8.31.2012

what they say...

makes me happy to be alive.

this morning

"mom, i had the best dream.  i dreamed i met all the trains (as in thomas the tank engine) 
and they all knew i was an animal girl."
-charlee

"spider man doesn't give up with his friends"
(after a slight altercation about where the tent should be erected).
-bodhi

char: "jane, you are such a crazy girl!" 
jane: makes scrunchy-don't-mess-with-me-dejected face
me: "oh, i love my crazy girl! every family needs a crazy girl.  
they make us laugh.
they give the best hugs..."
jane: "and i punch you in the face!" 
(not dejected any more).

"i think god is punching me in my belly."
-bodhi

"bodhi! you just need go bo poop!"
-charlee


8.29.2012

summer end

ok.  
from the homeschool camp,
end of summer is a pretty great time.  
september just means we get to have adventures at all the hot spots with half the crowds/ lines.

currently,
we are in the middle of a full week of swimming lessons for all the kids.  
it's pretty fantastic.  
i get to sit for 1/2 hour,
without a bouncy toddler on my lap.
although... i promised the kids that today we would go early and i would swim with them.
not super thrilled as i have put on a few and my swimming suit fits me like sausage casing.
you know, like when some parts of the suit are stretched to see-through.
mom swim shorts here i come.  
also... 
there is this instructor that looks like ben lovett.
 
awesome.

next week i am working on a 
back to school 
celebratory week.  
some of the items on our to do list involve:
othello tunnels (maybe).
white rock beach (in case of sun shine).
binder decorating & play dough making.
shoe shopping (for the kids-not me).
cookie baking.  
chore chart/ allowance instituting.
davey family 2012  rule creating. 
(not that i'm big into rules... but for reals, we need to get something on paper about 
giving food to all the neighborhood animals.  the amount of cats that hang out in our yard is absolutely ridiculous.  and before you jump to conclusions, ours is fixed.  finally).   

speaking of fixed.  
gary successfully installed a new hard drive in the i mac.  
he's a hero.
i'm still working on the camera situation.  
in the meantime, please enjoy a little photo booth.
whatever game this is,
i love it. 

8.17.2012

oh. hey there.

let's see if i remember how to type.

wow.  summer has been busy.  and i'm out a camera so i can't fill you in with pictures.  please accept, instead, a brief verbal summary.

my kids are busy.
we have entered a new era of energy and activity.  naps are a thing of the past as are clean floors and tidy closets.  my children wake up with plans.  crazy messy crafting plans and spiderman plans.    i feel like most of my time involves following them around ensuring their "plans" don't involve bringing strange animals into the house or climbing up on the roof.

two days ago i kiboshed char's plan to bring cat food in her room.  i told her that we should never bring any kind of food in our rooms so we don't attract ants or snakes or crabs.  she was totally bummed and her plan was totally wrecked. on her way back to the kitchen with the cat bowl, she muttered under her breath, "god is the boss of me."  i tried my best to hide my laughter then she got a lesson in middle management.  real good.

i am busy.
today has been my first true day off in two weeks, since arriving home from our trip to the cabin. minus the day right after we got home which was spent bleaching our mattress and triple washing all of our bedding, due to the fact that we came home at midnight to the cat's hate crimes under our covers.  not cool skippy.

in addition to having zane a total of 9-10 hours a week, i have a new respite contract with a sweet little baby girl.  baby girl has many of the same medical needs as our matt did.  we are back in the tube feeding saddle again.  baby girl lives in an incredible foster home with a super sweet 4 year old, and because super sweet 4 year old's fit right in around here, sometimes we take both.  it is an incredible fit and i am so happy to be able to contribute financially in a way that allows me to stay home. 

gary is busy.
my man has recently earned a promotion (and a bottle of champaign).  he has gone from lead development to marketing team manager at our local crane company.  i like to ask if that makes me the "assistant manager?" gary corrects me, "assistant to the manager."

equally significant, gary has taken on the roll of guardian of the hazelnuts which involves posing on the deck like jason bourne every single dinner time and shooting the squirrels with an airsoft pistol.  i'm not sure how i feel about it.  i'm one part humored and one part horrified.  i appreciate his commitment to the hazelnuts but guns at dinner time just seems so...not canadian.

in the next couple of weeks we should be getting the computer fixed.  say a prayer, gary is going to try and replace the hard drive on his own.  i'm 100% confident in his ability as long as he promises to wear those little soft white gloves like they do in the youtube videos.  also, i am hoping to pick up a new iphone.  then i will be officially back on line!

ok... well, that's that for now.

