Out of Dodge

A saying regarding parenting goes something like this: The days are long, but the months fly by.  This feels so true to this 33 week pregnant mama, especially the part about the long days.  This winter we've hardly had any snow - which would be fine, except that the days have been super cold.  No snow and bitter cold means that kids don't want to go outside and play.  Kids trapped in the house with a mama whose brain doesn't seem to function quite as well as it used to and whose temper is much shorter than it should be makes for a bad combination.

Since we had a couple of "those-kind-of-days"  at the beginning of the week, come Thursday I was done.  It was either them or me.  So I did what any homeschooling mom can do and should do when things get a little tough - Get Out! 

We got out of Dodge (or Flagstaff in this case), with its 26 degree weather, and headed South (or Southwest according to the minivan).

We left our snow-covered mountain and our Ponderosa Pine trees. 

We headed 2,500ft down the switchbacks to the red rocks and warm(er) weather of Sedona, AZ (it's only 30 minutes away, we should really go more often).

"Noah's Ark"

We ended up at my favorite place to hang out on the bank of Oak Creek - next to Tlaquepaque (or Hockey-Pockey as Ben called it), behind the Los Abrigados hotel.

We brought our lunch, our toys...

...and even some school (we actually got more done than we had all week).

 (I had no idea Sammy was ready to start sounding out three-letter words.  Go figure.  I guess I should pay more attention.)

We had a great 2.5 hours - if my baby-squished bladder had been bigger, we would have stayed longer.  We sat in the sun on our picnic blanket,  fed the ducks, got school done, and just enjoyed each other.  Just what the doctor ordered.  I think we'll all live, for another week or so at least.