar.

 

English hubby on phone

Organizing new windows and window guards

 

Baby boy o pulling to standing

Trying to pull himself to standing. Not quite there yet

 

Drinking from a glass

Thirsty business

 

Nanny posting

Nanny search continues

 

Bunny on the lawn

Bunny magic

 

Indian dinner

Not quite Brick Lane but a surprise for English Hubby nonetheless

 

Monday, 27 April 2015

Daily Pics: Monte Vista

I've grown quite fond of Monte Vista Resort and our little routine here. Baby Boy O and I go for our morning walk to Safeway. He falls asleep, I grab a freshly made green tea and peach drink at Starbucks, with an Asiago and jalapeƱo bagel, and I work on my book. We pick up lunch, head back to meet with English Hubby who would have finished his morning calls. We get what we can done with the little one in tow, trying to slide in a meditation session or gym workout, and then four o'clock swimmy swimmy time rolls around. We splash, we download, we head back and bathe the boy who is worn and ready for bed. Over the last week and a half we've fallen into a nice rhythm. Enjoying it whilst it lasts.

 

Baby boy o walking with toy

Morning activity, a stroll around the RV

 

Walk past tennis courts

Going for a walk

 

Safeway starbucks

I'll have the usual

 
Working at Starbucks

Work station

 

Snack at Starbucks

After nap snack

 

Baby boy o with Mesa locals

Chatting with the locals

 

Fork in the road

Fork in the road

 

Hummingbird

Hummingbird song

 

Pool at monte vista

Missing this already

 

Baby boy o with Starbucks cup

The American side of him. Will have to show him what good coffee really is!

 

FedEx

RV delivery

 

Napping with daddy

Afternoon nap with daddy

 

Mum and baby swimming

Swimmy swimmy time

 

Cuddles in the pool

Splashy splashy

 
Kisses in the pool

Kissy Kissy

 

Baby boy o dinner by the pool

Dinner by the pool

 

RV cover in box

Packing up is starting to feel real now

 

 

Sunday, 26 April 2015

Daily Pics: Bite of Arizona

The notion of a lazy Sunday morning escapes us. Baby Boy O was awake at the crack of dawn. The up side is that we are able to pack a whole bunch into a day. Off to the mall to pick up a few new items and then to the food truck festival. Not quite New York standards, but the upside is that we didn't have to line up for hours. Indulged in fish tacos, chickpea ciabatta and even an Indian fried bread, of the North American not subcontinent variety.

 

Baby boy o unwinding hatch

Adding more tricks to his kit bag

 

Flyovers in Arizona

Taking you anywhere and everywhere

 
Arizona mall

Mall rats

 
Clouds and mountains

Heading to rawhide for lunch

 

Bite of Arizona

Bite of Arizona food truck festival

 

Indian fried bread

A different type of roti

 

Hot tamale

Eyeing the hot tamale

 
Fish tacos

Delicious fish tacos

 
Food truck crowd

Not quite the New York food truck scene

 

Monte vista entry sign

Arriving back home

 

Vacuuming

Chores

 

Monte vista gym

Family work out

 
Baby boy o reading

Some heavy reading

 

Reading spot book

Riveting plot line

 

Saturday, 25 April 2015

Daily Pics: A Mighty Big Thump

Huffington Post published “10 More Realistic Milestones For Your Baby Book” and we just ticked off number one (again) today. Baby Boy O was sleeping soundly in the middle of the bed. Thirty minutes later we heard an almighty thump and a fractionally delayed wail. My heart truly stopped for a second. Running back into the RV not knowing if my little boy is okay. The thought of him hurt weighs so heavy. I cannot even imagine the pain of families in Nepal who have lost their dear ones. How precious our human lives are.

 
Opening the hatch

Learning something new

 

Baby boy o breakfast sunshine

Our little ray of sunshine

 

Large flat rate box

Starting to think about packing...the end of the road trip is nigh

 

Baby boy o sleeping

Sleeping beauty

 

Shoes flung

An almighty thud, shoes flung off as I run into the RV

 

Family hug

Ok after cuddles and tickles

 
Baby boy o practicing his walking

Back to normal, diligently practicing his walking

 

Cheeky little smiler

Back to his cheeky self

 

English hubby with ipad

Off to lunch, but someone is addicted to bandwidth

 

Using free wifi

Things we do for free wifi

 

Disgusting pizza

Regretful pizza lunch. Never again, Peter Piper Pizza. What were we thinking?!

