Project Half Bath

As mentioned yesterday I am working on several projects to chase away any "winter is coming" blues.

A few bits of critical info...

*I do all of the painting in our home. While I would love to hire the job out, I refuse to pay money for something I can actually do.

*I am a "do it yourself" type of woman in selected areas of my life. My sister is a "do it yourself" type of woman in just about any type of project. She is amazing, and thinks everyone can do all of the things she does. I am ALWAYS calling her for answers. She is very patient with me. ;)

Our half bath downstairs is an ugly shade of lilac. I do love the color but it just isn't working in this particular room. I have been needing to repaint it for awhile. Yes, I did paint it the ugly color in a fit one weekend. Bad choice of color is all I can say. So, I chose a new color this week. Very neutral. The next hurdle is a very ugly towel bar which was installed when the house was built around 20 years ago. Since I was giving the bathroom a new look I decided to do away with the ugly towel bar. No problem...

Well, I found out yesterday that the darned towel bar was basically built right into the wall. It was one of those "no going back" projects. The towel rack is now gone, and in its place are two HOLES in the bathroom wall. Hmmmmm, didn't count on that.

As I was in the process of removing the second piece of the stupid-idiotic-ridiculous-ugly towel rack my husband called. "Hey, I'm on my way home. Whatcha doing?" Big gulp, deep breath, and then "do you really want to know?" Mark knew there was a story coming. It went something like this: "Well you know I've been wanting to repaint the downstairs bathroom, and I hate that ugly towel bar, and I figured I would remove it, and then I started, and it was like totally built into the drywall, and now there are two big holes in the wall, but don't be MAD because I WILL FIX IT".

"No problem, I hated that towel thingy anyway."

Oh, somedays I just crazy love my husband!

Now, at this point my sister is probably lying on her floor laughing hysterically because when she sees the pictures below she will know that I am thinking "OH CRAP!" and her reaction is "no big deal". Am I right Holly?





Now I am off to the store to get the supplies to make my bathroom pretty. I'll post photos when I am done. If you're in the neighborhood after the fixing and painting are done please ask to use the bathroom so you can admire my work. ;)

Slick Dude and Miss Bling

The weather is grey and dreary. Winter is coming. I'm not happy. I want it to be winter for the month of December - that's it! A white Christmas and I am done. I would prefer one month of winter, a few months of fall, and the rest summer so I can enjoy my pool. So why do I live in Cincinnati?

To ward off my upcoming winter doldrums I am working on several projects. Does this surprise anyone? First is getting new outfits for the kids to wear for a Christmas picture, as well as a portrait. I haven't taken the children to get their pictures made since Gustavo was 18 months old. We don't even have a family picture including Ana Lucia. Have you ever tried to coordinate FIVE outfits and get all five kids healthy and smiling and pleasant at the same time for a portrait setting. It would be easier to balance the federal budget. Alas, not to be told "impossible" I am going for it. As soon as I make the appointment for the picture I am certain there will be bruises, stitches, broken bones, or some type of rare rash on a kid's face. Still, I push forward with the objective of at least 1 picture of my precious angels.

The color scheme is grey, black, and white. Believe it or not, I have now found an outfit for all five children in the chosen color scheme. Katie found an adorable dress at a great price - yeah Katie! Ana Lucia's outfit was on sale at 50% off. I found Marco and Gustavo's entire outfits, including shoes, at a consignment shop. I do love bargains.

Upon returning home from shopping this morning I wanted to try Gustavo's outfit on him to confirm it fit properly. I figured he would fuss about it. Once he got the outfit on he liked it so much he asked if he could wear it to school! He thought he looked like Daddy. I informed him that he was not wearing the outfit to school and offered to take his photo as a compromise. He agreed. Check out Mr. Fancy Dude...



Now, let me just share that Gustavo has no self-esteem issues. Just last night he told me, and I quote, "everyone at school thinks I am so cute". Yeah, that is Mr. No Self Confidence.

Our first excitement of the day was Ana Lucia's very first dentist appointment. She was a champ! She sat and followed all directions. At the end of the appointment she exclaimed "that didn't hurt my teeth!"

Of course she chose a new toothbrush and was allowed to choose a prize. Check out below the honking ring that Miss Bling chose. She hasn't taken it off all day. Her husband is in sooooo much trouble. ;)



Ok, so outfits are bought, brows are waxed, haircuts are done. Now all I need to do is make the appointment for the pictures and all holy he** will break loose. I'm afraid my next post will be titled "Tales from the dark side" - meaning the photography studio.

