My inspiration for this record of my days:

“The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less” -Anna Quindlen

Thursday, March 28, 2013

What's been going on around here

Eli has spent hours this spring wandering around the lawn picking dandelions.  As you can see, he hasn't quite mastered the art of blowing them!


Josh built this super cool marble track using popsicle sticks and a hot glue gun.   I love the way his mind works!

Simon was a good helper with our juicing this season.


Caleb goes on a campout every month with his scout troupe.  They're preparing for a 50 mile backpacking trip later this year.

Josh's basketball team.  They call themselves the Big Daddy Dogs.  Uncle Emet is the best coach ever!!


My cute little (who is actually getting SO tall) volleyball player.  She mastered her overhand serve!

Jonah got to go to Monster Jam with Dad, Uncle Doug, and his cousins

These silly girls love the "cheese face."  I'm so glad they are such great friends.  Who else will do the cheese face with you?  Only a sister...


Sunday, March 10, 2013

Clean Dishes

Simon is becoming an expert at unloading the dishwasher.

He knows where everything goes, and can do the job all by himself.  It's a great way for him to earn a Davis Dollar!





The only problem is...  sometimes he gets distracted.  He likes to play with the dishes.  Big bowls go on his head.  Clean spoons hang on his nose.  Spatulas can be used as swords.  You understand how fun those things can be.

The other day I caught him breathing onto a glass pan so he could draw shapes in the fog of his breath.

I repeated the usual reminder.  "Hey buddy!  Remember that the clean dishes go straight from the dishwasher to their cupboards.  We don't want to get germs on them, because then they won't be clean anymore.  Right?"

Oh yeah, he remembers. He puts them away.  And soon, some unsuspecting family member will come and grab a "clean" spoon out of the drawer to use.

And what they don't know won't hurt them.

Now, who wants to come eat dinner at my house?