Juwan's Adoption Party

Juwan's adoption party was such a great day!  We had a wonderful time celebrating with lots of family and friends.  Playing with hula hoops, the parachute, eating cupcakes and enjoying each other's company made for a great celebration! The picture above is of only some of the people who came to the party.  Thanks to all who came and helped us celebrate such an amazing blessing, Juwan Robert! 

Here are some more random pictures from that day!

Juwan's Photo Debut

It is such a joy to post pictures of our beautiful baby boy Juwan! Celebrating a wonderful day on August 5, 2011!  We love you Juwany Boo!

Nana's Dunes...rather Indiana Dunes

Sunset on Lake Michigan
Last hike at sunset

view as you come up over the stairs on the hike

"Are we going to Nana's Dunes?" Brennan kept asking as we began our hike up the dunes. All he could hear was the "iana" part of the Indiana and well it became nana's dunes for him. They were such great hikers for their age. The hike was up steep sandy dunes and flights of stairs then down the dunes. As we came up over the first part of the dunes you could see over the tree lines, down to the coast of Lake Michigan; it was very beautiful. The evening we arrived and did this first hike, it was sunset and the air was nice and chilly. We then came to the downward slide of the dune and it was a wonderful time. The boys, Scott (with Satchemo on his back), and I ran down those dunes laughing the whole way. I have never had so much fun. Then to see Lake Michigan bathed in the fading sunlight was breathtaking.

Brennan coasting on his bike


Samuel riding like a big boy, no training wheels

We camped and had a great time. The boys also loved riding their bicycles around the campground. As we were riding in the van from doing some laundry, Brennan says, "I love Samuel he's my bro...he is strong and big and he takes care of me when we ride our bikes." Playing at the beach and letting the boys roam the dunes was the best part. All three of them just enjoyed climbing these sandy hills and discovering new and wonderful things. They loved running down them. The last evening we were there, we went to see the sunset again over the Lake, especially so my mom could experience the beauty. Samuel requested that we make the hike one last time. So, mom took the baby in the van and Scott and I hiked with the other two. This time running down the last dune, Brennan ran the whole way by himself. Scott and I never laughed so hard. His feet were flying and he had a pure look of terror mixed with excitement on his face. We thought for sure he was going to bite the "sand," but he stayed upright the whole way! At the end, he was very proud of himself, with a huge grin on his face.

top of the hike

Samuel loved the water...even though it was so cold, he wanted to go out in it, all the way out to the sand bar. At one point Brennan, Samuel, Scott and I were all out on the sandbar. Satchemo was constantly on the go...his favorite spot at the campsite was the water fountain. Brennan had showed him how to turn on the lower spicket and well needless to say, that is were you could usually find him.

The big surprise of the trip was that Scott had bought tickets for the show "Peter Pan" in Chicago. So, mom stayed with the baby and the rest of us went to Chicago. It was a great show! The theatre was set up in a parking lot and the stage was circular. All around the top was a screen that was 360. As the scenes changed, so did the screen and it was virtual so it felt real. As the characters flew the scenes moved along with their flying. It was a unique spin on the original play, but nonetheless it was very well done. One interesting aspect of the show was they used puppets (or more like marinates). The puppeteer was on the stage and it was as if he and the puppets were one in the same. He would act along side the puppet...so "nanna" the dog was a puppet and the crocodile was a "puppet" of sorts. One man operated the mouth and front legs were his and the back legs were part of second man. Scott and I thought that the pirates and crocodile would scare Brennan, but he said the crocodile was his favorite part. He loved that the teeth were made from clothes pins. During intermission, Samuel was trying to fly by placing his belly on the chairs. The only negative aspects were there was some cussing, and captain hook kills some of his mates, also Tiger Lily's dance was a little too seductive for "peter pan," but most of this went over the boys' heads. It was so much fun! Scott was so sweet to plan it all; he knew how much I wanted to see it and how much I wanted the older boys to see it also. Brennan is now going around the house jumping and twirling, being Peter pan!

There was also some nighttime excitement to our camping adventures. We had visitors almost every night. These little masked bandits were after food and not afraid of us humans. I think Scott and our young neighbors next door sort of liked the sport of trying to chase off the raccoons. One night Scott managed to chase one up a tree. Mema was also brave...she chased one off finally after it raised up on it's hind legs appearing not to be too afraid of her. It was great having mom along for the last couple of nights. She helped with the boys and enjoyed seeing them play at the beach. The last night Mema was sitting by the campfire eating s'mores and sharing stories with the boys; it is something I hope never to forget.

My prayer is that our boys will not remember how many toys they had, how clean our house was or wasn't, or what kind of clothes they wore...rather I pray they remember running down sand dunes, getting so dirty and sandy then sleeping wonderfully with the sound of whip-or-wills in the background, stories with mema around the campfire, and beautiful hikes in God's creation with mom and tati. These are the legacies we leave our children...memories, wonderful memories.