Wish us luck...

Honor

It is Veterans Day. Please find a veteran today and thank them.

Last week I voted. Last Sunday I attended church. Today my children are attending school. Right now I am posting my ideas on a public forum. The freedom I possess is in large part due to the many men and women who fought for us.

Can you imagine how scary it must be to be engaged in a battle? Some can.

Teach your children to honor and respect veterans - and to thank them.

For anyone who is a veteran - thank you for serving your country. I hope today you will feel the gratitude and respect of everyone surrounding you.

Let the celebration begin...

How do you feel about Christmas music? Does the constant blare of holiday tunes make you feel like the poor chap above? Bah Humbug.

I LOVE Christmas music! Yesterday marked the official beginning of listening to Christmas tunes for me. It has been playing most of the morning. I have a history of listening to holiday music outside of the properly defined time frame. Mark believes I start enjoying it way too early. My personal record is the first weekend in October. Mark and I were driving to Peoria, Illinois for a friend's wedding. As we were driving from Indianapolis to Peoria I opened the glove box to see what cassettes were available. Yes, this was before the time of Cd's. Hey, at least I didn't say we were listening to an 8-track! Back to the story - I looked through the glove box and all of the cassettes were Christmas music. I was in heaven! Initially Mark protested and refused to listen to Christmas tunes the first of October. Well, it was either fuzzy radio stations, Christmas music, silence, or talking. My tunes won out! Ha!

I have made it all the way to ALMOST mid-November this year. My little ones will be singing "Rudolph", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and "Silent Night" by the end of the week. Ana Lucia already knows "Jingle Bells".

In our family we are serious about celebrating birthdays. Actually, according to a dear friend of mine, we are serious about celebrating just about any special day. I enjoy that reputation. We've been known to stretch out a birthday celebration for weeks. We celebrate with my family in Indiana, we celebrate with Mark's family in Ohio, we celebrate with immediate family in our house, and sometimes we throw in a party with friends and neighbors.

Isn't Christmas about celebrating the most important birth in the history of mankind? Given our family's tradition of serious birthday celebrating I figure stretching out the joyous recognition of Christ's birth fits in perfectly around the Davis home.

I realize the holiday season is filled with parties on the calendar, shopping for gifts, decorating your home, and enjoying all sorts of Christmas-related hoopla. However, I challenge us all to CELEBRATE the birth of Jesus.

Find a live nativity scene and take the family. Read the book "Two from Galilee: The Story of Mary and Joseph" by Marjorie Holmes. If you are parents talk about Jesus with the kids. Rent the movie "The Nativity". Enjoy the true reason for the holiday season.

So, if the holidays make you want to scream or make this face like Gustavo...



Simply remember this...


Oh, and don't forget to listen to Christmas music!

I hope I am the first to wish you a blessed, joyous, and awesome holiday season!

A Community of Risk Takers

November is National Adoption Awareness month. Throughout the month I may share a variety of posts regarding adoption. Between fostering, domestic adoption, and international adoption there are so many opportunities to become involved. While I realize adoption is not for every family, have you ever considered it for your family?

One of my basic fundamental beliefs in life is that every child should have the love of a family. Period. No question. No exception. EVERY SINGLE CHILD.

Anyone who knows our family realizes our passion for adoption. There is a unique bond that exists between parents who have traveled the road of welcoming a child through adoption. We are a community of risk takers.

I recall being at Marco's first preschool Christmas program. He looked so tiny and scared up on stage. He hardly sang a word. I remember being so proud, and at the same time feeling something so unexpected. I remember thinking "what if?" What if Mark and I had come to the conclusion that our family was set? We had two children, and they were already in school. Why would we start over again? Why would we take the chance of having our hearts broken, or an adoption not working out, or becoming a multi-racial family? At that moment, while watching Marco up on stage, I was overcome with gratitude for having the guts to be a risk taker.

I would love to share a bit from a blog I read. I broke down into an ugly cry while reading it. The words so beautifully capture some of what a parent feels and the conviction and desire that all children have loving parents.

Do you know someone who is considering adoption? Share this with them and encourage them to dive into the community of risk takers.

From the blog:

I love her but don’t know her. I can’t tell if her teeth are hurting or if it’s her “tired cry” or “scared cry” or “I didn’t get my way cry.” There is so much to catch up on when you step into the life of a 1 year old child…one who has lived with and loved others for a long time. And we look very different than most everyone she’s known. We sound different. We probably smell different, too. But we love her, and I keep reminding myself that this for real.