 

Baby boy onetime watermelon

Delicious watermelon

 

Gym workout at monte vista resort

Sneaking in a gym work out

 

Laundry day

In between loads of laundry

 

Scrawl look

His WTF face

 

Kale dinner

Much needed healthy dinner

 

Friday, 24 April 2015

Daily Pics: A Good, Good Day

Today has been a good day. Rain clouds came, gave a light sprinkle to wash away the dust, and things are a little clearer now. Our little threesome has found its groove and in this moment it feels good. Our nanny interviewing came to a close and we have three strong, yet very different candidates. Our neighbor, Psych Adam, wrote an article with five tips to handle transitions. We are doing all of them to varying degrees – mindfully anticipating what we may feel when the transition occurs, and anticipate how we feel. Check. Ask for help. Check, check. Keep a routine, sort of check. Know where you are going and keep things in perspective, barely check. Go easy on yourself, must remember to check. Things are a changing, and it has been a good good day.

 

Baby boy o tearing tissue in bed

Tearing it up

 

Baby boy o in stroller at Mesa resort

Morning nap walk

 

Rain clouds

Threatening clouds. Nice to have a bit of rain to clear away the dust

 

Safeway grocery

Our usual Starbucks writing table and Safeway stop

 
Picnic in front of RV

Concrete picnic

 

English hubby giving baby boy o some lunch

Lunching away

 

Baby and dad plane spotting

Plane spotting

 

Comparing watermelons

Who is bigger?

 
Naked bib look

Setting a new trend in baby ware

 
Bunny under the RV

Back from a quick Fitstar workout. Eye spy with my little eye something beginning with B

 

Boys reading

Big brains at work

 

Laptop with nanny interview

Interviews continue, last one done

 

Nanny list

Shortlisted from over 140 applicants

 
English hubby holding baby boy o in the pool

4 o'clock swim time again

 

Thursday, 23 April 2015

Daily Pics: Full Time Mummy

It is a tough job being a full time mummy. Baby Boy O is going through a barnacle phase, where he is stuck to me like glue. Half a foot away is a little to distant. Poh Poh says its a sign of how much he loves us and how deep that attachment is. We are searching for a nanny and all I can hope for is an angel sent down from the heavens to help us look after our little one. He/she will have to have the patience of a saint. Funny thing is we've not had one male applicant. Where are all the real men? Scared to step up to the plate?!

 

Superhero baby

What's your superpower?!

 

 

Finger eating

Eating with his fingers

 

Fork eating

Mastering a fork

 

Exploring cupboards

Exploring every nook and cranny

 

Button pusher

Pressing all the buttons

 

Pushing his walker

Watch out! Here he comes!

 

Baby bundle

My little bundle

 

Mummy's angel

Sweet little angel

 

Tuesday, 14 April 2015

Daily Pics: Stand And Be Counted

All Baby Boy O wants to do is be on his feet. Holding his walker toy, lapping the coffee table clockwise then anti clockwise. It's fascinating watching his skills progress and the lightbulb go on in his head as he connects the dots. Makes me realize how much we take for granted as the synapses preprogrammed over the years fire on autopilot. Imagine having to relearn all of that again? We are no match for a baby.

 

Light switch

Mastered the light switch!

 

Mah mah holding baby boy o as he walks

Speedy Gonzales

 

Happy feet

So happy to be on two feet

 

Grabbing newspapers

Nothing is safe

 

Backyard pool

Breaking Bad backyard

 

Baby boy o with backward cap

Yo Yo Baby Boy O in da house!

 

Touching pink flower

Pincer fingers strike again

 

English hubby pool boy

Pool boy

 

Swim time not so keen

Not as keen today

 

Baby burrito

Baby burrito

 

Carrot and prune muffins

Healthy birthday carrot and prune muffins

 

Monday, 13 April 2015

Daily Pics: Tax Time is So Taxing

Every year it is the same mayhem. Receipts lost, statements missing, manual data entry and books aren't the only things to be unbalanced. Why in the age of Quicken, expense tracking apps and downloadable data are we still in this pickle? Because English Hubby is old school. I'm surprised the quill and ink has been retired. I've managed to extract a promise that next year shall be more straight through processing. The efficiency consultant in me is pleased with that acknowledgement. The cynic in me will wait 365 days to see.