  

7.06.2012

listy list...

stuff that's broke:
- i mac
- nikon
- washing machine
- power head of the vacuum.
(prayers of protection appreciated for our major kitchen appliances and vehicles).

stuff i love so much i want to cry:
- when charlee says "speaking of..." as in,
me: "careful you don't want to spill water all over the floor"
char: "speaking of water, i'm really thirsty."
- when bodhi sings this song like, "sing like never before, O MY SOUL, worsh'n his moley may."
- jane keeps asking for a skate board.
- my family.
- and that every time they come for a visit, my kids end up with cute new clothes and there is always something pickled and spicy left in my pantry.  ie. artichoke hearts, asparagus, peperoncinis.
- the sun. the beautiful golden sun. and slurpees on the deck.
- our new playhouse.  photos to come (hopefully).
- gary.

the kids summer time activites (so far):
- paper airplanes off the deck.
- baby tigers in the front lawn.  they crawl around on all fours, eating grass and nuzzling one another. (reason #627 they aren't going to public school).
- punch (yep it's what it sounds like). if you get hurt you are out.  i don't make up the rules.
- slaves in egypt. this involves mixing mud in the wheel barrow in their undies. (reason #2).
- also swimming.  in every shape and body of water imaginable.

6.27.2012

rules rule!

i would not call myself a "rules" person.
but lately...
 i have needed rules.
like i have needed my sanity.
here is what i have put down so far:

1. check with mom first before using microwave for experiments any reason. 

2. do not wake up early and make "potions" from kitchen condiments.  "potions" require adult supervision.   

3. pure maple syrup is not a toy.  

4. no crunchy/ crumbly snacks in bed. 

5. brushing teeth is mandatory, not optional, or part of the school year routine.  

6. NO hitting, biting, pushing, poking, kicking, flicking, scratching, or stabbing anyone with a golf- tee.

7. always ask first before getting any food or snack from the kitchen, with the exception of carrots... carrots are free for all.  

8. wash hands after sticking any part of your hand down your pants.

9. no potty talk, or rudeness or inappropriate joking. ever. ever.  no exceptions.   

10. no tacks in walls. 

11. no sharpies for kids.  

12. no ice cream for breakfast.

13. no getting down from the table in the middle of a meal.  save the new song and dance for after.  


and finally...


14. i don't care what water conservation speech mrs. corinna has shared with you, WE ALWAYS FLUSH #2!!!  

save me from feeling lick a real kill joy and please tell me
what are your rules?  

6.08.2012

a little catch up (a junk drawer post)

