Sunday, November 30, 2008

32

The presents are opened, the candles are blown...here went another year! I'm 32 today. Truth is, I don't feel any older than I did at 22.
Time flies when you're having fun.



We had our usual swim and potluck supper on Friday night with my siblings. Then on Saturday, we had 8 adults and 10 children here for a dinner and party. Greg made most of the meal and two desserts!


Quite spoiled, I know.


Here are the 8 grandkids together right before we stuck them all in bed. This was our last Friday night with Anna and her kids (sob sob). The next time we get them all together in a photo, there may be baby #9!?

Then today, Greg's parents had us and my parents over for a birthday lunch.
The only way this weekend could have been better is if my far-away friends could all be here too!
Thanks to all for your birthday wishes!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Calling it quits

No, I am not going to quit blogging. I enjoy letting others know how things are going and updating with photos EVEN when my friends do not do the same in return. Call me a "communicator-over-achiever". Even if none of my friends or even internet friends checked in, I would still be here because I do this for me as well.
(Shea is here too, helping...here we are right now....)

I went to the doctor today for a standard 18 month check up for Shea and to basically get a renewal of my birth control. We discussed the idea of me getting my tubes tied. He made it sound like it was no biggie, and knowing that hubby isn't exactly thrilled with getting "snipped"...I think it'll be up to me. Many things run through your mind when you make a pretty much permanent decision as such. Will I regret that I am unable to have more kids once I'm past this busy phase? If hubby were to die, would I want more kids with another man? If I were to lose a child, would I want to have another? Could I end up with some sort of weird side effect that is worse off than the birth control side-effects? Will the operation be terrible? I really have no idea. I don't plan to go in for the operation for another year or so, just to be sure that I want to make this FINAL and call it quits on the baby-making business that I've been in. Right now I'm SURE! but I don't want to jump the gun. In the meantime, I'm taking the pill for the one millionth time and doing my research and listening out for people who have had the operation. Feel free to inform me if you've had it done (and survived!).

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Sunday morning Picture time!







And then a picture from Thursday, aka Awana night, when they had to wear a crazy Christmas hat. So this is what we came up with!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

You smell like beef and cheese!


One of our favorite parts of the Elf movie, is where Elf says to the impostor Santa..."You don't even smell like Santa, you smell like beef and cheese!"
Lately Liam and Riley have been quite particular about their smell.
ie. Liam says, I don't want to sleep in Riley's bed...it has his smell in it. Or Riley was quite concerned that he didn't have his blanket when we went to my aunts house, because it wasn't just any blanket...it had his smell on it.
So today I asked Liam what Riley smells like. He says, "Riley smells like hot chocolate, and he (Liam) smells like macaroni. Shea smells like pancakes."
Mmmm. I guess it could be worse. Like dirty socks or something.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Family business



Hello y'all.
So I was struck down with a second head cold in less than a month. The timing was lovely as we had company during the weekend and were celebrating birthdays and an early Christmas with Heather and her boyfriend. Greg's brother and family stayed at our place, and it was all a lot of fun. But you know how nasty you feel with a head cold and just feel like you're in a big foggy cloud? Ya, that was me all weekend. Makes for a great hostess with a whole lot of energy.
But all went well. It was great to help celebrate our niece Olivia's first birthday.

Shea had a lot of fun with his little girlie cousins...

So now it's back to the usual, with Christmas right around the corner!!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Projects and parties

Hi my old faithfuls!
Things are busy as usual at the Davidson house. We just had a lovely long weekend. The weather wasn't the greatest, so we spent most of the time indoors sorting and doing other projects.
When we moved into our house, there was a spindle that was broken on our railing looking from the kitchen down into the family room. It wasn't a big deal that it was loose as we used to have a table set up in front of it, but now that we've changed things around, there is nothing in front and it was a problem as Shea would stand against it and nearly fall through. Anyway...long story short...of course I can't find the exact missing spindle, and don't want to spend over $60 to replace every spindle, so for now, I bought an unmatching piece and have painted all the old ones (and the new one) white...just like our trim, to freshen it up a bit.
For now, an old plant rack is covering the space!

