Some December Highlights

We are off to find our Christmas tree!

There it is!

Flashing a grin at the Laurie Berkner concert. Dressed like Jack.

Showing his own style in front of the tree. Two hats and 3D glasses.

This is a ceramic tree my Grandma had up each year that I can remember. Now it serves as a night light in Davey's room. I actually don't know if we will be able to take it down in a few weeks...he loves it that much!

Screaming on Santa's lap during the Watterson family Christmas.

I have neglected to keep you in the loop with the happenings at the Shaw house. Well, here you go! I am happy to be on a LONG Christmas break from school. That last week of schol was nuts! Tuesday we had an early release because of snow and then no school on Wednesday because of ice! Then we went back for 2 days...and we don't even have finals...so there was no need for students to concentrate on anything! But I survived!

Since then I have been enjoying helping with the winter guard. The girls who were freshmen my first year of helping are now seniors! I feel old! Davey comes to practice with me sometimes and everyone loves it. I have to get a picture soon of what he did last night...He watched a run through of the show so far and then picked up a sabre...and spun around with it. It was adorable!

Josh and I have been dealing with a few health problems recently. He got some blood work done as a baseline. He has a family history of diabetes so the doctor was hoping to have a set of numbers to compare to. Well, they also found that his triglyceride number was through the roof! This was probably a reaction to some medicine that he was on and possible because of the early stage of diabetes. So we have him on fish oil and flax seed to try to get everything back on track. He goes to the diabetes specialist in January along with more blood work. I also had blood work done and found out that I am just a little under the normal amount of htyroid hormone. So now I take a little pill to take care of that. I go back in March to see if everything is back in order.

Josh and I are gearing up to fly out of here Sunday and heading to Jekyll Island, GA for some R&R. Davey gets to stay with Grandma and Grandpa in Scottsburg. We will be back on New Year's Day. I will try to pist some pictures of Christmas day before we leave. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

I Love the Holidays!

Somehow, Josh, Davey and myself survived another Thanksgiving! So much food, fun, and family you think we would have exploded! It was wonderful. Davey and I tried to get as much play and snuggle time in as possible. Without forgetting to find some deals at Kohl's! Of course, today I paid for the fact that I didn't do any grading over break and had to stay late in order to update my online gradebook for midterms to come out Friday. But who am I kidding...it was worth it!

I am not bragging on my son, but I think he is advanced for his age! (Don't worry, I know all moms say that!) He can now tell me all the animal songs in his favorite book and can correctly point to the animal of my choice on the last page of Brown Bear, Brown Bear! I know, he gets it from my side! While his number of words may not be up to my liking quite yet, he understands most of what is going on and responses as best as her can with his limited vocabulary. He is pretty amazing.

A big thanks to my sister Shannon and her fam who was thinking of Davey on their latest trip to Disney World. They brought back a Davey Crocket hat! Of course, Davey would rather carry it around by the tail and smooth his ear with it (he is a tactile kid!). Bubbles the cat likes to pretend it is a real racoon and attack it!

Before with lovely aqua particle board on the walls (there used to be aqua shag carpet, too!)

Josh and my FIL after pulling off all the plaster and lath...similar to the nursery project! Yuck! But notice the venting skylight! WOW!

Here are some pictures of Josh's latest disaster...I mean home improvement project...just joking babe! It used to be my bathroom upstairs...and one day (soon I hope) it will once again be a bathroom. Good bye dirty tub and toilet no matter what I clean you with! My new fixtures are just waiting for the plumbing to be changed so they will fit. Just you wait until my man is finished! It will be amazing! (But for now it is a total eye-sore and annoying to have to walk downstairs in the middle of the night!)

Halloween and a New Clubhouse!

Halloween nigt we stayed at the chuch where my committee had planned the annual Fall Festival. The pic on here is of Davey (dressed up like Jack, of course) and Sophia (as Elmo) playing the water. The game was like the ducky game at the fair where you pick out a pumpkin and there is candy or a prize inside. Well the 2 babies of the church had a much better time just playing in the water! I guess we should have stopped them, but they were just giggling and carrying on!

The other picture is of Davey's own clubhouse. Each day we play in it and he loves to open and close the doors. I am so glad that we bought it when we did. Last time we went back to Sam's Club, they were already sold out! Josh and I are impressed at how well it is built and are happy to have one less huge plastic item in our yard!

