Ceci's people art

Ceci's people at age five...isn't she awesome?!

My two current heroes

I think I've mentioned my dad has cancer. He is undergoing chemo. Meanwhile my brother Mitch and his wife Joann welcomed the most adorable baby alive into their family. He was born with a large growth on the side of his head. After a lot of tests and a lot of waiting they confirmed that it is a cancerous tumor that is benign, thankfully. It will be removed in a few months. My brother took this picture of my dad and his son that is just too precious not to share...

The Fort

The sun finally came out and the girls have been spending a lot of time outdoors. They found some spare boards behind the barn and created a sturdy fort. They are so proud, and spend they spend hours out there. In the process they disturbed a rolly polly colony and Tennie excitedly reported that she has become an expert on the small creatures. She can identify pregnant females, babies, and even saw a female rolly polly walking along laying her little clear eggs. She tried to cover their exposed hideout so they could "continue to hibernate". They also took Geoff's mom's bird seed container full of seeds out (to fill the nests they made for the spring birds), and are very excited that some sunflower seeds are beginning to sprout! A little atrium of sorts. The other day Tennie came in with the exciting news that onions were growing behind the green house where she had left some old onions last fall. I love the natural scientist evident in every child. Give them a little space and freedom to explore and off they go!

NOTE: I have no idea why my text is underlined but I couldn't figure out how to make it go away! Sorry.

Back in the saddle

Well, after some very busy weeks I am going to get back in the saddle with this blog!

It has been raining for two weeks and we are getting some serious cabin fever. As I type Geoff is having the girls run the stairs in an attempt to prepare them for bed. It seems counter productive but they are literally unable to sit still by the end of these cooped-up days. (It reminds us of those very long winters in Washington!) In addition, Geoff and I have been so focused on tasks, and keeping all of our balls up in the air, that we haven't been doing too many fun outings or activities with the girls. Poor neglected little waifs...

The other day the girls and I went to a rock store because Adele declared that she wanted to collect rocks. At the store Ceci found some rocks she really liked and asked if she could borrow some money. She assured me she had enough at home to pay me back. Yesterday in the late afternoon I asked to be paid back. We pulled out her money box and she was about $3.75 short (the rocks cost $4.33). I told her I would hold her allowance until she had paid her amount...which will take about 5 weeks. In defiance she declared that she didn't care about allowance anyway. A short time later we were waiting for Geoff's dad, Keenan, to come home so we could celebrate his birthday. He was almost an hour late. While we were waiting Ceci fell of a chair and hit her head. She bemoaned, "This is a terrible birthday. The birthday boy is late, I'm bankrupt, and I just got hurt!"

Adele gave Kipper a late Christmas present. Ever heard of the expression, "You lucky dog"?!

Two nights ago the girls came to dinner like this, expressions and all.

Yesterday we asked the girls to calm down for our morning devotional (more stair running). When I looked over at Ceci this is what I saw...

Life in the fast lane...

If our life in France was life in the slow lane then we have been in the fast lane these past few weeks...and we don't like it. Thankfully, it won't last forever. We are constantly looking at our lives to figure out how to keep the slower pace we loved so much in France...but we are finding it hard to do! So in the past two weeks we had...

1 all-day evaluation by a developmental pediatrician (muy interesante!)
1 dentist appointment
4 osteopathy visits
1 birthday and birthday party
1 night out for gelato (a birthday tradition that MUST continue!)
3 days of crutches (Tennie)
1 horse lesson (Adele)
1 dead car battery
1 visit to the mechanic for a problem with our electrical system
1 cracked windshield
1 visit to the windshield repair shop
1 cute haircut (Ceci...pictures another day)
1 visit from an Activity Days leader to welcome Adele
1 activity for Activity Days (2 activities a month at church for girls ages 8-11)
2 days in San Francisco where Geoff is advising a company (Geoff only)
1 long meeting to get a new Primary presidency (children's organization at church) underway (I'm the secretary)
8 hours updating Primary documents and organizing for a New Year and new presidency
1 meeting with a wonderful woman who runs a theater company and a vocal class. (We worked out a trade - we do her publicity and the girls participate in her fun play and class!)
1 long Willy Wonka play audition
2 Willy Wonka play rehearsals (all three girls)
1 vocal class (Tennie)
1 blog created to keep my dad's associates up-to-date on his cancer treatment
Oh...and we squeezed school into every nook and cranny of our week!

It has been nuts, and will continue to be nuts for a little longer. But it is all good. We are all well and happy.

Adele is 8!!!

Last Monday, January 12th, Adele turned 8! She requested breakfast in bed, opened presents throughout the day, and had a Cowgirl Birthday Party! It was pretty low-key but very fun. We bought Adele what she wanted most: Breyer Horses. I found a large set of Breyer stuff on Craigslist (I love that my girls appreciate used toys) and she has played with them every day since. Big hit! Another exciting gift was her grandpa's willingness to trade a little legal work for several more months of horse lessons! She appreciated all the kind gifts and calls that came her way.

We gave Adele a budget and she planned everything about her party, from games and prizes to dinner and decorations. Her four birthday guests were asked to come wearing western wear and they didn't disappoint! Her four favorite friends are two 12-year-old girls, a 12-year-old boy, and a 9-year-old boy. They are a great group of kids.

Adele, Tennie and Morgan Baldridge are in the final stages of musical chairs with Joshua Sanders looking on, wishing he were a little quicker so he could still be in the game!

Ceci's turn during Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Horse

Everyone had a turn to lasso the birthday girl and Lauren Mason definitely had the best form

We renamed the game of tying a balloon to the back of your ankle and trying to pop everyone else's without getting your own popped "Stampede". Spencer Sanders kicked Tennie so hard in the foot in this picture that she was literally in crutches for three days. Nothing like ruff 'n tuff birthday fun...

Ceci's size didn't deter her one bit

Adele had the gift giver come sit next to her while she opened their gift, which was followed by a tackle/hug

Adele very carefully designed and decorated her horse cake

The trick candles were tricky...

We had a chuck wagon dinner before digging in to this fun cake. Adele was beaming for the rest of the night. It is great to feel loved, and she felt it!

Happy Birthday Adele!

Happy New Year - 2010!!!

We brought in the New Year with a hike (with occasional rests),

a kid's dance with a pot and pan banging finale outside (New York time - 9:00PM),

a mean game of Speed Scrabble with the adults, followed by Actionary (Pictionary charades style), and then Geoff and I hit the sack (boring, I know). Extended family is slowing departing and the girls are coming down from their high revealing just how tired they are.

The majority of the Davis cousins

HAPPY NEW YEAR!