No Place Like Travel

A lovely day off to spend with Little Boy O and our new Nanny T. Almost a year back at work and over the last three weeks we’ve learned a few important lessons. Firstly, no matter what when we pull together as a family we will get through it. A big thanks to Mah Mah for uprooting herself to come play with this little pickle. Secondly, always get an ‘in case of emergency’ number. Thirdly, remember and have faith that everything is always working out for us. 

Off to KV with favorite roo bag

Water table fun

The don’t call it Color Splash for nothing

So proud of himself

More splish splash fun whilst mummy and Mah Mah get a mani pedi

Hallway soccer on a rainy day

Spelling bee fun

I was mindful of the subtle but important difference between “I have to” and “I choose to”. The former forfeits the right to choose and the latter exercises the power of choice. Reminded of the discipline of Essentialism by a dear colleague, I focused on making choices, which meant defining what trade offs I’d be happy with. It wasn’t easy. Having to remind myself that I can choose to respond to another email, or choose to get up and stretch. If I responded to the email, I would also be choosing a stiff back. If I got up to walk and stretch, I would be choosing to finish later. I chose my body and my health. That email can wait. 

The result was today was more positive that yesterday. I felt less of a victim of calendar circumstance and more empowered to say yes or no to things. I did recognize that it is easy to slip back into the “I have to” mode. I have to submit my 83(b) form, I have to sanitize this document to share and so on. Equally it was also easy to make choices that made me happy. I choose to play flash cards with Baby Boy O. I choose to break for dinner with English Hubby. It wasn’t perfect, but reminding myself that I have the power of free will and choice is refreshing. 

Morning walk

My Bonnie lies over the ocean

Little mementos

First day back blues

Finishing later because I chose to take a stretch break

Choosing a game of flashcards

Our neighbor came round tonight to use our spin cycle, have a glass of wine and chat. The New Normal was a phrase she heard at a yoga class. The notion that someone jogging 40 years ago would make people wonder who they were running from, yet today we don’t even bat an eyelid. It seems we have slid into a new normal. Early mornings, picking up food thrown on the floor, tidying up toys strewn all over the living room, out for a walk before a meltdown occurs, playgrounds, groceries, errands, admin, cook, eat, sleep, rinse and repeat.

It all seems monotonous when it is written down or said out loud, but here is a beautiful simplicity in what my life has become. I like the predictability. I like knowing where I am and what comes next. I like the freedom it gives me to enjoy the moment as it is. Soaking up every ray of sunshine as it bounces off Baby Boy O’s gleaming smile. Enjoying time on the couch with English Hubby. Simple. Normal.

What an amazing 90 weeks!

Drawing his beloved monkey

A moment of quiet

Play time at the playground

Big world for a little boy

So many presents, so many thank yous

You know when you get that sixth sense that something is going to happen, but you ignore it in the hopes that you can just push it away? Well, it happened. On the drive from Sedona to Phoenix, Baby Boy O was playing with my iPhone. On the 10th failed password attempt my phone self destructed and erased everything. Everything. Every photo. Every contact. Every byte of data.

A sensible person would have backed up their iPhone, but the photo upload to Dropbox hadn't caught up yet so there are chunks of precious vacation hiking moments that were captured then lost, except for my feeble memory. I felt that sinking feeling when you know you've lost something and no amount of anger, sadness or regret will every bring it back. Inevitable. That was how it felt. Finite and unrecoverable.

As the shock subsided I came to accept what I cannot change, and to be thankful for the important lesson my dear son gave me – a reminder that nothing is permanent, and being in the moment is what counts, not the photos, souvenirs and keepsakes we accumulate. The photos may have been deleted, but that experience is always a part of me and for that and so many other things I am truly thankful.

Spoilt rotten today with beautiful weather and a delicious day with the family. English Hubby was is sports heaven – tennis, Grand Prix and rugby. Baby Boy O was in food heaven, hoovering up Sunday lamb roast and walking for food. I was in a happy place too, surrounded by all my very favorite people, soaking it up before having to leave for a week.

