Reviewing the Results

American Idol Finale:

Judge video clips. Cute.

Randy's clown bow tie. Not the best.

"Hello" was always one of my faves. Danny singing it was PERFECT! And Lionel Richie to boot!! Wow. Danny, though nervous-looking as all get-out, had a lot of vocal fun on that little medley, didn't he? Awesome!!

Okay. Cindi Lauper always WAS the coolest!!! (Haven't I always said so, Mom? Remember that time I dressed up like her--spray "painted" my hair and everything?!) Love her [music]!!

Scantily-clad women. Didn't I mention this before?? Um, yep. I believe I did. What ever happened to "family show"??

Aww. Rod Stewart. And "Maggie." Nana would have loved that.

Golden Idol Awards. Funny.

Adam. Kiss. How apropos. That's all I've got to say about that.

And the winner is.............................

Kris!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What??!!!

I guess my mom's 300+ votes really DID make a difference! What was it you said, Mom? Will the Arkeys and the Gokeys be enough support for Kris? Well, I'd say the answer is "yes." And there you have it, folks.

And, by the way, thank goodness they lowered the key for him on the cheesy inspirational song. Sounded MUCH better this time.

In the end, the finale seemed a little anti-climatic to me for some reason. At any rate, here's what I'm hoping. I'm hoping the mainstream media doesn't cause a 23-year old Christian NEWLEYWED's faith to falter in the slightest. I'm hoping he will live a life which pleases the Lord and will not be deceived or led astray by the worldly fame and fortune that will be heaped upon him (like Jon and Kate Gosselin). I'm hoping he will put God first and his marriage second and honor his wife (unlike Jon Gosselin) and she him (unlike Kate Gosselin). (Can you tell I'm ever so disgusted with a certain "celebrity" couple?)

In other "results" news...
I placed an order with Oriental Trading on the 13th with an expected delivery date of the 20th. When the package didn't arrive on the 20th I got worried. Sure enough, as of that morning they were estimating delivery on the 26th! Three days after our parties!! I called FedEx. I called OT Customer Service. Neither could/would help. But guess what?! After fuming and wringing my hands for about five minutes, I called Customer Service right back AGAIN. This time I used the word "upset." Suddenly they were offering to overnight a package to me on their dime. Ah. That's more like it. I'll have to thank my husband for teaching me persistence with customer service people...and for recognizing that it never hurts to ask.

Not Me...

I am looking forward to the MOST relaxing week ever. I mean, I'm definitely NOT "all-in-knots" stressed out about the impending two-birthday-party day (with a soccer game RIGHT before one of them). I really have NOTHING to get done. Certainly NO cleaning, NO gathering of ingredients and party favors, and NO obtaining tables and chairs to keep me busy this week. In fact, I think I'll go put my feet up right now and eat a few bonbons.

WARNING: Photo of wretchedness approaching.......You may need to avert your eyes!

I have NOT lived in this house for a year and a half with THESE navy and red drapes strung up all haphazard-like over plastic temporary shade thingies on the FRONT bedroom window (for all to see) just to keep some of the heat and light out of the nursery. I would NEVER allow such an eye-sore in my home, especially in the pale blue, orange, and brown nursery...because navy doesn't match!! And I always match!!! Oh, and the reason I HAVEN'T had such ugly window treatments is because we have money coming out of our ears these days! Truly. We most assuredly have NOT already flagged every penny of our tax refund for blinds (finally), air conditioner issues, etc. Instead, we are scheduled to have a dream vacation to......well, it really doesn't matter, now does it??!

I am NOT--at this very minute--looking at the biggest, fattest mess of a room there ever was. Because. I am the best housekeeper in the history of housekeepers. Also, I am the most put-together person you have ever met. I would certainly NOT be sitting here typing this post wearing the same clothes I had on yesterday, while desperately needing a shower and makeup. I do NOT have dirty hair! NEVER!!

And I am NOT a BIT excited about tomorrow night's American Idol finale. Because that would just be stupid. Besides, sitting around watching a television show instead of cleaning the aforementioned messy room (or working on party stuff) would just be ultra-slothful and foolish, and I am definitely NEITHER of those things. I am full of energy--a "busy bee," if you will--who uses her time wisely, which is why I'm certainly NOT still sitting at this computer typing out a list of things I have NOT done.

