Goodbye 2008

Gotta say, I'm not too sad to see you go. You didn't start well, and you got rather difficult to handle at times.

There were good moments. I watched my baby grow and change and learn and develop. Because of you, I love my family more and more ever day. You taught me more about myself than any of your predecessors.

But I'm ready for the new year. The new start. The new chance to make things better.

Bring it on.

Tired

I am just plain tired. Tired from the time change (I thought I was supposed to be getting more sleep???), tired from adjustments, tired from school, tired of drama (at work - not home, surprisingly enough), tired from sleeping half the night with a 2-year-old in my bed, too tired to invest the necessary time and effort to correct that problem.

Just tired. And feeling sluggier than ever. I haven't run in a month now. Not that I was really considering myself a runner before, you know... in the whole 2 1/2 weeks I was running. But I really need to start over. I need some time to myself and I REALLY need to get off my butt and get moving. Maybe tomorrow. Like the minute I walk through the door, since it now gets dark at 6:30. Which makes me tired.

Halloween Fun

What fun was had on Halloween! Samm and I dressed up that morning - she had Hippie Day at CFC and I dressed in a silly disco outfit - had to do the 70's thing of course!

At school, I ate entirely too much junk food. Curses on the Spanish classes and their party leftovers! My advisory class did win the door decorating contest with their groovy tie-dyed door, so that was cool.

Finally it was time for the official Halloween festivities to begin! Tater got all dudded up in pirate gear, thanks to Auntie Carey, who came to our rescue with an adorable costume to borrow. Tater had been running around all week hollering "Arrrg!" or "Arrrg Applesauce!" (I think from the Scooby Doo pirate punch applesauce we got one time) or "Arrrg Fee!" (I have no clue). He was very into being a pirate.

Before we left Nana's house, Caleb and Connor came by, so we got the chance to do a photo opp with all 3 boys. They were just too cute!

Then it was off to do a little trick-or-treating. Only a little though. I've never been that big on the trick-or-treating part; not sure why. In fact, even though this is T's 3rd Halloween, he's never really been "for real" trick-or-treating. This year, we went up to Southland's trunk-or-treat, and it was more to see Grandma than anything. Tater wasn't sure what to think of it. He would say "Trick or treat!" but only when prompted. He just kind of walked around in a daze. He was way more interested in what was already in his bag than what people were holding out to him. We found a dog in one car - he promptly dropped his bag and ran over. Who needs candy when there's dogs around!

We made an abbreviated pass through and then headed over to D-pop and Grandma's house. Tater helped D-pop pass out candy to the kids and then spent the night while Samm and I went home to stuff our faces with Chinese food and scare ourselves silly with horror flicks - The House on Haunted Hill and, of course, Return to House on Haunted Hill. It was past one when we went to bed.

All in all, it was a fun night. But I gotta tell ya, I'm looking forward to next year, when Halloween in on a Saturday. Then I can rest up before the festivities.

Mommy the Procrastinator

Heaven help me.

Tater wants to be a pirate for Halloween. I have known this for at least 2 weeks, but when did I go shopping for his costume? Today. 3 days before Halloween. Did I find a toddler sized pirate costume? Ansolutely not. So... yeah. I have 3 days to get creative and throw together a great costume.

Or at least one that passes for a pirate.

All quiet on the western front

It is 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon, and my house is quiet for the first time in a week. Well, except for sleeping time. But half of my family is at the roping fiesta, and the smallest 1/4 is sleeping. Ahh... peace.

This has not been a quiet week. It's amazing what the addition of one person to a family can do for the noise level. Even though Sam doesn't make a lot of noise, Tater has decided to make up for it. He is not adjusting well to sharing Mommy and Daddy's attention. In fact, she's adjusting a ton better than he is... outwardly anyway. She has made a couple of friends and we're getting to see her beautiful smile more often than not, so that's a good thing. I'm so glad to have her here.

Tater, on the other hand, feels as though he needs to be in the middle of every conversation and between anybody who might be sitting on the couch, and must be touching one of us at all times. He has upped his whininess level about 4 notches the past few days. In fact, the second day Sam was here, he tilted his head, looked at her thoughtfully, and said, "Sammie, you don't have to live here anymore; you can go bye-bye now." If only two-year-olds had filters! But we laughed it off; she thought it was hilarious. They're both just going to have to get used to not being the only child.

But I think they're going to be ok.

Now their daddy and I may age 20 years in the next 4, but that's just the way it goes, I guess.

From now on...

From now on...

• the entire Davidson family is under one roof
• when someone asks how many children I have, I can officially say "Two"
• I am no longer outnumbered in my household
• I have someone to shop with who doesn't get bored after 20 minutes
• we raise a high-schooler and a pre-schooler at the same time
• twice as many prayers are sent up... actually, make that thrice
• my heart is a little more full

Sam is here. To stay. So many emotions have come and gone over the last two weeks... Joy to have her here with us. Apprehension and inadequacy regarding my ability to give her everything she needs. Fear that I'll fail her. Heartbroken-ness for the heartbreak she feels leaving everything behind. Hope that she will take advantage and bloom in this fresh new start she's been given. Excitement for everything our family's future together will hold. Mourning for what it won't. Prayerfulness for the protection of my entire family from attacks from the Evil One. Faith that The Father can heal. Will heal.

Above all, there is love. My heart just spills over, along with my eyes now, with love for my family. My prayer is that she can see how much she is loved here. And that our love, and His, will be enough.

October is here!

This morning on the way into town, I realized it was the first day of October. All at once a little twingle ran down my spine and I got a chill of excitement. I absolutely love fall! I know it's officially been fall for several days, but it doesn't really feel like fall 'til the calendar says "October." My absolutely most favoritest time of year is Christmas, but fall comes in a close second - maybe because it leads up to that magical holiday. But in honor of this season, a bullet post of my favorite things about autumn:

• Mornings just crisp enough to need a jacket
• Gorgeous cool evenings
• Pumpkin decorations
• Pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin bread
• Cinnamon candles
• The smell of fireplace in the air outside
• The fireplace going inside
• Prettier sunrises
• Thanksgiving - and family
• football on TV
• Reds, oranges and yellows in the trees
• Sweaters
• Air that just smells "cold"
• Pictures of my cutie in the pumpkin patch

Ahh. October. Autumn is here!