Fall Photo Shoot!

So, as a total slacker, I haven't been able to muster the courage and energy to take the kids (Taylor, Trace, and my nephew, Eaden) to Sears to get their pictures taken since November last year. It was just too hard and too frustrating and quite frankly, the kids were just TOO BAD!

My sister and I decided to have a photographer come to the house to take the pictures at the beginning of November. It was great, and totally affordable. We posed the kids a little, then just let them play. There were almost 500 pictures taken, and almost all of them turned out really good, my biggest problem now is which ones to print as we were given a DVD with all the photos and own the rights!

Enjoy this sampling and check out the entire album on Photobucket (but only if you have like a half hour of spare time, and you have to click on the subalbums about halfway down on left sidebar)!

Baltimore

So, last week Trace, my mom, and I made the trip to Baltimore for his check-ups at Johns Hopkins. We were lucky enough to get to stay at the Believe in Tomorrow Children's House, which is such a wonderful place! The staff and volunteers there are so great, Miss Cathy even had Trace help her feed the fish each morning! Plus, it is a block away from the hospital, so it is super convenient! Trace had a blast playing with some new friends in the playroom there as well.

We saw Dr. Hoover-Fong, Trace's Geneticist, and Dr. Ain, Trace's Orthopaedic Surgeon. Dr. Hoover-Fong was very happy with Trace, although worried about his leg bowing... then we saw Dr. Ain and were told that Trace needs his legs straightened...like before summer. Wow, we knew that his legs would need straightened eventually, but from previous visits we were thinking like around age 7, so this was kind of a shock. We don't have anything scheduled yet, as we are waiting on a call back from Shriner's Hospital to see if doing some lengthening with the straightening is an option. We want to do what is best for Trace and are going to explore the options available.

We did get to meet up with Amanda and Parker at Arundel Mills, which was nice! Parker was so adorable yelling "Taaaaace"! The boys explored Bass Pro Shops and the Disney Store for a while, then we ate at Johnny Rockets. It was great to see them again, and I can tell you that Parker and Trace will be terrorizing retail outlets and playgrounds together in the future!





Yes, that is a black eye that Trace is proudly sporting, he fell off a chair during one of his climbing acts and caught his eye on the seat on the way down. His eye was on day 3 for these pictures. Gotta love the looks you get from people when they say "Oh my, what happened to his eye" and you say "He fell off a chair" and they say "Yeah" when they are obviously convincing themselves that we must have hit him...



We also got to make a trip to the National Aquarium and catch the Dolphin Show! Trace is kinda scared of aquariums, but he LOVED the dolphin show. The dolphins are amazing and did lots of really cool tricks showing off their skills! It is a definite MUST SEE if you are in the Baltimore area. Trace also really enjoyed the Jellyfish exhibit, it was really cool!




After the aquarium, we went over to Barnes and Noble so that Trace could play at the train table (he actually remembered this from when we met the Greene family there a year before) and ate a yummy dinner at Houlihans. Mom and I also got in some retail therapy at the Prime Outlets in Hagerstown on the way home - Gymboree and Children's Place were the big winners of all my hard earned money!

Although the appointments didn't go as great as they could have, it was still a good trip! The idea of surgery is scary, but it is what it is and Trace will be much better off. We see Trace's neurosurgeon in Pittsburgh next week, we don't have any concerns on that front, so hopefully it will go as expected and there are no surprises there.

Happy Halloween!

What kids don't love Halloween? Taylor and Trace love it, and were super happy to get costumed up to go beg for candy! Taylor was a Snow Princess, and she really played the part, walked around all proper and smiling! Trace was a motorcycle dude, complete with a goatee! It took him weeks...okay, minutes...to grow it! John always wears Harley stuff, so it didn't take long to realize that Trace was dressed up like his daddy! My nephew, Eaden, was a robot, and was absolutely adorable - he even "broke down" from time to time and you had to push buttons on him back to get him moving again (I think he's watched one too many Wow Wow Wubbzy! episodes). They scored a ton of candy and compliments! I couldn't get it on video, but as we were walking between houses, Trace was signing the Little Einsteins "We are here to Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat" song, it was so cute!








After Trick or Treat, we went to the Fall Carnival for Taylor's after school program. The kids had a blast playing games, and Taylor won as the Queen of the Carnival! She got crowned with a Tiara, got some game tickets, and a couple books! She was so happy!

Next Thing We Know, We'll Be Shipping Her Off To College!

That's right, our baby girl started Kindergarten at the end of August! The last 5+ years have flown by, and Taylor has grown into such a "big girl"! She is already reading and loves to write!

Taylor was a little nervous to go to a new school where she didn't know anyone, but has adjusted really well. She has made some new friends and LOVES riding the school bus. I'm so proud of her!