For more "Not Me! Monday" posts, visit MckMama at mycharmingkids.net.

In Case You Haven't Noticed: Part 2

In case you haven't noticed, yesterday's post was a shameless ploy for attention.

But it worked.

*big smile*

(Did you SEE all those comments??!! hahahaha)


In case you haven't noticed, I totally forgot to provide a couple of links on yesterday's post, so I've since put them in. And for convenience sake, here they are again:


Meredith's post about ME (you can all go gawk at the terribly unphotogenic Lori)

Katelyn's blog (our babysitter)

Heather's blog (my hiLARious texting college roommate)


In case you didn't watch [AI] last night...






Danny.

My Danny.

went.

home.




I was not expecting that.

And I don't really know what to say...
except...

I'm happy, I'm sad, I'm relieved, I'm disappointed, I'm shocked, I'm heartbroken. I'm ALL these things! Ugh!!!!!!!!! (I've GOT to stop watching TV!!)


So, Kris it is.
I guess.

At least I'm not torn anymore. Because I DO have SOME sense of "Arkansas loyalty," as my friend Jenny so tactfully questioned. I DEFINITELY don't want Adam to win.



But...he will.

And in case you haven't noticed, there are a lot of immodestly-dressed women (not to mention a lot of innuendo) on American Idol these days. I'm not down with that. This just may have to be my last season. Can I do it?! Can I actually break away--break free from the madness??!!!


OH!!!!!!!! I almost forgot!!!! (Warning: This is more attention-seeking nonsense...)
In case you haven't noticed, I have a button on my sidebar. You can copy the code and put a little bit of me on YOUR blog (if you've got one).

In Case You Haven't Noticed

In case you haven't noticed, I've been reviewing American Idol (here here here and here) and we are almost to the END!! I've enjoyed every second of this (well, almost), but I'm glad to finish off this series and move on with my life. Ha! Now, about Tuesday night's episode:

1) I hated--no HATED--Adam's songs. Both of them. But especially "One." The melody HE came up with was TERRIBLE. And I was disgusted with how the judges shamelessly "chose" him as the winner (before he ever got out there on the stage tonight).
2) Paula picked a boring song for Danny. HE performed it well, but it was a blah song, so nobody will care.
3) I liked both of Kris Allen's songs. (And, yes, I heard the "bum" note, too, but it wasn't THAT loud, Paula.)
4) Danny is still, still, still my very favorite.
5) But I kinda don't want him to win because I'd LOVE for him to make a cool, bluesy Christian album.
6) Adam's probably going to pull it off, and that's just "ick" to me.

Read what Linda from 2nd Cup of Coffee says:

As far as American Idol goes, there's not much to say except: that's a boatload of natural gifting on one stage. Good grief.

My favorite is still Danny Gokey, who was my choice from the first time I saw him, but the other two are brimming with the talent, as well. I do not personally care for Adam's style, but I'm not blind to his ability.

With that said (as they say in "The Bachelor" ad nauseum) I don't believe the premise of the show fits Adam because he has been on big-time stage before, and this show is supposed to pluck unknown underdogs from Denny's and Borders and give them a chance to shine. Also, it's mainly for Pop or Top 40 music, not opera, bluegrass, Broadway or hard rock.

But details, details. In spite of my compulsion as a rule follower to protest, I believe that Adam will win. And you know what? If so, I say, "Ho-hum."

I agree. And that's that. In case you didn't notice, I'm ready for this whole thing to be over. (Last week made me get all negative and stuff...)


And in case you haven't noticed, this is a pretty belated post, considering that the results show just started 10 minutes ago...I'm busy!!!


In case you haven't noticed, you can Follow this blog by clicking the "Follow" button on the left sidebar. (I'm slowly but surely building my fan base so I can...yeah, I don't know. tee hee) Also, if you Twitter, you can follow my tweets by clicking the little bird at the top of the right sidebar, although don't get overly excited. I don't tweet as often as most, since I don't have mobile (internet) phone capabilities (too cheap)...AND I don't know how to text like my friend Heather.