 

Awake early and walking

Mr Early Riser

 

Morning walk with mah mah

Off for a walk with Mah Mah

 

Apple snack time

Snack time

 

Baby boy o with food all over face

Lunch time

 

Tax time work

Tax time

 

Toy cars in boxes

Car smash up

 

Baby boy o and deadly swimming

Highlight of the day

 

Elvis impersonator

Smallest Elvis impersonator ever

 

Ice cream truck

Treats

 

Walking around the coffee table

I want to play, not sleep!

 

Sunday, 12 April 2015

Daily Pics: Cooling Off

We took Mah Mah to see all the unique sights that Arizona had to offer. Museums, art galleries and the outdoors are so overrated. Instead we visited In and Out Burger, UHaul RV Storage and a supermarket on the way back to Scottsdale. Crying baby most of the way, and temperatures rising high. Thankful for Mah Mah's great idea to go for a swim to cool off.

 

Mah mah and baby boy o in bed

Snuggling up in bed

 

Space cadet

Cry baby space cadet

 

Supermarket

Visiting all the glamorous places

 

In and out

Panda Express or In and Out?

 

RV storage

Sussing out some storage for rover

 

Mah mah and baby boy I

Cooling off in the pool

 

English hubby and baby boy o in Scottsdale pool

Much needed giggles

 

Saturday, 11 April 2015

Daily Pics: Rock Art

English Hubby met someone who had a theory that ancient rock art may not have the awe inspiring meaning we sometimes attribute to it. Rather, it may just be as simple as a few bored kids told to go outside of the cave to play, having a bit of fun graffiting the neighborhood, leaving tags all over the place! I think regardless of the reasons why people choose to draw and write, there is something endearing about putting your thoughts out there and creating something to last. It is a way of transporting ideas through time and space. Whether it be ancient rock art or more modern forms of expression like blogging, storytelling ignites the imagination and connects people together.

 

Baby boy o with plastic container

Cheeky little guy

 

Family selfie

Hiding from the sun

 

Talking to national parks guide

Learning more about the desert

 

English hubby protecting private parts

Trying to protect private parts from a very excited little boy

 

Getting lift from park ranger

Getting a lift back from the ranger

 

Going on a hike

Off for a short hike

 

Prickly pear flowers

Blooming beautiful

 

Petroglyphs and fighter jet

Ancient and modern. Petroglyphs and fighter jets

 

English hubby on stairs.

Trying to cover up the warning sign

 

Cacti

Cacti caucus

 

Stay off rocks sign

Between a rock and a hot place

 

Dear rock art

Oh dear

 

Spiral rock art

Abstract

 

English hubby and mah mah

Belated Mother's Day cuddles

 

Rock art on stone

The original tablet

 

Mexican lunch

Late lunch

 

Cheese crisp

Glad we're hungry

 

Baby boy o playing with activity center

Another rendition of old McDonald had a farm...enough already!

 

Friday, 10 April 2015

Daily Pics: Zoom Zoom Zoom

Six more days till our little baby turns one. As a special treat Aunty Ems let him open his very first present. He was stoked. His chubby little fingers mauled the cars. Great entertainment as we repacked Rover to head off for a weekend in Tucson. A welcome break from a few days of intense work. How is it that we still don't have enough time in a day?!

 
Present wrapped in dinosaur

Every little boy's dream

 

Present tag from Aunty Ems

Thank you Aunty Ems!

 

Baby boy o looking at car present

What is this?!

 

Baby boy o playing with toy car

Is that how it works?

 

Toy car

Zoom zoom zoom

 

Baby boy o looking through the window

Peekaboo from our little house in Scottsdale. Little eyes watching us pack

 

Driving in rover

Road trip!

 

Mountain view

Back in familiar territory

 

Sitting outside with Mah Mah

Taking Mah Mah to Catalina State Park

 

Me and baby boy o

Dancing cheek to cheek

 

Stripping baby outside

No room for modesty!

 

English hubby giving baby boy o bath and squirting boat

Bath time fun!

 

Thursday, 9 April 2015

Daily Pics: Long Time Between Lychee Martinis

First adult only date night in a very long time. Mah Mah was kind enough to look mind Baby Boy O whilst he was sleeping, allowing us to escape for a few hours into the hot bed of fast cars and fake blondes that is the Entertainment District of Scottsdale. Armed with Yelp we decided to brave a sushi fix in the middle of a desert. It all worked out well with a delicious dinner, minus the wasabi laced sushi. All until the clock struck quarter to eleven and we turned back into pumpkins summoned home by a phone call from Mah Mah to a crying baby.