Which picks her up at 7:05am - so I've made it my goal to get up at 5:30am so that we can all be ready and out the door for her to catch the bus, and Trace and I can get a early start on our day. We are actually doing pretty well - although it isn't rare to see all our lights out at like 9pm!

The first day of school, I got Taylor up and got her ready (she picked out her clothes and wanted "one ponytail with a braid") and we drove down to the bus stop (it's about .2 miles from the house). We were chatting with the neighbor when the bus pulled up and before I even knew what was happening Taylor was on the bus and gone! I was standing there, mouth gaping, in shock - she didn't even say goodbye! I did get a couple pictures before the bus arrived, and caught the back of her on her sprint up the stairs! Don't worry, after a little whining on my part, Taylor has slown down on her bus boarding enough to squeeze in a hug and kiss for Mom!

Davis Summer Vaca - '09 Edition

Wow, I'm really behind on this blog thing, but it's been a hectic few weeks around the Davis household.

First there was our Davis Family Road Trip to Myrtle Beach, which, by the way, was AWESOME! Then Taylor started cheerleading and "big" school! The rest I don't even want to discuss right now - summed up by flooded house and totalled car.

On the way down, we stopped and spent the day at the North Carolina Zoo. It is a great zoo, with wonderful natural habitats. It was also very clean and not smelly! It is a definite stop if you are in the area!



This was our first year vacationing in our motorhome at the Mytle Beach Travel Park. I was a little worried, because we are used to staying in condos with maid service and the like, but I will admit that it was really nice! We didn't have to wait for overcrowded, hot, wet, stinky elevators, which was wonderful, didn't have to troll the garage for a parking spot, or dump the dog off onto my parents. I didn't have to lug all the beach crap - I loaded it up onto the kid's bicycle trailer and we rode bikes to the beach (Trace drove his John Deere, of course).

The campground was really nice - each spot had a little pavilion over a picnic table, and the pool was huge, clean, and actually had lifeguards! There was also a lazy river, but becuase they actually enforced the rules (read: Taylor wasn't allowed to swim in it - you actually had to be butt down in a tube), we didn't use it. The playground was huge and there were tons of activites going all day - even having exhibitions from the Dixie Stampede Juggler and Midevil Times Knights! We will definitely be back!

Following in the footsteps of the Camenga family, we hit the Ripley's Aquarium and the Dixie Stampede. We figured what the heck, since the campground only cost us $62 a night and we ate at the camper a few nights, which saved us some cash. The kids LOVED playing in the waves and digging in the sand, and Taylor collected like a billion seashells.



The first few days two of my great aunts were there, which was really nice. We spend a ton of time with my Aunt Francie, but we don't get to see Aunt Penny and Uncle Bob very often (we'll have to work on that)! Trace loved riding on the golf cart with Uncle Bob - only annual lease sites are allowed to have golf carts at the Travel Park, and my cousin happens to have a villa there that my aunts were staying at. My Aunt Francie has ALWAYS wanted to take the kids to play in the fountain at Broadway at the Beach, so on Monday night we took the kids and their swimsuits and they had a blast!



Hope you enjoyed the pictures and sorry about the long post! Check back in a couple days for Taylor's first day of school and first cheerleading for the flag football team!

Ever Seen RV?

You know the hysterical movie where Robin Williams takes his family on vacation in an RV?

Yep, the one in which he gets covered in poo trying to empty the septic tank.

How bout National Lampoons Summer Vacation?

You know, Chevy Chase and fam head out across the country to Wally World and all sorts of funny stuff happen to them?

Two funny movies about family road trips.

This evening we have embarked on our own summer road trip!

That's right, John, the kids, the 65 lb dog, and I are cruising down interstate 79 south in WV.

Yep, we are in the RV, all of us together.

John is driving, Trace is all buckled into his car seat in the copilots seat, Taylor is buckled into the chair in the living room watching Bolt, and I'm laying on the couch blogging and facebooking from the trusty Palm Pre.

Oh, yeah, Bandit is stretched out beside the couch sleeping.

So far, so good.

But it's a long way to Myrtle Beach.

We are just going to mosey along, as we are not expected at the campground until Sunday afternoon. We are hoping to hit the NC Zoo tomorrow.

Wish us luck, hopefully none of us gets covered in poo along the way!

July 4th Weekend

For the 4th of July weekend, we went to the Fox Den Acres Campground in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. Our main purpose of the trip to PA was to take the kids to Idlewild Park. Sounds like a great plan, right? Let's play a little game of "What doesn't belong in this group"

Bikes, Toys, Amusement Park, Water Park, Camping, Cold Rainy Weather

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding - we have a winner - and sadly, our weather just sucked. It was cold. It was rainy. That is acutally an understatement, it rained for 3 days straight with high temperatures around 70. I don't think I have ever had to wear jeans and a jacket on the 4th of July before. Oh, and did I mention that on the day of our arrival our hot water tank broke?

