The Gift Santa Bought When I Was Out Of Town....

I'm expecting a visit from the Homeowner's Association any day now..............

Christmas 2006

4:15 AM Grey "Santa came! He brought Verticon Warriors!!!!"
4:16 AM Me "Turn the lights off and go back to bed......"

6:30 AM Christmas starts....
Verticon Warriors, Grey's #1 request from Santa. (I don't understand it at t'all.)

Ran and me in my new sweater and scarf. (Thanks, Jenn.)

Holland believes in safety first in the kitchen. Here her groupies are helping her put on elbow and knee pads.
"THE PRINCESS BIKE" she waited so long for.

After we opened gifts and finally got out of our pajamas (@11:00), we loaded up and went to see Night At The Museum which we all highly recommend! We had a fabulous Christmas dinner of nachos, popcorn, a big pickle (Mac), and assorted carbonated beverages. Am I a great cook or what?

Christmas Eve

We were hoping that we would get to see Uncle Chris and soon-to-be Aunt Susie during the Christmas holidays, and Santa delivered them to our driveway Christmas Eve. We opened gifts and had a great time. Uncle Chris and Susie gave Holland, the Princess, this shirt which speaks for itself.

Holland also opens another present from Chris and Susie and walks away with her own personal pot of gold; a little mermaid doll, and a sleeping booty (that's what she calls her instead of sleeping beauty and she could care less that it's incorrect.).

Grey got an official Louisville Slugger Bat and Ball. Uncle Chris got it at the actual factory in Kentucky and had it personalized just for Grey.

Paging the Tooth Fairy (On Christmas Eve)

On Christmas Eve, I tend to picture the Tooth Fairy with her feet propped up in her Franklin recliner (plug for Mac), maybe sipping eggnog with the Easter Bunny, just enjoying the one night she has off. But noooooo, some kid (Grey) has to lose his tooth on Christmas Eve after lunch with his family and now she has to work. She probaby sighs and says, "How typical." The Easter Bunny probably gets a good chuckle out of it. Hmmmm, I wonder if she carpools with Santa.


Papa, Grey (with the tooth in his hand), and Ran at one of our favorite resteraunts. (You'll find we have a lot of favorite resteraunts.) (( That's Humble City Cafe root beer in the picture, not that you thought it was anything else.......))

You just thought I was through with the birthday...

From party skirts that play music to Little Mermaid Salons to Magical Castles to Barbie to Cinderella Dancing videos to baby dolls in bathtubs to money and so on, Holland had a great birthday and wanted me to thank you for the love and for not combining her birthday with Christmas with the "birthday/Christmas gift" (although she will gladly accept those gifts) and making her day as fabulous as she is!

The 4th Birthday.....

Well, I warned you it was coming and so it did. On December 23rd, at 8:09 AM, Holland Layne Davis turned the ripe old age of 4. We sang Happy Birthday the moment she woke up, then the entire resteraunt of Denny's sang to her, then we sang several more times in the car, then at the Japanese steak house, then again when she blew out her candles. Let's just say the song is still ringing in my ears along with Holland singing "Dingle Bells", and "Let it go, let it go, let it go."

I asked for one of every "Happy Birthday" balloon they had.

Ran and Papa made it to our house in time to enjoy Holland's birthday dinner at H.B. Japanese Steakhouse. Also pictured, Holland wielding a real Samarai sword. (I let my 4 yr old hold a lethal weapon; these are the things I let my children do so I can blog it for you.)

Out of the Office

I hope everyone has had a very Merry Christmas. The Davis 4 Blog corporate office will continue to be closed until December 28, 2006 so the staff, (me) can continue to spend time with family. The blog will be back with new posts at that time. Thanks!

Not so Fast......

Just when you get everything bought, wrapped, and/or hidden, that's when you get the "new list". You people with kids over the age of 6 know what I'm talking about. Several weeks before Christmas, you ask the kids what they want, they think it over for a week or so and compile "the list" for Santa. Santa gets everything together, has it loaded into the sleigh ready for delivery and as a parent you pat yourself on the back for a fine job of tying all the loose ends up early this year. Then all of sudden you get presented with the "I want to add this to my list" list. It makes sense if you think about it. They have been bombarded with advertisements on TV and in the newspaper, and have had a week off of school so they have had time to really think about what they want. You come up with lots of excuses, Santa has a deadline for lists, Santa might not be able to find it, Santa is not made of money, but they have an answer for all of them. So you sigh and head out into the chaos of traffic and shopping that you were trying to avoid by shopping early and try to go get a few of the things on the new list so Santa doesn't look bad. For your enjoyment and my frustration, I have posted Grey's "2nd list." My biggest problem isn't finding the items on the list; it's trying to decipher the list. You give it a shot. I put the answers below.
1. (in blue) MP3 player
2. (in purple) Robo Pet in white
3. (in brown) Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash
4. (in orange) Nintendo DS
5. (in green) The Largest Nerf
6. (in black) Spy Gear Video Car
7. ( in purple) Nick Scene It
8. (in purple) 20 questions
9. (in blue) Heelies
Signed Grey Davis

After reading it, I see why public school is free.