Of course, in case you didn't notice, those of you who already follow me missed SEVERAL posts I did because something was wrong in my Settings. So you may need to read ON (and ON) to catch up with me ('cause I've been on a roll lately)!


In case you haven't noticed (because I have), I have some pretty special friends. My new friend Kelly lent her daughter Katelyn to me Friday night for babysitting so I could attempt to regain my sanity. (More on this later.) My darling and spectacular friend Meredith WROTE ABOUT ME on her blog (for Friendship Friday), and it was the sweetest thing EVER. (No comment about the gross photo. (oops! I guess that's a comment.)) she probably had to scrounge around to find...since I don't allow people to take my picture. That lovely quirk was passed down to me from my mom. Thanks, Mom!)



In case you haven't noticed...

I have FOUR kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Waaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!

In case you haven't noticed, I posted this and this and nobody said a word. Okay. Okay!! It's official. I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED comments. Why????? I don't know (whiny tone). This whole blogging thing is really emotionally confusing. I'm still trying to figure out how this thing got started in the first place...

And in case you haven't noticed, this post is jumbled and random and very much belated, but that's just an indication of what kind of week I'm having right now. *smile* How about planning two birthday parties on one day (to occur in a week and a half), wrapping up soccer games (complete with make-up games and everything), ballet/costume craziness, another mini-party the weekend AFTER the two-birthday-party day, not to mention paying bills, and other household issues? Fun, fun, fun.

Well, I Never!

Today you will definitely NOT find me participating in MckMama's Not Me! Monday. Because that would be much too fun, and I am NOT about having fun, NO ma'am. I am all about sitting around the house, twiddling my thumbs, and staring at the walls...and NOT the computer screen where I'd get to read lots of hilarious things people did NOT do.

_________________________________________________________

Who...me??!!

Well, I can promise you right now--I have NOT ignored the weird smell coming from my washer, even though thoughts of mold, mildew, and dead animal?? are plaguing me. (Seriously, what IS that smell? Besides awful, I mean.)

I did NOT take off Gabriel's diaper to change it, realize I didn't have any clean diapers to put on him because they were all in the dryer, put him down, walk off to retrieve a diaper, and then THIRTY minutes later notice my child's bare bottom running through the house. You know. 'Cause I would certainly NEVER EVER be so distracted by a million other things going on that I would EVER be so forgetful as to not diaper my baby. Puh-leeeeze!

And when my sweet little Atticus hadn't...


...shall we say..."made a diaper" for several days, I did NOT decide that the Johnny Jump-Up would be the perfect activity for him.

And then when he proceeded to have a "blow-out" (because, you know how it goes...UP and OUT!) I had NO trouble whatsoever; instead, I handled it all with such grace and ease. I mean, I certainly WASN'T holding him over one arm while stripping him with the other hand...and making an even bigger mess. And after his bath (yes, a bath was required) when I realized that I got "smudged" right on the front of my shirt, I did NOT knowingly continue to wear the "christened" (though well-camouflaged) shirt. And most assuredly NOT to Saylor's ballet rehearsal.


I would NEVER do something so crass and disgusting! I am NOTHING if not the picture of cleanliness and politeness...which reminds me...

Back in the day when I was a pretty young thing (that's "PYT" for all you M.J. fans out there), oh around 12 or 13 I'd say, I would absolutely NEVER be drawn into burping contests with a couple of high school guys who used to hang out at my parents' house. I didn't learn a THING about how to burp as loud and long as humanly possible, and I most certainly NEVER won those burping contests against those two guys!!! How rude! (Oh, Chuck Doo, how I miss you. Ha!)

And one more thing: I have NOT allowed spilled milk (and some other mystery ingredient) in my fridge to remain there for goodness knows HOW long and get all crusty and cause jars and things to fuse themselves to the glass shelves. I ALWAYS keep my fridge perfectly spotless and full of only the freshest foods. That's just the way I am.

Happy Mother's Day

Pause my Playlist (at the very bottom of the screen), if you will, and listen to the words of this song.


This is why I do what I do.

