HELP!!!!!

I've been avoiding this blog. Can you tell? I've just been downright unmotivated to contribute anything to such an uninspiring-looking website. In case you haven't noticed, a few weeks ago my links all turned bright blue and purple, and not by choice, either. I've tried everything I know to do, but they remain STUCK that way!! Blogger is NOT my friend right now. If there is anybody out there who has been through this and lived to tell about it, I'd appreciate any help I can get.

Valentine's Day 2009

Valentine's weekend was full of fun for the Davidsons. First, Paul surprised me by sending flowers on Friday. My favorites. Tulips and Dutch irises. Gorgeous. Wish I had a picture for you, but I never got around to taking one. Not sure what happened there. Anyway, they were from ProFlowers. If you've never used them, they are worth checking out. My brother- and sister-in-law use them a lot. I have always been impressed with how long the flowers last.

Friday night we all went out for sushi at Kobe. This time *WE* anticipated the big F-I-R-E at the hibachi grill (in other words, Saylor remembered it and was freaking out a little bit), so *WE* had to muster up the courage to sit there. Ha! But once it was over, *WE* decided it wasn't so bad after all.

"The Guys" Watching the Show

Paul had a meeting Saturday morning, but the kids and I had heart-shaped toast drizzled with honey, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit for breakfast. Then we went upstairs and read Valentine stories and decorated homemade Valentines for each other. Saylor must have put 199 tiny heart stickers on ONE page! It took a lot of patience to do such beautiful work!

For lunch I made heart-shaped chicken quesadillas. First, I cut out the tortillas with my large heart cookie cutter. Then I mixed chicken (already seasoned, cooked and chopped) with shredded cheddar cheese, chunky salsa, and sour cream. This I spread between two heart-shaped tortillas. I then placed them in the oven at about 200 degrees until the cheese was melted and the chicken was hot. I served them with black beans, baby carrots, and more fresh fruit. Very yummy!


After lunch, Paul took Noah and Saylor to a Valentine tea party at the library. They listened to stories, decorated a tea cup and place mat, ate goodies, and tried tea (NOT their favorite part). The babies, unfortunately, had to stay home with me and nap, the poor things.

Tea Time

Aren't the tables cute?

Cookies...YES!!

Sitting Pretty

When naptime was over, we headed to Conway to visit with Nana. (Poppy was working.) We even spent the night!! Here's what that looks like, by the way: Gabriel in a pack-n-play in the "TV room"; Noah on the loveseat in the "TV room"; Saylor and Paul in a double bed in the guest room; me on the couch; and Atticus on a pallet in the living room. It's crazy. But what's new? We had intended to get the kids down and maybe go out for dessert together, but by the time everyone was down and we had visited with Nana sufficiently, we were both too tired. Again, what's new?

The next day we had brunch at Michelangelo's (to celebrate Paul's new job) where I ran into K.B., my manager at Macaroni Grill when I used to work there. (Small world.) Paul and I actually BOTH worked there for a while: Paul on the grill, and me on the wait staff. In a sense, I guess we're still doing those very same jobs. Ha! Back in the day, Mac Grill was one of the most fun places in town (remind me to tell you a story sometime about HOW fun it was) and had some of the best food. While it's still a family favorite, it has changed a LOT since we worked there (and in many ways, not for the better, in our opinion). Ah, but I digress... We ate a lot, visited as much as we could among so many little voices, wore the children slap out, and even got to see Poppy for a bit before heading home.

Oh! And I forgot to tell you about the Valentine we sent out to our family members. You can see the photo here. At the top in red lettering were the words "Our love for you is heartfelt." Then I stuck two felt hearts directly onto the photo on both sides. It turned out pretty cute, aside from the fact that I had the photos developed at Sam's, and I'm NEVER pleased with the results. Color problems, cropping problems, you name it! I wish I could afford to use Bedford's exclusively. C'est la vie.