Into the wild...

Here are the new frogs!

Well, the tadpoles completed the metamorphosis so out into the wild the little froggies went. We took a little walk to a nearby stream and let them go near the water. There were a few that were still just froglets, but they were set free also. Brennan was the one who was upset, at first, that we weren't keeping them. Samuel actually held one for a minute; they were so very small and very jumpy of course. Thanks little tadpoles...hope you live long and well in your new home!

Setting them free.

11 new infants and a toddler join the family!

We have 11 infants and one toddler that we added to our family! That is 11 tadpoles and one puppy dog named Dream :) Some months back we heard about little beagle/lab puppies that were free. Samuel had said that he wanted a puppy and well we got this little guy. He is definitely a puppy and I say that if I would have thought things through a little more, we probably would just have the tadpoles. Dream has been fun, but he is a lot of work and the boys are slowly getting used to him. Puppies are jumpy and nippy and well that is hard for little ones. Yet, we are slowly falling into a routine. It does help that he is mostly an outside dog. Scott and the boys built him a really nice dog house; insulated and covered porch.

The tadpoles came from a friend and we have 11. I thought that some of them would not make it, but as it seems all 11 are still alive and are getting their back legs making the metamorphosis into froglets. What will we do with 11 little frogs? They will be set free after the boys get to see how they act as frogs for a little while. It has been a great experience watching them change from these little ugly swimming things into little ugly swimming things with 2 back legs! Seriously though, it is wonderful how God's creation works and to be able to see it happening in a little tank on our kitchen counter is pretty cool!

These are some of the happenings around our home lately. Scott continues to teach and garden and raise chickens. I continue to be blessed to stay at home and watch many things grow and change not the least of these wonderful things being our three sons! Yes, I do other things besides watch. I still teach Sunday school (taking a break for the summer), love to read, desire to know what is going on in the world and how to pray for those who are hurting all around us, and teach our boys. Here is a little update on the boys.

Samuel and cousin Gracie in my sister Shelbi's wedding

Samuel holding Dream

He can't do this anymore; Dream is too big and busy

Samuel: It is funny the things kids say because they say exactly what they "hear." Sameul started saying, "Dark Incubator" for Darth Vader of Star Wars. Even though he has never seen star wars he hears other little boys talk about it and they like to play these characters so he was asking me about who teh Dark Incubator was and was he good or bad. He has also started riding his bike without training wheels a couple weeks ago. After the second day, he was making turns, going down hills, and using his breaks. His phonics and reading have really started taking hold. He is putting sounds of letters together to form words and reading short, phonetic words. Samuel continues to be the social one of our family. He is so good at making friends with all different types of children. It seems like he also loves to meet new adults; very rarely is he shy. The other day we were on our front porch and some Jehovah's witnesses came to talk to us. As the elderly man and I were talking about whether or not Jesus was just the son of God or if He was/is God incarnate (by the way God's word shows us over and over that Jesus was the exact representation of God, He was from the beginning, He is through whom all things were created), Samuel is listening and coloring. As the man left, Samuel gave him a picture he had made for him. I think he has a sweet spirit that allows him to reach out to others.

Brennan playing with his blocks

What an outfit...he is too cute!

Brennan: At some point a few months back Brennan got a blister. One morning shortly after, Samuel and him were sitting on our bed and I hear Brennan say, "Don't touch that it's my blender." His new favorite thing to do is pretend he is some sort of animal. He will pretend he is a lion and will say, " I am a nice baby lion and I will kiss you not bite you." He also likes to pretend to be a "porc" pig or a dog. If he is a dog he will ask you to throw something for him to fetch. Also, since Samuel has been riding his bike Brennan likes to get on his glider bike and go, go, go. It is wonderful how fast he can get going just using his little legs. He then will pick his feet up and glide for a few seconds; it's great fun to watch. Brennan is also our little comedian. He comes up with the funniest things to say and he also loves to act out little dramas. For example he will pretend to trip over some toy laying on the floor and fall down saying, "I fell, help me, help me." Or he will say something and then just crack himself up with his fake little laugh! The day we brought home the tadpoles Brennan and Samuel were both on kitchen chairs looking at them on the counter when Brennan says, "Mom, I want them to do something special for me." There is not a day that goes by that Samuel and I aren't laughing at something he did.