Little minion is addicted to bananas

And anything that daddy eats!

Autumn is nigh

Reading with Mah Mah

Picking up all the goodies

Climbing into daddy's chair

Sunday roast lamb with mint sauce

Finishing before we even start

My plate

Baby Boy O's plate

So hungry he's eating the spoon

Showing off his cooking skills

Peekaboo!

On return from Henley

Home for the next four nights

Given the little one was so very tired and so very thrown off schedule, he was a good as could be expected on the flight. Lady Luck was on our side. We moved from bulkhead seats to a three seater row, long enough for Baby Boy O to stretch across and catch some shut eye. Mummy on the other hand dozed fitfully, worried her little dumpling would roll off the seat and onto the floor. Note to self: need to buy another seat for upcoming trip to Australia!

Our little traveler adjusted beautifully. Nothing like sunshine and a walk to the playground to reset the circadian rhythm. He was having fun with Mah Mah and Yah Yah who broke out all the old toys to his delight. I get the sense that someone is going to get spoilt rotten over the next week. Grandparent's prerogative!

Safety is his first priority

Plane plane

Hello England

Hello Yah Yah!

Recycle...daddy's toys

Playing with Yah Yah

Off to the playground

Monkey has seen better days

Leaf with a view

Daddy's playground

A year ago we were off to Vancouver to see Gong Gong and Poh Poh for the very first time. Today we make the journey in the opposite direction to London to see Mah Mah and Yah Yah. We thought we had travel arrangements licked with a cunning plan to travel at 5pm, reaching the airport and getting through security by 6.30pm at which time Baby Boy O would sweetly fall asleep allowing us to have a bite to eat before we boarded our aircraft for a 9.30pm departure. The reality was hitting rush hour traffic, getting stuck in the security lines without a family fast lane, then having our flight delayed until 12.30am. The annoying combination of bright fluorescent lights, constant announcements over the speakers and an over tired toddler was a lesson in patience and gratitude. English Hubby kindly reminded us that our slightly diverted travel plans is nothing compared to what the Syrian refugees are going through right now. Keeping it all in perspective.

Getting his fill of cheap Chinese

The three of us

Big boy car seat

Pole dancer

Pushing with all his might

Giving daddy a hand

Sleep attempt #5

Sleep attempt #9

A scorching Sunday. Perfect for an early morning play date and splash at the local playground. Baby Boy O met up with his usual crew, along with Miss M and Master Z. I brought coffee, cake and a bubble machine. Everyone was amply entertained. Baby Boy O and Miss M have a mutual adoration pact in full swing – a bonafide play date crush. A welcome day before the weight of work returns tomorrow. A half day, toe dip back into the shark tank. To bed early we go.

Perfect breeding ground for this clinical study

Loves the water

Loves Miss M too

Back to school

They say one person's heaven is another's hell. I love assembling furniture, playing with power tools and McGyvering a fix. So today was four hours well spent, resulting in a six-dresser drawer. English Hubby however prefers white collar labor, his tools of trade include a keyboard and mouse. His only consolation is that the flat pack didn't contain a gazillion pieces and take eight hours to assemble like our last foray with a desk. You can see who has the callouses in this family!

Laying it all out

Strutting our stuff

Man at work

Earning his keep

No way out

Power (tool) has gone to his head

Baby Boy O has a fascination with roadwork, fueled by his favorite book and the abundance of construction in our neighborhood. Which is why I couldn't resist adding a digger, dump truck and bulldozer to his already abundant collection of toys. Falling head first into the modern day parenting trap. Too. Much. Stuff.

A boy and his toys

Learning to share

And he's eating...again

What's the time?...

...Hammer time

Baby Boy O has a fascination with roadwork, fueled by his favorite book and the abundance of construction in our neighborhood. Which is why I couldn't resist adding a digger, dump truck and bulldozer to his already abundant collection of toys. Falling head first into the modern day parenting trap. Too. Much. Stuff.

