Fun in Flag

It's been good to have my mom here for almost a week.

Yesterday we drove to Flagstaff (~2.5 hrs north of PHX) to play in the snow. John had a Saturday class and couldn't join us...boo.

We stopped at Montezuma's castle. It was good to get out of the car and stretch our legs. I've wanted to visit this national park - but not had a reason to drive 1.5 hrs north...but it was on the way; I convinced my mom to "journey" with me.

Once in Flagstaff, when we pulled up to the house where we were staying, the snow drift was taller than JI! I think the actually snow depth was about 2 feet deep, but I don't really know.

JI was a bit timid. One of the reasons I think JI was scared was...something I said. When we got out of the car and ready to journey down the "driveway" to the house, JI wanted my mom to carry him in the snow.

My first reaction was, "That's dangerous. If Gigi were to fall - you would fall too...etc." I was really thinking I didn't want to find a hospital for mom's broken arm/leg. However, I think all he heard was "deep snow is dangerous...."

I made the first trip by myself to open the house and retrieve the sleds. Once back up the hill, I convinced them to get in the sled for me to pull them down the hill. It sounded like a nice idea. The snow was just too deep. I laughed a lot trying to get them there. They didn't think it was so funny.

I tried to pack the snow to make a sled run - but the snow conditions weren't right for a one-woman-sled-run-building team. I think I pulled a muscle or two in my back trying to shovel snow. My mom preferred to stay inside, where it was dry and warm. JI was too scared to climb up the hill.
Nonetheless, we all had a good time.

Here are the pictures to prove it:

Look at the adventure in his eyes.

checking snow depth like a good scientist.

The eyes say, "What could I destroy with this sharp thing?"

Fun Finale:

Nose check? CLEAR!

What appears like chocolate on his lip is really a "boo-boo" from Thursday's adventure at the DB Gardens. I love that place. It was really fun to show Mom (who loves plants). She's warming up to the desert kind.

JI was walking around (with his shirt off) and put his hands in his underwear - on his butt. Granted, this was not a posture that I advocated but Thursday was a very trying day for me/us and I chose not to say anything about the hands (or the naked chest) because I felt like I'd already corrected him about so many other things.

He tripped and fell. His hands were occupied; he couldn't catch the fall.

It was soo very hard for me not to laugh. Some compassionate mothers would never laugh. Quite honestly I wanted to exclaim "VICTORY!!! Maybe you should listen to me sometime...."

He had about 1/2 cup of sand/rocks in his mouth and even a rock up his nose. When he realized something in his mouth was bleeding, he went ballistic. Just think: pre-schooler out of control. I didn't think it was funny anymore. We attracted more attention with the screaming than the naked chest and butt touching.

Gigi made it all better by giving him 1/2 stick of gum (that I never let him have)....but drastic times call for drastic measures. The gum helped tremendously to get his mind off the blood.

Note to self: keep gum on hand at all times.