 

Bum shuffle start

Started off here...

 

Bum shuffle 2

...and ended up here, with tears because he was moving the wrong way!

 

Baby boy o eating blueberries and watermelon

Breakfast buffet

 
Scottsdale apartments under construction

Cowboy apartments

 

Scottsdale road

Road to entertainment and fashion districts

 

English hubby and Baby boy o having fish lunch by pool

Poolside lunching

 

Night time silouhette

The night is young, with a rogue parking ticket to come

 

Lychee martini

Way too long between lychee Martinis

 

Sashimi

Fish

 

Sashimi more

Fish

 

Sashimi

And more fish

 

Salmon carpaccio with truffles

Carpaccio with truffles

 

Braised beef

Braised beef goodness

 

Chocolate lava cake

Desert courtesy of our sushi chef, making it up for the wasabi incident

 

Check at sushi roku

Omakase surprise

 

Tacky bars

Getting way too old for public selfies

 

Wednesday, 8 April 2015

Daily Pics: Happy Walker

Much happier today after a good sleep. Things just aren't as strange anymore, and the additional space of our little Air BnB house in Scottsdale isn't as scary anymore. Today we had wave after wave of Amazon.com boxes arrive. All our pent up purchasing from having no fixed address whilst on the road.

 

Happier baby boy o

Waking up on the happier side of the bed

 

Baby boy o with mah mah opening presents

More presents

 

Eating jook with mah mah

Jook makes everything better

 
Market

Great little Scottsdale neighborhood

 

Baby walker

Look what mummy ordered online?!

 

Mum and baby boy o holding walker

Someone is super happy

 

Tuesday, 7 April 2015

Baby Boy Grumps

Someone had the grumps today. Now that Mah Mah is over, our plan was to hunker down do get some work done – taxes, CRT, calls, nanny search, and a whole load of leftovers that need attention – but Baby Boy O was not going to have a bar of that. New routine, new house, new grandma. Not a great formula for happy baby.

 
Baby boy o and mah mah reading storybook

Not so sure about morning story time

 

Breakfast in the saucer chair

Yummy breakfast

 

Baby boy o opening presents

Thanks Mah Mah for my presents!

 

Lunch by pool with Skype

Lunch by the pool with Yah Yah on Skype too

 

Baby boy o upset

Not happy Jan! (...only people who grew up in Australia in the 80s will understand)

 

Monday, 6 April 2015

Daily Pics: Biosphere 2

Visiting Biosphere 2 makes me realize that we know so very little about the world in which we live, yet our actions and decisions are based on imperfect snippets of data that we extrapolate and codify and then etch into stone. We think we know more than we really do. We think we can control and predict, yet all we seem to be doing is shift a delicate balance further out to the edges where implications and consequences that were once inelastic become elastic and magnified in its environmental impact. Biosphere 2 is a poor but necessary replication of the original biosphere 1, the Earth. Poor because we can never replicate the complex systems that nature has evolved, not even with half a billion dollars and counting. Necessary as it is the closest thing we have for research and testing, the collection of data which fuels the computer models that fan the flames of our understanding of the very fragile planet we live on.

It occurs to me that the biggest mistake we can make is to think we can definitively know something. When we fall into that trap we shut the door on inquiry, we blind ourselves to the possible yet less probable, we stop reconizing that error allows us to grow and learn, and we fool ourselves into a false sense of security.

 

Baby boy o with bed head

Serious bed head

 

English hubby exercising on picnic table

Picnic table cum bench press

 

Baby boy o playing in RV with toys

Play things

 

Biosphere 2

Biosphere 2

 

Glass wall of biosphere 2

An engineering marvel

 
English hubby and baby boy o on biosphere 2 tour

Youngest biospherean in the group

 
Airlock door

Pneumatically sealed

 

Biosphere ocean

Simulating the earths oceans

 

Rainforest room

Rainforest room

 

Plastic garbage in ocean

What are we doing to our world?

 
Fire extinguisher sign

Anyone want to reach for the fire extinguisher?

 

Desert room

Simulating a desert (located in a desert...the irony)

 

Rock to soil experiment

Rock to soil experiment, break it down

 

Girl getting a little handsy with baby boy O

Get your hands off my boy young lady!