A boy and his toys

Learning to share

And he's eating...again

What's the time?...

...Hammer time

It's English Hubby's birthday today. Fireworks have been arranged and everyone gets the day off to celebrate. Birthdays are special. What comes to mind is Sheryl Sandberg's beautiful and tearfully honest Facebook post:

“I have learned gratitude. Real gratitude for the things I took for granted before – like life. As heartbroken as I am, I look at my children each day and rejoice that they are alive. I appreciate every smile, every hug. I no longer take each day for granted. When a friend told me that he hates birthdays and so he was not celebrating his, I looked at him and said through tears, “Celebrate your birthday, goddammit. You are lucky to have each one.””

We spent the day together, really together. Family snuggles, cards and presents in bed, a walk to our new neighborhood breakfast place, an aborted trip to the Intrepid Museum and the High Line, naps at home, cream frosted carrot cake, fried chicken, giggles, cuddles, kisses and more. A befitting way to celebrate the birthday of the most amazing man I have ever met.

My H.H.

Who's your daddy?!

Lots of thoughtful presents

Birthday cuddles - not sure who's enjoying them more!

Experimenting with spoons

Someone's eyeing the cake

It's all about the journey

I always knew this day would come. The day where I have to fight every instinct and bone in my body in order to leave my hysterical little boy at play school. Baby Boy O cried blue murder. It wasn't an “I'm upset where did you go” cry. It was a “you've abandoned me, I'm all alone and so very scared in this strange place” shriek. They type you yourself would bellow out if you woke and found yourself strapped to a bed in a mental asylum.

I left the room, then hid around the corner, heart breaking as his cries grew wilder and out of control. I waited, then left, then came back again to ask Director K to check on him for me. She checked, he cried. I womaned-up and left the building. Then called back an hour later, then an hour after that. Yes, I'm now that pain in the butt over-concerned over-protective parent.

The good news is that Baby Boy O eventually calmed down…four hours later, which apparently isn't unusual, but feels rather cruel. We picked him up and he was unnaturally quiet for the first 45 minutes. Not sure if it was the post traumatic effect or him giving us the silent treatment, perhaps a mix of both? Gathering strength now for round #2 tomorrow. Have mercy.

Journaling like mummy

Preparing for a hungry boy at school

Director K checking in on him, whilst mummy hides around the corner

Spy cam shot from the window yonder

Staying close at the corner cafe

He says ball

Playing in between a few sobs

So much happier to be with dad and to see mummy

Bed time after a very long day

Best part of the day thanks to Nanny C!

It is so very interesting to watch a personality emerge from its little shell. This tiny person has likes and dislikes, preferences, favorites, attachments and frustrations. We had a curry lunch and a play date with Little Boy E where strawberries and toys were shared. Little Boy E has the advantage of walking so could move much more independently and ran circles around our cheeky little guy. But at the playground when his territory came under challenge, Baby Boy O stood his ground and issued a stern outstretched hand warning. When encroachment continued he dished out a strong little shove, not once but twice. Not mean, but fearless. My little man stood his ground. His space was his, and within it he was reading his book. English Hubby thinks he was protecting his mummy who was sitting on the other side of the altercation, but I think it was more his favorite Roadwork Construction book.

Uncontrollable giggles

Daddies meet for a curry

Showing Little Boy E how it's done

Learning how to share...sort of

Enough to go around

Impostor monkey, as another one bites the dust

Working up an appetite after the altercation

Needs his carbs to grow big and strong

We were in the jewelers and a perfect stranger cooed at Baby Boy O and offered the following piece of advice – the days are long, but the years are short. So very true. It feels like only yesterday that we came home with a tiny little baby, yet each day we plunder through milestones big and small. Today Baby Boy O got his own library card. A bonafide citizen of the NYPL. We also visited the Secret Garden in Central Park, ran errands, went to the grocery store, practiced walking, read books, made food to freeze, did work, prepped for play school and so much more. Long days, short years.