Happy Mother's Day, all you mommies out there who get not nearly enough sleep, fix countless meals, wash, clean, organize, run errands, and love on little people all day long. Don't EVER forget "you are changing the world...one little heartbeat at a time."

And...I love you, Mom. Sorry I'm not there with you.

What I Would Have Said

A while ago I changed the first song on my Playlist. I think of Sharon (Nana) when I hear it, and I wanted to share it with you. Here are the lyrics:


Finally Home

by Mercy Me


I’m gonna wrap my arms around my daddy’s neck

And tell him that I’ve missed him.

And tell him all about the man that I became

And hope that it pleased him

There’s so much I want to say

There’s so much I want you to know

When I finally make it home

When I finally make it home

Then I’ll gaze upon the throne of the King

Frozen in my steps

And all the questions that I swore I would ask

Words just won’t come yet

So amazed at what I’ve seen

So much more than this old mind can hold

And the sweetest sound my ears have yet to hear

Voices of the angels



I never actually explained exactly what happened, did I? There actually aren't a whole lot of details, because even though she had cancer (lung and lymph node), she was doing quite well on her treatment plan. Even with the really tough chemo--she just kept bouncing back. Wednesday morning (April 8) she drove herself to a doctor's appointment where she had plans to meet up with her husband (aka Poppy) on his way home from his latest trip out (he's a railroader, by the way). While in the doctor's office, she started coughing. We were told that she began coughing up blood (which has happened before), but that it was a LOT. They rushed her to the ER, but it was too late. She had lost too much blood. They think she burst an artery. It all happened so fast. NOBODY was prepared for such a shock. (I just wanted to get that cleared up because I didn't want to leave the impression that she had lived with cancer for many, many years and had withered away to nothing, because God, in His mercy, didn't let it come to that for her.)

Though her wishes were for me to sing at her memorial service, and I was somehow able to get through THAT, I would have loved to have been able to speak, too. I knew I was in no shape to do such a thing, so I didn't attempt it, but I DID write something during our planning craziness--something to help ground me. So, this is what I would have said...


I had the best mother-in-law in the whole world. She genuinely cared what I thought, she always made me feel at home, she treated me like her own daughter, she encouraged me as a mother, she prayed for me and my little family, she made an effort to come visit us at our house, she was our babysitter countless, countless times, she knew the little quirky details about my personality (and liked me anyway), she inquired about my friends and family, she considered my likes and dislikes, she loved her grandchildren so much that they were like her medicine when they were near.

Holding Grandchild #5

I will never forget that she coined the phrase, "doot-doot'n-doo" to mean "extremely fancy," that she played "Best Jump Ever" with the kids, that she wanted them to think of "Nana's house" as the fun place to get dirty, go swimming, and maybe even have a little sugar (and still apologized to me for wanting to give it to them), that she bought way too much for all of us, that she and the kids always did "Double Love" when saying goodbye, that she worried about her own children (behind their backs), that she thought LUNCH--at Ihop (pancakes and all)--was the best, that she bragged about her grandchildren so that people who were never around them felt like they knew them anyway, that she took care of her aging parents with grace and joy, that she thoroughly enjoyed her QVC (ha!), that she glowed with the love of Christ through the worst kind of suffering, and that she withstood all of it because she was strong in the Lord and because of her great love for all of us.

I actually think I may be starting to grieve all over again. I feel it creeping up on me, as Mother's Day approaches. I know Paul and Wendy feel it so much more, but I--being the resident shopper of all things gift-related--am hating the fact that I don't have a Mother's Day gift for HER. In fact, the last time I was in Conway with her she told me that all she wanted from then on (and for any occasion) was pictures. I so wish I could give her what she wanted.

Where I Live: The Living Room

This is the Second Installment of Kelly's Where I Live Carnival. We're in the living room this week. See?


This is the view upon entering our home. There are doors on either side of the fireplace leading out to our back porch/yard.

This room single-handedly (well, almost) sealed the deal for me when deciding to purchase this house. In here it's all about the ceilings (they're high)...

...and the moulding (it's magnificent).

Notice the wretched countertop tile is here again--around the fireplace. "Tile guy" strikes again.