Baby Satchemo: Soon this little love of ours will be making an actual photographic appearance on this blog; that is once he is adopted. Yes, for those of you who do not know we are in the process of adopting our little guy. He has been "ours" and a part of this family since he came to live with us at just 2 days old, but soon we get to make it legal! The process takes awhile; however, we are well on our way. Since the last blog post Satchemo has grown and reached many milestones. He is already 15 months old. He started walking shortly after he turned 1 year old and is very steady on his feet already. Just like our other two boys, he is a climber. He loves to climb anything he can and this makes for two very stressed out parents. Baby gates... ahhh he tries to climb those, kitchen chairs...climbs them easy as pie and stands up to make it even more daring, two step stool in the bathroom...up to the top in no time playing in the sink, and little rocking chair...no problem up and standing ready to tip right over. Needless to say, he keeps us on our toes. One thing he really loves is music. If he hears even a slight little melody coming from somewhere, he is dancing with a big grin on his face. He says, "tati, mommy, and da." He also is using signs for more, cracker, dog, and hot. Samuel and Brennan both love their little brother. Samuel is good at protecting him, playing with him, and loves to sit with him. Brennan also loves to play, but sometimes Satchemo doesn't like the type of play Brennan is giving him :) Yet, Brennan is always quick to tell me if baby is doing something dangerous or has something he shouldn't. As for Satchemo, he loves his older brothers and wants to be where they are and doing what they are doing. What a joy he brings to our family!

Far Too Long...and Many Changes!

(The boys had a pirate birthday, complete with treasure hunt. It was great fun! ARRR)

It has been far too long since I have written anything on the happenings of the Davidson family. With the occasions of Samuel's 4th birthday, Brennan's 2nd, and a new additon to the family, I thought it was high time for me to update the blog. When I say "new addition," I must admit that "Satchemo" is not new to our family. Satchemo, or Juwan for that is his name.  You may wonder why I am calling him Satchemo and not "JOE." Well, he has the biggest, widest, opened mouth smile. Louis Armstrong, was called Satchemo because he had the biggest, open mouth grin, like a satchel. Anyway, a few days after he was born we brought him home from the hospital and he is now 6 months old. He is a beautiful boy with the most wonderful, bright eyes one could possibly imagine. He is very sweet natured and loves to interact with his two brothers.  Brennan and Samuel can easily make him laugh. Just recently he started sitting up on his own. He loves to play with his little toy piano, click his tongue, grab hold of his feet, and of course be held and snuggled. One funny thing he has been known to do is suck his lips; this is too cute. This little guy has stolen our hearts.

(Brennan's first hair cut)

(No I was not going to smack his head. I was feeling his new clean cut.)

Brennan, has changed and grown in so many ways; it is hard to believe he is 2 years old now. He no longer has all those beautiful blond curls. Those were cut off about a month ago because he just didn't like getting his hair washed or brushed. This is a lot easier on him and me :) However, he is just as cute! Brennan is usually at his big brother's side trying to imitate whatever Samuel may be doing. Yet, there are lots of things he enjoys that are all his own. He loves cars, trucks, trains, tractors, and tools. It is funny to watch him play because he often makes great sound effects along with the motions. Many times you can find him hammering, sweeping, lining his "cars" up like a train, or stacking blocks. Some of his favorite books are "Tom and Pippo," Benny Bakes a Cake, Old MacDonald has a Workshop, and Machines at Work. Don't let all the interest in cars and tools fool you though; he is very sweet and tender also. Sometimes, he will just go and talk to the baby or give him a toy, which is often not age appropriate. However, it's the thought that counts. My baby boy is also getting very independant. If I try and help him he often says, "ME!" He is wonderful and I love watching him grow into the little man God is molding him to be.

(First Soccer Game, what a cheese!)

Samuel is now a big 4 year old who loves to make friends. Anytime we go someplace he usually says, "Mom I'm going to make friends today." The amazing thing is that he always does. He is not shy at all, introducing himself to some child and asking them if they would like to be his friend. Countless times I have seen him hand in hand running and playing with a new friend. Along with being great at making new friends, he is also a wonderful big brother to Brennan and Satchemo. Many times he is including Brennan in one of his make believe games or sharing a new toy with him. They are always running around the house after dragons or some other creature. One thing that seems to be pretty constant with Samuel is his love of language. Whether it be books, poetry, silly sounding words, or words in other languages, he is very interested in them all. Lately, he has been loving to read Shel Silverstien's poetry. He has two of his poems memorized one is about too many kids in a tub and the other about a man's beard. We get a laugh most of the time when we are reading his poetry. One other new highlight in Samuel's life is that he has started soccer with the Y. Scott is his coach and it is great fun to see him out there running along side all these other little 4 year olds, chasing the soccer ball. Brennan loves to run out there also. He thinks he is part of the team and is always saying "team," when he hears us talking about soccer. Samuel's team is called Power and their favorite thing to do is huddle, put their hands in and on the count of three yell, POWER! Sometimes we have to do it 2 times :) If he comes away from this experience with new friends, fun, and being active then that is fine with me.

(GO POWER! the little guy in the green wasn't on our team, but hey this is too much fun to miss out on.)