Beep beep, coming through. Watch out!

Pre-nap grumps

Streets of Spanish Harlem

A spot of mediation

Ahhh...Central Park

In bloom

Card carrying public library citizen

On sale!

Cheesy dinner

Yummy in his tummy

More for us, thanks Nanny C!

Long days, short years, fond memories

There's something about The Container Store that just sucks you in. Boxes, gadgets, hangers, storage, things to hide wires, drawers, hooks, shoe racks and so much more. What they sell is promise, an ideal that life can be organized and contained into neat foldable interlocking perfect squares. So much temptation lies there, especially when our home right now is a mess. It took willpower to exercise contraint and not buy a shortcut to organization nirvana.

Another week under his belt

Cheeky little monster

Making up for it with a big smooch for mummy

Funny for Nanny C

Just the essentials

Adding to Baby Boy O's play school box

Where's Mah Mah when we need her help to put it together again?!

Thank you Mah Mah ang Yah Yah

The price of lifting baby and boxes has caught up with me again. Even Superwoman needs a good massage every once in a while. Baby Boy O went with Nanny C to hand in his enrollment forms. My little boy is going to play school.

New favorite book

My little big baby boy. Off on a long walk with Nanny C

Could get use to being an UES mummy

Baking banana peanut butter no sugar muffins

So grateful to have Nanny C

FedEx, you slay me

Three generations. Happy birthday dad

Dinner for one and a half

Off to get a pair of big boy shoes. Thankfully Aunt S knows where to go. We walked away with a pair of very cool shoes, size 2.5 and orange bits too. Daddy will be pleased. A perfect day in the park. So New York to picnic by the Met, soak up the Sunday sun and make a friend for play dates.

Peekaboo hallway

Whole new world

Room with a beautiful view

Teeny tiny feet

Walkabout

First pair of big boy shoes

Fell in love with NYC so many years ago, looking out

Who would have though this would be?

Grass between his toes

Aunt S, so very knowledgeable

Hey buddy! Sharing a ball and bananas

Lady Luck is on our side. I was sitting at the bank just about to cancel cards and switch over to new bank accounts when I received the call from Delta Baggage Services. They had found my carry on bag. New York City was testing what we were made of – kicking us in the teeth yesterday afternoon and picking us back up again today.

After a cab ride out to Terminal 4, a big hug to Vicky, Mimi, Lee and the Delta team, our stuff is back in our possession. Passports x3. Check books. Birth certificate. Laptop x2. Ipad. Phone. House keys. RV keys. Money and more. Although this stuff has a big impact on our lives, we came to realize that this stuff isn't our lives. We were all still ok. Passports and everything else can be replaced, yes, undoubtedly a major inconvienience, but not a tragedy. Thanks to all the people (including customer service Cindy) at Delta.

Welcome back to NYC. We arrived after a good flight, all intact, with everything, minus one very important carry on laptop bag. In the flurry of disembarking we left it in the overhead compartment. If it were any other item missing, it wouldn’t be as big a deal, but this one contained all our very important documents. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. Passports, birth certificates, house keys, check books, laptops (yes, plural) the whole enchilada.

After two hours pleading with Delta baggage services, we left the airport empty handed and crestfallen. The bag is lost, possibly stolen. The missing stroller made it to the baggage pick up area, but the carry on didn’t. What next? It’s out of the jurisdiction of the 13th precint police. We have to return to JFK and file a report with the Port Authority police. The additional catch being that to file a report we we need to inform our respective embassies of our lost passports, but to do so requires us to file a report. Go figure. My head is about to explode. New York City has a way of kicking you in the teeth, just when you think you may have landed on your feet. At the end of the day it is a major inconvienience, but we are still happy and healthy, and we have the resources (and perhaps the strength after a good nights sleep) to deal with this dilemma. Upside is that Squee and Fatty Patty are with us.