Happy Anniversary To Us!

December 20, 1997
December 20, 2006

This is us 9 years, 8 vehicles, 7 assorted pets, 6.5 years with Lane Furniture, 5 Penske moving trucks, 4 cities, 3 states, 2 kids, and 1 incredibly blessed marriage (and without the tan) later.
Wouldn't trade a single moment...well maybe 1 or 2 . i'm kidding.


Last picture taken by Grey. (It was about the only one where Mac's head wasn't completely chopped off.)

Hobnobbing with Presidents

Mac and President George Bush, Sr.
(December 18, 2006)

Can we keep it, Mom?

18 Days Until They Go Back To School......

Today was the last day of school for 2006! I know teachers everywhere are cheering, and moms are wringing their hands wondering how we are going to keep our kids occupied for the next 2 weeks while maintaining our rapidly fading sanity. I know I am. Anyway, Grey had his "Winter Party" at school.(The word "Christmas" has been taken out of the school-approved vocabulary. Sad, isn't it?) Anyway, Holland and I crashed the party. She ate all his food and finished his drink for him. She likes to make herself right at home. The kids played Pictionary, made a craft, and had a snowball fight in the classroom. You read that right, a snowball fight. They suited up in scarves and mittens and prepared for battle. Now since it's 75 degrees here today in Kingwood, the chances of a real snowball fight are slim and none, and Slim just left town. So, they used crumpled up tissue paper for "snowballs." Although tissue paper doesn't have the wet, stinging, punch of real snow (you people who have snow know what I'm talking about), the kids had a blast. And then the teacher sent them home with adrenaline and sugar coursing through their veins. Thanks, Ms Burkett. I owe you for that one.....


This is what you get when you ask Grey to "act natural" for a picture.

Mentally preparing for the upcoming "snowball" war. They called him "The Intimidator".

Grey's friend Ryan ducks as the "snowball" takes out one of the girls. (I was kind of proud of that shot.)

The Rejected Christmas Cards

Have a Merry Christmas...well from Mac, Gayla, and Grey anyway......


Have a Merry Christmas.......OR ELSE!

It's my Merry Christmas and YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!!

Beautiful Baby

As Holland's birthday approaches, I wanted to do something special for her. So, in lieu of a gift I made a slideshow for her. As you know, "almost 4" year olds treasure slideshows more than gifts. Yeah right. She couldn't care less about this slideshow. It's for me to feel better about how far behind in scrapbooking I am. But you can enjoy it, too. Turn up the volume. I promise this song isn't as catchy as the last slideshow..."if you feeeeeeeeel like leaving..." Yeah, it's still stuck in my head, too.

Holly-Bear

Double-click on the link above.

Does this make me look fat?

RABID 3 YR OLD LOOSE IN KINGWOOD, BITES INNOCENT GIRL

Ok, I admit the title might be a tad overdramatic. Holland got bit today at Mother's Day Out. Since the offender is a minor, I won't mention his name.(Christian) Oops, that slipped right out. Apparently they were playing well and then he (Christian) ((I said it again.)) took a bite out of Holland's lower back. But the MDO team went into to combat mode and a triage was set up and the wound was effectively treated and followed up with hugs and cuddles. I think she'll survive without permanent emotional scars. (overdramatic again) But seriously, I did have to review the "incident report" and sign it. I guess in today's "sue over everything" society, they have to cover all their bases. Anyway she's fine and more interested in showing me the snowman ornament she made than the bite mark.

(A sidenote: Normally Holland's clothes cover her belly. She had just finished showing me her injury. The belly exposure in the picture is in no way a tribute to Britney Spears.)

Mother Daughter Cookie Swap

Today was the 1st Annual Mother Daughter Cookie Swap. What do you mean you didn't know? It was in all the papers. Oh well, I'll explain it anyway. My friend Sheri invited a group of mothers and daughters over for a Christmas cookie swap. Each mother/daughter combo brought 6 dozen cookies they made, a $1 gift for the daughters and a $1 gift for the moms, and we played a game where we exchanged the gifts. Then we swapped cookies; every mom left with 6 dozen cookies of all kinds. We also made a crafty picture frame which Sheri's mom had to walk me through step-by-step. I should have minored in Craft Engineering instead of Economics. It would have been way more interesting and certainly more useful. Anyway, the night was a lot of fun, and I have already RSVP'd for next year. Dibs on the peanut blossoms again.....

Follow-up

Holland met with Santa to follow-up on the bike request. She wanted to make sure it was being produced and is in the 12/24 ship period.
(I think she's being hanging outside Mac's office too much.)

The Way We Do Things 'Round Here

"You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit." But......

"If you throw a fit, on the step you sit!"