One thing's certain about this house. We did NOT purchase this house thinking what a lovely paint job the interior has. There was most definitely a "paint guy" on the job here. You won't be able to see the painting mishaps from these photos (mostly 'cause I'm not going to show them to you), but take it from me. They're there. For one thing, the E-N-T-I-R-E house was painted the same color and in a MATTE finish!!! I know matte is often used on interior walls to disguise imperfections in the wall, etc. but can you imagine painting all the walls in your house with a MATTE finish???!! (I'm talking even in the bathrooms!!!!) Instead of disguising imperfections HERE, it actually shows MORE issues, because there are water spots, fingerprints, and dents and dings that can now only be covered by painting over them, and it's been my experience that it never looks very good to touch-up walls that way.

What.

Was the Home Depot paint-shaking guy unavailable for you ("paint guy") to ask what might be the best finish to do throughout a house? Come on. All REAL paint guys know that a WIPEABLE surface is an absolute necessity in rooms like the bathroom and kitchen. (Actually, I'm pretty sure EVerybody knows that.) And--really--I'm thinking any room in which PEOPLE will be living needs a wipeable surface, especially rooms in which children frequent.

IN-EE-WAY...we've managed to repaint the kids' bedrooms, but THIS room will require scaffolding and/or a professional (i.e. money), and so we wait. and pretend. and ignore. I mean, it's something one can live with (or without, depending on how you look at it). So, it's fine. But I do miss color, which is sort of necessary--in the absence of actual decorating and all.

This little corner usually has the Little Tikes junior-size picnic table for snack time AND a quilt my great-grandmother made that all my babies have played on. (I'll have to show you that sometime.) But all YOU can see is my basket of knitting and a little rocking chair that used to be mine as a child. The seat needs to be refinished, but I don't have time for that right now. Imagine that!

This piece of art and the one above the Bombe chest behind my couch were purchased at Hobby Lobby when framed art was on sale for 50% off. That same trip we also got the candelabra and candles you see in my fireplace for half off.

I'm laughing at how many pieces of baby equipment are now in my kitchen for the purposes of these pictures. For some reason, I just couldn't let them be shown, even though I KNOW you KNOW I have babies, and equipment, and toys. Well, at least this way I'll have usable pictures for when we get ready to sell this joint. Ha!

'K. Moving on. This couch...

...and the matching chair-and-a-half and ottoman came from my parents' furniture store. Got it all wholesale. Well, really, ALL the furniture in this room came from there.

Except the buffet by the piano. It's sort of on loan to me from my mom. I LOVE it, because it fits in this room so well, AND it holds all my piano music plus table linens (the two items I own), some Christmas decorations that don't need to be in the extremely hot attic, and a few other knick-knacks. Ah, storage!!


Also, notice this tapestry? Isn't it beautiful?? It was a gift from my parents, as was the other tapestry by the front door, and all the lamps, and the two pieces of artwork over the ottoman (the one we turned into seating by shoving it against the wall), although not on the same occasion.

Last, but not least, this is the piano. It's a Baldwin baby grand. I got it for my 14th birthday. I don't play it nearly as much as I used to (boo hoo), but it definitely gets plenty of action with so many eager fingers around here (some of which are pictured here). It's sort of been through it, what with three moves (counting when my parents first purchased it) and all, so I'd really like to have it cleaned well, get some repairs done on it, and have it tuned.

The windows are gorgeous in this house. The problem is that there are no (absolutely NO) window coverings. There aren't even any screens!! Yeah, we've got our work cut out for us. This is one window, though beautiful, that we simply must do something about because I'm sure you can imagine what it's like when the hot, summer [afternoon] sun is shining right ON that window. Let's just say it makes for a toasty living room. We're working on it...

But for now...over and out, ta-ta, and word to your mutha.

Click here to see last week's room: the kitchen.

Welcome to My Bipolar World

Yippee!! I just won my very first blog giveaway. I am PUMPED with a capital P (and obviously with a capital U, M, P, E, and D as well)!!!! I won this:


from Frugal Granola. And I can't WAIT to get my increasingly old-looking hands (thank you dishes, laundry, and lack of sufficient moisturizing) on it!! (Notice I didn't mention how arthritically-SORE they get from playing the piano?? I'm SO upbeat these days, I can't even stand it!)