Two more days to go before we leave Rover. It occurs to me that our RV has been the only real home Baby Boy O has known. Our 200 square foot tiny house on wheels. He's spent more time in Rover than anywhere else, other than my womb. Our nomadic rhythm is normal to him. Packing, moving, shopping, unpacking, swimming, is just another typical day. Boy, that's all going to change very soon!

Little goofball

Stripping the bed

Good wash needed

Morning nap walk

Good ratings, disappointing Thai for lunch

That smile. Magic!

Watermelon giggles

Putting my feet up

Didn't last long

Monkeying around

Going nuts

Little vampire. Ouch!

Hunter

Gatherer

English Hubby is a plane buff. He spent his teenage years memorizing obscure facts about planes and all that pent up knowledge came flooding out. I was well impressed by his encyclopedic labeling of planes as we toured Davis AFB. Baby Boy O hasn't fallen far from the tree. He has an eagle eye for plane spotting. Two pigs in mud.

Hey, you looking at me?!

Security check to get on the bus

English hubby's future volunteer role

Planes big and small

Sealed to keep out the desert dust and critters

Captivated

A for attack

Spare parts earning $10 on the dollar

Air command during the Cold War

Too much excitement

Cut up so the soviet satellites can see

You can pack heavy on this flight

Shiny planes

Pigs in mud

Big red

So excited he doesn't know where to look!

Can't quite reach

Cleared for landing

Pilot training for babies

So many fiddly bits

Taking mummy for a ride

Top Gun training

Top Dog training

So this is how you move a helicopter

Boys off to see the planes, enjoying a quiet moment

Camo green

Unafraid of danger

Staring it in the face

Air and Space Museum rocked!

High expectations

Not bad, but Monte Vista gets my vote

Swimmy swimmy time

Beer o'clock

Real simple dinner

Basking in its glow

Dinner date

Vesak full moon

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.

News no one wants to hear

Bonding with monkey

A place out of the sun

Rover's temporary home

Old time burgers

English Hubby's favorite

Coming apart in more ways than one

Some things can be fixed

Moments like this add up to a life well lived

Dinner Al fresco

So far, yet so close

So much to be grateful for

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!

What's cooking?!

Loving last night's leftovers

Babe doing laundry

More washing up

Playing outside the box

Meal prep, thank you Real Simple!

Trailer trash or park models

Palm tree street

Rush hour at the activity center

Two sessions!

Resort living

Not bad at all

Kitchen drumming

Funny boy!

Not quite getting the concept of giving Spot a kiss

Farewell 1423

Going for a spin around Safeway

Cruising with a melon

Casa Grand not Grande

Post office smiles

Picking up a few more boxes

We're definitely hanging with the over 55 crowd

Been spoilt at Monte Vista

Baby Narcissus smacked his head trying to touch his reflection

Nothing like an afternoon bubble blowing session

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.

Organizing new windows and window guards

Trying to pull himself to standing. Not quite there yet

Thirsty business

Nanny search continues

Bunny magic

Not quite Brick Lane but a surprise for English Hubby nonetheless

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 jalapeño 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.

Morning activity, a stroll around the RV

Going for a walk

I'll have the usual

Work station

After nap snack

Chatting with the locals

Fork in the road

Hummingbird song

Missing this already

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

RV delivery

Afternoon nap with daddy

Swimmy swimmy time

Splashy splashy

Kissy Kissy

Dinner by the pool

Packing up is starting to feel real now

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.

Adding more tricks to his kit bag

Taking you anywhere and everywhere

Mall rats

Heading to rawhide for lunch

Bite of Arizona food truck festival

A different type of roti

Eyeing the hot tamale

Delicious fish tacos

Not quite the New York food truck scene

Arriving back home

Chores

Family work out

Some heavy reading

Riveting plot line

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.

Learning something new

Our little ray of sunshine

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

Sleeping beauty

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

Ok after cuddles and tickles

Back to normal, diligently practicing his walking

Back to his cheeky self

Off to lunch, but someone is addicted to bandwidth

Things we do for free wifi

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

Delicious watermelon

Sneaking in a gym work out

In between loads of laundry

His WTF face

Much needed healthy dinner

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.

