apAdventures

To break up the 3000 miles of highway a little bit we opted for a quick detour into Rocky Mountain National Park. Having driven through the night to get there, we couldn’t believe our luck at finding a quiet, comfortable campsite without house-sized RVs obstructing our view of the mountains. This trip was starting off well!

Surrounded by mountain beauty that we were anxious to get into ASAP, we struggled a bit with how to spend our 1 full day in the park. This was our first time in RMNP with the kids. Pre-kids we would have likely conjured up some insane near-vertical hike over our morning coffee that would have most definitely involved peak bagging or high elevation bouldering – a full day affair for certain, with us rolling into our sleeping bags well after dark. With Silas too big to be carried in a pack now however we …for the first time… felt a bit limited.

We left the crashpads at home (figuring we could bum one off our Pittsburgh peeps should we boulder while east). Plus Paul is currently taking a few weeks off from climbing to let a tweaked finger rest up. So the bouldering option wasn’t very desirable.

We could try a big hike and if Silas got tired Paul could shoulder him. But hearing Silas ask to get carried just walking around the rolling hills of the campsite quickly instilled doubt with that option. Silas is a pretty darn good little hiker if I might say so myself. But with the elevation, Paul would probably be carrying him for the entire hike….decreasing the fun factor just a tad.

We could always do a little short 1 mile stroll…to a small lake or something. Yeah. I suppose we could. But that’s…well…just not our style. ;-)

So after much deliberation, we decided upon this: We’d find a lesser-traveled mountain road that we could run pushing both kids in the double B.O.B stroller. Again, we completely lucked out. The Old Fall River Road that winds its way up to the Alpine Visitor Center was still closed for the season, meaning a wide dirt road, uphill (but still run-able) with steep switchbacks, incredible vistas, no cars and no people!!! Excellent choice.

Hello mountains

posted by arr

As I write this I am bouncing along on the back seat of the van, cruising down the interstate with Ivan chattering to his stuffed bear next to me. Paul is at the wheel be-boppin’ to tunes and Silas is reading books to Franklin the turtle, while his Mexican Free-Tailed Bat enjoys the scenery from his roost on the window blind. Similar to last summer’s big trip we’re headed east again. And as the miles tick by each of us is daydreaming of our own easternly to-do’s: waking up in a tent next to a lush wooded Adirondack lake, roasting marshmallows and running wild with cousins, getting cuddles and smooches and big squeezies from grandparents, aunts and uncles, and sucking in that wonderfully humid air on shaded sidewalk runs through the city of Pittsburgh…just to name a few. We’ll be away from home for an entire month! (well the kids and I that is. Paul will fly back to Tucson for the mid portion of the trip to work). Our planned route will take us first to Colorado to spend a couple days in Rocky Mountain National Park, then straight east on interstate 80 to Pennsylvania. We’ll spend a day or so in Pittsburgh and then head north, stopping at Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Then further north to Marathon, New York. Then even FURTHER north to Lake Eaton in the Adirondacks!

Ivan getting settled in for a loooong drive

Silas’ Mexican Free-Tailed Bat doing the same

Bye bye desert

posted by arr

It all started with Silas’ fascination with dams. Yes, dams. As mentioned here, last winter Silas took an earnest interest in all the old dams at Hueco. As a result, our entire family became a lot more educated on dams – their purpose(s), how they were built, their role in spinning turbines to generate electricity, the whole nine yards. He was into it so we jumped on it, seizing our own little educational moments with him while his interest was still so fresh and genuine. Then one evening at the Hueco campsite Silas saw an owl while peeing. And later that evening while propped up on his pillow in the upstairs of the van, peering out into the dark night he announced “Mama, I’m curious about those owls. Where are their nests? Where do they sleep?” And then it was off to the library to learn all about owls. Next was bees. This subject was actually brought to light by me. This spring while outside planning the location of our herb garden a swarm of bees on the move buzzed right through the courtyard over my head. I high-tailed into the house and told Silas all about it when he woke up from his nap. Again he was fascinated, so again we headed to the educational section in the library and checked out all the books about bees.

Which brings us to our latest craze: bats. Our dear friend Linda has recently returned from an exciting multi-month adventure down in South America and is now making Tucson her home. While helping her find an apartment we happened to pick up the Tucson Weekly which contained the “Summer Survival Guide” – all the Tucson happenings this summer. As we were thumbing through the kids and family section we noticed ALL KINDS of events related to bats. Most notably, the Thursday night Bat Bridge Discovery where thousands of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats take flight at sunset from under the bridges in the dry riverbeds, and docents from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum are there to answer questions and offer info. Friends had always told us about this event and we just never did it for one reason or another. Well, now we had a reason. The best reason yet: Silas. Sooooo, to the library!!!

