Our trip to Arizona

I had hoped to have this finished by now but I only have had time to start organizing my post. I was going to just make one super big post, but have since changed my mind because I would probably never finish it and some of you wouldn't read it. So this will be part one.

Trip details: Departure. We left at 2:00AM the Monday before Thanksgiving. We wanted to have a long first day of driving and then an easy day. Google put the trip at 28 hours but our trip time was 26 hours. We started with fog and drizzle for the first several hundred miles, and that makes night driving difficult. Our goal was to get a motel at Tucumcari, NM. Then when sunset hit us, we got fog and drizzle again and we had a long way to go on a two lane road across OK and TX panhandles – difficult again. We arrived safe and sound in Glendale, AZ early afternoon the next day.

Return. Our original plan was to leave Arizona on the Monday before Christmas and arrive home Tuesday night. But we altered our plans and left three days early, the Friday before, mainly because the house was getting crowded with Goodwin Christmas guests and Anna was there. So there was not any reason for us to stay, except to play with the kids. Had we left Kyle’s house on Monday morning as planned, we would have been caught in an early winter blizzard from central NM all the way to Missouri. Seven snow related deaths, 24 inches of snow in Las Vegas, NM, I-25 closed at Santa Fe to Raton, zero visibility at Guymon, OK, etc. A Texas couple and their young child got stuck in snow and when rescued two days later the Yucon SUV was completely covered with an additional four feet of snow on top of the car. We are sooooo thankful and grateful that we left when we did and avoided this bad weather. We had sunshine all the way home. We already miss all the Arizona Larsens and wish they were closer. EVERYONE, pray for the Target job in MPLS.

Our purpose for the visit was to be with Kyle and Tiffany at the end of her pregnancy and to take over household duties – Kyle was in finals week at school and Tiff was just days from delivering Amelia. We had lots of fun caring for the kids. They were supposed to not bother us (come into our room) until 6:30-7:00AM. But they couldn’t stop the temptation to come in at 5:30-6:00AM and one day at 5:10. Sometimes we shooed them away but most of the times we waved them in. We were already awake and on our laptops.

So during the time they came in and before breakfast, they watched movies. And this is how they watched them.

Charlie was really into "Pink, pause, Hefah" or Pink Panther. He asked to watch it every day, even though they had seen them before (there was like 24 on Hulu). Sometimes I had to tell him that the Pink Panther was sleeping or on vacation. Other times they watched PBSkids.org or Wild Kratts. I also created several JibJab videos featuring them and they wanted to watch them over and over again. The one that Erik loved the most was the Mexican, staring Mom and the song was Feliz Navidad. Charlie liked Penguin one staring him (Walking in a Winter Wonderland). So I hope that we did not spoil them too much with these activities.

Just love this one of Charlie. He was captivated by our "entertainment".

Erik wanted a Santa hat because one of his classmates had one. So we got him one too. He wore it to school for several days and even to the breakfast table. He has such a great smile and the best laugh ever. Breakfast started at 7:00AM.

Charlie usually had a combination of three cereals for breakfast. A couple of times Judy made scrambled eggs or french toast, which was gobbled up. Charlie has the cutest smile.

Ellie was always so sweet and helped with breakfast. She's a real super-trooper and loved to help with everything.

We made a great Thanksgiving dinner – turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and all the fixings. Mish and Kjersten were there and helped. We had so much food. I made Hot Fudge Sauce for dessert. Mmm mmm good.

Don't know what Ellie was doing. I guess she was just impatient and waiting for dinner.

I took on the responsibility to get Erik to and from pre-school in the afternoons.

Erik had to be signed in and out of school by only pre-approved people. I was put on the list right away.

Elisabeth took the bus to and from Kindergarten. The bus driver would not let her off the bus without seeing one of us at the door waving at the bus driver. Good precautions.

First day of school for the Smenteks

Over on the other side of town, the Smentek twins, Logan and Liam, started Kindergarten a day after their cousins, the Barnharts. It was another beautiful day to catch the bus. When we got to their house, this is what greeted us: Happy-to-see-us Kellan.

I want to go to the bus. Me too, said Kellan.

Logan will be known as Jeffery at school from now on.

Jeffery's back pack.

Kellan was protecting us with his light saber.

Liam is ready for the bus.

The two school boys with their brother.

All of us on the way to the bus stop.

Just waiting.

I'm excited to go to school. Hope I don't get into trouble!

Liam is just patiently waiting, a little apprehensive.

Bus is here. Let's go!

Can you do this? Just move one eye brow?

Jeffery was the first on the bus.

Then Liam.

All the adults then drove to the school and met the boys as they entered the school. It was parent's day at school for kindergartners.

Jeffery at his school desk.

Jeffery has a smart board in his room and every morning it is his responsibility to move his name from the bottom of the screen to either the cold lunch or hot lunch section just above.

His teacher shows him how to do it.

Done. I am glad I stayed with Jeffery because mom, dad and gramma went with Liam.

Then I zipped over to Liam's room and found him already reading his homework.

Yep, I'm ready.

First day of school for the Barnharts

This year is pretty exciting for us. We have four grand kids starting Kindergarten: Elisabeth, Gretchen, Logan and Liam. Since we don't have to be at work, we were able to get pictures of their first day of school, at home and at the bus stop. We were not able to be in Arizona for Ellie's first day but she already has three weeks of school behind her. She wants to be called Elisabeth from now on. Gretchen wants to be called Gretchen at school and not Gigi. But she will need to learn to spell it.

Lorelei still is Lorelei - never shortened the name.

Joseph is really happy that school is starting.

The three schoolagers are raring to get to the bus stop. They go to three different schools so there are three buses that pick them up all with in a few minutes of each other. First is Lorelei, then Joseph and then Gretchen. On the way home, little kindergartner Gretchen has to transfer buses. If you transfer buses successfully, you are really grown up. And she did it without problems.

The two girls waiting in line.

Bye everybody.

Then there is Gretchen with her Princess Leia hair doo. When is it my turn?

I'm so patient.

Next were Joseph and his friend Ethan.

They were too excited to turn around to wave good bye. They just climbed on the bus and found their seats. They didn't even look out the window. Oh well. They will do good at school.

Good bye little brother Calvin. See you after school.

Man, that first step is very high, but I can do it.

Bye everybody. I'll tell you all about my day after I get back home.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

Once again it was time for the Great Minnesota Get-Together State Fair. We planned on going twice again this year, opening day and then four days later. Both days were cooler than normal but opening day was sunny so lots of people came; Day two was cloudy with a chance of rain and people stayed away. I had a list of several foods that I needed to buy this year. Usually I just buy what is in front of me until I am full. This year I was more careful. It took two days to complete my list. Now there are several things that I don't need to ever buy again (nothing was bad, but bad for you - too sweet or fattening). But also several things that I will continue to buy. We took the bus to the fair and walked right to the grandstands. In the grandstand courtyard were tent after tent of educational science stuff from weather to robots. This is a home-made hovercraft that you can ride, made out of plywood, plastic bags and your dad's leaf blower. Works great. Might make one - they are supposed to email me the plans.

In the grandstands is the place to buy too much junk. For example, this is a bank. There were several kinds but all had a long neck that coins follow and drop into a plastic sphere. Only way to get your money out is to take it all apart.

This was taken just before noon on our second day. Look! The streets are virtually empty.

This is the all you can drink milk booth on the second day. Again no waiting. Usually the lines are 20 deep and there are at lease ten lines.

This is the most frivolous thing I waisted money on. This is a fire fishing pole for fire fishing, or roasting hot dogs or marshmallows. Demonstration demo video at the end. I also got some tile cutting tools, since I have one bathroom and two kitchens to tile.

We always try to take in the free entertainment while we rest. These guys play some mean guitar and mandolin.

This guy was entertaining the kids but was still fun to watch. Parents, you don't need to spend a lot of money on musical instruments for school. Just look in the kitchen. You can be spoonman or fork man, or butter knife man or even a pie server man.

These South Americans from Ecuador have been at the fair every year for as long as I can remember. We had lunch (Giant Juicy Turkey Sandwich) while listening to them.

In the educational area by the grandstands (only there for a day) were several robots, showing what they can do. Schools build these every year for competition at the fair and every year the rules change so the robots are built to do those tasks, like pick up and stack inflatable tubes or kick a soccer ball or to pick up a big ball and drop it into a basket.

This was my favorite robot - a talking robot driving a car. Notice the girl in the background - she is operating the robot and speaking for it.

You already know that I have an accordion. I have learned several months ago that at noon on channel 6 they had a locally produced program called Polka Time, or something like that. They would have a polka band come and play while the geriatric department from town danced. Honestly some of the dancers could hardly move and then there were this couple. They always wear identical clothing, which are always T-shirt, zubas, and suspenders. There was an accordion playing at Heritage Sq and then all of a sudden the Zuba dancers (that is what I call them) got up and started to dance. They might be in sync with each other but they dance like two dead fish - expressionless.

Here is how to fire fish. Load your lure with hot dogs or marshmallows and hold it over the fire. As with all fishing you need to jig your line to attract your fish. Here you jig it to turn over your hot fogs or marshmallows so that the other side gets done. We really went over the top on these. Maybe the grand kids will enjoy them, but they better not wreck them. But I will need to try them first.