Christmas Slide Show

So my camera died this Christmas and these were the last pictures that I was able to take with it. The pictures were a bit blurry because the kids were so excited openning presents that I could barely get any pictures snapped. We had a great Christmas considering. Hope you and yours had a Christmas as blessed as ours!

Christmas 2008 Photos

Holiday Break

I know it has been a while, but with Christmas coming and the craziness this season brings, I just have not been able to muster up the mental strength to write anything. I have felt a bit overwelmed with the magnatude of not having a "job" anymore. I thought it would affect me a bit differently. I thought I would be more proactive with more "time on my hands". But that has not been the case. I have found myself wanting to hibernate under the covers. I had all of these grand ideas of how I was going to be a better Mom since I did not have to work all the time. Instead I found myself focusing on what needed to be done. Cleaning, laundry, diaper changes, vacuming, Christmas cards, baking... And now here it is a couple days before Christmas and I have not even taken the time to read the account of Jesus birth in the gospel of Luke like I had "planned" to do.

So I am not going to be too hard on myself. This is not the last Christmas. It does not have to be perfect. I read another blog today that put it all into perspective for me. It really helped lift my spirits and prepared my heart to celebrate Christmas.
Here is the post: "Grace in a Manger"



Merry Christmas

Sarah's Birthday Party

Sarah's Birthday Party

So I know it has been a while since I posted. I guess I have been enjoying me time off since I am no longer working. I am now a FULL TIME stay at home Mom. I posted a slide show from Sarah's 4th Birthday Party Celebration. In case you were wondering, the beautiful dress Sarah is wearing was knitted for her by Nana. She looked adorable in it. The kids had a blast. Sarah's favorite thing was the tubes and slides. Joey just loved being chased all over the place. It was an afternoon enjoyed by all.

Thanksgiving Pictures

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a really nice quiet Thanksgiving day. We hung out for most of the day at home until around 4:pm and then when to my in-laws for dinner. The kids actually got along. We made sugar cookie dough and used pumpkin, turkey and fall leave shaped cookies. After the first batch, I let the kids play (and eat) the remaining dough. The rolled it out, sprinkled flour on it, cut shapes and had a blast. I will upload pictures tomorrow - so check back then to see the mess they made...lol.

I wanted to right in this post what I am thankful for, so I figured I would post the top 10 things:

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for....

1. My Faith and Salvation. God has blessed me in many ways, but this is the foundation of everything in my life. Without God, I would have nothing.

2. My Children. I never thought this dream of being a Mom would ever come true. The first memory I have of anyone ever being pregnant was when my Aunt Beverly was pregnant with my cousin Kyle. I remember when he was born, his first birthday... Then when my cousin Gina had her first baby, I knew than that I wanted children. No doubt.

3. My Husband. Even though he drives me crazy, he has given me more than anyone has ever given me in terms of devotion, commitment and love.

4. My family. Even though my blood relations are far away, I still feel close to them. My heart is always with them. My in-laws are like my immediate family. I don't like the term, in-laws. I wish there was another term because they have made me their daughter and sister. I consider them as my blood relatives. God has blessed me through them.

5. My Home. Even though it is not big, flashy and new - it is the place we call home. I feel like I could live here the rest of my life.

6. My Health and my Children's Health. We have had our share of Cancer and illness, but thank God we are fine now.

7. My Friends - They keep my grounded and cheer my up when I am down.

8. My pets - Even though the hair I always clean up is annoying. They still love us and are such great company. The other day Joey walked up to Sadie and said "Hi! Sadie" while wrapping his arm around her big neck and hugging her.

9. Our Cars and belongings - Everything we have belongs to God.

10. Gods Provision for us in food, clothing and finances.

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving.

God Bless you and yours!

A Hat and Scarf for Sarah

I have immersed myself into the fine craft of knitting. It seems to be soothing to me and is a good venue for releasing my mind from all the junk that seems to swirl around in it. I actually finished 3 projects. I had bought a knitting kit from the clearance section at Michael's to make a little purse for Sarah. I figured for $5.00 it came with needles, yarn and instruction on learning to knit. I already know the basic but I thought it would come as good practice. When we purchased the kit, Sarah decided she also wanted a hat and scarf, so I bought yarn for that too. All 3 came out really cute. I did not follow a pattern for the hat and scarf. I followed techniques that I found online, my learn to knit book and a knitting show on PBS. The hat has a checker board or weave like pattern at the bottom of it. On top I created a flower with a pom-pom in the middle and chained loops as the petals. It also has 2 ties down the sides that I crocheted. The scarf is just the stockinette stitch with fringe at the bottom. Here is Sarah and modeling the finished product.