Davey understands so much of what were are saying these days. While we might not have the vocabuary to show it yet, he follows our commands and even responds to easy questions. We loves to run after the dog and cats. He thinks Bubbles is his personal pillow and while he is laying his head on him, Davey will smooth his tail against his cheek. So precious. He loves to dance to music and now spins around so much he falls down when he gets too dizzy! He is still a momma's boy through and through.

Fantastic Fall!

Davey has passed the 18-month mark! And of course we were going to go to get professional pictures taken this weekend, until he stumbled over the front porch step and scruffed up the right side of his face! I almost wish I would have aken a picture of it, but I was too upset last night. And 24-hours later it looks sooo much better! This was the first major injury we have had...I see ourselves as pretty lucky, too. I guess pictures will have to wait.

Davey amazes us each day. He says please and thank you. He knows how to try each key on a keyring in a car's ignition. He loves everything in ketchup. And while the fits come and go he can now calm himself down fairly well (at least well enough for a red-head!). He finally calls me Mama instead of some strange title he used to say. He can spot a swing, water fountain, or dog from a half mile away! My dad is his favorite person (after me of course) and I think the feeling is mutual for my dad. He loves taking his toy chainsaw out to help Josh cut down the trees from the storm. And the only way to get him through Wal-Mart is to play Hide and Go Seek in the aisles. Life is good.

We went with some teacher friends to the Louisville Zoo to go trick-or-treating. We had a blast! Josh made a shirt for Davey that looks just like Jack from Jack's Big Music Show. We splurged and even bought red hightop Chuck Taylor's (like Jack). Davey was excited. He even slept in the outfit that night. I am glad he will get to wear it again at the end of the month.

I am pumped to be getting back on track with church. I love VBC, but was working way too much and not finding ways to be fed. Luckily the preacher's wife started leading the Beth Moore study called "Breaking Free" and I love it! (Yes, I am doing it too, Lissa!) I love having structured study time in the evening and then meeting together for the video once a week with ladies from the church. And what a variety of ladies we have! But yet, we have so much in common. I am excited to see what things God will reveal.

Nothing much else to report. Just wanted to get some pictures up. This weekend Josh will be tearing out the upstairs bathroom and redoing it completely. I can't wait, but I am not excited about having to shower in the downstairs bathroom. It kind of creeps me out. It is harvest gold and has a window that looks out into our side yard. Hopefully it will be done quickly.

Hurricane in Indiana??

We had a very interesting day last Sunday....


Josh went on a business trip after church with his boss (never happened before)...so Davey and I went to Arby's for lunch. While doing through town the wind started to pick up...and then the power in all of North Vernon went out. Even the stoplights! So of course, Arby's was closed and going crazy...luckily I was just pulling up. So I tried to get out, but now everyone in Wal-Mart was leaving because it had no power. So I sat waiting and watching all the folks of Jennings County try to remember their right-of-way rules since the stoplights were dead. At some point Davey drifted to cleep which made it easier.


So I finally got back into traffic. The local cops were stationed at the main intersections helping now and I decided to go on home and get Davey into his crib for a nap. So I drove the 2 miles south and saw this scene when I pulled into my driveway!


I could not believe it! Without much thought, I turned around and headed back to North Vernon to my in-laws' house. There put Davey to bed and headed back out in the 50 mph winds to really see the house and get some things we would need for the afternoon.

When I got to the house I parked in the lot in front and walked up the drive. It was a eery feeling because it didn't look or feel like my house. I checked on the animals, gathered stuff for Davey, and the papers I needed to grade and left asap. I have come to realize what a big chicken I am when Josh is not around. The power was off, but that did not surprise me. What I didn't realize is that the tree that was in the driveway had actually hit the transformer on the way down. We were without power for 4 1/2 days! (Sidenote...we only had wind...not rain hardly at all. It was weird, but I thank God that we didn't have to deal with wind AND rain during this.)

School was cancelled because of the wide-spread power outages. I didn't mind being stuck at home with Davey even without power. Something must be said about the structure of an 1840's house. Each day there was tons of light pouring in and the mild weather was great for the windows and doors to be open. We had a great week.

