Javys

On the way out, Ben and Sebastian had fun sitting on the javelina sculptures. We got a children's book about javalinas for Ben at Sabino Canyon. It is called "Don't call me pig." He doesn't, instead he calls them "don't call me pig," which is the name of the stuffed animal javelina he has been sleeping with almost every night.

Ice cream

It was hot, so we all took a break and had some ice cream.

Cacti

There are all sorts of wonderful cacti at the desert museum, as in the Sonoran desert everywhere. They also had a cool exhibit of things made from cacti. We hadn't realized that Sisal was cactus fiber.

Sheep and birds

One of the many animals we saw was the bighorn sheep. They had a docent by the exhibit with horns we could feel (they have lots of docents and hands-on activities, which is great), and Sebastian figured out that it fit his lap very nicely (it's amazingly heavy, though). Ben thought that looked like a good idea and he tried it too. Another great exhibit we saw was the birds. They are in a big outdoors room that has mesh around it so they can't get out but are otherwise in a natural environment. Ben was fond of the ducks, but his mom's favorite was the quail.

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

On Saturday we went on a big expedition to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Ben and family, Sebastian and Julien and family, Grandma Jan and Grandpa Bill, and Aunt Mary and Uncle James. It is a wonderful museum/zoo/desert arboretum that shows all the plants and creatures that live in the Sonoran desert. We had been there many times when we lived in Tucson, and it was great to go back. The kids loved seeing the animals (the otter is always a big hit), as did the adults. If you look carefully at the last picture here you can see the "kitties" (bobcats) hanging out in the shade -- it was a hot day so lots of animals were resting. Ben's T-shirt was a big hit in the restaurant when we stopped for a lunch break. He has some new fans in Tucson.

Trick or Treating

On Halloween night, Tanya arranged for the various folks in town with kids to all go trick or treating. Ben caught on pretty fast, and had lots of fun, although it got a little overwhelming at times. He and Sebastian often went up to houses together, a sheep and a transformer. Adrienne brought glow bracelets, which Ben thought were fabulous and helped us see the kids in the low lit subdivision. Jessica's aunt and uncle, Mary and James, came along too, in costume. Ben went out to dinner with them on Thursday, and got along with them really well (and put away a great deal of delicious guacamole, chicken, and beans -- Ben highly approved of food in Tucson).

Sabino Canyon

We went for a short hike in the Sabino canyon area on Friday A,R,J, and S. It was in the low 90s so quite a change from Boston weather. Everyone enjoyed walking and seeing the cacti, but it was hot. We got a taco picnic and carried it along, picnicking in a nice shaded picnic area before we walked back to the cars and a nap. It was great fun for Ben being with cousins, and the cousins thought both Ben and Andy were fun too.

Tucson!

Over Halloween weekend we went to Tucson to celebrate Tanya's wedding to David. Tanya is a close family friend, really my unofficial sister, who we've known since we moved to Tucson in 1980. Adrienne found us a great condo to rent, right near the campus and 4th avenue, where we stayed with Adrienne, Richard, Julien, and Sebastian. It was a great thrill for Ben to get to spend some time with his cousins.

Walking

Ben had lots of fun walking. He liked the curbs, which are fun to balance on. He also liked running back and forth on part of the elaborate new student union building, and of course kicking the leaves. We also walked next to the lake for a while, and he enjoyed taking a little break and having a snack.

Hill

There is one very steep hill, which we saw some kids sledding on last year. Ben insisted on climbing up it. The view from there is rather nice (very New England collegiate), but it is very steep.

Walk in Wellesley

A week after the camping trip, we took advantage of another beautiful day to take a walk on the Wellesley campus. Our trees had made it up to peak by then, so it was quite beautiful (they are now well past, unfortunately).

Tagine

Andy has been perfecting his Moroccan cooking. Ben was quite fascinated by the Tagine, but he decided to stick with mac and cheese.

Sonia

Sonia came over again in October, and she and Ben had lots of fun playing. As they get older, they interact with each other more and more. He also went over to her house last weekend, while his mom was off at a spinning conference, but we didn't get any photos of that encounter. Poor Sonia has broken her leg, so she won't be swimming for a while (she stops over before her swimming class) but we hope to do another playdate with her soon.

Morning walk

In the morning, after breakfast and taking down our campsite, we took a nice walk by the lake and had a picnic. Ben loves picnics almost as much as hot dogs.

Running game

Ben and Andy invented a game that mostly was running fast, screaming, from one stump to the next. They had a great time playing it. Since then they have invented a more elaborate game, "skidoodle," which involves running from one door to another in our living room, but in various funny runs and walks, and yelling "skidoodle" each time they reach a door.