We had our first flakes of snow this week. It looked so pretty and magical falling through the air. We had a little accumulation, but it was gone by morning. Sarah and Joey were so excited. Sarah kept shouting "Let's build a snowman. It's snowing!". As for Joey I think this will be his first memory of snow. He tried saying the word, but could not master the "SN" part, so it came out as "No! No!". I think he had it confused with the word "Blow", because every time he said "No! No!" it was followed by a "Pfffffhhhh" sound and Joey blowing. It was so cute. I took a photo of the 2 looking out the back door to watch the snow. Also, I love the the image of my two babies in their cuddly PJ's with feet!

One one last note I have a brag about Sarah. This week we were going to the school supply store that had the advent calendar I mentioned in the previous post.

Before we left, I told Sarah, "We are going to the school supply store to buy an Advent Calendar and not anything else, Ok?" She nodded." I did not think that she understood. So I said to her again, "Please do not ask me to buy anything when we go or we will have to leave, do you understand?"

She replied, "I understand". So off we went.

When we got there we looked around and I finally found the advent calendar I had been looking for. Sarah and Joey had been very good in the store thus far. When it was time to check out and go, Sarah asked me if we could go look at the candy and I told her yes. Sarah had kept here word so far and I figured I would go ahead and buy some candy for her and Joey since they were being so good. I handed Joey a Mickey Mouse Pez dispenser and Sarah the Hello Kitty Pez dispenser she was starring at.

She said "That's OK, No thanks". She took it from my hands and placed it back on the shelf. I paid for our items and then we headed out the door.

While we were getting in the car, Sarah said "I can just share with Joey if that's Ok Mom..."

It was then that I realized she had kept her word and understood what I had asked her. the whole time we were in the store she NEVER asked me for anything. She understood! I felt so bad for underestimating her and proud of her at the same time. This is definitely one of those moments that makes being a parent worth it!

Joey's a Rock-n-Roll Star...at the Circus

I created this video of Joey dancing at the Circus. It was too cute and I could not resist. Joey LOVES music. Every time he hears something he likes his head starts bobbing and swaying back and forth. The dancing and the expressions on his sweet face are priceless. I need to also get video of when him and Sarah are dancing together. Adorable!

I have other updates but I am too tired tonight to post them. Enjoy the video!

Joey's Dancing at the Circus!

I'm Still Here... Just a little behind

I have been so busy with Sarah and Joey and everyday life that I have been so tired at the end of each day. So when you feel overwhelmed the lower priority tasks fall through the cracks. Lately I have felt so defeated at the end of each day and wonder what did I accomplish today? Taking care of 2 little one's can be emotionally as well as physically exhausting.

These little guys are so smart and will do whatever it takes to get your attention, even when they have it. I know that they hear me when I say stop climbing, no pulling hair, share the toy, stop fighting, stop touching the TV etc. I get louder and louder with each direction but they keep on as if the room where dead silent. I know they hear me, I think to myself. If we are in the back of the house playing and Sam drives up and opens the door, they hear that, so I KNOW THEY HEAR ME!

Dispite my frustration, they still warm my heart. Sarah will apologize for whining and say thank you for whatever it is she knows will make me smile. And Joey will climb up in my lap and place his hands on my face, lean in and smile, kiss me on the moth and say "Hi Mama, OK?". The it all becomes worth it.

I have been focused lately on homeschooling and early education for Sarah and Joey. Sarah will be 4 in a few weeks and starting preschool next fall. I want her to be somewhat ready. I have found a lot of information on the Internet that has helped me a lot. Especially the blogs that I follow. You can see them on my list of blogs. I have been focusing on the current season and holidays with arts and crafts and activities. I am creating what is called a lap-book for Sarah for studying in December. It will be focused on Christmas and it's true meaning. I am very excited about it.



I bought a nativity advent calendar that counts down the days of the season with animals and people. The last piece of the calendar to be placed is baby Jesus. Both Sarah and Joey are geared up for Christmas with their list and catalog of toys on their wish lists for Santa.