So, in that vein, I'm going to let you in on another giveaway going on over at Things Moms Like. This particular "thing" to be given away is some yarn and knitting needles. I don't know if you knew this about me, but I am a knitter WHEN I get time, which isn't often, but I DO really enjoy it, so I think I definitely NEED to win this giveaway so I can be inspired to begin another project (and because I just may be on a winning "roll"). If you happen to enjoy knitting as much as I, you should check it out. Although--KNOW THIS--if you enter said giveaway, you will most definitely be DEcreasing MY chances of winning, so if you truly love me, as [some of] you say you do, you'll STAY AWAY!!!! Ha!


In other news, Eeek!! we may actually wash away here at The Davidson Den with all this rain. And I mean that LIT-erally. I woke up yesterday morning to Noah jumping up and down, having pronounced our yard as "FLOODED!" I figured he just meant ultra-wet and soggy, which was to be expected after so many days of so much rain. But, nope. He was pretty close to correct. It wasn't so much that there was standing water in our yard you'd have to wade through or anything, it was that water from "the mountain," as we call it, had STOPPED flowing down the trench the city dug behind our house and had STARTED spilling over behind our retaining wall, giving it a new path down the side of our yard (AND our neighbor's). The phrase "washed out" doesn't even do it justice. It was almost like our "YARD" was in the street. And the water just kept on coming. I'm talking FAST.MOVING.WATER. NON-STOP!!! There was nothing to be done about it, except that finally when the babies were napping I went out with the big kids (in their boots---why don't I have boots?) and I dug out the trench which was clogged and slow-moving and then piled rocks and sediment to make a wall to keep the water from coming OUR way. It worked, but it took over an hour of HARD shovelling to get it to stop. I'm seriously concerned. Like CALL IN THE PROFESSIONALS concerned!!! So. Now I'm sore. Doggone shovel. And I'm praying for sunshine to dry up the mess (only I'd really like it if I could order up bright sunshine without the added hot). And hoping for a miracle. Like free engineering, equipment, and labor over this-a-way.

I know, I know.

I'm not holding my breath.

In Case You've Come to Expect It: AI Review

This week's American Idol Review really and truly WILL be short and sweet. (Well, maybe not sweet.)


Ready for it???
Here goes.


If last week was my FAVORITE American Idol show ever in the history of American Idol,...................


then THIS week's show was most definitely my LEAST favorite show ever!



Because, yuck.




I don't know. Maybe I just hate rock music or something. Although, I don't think I ever KNEW that about myself. Or maybe nobody really wowed me. Or maybe I can't stand tight leather clothing or chains or guys wearing eyeliner or witnessing contestants WAAAAAY out of their comfort zones (how terribly UNcomfortable for ME!) or screaming (and calling it singing) or awkward, jerky dance moves...or DUETS on a show like this. DUETS????!! How completely bizarre!

Anyway, watching was..............well, I'm going to have to say it.

A waste of time.

The end.

The Promised Tutorial: How to Rotate an .AVI Video File

Okay. This is what you've all been waiting for. I just know it. Ha! Today I'm gonna teach you to do something tech-savvy. Well, a true techie probably wouldn't consider it so, but a stay-at-home mommy who seemingly doesn't use her brain that often (ME) thinks this is pretty cool. Okay. You ready? Just in case you ever happen to film something in one orientation and need to flip it, NOW you'll know what to do. And, I promise, it's painless.

1. Upload your video to your computer.


2. Go here and download the version of VirtualDub that is most compatible with your system. I chose "VirtualDub 1.8.8." (VirtualDub is video-editing software that is available to download free. Gotta love that.)


3. Extract the files (from the zip file you just downloaded) and locate the VirtualDub.exe file. Double click to run it.


4. Once the program is up and running, go to File, Open Video File, locate your video and open it.


5. Next, go to Video and make sure Full Processing Mode is checked. (Mine was already checked.)


6. Then go to Video again and Filters.


7. Click the Add button and then scroll down to highlight the "rotate" filter from the list. Click OK.


8. Give it a moment. Then, save your changes by going to File and Save as AVI. Again, give it a moment as it renders the video. Give it a new file name to distinguish it from your original file. And there you have it. Easy peasy.