This little girl, wearing the clothes we sent and holding our voice recorder…will be with us for a lifetime. I will stand by the sidelines at her soccer games. I will walk her to her first day of school. I will stand outside the dressing room of the Gap and say things like “yeah…that looks good.” (Who is shocked I mentioned shopping for clothes? Anyone? Raise your hand.) I will film her at the Christmas program at church. I will register her for high school one day and wonder how time went by. I will wait up late for her as she’s out with friends. I will one day drive her away to a college and surely wish I could turn back the clock. I will one day walk her down the aisle and then sit in the front row with her mother. And cry. This is my daughter.

But I will always remember how it started. Driving down a gravel road getting jostled around. Pulling up in front of the baby home I had seen in pictures. Hearing the guard opening the gate and hearing the older children excitedly running around the courtyard…talking in Amharic…hearing the occasional “Yanet” amongst the words I don’t understand. Walking up the stairs and seeing her from the hall. Touching her right arm the first time…trying to be gentle to let her know I was safe. Looking around and seeing all the caregivers staring through a window across the hall and smiling…surrounded by the other children who, while watching with great excitement for Yanet, are in desperate need of a family to fly from across the ocean in order to meet them.

Each of them deserves a family to drive up in a van. Each of them deserves to have parents, jet-lagged and nervous, walking through the gates with their names written on their hearts as well as on the gifts they bring. Each of them needs parents who are willing to take the risk, experience God’s goodness in an incredible way that stretches and teaches, strengthens and rewards. Each of them needs their own set of parents who hug, kiss, and hold. Each of them needs dozens of people praying for them and making plans to meet them at the airport when they return.

Each of them deserves and needs what Yanet is getting…and what Minte got…and what Meskarem got…and what a few others here are getting soon. But there are others who are still waiting. Waiting for that meeting when the orphanage director calls them into the office and tells them that someone far, far away has asked to be their parents.

A family of list makers

I am a list maker. I live by my calendar (paper - not electronic) and an assortment of lists. I have daily TO DO lists, sometimes even weekly or monthly to do lists. I have house projects lists, Christmas lists, and shopping lists. You name it and I have probably listed it!

My mother is a list maker as well as my teenage daughter. It is part of who we are. We have a family joke/phrase which is the result of a shopping trip many years ago in Indianapolis. Several of us went to an Asian grocery. My mother really enjoys going to different types of groceries. Me, not so much. However, I accompanied her. She was intrigued with the unique items available and was browsing. The store owner attempted to help my mother. She had some questions for him. He shouted at us, in a very thick accent, "LIST! LIST! YOU NEED A LIST! YOU COME TO MY STORE YOU BRING A LIST!"

Well, given that we are list-type people, we appreciated his obvious passion. Years later we still shout at one another occasionally about needing a list - and always in a ridiculously exaggerated accent. What can I say, we amuse one another easily...

I now have discovered that our family's list obsession is not simply genetic. I believe that Marco is becoming a list person as well. This morning, before school, Marco presented me with a list. Not just any ordinary list. Oh, no, it was quite detailed. He had cut out small pieces of paper, drawn the item on the paper, glued each one onto a sheet of notebook paper, with food items on one side and beverages on the other. He presented the list to me and asked if I could please get these items at the grocery. I nearly fell off the couch in laughter. However, I did not laugh, but simply thanked him for the list and complimented his creative style.

I posted a photo below of the list. For clarification, and total enjoyment, I will describe the list.

*Mom is written on the top (he obviously expects me to go to the grocery)
*The list is titled "List of Foods"
*In the left-hand column he has drawn (and requested) grapes, oranges, bananas, watermelon, and blueberries
*In the right-hand column he has drawn bottled water, orange juice, tomato juice (yes, he drinks it), and grape juice

How funny is he? This is one of those items I will definitely pack away. I know we'll get a kick out of it when he is a teenager - and again when he is an adult.


The list


I woke up a bit on the grumpy side this morning. I'm so glad that I have kids who quickly remind me to get over my big-bad-grumpy self and enjoy life.

Now, I am off to the grocery...

The birthday girl

Sweet girl is 3!


So happy about getting her very own Leapster...and it is pink!


The Fab Five celebrate Ana Lucia


A look back...three years passes so quickly...

6 days old


1st birthday


2nd birthday


Three years old and full of spunk!