Snips, Snails & Pretty Pigtails

Noah has a fascination with infomercials and those "blue-screen, order-now" commercials." He will sit and watch them all the way through, totally in awe of what amazing things those products can do. He sincerely believes they could make our lives better, and that they are the solution to many a problem (even ones he didn't know he had). In fact, if he sees a "need" arise, he often tells us everything he knows about these products and just exactly where we can find them. One day I was particularly disgusted with the unsolicited phone calls I was receiving from automated "Heather with Card Services" who just wanted to tell me about an offer for lower interest rates or some such nonsense. I was openly frustrated and told the kids NOT to answer the phone--the machine could get it. The calls kept coming, unbeknownst to us as we were busy upstairs. When we came down, there was our now-blinking answering machine. We listened to Heather, and I grumpily DELETED her, when Noah said, "That's so FOOLish!! Why would they CALL us to sell something?! They should just do a commercial on TV!!!"

Saylor playing alone sounds a bit like this: Talking to absolutely no one (except her Calico Critters)..."tAHn-doo (tendu)...flex, tAHHn-dOO...AND!!...LIFT...hop...step AND close!" My little auditory learner.

Gabriel's new favorite word is "Noah!" only it comes out more like "Woh-wah!!" He gets such a kick out of hollering that at the top of his lungs...right after I've hollered it. We totally need an intercom system...

Atticus at 4 months old: His favorite activity of the day is getting dressed--specifically putting on or taking off a shirt--because he is extremely ticklish these days, so we always have lots to giggle about when we're dressing. Oh, and he has a new trick: he uses his feet to grab the dangly toys on his bouncy seat and draw them up close to his hands so he can hold them. He really MAY be a gymnast some day!





Little Atticus finding his voice (2/7/09)

Something's Definitely Amiss...

I just wanted you to know that I am well aware of how junky this blog looks right now. I'm in the process of figuring out what went wrong. So, anyway, please excuse the mess. :)

"C"

Okay. This post took me a while to get around to...Sara assigned me the letter "C" for a meme she posted. If you want to play, leave a comment on this post letting me know, and I'll assign you a letter. You write about ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it at your place. When people comment on your list, you give them a letter, and the chain continues on and on...

Cake!!!!!!!!! I'm not going to bore you with ALL the kinds of cake I love because the list could go on and on. I like them all--pretty much! I'll just say that a traditional white wedding cake (ALMOST as important as the punch I mentioned here) with vanilla butter cream frosting is my absolute fave. Carrot cake--not so much.

Flair #4

Comfort Food. (Here we go again.) Cornbread. Baked sweet potatoes. Fried foods (can't help it). Fresh baked bread. Homemade soups. Cobbler. Pizza. Mac & Cheese (not the blue box kind). Pie--all kinds. Spaghetti or lasagna or really just about any kind of pasta dish. Cereal. (I mostly eat it dry, but I like Cookie Crisp (oh, look! 2 more C's!) with MILK.) Hot cocoa with marshmallows. Hmm...toasted marshmallows. Hmm...Smores. And...hello!? Chocolate! (Duh.) That scene on Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with the chocolate river used to make me drool as a child, and I'm not much better off as an adult. But I'm not a fan of chocolate ice cream or chocolate pie. Not sure what happened there. Last but certainly not least--cheese. Show me a party tray with a variety of cheese cubes on it, and I'll show you one happy girl, let me tell you! String (haha), Gouda, Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, Feta, Cottage, Cream, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Blue...Just don't try to talk to me after I've approached the cheese tray. This much cheese doesn't do wonders for my breath. Or yours! Just sayin'...

Chris Tomlin Concerts. I've been to two. Both were amazing. He had Louie Giglio and Matt Redman with him at both, and are they ever a great team! Both Chris and Matt are quickly becoming legends in the Christian worship music world. If you've ever been to a church where they play contemporary music, then you've most likely sung either a Tomlin or a Redman song. I'm not going to make a list (and you KNOW I'm really having to hold myself back here), but my point is that these guys are some gold medal song writers. Teamed up with Louie G., they are downright outstanding! Great music + great preaching = soul-stirring, Spirit-filled, life-changing worship!! If you ever have the chance to see them, do it! And take some friends, especially unbelievers. Here are some video clips to give you an idea:

Now go to YouTube and search for more Louie Giglio. All of his stuff is great! Go ahead--I'll wait.