Tearing it up

Morning nap walk

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

Our usual Starbucks writing table and Safeway stop

Concrete picnic

Lunching away

Plane spotting

Who is bigger?

Setting a new trend in baby ware

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

Big brains at work

Interviews continue, last one done

Shortlisted from over 140 applicants

4 o'clock swim time again

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?!

What's your superpower?!

Eating with his fingers

Mastering a fork

Exploring every nook and cranny

Pressing all the buttons

Watch out! Here he comes!

My little bundle

Sweet little angel

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.

Mastered the light switch!

Speedy Gonzales

So happy to be on two feet

Nothing is safe

Breaking Bad backyard

Yo Yo Baby Boy O in da house!

Pincer fingers strike again

Pool boy

Not as keen today

Baby burrito

Healthy birthday carrot and prune muffins

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.

Mr Early Riser

Off for a walk with Mah Mah

Snack time

Lunch time

Tax time

Car smash up

Highlight of the day

Smallest Elvis impersonator ever

Treats

I want to play, not sleep!

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.

Snuggling up in bed

Cry baby space cadet

Visiting all the glamorous places

Panda Express or In and Out?

Sussing out some storage for rover

Cooling off in the pool

Much needed giggles

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.

Cheeky little guy

Hiding from the sun

Learning more about the desert

Trying to protect private parts from a very excited little boy

Getting a lift back from the ranger

Off for a short hike

Blooming beautiful

Ancient and modern. Petroglyphs and fighter jets

Trying to cover up the warning sign

Cacti caucus

Between a rock and a hot place

Oh dear

Abstract

Belated Mother's Day cuddles

The original tablet

Late lunch

Glad we're hungry

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

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?!

Every little boy's dream

Thank you Aunty Ems!

What is this?!

Is that how it works?

Zoom zoom zoom

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

Road trip!

Back in familiar territory

Taking Mah Mah to Catalina State Park

Dancing cheek to cheek

No room for modesty!

Bath time fun!

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.

Started off here...

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

Breakfast buffet

Cowboy apartments

Road to entertainment and fashion districts

Poolside lunching

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

Way too long between lychee Martinis

Fish

Fish

And more fish

Carpaccio with truffles

Braised beef goodness

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

Omakase surprise

Getting way too old for public selfies

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.

Waking up on the happier side of the bed

More presents

Jook makes everything better

Great little Scottsdale neighborhood

Look what mummy ordered online?!

Someone is super happy

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.

Not so sure about morning story time

Yummy breakfast

Thanks Mah Mah for my presents!

Lunch by the pool with Yah Yah on Skype too

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

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.

Serious bed head

Picnic table cum bench press

Play things

Biosphere 2

An engineering marvel

Youngest biospherean in the group

Pneumatically sealed

Simulating the earths oceans

Rainforest room

What are we doing to our world?

Anyone want to reach for the fire extinguisher?

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

Rock to soil experiment, break it down

Get your hands off my boy young lady!

Expandable lung capacity of the biosphere

Getting deep down into the technosphere

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

Imagine spending two years sealed away

We need that fire extinguisher now

Helping with the grocery shopping

Welcome Mah Mah!

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.

This is all I get for an Easter egg?

Off to Saguaro National Park

Zola the tarantula

Walking the road after Guardian Angel Mike warned us about rattlesnakes

Setting off on the trail

Burst of yellow

Beautiful and dangerous

Flowering cactus

Starting to warm up

Not a bad dessert view

Blush and bloom

Wildflowers everywhere

My little desert trekker

Which one is female...

...and which one is male?!

Yellow and prickly

Full steam ahead

Over the hill and far away

Thorn in the side

Prickly love

Saguaro family

Beautifully raw landscape

Up close and personal

I spy a pineapple

Hairy old man cactus

Heading toward the peak against the two hour time limit

Weathered tree bones

Amazing cactus, over 100 years old

Into the valley

English hubby going under duress

Gun slingin'

Lasso whipping Loop Rawlins

Anyone for ribs?!