I really am looking forward to Christmas this year. The anticipation brings back magical memories of what Christmas morning was like for me and my brother. That is what I want for Sarah and Joey.


So I am still here, just a bit behind. I will update on a more regular basis. To my family and friends in the distance from here. I miss you all more this time of year than any other. Take Care this week! And let me know what you are thankful for this next Thanksgiving week.

Ear infection, Election and the Circus is in town...

This week has been a crazy week for me and my silly monkeys. Silly monkey man has been sick and came down with an ear infection. He started running a fever on Monday afternoon and continued on through the night. It had gotten as high as 103, making him a very fussy little guy. So off to the doctor we went. When Joey gets sick, everything in the David house stops. All he wants is to be held and nothing else makes him happy. He is feeling a bit better now, thanks to the RX the doctor prescribed, but I was beginning to wonder where my rambunctious little boy had gone. I was worried that he would not be well enough to go to the circus on Friday, but thank goodness his fever finally broke on Thursday and my boy wonder returned.

My children also got to see their first election and History being made on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008. Barack Obama was elected as President of the United States. I guess it was a big deal for a lot of people. There were a lot of disappointed McCain fans, including me. There were some big issues that I just don't share the same view on with Obama. But when I saw the Obama family come on stage here in Chicago to give give his speech as the new president elect, I saw a normal American family and was reassured that God is in control of everything. I told Sarah (who was still awake at 11:00pm at night) "Look Sarah, There is our next president and his family. That is his wife and his two little girls. He is going to lead our country." Sarah then smiled and said "I want to be President too!". - Who knows, maybe she will be!

But for now she is just a child and like anyone else - loves the circus. Today we took Joey and Sarah to the Circus. This was Sarah's second one and Joey's first. We went with Cerene and Paulene and had a nice time. The kids loved the clowns, acrobats and elephants. Joey loved watching the dogs chase after and catch the Frisbees and Sarah loved the clowns dressed as penguins and the girls in their pretty costumes. I think it was a bit much for Joey cause he started to get irritable close to the end and fell asleep. And of course we bought souvenirs for both Joey and Sarah. Everything was expensive as we expected. Nothing is ever discounted at these types of events. Joey was fixated on this little spinning toy that lit up as it the lights and streamers spin around. And of course when Joey said "Pee-Peezzeee" (pretty please) Cerene could not resist and bought it for him. But the classic comment came from Sarah when Cerene asked her what she wanted her to get for her. Sarah said "I already have dibah's and animals at home, I don't need any more, I want cotton candy but it is 50 dollars!" I guess she overheard us talking about how expensive everything was. It is funny to see how things translate in their big-little minds.

Halloween 2008

Trick-or-Treating was a success. The kids had so much fun. The weather was great, it could not have been a more perfect afternoon/evening for celebrating Halloween. I had tried unsuccessfully to get the kids to take a nap, so they would be well rested for the day's activities. But they would have none of that! Joey kept saying "No Neh-neh" and jump off the bed. Sarah was bouncing off the walls and just going on and on talking about Halloween and "Jack-Ko-Lant-urns". She is such a chatter box these days.

Joey walked around the house singing in his own words the "Trick-or-Treat, Smell my Feet" song I had been singing to the kids all week. As the afternoon approached I started to get a bit overwhelmed by it all, but that soon subsided when the door bell rang and we had our first Halloween visitor. I no longer had time to think about anything. That is when all hell broke loose with the dogs barking and Sarah screaming "I'M SO EXCITED! I'M SO EXCITED! I WANT TO GO TRICK-OR-TREAT WITH MY FRIEND AT THE DOOR" as she was jumping up and down. It was a sight to see in the David house. Joey just had this bewildered look on his face and would not let go of my leg. It was a bit hard to get anything done with a 25 plus pound toddler attached to you.