Cleaning. Well, let me clarify. I enjoy cleaning when I'm not terribly distracted by others' needs for my attention and when I'm not in a rush because of someone coming over. Granted, that doesn't leave too often. So maybe I should say "Cleanliness." Yeah, that really IS what I love. I like to wake up or come home to a clean--everything put away, counters, sinks, and toilets scrubbed, dishes washed, fridge well-stocked, floors swept, laundry done--house. We just had our community group from church at our house last night, so my house is CLEAN!! (well, mostly) I should take a picture before it gets gross again.

Christmas. I know. Everyone loves Christmas--and for all the same reasons: the smell of the freshly-cut tree, the lights, the music, the pretty packages, what's in the packages, the food, the food, the food, the parties, the smiling children, family time, the cards, the photos, the crisp wintry weather, the romance, the Savior's birth. Praise God for Christmas!

Waiting patiently

Cotton Candy. Oh. My weakness. Pink, fluffy goodness. Pure sugar, I know, but you have to admit this stuff is wonderful! When Paul, Gabe and I went to the Giants game in San Fran I waited around too long to buy my cotton candy from the guy who walks the stands. Next thing I know we were in the 7th or 8th inning and no one else was coming with cotton candy. I was thinking, "Nuh-uh! I gots to have me some cotton candy!!" I ran all around that stadium looking for someone selling it, and you know what I discovered? The vendors have a special room down in the basement where they gather during the 8th inning to start counting their money. And it is there that they store their leftovers as well. Good thing I was persistent, because the ushers were kind enough to give me directions to the secret room where I could get my fix. (They probably felt sorry for the pregnant woman on a mad hunt for sugar!) Of course, I missed the whole end of the game. But guess what? Worth it!

Don't you just want to bury your face in this? Nah--pretty sticky.

Cold Stone Creamery. DEE-licious!! Here's a place where I'll actually try different things. And 9 times out of 10 I like what I try. Love the mix-ins, though I usually take a less-is-more approach. Have you tried Blueberry Muffin? With a little yellow cake mixed in, it is JUST like eating a blueberry muffin, albeit a very COLD, creamy blueberry muffin. My favorite flavor? This wouldn't be hard for you to guess: Cake Batter! Ha!

Flair #5

Chivalry. I'm a girl. Of course I love chivalry. For instance, my husband always drives--so I can rest and relax (well, as much as one can with a car full of little ones)--there is never even a discussion about it. He even opens the door for me (a lot of the time). He doesn't wake me on Saturdays, gets up with the big kids, fixes their breakfasts, and spends time with them, which gives me a chance to sleep in--with the littlest baby cuddled up next to me. (Yes, I've noticed, Honey. Thanks! You're the best!) He's teaching Noah to open the door for Saylor and to let her go first. He's got his hands full with three sons to bring up, but I have no doubt they'll all be regular Prince Charmings...eventually.

Cute kids. Who doesn't love cute kids?! And I just happen to have FOUR!

Where's the FOURTH you ask? Well, this picture was taken by my mom (aka Mimi) as they waited for Baby Atticus to come home from the hospital.

Christ. Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. What can I say? I could never adequately express the love He deserves from me. He bore my sins and the sins of this world and died an excruciating death on the cross because that was God's plan to save us--because He created us and loves us. It's all about God and not at all about me, and I am so thankful. The rest of this post is totally empty and frivolous comparatively, because...really...who cares??! Christ is ALL I need.

I could totally keep going: cookies, candy, comforters/covers, caramel, clementines, Cozymel's, cameras, capers (both the pickled bud AND the restaurant!), cuddling, ciabatta bread. Boy, this post is almost entirely about FOOD! Perhaps this explains those lingering baby pounds. Could be...!

Shameless Plug

Hahahaha!

Clutter!!

I heard it through the "blog"vine (thanks, Becca) that there was a "Linky Party" at Shabby Nest. Curious, I checked it out, and it happened to be a topic that fit right in with another post I had been working on: containing kid clutter. So, I'm going to combine them right here (even though I'm a day late).

