Trip to Arizona!

I have tried to find the time to blog since we got home last weekend, but there just never seems to be a moment.  I would love to hear from other moms who blog:  how on earth do you do it consistently?  I need some advice.

Anyway, we (well , just me and the 3 oldest kids) just spent 4 days visiting good friends in Phoenix.  It was so nice to get together with my best friend from college and her kids.  My friend Zoe and I really try to get together once or twice a year, despite the fact that we live on opposite ends of the country.  One of the nice things about this is that the kids are developing memories and lasting friendships with their "Phoenix friends."

 And, I must add, that is was nice to spend some time in the beautiful weather.  I am usually a big winter fan, but this time Phoenix was just so beautiful -- high 70's, dry, sunny -- that I didn't want to come back to a Jersey winter.  Nicholas clearly loves the warm weather.  He looks pretty happy, huh?

Zoe planned for us to go to a beautiful holiday celebration at the Desert Botanical Garden.  It was called "Las Noches de las Luminarias."  The entire garden was lit up in Christmas lights and live music was playing -- everything from jazz quartets to mariachi bands.  While Zoe and I sipped on glasses of wine, the kids ran ahead of us through the garden.  It was so fun and definitely made some memories for the kids.  They have never seen a Christmas celebration exactly like that before!

Once again, I am so thankful for our schedule this year and that we actually had time to do something like this.  The kids were so well-behaved on the plane (even on the way back, when we were delayed 4 hours!), and I truly believe that part of this is due to the fact that they are not exhausted.  I also hope that being home is helping their behavior in general.  Things are just so much more consistent in general, as well as the fact that they are learning to get along with each other better.  I was proud of the way they handled their manners and how they resolved the inevitable disagreements that took place. I told John jokingly (or maybe not!) that this was a field trip under the heading of "character training."