When things settled down, I finished putting on Sarah's Cat make-up and Joey's Robin outfit. Fortunately that was when help arrived. Thank God for Auntie Paulene! Shortly thereafter, off we went. We went to several houses on our street and a few people were home. The kids would say Trick-or-Treat and then Sarah would say "Give me Candy!". After a gentle reminder, she would say thank you. And at almost every house she would leave them saying "We'll be back later, alligator!" - Her version of the phrase "See you later alligator". It was amazing to see how friendly and outgoing Sarah was. Joey on the other hand would just stand there quietly and hold out his pumpkin. On a couple of occasions he was brave enough to reach in the bowl or basket of candy that was offered and grab a handful. And with his sweet soft voice he would say Tan-ku. EVERYONE had a comment to say about how cute and adorable they both were. (Sorry for bragging!) After we finished we went to Nana's house. Trick-or-Treat Nana! Give us Candy! When we got inside Sarah took handful after handful of candy out of Nana's bowl. And as usual, Nana could not say no. (Although when Sarah was not looking I put some of it back in Nan's bowl.) There were a lot more children out this year compared to in the past. With each knock at the door Sarah and Joey would run to the door. Sarah had fun giving candy to all the boys and girls who came to the door. She also made a habit again of taking candy from the bowl for herself as well.

Our Halloween did not end there. After all that fun we went to a friends house for a Halloween party for the kids. All the kids from our church were there in costume. The kids played and chased each other. There was a pinata filled with candy. Sarah got so upset when she missed the beginning of the kids hitting it. She came running out of the house into their backyard, screaming NOOOO!!!! Because they started without here. Once she realized they had only started and she had her turn to swing, she was fine. When it finally broke, she gathered as much candy as she could. While Joey held on to me with his hands as usual twisted in my hair. It truly was a memorable Halloween.

I over reacted... I think...

So maybe I over reacted a bit. My visitor finally arrived. I guess I just needed the usual comfort of the familiar. If you read my post yesterday, please forgive the drama. I definately over reacted.

I am looking forward to Halloween with the kids and candy. Sarah is very excited. She is going to be a Cat. I will post pictures after tomorrow's events. Joey has no clue about Halloween. All he knows is that Mommy has a big bag of "Pop Pops" (Dumdum suckers) on top of the refrigerator that he cannot reach. I guess he will understand more tomorrow. Joey is going to be dressed up as Robin from Batman and Robin. I originally bought a Superman costume, but it was too small, so we had to return it. There were other options, but they either had a mask or head gear that I knew would only last 5 minutes with Joey. The weather is supposed to be a nice 65 degrees out. I hope they have fun. Happy Halloween to all! Be Safe and God bless!

Big Fat Negative...

So I am late. I am never late. Well maybe rarely late. I took a home pregnancy test on Sunday and it was negative. I breathed a sigh of sadness and a sigh of relief at the same time. The day was crazy with Joey and Sarah both in grumpy moods when we got home. it made me question why I even want another one. But I do... So today still no visit from Aunt Flo and I had Sm go buy me another test and guess what... It was a big fat negative. I am so depressed about it. I don't know why I really thought it could be positive. I am a week late. I am rarely this late. Then it hits me... Could it be early onset of menopause? I am 43 years old.

So I started researching and now I am even more depressed. 45-55 years old is the age of the average woman at the onset of menopause. And menopause is considered "official" when your last period is 12 months ago. September 26, 2008 - Is that my date? I am so sad. I hope that it is really me just being late. I really thought I had at least 2 years of fertility left. I guess I should be grateful that I have my 2 beautiful babies. AND I AM. But I guess I am just a little selfish too.

I guess I need to have the perspective that God is not withholding another baby from me, but giving my children more of me. Sarah would love having a baby around. She is almost 4 and loves playing with her baby dolls and taking care of them. Joey on the other hand would be so jealous. He cannot stand it when I hold anyone other than him. He is such a mama's boy.

God has blessed me with children when I had resolved in my heart that I would never have any. It has truly been a blessing. So I will choose to change my sadness and big fat negative into a big fat positive. I have more time to enjoy my silly monkeys without all the bloating, morning sickness, soreness and everything else being pregnant brings. Thank you God for knowing what is not only best for me, but also what is best for my silly monkeys.

Not so lazy...

It isn't that I have been too lazy to post, I just have not had the mind-set to do so. I guess one could say that sound's like an excuse. Maybe it is. Anyways, not a lot going on this week. Work has picked up a bit this week. I went into the office for the first time since May. It was a very strange yet familiar feeling. It was as if I was walking back in time, but as soon as I pushed through those double doors, I knew the spirit of the old company I worked for had left the building. I felt really sad and displaced. It made me very thankful that my last day is the day after Thanksgiving. Then I will be a FULL time STAY AT HOME mom. I cannot wait.