This Christmas, our plan was to simplify and to encourage more family-oriented activities, less individual ones. Here's what WE ended up getting the children:

• Noah got much-needed clothes (How's this for a good deal? 4 pairs of jeans and 5 shirts for $26 shipped, thanks to Ebay!), a basic Lego set, a Hungry Hippos game, and Wall-E the movie.
• Saylor got a few clothing items, a Ladybug board game, Calico Critters, and Peter Pan the movie.
• Gabriel got some diapers, a wooden ride-on trike, wooden ABC blocks, and a little wooden car.
• Atticus got much-needed clothes, a bib, a diaper, a Sleep Sheep, and some videos.
• Together they also got a CD/tape player, a table, and four chairs for the playroom.

It turns out that it was still way too much! We may even consider moving to one gift each next year--with maybe something extra for the whole family to enjoy. And then there were the stocking stuffers--always my favorite thing to buy for (probably due to my love of little things, see #24 here). But I'm done with the traditional approach to stuffing a stocking! You know...the little stuffed animals, the little junky toys, etc. from the $1 bins at Target. I KNOW you know what I'm talking about. SUCH a waste of money!! I'm rethinking things. From now on the stockings will be filled with food items (fruit, healthy treats, some candy), CDs, pencils, art supplies, and even hair bows, neck ties, socks, toothbrushes (now that's an idea, huh?!) and gift cards. I want to get rid of the unnecessary, in favor of the practical things we need as a family: school supplies, curriculum, clothing, food, books, music, and money for extra-curricular activities. We have GOT to start getting our needs met first and foremost.

I'm not even going to go into all the stuff the kids received from everyone else. Suffice it to say that it was disgusting. :) Don't get me wrong. Paul and I are so grateful to our family members: for how generous they are towards our children, for the time and thought they put into each gift, for how they genuinely are striving to make our children happy with their gifts. In the meantime, however, we are TRYING to teach our children to be content, to be grateful, that it is better to give than to receive, that less is more, to look to God to supply their needs, etc. The fact is children don't need so many toys. I had a conversation recently with a friend about this. She said her children have so much it seems they don't know what to do with it all, literally; they don't play with the toys in the way they were meant to be played with. My children don't exactly have THIS particular problem, aside from the times Saylor makes the Little People visit the Sodor Engine Works building from the Thomas set or when she dresses Pluto in Minnie Mouse's dress (which makes him get stuck every single time). MY children get out and get out until there's absolutely no more room to walk in the playroom anymore...and then the toys sort of start spilling out into the other areas of the house, defeating the purpose of having a playroom in the first place. This really gives rise to a LOT of problems, not just messiness: no one can focus, people start misbehaving, every one gets whiny and grumpy, no one wants to clean it up because "it's too much!" (Yeah? No kidding!!)

They just have way too much. We (all of us!) have fed their flesh to the point that they have come to expect to be lavished with gifts and it is hard for them not to want that. It makes me feel awful sometimes to think of how many children across this planet would be happy to have just ONE something to play with. I think of how they would care for that one something, how they would treasure it and be so content. Laura and Mary Ingalls (it always comes back to Little House!! haha!) had so very little, even at Christmas, but they were a happy little family and so very grateful for what they had. I'm ready to get back to that. (In fact, sometimes I think I'd like to go move to an island somewhere and live in a shack and have NOTHING but my family and what is absolutely necessary to survive.) I'd like to spend LESS money on OUR children at Christmas and, therefore, be able to afford better gifts for others, especially those in need. We took the kids with us to shop for the gifts for Operation Christmas Child this year. You should have seen the way they kept piling more stuff in the cart to give to the children. I was watching God filling their hearts with such joy as they sought to give to others. I'd like us to be able to afford to send MORE boxes next year.

Besides, I think it would be better to buy special things for the kids throughout the year, rather than giving them so very much all in one day; to give fewer "Christmas (or your birthday) is coming up" answers and more "sure, why not" answers. Though, as a general rule, I think we're going to stick to the aforementioned stipulations: practical, necessary, family-oriented, school, or books. Because we've got everything else we could possibly need as far as toys go. Saylor needs NO MORE dolls and NO MORE purses; the boys need NO MORE cars, trains, or balls; no one needs ANY MORE stuffed animals...AT ALL; we have PLENTY of blocks, puzzles, and dress-up stuff (tons really). Anything more than this is overkill, and frankly, the kids aren't sitting around feeling sorry for themselves saying, "I want, I want." They truly are fine with what they have and can even admit that much of it doesn't get played with and they are fine with getting rid of it.