The final version is available for viewing on yesterday's "Snips" post.
I hope this helps someone. Because, you know. I'm here to serve.

Snips, Snails & Pretty Pigtails

Noah is--for lack of a better term--"obsessed" with the Wii. He got Mario Baseball for his birthday, and he has so.much.fun playing it. He's even taught Saylor how to play so they can nearly clobber Gabriel as he toddles by play together. (And that is nothing short of a miracle, let me tell ya, because she is NOT naturally into this sort of thing.) He's simply busy being a boy. A mud-sloshing, tree-climbing, video-gaming, rough-and-tumble BOY.

This was "Fall 2008," but it's still a VERY good representation of what he busies himself doing.

Saylor had a blast rolling her hair for our Princess Portraits. She is such a girly girl. I think she could seriously wear a dress each and every day of her life, no matter what activities we had planned for that day. Truly, there are days she practically cries because I want her to wear pants. (Aren't I mean?)

Gabriel was a my big helper on Red Envelope Day. (And yes, I'm aware that was over a month ago...look, I've got a lot going on here.) He really IS becoming more and more independent. In fact, over the past week or so he's been going upstairs to play all by himself. He's decided he doesn't HAVE to be my little shadow 24/7.

Okay. I "shot" this little video of Atticus on Thursday the 30th, but it took me a little while to get it posted here, because I shot it in Portrait orientation. When I uploaded the video, the computer automatically put it back in Landscape orientation. You would have had to turn your head sideways to watch it. So, watch for a tutorial on how to rotate .avi files. In case you ever do the same thing, I can make life easy on you.  ;)

Anyway, for the past couple of weeks I've been putting Atticus on the floor in one place, and five minutes later, I'd find him several feet away from that spot. I knew he was getting around (somehow), I just hadn't caught him yet. I finally saw with my own eyes on the evening of April 29th, so I set him up the next day...just for YOU! Go ahead, witness the speed of (drum roll, please) Atticus the Amazing:

Couldn't you just eat him up??

Where I Live: The Kitchen

Kelly's hosting Where You Live Friday, and this week it's the kitchen. Now, let me preface this by saying we bought this house brand new, but it was in foreclosure because the builder ran out of money. Regularly priced it was way out of our price range, so in purchasing it, we knew that after closing there wouldn't be enough money left over to fix the things the builder left unfinished. Anyway, the KITCHEN is where MOST of the unfinished work remains. Just thought you should know, because you may have been under the false impression that we are Richy Riches who are spoiled beyond belief and have more than they asked for, and you need to know NOW that is absolutely NOT the case.

So. I DID sort of promise you a tour of "The Davidson Den." Here goes.

The first problem you may notice is that the "tile guy" didn't finish his work. (I have "tile guy" in quotes because whoever laid our tile most definitely could not be labeled as a real and for real TILE GUY with a business card and such. This was just some poor schmuck with a trowel and the need for work.) The granite tiles on the countertops have not been grouted, nor is there a decent trim on the edges. And besides that, there is no backsplash whatsoever. This, of course, needs to be done, but there needs to be money for such an endeavor. We HAVE picked out what we'd like, but it's going to have to wait a bit. Sometimes I'm astounded at how long we've lived this way (when I said in the beginning that under no circumstances could I deal with ungrouted tiles, etc. for ANY amount of time). Ha!
Love my smooth cook-top. Man, I could never go back to an electric stovetop with GRATES. (I know, I sound like a spoiled brat.) Please excuse me. But I DO so enjoy the ease of cleaning this beauty.



I DO like my cabinets. I mean, I wouldn't have chosen this color or even this hardware, but they are heads and above better than the ones we had at the old house. I am counting my blessings. And no matter what they look like, they work great. The hinges are so nice, the drawers glide like a dream (and even have a mechanism that pulls them TO once they get to a certain point), and I have various sizes for storing all my kitchen essentials (and nonessentials--let's don't forget about them). Check out these great features:

A Pantry

Notice the missing trim at the top. "HUH?!" you say. Um......yeah. I don't know what happened there. Guess they were in a hurry??

