Back to schoo...zzzzzzz

The kids are back in school and at our house we have settled back into that school year routine. And that means early mornings, homework afternoons and negotiating bedtimes. I was never a stickler for bedtime routines during the summer. We're all night owls so it never failed that my kids got their days and nights turned around. For many years I worked the graveyard shift. So if they slept during the day, then I was assured to get good sleep. But alas, the end of summer would arrive and the first day of school would loom large, letting me know that my night owl schedule was going to be revamped. Luckily it only took about a week to get my little cherubs straight again.

About a week before school I started the schedule. If they were sleeping all day I would get them to do a 24 hour day. I would keep them up all night and all day and they would be ready for bed on the second night. But of course, they would be exhausted and want to sleep all day again. I would only let them sleep until about 10am. Then I made sure they went to bed by midnight on the third day. Day four I would wake them at 9am and have them go to bed at 11pm, and so on. By the time school started they were back on a "normal" schedule. But sometimes it takes a little more.

My youngest started running late in the mornings. He always seemed tired. And yet I know he was in his bed, teeth brushed, lights out by 10pm. What was the deal? I found out that he was texting and face timing a friend of his. Well that's an easy fix, right? They say you shouldn't sleep with your cell phone next to your bed anyway. Something about cell phones emitting electromagnetic radiation. So I set up a charging station in the kitchen. Everyone could plug in their phones and let them charge all night. They're easy to make. I found this one on http://www.drivenbydecor.com/2014/03/family-charging-station-usb-outlet-charger.html

However, a little more was needed. Even though they were going to their rooms and getting in bed, they were having a hard time falling asleep. So besides taking the phones out of their rooms, all electronics had to be shut down an hour before bed. Oh you should have heard the complaints and arguments. Seriously though, they need to be able to let their brains wind down. "But what are we going to do for an hour?" Well, how about getting everything ready for the next day. Make sure all homework is in the backpack. (I can't even tell you how many times homework was done and then left on the counter.) Lay out tomorrow's outfit. Is everything clean? No holes in the jeans? And then the best part. Read a book. I read to my kids every night when they were little. Now I think it's important that they read on their own a little every night. 

None of this guarantees a hassle free bedtime. But these things have helped to regain the school year schedule and allowed my kids to get a good night's sleep. Now if only I can stay on a schedule. 

Where are we Wednesday

HISTORIC GILLESPIE DAM BRIDGE

Gillespie Dam Bridge is 1,662 feet long

 

Today was the first day of school for my youngest. And since I was awake and it was a beautiful morning, my oldest and I decided to take a little road trip. Not too far from our house is the town of Arlington. There are about 200 people living there. It is very tiny. They even have a tiny little post office. It didn't take us very long to get there. And yet you pass by so much. Mostly agriculture. Fields of alfalfa and cotton. A couple of dairy farms. Mountains off in the distance. All covered by a beautiful blue sky and cotton ball clouds. And it was still pretty early in the day so the thermometer hadn't reached 100 yet.

We came upon this beautiful steel truss bridge. Turned out this was a historic bridge built in 1927 as a federal aid project. It crosses the Gila River on Old Hwy 80 between Arlington and Gila Bend. 

I love old bridges. Well, let me clarify that. I love to look at old bridges. This one is very narrow and very rusted and I honestly wasn't sure it could be crossed. But a couple of cars went by and didn't seem to have a problem. As I slowly entered onto the bridge, a large semi truck began his traverse from the opposite end. I don't know if he was just a naturally courteous driver, or if he saw my white knuckles and the fear on my face, but he slowed way down and his right bumper hugged the side of the bridge as I passed him. 

Gillespie Dam from the bridge

Now, there's a joke that says "You know you live in Arizona when you no longer associate bridges or rivers with water". This bridge is one of the exceptions to that. The Gila River runs under this bridge. And since we've had some heavy rains the past couple of days there is actually water in it. There used to be a dam near the bridge built by Frank Gillespie in 1921 to supply water to his ranch. In 1993 there were unusually heavy rains and the dam was breached. The Gila River is now free to run through the remains of the dam.   

Remains of Gillespie Dam. 

If you are a history buff, enjoy bridges, or just want to get out of the house, then I would recommend a road trip to Arlington. And if you're a bird watcher, you won't be disappointed either. Besides the requisite turkey vulture in the Arizona sky, there were plenty of white herons and other smaller birds hanging out at the water's edge. There really isn't a place for a picnic or anything like that, but if you're coming from Phoenix, you could continue West to Gila Bend and stop in at the Space Age Restaurant or Sofia's Mexican Food. I really enjoyed the area and it was definitely worth the trip. So if you're looking for a little adventure, hit the road and check this out. 

 

I'm not ready for back to school!

This summer seemed to pass a little slower than expected. I'm not complaining. This was a great summer. I got to take a 2 week long road trip with my teenage son. We visited 8 states and got to visit with family and friends. It was wonderful. I know the time is coming when he won't want to hang out with me. And traveling with him was so much fun. He's a great photographer. He can take amazing pictures out the window of a moving vehicle and make it look like time stopped just for him. 

Long lonely highway from Oregon to Washington

So many of my friends are happy about back to school. Glad to get the kids out of their hair. Glad to get back on a "normal" schedule. But not me. I like being able to sleep in and not have to take them to school. I like being able to spend time with them. To not have to rush from school to other activities. To go on impromptu adventures and not have to worry about getting home late. My youngest is going to be a Junior in high school. How can this be? He's my baby! I want time to slow down. 

Welcome to Coeur d'Alene Idaho

The whole "back to school" thing has changed a lot since my kids were little. My youngest has a laptop supplied by the school. They don't write anything down. That has taken a lot of the fun out of "back to school". I don't get to shop for pencil holders, pens, notebooks. You know, the best part of "back to school". 

  Viva Las Vegas

He's doing his laundry and loading his laptop into his backpack as I type this. All of a sudden I don't remember his first days of elementary school. Junior High was a blur. Time passes much too quickly. Here stands a man 6 inches taller than me. He's wondering why I'm looking at him misty eyed. He'll have his driver's license in a couple of months. Maybe next summer he'll take me on a road trip.