(Mandatory) Davis Family Adventures

 

Today we served alongside our church family cleaning up a neighborhood schoolyard. I was proud of our kids who picked up oodles of pine cones and trash. Even amongst questions of "Why don't they pick up their own trash?" and "Why didn't you bring us a snack?" I think the family actually had fun working since lots of other kids were involved.

May they grow up to be like Jesus, who didn't come to be serve but to serve.

After an afternoon of kid swapping (we sent one to a birthday party, traded one boy playdate for our two girls with another family, and gained three kids from down the street whose mother was having a tea party and wanted everybody outside for a while), we loaded up the family car and headed downtown.

A and I had discussed when walking through other cities, that we rarely go to our own downtown with our kids. In theory, this seemed like a valuable thing to do. As today was a day of several festivals, I declared that we would be going to the Italian Festival and then to Jazz under the stars on the State House grounds. We never made it to starlight. The family pooped out. Here are a few moments worth remembering.

Our first time stomping grapes

Pretending we were in Venice....just photoshop the trash can out of the background. We have been to Venice actually, but never sat in a gondola.

This cost $2. Really.

Weaponry of ancient Rome

Exploring our own city

Look kids! There it is, our State House.

Finding the stars

 

Running around the grounds and reading about the statues

My family, counting down the minutes when they could go and watch the ball game and eat chicken wings.

So, I think I will have to go to the festivals by myself next time. I enjoy having cappuccino gelato for dinner and listening to bands while milling through city streets. My family? Not so much. I may take my Pandora on the back porch and see the stars by myself too.

I recently had a conversation with a friend whose mother is a lot like me. She assured me that although she resented the outings and trips at the time, she was later thankful for a lifetime of memories. I hope that will be true for our family too.

 

Children's Garden

Up close and personal with the corn maze.... We like listening to the wind rustle through the sheaves

Identifying the parts of the corn plant after reading books about corn

Stopping to play on the hay bales

We saw five lizards and a variety of bugs...the deer could have heard us coming a mile away

Looking for decomposers

Nature scavenger hunt

Stopping to read the tree identification guides

Watching insects stride across the water...follow up to surface tension experiments at home

Picnic in the Park

Learning not to freak out when a bee buzzes over to inspect your

Polynesian nugget sauce

Stand next to letter C

Today I thank you, Jesus, for a sweet day of learning outdoors.

Fun with Paperclips

Sometimes my husband will call home and ask what I am doing. It's usually something minute, like "I am teaching our kids how to measure perimeter with paperclips".

measuring perimeter with non-standard units

 Our youngest daughter had a stomach bug last night, so I kept her home today. I thought that she would be somewhat impressed with all the fun things we did today exploring force and motion for first grade science. How humbling it was when she said, "I sure hope I don't throw up again today, because I really want to go back to real school tomorrow!"

My Mini Van Has Lost Its Swagger

My mini van has lost its swagger.

The rear windshield wiper was hanging down droopily as one of my children has taken up rip-sticking and has discovered that the best way to get started is to crawl along the side of my car, holding on for dear life, until she's found her balance...and then she's off....and my van is duct taped together. I cheer for her newfound skill, and feel a little bit like the duct taped woman who is trying to hold it together.

I'm leaving the duct tape on until we can get it fixed. When I occasionally get my van washed, they always put a piece of tape on it anyway so that it won't be damaged in the carwash. Maybe people will just think I just got a wash and then drove down a dirt road on a shortcut to school on a day when I was later than I had hoped to be?

I have been reading Kelly Minter's Nehemiah Bible Study. What has struck me is that the strength of the laborers was running out at the half way point of building the wall. Nehemiah prayed for more strength...and the wall was completed. My man and I are crawling, plopping down to sleep the first chance we have. We know it won't always be this way, but right now it is so tiring. Sometimes, even when you have begged God to be able to serve in some way, and He has been gracious to grant your request, you can crawl from exhaustion. Even with His help, and His strength for today, you are not guaranteed a cake-walk for life. You can still be on the brink of tears at any given moment, even when you're not sad. Just worn out.

The two sides of me are sometimes conflicted. I am a romantic at heart that loves to look at Pinterest and dream of travel and making every day amazing and beautiful. Remember the Disney character, Belle? "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere...." Then there is the practical responsible part of me that knows that there is a lot of work to be done, and many days are not so thrilling...not even close. And I have to settle for "enough...not perfect...not even close."

Tonight I took my dinner plate from the table of my beautiful LOUD family who was not impressed with my broccoli, and ate dinner alone on the tile of my bathroom floor. My oldest daughter came to check on me. "Mom, are you alright?" "I'm ok. I just need to find some quiet." There were birthday gifts to buy and groceries to get while they were on sale, so I took my quiet time on a shopping trip to Target and Kroger. If Jesus could meet the woman at the well, while she was drawing water, He can meet me lugging in the groceries while my family sleeps. I need Thee every hour. I give thanks for the extra bright lights at Publix, so that I can buy one get one in saftey and security.

Sharon Jaynes encourages women to look for 5 beautiful things each day.
Fall mums on sale were one of my beautiful things today.

I pray that my eyes will stay fixed on Jesus. On days when my quiet times are not so quiet, or existent, and my prayer life is putting my head down on the steering wheel in the garage when the van has pulled into the garage for the day... on those days, Jesus still cares. He still holds me. He still says, "Press on....."A head bowed in a garage can be holy ground.


For truth about where we are in our journey, read Jen Hatmaker's blog.

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2012/08/21/the-truth-about-adoption-one-year-later

Nerf Gun Backyard Party

"So, Mom. Is my birthday basically a last minute kind of thing?"

I almost shot the birthday kid with a Nerf bullet.

"No," I replied instead. "But not everything needs to be complicated."

Here are a few snapshots of one of the simplest birthday parties we have ever given...and the boys all had a blast.

Suction darts...safety lesson about not shooting anyone in the face at point blank range

Let the games begin, camo optional

I offered camouflage face paint, but the boys were more eager for an epic battle.

Pinterest Moms with time on their hands sew their own vests out of felt. Moms like me, who are just trying to make it, can get nail pouches from Lowe's instead. Works great for reloading ammo mid-game.

cardboard barricades supported by wooden stakes and a staple gun

capture the flag...two on two...honor code for when you are tagged out, or boot camp exercises if found not trustworthy. Boys verse Dads. My husband was a great Gamemaker.

Having a variety of guns wasn't a problem. The boys enjoyed swapping them around and trying out different guns on different games. They did a great job of helping younger boys retrieve lost bullets and repair jammed guns. I was proud of their collaborative and competitive sides.

Popsicle breaks between rounds. Lots of bottled waters.

Variety of orange and yellow foods....carrots, oranges, cantaloupe, and yellow and orange bell pepper slices to balance out the junk, pizza, and birthday cake.

Cheese puffs and baby carrots loosely resemble Nerf bullets

We set up target practice around the backyard. The wind upped their game a little. The boys were more interested in shooting each other than the targets.

Movie boxes of candy as take-homes, along with the goggles and nail pouches.... Berry Blast Mike and Ikes, Hot Tamales and Life Savers also loosely resemble Nerf bullets.

Two Moms have already told me they are going to do the same thing for their kids' birthdays this year.

Hooray for simplicity!

Doing Life Together

Queens and quarterbacks...dressing up when Q "marries" U

Equivalent fractions with cheese wedges

 

 

 

 

 

forever building

Learning to play catcher

exploring magnetism with Thomas the train

Great Daddy