Well, hope the brief update and pictures are a welcome relief from the "nothing new" that has been on here for far too long.

Things I don't want to forget!

O.K. so I have been keeping track of funny things said, done, or just some moments that I do not want to forget. Scott and I have been looking back on when Samuel was a baby and we both realized that our memories are not as good as we thought they would be. Of course there are things we remember, but there are more moments and funny quirks that we have forgotten. Therefore, I am trying to write things down so we can look back and our memories will be jogged and we can enjoy once again those wonderful moments of our children's childhoods.

Samuel:
One day Samuel came running out of the bathroom yelling, "Mama, I had a saxophone poop." Sure enough (yes I had to go see it of course) his poop did resemble a saxophone!

While eating dinner at our friends the Campbells, Samuel at one point said he had to stop eating (it escapes me what he was eating) because it was going to make him toot. Then he said, "You know toot means you have gas."

Reading a book of children's poems there was a poem about telling a secret to and egret and the egret then shared it with all the other birds one of them being a Cockatoo. Well Samuel just cracked up when I read the part about a Cockatoo. I couldn't figure it out until he said, "Ha ha that said 'caca'too." He was laughing because caca in Romanian means poop! So it was a poopatoo! Now we laugh when Brennan poops or Samuel farts and we call them cockatoos. I don't know why bodily functions are so funny for kids and as one friend commented even for grown men.

Samuel really likes the Jabberwocky poem from Alice and Wonderland. He will often repeat lines from it while playing. Such as, "Callooh, Callay," "My beamish boy," or he will talk about his "vorpal sword." Here is a link to a video he just loves.

We had to have Samuel's carpet cleaned (long story) and the smell from the cleaning solutions was pretty strong; so I put Samuel to nap in our bed. I went to wake him up and when I opened the door he popped open his eyes. He helled out his hands palms up and hands open while saying, "Do you see this? Do you see this?" Well, naturally I went up to him and asked,"What what is it?" He didn't have anything in his hands and you could tell he was in between sleep and waking. Then he took his hands like he was pulling something stringy from one hand to the next. He said, "Do you see this? It's flubbery."

Samuel calls his farts, rocket blasters!

Samuel loves words. He will ask what a word means or a certain saying. Sometimes I just say words because I think he will like the way they sound. One day I told him the word "pumpernickel." He just cracked up laughing. Then at playgroup a couple days later we had been playing and it was time to leave. Samuel turns to Stephanie all excited and said, "Stephanie, I forgot to tell you something." Then he shouts, "Pumpernickel!" With thunderous laughter following.

"Mom, I am going to do you a flavor." says Samuel. "Do you mean a favor?" I say. "No, a flavor."

Samuel often has a great imagination. We will have make believe visitors with us through out the whole day. He will constantly give me updates on what they are doing or not doing, what they want to eat, if they are going with us in the car and what not. One day it was Delila and Chobacca the nice monsters. The next it's Aladdin and Tarzan.

During our quiet time before bed Samuel and I were talking and he was remembering some things that had happened during the day. He was talking about how Great Grandpa Bill had read him some books down at the farm. I said how nice that was that Grandpa Bill read books to him and how we love him. Samuel says,"Yea, but Grandpa Bill is old and rusty."

Down at the farm we are getting ready to head home and Samuel says, "Dang it!" Now I try to remind him not to say this, even though I know I slip up and say it and he learned it from me. So, I say my little part about how he shouldn't say this; that it doesn't sound nice. He then says, "It was just a figure of speech."

Brennan:

These are some things Brennan has been doing for a couple of months now or just recently.

He loves to put the phone to his ear and say, "Hi."

He ways at every person he sees practically. And he has recently been saying, "Hi" as he waves.

Brennan would be outside all the time if we could let him and when he is out in our yard he is chasing the chickens and tapping them with a stick. (Ooops, I think he saw his mama do this :) He also was chasing butterflies. This game of chase with the butterfly would go on as long as he could keep track of it!

When Brennan sees or hears a dog he will pant like a dog. This is the sign we taught him for dog or "caine."

My baby is a dancing machine. He loves music and will get his feet going really fast. It reminds me of flash dance! Tonight, Samuel, Brennan, and I were dancing to some Paul Simon "Graceland." Brennan had his arms going up in the air.

I have been trying to teach Samuel some of his letters and we have the letter A and S on the kitchen wall. Anyway, one day Brennan was saying "a." I thought hmm...I'll just see if he knows what he is doing. I said, "Brennan were is the "a?" He went to the wall and looked up at the "a." He also now says the "sss" sound for 'S.'

Sometimes if I"m folding laundry in his room while he is playing, he will get his glow worm and press the button for it to sing. Then he will come to my lap holding his glow worm like a baby and sits in my lap to be rocked. He is so sweet!