You know what? It's my stuff, too. Even decorative stuff is driving me crazy! I've got about a million picture frames, but I don't even like the way they look sitting all around on every flat surface in my house. Since we moved I've had them all put away in a cabinet, but I'm pulling them out now and getting rid of them. I'd rather scrapbook the pictures I like or enlarge them for wall frames. I certainly have plenty of wall space! Why do I have all this stuff anyway?? Where did it all come from? Who needs four pairs of gloves, one hundred magazines, and a dozen knick-knacks? Even in my childhood I was a collector of all kinds of stuff: china dolls (WAY too many for one girl), toy dolls, textbooks (don't ask), pencils (4th grade obsession), stickers. I don't know why. And what am I going to do with it now? I certainly don't have room OR a need for any of it, and my mom doesn't need it junking up HER house either. If you've ever thrown out this kind of stuff, you know that once it's gone you almost NEVER think of it again. So why hang on to it in the first place? And while china dolls are beautiful and nice to have (I suppose), you can't take them with you to heaven. They can't even be played with--because they're breakable, for goodness' sake! It's ridiculous, I tell ya!

Here's what I'm thinking. For the most part, our house is decorated enough--especially the kids' rooms--so NO MORE decorative items. NO more stuffed animals. Period. (They've taken over one too many times!) No more STUUUUUUUUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! From now on, we focus on needs and things our family can do TOGETHER. B.T. and E.K. (the cousins) had a great idea for a gift for us this year. (Alright, their parents did...) They gave us some money to put towards an inflatable bouncer. Now, if that's not perfect for family bonding, I don't know what is. Awesome! So, board games requiring more than one player, movies we can watch together while snuggling on the couch, video games for the Wii, tickets/membership cards for family activities/events in town (zoo, museum, etc.)--these are the kinds of things we'd all love and would not clutter up our lives. AND we need practical stuff, too: like books (you can never have too many children's books), furniture, homeschool curriculum, crayons (this is a constant need--is it just us???), construction paper, play dough, clothes, car seats, shoes, money for dance, sports, swimming, etc.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking the kids won't be excited about opening a game they have to share or a membership card to the zoo or money for a car seat--that they'd much rather have several new plastic, noise-making, light-producing toys. But what you don't know is that our kids have a real awareness of our NEEDS because we are constantly pointing out to them that the reason we can't buy that Koosh ball at the check-out counter or go out for pizza every time they ask is because we have to save our money for the important stuff. They are slowly but surely learning to be grateful for our blessings and the gifts God sends to us (through our loved-ones) that meet our specific needs: His perfect provisions. Besides, the longer we go filling their gift boxes with junk, the longer they will be dependent on that to satisfy their insatiable appetite for STUFF, like Edmund's Turkish Delight. It won't fill the void that only Christ can fill. I don't want my children caught up in that kind of slavery, that idolatry, the trappings of this world. The stuff can't go with you, it doesn't last, and it doesn't help us further the Kingdom.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matt. 6:19-20.

Some of our playroom shelves. (I like everything to have its own place.)

As you can see, we can still stand to get rid of a little more, I think.

Our playroom is also our school room, so we have a LOT to contain.

Look at how much stuff we're getting rid of!! (Minus a couple of things that walked off for a bit...) The plan is to sell it and use the money for a Wii game and to put toward the inflatable jumping thing!! Woo hoo!! (After this sale, though, any other junk that comes through the doors is being donated immediately.)

So what do YOU think? I've been struggling with all of this for quite some time. Any one else out there have any of the same issues? Or better yet, some solutions??

An old conversation (via email) I just had to share

Krista: If you could have anything you wanted to ear, what would it be? I need to know ASAP!! Krista

Me: What??!!

Me: What are we talking about? Want to ear???

(There was a phone call somewhere in here to explain the word should have been "eat." haha That still cracks me up!)