It wasn't all bad, we tried to make the best of it. We went to Idlewild with umbrellas and ponchos - and got LOTS of use out of them. It was neat to walk through Storybook Forest, and take a Trolley ride through Mister Rodger's Neighborhood of Make Believe. The kids had fun riding the rides, and even braved to play at the waterpark for a very short, cold time. We watched a lot of rain, and I discovered that although I am intriqued by a time of horse transportation and the wild west, I really don't want to live in the 1800's - I NEED hot running water.

I didn't get a lot of pictures over the weekend, kinda hard to carry an umbrella and the camera...but here are a few. We will be going back for another weekend before summer is over, and hopefully the weather is much more cooperative.

Breakfast of Champions! And Other Random Stuff

Are you thinking we had Wheaties this morning? Nope, we didn't, not even close. We had ice cream. I bought some sugar cones at the store the other day and Tay has been asking for ice cream ever since, and it just hadn't happened. This morning she looked up at me with big eyes and said "Ice cream?", and I said "What the heck, you only live once." Taylor also applied her own makeup this morning, so she looks a little wierd... So, here are some shots of the kids eating breakfast this morning...(ignore the screwed up images, the kids messed up my camera settings and I just got it fixed this morning)




Now that it's completely clear that I'm not getting the Mom of the Year award, here is some other random stuff. Taylor had her Tball Trophy Ceremony at the Dairy Queen last week. She was very excited to get a trophy! Poor Trace had to look like a baby in Pooh overalls, those of you on Facebook will remember the day that the poor kid was out of clothes at daycare and I left with him wearing Bob the Builder underoos, sandals, and a belt with diggers embroidered on it...and well, the Pooh overalls was it at my mom's.





Finally, Taylor is apparently working on her artistic photography...I found the following shots (and a ton more) on my camera when I downloaded my photos today...I'm very impressed with her apple stacking skills myself...







All of you lucky families heading to NYC, have safe travels and a great time!!

Fishin' with Pappaw!

A couple weeks ago Taylor was kind of crying in her sleep. When she woke up the next morning, I asked her why she was crying and her answer was: "I had a dream". So, I naturally asked about the dream. "I was fishing with Pappaw." Confused, I asked why she was crying. "Pappaw has never taken me fishing before." was the answer. My dad was instantly heartbroken when we told him about it, and has been trying to get Taylor fishing ever since!

He was planning on taking her out on his john boat, but the private lake we were at has not maintained their boat ramp, and there was NO way we were carrying the boat down the hill to the water, so they fished from my parents' friend Barbie's dock. Taylor caught 3 bluegill. Because they were not going on the boat, Trace and I stayed, and my sister brought Eaden out too. I think the kids liked the worms better than fishing, and Trace and Eaden had a great time throwing sticks off the dock into the lake. We also took a spin in Barbie's paddleboat while we were there!

Taylor's First Date!

Taylor has had a boyfriend, Brandon, for quite a while now! Brandon is on Taylor's Tball team, and I went to school with his parents. He is such a cutie, and quite the gentleman. He brings Taylor flowers, gave her a ring (from the $.50 machines), and we have caught them holding hands a few times at practice and games - they are just adorable!



This past weekend, Taylor and Brandon had their first date! We all went to see Up in 3D. Brandi, Brandon's mom, called that morning to tell me that Brandon was soooo excited, and that he was helping his Daddy in the yard to earn money "to buy Taylor popcorn" - isn't he just the sweetest? Taylor had to wear a dress, and she had me fix her hair in braids. So cute! We all had a great time at the movie (even after Trace was "done" wearing the 3D glasses and decided that if he didn't run around a little he might fall asleep...unacceptable to him, of course). The little girl closest to the camera is Brandon's little sister Hailey, she is an adorable little girl, and quite mature for 3 1/2!





John didn't make it to the movie, but I was telling him about it afterwards. He has been giving Taylor a hard time about Brandon, and now has her convinced that he has purchased some "Anti-Hand Holding Cream", that he is going to apply to Taylor's hands to keep Brandon away. Last night, John told Tay that he had the lotion and that he was going to put it on while she was sleep (nice, could have been a disaster if she refused to sleep - but Daddy's don't think about those things...). So John and Trace were in bed, and I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed. Taylor was in there all worried about this lotion and was thinking of ways to keep him from putting it on her. This is what she came up with...




That's right...Taylor slept with gloves on. She has decided that until she either finds the lotion to get rid of it, or is old enough to date (John says that's at 40), she is sleeping with gloves on. She is so funny, and smart too! **Bad parent alert** The kids both still sleep with us (has to end soon, no room in the bed because a certain little boy insists on sleeping sideways), and were both still asleep this morning when John and I were up getting ready for work. I snapped those pictures, and told John to check out Tay's hands...he couldn't get over her dedication!

As long as Taylor sticks with Brandon, I think we are good - he's quite the gentleman, and has a great family!