Project 365: Week 9

It was sort of a crummy week, photographically-speaking. I shot too much in Auto with my best camera and then had to use my little "travel" camera the rest of the time. So these photos are not great. But the memories behind them are.

And that--I know--is all that really matters.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Today there was an afternoon Wii Boxing tournament...

...and our traditional Sunday evening activity: America's Funniest Home Videos right after dinner.

My Four Davidson Boys Enjoying Their Weekly Slapstick Humor Fix

Man, I so wish I hadn't been fiddling around with the camera settings when I captured this reaction. Shutter priority, where are you when I need you?

Monday, February 22, 2010

Here's the latest spontaneous creation by Noah. A gift for Mimi. Never mind that it's a tent and campfire and those things don't relate to Mimi one little bit. But if you're getting bogged down with that point, then...well...then you just don't get the point, do you?

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Today I was TRYING to get ready to go out-of-town for a few days to my parents' house. Oh, the folding I had to do! I think there are about five very full loads of laundry here. Y'all, I don't know why I do this to myself.

It seems that laundry has become my life. I guess I might as well embrace it. But instead, I usually deny it's there until there's so much to do that it takes FORRR.EHHH.VURRR to get it all folded. Good thing I had a little assistant. She looks just as thrilled about this job as I am!

You know? If you look at this as a bar graph, you could possibly determine which child is the dirtiest. At least for this week.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Somehow, we actually made it to Mimi and Da's. Here I am in my mom's kitchen. (I accidentally took this shot while testing the flash. Oops!)

Mimi and Da (my parents) have a train (a toy my brothers and I grew up with). There were many, many train trips back and forth through the kitchen on it. Funny thing is, the battery in it is completely dead, so the kids have to scoot it with their feet or have someone push them. Doesn't seem to matter. It's still a hit.

Oh, and Mimi collects giraffes. Hence, the giraffe chair and the giraffe magnet (Atticus thought it looked more like a horse). Little Man decided to achieve status as an official "chair climber" today.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

"Coloring Cousins." These two had such fun together. How we wish we could see our peeps more often!

Friday, February 26, 2010

Back home for an exciting day in the life of a stay-at-home mommy. 1) Got my first Alice shipment in. (More on this later.) 2) Thanks to a tip from my friend Jenny, I tried Magic Eraser on a "problem" spot I'd been fretting over, and so far it looks like it's going to work! (More on this later.) AND 3) We had free (LOVE free!!) babysitting for couples at our church, so we got to go out with friends. (So much fun, but I forgot the stinkin' camera.)

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Today Noah decided he wanted to earn some money. (Not sure yet what his exact plans are.) Anyway, all morning long he was anxiously asking what jobs he could do around the house. He did his regular chores, plus took out the garbage, folded a load of laundry (since I obviously need a full-time assistant in that area, as you saw above--ahem), and hauled about fifteen large rocks from the middle of our back yard back up into the woods. (Don't feel too sorry for him on that last one, though. After all, he was the one who hauled them down there in the first place.)

Hmm...looks like he cheated a bit on that last one.

Another week down. Thanks for hosting, Sara!

Snips, Snails, & Pretty Pigtails

Noah probably clocked twelve hours out in the snow. Two soaked coats, three sets of gloves, two hats, and eight pairs of jeans later, all I could think was, "WHY can't the outdoors give me a break in the laundry department?!" But he loved every minute of it. He does not even NOTICE when he is up to his knees in mud or when icicles are hanging from his nose. In fact, the only time he'd come in was when his gloves would become completely soaked through and his hands would be wet, raw, red, and basically FROZEN. But he would only be inside long enough to warm his hands under warm, running water and put on some new gloves. The child was born to be O-U-T!

Saylor made bird feeders at Academy several weeks ago. It was perfect timing, because the next day we got all that ice and snow, and the birds were all out frantically looking for something to eat. (I'll have to post some pictures of them.) Saylor was just giddy watching all the birdie activity. (Ironically, she used to love birds so much when she was a toddler that her second birthday party was a bird theme!) She enjoyed the snowy weather, too, but it seemed to me she was really just into it for the fun of wearing all those delightful accessories!

Saylor Being Silly in Her "Snow Ears"

Gabriel has always been our monkey. He has always liked to conquer obstacles. Now that I think about it, I guess I should be fairly worried that he'll become a mountain climber one of these days. (Yikes!) Anyway, lately he's been climbing into Atticus's crib. Sometimes it's just to play with Atticus before bed. Sometimes nobody else is in the room, and he'll climb in after filling the crib with balls. And then it's a game of "throw the balls out of the crib as fast you can." It's funny to me how boys just naturally make these games (sports) up for themselves. They just can't help it, can they?