 

Biosphere lung

Expandable lung capacity of the biosphere

 

Walking in a tunnel

Getting deep down into the technosphere

 

Biosphere lung

Metal and rubber lung, so the heat expanded air doesn't make the biosphere explode

 

Outside the biosphere

Imagine spending two years sealed away

 

Highway roadside fire

We need that fire extinguisher now

 

Baby boy o holding oranges

Helping with the grocery shopping

 

Mah mah arriving at Phoenix airport

Welcome Mah Mah!

 

Sunday, 5 April 2015

Daily Pics: Saguaros and Old Tucson

Saguaros are majestic. They stand tall and proud, growing inch by inch every year. The Native American people believed that they were once people, from the earth and of the earth. To be treated with utmost respect. The unbreakable circle of life, for one day we too will return to the earth to rest.

 

Baby boy o Easter egg

This is all I get for an Easter egg?

 

Road to saguaro national park

Off to Saguaro National Park

 

Tarantula

Zola the tarantula

 

English hubby walking along the road

Walking the road after Guardian Angel Mike warned us about rattlesnakes

 

Kings canyon trail

Setting off on the trail

 

Yellow desert wildflower

Burst of yellow

 

Desert prickly plant

Beautiful and dangerous

 

Red flowering cactus

Flowering cactus

 

English hubby on kings canyon trail

Starting to warm up

 

Kings canyon desert view

Not a bad dessert view

 

Pink desert flowers

Blush and bloom

 

Purple wild flowers

Wildflowers everywhere

 

Desert selfie

My little desert trekker

 

Saguaro with two blooms

Which one is female...

 

Saguaro with one bloom

...and which one is male?!

 

Yellow cactus flowers

Yellow and prickly

 

English hubby hiking ahead in the desert

Full steam ahead

 

English hubby hiking over a hill

Over the hill and far away

 

Thorny desert flower

Thorn in the side

 

Cactus shaped like a heart

Prickly love

 

Six saguaros

Saguaro family

 

English hubby hiking on kings canyon trail

Beautifully raw landscape

 

Prickly cactus

Up close and personal

 

Pineapple cactus

I spy a pineapple

 

Hairy cactus

Hairy old man cactus

 

English hubby hiking up to peak

Heading toward the peak against the two hour time limit

 

Weathered bones

Weathered tree bones

 

Saguaro

Amazing cactus, over 100 years old

 

Cactus valley

Into the valley

 

Old tucson

English hubby going under duress

 

Gun slinging

Gun slingin'

 

Lasso cowboy

Lasso whipping Loop Rawlins

 

Ribs

Anyone for ribs?!

 

Old Tucson movie set

Cowboy movie set

 

Phoebes

Little madam

 

Goat and horse

Petting zoo

 

Costumed woman

Step back in time

 

English hubby in a horse thief coffin

Too tall for a horse thief

 

Cuddle with mummy

Afternoon cuddle time

 

Sun setting through the tree

Awesome campsite at Catalina State Park

 

Mountains at Catalina state park

Perfect view of the mountains

 

Baby boy O walking on picnic table

Picnic table catwalk

 

Sun setting out the mountains

Sun setting

 

Star app

Looking over the night sky

 

Saturday, 4 April 2015

Daily Pics: A Desert Surprise

I had never thought much about deserts until today. Who knew something so seemingly inhospitable and hostile could be a thing of raw beauty and abundance. Plants, animals, birds and all manner of creatures seem to grow and thrive. They adapt in glorious ways. Adaptation is a skill. Change can be a gift. We booked our flight back to New York City last week. May 11 to meet up with Squee and Fatty Patty. But in truth I have been apprehensive and torn about returning back to the fold. It wasn't until this evenings conversation with Big Red that I surprised even myself. I had a game plan, a spark, a thing of raw beauty and abundance. It had been there all along, and all I had to do was hear myself say it out loud.

