Holy Heat Waves...

We have arrived in AZ! And good lordy it is HOT. And I don't mean slightly warm, or a tad toasty, I mean melt-your-skin-off-like-you-are-swimming-in-a-pot-of-boiling-oil HOT. It was 114 degrees yesterday. What did you say? I said 114 degrees. I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood you. No, you heard correctly, I did indeed say 114 DEGREES.

And yes, I know that I will need to change the blog name, but I'm just not there yet. I mean in reality, all of our belongings are still in Nashville so this isn't quite home yet. But I have learned a few things since we left Nashville...

1. 10 month olds do not enjoy 4 hour flights in mommy's lap.

2. Mommy doesn't enjoy them either.

3. 3 year olds with explosive diarrhea are not so much fun in airplane bathrooms while holding aforementioned baby.

4. 114 degrees is hot no matter how you slice it. Humid or dry, you're gonna sweat.

5. Black on black was a very poor choice for car colors.

6. Small children don't really enjoy looking at houses. But 3 year olds love the wide open spaces to RUN around in.

7. Just because there is gravel out front does not mean that it is new construction.

8. I feel pretty good about being here. Sort of feels right. The people are very friendly and I think we're going to fit right in...once it cools off.

But I didn't blog before we left, I ran out of time before Jona took the computer. So here is a photo recap....

...or not. The computer won't let me work with pictures so I will do that some other time.

We miss you Nashville and all of our wonderful friends and neighbors. Thank you for being so good to us! Come see the desert some time, we think you'll like it out here :)

More conversing...

Hailey in the car on our way home from an outdoor concert last night...

"Dad, you make me want to pull all my hair out of my head, and mom you make me want to scream."

Seriously, I have to remember that she takes in and repeats EVERYTHING I say!

Conversations with Hailey

Sitting at the table eating lunch...

Hailey: "Mama, I have the perception of animals in trouble and they think I am an animal rescuer but they don't realize that I am only pretending."

Me: "Did you just use the words perception and realize correctly in a sentence?"

Hailey: "Yep, pretty sure I did."

__________________________________________

In the car...

Hailey: "What does operated mean?"

Me: "What?"

Hailey: "What does operated mean?"

Me: "It depends on the context."

Hailey: "What does context mean?"

Me: "They way you use a word in a sentence."

Hailey: "This station is owned and operated by..."

This girl doesn't miss a beat.

Happy Birthday Angel

Introducing....

KILEY FAITH HAJIMIHALIS

Born June 20, 2009 at 4:50 pm

6lb 8oz

19 3/4 inches

....beautiful.

Life changes...everything

There are big things happening here in the Maupin household. Things that have been in the works for months but for some reason I haven't blogged about it. The only reason I can come up with for that is my need for denial as a defense mechanism...I use it to keep me sane- does that make me crazy??

So the big news around here is...we are moving to ARIZONA!! Yep, this Florida girl is headed to the great South West, desert land, scorpions, cactus, a severe lack of grass, adobe houses, etc, etc, etc. Jona's contract with Vanderbilt ends this month so he spent the Fall sending out resumes and interviewing all over the country. He was offered every job he was flown out to interview for- such a smart guy- and Arizona State University made the best offer. This is THE job. The one he has been working towards. The department is very impressive, the potential for research and advancement is ideal, and he can't be more excited...and nervous!


We leave Nashville in the beginning of July. YIKES! That's right around the corner. While I'm not the biggest fan of change, I really am very excited about this move. I very knowingly gave myself the month of May to live in denial and decided that June 1st I would allow the panic to set in. But it hasn't. Not yet. I'm trying very hard to keep myself positive and remember what a great move this is for our family. So, I've started packing. One box a day until my parents arrive July 1st to take the kids and let us pack til we drop.


That's our skinny. Moving on up...or over I guess. Send me great stories about Arizona (the Phoenix/Tempe area to be more specific) and tell me how much you loved the time you spent there :) And if you feel the need to pack a box or two, come on over!

Growing up WAY too fast

Hangin' in the backyard while Hailey swims.

STANDING in his crib.

Gooping herself...thanks Hailey.

Crazy drivers.

Preppy man in his pocket tee.

He loves the water.

Pulling up, such a big boy with such tiny feet!

Mommy is madly in love.

And for his grand finale....

It may not be graceful...but fat boy is mobile!

Rooster Rant

In our yard there lives a rooster. A real rooster. But not just any rooster. We have a mentally challenged rooster that is the spawn of Satan himself. At first it was funny. Strange. Amusing. Now it is horrifying. Terrible. Makes me think evil thoughts.

The rooster first appeared in our neighborhood in February. My Dad and I were driving home from Publix and Dad said "Is that a rooster under that car?" as he pointed to the driveway at the end of our street. And yes, yes indeed, it was a rooster...in South Nashville...nowhere near farmland...under a Range Rover. Since that day we have had more than one nighttime temperature below freezing and multiple severe storms, some that caused major damage in neighboring areas. But Satan's Spawn is strong. He remains. He is not one to be brought down by simple acts of nature.

I fed him once, I think in March. I gave the turd some old bread, I didn't invite him to move in. But I think he misunderstood my intentions. For a few months now he has inhabited the magnolia bush that grows two stories high between our house and the neighbor's. And I hate him. I hate him so much that I am rethinking my anti-hunting, anti-gun outlook.

This brings us to the animal's clearly diminished mental capacity. Maybe its just a story we tell our children, that roosters crow when the sun rises. But my stupid rooster starts his cockle-doodle crap at about 3:30 every morning and then, as though he has a snooze button, 'goes off' every 10-20 minutes for a couple of hours. Seriously. Every morning. Right outside my bedroom window. Could it be possible that I am not sleep deprived enough?!? Are you kidding me?

Animal control has been called but they can't catch him. We've tried to chase him away. I no longer put out bird seed. The neighbors trimmed the bush. We talk smack about him all day long. A crazy dude who lives across the street chased the stupid bird for hours trying to hit him with a snow brush...really??? I even tried to run him over with my car. Satan is strong. His spawn is resilient and not easily defeated. And now he is punishing me by pacing on my back fence crowing until his throat his hoarse and pooping all over the swingset. This is not a normal problem to have. My life is entirely too busy and chaotic to deal with this sort of ridiculousness. Fried chicken anyone?

Seriously...there is a rooster in my yard...and I hate him.