Monday, August 2, 2010

Storms and Calm

Last week, Mother Nature officially welcomed us to the Valley of the Sun.

We had been prepared for triple-digit temps, sunburns, parched lips. We hadn't, however, realized we were moving in during the heart of Monsoon Season.

The grill was blowing around the back patio like an old roller skate. I took this photo while hollering at Brad to get out there and DO SOMETHING! Also, our cabinet guys were at my side, laughing hysterically, and saying "Welcome to Arizona." Nice.

I'd heard about Monsoons before and was skeptical. But now? I believe.

Monsoons are like huge Nor'easters in the desert. They come out of nowhere and turn the sky all kinds of crazy colors. The winds are so strong they snap trees, frightening small children and their 40-year-old mothers.

There was so much water that our street became the after-storm swimming hole. It was a good ice-breaker. My kids met a whole gang of new friends as they paddled along in the rainwater.

In other, less stormy, news...
the kids started school last Monday!
It felt sick and wrong to drop them all off at school in the middle of July.
But only one of us cried...me.

The children have adjusted beautifully.

I was very concerned about the quality of schools here. I mean, that's what the East Coast is known for, right? Italian restaurants and great schools. How could anything measure up?

However, we've been very pleasantly surprised. Schools are definitely more casual here. (Teachers in flip flops and tank tops? Cool.) But the curriculum is challenging, similar to our old school district. The teachers have been very friendly and well-organized. All the kids are happy.
Jake is being mainstreamed all day into a regular sixth-grade classroom and it's going so well I could just cry. I wish I had known, way back during his blustery kindergarten days, that there really would be so many sunny moments in his future.

But I really, truly do appreciate the calm all the more after a storm.

6 comments:

Travelin'Oma said...

I didn't know it rained in Arizona! Your whole life is a new adventure. The photos are so cute.

brooke said...

Em looks adorable on her first day and I'm so happy that all of your kids are adjusting so well.

The picture of your grill mid-air is CRAZY!

Lauren in GA said...

Aw, I am so glad that your transition is going so smoothly, Gabi.

The grill blowing aroung like that is so unreal!!

Your charming and clever posts always make me smile. Like when you mentioned how monsoons frighten small children and their forty year old mothers...and how only one person cried on the first day of school. You.

I am so happy that you like the schools. That is so wonderful.

Lindsey said...

It was a twister auntie em! We had fun watching it too,but Abby got a little un-nerved. I think it was the whole tree uprooting thing. . . Oh, and the whole, I couldn't find her at the bus stop so she had to walk home in it, thing.

Christie said...

I had no idea there were Monsoons in AZ. Wow.

And it is sick and wrong for your kids to start in July. Do they get out in April then? How does it work?

So happy that J is doing so well. He's a great kid!

Tristan said...

Yeah rain in the desert is cahrazy! But that makes it lots of fun too! I'm glad that your kids are adjusting so well!

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