After reading the library’s entire 7 children’s educational books on bats at least 10 times over each, discussing all the info over many a meal, making Silas his own little Mexican-Free-Tailed bat friend out of paper and a clothes pin, and deciding that bats might very well be Silas’ favorite animal ever (probably because they are Linda’s favorite, I’m sure), we were armed and ready to finally witness the Tucson bridge bats.

And witness them we did. Standing down in the wash with the bats pouring over our heads out into the desert sunset was perhaps THE most incredible wildlife viewing this family has ever seen.

We usually try to add some sort of games, arts or crafts to our education moments. This is Silas’ Mexican-Free-Tailed Bat craft project. This little guy has been “roosting” in the most interesting places around the house all week.

The bridge bats taking flight

A family in awe

posted by arr

This post is almost a month late, I know! But hey – the photos were taken about 2 weeks ago so I’m not that far off. Enjoy! If you’d like a print just let me know.

posted by arr

Although it may be a full month until the actual first day of summer, life is obviously different here in Tucson. “Summer” is in full swing. Has been. And typically around this time of year we take a break from the hardcore training and climbing roadtrips and focus more on simply enjoying our home. This year is no different than most. We’ve already embarked upon some modest home improvement projects, including mine and Silas’ very first garden, which is doing quite well I must say!! We’re spicing up the van a bit with ‘luxury’ improvements such as more storage shelves, a stow-away table or two and an outdoor-accessible shower sprayer to hose off dirty little kiddos. I’m taking a shot at teaching Silas how to swim in our pool. We’ve mastered The Paloma (juice from 1/2 a grapefruit, 1 shot reposado tequila, 1 lime wedge and ice – to be drank in fancy hand blown glasses from Mexico, preferably in your swimsuit and shades, by the pool on a hot summer’s day). Paul and I have renewed our memberships to the local climbing gym (as the backyard woody bakes in the heat) and visit it a couple times a week…just to climb, not to train. And the stroller runs with the kids are getting earlier and earlier to beat the heat. Ahhh, summer in Tucson. It grows on a person.

Our garden! Ok, well it’s only a little bitty herb garden but there is a tomato plant we got from the CSA in there as well as a jalepeno pepper we planted for dad.

Silas and Paul doing home improvements. Here Paul is doing electrical work to fix the front yard lights that stopped working sometime in winter. While we had everything dug up, we decided to add some walkway lights. Now when you all come visit us you don’t have to worry about stepping out of your car onto a rattlesnake in the pitch-dark driveway!

Silas all decked out and ready to work. For some reason he insists on the construction vest, goggles and sometimes hardhat when we go on stroller runs too. I have a theory that it’s just in case we pass by workers fixing the road, electricity, cable, etc. You never know when someone’s going to need a 3 year old’s help with construction! Smart boy.

Another home improvement. After finding a king snake in the courtyard, Paul decided we needed a new gate with narrower slots.

Being home on weekends means trips to the St. Philip’s Farmer’s Market!! Mmmmmm.

A visit from Grandma and Pap Pap and a trip to the Desert Museum.

And a hike on Mt. Lemmon

We’ve had a few beautifully mild days here over the last month. The boys and I take advantage with a picnic lunch at Agua Caliente Park (aka “The Duck Park”)

Climbing in the summer for this family means either heading to the hills or heading to the gym.

Silas gaining elevation.

Being home on weekends also means spending more time at our fav Tucson hangouts. Dinner at Maynards. Nothing beats a table by the tracks with two kids that love trains.

And of course, Silas with his books. With the onset of the spring bloom we’ve begun diving into books about bees.

What’s summer without pool time?!

Like any kids I suppose, these boys would rather their lips turn purple and shiver with near-hypothermia than get out of the pool.

Our new grill!!!

…or more impressive, the box that the grill came in.

At one time this box was a fine house. Equipped with 3 windows, a door AND EVEN a chimney. However from the looks of it now it appears as though it’s been through a monsoon microburst. Do I quietly tear it down and put it in the recycle bin during naptime in hopes that they won’t notice it’s gone when they wake up? Or do I enlist their help in its disposal and risk tears?