And this afternoon, we are heading to Mammoth Caves for a minivacation! I can't wait. We didn't get the time to go anywhere this summer, so this will help make up for it. We aren't going to camp this time. Davey is teething (again...or still?) and I have been sort-of-camping all week! We are going to rough it in the Best Western! Pictres will come on that later. But here are some recent ones for you to enjoy! My prayers go out ot all affected by this storm!


The first day cool enough to wear jeans!Helping Dad stabilize a china cabinet Grandma and Grandpa gave us.Playing Hide-and-Go-Seek in his little Diego futon.

Getting Back on Schedule

A Day in the Life of ME! (Yeah, you may not want to know...but isn't that the point of a blog?? Cute pic at the bottom, so keep reading!)



5:00 am - Alarm goes off and take at least 15 mintues to wake up...and try my best to kick Josh out of bed. That in itself is exhausting some mornings!

5:15 am - Get dressed, put on makeup, and fix hair while Davey is still sleeping and Josh is in the shower.

5:40 am - Get breakfast ready for everyone...cereal for me, bagel for Josh, milk for Davey.

5:50 am - Get Davey's clothes, diapers, ect. ready for the sitter's. Kiss Josh bye and he heads to work.

6:00 am - Wake up Davey (I hate waking him up, but he usually begins with a smile!) and go down to snuggle on the couch while he drinks his milk. This time balances out the rest and makes me ready for the day!

6:30 am - Get Davey to the car and go to the sitter's. I can't do a "drop and run"...I go in and hang out for a few minutes.

6:45 am - My friend, Jill, comes and we car pool to school. Hey, I am trying my best to be green!

7:10 am - Get to school and do my last minute preparations...make copies, set up labs, etc.

7:35 am - 3:15 pm - I teach, and teach, and teach...Biology and AVID courses, have lunch with the Science Department, and try not to get behind...I always seem to just get by for the day...

3:45 pm - Head back to get Davey.

4:15 pm - Get home and have Davey demand to play outside. No matter how hot, cold, or rainy! Here is Davey sweaty, with tomotoes down his front, after falling in the dirt...finally getting a refreshing drink. (Chloe in the background.)

5:00 pm - Wrestle Davey to come in so I can fix a super nutrious supper! (Tonight...dinosaur chicken nuggets, green beans, apple sauce, and....rice krispies?? Davey wanted a bowl as an appetizer!)

5:30 pm - Josh comes home (though this week he has been moving an asphalt plant and has been spending the night near Paoli) for supper.

6:00 pm - Dog walk around Vernon...Davey chills in the stroller with his fingers, blankey, milk, and some good music.

7:00 pm - Bath time! Davey loves this bath drum set I found on clearance at Wal-Mart! Though trying to wash his hair ends with screaming!

7:15 pm - Davey runs around the house with only his hooded towel on. Air drying is the best, you know!

7:30 pm - Davey changes in to PJs, picks out 2 books to read, we say our prayers (at the word AMEN! he knows is it time for Mama hugs and kisses) and I put him in bed.

7:45 pm - Josh and I sit exhausted on the couch and watch a few minutes of mindless TV.

8:00 pm - We get up to do night chores...laudry, dishes, feed animals...If I am in the mood, I grade papers...it rarely happens unless I am under a deadline.

9:00 pm - Bed at last! Take a moment to thank God for the amazing day I have had!

Back to School!

Most pictures have this cheesy smile with his eyes closed!

Davey playing with Bubbles. I wish you could hear him giggle!

Davey whining for me to give him the camera.

The end of summer was unavoidable...but the new year is over a week finished and it is not too bad! I miss Davey like crazy but I am emotionally much more prepared to work this fall compared to last. Last year I think I pouted about working until Christmas at least.


One funny school story...yesterday I was setting up a microscope lab and needed scummy water to see microorganisms in there. We keep an aquarium of algae for such an occasion in the greenhouse which is between two of the other Biology teachers' classrooms. Well, I went in with my beakers and let the door close behind me...this was weird because it is usually propped open. And you guessed it...it locked me out of the school, but in the greenhouse! And class was to start in 15 minutes! I had keys, but they were in the supply room...2 feet away through the door! Brick walls we between me and the classrooms so no one heard me yell! Luckily the greenhouse faces a small parking lot for teachers...but 3 cars went by without noticing me waving for help. Finally a new teacher saw my distress and came to the rescue! What a great way to start the day! LOL

Josh and I are convinced that Davey is the smartest kid alive! He amazes us every day with the things that he has figured out! His bubble gun was out of soap one day. So he unscrewed the container, went to the dog's water bowl, filled it up with water, and screwed it back together. When the TV has something on it that he doesn't want to watch, he brings the remote to us and points to the TV demanding something in his unique language. He uses the drill to "work" on his cars....the list goes on... I am just glad that he can say "YEAH!" and shake his head for no. That solves a lot of communication barriers!

