the davis diaries

Coolest Friend ever

2008-08-16T21:32:00.007-05:00

This is a rare post on our site from me (David). My best friend made this video as a good-bye to me and the family as we moved from Arkansas to Oklahoma. He originally posted it on his facebook and has received some comments from our Arkansas friends and connections. It is really funny, special, and entertaining. After a bit of silence while he rides the roller coaster there is some talking and finally the song he wrote. Thanks for the good-bye P-Dub and most of all thank you for your unconditional friendship.

11 months & other stuff

2008-08-13T21:00:00.004-05:00

Benjamin turned 11 months old yesterday. I can't believe my sweet baby is just one short month away from turning 1. We went to the Theta pond on the OSU campus yesterday to take some pics of the boys. Its a really pretty spot. Benjamin's latest skills are cruising & talking. He can say mama, dada, bye-bye, ball, and I think today he said hat. Of course it's all in baby-lingo.

People keep asking me if we like it here or not and I never know what to say. We've only just been here since the 1st and most of that time has been unpacking boxes and getting the house in order. We are just now coming up for air and life is beginning here in Stilly. David's first class is Tuesday. He'll be managing Taylor's, a restaurant/lab on campus, Tuesday through Friday lunch and teaching a class on Tuesdays & Thursdays. I've already made a couple of connections with other other mommies

Basically, it is all very surreal still and I don't know what I think.

aquatic center

2008-07-28T22:15:00.003-05:00

Yes, we do occasionally pack a box here or there.

After feeding the ducks we headed over to the aquatic center for a little fun in the sun and water. It was Drew's lucky day as his good friend Jack was there too.

ducks

2008-07-28T22:06:00.002-05:00

We have not pushed potty-training with Drew yet. But, we have a potty for him to use whenever he wants to. A few weeks ago I posted a potty chart in the bathroom for him & then he went on a potty dry-spell. But, this past week he has really gotten into it & has filled all 5 of the stars on his chart with stickers. So he got to pick a special activity for us to do. He picked feeding the ducks. Drew loves throwing things so it was right up his alley.

we did it

2008-07-23T20:44:00.003-05:00

I can't believe we've done it, but we have switched from disposable diapers to cloth diapers. It's something that I thought about when we had Drew, but just didn't know much about it or anyone who did it. There's a great store in Fayetteville that put on a little workshop that I attended & learned all about it. The information I learned helped make it less intimidating. Basically, changing a diaper is changing a diaper. There are a couple of extra steps you have to do, but they have come a long way with some perks in the cloth diapering world... including a sprayer attachment for the toilet to spray away poop!

I am anxious about explaining to people that we have switched and am glad its out there now. We aren't becoming total hippies or anything, but it just seemed like a no-brainer to us financially & environmentally. Drew is actually still in disposables as we will put him in training pants soon after we get settled in Stillwater. Today was our first day in cloth diapers & we still have a lot to figure out.

(Yes, we know Benjamin is in OSU orange!)

debt is dumb

2008-07-22T21:30:00.002-05:00

We watched Maxed Out last night & it was awesome! If anyone is sick and tired of being sick and tired, I highly reccomend it. Also, if you are already on the path to financial freedom as we are, it can give you a great motivational push that you sometimes need in this world of materialism & overspending.

"...the borrower is slave to the lender." (Proverbs 22:7)

family pic

2008-07-21T09:38:00.002-05:00

All four of us on Sunday ended up in pretty "matchy-matchy" clothes for some reason. I'm not one to do this on purpose, but it does happen on occasion by accident. And everyone seemed in a pretty good mood after church so we spontaneously decided to try to take a family picture in the front yard. When it was just the two of us, David & I were always trying to take fun pics with the timer & tripod. We haven't had much success with the kids, but this time they actually cooperated great! Drew smiled and looked at the camera. Benjamin looked at the camera too with no one there trying to capture his attention. Pretty amazing I might say!

i would never

2008-07-18T12:25:00.003-05:00

There are many things I thought I would never do as a parent. One of which was let my baby drink a carbonated beverage (at least it was a cherry limeade so no caffeine!). Ever since Benjamin randomly started drinking from a straw last week, you really have to watch your drinks. Drew leaves his straw cups everywhere & if Benjamin happens upon it, he will take it for his own. Here's some more things I thought I'd never do when I became a parent:

1. Let my child stand up in the basket of a shopping cart. Hey, what else are you going to do with the oldest, but still young kid? Sometimes those carts with extra seats aren't available. And if they are, they aren't the easiest to push around a store.