I feel like I am so distracted when I am working and that it is taking my attention away from my monkeys. They are growing so fast and I am afraid I am going to miss it all. Although work has not been the only thing distracting me. Sometimes I feel like my mind is flooded with things that need to be done, cleaning, laundry, menu planning, cooking, activities for the kids not to mention are they getting everything they need. But then I am reminded that God who knows the count of every hair on my head also knows the count of every hair on my children's head and I am comforted by that.

Auntie Dentist and Fall Pumpkins...

So today the kids had their 2nd appointment with "Auntie Dentist" and I am proud to say we have no cavities. But I am even more proud to say that the both were so well behaved and did not shed a single tear! The dental assistant even complimented Sarah on what a polite little girl she was. She said "please" and "thank you" all through out her visit. After we were all done we went with Auntie Paulene to Toy's R Us for a well deserved treat.

We spent sometime outside today playing with the pumpkins and running around the yard. Joey and Sarah are enjoying the fall season. I took some photo's to capture some of the fun. You can see all of them on my facebook profile. It seems like everything is going by so fast. With the economic crisis, possible layoffs and everything else that is going on in the news and the world, I need to stop obsessing about things out of my control and start lingering a bit longer in the here and now. God is so good, and sometimes I forget what a blessed life I have.

Knit One, Pearl Two...

So today I knit a scarf for Sarah. I had knitting needles and yarn from previous (unsuccessful) attempts at knitting, so I figured that it would be a good learning medium for me. So far it seems even in stitches and looks OK, but I think it might be a bit bulky for Sarah. She on the other hand was THRILLED that I knit her a scarf. She kept begging to let her help me, so I let her hold the yarn for me. I don't think it was exciting from her view point. She wanted to do the knitting part too. She was so excited when it was done and had me wrap it around her neck. She said "Oh mommy, it is so beautiful! Can I wear it in the snow to keep my neck warm?" I told her yes, she could wear it whenever she wanted. So she did, even though there will be no snow for at least a couple of months.

Other than knitting today has been one of those days where I just did not feel like doing much of anything. Sarah and Joey were up this morning at 6:30 and unusually active. First thing I did was brew a big pot of coffee and hope it kicked in quickly. We had a good day though.

Joey and Sarah where chasing each other around saying Boo. Sarah thinks it is hilarious when Joey says that or when he repeats and copies what she is doing. The older they get the more and more they seem to interact and play together. I enjoy watching them.

After lunch today, I give them snack cakes, and as usual Joey ate what he wanted and mashed the rest on his tray. He thinks it is so funny when he throws food on the floor and the dogs gobble it up. Me on the other hand, I don't find it to be as humorous, but the more I tell him no, them more he laughs and does it again. Hum... I wonder where he gets that from?

Sarah is such a big sister. She is always taking the lead and showing Joey how to do things or telling him to be careful. She got so excited today when she picked up his room and made his bed (her way). She came running in to the living room announcing "Mommy come see what I did to Joey's room. I cleaned up and fixed his blankets on his bed." She really surprised me because she rarely picks up when I ask her to. I have to actually show her or ask more than once. And then she also picked up her room too. I was so proud of her. She has really grown to love her little brother. She even told me today "I love my baby brother!"

Tonight after dinner, during bath time Sarah decided she was going to wash Joey's hair. Surprisingly he let her. She kept rubbing bubbles in his hair and telling him to be careful and close his eyes. Then she said "See Joey we didn't get shampoo in your eyes!" Some day she is going to make a great mom.

There is always a first time for everything...

There is always a first time for everything in life. I know this because I am fortunate enough to experience the firsts of my daughter and son every day. So, before I lose track of it all, I am creating my first blog... and first blog entry to journal and memorialize my days of motherhood before I forget. I have trouble remembering the little things sometimes, like how it felt to hold my son when he was a new born or what it felt like the first time my daughter smiled at me. Thank God I had enough sense to take pictures to help me remember. So this is the beginning of my blog. I am really not sure where I will go with this or what I will say. It may just end up being a place where I ramble on about nothing important to anyone else but me. And if that ends up being the case, then that is. At least I will have documented my memories, thoughts and feelings somewhere to help me remember.

I call this Silly Monkeys and Dust Bunnies because it sums up what my days are made of. Chasing, playing and caring for my "Silly Monkeys" and constantly chasing and cleaning up after them, the dust bunnies.