Atticus writes. He does! (I've been telling you he's our little professor!) Give him a piece of paper, a card, a small booklet, or whatever to "write on" and then a crayon, a straw, a paintbrush, or whatever remotely resembles a pen, and he will be busy with them for a long, long time. He walks around, stops, writes something, looks up, walks some more, and then comes and shows me what he's got so far. *grin*

Project 365: Week 8

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Bleh. We had to stay home sick today. No one felt good. It snowed, so even our CHRISTmas tree from a couple of years ago (now planted in our back yard) is having a hard day. Poor thing.

But it was still Valentine's Day. So that's good.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Daddy was still sick and stayed home, but he mainly did just a whole lot of resting. I, however, ran a few errands. (I saw my chance, and I took it!!) But then I proceeded to break my (dish) soap bottle. I'm so upset. This was our second one!! Maybe I should stick with the classic plastic squirt bottle sitting out on the cabinet.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Daddy came home from work and then turned right around and left again for a meeting.

How dare he??!!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

I made two lasagnas. One is for a family from church and the other was for our monthly women's fellowship.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

After Academy we brought a friend home to play for a bit. He and Noah went into the "clubhouse" and played a rousing game of checkers.

The babies formed their OWN club.

And the "princess" was in her own little world, as usual.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Well, I was hoping to get a picture of men working on my fridge, but long story short--they didn't end up coming today. So instead, I've got a picture of a pillow. One, lonely throw pillow I bought as a bridal shower gift. I'd have bought the two she wanted off her registry, but I could only find one. And I thought for sure I'd be able to go to the other Target and find a matching one. So we traipsed off to the Benton Target tonight, fed our kids peanut butter/honey sandwiches for supper in the car, and showed Dumbo as the "on board" movie. But. No such luck. So...back to the drawing board.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Farmer's Market Pick-up. Buyin' local, y'all!!

Okay. That's it. Somehow I'm still remembering to snap at least one picture a day. So, yay for me!

Valentine's Day

Unfortunately, Mommy and Daddy were feeling a little under the weather on Valentine's Day. Well...a lot under the weather. In fact, we opted to stay HOME from church and tried to rest as much as possible. Which wasn't nearly enough.

Then it snowed. AGAIN! This can NOT be Arkansas we're in anymore.

But. Valentine's Day is Valentine's Day. Even if you're out of groceries and can't make the special heart-shaped breakfast treat you were thinking you'd surprise everybody with. It's still Valentine's Day. Even if you didn't get your kids their traditional gift: a book and a small box of chocolates. Even if you didn't decorate the table. Even if you have a sinus headache and a stuffy nose. And all your kids are coughing...so you can't really go out and enjoy the snow. It is STILL Valentine's Day. EVEN if your family is sitting around watching NASCAR of all things! *cough, sputter*

It IS Valentine's Day!

The day you remind those you love...that you do, in fact, love them.

So we sat around together, doing what families do. Cuddling, laughing at baby antics, blowing noses. Those kinds of things.

And there was even some spontaneous creativity going on!!

Get it??

We opened much-anticipated valentines from the beloved grandparents.

...which made me laugh. Because if you know my kids, then you know how accurate these descriptions are:

We actually managed to mail our own valentines to the family, albeit LATE (because after missing Academy on Thursday, I was all thrown off and forgot what day it was). Sorry, guys!

And then we finally made it to our postponed Valentine's parties. Yippee!!

We went bearing toddler-appropriate treats...

...and flowery valentines... (Little girls must give flowery valentines.)

...and a Valentine mailbox any boy would be proud of...

...which won FIRST PLACE!! Yay, Noah!

For our teachers we brought this...

this...

and this...

And then we par-TAYd!!

The question of the century: "Saylor, where is your bow?" (It's always lost. Even when it's the Valentine's party and the bow is white with little red hearts all over it. And would look so cute in this picture. It's always lost.)

Decorating cookies with your friends. What could be better?

I guess since the actual day was such a weird, sickly one, we just went ahead and made it Valentine's Week, 'cause I don't know about y'all, but we rule our own calendar. (Not Hallmark...and definitely NOT Wal-Mart with its shelves full of Easter junk on February 15th.) Mommy was just ill-prepared this year. (So to speak. Ahem.) Maybe, just maybe, we'll even make heart-shaped sugar cookies this weekend. Who knows?! We're so wild and crazy around here, there's just no tellin'.