McKay's Big News

McKay came running up to me with big news this morning. "Mommy," she said excitedly, "Deacon's alive!"

Now if you've spent any time with Deacon, you know this is big news. So far this child has survived strangling, electrocution, daily concussions, and swallowing toys larger than his esophagus. I do try to babyproof my home. I never guessed that McKay would wrap a string around Deacon's neck and then try to lift him up by the string. I thought the night light was safe, because Deacon couldn't pull it out. He can't. But he can disassemble it. Once the safety cover and light bulb have been pulled out, it's a snap to shock oneself on exposed wires. As for the concussions--the kid has no learning curve. I watched him pull himself up to our end table, fall, hit his head, cry, then try again.

Ahhh, ten months old and still alive. Miraculous.

New Year's Resolution

So it took me three weeks into January, but I have finally set a New Year's Resolution. Ever the overachiever I have one goal--to be a little less frumpy. As this is the last year left of my twenties, I have decided to try and look like I still have some of my youth left. So out with the old tired mom look and in with the new tired mom, trying not to look like a tired mom look.

This resolution began last night, when I looked at myself in the mirror wearing my laundry day clothes, and thought, "I look hideous." I immediately went downstairs, made a haircut appointment for ASAP, and left Chris with the kids. When I got to the salon, the stylist asked, "What do you want me to do?" I replied, "Make me look less frumpy." She graciously did not respond, "Perhaps you shouldn't leave the house with baby food smeared across your chest." (I discovered the sweet potato stain much later.) Instead she cut my hair into a less frumpy do. That was step one.

Step two occurred this morning. I was hanging up clean laundry, when I decided to toss out a shirt. This shirt I have owned for three years, acquiring it hand-me down from my sister who acquired it hand-me down from her roommate. The lace along the bottom had ripped in five places (I counted). Now my reasoning for continually wearing this tattered shirt was that lace is already full of holes, so no one would notice five more. But in my effort to not leave the house looking homeless any more, I tossed the shirt! At first I was going to put it in the D.I. box, but then I realized D.I. didn't really want it, so I cut it up into rags.

Step three. I let McKay paint my toenails this morning. I'm not sure if it helped.

Alright, well my resolution is now pretty much accomplished, as the only thing left on my to do list was to shave my legs, and I ran out of time this morning. Here are some attempted pictures of my new haircut. I tried taking my own picture while holding a grumpy Deacon who was doing his best to rip more hair out. A truly fabulous experience.

Bye-Bye Binky

A monumental day has occurred at the Davis house--for the first time in 3 years, 2 months, and 3 days McKay is without a binky.

I started pushing for the binky departure, when I noticed that her two front teeth were getting slightly pushed forward. Chris thought she needed to give it up for social reasons, as she was the only kid in primary sucking on a binky. But I was thinking long term, and there are plenty of social problems for children whose top teeth hang over their bottom lip. As visions of orthodontic bills started filling my head, I began all sorts of elaborate schemes involving binky fairies, binky rationing, etc. But in the end it was so easy. We were standing in line at Fred Meyer, and McKay saw a Littlest Pet Shop toy, strategically placed at three year old eye level. She started begging, and I offered her a deal. One plastic kitten in exchange for all her binkies. She went for it! We came home. She gathered up all the binkies we could find. (I'm sure about a thousand more are lurking in cracks and crevices throughout our home and van.) And that was it for the binkies. At bedtime she was a little sad without her binky, so I suggested she cuddle her new toy, which she told me was "not a great idea." But she went to bed, slept all night, and Hallelujah! the binkies are gone.

Who's the Boss

On Saturday Parker threw a truly terrific fit in Wal-Mart over me not buying him chapstick. So I gave him a consequence, which didn't bode well with him. He appealed to Chris. "Dad, make mom take away my consequence. You can make her do it, because you are the boss of her." To which Chris responded, "You obviously haven't been paying much attention to this relationship. Husbands aren't the bosses of their wives." So Parker yelled, "FINE! I'M NEVER GETTING MARRIED!!!"

Opinions Please

Now it is hard to tell in this picture, but one of these curtains is red and the other is brown. I can't decide which one I like better. I couldn't decide in the store, so I bought both colors, thinking after I brought them home I would be able to decide and then return one. I still couldn't decide, so I made Chris hang one of both. Your noticing a pattern here. I'm still undecided, and one of each is still hanging in my house. My anal-retentive husband is having a mild panic attack every time he looks at the window. He wants the decision made, matching curtains hung, and the other ones returned, preferably today if not yesterday. So does anyone have an opinion?

I'm With the Band

Last night I was invited to watch Parker, McKay, and MaKenna (Parker's Idaho girlfriend) perform live in Parker's bedroom. They have created their own band they named "Spiderwick." They took turns being the lead singer, singing songs they invented. McKay sang the My Little Ponies theme song, but Parker sang some great songs about his "memories" and being "an army man when I grow up...when I GROW UP!" I wish I had a camcorder, because it was truly classic.

New Year, New Events

Here's what's new for the Davis family in 2009:
--Chris--nothing, sorry you're not exciting honey. Oh, wait, Chris has been getting up early to lift weights every morning. Good for you! He wakes me up, too. Some days I get up. Then I usually do one or two sit ups and watch him do the rest. I'm exercising through osmosis...
--Kodie--I finally got a calling. It's been four months in our ward, and a large part of me felt like I should feel bad about not having a calling yet, but an even larger part of me knew that I didn't feel bad at all. I was loving being calling-free. However, as of Sunday, I am officially an Activity Days Leader for the 10 and 11 year old girls. Yeah! This is my dream calling. About five years ago, I decided to figure out what was the ideal church calling. It had to be fun, not require teaching every single Sunday, and not involve a lot of pointless, long-winded meetings. I decided it was being an Activity Days Leader, and I have been coveting that calling since. So, uh, dream fulfilled.
--Parker--is finally back in school. Hallelujah! That squirrely little boy needs to be back with friends and recess before he drove his family crazy.
--McKay--is a Sunbeam. Parker told me and Chris that he would walk McKay to Sunbeams on Sunday, because he knew the way. We could walk behind them as long as we promised not to look at them or talk to them.
--Deacon--is officially allergic to penicillin--the doctor confirmed my mother diagnosis today. The antibiotics for his ear infection caused him to break out in head to toe hives.

Also we bought nightstands for our bedroom, so we are no longer using apple boxes. The excitement never ends here.....