4 Days of Summer Left!

How can this be? Sorry for the lack of pictures. I think I know where the camera is....Get ready to read!

Last week I survived 5 nights without Davey and Josh! I know, I am proud of myself, too! I had a great time at the conference in Indy with the Watterson women. (Though next time I suggested hanging out at the beach together!) Then I took off to Chicago for the AVID conference. It was te best teaching conference that I have been to. The 5 other people from Madison were hilarious to be with and we had a great time. I had 2 accomplishments outside of learning cool school stuff. 1) I saw The Dark Knight on IMAX! It was awesome...intense...sad about Heath Ledger and 2) I finished a book! This is a huge deal because I hardly ever read for pleasure. Reading for information is about as far as I go. So I grabbed "Into the Wild" while in Indy and finished it in just a week. I read it because I was hoping my AVID kids could read it during the year. And I think they will love it! Sean Penn wrote and produced a movie last year about the book. I rented it today...I am scared that it is rated R...after reading the book R is not necessary. I am afraid that they added elements to the book to make it more "Hollywood". I will keep you posted.

This year I am completely different from the start of last school year. I am actually looking forward to teaching just a little bit! Last year I pouted about teaching for at least the first sememster, if not the whole year (just ask Josh). While I still hate leaving Davey each morning, he loves the sitter's. He loves playing with those kids and does great there. I am happy that he loves Judith, too. To celebrate a new year, I went to Kohl's and spent a bunch of money on clothes! It had been awhile since I bought professional clothes. Just wait for Wednesday's First Day of School picture. I will make sure to post it!

So I guess some of you want an update on Davey instead of exclusive details about me....Well, he is a HOOT! He loves to "dance" to music. (This consists of him stomping his feet quickly with a cheesy grin on his face.) We have very serious conversations in the morning in a language that I don't understand, but if you could see the intensity in his eyes, you would know it was important. At least 2 cumulative hours a day are spent in the swing under the maple tree. He says words like outside, blankie, Bubbles, brush...they may not be completely understandable, but I am a good translator. When I am away from him for even 1 hour he greets me with a tight hug around my neck. I love being a mom!

And of course, he loves to laugh! And especually at me! Take this evening for example. I was fixing a new dish to try out that called for roasted garlic. Now usually I buy the stuff in the jar, but I thought I would get fancy this time and do it myself. Well, I have watched the Food Network enough to know that you can separate the huge thingy of garlic into individual cloves if you put the flat side of a large knife on it and then hit your fist on the knive. (Can you see where this is going??) Well, I thought, "Surely, I will need a lot of force to break this open!" So I came down with all my might only to have all 200 of the cloves shoot out in every direction. Rachael Ray never warned me about this! Davey just stood by and we looked at each other with a shocked expression and then both cracked up! He even found a clove behind the pie safe after dinner.

Summer is Flying By

Davey at VBS with Sarah
Snack time is always the best part of VBS!
Playing outside with water. He won't take that hat off!

Less than a month to go of my summer vacation and I wonder where it all went. Davey spends most of his awake hours outside playing with the kitten, swinging, and picking ripe cherry tomatoes from our garden. I am just trying to take it all in before it is back to school for me and back to the sitter's full time for Davey. One funny story to share...Davey loes to play with Josh's golf clubs and we usually go out and hit a few holes each weekend. (The golf course is in the same block as my in-laws.) Well, last week, Josh brought home his clubs so that he could clean out the bag (more on that later...). Daey immediately wanted one, so JOsh gave himhis Sand Wedge (one he doesn't use much). Davey loved trying to hit the ball in the yards, but at one point couldn't do it as he wanted. He is a very independent little guy and will not let you help him. So he continued to grunt and complain until finally he through his Mickey Mouse hat on the ground and stomped on it! It was a classic Watterson/Shaw golf move. It is undeniable that Davey is our's!