Happy Summer, eh..errr..Spring, everyone!

posted by arr

Somehow, my newborn has suddenly turned into a one year old right before my eyes!!! I can’t believe an entire year has gone by since my little Ivan made his worldly debut. I’m positive time moves even faster with baby number two. And Ivan himself isn’t helping matters. He wears 18 month clothing and has been walking for a couple weeks now. (Silas was “average size” at this age -has always been in the 50th percentile- and didn’t walk until a week after his first birthday). Like Silas, Ivan no longer wants to be cuddled and held anymore. He just wants to get down and go, go, go. We got a kiddy pool for his birthday and before Paul even had it filled Ivan was racing across the courtyard and practically dove right in head first. He even beat his brother to it! He’s so fast these days I find myself constantly in a rush to keep him out of trouble. He’s a magnet to all things dangerous. If I need a tissue from the bathroom I sneak over and open the door all quiet and stealth so he doesn’t notice where I’m headed. Then I race in, grab the tissue and race out, closing the door as fast as I can behind me. He can’t be fooled though. Somehow every SINGLE time the boy ends up all tangled at my feet fighting like mad to get in. Diapering is a constant adventure. “Let’s get this poopy diaper off you” really means “squirm away! Squirm awaaaaay!” in Ivan-speak. Good thing I’m a rock-climbing mama with muscles or I’d never be able to hold this kid down. Of course he has his softer side though that continually melts my heart. When I go into his room in the morning or after a nap and talk to him all soft and sweet as he’s waking up, he responds to me with his baby-talk in the EXACT SAME soft and sweet tone. We converse for a good 3-5 minutes in this manner. “Good morning Ivan, did you sleep well? It’s a beautiful day outside. Your big brother is waiting to play with you” And then him with his quiet goo-goos, dadas, and gurga’s that will someday turn into real words. Happy Birthday, my sweet baby boy.

Walking

…yet still putting everything in his mouth

Everything!

Keeping up with big brother. Now we have two kitchen helpers.

…which sometimes gets dangerous

The stroller rides continue

…and to think I was complaining about how heavy they were to push LAST summer. Just look at these turkey thighs!

Good morning Ivan. Happy Birthday baby!

posted by arr

Well, turns out there probably won’t be any grand finale Hueco weekend after all. Our plans of heading there one last time over the weekend got shut down by a nasty stomach bug…(which I suspect we picked up at Silas’ gymnastics class given the fore-warning by the grandpa of one of Silas’ little classmates of violently vomiting gymnasts). It knocked our entire family out Wednesday night through Sunday. Yep. Yuck. And now it’s hot. And the next few weekends are booked. So, that’s a wrap people! Hueco will just have to wait till the fall. I am a bit bummed to not be heading straight back to tick off Mr. Serious, v8, but as Paul pointed out this week, now I get to look forward to a quick send when we head back later this year…which will be a nice little motivating goal to keep me from lounging too much by the pool with margaritas in hand during the hot Tucson summer. ;-)

As a parting gift, here are some of my favorite “playtime” photos from the season. Oh the places the kid’s toys have gone. Enjoy!

Truck on stick at the repair shop

Dump truck giving orders in the hueco

The jet plane (from Seb and Oren) towing the whole gang up the mountain

Not sure what this one is. If I had to guess, it’s probably a parking garage

Dinosaur eating his snack

A cool play spot in a precarious place

Parked for the night

After seeing an owl one night while peeing at the campsite, Silas’ fascination with Hueco’s dams was quickly replaced by Hueco’s owls. This stuffed owl from Aunties Jude and Ann soon emerged from the bottom of the toybox and joined us on many a Hueco adventure.

The owl in his nest keeping his eggs warm (yes, “he”)

The eggs

Bare belly in dirt. The usual.

Besides eating rocks and dirt, Ivan also loves to motor around with rod-shaped objects in his chubby little hands…like sticks, screwdrivers, wrenches, etc. Here, he’s fallen asleep with Silas’ socket wrench in his iron grip. What’s interesting is that we remember Silas loving to trail around strings and cords at this age. To each his own.

Dump truck being bossy again

“The train”

And here, nature got the best of the toys. No kid can resist a pile of leaves.

See you in the fall Hueco!

posted by arr

Even though we may be the only vehicle in the parking lot, the Hueco season is not over yet for us. My forced rest turned out to be the right decision because I had an AMAZING weekend! Sex After Death, v8 is done!! As well as Smokin’ Sausage, v4 (a pumpy endurance climb in the Sausage Factory with somewhat of a committing topout due to a slab behind your head; a climb I had always been either too pumped or too chicken to complete), a flash of Weenie Roast, v4, a repeat of The Give, v3, a near send of the 4-star classic Star Power, v5, and a link through the crux moves of Mr. Serious, v8!!!!

