We’ve been out here since 10pm last night. Here are a few photos I took… Smugglers dug a tunnel underground from Mexico into Nogales, Arizona. The tunnel ended at the house here with the crime tape. You can see where the tunnel actually came up through the floorboards on the porch. Notice the kids’ bikes and toys. Amazing that smugglers will move their drugs anywhere – even a house where kids live!

As we reported, the amount of meth, cocaine and bulk cash that agents have seized has doubled in the past year. One theory behind this trend is that the Sinaloa drug cartel, which controls the smuggling corridor that includes Arizona’s border, has become more powerful and is shipping more illegal drugs through the border here.

We’ll get more into the background of the Sinaloa cartel later today…

That’s an example of the ingenuity these drug smuggling organizations are using. Listening to border agents, we find that every time they make an advancement in drug interdiction, the drug gangs figure out a way to get around it.

We snapped some pictures of the scene. I’ll include one here, but Tammy did a much better job of documenting what it looks like and she’ll post some pictures in the morning.

These floor boards conceal a drug tunnel that leads 70 feet into Mexico.

We hope you log in and read our blog over the next 24 hours. We’ll have some insight and observations here that don’t make it into our regular television coverage. For now, I’m going to try to get a couple of hours of shut-eye. The 3am wakeup call for CBS 5 Morning News is going to come mighty early!

LOVE This month’s edition of Raising Arizona Kids.

65 Valley Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free!

This alone, is reason to subscribe: www.raisingarizonakids.com/index.php

Basically- you can feed your family with the kids eating free every day of the week if you plan things right. And with this month’s magazine spelling it all out for you- it shouldn’t be that tough to pull-off!

The typical breakdown is kids 12 & younger eat free with a paying adult.  There are certain restrictions, like some places only apply to kids 3 & younger, others, a specific location only, or dine-in only.  But It’s all broken down and extremely easy to navigate.

I say, let the chow-down begin!

Snap pics & email them my way ncrites@kpho.com or share other freebies valley moms and families can take- part in & I’ll be sure to spread the word!

This is just one of the topics of my weekly MOMster Monday segments on CBS 5 Morning News.

Sign up for our new social networking site for valley moms.  We want to know what you’re concerned or curious about, talking about and what other moms in the valley need to know! Would love to hear from you!

http://www.momster.com/group/ValleyMoms

Twitter, Facebook , blogs these are all social outlets that have become a place where people get their news. 

Viewers no longer have to wait for the 5, 6:30 or 10pm news (But we hope you do).  Now you can get your local news when and where you want it.  It streams across your computer, and your smart phone. 

Social Media has changed the way CBS 5 covers the days stories, and it’s given us a way to interact with our viewers. We are constantly updating news stories  on these social websites while giving you a behind the scenes look in the ‘News Business’.

As a reporter, ‘back in the day’ we were always looking ahead to the next newscast.  Now it’s now!  While we’re on the scene getting interviews and video, we are updating kpho.com,  and posting pictures and the latest information on twitter and Facebook.   We still get the stories on the air, but you are able to watch the process develop through out the day.

It is a big change for those of us who have been in the news business for 20 years, but I’m having a great time with it, it’s fun!  I love getting reaction from you the viewer about the story I’m covering or the picture I  just took.

Plus you can get involved and be a part of the news gathering process, snap a photo, give us your view of events happening in your neighborhood.  You can email or post them on our website and Facebook page.

We love hearing from you.  Check out our CBS 5 Morning News Facebook page.

And follow me on twitter for breaking news updates, behind the scene pictures, a who knows what else I might post.  http://twitter.com/MaryaPiani

It’s not too late to hustle out to east Mesa for a consignment sale geared just for you moms & moms -to-be out there.

We had the ladies who came up with the concept of the bi-annual “Savvy Sale” on our MOMster Monday segment here on CBS 5 Morning News.

I can’t resist a good sale.

So I went to check it out for myself.

I got all this good stuff for just $41!  Buying gently used kids toys and clothes is a GREAT way to save money & be a smart mommy because lets face it, they’re growing out of everything after a few washes and they’re still in good condition.

Take this tummy-time  floor mat I found for $5.

This interactive singing Sesame Street toy was only $6.50

I took a picture of this play table but ultimately decided it would have been too big for my daughter’s room.  For $30 it’s a STEAL!

*Note– EVERYTHING’s half- off Saturday from 8am-noon.

See that red thing on top?  That’s the shopping cart cover I bought for just $5 after having already given- away the $40 pink one I bought for my daughter.

The next sale’s in the spring- and I’ll do it again & let you know when it’s coming up.

You can sign up for an alert by joining my Valley MOMster online social networking site & of course, by watching every Monday for our MOMster Monday segments on CBS 5 Morning News 4:30-7am.

Happy shopping!

Ah- and lest I forget, one tip if you are going to one of these monster consignment sales- bring a laundry basket to haul your goods around in.  I’m sure I would have come home with a lot more, if only I had a way to carry it around!

But BANG! SLAM!

When it’s nice out, the birds don’t know what hit them!

Such was the case for a pigeon we found waddling around our back patio the other day.  He’d injured his wing and couldn’t fly.  Aside from taking cover under one of our chairs, he occupied himself hobbling around leaving his droppings all around.  You’d think he was a dog marking his territory.  Pigeon poo was everywhere. 

We asked our two-year old daughter Callie what we should name him.

“Beak!” she said, enthusiastically.

So for about 24 hours, we were on “Beak watch,” seeing how he was doing, wondering what we should be doing.

The next day, my husband informed me that Beak had been relocated to the grassy culvert across the street.  Plenty of shade, water and bushes to hide out in.

He’d donned some gloves and got Beak into a box for his big move.

I actually called up Game and Fish, not sure what advice they’d have.  You can call up wherever you are in the state and they’ll give you a list of people certified to take-in injured animals.  Even pigeons.

I was their 40th phone call that day for the same thing!

 They are called “sphinx” not something that you sit on! 

Here is the link so you can see and hear it for yourself.

http://www.kpho.com/local-video/index.html?grabnetworks_video_id=4319167

Thank you for the laughs Paul!!!!

We’ve all done it!  One day I said I was “….Live at the Crown Royal Hotel” Instead of the Crown Plaza! Oops.

Alexis is in 2nd grade, Morgan started Kindergarten, which means both are now in school 5 days a week all day. 

They look happy in this picture but to be honest it was hard for me,  I shed a few tears as I watched Morgan march into her new classroom with 20 or so other 5 year olds.

After a summer of hanging out with the girls, no real schedule to follow and lots of fun, I find myself not wanting to adjust back to the old routine.

While looking for ways to deal with what I call, “Elementary School  Empty Nest”,  I found all kinds of websites that give advice on how to prepare your children for back to school, re-adjusting daily sleep patterns and meals, managing time for homework, buying school supplies, etc.

I couldn’t find any advice out there for us parents!!!!  Some of my mom friends don’t need it,  those are the ones that are celebrating, having lunch dates and getting their nails done, while others, like me were wiping back tears this week.

You know the feeling, the lump in your throat  that makes it hard to swallow, the tears that you can barely hold back, the anxiety of the unknown! 

It reminds me of that feeling when I was little and returned to school after summer vacation. 

So maybe that’s just it,  the advice to help get the kids ready for school is the same advice for us parents…  adjust sleep patterns and meals,  schedule time for homework and extra curricular activities.

I think I’ll try it.