The pantry has AWESOME pull-out drawers. I truly don't know how I lived without this feature before. Ha! (And, yes, you saw correctly. There's a drawer missing. Apparently we had a "cabinet guy" as well. Who knows?)

Pull-out double trash bin

(This is perhaps my favorite practical feature.)

A knife drawer

A bread drawer

Now, whatever you do, don't look down (at the floor), because the tile problems just get worse. "Tile guy" strikes again. Bad tile, bad grout color, no sealing, bad "tile guy." Anyhoo...
These are just some of my favorites. We also have a silverware drawer with built-in separators, two pull-out drawers in every lower cabinet, and a pop-out tray thingie in front of the sink. These are Merillat cabinets, and I really have enjoyed them. Problem is I don't know how to go about getting the missing pieces we need to finish things up. So, Merillat, if you're reading this, we could use your assistance, pretty please. (Uh, for free.)
Also in the kitchen we have our "breakfast area," which is actually our all-encompassing eating area. I love the bay windows where we watch the birds (robins, cardinals, red-headed woodpeckers, bluebirds, and hummingbirds...to name a few). Paul and I picked out this table set from Pier One when we were first married. It has proven itself invaluable. Who knew one day we'd NEED six seats at the table...and on a daily basis at that?! My dream is to have a massive SQUARE table (or round, I suppose) that can fit US and several more (because right now we can't have much company).
The Eddie Bauer highchair you see in the above pic has been one of the best items we've ever owned. It was Saylor's chair, and now Gabriel uses it. It has held up SO beautifully. It has a fabric cover, but I don't use it during this eating stage (aka toddlerhood), so it's stored in the nifty little shelf under the seat. Yep. There's even a storage shelf. Did I mention I really like this chair? Only thing I'd say, though, is after two children have smeared and ground their food into the removable, dishwasher-safe snap-on tray, it might be about time to see if Eddie Bauer can get me a replacement tray. (It's understandably a bit orangey now.)

Hmm...what else? We've got stainless appliances, which I love. I'm NoT in love with my fridge, though. I lost a lot of capacity going to a side-by-side fridge, as opposed to a traditional freezer-on-the-top model. PLUS we had to have "counter-depth." (I didn't even know there WAS such a thing until we went appliance shopping.)

Speaking of...I have to tell you this quick story. So, we're at the appliance store, right? And dude is showing us our soon-to-be refrigerator model, when suddenly my gaze falls on a purely magnificent sight. (I swear I heard angels singing and everything...) Here, let me show you...





TA DAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Did your jaw drop open? Are your eyes watering now? (Or your mouth, for that matter?) Yeah, me too. *sigh* AND it was roughly the same price as the rinky dink model we were about to commit to purchasing! In case you aren't aware of exactly what you are beholding, I'll just fill you in. The door on the left is a freezer. Yes, a full-size freezer right IN your kitchen. The door on the right is the fridge. Top to bottom, nothing but fridge. UH.MAY.ZING. And if I had been building a house, rather than buying an already-built one, I would have said, "Yes, Lord, I SEE your glory shining down on this HUGE dream-of-a-machine. I gladly accept this very obvious BLESSING you've provided for me. AMEN." I am so not into "Name It and Claim It" theology (it's utter nonsense, but that's another time, another post). Still, I think I just may have said, "Frigidaire Built-In Twins. In the name of Jesus, I claim you as MiNe!!"

Haha! At any rate, it was obviously not going to fit into the "box" attached to my cabinetry which was meant for the fridge. So, I kissed it goodbye, bemoaning the fact that we were buying a shoe box compared to a ROOM (as far as capacity goes) and yet spending the SAME money for it. I was more than a little disgusted. Months later, I FINALLY get the joy of visiting my friend Jenny's newly-built home. And guess what was in her kitchen when I got there. I can just hear you now......"Nuh-UH!!" Yep, that's right. There was MYYYYYYY fridge!! I could NOT believe it! Still can't. (If you hadn't noticed.)
Well, that's the kitchen in a nut-shell. You can visit more bloggy kitchens here. And stay tuned for more of "the tour." For now, God bless, ciao, and peace out.