Xavier at Mission San Xavier

Cap and I hadn't been to the Mission San Xavier del Bac in ages but since it must have somehow been in my subconscious when naming Xavier, I wanted to add it to our Tucson Adventures To Do List (yes, I have one). I also wanted to pick up some Xavier-named loot but the gift shop was closed. Guess I shouldn't be surprised since it was Good Friday.

The mission was built in the late 18th Century when it was part of New Spain later becoming part of Mexico and then finally the U.S. The interior is magnificently painted with frescoes. The girls helped me light a prayer candle in the sanctuary in honor of Uncle Brother.

Happy Easter!

Jellybeans, chocolate bunnies and an easter egg hunt. Check!

Happy Easter!

Coronado National Forest

On Wednesday we ended up doing checking out Coronado National Forest at two different locations, and elevations. In the morning we visited Sabino Canyon which is at an altitude of 2,700 feet. After lunch and Xavier's nap we drove up to Mount Lemmon at 9,000 feet leaving the saguaros behind for ponderosa pines.

Sabino Canyon. So beautiful. Wildflowers and giant saguaros all on a mountain of banded gneiss.


Addie, Eliza and Cap crossing back across the creek at Sabino Canyon, an oasis in the desert


Xavier, finally feeling brave enough to sit without being held after getting up enough courage to get his feet wet. I am not kidding when I say he has a fear of water.


Addie in the cold, mountain water wishing she had a bathing suit.



Eliza, my adventurer. Our drive up to Mount Lemmon mainly involved the kids watching movies in the car, a stop for gummy bears and a few scenic overlooks. Eliza always got out though to check it out. Here we are at 8,000 feet scrambling over rocks while Cap stayed with Addie and Xavier in the car.



Elevation 9,000 feet looking out over Tucson through blackened Ponderosa Pines from the 2003 Aspen Fire

Tucson Botanical Garden

Butterfly tracking, a highlight of the garden is the butterfly pavilion


Feeding the fish


Butterfly kindly sitting still so I can take a photo with my phone because somehow I totally spaced packing my camera with us to Tucson.




Xavier and his turtle. Turtle beat out Mommy in his vocabulary but this week he is finally saying Mommy. That and rock are new additions.




Digging for worms in compost

Desert Museum

No trip to Tucson would be complete without a trip to the Desert Museum. The hummingbirds are a favorite and I always like to clamber through the cave. Xavier enjoyed getting up close to the snakes and toads (safely in an exhibit) and the girls liked being paleontologists.


Ocotillo in bloom on one of the trails at the Desert Museum. The flowers were the inspiration for the color of my bridesmaids dresses almost 9 years ago.


I wonder how many times over the last 18 years I've taken a photo of this mutant Saguaro at the entrance to the Desert Museum.


Addie petting a javelina pelt. I learned (maybe I just keep forgetting and then relearning) that they aren't pigs but peccaries, their closest cousin being the hippo.

Saguaro National Park East

On our first fill day in Tucson, we visited Saguaro National Park East. We forgot Xavier's shoes and he  wasn't at all interested in being carried in the baby carrier so I took the girls for a quick walk. We saw a roadrunner, a cottontail and a cactus wren, Eliza's (middle) namesake. I also realized that we would not be needing all the long pants and long sleeved shirts I packed. It's been in the low to mid 80s all week.

Tucson Spring Break

Saturday we loaded up the car with bags, kids and snacks and hit the road, the 9 hour road, to Tucson for Spring Break. The party is on!

We've been checking out our favorite Tucson spots but the kids love being at GranJanne's house the most chasing each other around, helping give Hailey the dog her breakfast, feeding the doves and just playing around together. They've decorated GranJanne's back patio with their games and artwork.  This video is snapshot of how A, E and X have been enjoying their afternoons after spending the mornings exploring Tucson and the desert.




Eliza enjoying a movie with Hailey, her new best friend


Morning time with 3 siblings and 2 devices

Play Date

Eliza also had her first playdate last month. She has a best friend at school - Sophie - and they are inseparable. This makes me so happy.

We have friends that have kids both Addie and Eliza's age and of course we all play together. Kai is still at Montessori with Eliza but in a different class and Kieran was in Eliza's class but switched schools in the New Year. I was worried she would miss him but we see them a lot (Kieran and Kai's moms are also my GNOME gals - Girls Night Out Boys Excluded). Our date with Sophie was the first "official" one. We didn't know her parents yet, only that Eliza talked about Sophie all the time. I slipped a note into her cubby for her parents and we set up a time. The girls jumped around in the bouncy, played dress up and were generally silly for 3 hours. And bonus - her mom is lovely and we had a great time chatting too.

Gym Class

Feb 3 was my last post? Poor neglected blog.

We are taking a break from swim lessons. Eliza dreaded them. Instead we re-enrolled her in her gym class. She is so so so happy and love it. So while she isn't pool-safe yet I think it was the right decision for now. We will return to swim lessons later. Now that she's 3 1/2 she's a Mighty Might and this means it's a drop-off class. Yay!