I Have The Cheese, You Provide The Whine

Talking to a three year old can be so much fun!  Recently I was getting my son, Hayden, ready to go out.  We were on our way to a barbeque at my in-laws.  I was telling Hayden about all of the people we would see:  All of his aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins.  He'd recently spent the night with my sister in law and  her children and was eager to see them again.

I said, "Hayden, aren't you excited?  You get to see your cousins and play with them!"

Hayden:  "Uh-huh.  We have fun!"

Me:  "Yes, you get to see...",  I started naming his cousin's.  As I got to one of his older cousins, Hayden started to shake his head, vehemently.

They Said, "Go Fly A Kite...."

So we did.

 My husband recently celebrated his birthday and we decided to stay around the house and do family stuff for the occasion.  We packed a picnic and went out to explore our backyard.   Since Adam talked about flying kites when he was a child, I went out and got a kite for us to fly.

 I'm not  a kite flyer.  At least I'd never done it before, so I didn't really know the hazards of trees, power lines, and low wind.

Alas, we had all three.  But we managed to have a great time, too.

 Here are a few pics from our kite adventure:

We had some trouble keeping the kite in the air.
 He seemed to prefer:  the bushes

Is your family planning to eat you? Find out!

Just browsing the internet, as I like to do and found another fun for no reason site called The Oatmeal. Comics and fun quizzes galore. Find out how long you would last trapped in a room with a velociraptor and many other fun things.

Find out if your family has a ulterior motive for offering you that extra piece of pie.

It's a fun, nonsensical way to pass a couple of minutes. Try out this quiz for yourself.

Does your family want to eat you?

According to my score, there's about a 50/ 50 chance that my family may turn cannibal on me.

A Holiday Wish for You and Me

It's Christmas Eve and I should be cleaning.  Instead, I'm writing.

 I am just hoping beyond hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday. That we can all be blessed this year with family and friends to surround us.  That we all have someone to cherish us.

I wish  that we can all have a  warm bed to sleep in through the new year and enough hot food to eat.

I hope that we can all pause for a moment and absorb the wonderful miracle it is to just be here and enjoy the company and companionship of each other.

I wish that we all realize our potential and capacity for

• compassion,
•  intellect, 
• charity, 
• faith, 
• hope, 
• serenity, 
• humility,
• greatness; 

and that each new year or month or week or day or minute is a chance to re-invent ourselves.  It's a chance to re-educate ourselves.  It's a chance to become any and everything that you want to be in life and in other's lives.

My wish for all of us is happiness.

Re-discovering Christmas Wonder and Magic

 I find that I am much more excited about Christmas this year than I have been in since I was a child.

It's no lie that the past ten  years, the holidays have spelled tragedy for my extended family.   We have had our fair share of loss whether it be a  grandmother, a cousin, a  sister, an uncle, a family pet.   We have lost  at least one in our clan each year and, always, right around Christmas.  The people in our family have come to dread the holidays not just for the  freezing weather, the crowded stores, the commercialism, and  the horrible traffic.  It's hard enough going through the season without them here, but we have a biting fear that we will have to start 2011 without someone else.

This year is no different in it's potential to be a tragic holiday.  We have  a few  who just may not make it to see the new year.  Knowing that can serve to put a pall on the celebration.  So why do I feel so good this year?

     Usually I'm dragging around exhausted, waiting  for the holidays to be over.  This year, I'm bouncing around humming Christmas tunes and tinseling the house.  Charlie Brown's Christmas and A Christmas Story have been the television viewing choice for the week.   All the presents are even wrapped, days before Christmas Eve.

Hunch Punch the Holidays!

The holidays are here and that means time for Hunch Punch!

  As a new addition to the Christmas Eve Party that my husband's family throws every year, I was asked to bring something my first Christmas as a Davis.  The first year, I brought a relish tray.  The second year, I tried something new.

  My husband's family aren't big drinkers but they seemed to really like the punch I made for his brother's birthday party, so I decided to make that.   It was quite the hit.   In fact, his grandparents sat by the punch all night.  It's become a new family tradition that I bring the Hunch Punch to all adult family functions.

So now I am going to  share that Christmas tradition with you.  Remember!  This recipe requires Everclear, an 100 proof grain liquor and it  is very strong.  The lemonade will serve to mask the taste of the liquor so be careful not to add too much liquor.  If you use more than half of the bottle of Everclear for this, you are using way too much.  Do not do shots of Everclear.  It is not meant for consumption without a mixer.  Please drink responsibly and be safe for the holidays.

Giving Thanks 2010

This year, I find that I am most grateful that we all made it. 

I am thankful for:

• my son, who makes me laugh 
• my husband, my heart
• my parents, who are always there even when I’m driving them crazy
• my sister, she always has a few words and and glass of Moscato ready
• my extended family, who love me like their own
• my whole family and friends, may you all be blessed 

     The past ten years, the holidays have spelled loss for my family.  Every time we have gotten together recently it seems, has been for a funeral.  We have lost three grandmothers, three cousins, two friends, an uncle, my godfather, three dogs and most of these seem to come on or around the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.  It has become custom in my family to call around after the first of the year and make sure everyone is still alive.