Cowboy movie set

Little madam

Petting zoo

Step back in time

Too tall for a horse thief

Afternoon cuddle time

Awesome campsite at Catalina State Park

Perfect view of the mountains

Picnic table catwalk

Sun setting

Looking over the night sky

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.

An apple a day

Heading to the desert museum

Burst of color

Beauty in the raw

Desert ark

Hidden in plain sight

Standing tall even on a prickly surface

Doing the half mile loop

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

Peaceful, calm and open

Flirting with a girl way too old for him

Bob the bobcat

Falcon landing

Falcon free form

Up close and prickly

Nature's garden

Sprouting out

Straight and tall

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

Best smile in the world

Desert selfie

Fascinated with the prairie dogs

I'm watching you!

Getting stuck into cactus

Baby boy o loves fish

Finding Nemo

Rollercoaster road

Catching up on news with Big Red

Happy grilling

American as blueberry pie

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.

Playtime in bed

This could get interesting

Heading to Tucson for the weekend

Land of the stop and frisk

Mi casa sous casa

Hungry hippos

Sizzling frajitas

Saucy enchiladas

Someone spies a present...

...from mummy and daddy

Best thing ever!

First glimpse of Tucson

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

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.

My little ray of sunshine

Border patrol ID check

Not listening to you!

English hubby on a cleaning mission

Teething is no fun

Poor little one, finally napping

Dust bowl stopover

My hero

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 and long debates with Uncle Vince

I don't want to go to Walmart mummy!

One of my many vices

Full moon over mountains

Date night at Luna Rossa

Date night wine and fitbit combo

Thin crust yummy-ness

Walk into the old town square in Mesilla

Listening to music and smooching with my man

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Another sleepless night. Baby Boy O's fever seems to be easing off a little but there is still no reprieve for his sore gums. Given the situation English Hubby sacrificed his morning hike up to Guadalupe Peak and we pack up and drive toward civilization. When we break for lunch at Popeyes, Baby Boy O seems to be fighting fit, and demanding more chicken. By the time we park up in New Mexico, he's back to his old social self, absorbing every word of our conversation with Uncle Vince from the RV with the cool little Fiat 500 next door. A kindred traveller experiencing a change of pace, from Gulf Stream to A Class. Reflecting back on his life journey he says something that sticks like glue – there are no luggage racks in a hurst. Full stop.

An early morning start. At least we get to see the sun rise

Operation pack and go

Happy to be heading toward civilization

Farewell, we will be back

Precious cuddles

Rover clocked it

First drive

Salt flats. The name says it all

Still not feeling great

Post office stop. You'd think it would be pretty obvious

Perking up in time for lunch

So bad yet so good

Heading to El Paso

The quintessential American highway

The land of enchantment

The inconvenient truth - where our beef comes from. Horrific CAFOs

Perfect for New Mexico. Thanks Mommy Wolfe

After talking to Uncle Vince, we fill up the outdoor jacuzzi

And the bad parent award goes to…us. Baby Boy O's fever is persistent and spiking. Perhaps a six mile hike in the middle of the day was not the smartest of all ideas. The poor thing keeps shoving his fingers into his mouth and crying out in pain. I wish it were an act to gain attention and extra cuddles but this time his need to be close is so real and so strong that he'd climb back up into my womb if he could. Of course whilst this is all happening we are boondocking – relying on our own water and battery electrics – in the middle of nowhere, with patchy cell phone reception, and over two hours away from the nearest children's hospital in El Paso. I'm not particularly religious, but I have whispered a few quiet requests to whomever is listening to keep my boy safe from harm.