bear with me.
...
i've learned that i don't love blogging about vacations.
i do however, require vacations from blogging.
...
  don't get me wrong, our holiday was incredible.
and i'm sure it will come up again
(i have a some photos of the girls with the princesses that are disney magic).
also i have this little collection of bo-moments that i can't keep to myself.
it would be rude if i did,
for example:
- bo tried to pee (as in, pants down and aim ready)
in the princess pond at snow white's grotto.
snow white and her evil step lady witnessed the whole situation.
fortunately, it was snow white, and i'm sure she is use to those kinds of shenanigans,
living with the dwarfs 'n all.    
- one time bo shoved a couple groups ahead of ours, while we were waiting in line for train ride,
and returned with a handful of another family's popcorn.
i was horrified but
they assured me he had fantastic manners and said "thank you so much."
then they offered him more.
that kid, i tell you, has charm.
- then their was the time he ripped into winnie the pooh about all that honey and sugar bugs.
winnie the pooh pretty much laughed in his face and just went right on eating honey.
i agree bo, he's got issues.
to be continued...  
   ...
you know, what i enjoy most is writing about the humorous, even the absurd,
or the "crazy" that happens every single day, 
whether we are at disney land or at home...or at church.
...
a couple sunday's ago was a pretty big deal.
gary ran his very first half marathon.
he did in a hair over 2 hours.
  (pretty remarkable, considering i almost died recenlty, barely making it 2 laps around the track)
and
bo graduated from preschool at church.
he got to go up, in front of the entire 9 am congregation 
and receive a handshake and a new bible with the rest of his class. 
 he insisted on wearing his really cool angry birds t-shirt.
he was a red angry bird in a sea of plaid, pressed, dress shirts.
i was cool with that much.    
the whole presentation was about 6 minutes, start to finish.
i'm not sure if it was nerves or what but as soon as he got into position on stage,
he stuck both his hands down the front of his pants.
i could see there was not a single thought that went into the move.  he was on auto pilot.  
as soon as his eyes met mine, he pulled them right out.  quicker than snot.
i must have had fire in my eyes.  
however, with his hands, he also pulled out about 4 inches of spider man boxer shorts.  
the billow of boxer sat right between his pants and his bright red angy bird t-shirt as he shook hands and received his new bible.  it was on the big screen for all to see.
i can not decide which was worse, the hands down the pants or the boxers hanging out.    
the lord is faithful and continues to purge what pride i have left from my heart...
thank you jesus.
...
have i mentioned that gary and i recently celebrated our 10 year.
it was a pretty chill standard evening
minus the really good food we ordered,
a fantastic bottle of red wine
and an epic argument.
now that we have been married 10 years, we both have the wisdom to know that
sometimes an argument
can be more fruitful than a really nice night.  
sometimes an argument is part of a process.
and a process is usually indicative of growth.
so, there you have it.
favorite quote of the evening:
"happy anniversary to you too!"
...
gary fixed the dryer, with a little help from me.
(let's just say, it is a good thing my dad is an engineer).
;)
gary also saved our i Mac from needing a new hard drive.
i need to give props, where props are due.
the man is a hero around here.
the computer has been down for the last couple of weeks
which is one of the reasons i've been off the grid.   
...
we have been wrapping up school and learning center and all the extra curricular activities.
 char participated in the year end science fair.
she did a little project around her rock collection.
char insisted on using pink pipe cleaners and pink pom poms to decorate her board.
it was like reese witherspoon in legally blond goes to kindergarten.
she was super proud of it and so was i.
the girl has spunk.
my favorite part of the whole experience was introducing her to the glue gun!
such fun.
...
jane is nearly 3.
in a matter of weeks we will celebrate with princesses and puppies and a picnic at the park.
or something.
she is a remarkable child.
she is able to articulate what is going on with her so clearly
and always with a sense of humour.
for example:
jane: mom, i see pictures in my head.
me: huh?
jane: yeah, i see pictures in my head.
me: is that cool?
jane: uh huh.
then she does this little scrunchy-off-to-one-side face.
it's my favorite thing.
...
well, that completes "a little catch up," instalment numero I.
later.


  


5.26.2012

disney land (in no particular order)

i'm kind of having a hard time getting this post out
so i'm just going to publish and call it a day.
here are the basics:
our holiday cohort included
myself, gary, "aunty" kathleen, charlee, bodhi & jane.
my parents,
grandma jodi and papa walt flew and met us at disney land.  
so figure this, 
5 adults + 3 kids + 5 days.
the overall vibe of the week was exciting and relaxing.
we moseyed, 
we enjoyed, we rode, 
we watched.
all of our fun times just kind of blend together in my mind.
it was such a great week.
so without further ado,
here are some of our pictures,  in no particular order.
(note: "princess" post and "shazza bo did at disney land" post to come)