Although I am quite pleased with my tick of Sex After Death, I am just as excited about my efforts on Mr. Serious. I had never tried this line before because I’d always been “saving it” for “someday when I’m a v8 climber.” I hadn’t planned on trying it this season for not only the reason just stated but also because it’s in a non-kid-friendly sort of place. The line is on a massive boulder that’s wedged between and under a couple other massive boulders with a steep sloping, polished landing provided by yet another massive boulder. It’s a pretty sweet place – without kids, that is. Trying it meant no spot, no one to move my pads, and no one to even be up there with me because Paul would have to be down at ground level with the kids. However, thanks to my extremely psyched and motivating Paul, I was eventually convinced that my current crimp strength and lockoff power is suited perfectly for Mr. Serious and we’d figure out the kid situation somehow. We always do. Turns out, Paul was right. Alone, I quickly figured out my beta and nailed the crux move (moving off the small slopey pocket) with ease. And once it was time for Ivan to nap on Paul in the carrier, we grabbed some books for Silas to keep him stationary and I was able to have the whole family safely up on the landing with me, cheering me on. It wasn’t nearly as crazy as I had envisioned all this time.

I’m extremely psyched because I know I can most likely tick this one next trip. My only regret is that I may have forfeited an opportunity to send it in a day. On the go that I nailed the crux with ease I had started one dinky move in because I was, what I thought, still working out my beta. I was only able to nail the crux just that one time. It being day 2, that was my window of power. Had I started with my right hand on the start hold, that very well could have been a send in a day! Aahh, how easy it is to succumb to a climber’s greed, haha.

Meanwhile, Paul continues to make slow yet steady progress on Nagual, v13. He also cleaned up sends of Mr. Smiley, v9, Serious Legends, v9, and Shroom, v9.

Send! The opening sequence of Sex After Death, v8

Sticking what was the crux move for me for many years. After this I just had make big moves and hold on

Getting set up for a suuuper fun drop knee move to get to the small slopey pocket on Mr. Serious, v8

Grabbing the small slopey pocket

Working out my beta. Left foot up to do the crux move out right or right foot up?

Tried the left foot a whole bunch of times (shown here), then decided to change it to a right foot which was when I stuck the move. See the crimps up and right – the first is an intermediate, the second is the money

Happy that my boys can join me up on the landing

A small scoop in the sloped landing proves perfect for a small bum

Photo sequence of Paul on Shroom, v9

Sticking the big move on Shroom. “Send it dad!” yells a tiny voice from below

Giving credit where credit’s due: I really think it’s the hauling of 4 pads and 2 kids to Nagual that’s making us stronger, not all of our training and Hueco projecting, haha

posted by arr

Well, the kids stole the show this weekend. Ivan took his first steps (!!!!!) and Silas schooled me on all my Hueco projects. Paul and I climbed a lot. A LOT! We even ventured up onto West Mountain to try some different stuff…which took some extensive round-about adventuring to get the kids safely up to the climbs. But no big number sends to report. Paul tore a hole in his fingertrip on his first climb of the weekend and thus wasn’t able to even try to attempt the razor crimps on Nagual, v13. I came REALLY close to sending Sex After Death, v8 (and am totally blaming it solely on a botched move), all while Bloody Flapper Traverse, v9 slowly starts to bake in the warming desert temps while I continue to fall from the final move. Good thing we’ve got these kids with us to keep the action rolling.

Silas on top of his warm-up climb

Ivan warming up his newly found walking legs

Mama’s taking a rest from her project. Time to go “cookoo crazy”!

All chalked up and ready to try Sex After Death, v8

He pulls on…

“Did you see dat mama?!”

Meanwhile, with big brother busy climbing, Ivan jumps on the opportunity to play with the diggers!

Next up, Star Power, v5

“Mama. You jus need to put your weft foot here and your wight foot here.”

“You got it mama!”

Beta boy

Ivan eyeing up his own boulder problem to climb

Forget the walking, this is way easier

Paul trying to keep up with his boys by sending Long Dong, v6

The finish of Long Dong. STELLAR boulder problem.

Silas isn’t impressed.

posted by arr

It’s not every year I get a holiday and birthday all on the same day. Chocolate bunnies PLUS birthday cake!! Lucky me! We had a delightful weekend at home eating good homemade food, having fun with the kids and visiting with our dear friend Tammy who was in town.

Silas and I tried dyeing eggs naturally this year with red cabbage, beets, yellow onion skins, red onion skins, tumeric and raspberry zinger tea bags

We were pretty skeptical through the entire process. The dyes looked like they were all going to be just red or yellow

What a surprise when they were all done!!! They were beautiful!

Here are the boys inspecting the Easter Bunny’s goodies

All of us enjoying Paul’s muffins for breakfast

Ivan’s first Easter egg hunt!

He found his first egg and was content just to toddle around with it

…while Silas hunted for all the rest

Paul and Silas made me a delicious carrot cake (in addition to the muffins for breakfast and ham dinner!!)

posted by arr