Communal sink dish washing to try to save water

Restless night, sleeping his fever off

The mighty mountain, blocking any cell phone reception

Wet towels and Pedia Care therapy

He still has an appetite which is a good sign

Some pretty funky parking to get all 32 feet in the spot

Watching daddy work

Perking up a little

Evening view

Itchy teeth

We finally get the chance to go off the grid for a mountain adventure in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Baby Boy O has a teething fever. Started off with his hands in his mouth and lots of drooling, then progressed in the morning to a fever of 38.5 degrees. After a shot of baby Pedia Care he seems back to his normal self so we headed off on the McKirritck Canyon Trail for a beautiful 6 mile canyon hike. We fretted over him all day, making sure he’s well hydrated with drink stops every 20 minutes, well shaded with an umbrella and well cooled with a wet towel on his neck. He’s a tough little trooper and loved the hike, as did daddy and mummy. Teething really sucks.

Little poppet feeling very warm

Lovely present from a fellow RVer

Waiting waiting waiting

Blown all over the road

Ï

Perfecting the drive by photo moment

Heading to the Guadalupe Mountains

Off to hike McKittrick Canyon

Start of a six mike hike, a little nervous given the little one's fever

Raw and beautiful

Canyon pose

Over dried river beds

Nice and cool under the shade

Natives

Smooth bark trees, right in the middle of the desert

Hop skip and jump over the little stream

Baby Boy O communing with nature

Where the wild things grow

Hallowed skies

Pit stop at the cabin

Fruit break, yummy!

Feeling like his old self

Thank goodness for water breaks every 20 minutes

Little smiley guy

Trudging forward with daddy

We finally reach the grotto

Canyon family selfie

Picnic table bush change

Natural air conditioning

Exhausted, barreling back along the path

Stone Age

Rock on!

Getting weary in the heat

Glad to have made it back safely. Headed to the campground, navigated tricky parking and fired up the generator for some welcome air conditioning

My little trooper

Explains the scat on the trail

Settling in for the night

We are diving through flyover land. Not much happens around here. Highways, rest stops, bad food, and two bit towns that help join the dots from point A to point B. Van Horn's claim to fame is its middle ground between Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Nothing more.

Tiny tot

We are actually overtaking someone!

Pit stop and windscreen clean

The last remaining stash of briefcases in the western world, at the Flying J

English hubby talked me into a tuna melt

Have butterfly will travel

Smack bang in the middle of nowhere special

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One supermarket shop, two fast food stops, four hours drive time, 240 more miles under our belt we made it from Medina to Fort Stockton. Due west along the gun barrel of Texas. We experimented with a new approach – driving two hours, breaking for an early dinner and bath time for Baby Boy O, and then back in the hot seat for another two hours. It sort of worked, with sporadic cries as the little one was woken from slumber by bumpy roads and the loud clattering of dishes and stuff in our RV. The experiment continues.

Checking out the trike

Which ride would you prefer?

Drive through the hills

Long John Silvers, surprisingly delicious fish and chips and good service too

Beep beep, move out the way!

Stocking up at H.E.B.

Hola sombrero

Half time break. Letting him stretch out

English hubby piecing Rover back together

Tickle games

Our second serving of fat fast food today. Pizza Hut's skinny pizza with an asterisk stating it is not a low calorie food!

Notice how wide the booths are?! Pizza Hut patron size

Post dinner roadside bath, all ready for bed and the final leg of the drive

Driving into the sunset

Sky's on fire

Hello Fort Stockton

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It’s hard to believe that we’ve only been back in Rover for 10 days. England, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia and Hong Kong now seem so very long ago. It’s nice to have now found our own rhythm, a balance as best we can between work, play, family and ‘me’ time. Our clocks seem to have synced. It makes me happy to have a routine, a plan. Perhaps it is the illusion of order and control. I recognize it will change in the most unpredictable ways, but I’ll take it nonetheless.

Four square

A walk around the neighborhood

Where’s Mary?

Someone woke up very cranky

Handover time as per the new schedule

Trying to teach him how to crawl. He’s not happy at all!

Still so much to do and so little time

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