Krista: You think I'm crazy, don't you? Just admit it! I hope you have a good night with your kids. I will say a prayer for you before bed. Talk to you soon. Krista

Me: Aren't you??!! :)
Okay...I've been thinking and thinking--a million things have been running through my mind. I mean, if you're talking like a restaurant dish, then good grief, the Boston something-or-other at Cajun's Wharf is yummy, but I don't eat shellfish anymore (hmm); the bread at Macaroni Grill (obviously); plain cheese pizza at US Pizza or Larry's buffet, of course, or really just about any pizza (I can put it away, I'm telling you); white cheese dip at Senor Tequila or Juanita's or just about anywhere; garlic bagel with cream cheese from New York Bagel; cheap sides/apps. at Cozymel's; Tropical Sno homemade vanilla ice cream snow cone (way too seasonal to suit my needs); turkey croissant from Brave New (seriously, that place knows how to make an aesthetically-pleasing but scrumptious meal--been there three times over the past 4 years, but I always say it's my favorite restaurant); drawing a blank...if you're talking home cooking, then my mom's coconut pie (only hers); my grandmother's blackberry cobbler (hers is the best, but I really like it everywhere else, too); my family's Christmas fruitcake (not what you think); cornbread and brown beans (now that's down home!!); and a regular 'ol baked sweet potato...but if you're talking candy, then chocolate-covered raisins; peanut butter M&Ms; just about anything white chocolate; candy corn pumpkins; and all-cherry Spree hearts (a Valentine candy they don't make anymore, apparently)...other faves would be watermelon (I could survive on nothing but watermelon for months, I'm sure of it); pomegranate; cheese; olives (all kinds); cotton candy; breakfast for supper; marshmallows; and ice cream (regular vanilla, coke floats, milk shakes, chocolate sundaes, sherbet, but mostly Cold Stone's cake batter flavor with nothing mixed in). Whew!!!!
That enough info. for you?? I'm sure there's more--I happen to like eating very much!! I'll bet you've learned one thing from this...never try to pin Lori down to pick one anything, especially a favorite. I can't do it; it's not possible. That's what comes of being the most indecisive person on the face of the planet. Now, for the real question: WHY in the world do you want to know, you goofy thing you????
You'd be proud of me...
I'm actually getting in bed right...NOW...!!
Night,
Lori

(and there you have it) Hahahahaha!!

A Flair Post

Told you I was gonna do it...
My grade school friend Rachel was the person who first introduced me to pomegranates. I truly don't know how she ever found any when we were growing up, because the grocery stores in small towns like the one I'm from almost never have obscure things like pomegranates. But after discovering them, I'd make a big deal about getting one when they were in season (which is like 2 weeks out of the year, I think).

This flair helps me remember the time I went to Vienna during "Jan Term." (OH, how I LOVED Jan Term. Yes, I know, I'll need to explain...but you'll have to wait on that one for now...) I obsessively sought out an open market JUST so I could get a pomegranate. I ended up buying TWO because I was afraid I might not get back out to the market and then what would I do?!? (I have a problem with Great Depression-mentality. In other words, I like to stock up.) And I ate them both...all by myself!

Missing Something?

I forgot my backpack last week...not once, not twice, but three times in the same day! You would have thought the first time would have taught me a lesson. After all, my pastor had to call me from his cell phone to tell me he had it at his house. (I left it at church.) We drove over there to get it. He joked about how he was just glad we hadn't forgotten a child, and I laughed as I thought, "You just wait. One day. I'm almost certain of it."

It should have been glued to my back after that, but nope. I proceeded to forget it later that same night. I went back for it and then, after becoming involved in a discussion (and thereby getting myself nice and distracted), walked out empty-handed again! I did realize it, however, the very second the door closed behind me. But not before Paul saw me (from the car) have to turn right back around and go in for it. I'm sure he was thinking, "This is the person in whose care I leave my children each day..."

And besides that, it's pretty bad when your pastor knows it's YOUR very huge diaper bag/backpack (and without digging through it for clues, too). I'm sure it couldn't be because I carry it everywhere I go, it's HUGE, my family sort of creates a scene when arriving at any given event and that HUGE backpack is riding around on my back when all eyes turn to stare, much of the time my keys are dangling from it and jingling with every step I take, it's fashionably LOUD, and...it's HUGE! Nah, surely not.

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