 

Baby boy o with Apple

An apple a day

 

Road sign for the desert museum

Heading to the desert museum

 

Yellow desert trees

Burst of color

 

Red flowering cacti

Beauty in the raw

 

White car advertising desert museum

Desert ark

 

Lizard sitting on rock

Hidden in plain sight

 
Bird into of prickly cacti

Standing tall even on a prickly surface

 

Desert museum loop

Doing the half mile loop

 

Bee stack

Condos for bees, sort of like NYC, rooms with a view

 

Desert scape

Peaceful, calm and open

 

Baby boy o looking over at little girl

Flirting with a girl way too old for him

 

Bobcat

Bob the bobcat

 

Falcons on cacti

Falcon landing

 

Two Falcons flying

Falcon free form

 

Up close cacti

Up close and prickly

 

Red desert plants

Nature's garden

 

Cacti sprouting

Sprouting out

 

Cacti standing straight and tall

Straight and tall

 

Javelina resting in shade

Don't call me a pig, I'm a javelina

 

Baby boy o with big smile

Best smile in the world

 

Desert family selfie

Desert selfie

 

Prairie dog

Fascinated with the prairie dogs

 
Heron

I'm watching you!

 

Cactus spikes

Getting stuck into cactus

 

Baby boy o looking at fish

Baby boy o loves fish

 

Yellow fish

Finding Nemo

 

Rollercoaster road back

Rollercoaster road

 

Tra-tel RV park

Catching up on news with Big Red

 

English hubby with happy face grilling

Happy grilling

 

Blueberry pie and ice cream

American as blueberry pie

 

Friday, 3 April 2015

Hello Arizona

Farewell New Mexico, hello Arizona. Our westward journey continues with a surprise lunch time find in Benson – delicious Mexican enchiladas and frajitas. Baby Boy O enjoyed the steak putting his newly emergent teeth to work. We are now in Tucson working out our game plan for this weekend's activities. So much to do and see.

 

Dad and a baby boy o in bed playing

Playtime in bed

 

Dust storm sign

This could get interesting

 

Road sign for Tucson

Heading to Tucson for the weekend

 
Road sign for Arizona

Land of the stop and frisk

 

Mi casa restaurant

Mi casa sous casa

 
Baby boy o and dad at lunch

Hungry hippos

 

Sizzling frajitas

Sizzling frajitas

 

Saucy enchiladas

Saucy enchiladas

 

Baby boy o excited

Someone spies a present...

 

Daddy with a ball

...from mummy and daddy

 

Baby boy o so happy with his new ball

Best thing ever!

 

Tucson

First glimpse of Tucson

 

Sunset from barbed wire fence

Sunset from the RV park, where geriatrics and their parents stay

 

 

 

Thursday, 2 April 2015

English Hubby To The Rescue

My blog got hacked again. I don't understand why the cyber universe has decided to pick on my lowly space for musings. I haven't offended any dictators, I don't ask for credit card details or transact, I have no state secrets worthy of prying open. Evil hackers please leave me alone. All I can say is thank goodness for English Hubby. My techno-geek-double-spacing-hero. This is the best post-date night present you could give me: ousting my digital trespassers, sorting out my maps and (hopefully, once they reply to my ticket request) restoring order to the blog pic universe.

 

Baby boy o playing in the morning

My little ray of sunshine

 

New Mexico border patrol check

Border patrol ID check

 
Baby boy o sleeping with finge in ear

Not listening to you!

 
English hubby cleaning the RV bathroom

English hubby on a cleaning mission

 
Baby boy o crying from teething pain

Teething is no fun

 
Baby boy o sleeping through pain

Poor little one, finally napping

 
RV park in lordsburg New Mexico

Dust bowl stopover

 
Laptop backing up blog

My hero

 
Yesterday's post:
Tomorrow's post:
 
 

 

Wednesday, 1 April 2015

Date Night Flirting

We had a fun date night plus one. Up the road from the RV park was a little restaurant and winery that specialized in thin crust Italian pizzas (yes, made with 00 flour!), home made gelato and extremely big glasses of sweet red wine. The star of the night was Baby Boy O. Over the course of dinner his many admirers would come over to say hello. Pity he can't write yet, else he'd be dishing out autographs. The only person not impressed was the date of the pretty lady Baby Boy O was flirting with.

 

Breakfast with uncle Vince

Breakfast and long debates with Uncle Vince

 

Baby boy o crying next to toy balls

I don't want to go to Walmart mummy!

 
Fillet of fish

One of my many vices

 

Full moon over mountains

Full moon over mountains

 

English hubby opening door to restaurant

Date night at Luna Rossa

 

English hubby with wine and fitbit

Date night wine and fitbit combo

 
Thin crust Hawaiian pizza

Thin crust yummy-ness

 
Mesilla basilica

Walk into the old town square in Mesilla

 

Park bench in Mesilla town square

Listening to music and smooching with my man

 

Yesterday's post:

Tomorrow's post: