A Trip Down Memory Lane

You know what's really great? Dylan goes to training once a year for four days in Tucson. When compared with six days twice a year in Delaware (when Gavin was a tiny baby)...well, I have very few complaints about recurrent training with this job. Last year, we didn't make it down to Tucson with D, and he was left to party with the others on his own. I can't recall the situation...I wasn't even working back then. I think, however, that training occurred during the middle of the week and it was only Gavin's second week of pre-school...or his birthday...or something. This time, though, we booked an extra night at the JW on points, and the whole crew made the trip down south on Saturday.

Lazy Saturday morning at home.

I'm always finding them in the pantry with the door closed getting into anything and everything. Especially when I'm distracted with packing and getting out of the house!

Wearing Gavin's "Sharky" just before leaving on our road trip.

We went round and round the lazy river and Gavin made about 200 trips down the slide. We just hung out in the pool and sent him to climb up to the slide and wait in line by himself. He had a ball. We did dinner outside and wrapped things up early, as usual. The best thing about staying anywhere besides home is that when the kids nod off while the sun is still out, we sit back with our books and crack open a bottle of wine on the patio and just chill. No laundry, no dishes, no packing lunches, no straightening up, nobody needing anything from me. Bliss.

Graham dancing to the mariachi music and making us all laugh.

Gavin is Graham's best audience.

They're at the age where they love each other and also drive each other crazy.

The boys both hit a wall at dinner and ended up in my lap. I loved it.

We headed out super early on Sunday to check out the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. I had always heard it was cool, and MAN was it cool! It was more like a zoo. Gavin saw lizards and snakes and animals galore. Not to mention a mountain lion and several owls and beavers and wolves. It was sweltering hot, but so much fun. Graham was a good sport, and I think he even enjoyed checking out the animals. When in Tucson I highly recommend the museum!

Gavin the falcon!

Good thing a very helpful, older girl was behind Graham when we sent him off to explore this cave by himself.

Checking out the hummingbirds.

Cave exploration.

After that, we headed straight up Speedway to the U of A. I took Dylan on a drive-by past Entrada just for fun and re-lived some epic memories from 15 years ago. We ate at the Chipotle on University, and then I took a solo stroll around campus and the bookstore while D and the boys went back to the car to pick me up at Old Main. I think I've driven through Tucson twice since graduation in 2004, and I haven't been back to stay at all. Those couple of years were some very formative years and jam packed with the best, most hilarious memories. I'm mildly nostalgic for this time of life, but I think I'm much better off where I am at right now, as an adult. Mostly, while I was on campus, I just soaked up being in an academic setting for just a few minutes. If I could make a career out of being a student, I'd do it. I took some time to mourn my pre-professional years when going to school was my job. That was the last time I can ever remember really being in my element, as far as work goes. But, alas, people grow up and get on with it. So, we drove off with the U in the rearview. It was such a good time of life, but life has only gotten better since.

I spent a ton of time in chemistry labs in this building and also working in the office downstairs. 

Back at Starr Pass, we hit the pool yet again, this time with the other pilot on the plane and his wife and friends. They have eight grandchildren of their own, and they were awesome with G and G2. Gavin enjoyed having some extra company on the slide, for sure! We cleaned up, met up with our friends for a drink, and then it was another early night.

When you are trying to entertain two little kids in a hotel room and end up drinking a beer in the closet.

We brought the boys to the patio in their jammies. NBD

Gavin loved having all the extra people around to tell him that the bugs he caught were so neat.

This morning was an especially early start for us, as I had to make my way to the business center and get dialed in for work by 6am. D and the boys hit the buffet and brought me a coffee half way through my morning. D and G put in one more half hour at the slide before we packed up the car, and the boys and I headed back home. The afternoon was a blur while I unpacked and regrouped for the week ahead. We already miss D so much. We've been spoiled with having him home for a couple weeks. I'm always glad to keep busy during the week...it just helps the weekend come that much sooner!

And just for good measure, I dug up these photos of the boys on my photo roll from last week when Dylan took them to my parents' house to swim. I thought I'd squeeze them in before they're too far gone!

Sometimes putting off responsibilities to write on the blog is an okay decision. And other times it gets late and you wonder where the time went and realize you're pretty far behind...so, adios!