VBS has come and gone and I am very happy that it is over! LOL We ended up with twice as many kids as we planned...and that is a good thing. Luckily I was able to run out and buy the needed supplies to accommodate the other 25 kids. Of course some nights there were as many adults around as kids! Even Davey had fun in the nursery where the new pastor's wife played games and made crafts with them.

This weekend, my mom, two sisters, and I are heading to Indy for the Women of Faith conference. I am really excited o have a girls weekend with them. Of course this will be the first time that I don't sleep in the same location as Davey. I am sure that I will have a harder time with it than him. But we better get used to it because Sunday through Friday I will be in Chicago for the AVID Institute. AVID is a great program that I teach to 25 chosen freshmen about getting prepared for college. It is a national program aimed to helping first generation kids have the tools to succeed in college.

And of course, I can't forget that today is our 3rd wedding anniversary! I am hoping to get back to Negril, Jamaica at least by our 5th....that is where we got married! I am so thankful to have Josh in my life. He deals with all my ridiculousness and cleans out the sippy cups that have left over milk in them...even after they have sat for a day or two! He lets me sleep in the mornings, always have the last word, and is a great dad. I couldn't ask for anything more in a man! Now about the golf bag cleaning...the reason he was cleaning it out is because he took his wedding ring off on day to play and lost it! So he got a new one for our anniversary. Actually, I bought 2! Thank you Overstock.com! I think this is ring #6 and #7 if you add up all the wrong sizes, the one he lost in the Caribbean Sea on our honeymoon, and the latest loss. Good thing they are always on same online!

A New Friend!

Last Sunday, I heard the distinctive cry of a kitten! I went to our fence in the front where burning bushes grow and the cutest tiger striped kitten was screaming at me! It was a little too scared to come to me, but as soon as I turned to go back to the house it followed me. And of course, by the look of the pictures, Davey ADORES him! In fact, I let Davey name him...Bubbles! (It is one of about 6 words I can understand.) The top pic is my favorite. That kitten will let Davey hold while while he swings! Purrs the whole time! That is love!

Here I am with Davey and my two neices Rachael and Eliza. This was our first trip to the zoo! Davey loved it. (Behind you can see my nephew Isaak and me blocking my sister, Shannon.) Everyone is wet because there is a splash park at the Louisville Zoo that was really fun. For the first part, Davey just stood in the middle where no fountain could really hit him. Then, another boy about Davey's age run right through the water. Davey jumped right in! He loved it...I actually am a little surprised how well he did. He gets a little clingy right now sometimes, so I wasn't sure if he would like it. I was very proud! He didn't even look around for me when he got water in his eyes, he just rubbed them and went on to playing.

PS...On July 3rd, Dabey turned 15 months! Ridiculous, I know! We went camping in Mom and Dad's camper over the long weekend and had a great time. No way to survive this humidity in a tent! Of course...never had the camera near when I needed it.

Finally! Some pictures!

Pushing his dump truck on the side walk
Playing with sticks on his first campout
Sitting pretty in my peoney garden (I have worked for 3 years on this thing and they FINALLY bloomed this year!
Waving "BYE!" as he drives to work

You gotta remember that I am just now 1 full week into my summer vacation. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it! Update with me...I am still taking Davey to the sitter's half time because I am also carrying on 2 jobs this summer! I am teaching over 100 students Biology through the Indiana Virtual Academy (like school...but no discipline problems!) and I am now Josh's personal assistant! I go in a update his computer program, run reports, copy invoices, file. I love it all! It is stuff that I would do fo him even if I weren't getting paid, but the money helps!

Davey is practically running all over the yard and house. I am going green this summer so we love to hang clothes on the line together. And of course he loves the SWING! He can't get enough of it. I just wish it were more active on my end of things. Maybe I should do leg lifts or something while I am pushing him.

Something else that I am experimenting with in my green revolution is....drum roll please...CLOTH DIAPERS! Yes, that is right! And you know what?? I LOVE them! Now they are totally different from the nightmare of folding and pinning bulky diapers. I just had to try them...after recycling and composting most of our trash, diapers are the only thing left in our trashcans. So I am offically on the band wagon!

