Blossoming in the desert

We are just about two weeks into our stay here in Arizona, and seem to be settling nicely into a routine that feels comfortable and manageable.  The kids seem to really enjoy their school-- a charter Academy called Heritage Elementary/Middle School-- and just this week, we discovered that they can pick the bus up on the corner of our street.  The bus-- which is not necessary since we only live about 5 minutes drive from the school-- was deemed an integral part of making friends quickly by Joe and I.  Another reminder that this is not a democracy. :0) But, all the kids on the route live on base too, so it has been great for the kids to have some extra social time with other military brats.

Seth has decided that football will be the sport of choice for the fall-- he brought his helmet home for the first time the other night and I gave it a thorough inspection.  It passes this paranoid mama's test for nugget protection. Thankfully.  Unfortunately, the coach has him tagged to play back-up quarter back instead of a running back.  Why, you ask, is that unfortunate? In my limited understanding of the game, the running back receives the ball and then skedaddles his way past all the guys trying to tackle him into the touchdown zone.  Great position for showing off your mad dance skills in the end zone, and also for avoiding injury since Seth is pretty speedy.  The quarterback, now that's another story.  The quarterback is the hotshot, all-star, playmaker.  He's the linch pin.  And every one wants to stop him. Let me say that again: Everyone. Wants. To. Stop. Him. That means big guys throwing all of their.....bigness... on top of him, to try and keep him from even throwing the ball.  Not seeing how this works out well for Seth-- he's taller than most guys on the field, but he certainly doesn't have the bulk that most do.  Needless to say, I'm trusting the coach, trying to let Seth enjoy this new experience without a ridiculous helicopter parent on the sidelines, but NOT saving MY "hail Marys" for the game.

We joined LifeTime Fitness which is a mega-gym with branches around the nation, and everything from rock climbing to yoga classes to swimming to a full service Cafe under one roof.  It really is our kind of place, and we use it more as our daily entertainment than a fitness facility. Joe is currently on his 2 weeks of "re-integration" leave that soldiers returning from deployment are granted (there wasn't anytime for it in Enid because we had to out process and move).  So, we have enjoyed grabbing a class together in the morning after the kids get off to school. When I say enjoy, I mean we enjoy being there together..... he was none too pleased with me after I took hime to pilates the other day and he could barely lift his arms for the next two days.  It hurt so good. :0)

 After school we usually hit up the pool for splash time, and give thefab5 a chance to get their school-day wiggles out.  Given the recent temperatures (114 degrees on a regular basis), the water doesn't feel refreshing-- more like a bathtub that a couple of toddlers have peed in-- but the kids love being able to spend a couple hours at the pool everyday.  Can't argue if it keeps them happy, and wears them out in time for bed! The rock wall is also a family favorite.  Lance is probably the most accomplished climber.  He seems to be the perfect weight for the auto-belay system to verily pull him up the wall if he just gets enough jumping power out of his legs.  He makes it to the top of a route and rings the bell long before the others have even finished cinching up their harnesses.  He's convinced that he is the closest thing to spiderman-- I'm not going to crush his 8 year old ego.....

We have been exploring the city in between our gym soirees as well.  Joe and I discovered-- thanks to a spontaneous Groupon purchase-- this amazing one-of-a-kind burger joint in Scottsdale called Indulge Burgers.  It was, on the surface, an unassuming, run-of-the-mill, strip mall restaurant. However, out of the kitchen came culinary brilliance and food with such ingenuity we were in awe.  Joe sampled a behemoth patty stack called the Sonoran Burger which, thanks to the unexpected addition of peanut butter....yes, I said, peanut butter, has won local awards, and also won Joe over.  I think he actually uttered "this is the best burger I've EVER had...." To top it off, we split an order of sweet potato fries that came with a small pot of molten awesomeness they call marshmallow sauce. I was not completely convinced that marshmallow sauce would be the perfect partner for sweet potato fries, but after one tentative nibble, I was hooked.  De-lish.  Not a place to go everyday for lunch, but definitely a scrumptious indulgence.

Last night we cashed in on another "big city" opportunity-- free admission at the Phoenix Art Museum.  We saved probably about $60 in admission and I got a legitimate reason to ask the boys not to wrestle in public.  The kids loved the craft tables set up where they could build paper structures out of old card catalogue (remember those?!!?) cards.  It was a blast, and reminded me how much fun a city with culture and variety can be.  I can do without the traffic, but if that's the price I pay for fabulous free family time, it's totally worthwhile.