2. Spank. Yes, I did say spank & no it's not illegal. Hitting is abuse, spanking is not. I was so fearful about admitting that we spank because of all the controversy. But, we believe it is biblical and the right thing to do. Check out this book for more info on our view of discipline.

3. Let my child under the age of 2 watch TV. I know the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against this, but what can I say? Benjamin gets the occasional baby video. Especially on long car rides.

I know there's plenty more, but that's all my brain can squeeze out right now.

10 months

2008-07-14T11:30:00.002-05:00

Benjamin turned 10 months old this weekend. We stopped by Lake Fayetteville to take a few pics for the baby album. I'm still attempting to keep Benjamin's baby book as similar to Drew's as possible. His new skills include pulling up by himself, drinking from a straw, and feeding himself with a spoon (he can put it in his mouth, but we have to fill it). He is pretty independent and likes to be able to feed himself.

july 4

2008-07-10T20:04:00.002-05:00

We went to Keystone Lake on July 4th to hang out with David's family. David, Benjamin, & I spent the day there while Drew got to stay the whole weekend. It was his first time away by himself & he had a blast. The lake was so full it had flooded the camp ground and the swimming beach was pushed all the way back up into some camp sites. It was a little tricky trying to avoid picnic tables, grills, & curbs while swimming!

David tried taking Drew out on the wave runner, but Drew screamed the whole time.

The boys with their cousins. Drew loved to jump in the inflatable boat & throw balls in the water for his cousins to go after. Benjamin was passed around a lot & enjoyed a little splash time in the water too.

Benjamin got a quick bath in the camp sink before we headed back.

looking for help

2008-06-28T00:25:00.002-05:00

I'm just so very tired of my boring, standard blog background, but too afraid to change it. The last time I tried, I messed it all up & had to start over. So, anyone out there willing to walk me step by step into the world of cool web/blog design? As you probably know, we have our own domain (I think that's what it's called) so I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

Please help!!!

a tape measure blast

2008-06-24T12:29:00.002-05:00

That's baseball lingo for a home run. We went to a NWA Naturals game a couple of weeks ago & were in line at the cafe in outfield. David was holding a plate with a hamburger & beans, I had Benjamin, & Drew was standing next to us. We heard a commotion & David turned around to see everyone looking in our direction. In the next second, a ball came flying at him & smashed into the hand that was holding his plate. The burger & beans exploded. The ball hit him right in the meaty part of his hand between the thumb & finger. It swelled up immediately & turned purple. We were really lucky the ball didn't break his hand or hit the boys. Also, the standers-by were nice to let Drew pick up the ball.

Jordan Czarniecki of the North Little Rock Travelers was back for a series this week & we were able to get in the locker room to meet him & have him sign the ball. Drew was very polite & shook his hand, but when it came time to take the picture, he shyly covered his face.

peeps

2008-06-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

I came across this fun list that I tore out of my April Parenting magazine & just wanted to share it:

4 ways kids are like Peeps:
1. They're sweet, though almost always a bit sticky.
2. You can give them a little squeeze if they're yours - but not if they're a stranger's.
3. They're a known cause of stubborn belly overhang.
4. It can be hard to stop at one, but after two or three, the mere thought of having another may make you queasy.

9 months

2008-06-18T20:03:00.006-05:00

Benjamin turned nine months old last week. He has his four front teeth & is crawling. It took him about a week of progressing from just making two moves to now getting where ever he wants. Occasionally his sweet, round belly gets the best of him & he bottoms out.

I've been trying to get a video of him for two days. Every time I'd get Benjamin set up & tease him with a toy to crawl to, Drew would either run over & take the toy to play with or give it to Benjamin.

zoo

2008-06-18T19:51:00.003-05:00

We went on a little road trip with Kelleys' this last weekend to Kansas City. We celebrated Father's Day with a dinner at Cheesecake Factory (our sweet hubbies know that's one of our favorite restaurants) & a visit to the zoo. The boys did great despite a brief rainstorm. Drew loved looking at the animals safely in their cages, but when it came time to petting sheep or feeding birds, he was terrified.

a sprinkler & a kiddie pool

2008-06-05T22:16:00.004-05:00

The boys enjoyed some classic kid fun yesterday in the kiddie pool & sprinkler. I love it... wet grass sticking to your feet, eating melting popsicles, running through the sprinkling water. I was chasing Drew in the sprinkler & tried to "pants" him. The rest of the evening he kept yelling, "Get my pants, Mommy!" while pulling down his own shorts. His plumber's crack was in full view. Benjamin enjoyed splashing in the pool. I enjoyed chasing Drew & admiring all of Benjamin's scrumptious rolls.