Luke helped me to chop them 4" shorter as the railing was higher than it needed to be and so this will increase the opening.
Here are the painted beauties...(2 days of tedious work!)

All ready for installation, then I'll have to patch the wall and paint where the railing had been! This turned out to be one of those huge projects just to replace one little broken spindle!!

Anyway...the Davidson family has many birthdays in November. We helped celebrate my MIL's...

Yesterday was my SIL's. This week is my niece's. Then it'll be mine at the end.
We are celebrating a few birthdays this weekend as G's whole family will be up. Greg's brother, his wife and his two girlies are staying with us.

Over the long weekend, the kids needed some things to do, so we made up a few projects for them as well.
Our home-made game...



And our home-made stitching cards...

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Update on my little men

First off...they are not so LITTLE! They are growing. It seems like this year, more than any other, they are all growing like weeds. One day Riley will soon be looking down at me, talking with his croaky changing voice!

So Riley...let's start with him. The kid is almost 7! I started this mom gig almost 7 years ago! Last night we discovered that his two bottom teeth are wiggly! This is pretty exciting for him, as it seems like e v e r y o n e in his class has lost a tooth except for him! He has been growing up quite a lot...seeming to understand things and asking questions to find out more. We are both realizing his need for "alone" time as he gets quite whiney and crabby when he's been around people too long. He is definitely a romantic and a sweetie and shows lots of love for Shea and other little ones. (Not so much for Liam as Liam is, well, overwhelming!) He has been coming home with great little works of art from school lately, and though it has been slow coming, he definitely has some artistic talent. He is eating SO much. Usually he can out-eat me, and I just marvel at where he puts it all. He is so tall and has such long limbs (like his mother). So far he's not too awkward and is taking on swimming, skating and any other sport with quite a lot of passion.

Liam. He is my hardest right now. Four (if I haven't said it before), is NOT my favorite. It seems like the stage where they are still yet babies but want to be treated like adults. They need sleep but don't want it. They fight every little thing that you try to get them to do. They hate the food you serve. They want to wear the "other shoes". They want to ride in the left side of the van, NOT the right. They want to do up their own zipper even though it is taking 15 minutes. They don't know when enough is enough and they need to stop. They still throw the odd little fit in public and yet are too big to carry off. I guess it was similar at 2 and 3 yrs. but now it is just MORE so. Exhausting. However, he (unlike his brother) does quite well with people and doesn't get rangy when we have a houseful. He likes to socialize and though sometimes he drags his feet on the way to preschool, he enjoys getting out and being with other kids.

Shea. He is a honey. I know that every mother thinks their child is the cutest, but he really is. He is just so cute. He finally got his eye teeth through, and you can tell that he's not in pain and so therefore not as cranky! He walks all the time. He wanders around between the boys and plays and chats. He loves "Wii" (which he says non-stop) and watches Riley play all the time. He is still very shy and will not go to the nursery or really to anyone else unless he happens to be sure that I won't run off. I take him all over town with me and he really doesn't make too much of a fuss unless he's tired or hungry. He got his second haircut (and screamed), and looks so grown up.

And me...well I'm not a little man, but I'm doing well. I'm still fighting a cold I've had for over a week with plugged ears! Have you ever had plugged ears for over a week? I don't think I have? They will pop for about 2 seconds and then they plug up again. Frustrating. The cold is at the point where I'm not in bed or anything, and actually made it to swimming and hockey again yesterday. I'm getting better at hockey (Monday was my 3rd time) and am definitely not so nervous. I still am absolutely beet red by the end of the game though! Sweating, but not sore, so that's good. I badly need a haircut again, so I won't show you a recent pic of me.
Anyway...life is good...there is lots to be thankful for.