Davey is finally getting his top teeth in to match the bottom two. Poor guy has had a rough time with them. He even skipped supper last night and slept 12 hours straight! But he was in a much better mood after it. We have tried out Nana's pool, and he isn't too sure about it. I am hoping by the end of the summer, he will be better. I love our time together. He is a momma's boy through and through. And I don't care what people say about it. I cherish every hug and sloopy, open-mouthed kiss I get...because believe me...I know what he will be at 14! I won't want him around then!

We Are Still Alive!

I am embarrased to see how long it has been since my last post! The computer has been acting crazy and so I have been avoiding it at all costs. I promise to have pictures up soon...much has been happening...I guess that is one reason for not much writing!

Davey is walking like a champ now. He only crawls when he is too tired to walk. He is starting to say words that are actually understandable and loves to babble all other times. Any time he seeing an animal he says "aww" and wants to rest his head on it. (That is his way of showing love...) He points, gives a fake grin by scrunching up his nose, and says "Hi" into anything that is close to a phone. His favorite thing is to snuggle in my lap...sucking on his two fingers on the left hand and playing with my hair in his right. A bit of a mama's boy to say the least. He is starting to throw a good tantrum, too! When he is tired and things don't go his way he will flop back and arch his back while whining. It is lovely.

We have gone on our first camp out and it was a success. We traveled to see my friend Emily and her 7 week old baby boy Carter! TOO CUTE!! Seriously....this kid has natural highlights...no joke...some hairs are brown and others are blond. I wonder what she had to do to order one like that! :) Love you, Ems!

I swear pictures are coming soon...but I am on Josh's computer right now.

Party Pictures

Finally some pictures from the party! The top one is a picture of the best cake I have ever had. Thank you to Joan...Josh's grandpa's girlfriend! And the decoration is dead on as Jack from JBMS...talked about in earlier entries. Davey did not go crazy in the cake like he had at the babysitters. I think he was confused as to why everyone was staring at him. He took a couple more bites while on the shoulders of his Grandpa Jan. In fact, Davey started crying once he spotted my Dad in the crowd of at least 35 people...well, until Dad picked him up, of course.

We also went out and spent some of Davey's birthday money. We went to a consignment shop in Brownstown called Second Time Around. It is all kids stuff and they have at least one of every Little Tikes outdoor equipment made! Or at least it looks that way. We bought an awesome sand box that has a crane on it and a toy crate to stay outside. We have the days counted down until summer...just 35 more days of school!

Birthday Celebrations!

Sorry that I haven't gotten another post up recently. I just got these pictures from the babysitter and HAD to share them. I have others from the party here that was on last Sunday...but those will have to wait. I can't seem to get back into the grove since Spring Break. Can jet lag affect you that much??? I think it is more like Spring Fever! I am ready for summer already!

But anywho...there is Davey enjoying a cupcake on his actual birthday on April 3rd. A before and after shot!

More will come...I just need a few more hours this week!

One Year Old!

Somehow an entire year has flown by the three of us here in Vernon. My little 7 lbs 5 oz baby that I brought home last April is now a 22 lbs toddler. How can this be? And how incredible has the change been for me and Josh to go from newlyweds to parents. I would have to say that we are handling all quite well. We are gearing up for his big party with the family tomorrow afternoon. So more pictures to come.

Davey at Piccidilly Circus...check out the double decker bus behind!

Obviously...Big Ben!

Davey playing with the barrels of gun powder in the Towor of London.

(Don't worry, they are empty!)

Tower Bridge (my favorite site)

These are some highlight pictures from London. We were able to stay with a nice family in Nottinghill that rents out their extra rooms to travelers. It worked out well. During the trip we traveled on plane, coach, bus, train, and the underground. Davey's favorite was the river cruise down the Thames. Not that he will remember it, but he had fun playing with the little girls next to us.

I wanted to give a few shout outs...Congrats to new parents Emily and Christian! Baby Carter Joseph was born last Saturday and we are eager to meet him! We hope Mom is recovering quickly. Also best of luck to Sara and Justin who just have 4 more weeks to go! I had a great time with everyone at the shower last night. It was good to see everyone again...too bad Lissa couldn't make it! Here is a pic of Dusty holding his son Ansel and Davey, too! He did a great job of watching them while the girls got to visit!