living in the present

2008-06-03T19:52:00.003-05:00

I've actually been reading a book lately (something I rarely do now that I'm a mommy). It's What Every Mom Needs & was given to me on Mother's Day at church. It's been pretty good. I just came across this poem that really strikes a cord with me:

First I was dying to finish high school
and start college.
And then I was dying to finish
college and start working.
And then I was dying to marry and have children.
And then I was dying for my children
to grow old enough for school
so I could return to work.
And then I was dying to retire.
And now, I am
dying...
And suddenly I realize I forgot to live.
-Anonymous

I find myself often "waiting for life to get better." I need to play more with my boys & just enjoy them where they are at NOW!

kings river falls... finally

2008-05-20T13:16:00.005-05:00

Note: I've been having some trouble posting this week & thought it was because of the video. That's why I deleted it. I'll try & re-post that soon.

We took Benjamin on his first hike this weekend to Kings River Falls with Carrie & her nephew Parker (or Big Parker as Drew calls him). This was Drew's first hike that he walked most of the time (there were sections that were too difficult for him & sometimes he was just a little too cranky). The boys had a blast with all the water, rocks, & sticks. Benjamin ate some dirt & leaves, played a little bit in the water, & snoozed on the hike back out.

the boys

2008-05-14T14:55:00.002-05:00

Benjamin turned 8 months old on Monday. He's gotten two teeth in & is starting to rock on his hands & knees. Crawling should be just around the corner. He is as sweet as ever. And check out those arms! Someone called them "rubber band arms" the other day!

My adventurous one. Drew loves to run down the slope of the Kelleys' front yard. When I picked him up the other day from playing with Parker, of course he had to run down the yard before getting in the car. This time he landed face first into the sidewalk. By the afternoon, he was running down a neighbor's drive way as fast as he could go. Nothing slows him down for too long. Oh, & he told me, "Bug off" today!!! It was really funny... you see, he has this bug light in his room & I was about to turn it off before his nap. He has become irritatingly independent lately & wanted to do it himself. I'm trying to learn patience even in the midst of running late!

lubbock

2008-04-23T14:39:00.002-05:00

We made a quick trip to Lubbock this past weekend for the annual FarmHouse Founder's Day banquet. And I mean really quick. We were gone a total of 63 hours and 25 of them were spent on the road. Not fun for anyone, let alone with two small boys. However, the 38 hours we spent in Lubbock were fun & filled with 3 softball games, a banquet, & a couple of rounds of black jack.

David played softball Saturday morning at the 3rd annual alumni vs. active game where he started with a home run!!! I love watching him play. It brings back the days of watching him play on a rec-team in college. Later, we watched our nephews' games.

Drew enjoyed dragging a bat around an empty field & throwing the ball to his cousins.

Benjamin & Papa watching David's game. Benjamin enjoyed being passed around & snoozing.

Auntie Val, Uncle Jeff, & boys watched Drew & Benjamin while we went to the banquet. They went to this really cool park called Legacy Play Village.

benjamin at 7 months

2008-04-14T15:54:00.003-05:00

gymnastics

2008-04-14T15:48:00.002-05:00

Drew has been taking a gymnastics class. I've been wanting to get him into one since he loves to climb, flip, and is generally just very active and adventurous.

Here he is rolling down the "cheese."

After you roll, you are supposed to have "big arms."

opening day

2008-04-10T08:27:00.002-05:00

Today is opening day for the NWA Naturals... our very own double-a baseball team. David has been working closely with someone on the team to capture their business for the hotel. We got to get a sneek peek at Arvest Ballpark last night. He has been so excited... giddy as a little tee ball player. So this post is dedicated to you, David!

hiking the trail

2008-04-08T13:31:00.002-05:00

The weather this weekend was a-ma-zing! We enjoyed our Sabbath with morning church (yeah!), naps, & a short walk on the trail at Lake Fayetteville. Drew had a blast collecting rocks & then throwing them into the creek. He also jumped in a few mud puddles along the way.

yellow tulips

2008-04-07T20:52:00.002-05:00

I took the boys up to the hotel last week to take some pics of them in front of the pretty yellow tulips. It was almost impossible to get a decent pic of both boys. Every time Benjamin sits in the grass he gets so interested in it. Then Drew can get shy and/or ornery (that's a very funny looking word).

Benjamin is quite the flirt. This is one of his flirty faces. So far, he really has taken a special liking to Lindsey & Jaime.

I thought this one was so sweet. Drew had his face hidden behind Benjamin & when I moved it so that we could see him better, Benjamin reached back to touch him. Oh how I hope they are the bestest of friends!