The Sleep Habits of Men

A few weeks ago, while at Target, Kennedy saw this tin with Papa Smurf on it. If you look closely, you can see that the black sticker reads ‘Men’s Sleep Short.” As in, there are men’s sleep shorts inside. Kennedy read the black sticker as ‘Men Sleep Short.’ Then she looked at me, and said, “No they don’t!!!” HAHA! Too funny! Can you tell she is the daughter of a man who likes his sleep!?!?

I just threw in the picture below of Kennedy because she's so cute in her camouflage pants. She was four in this picture. How time flies...

Bootball

The other day Case was playing with Kennedy’s bouncy ball, when the ball accidentally landed in Matt’s boot. Thus was born the great Clark Family pastime of Bootball. Case couldn’t get enough of the game, and soon Kennedy joined in too. So, if you’re ever in the neighborhood, just drop by for a friendly game of Bootball. We’ll tell Case to take it easy on all of you rookies.

It's Been Looking a Lot Like Christmas

December has been so much fun. We have enjoyed MANY activities. However, all of these fun activities have definitely limited my Blogging time. In fact, I am trying to stay off of the computer (except to check e-mail when I first get home) until the kids are asleep. Then, by that time, I am either too sleepy or too busy to even get on the computer. I wanted to share some December highlights though, so here goes the first 23 days of December in pictures and long captions! ENJOY!!!

We have had a few Daisy Scout activities. This past weekend we went caroling at a nursing home, and the girls did a fantastic job! A few weeks ago we attended the Festival of Trees at the GS office, and then we headed to the Christmas Parade. We found a spot with plenty of sunshine, so the parade was nice. I wish I could say the same for the outdoor pictures we tried to have taken of the kids after the parade. For the record, outside pictures and 40 degrees do NOT like each other. Thanks for trying, Sandi. We’ll try again in the spring!

~Sidenote~ Please see us for all of your Girl Scout cookie needs. We are currently taking orders. J

We played in the snow! Yes, Case is wearing his sleeper. I know, genius of me to think f it, right? They loved the snow. Case did not know what to think of it at first, but then he began throwing it, and that was a ton of fun! Kennedy made a gorgeous snow angel. Case tried to wipe the snow off of HIS slide. They were too cute. We’re praying for more snow soon. Maybe next time Matt will even get out of bed…

Case has really taken a liking to Kennedy’s robot dog lucky. Case drags Lucky all over the house, usually to give him to me so that I can awaken Lucky and give him commands. Case hugs, kisses, and pets Lucky. He also gives Lucky noggin (bumping foreheads).

We’ve been going to church (though not as much as we would like to).

Our beautiful Christmas tree is up and decorated. Kennedy was a big help this year. We finally convinced her that all of the ornaments do not have to hang on the same bottom branch of the tree. Case does NOT like the tree. In fact, the only time he has touched it was when a friend was over, and I was trying to show her how much Case couldn’t stand it. Then he began trying to touch it, but he hasn’t since then. Go figure!

We had our Christmas play at church. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any good pictures. Case went home before presents were even handed out. Case is ILL after 7:30 pm!

We’ve been watching Christmas movies. That is one of our favorite December activities. We do not let the kids watch Christmas movies out of season (even though we have them on DVD), so these movies are always a BIG deal!!!

Case loves to drink. While drinking his sippy, he found his morning bottle in the fridge, so he had to have both. He walked around this way for a good twenty minutes! No diaper can contain him at night! I wonder why!?!?

We went to Santa’s Village last week. I would like to lodge a formal complaint that the line to see Santa was WAY too long when there is a sixteen month old with an already runny nose in the mix. We did not see Santa. In fact, we left very disappointed after about 35 minutes. We have always loved Santa’s Village, but this year it was somehow different. Perhaps it was the before-mentioned sixteen month old with the runny nose??? We are hopeful that next year the Village will again live up to our expectations.

Tonight our neighbor came over for Christmas. We had a traditional Christmas meal of spicy baked chicken, baked potatoes, broccoli and cheese, and slightly overcooked rolls. Oh, that’s not traditional? Well, we enjoyed it anyways! Have I ever mentioned that we have the BEST neighbor in the world? Mr. Dana is a wonderful person. He is helpful, giving, and loving towards everyone. He is wonderful with both of our kids, even though he doesn’t have nay of his own, and he always buys them very thoughtful gifts! Mr. Dana gave Kennedy markers, a giant book of Dora coloring pages, and a Tinkerbell ColorWonder book. He gave Case a puppy that talks.

The Nutcracker Ballet

I first went to see The Nutcracker Ballet my first year of teaching when I was a third grade teacher. Kennedy was a few months old, and I remember falling asleep during the field trip. Over the next few years, I grew to love it though! Since I moved to first grade, I had not been in four years! I wanted to take Kennedy this year, but I kept putting off getting the tickets. Finally, ealrier this past week, I e-mailed a student's parent to ask about getting tickets (her daughter was in it), and she offered me four FREE tickets, and they were GREAT seats. I knew I didn't want to take Case, so I told Kennedy that she could invite two friends. It was quite the adventure--taking three young girls to the ballet, but they were wonderful! We had a fantastic time! I am so thankful that I got to enjoy the ballet with Kennedy. And did I mention that it was FREE? Thank you so much, Dahlberg Family, for the tickets!!!

Catching Up

WOW!!! I am SO far behind that I may never recover. I have TONS of posts that I know my now 7 Followers can not wait to read, but between working 60-ish hours a week, going to church, tending to Matt and the kids (and occasionally the house), being a room mom, being a Daisy Scout leader, and trying to get Christmas presents wrapped, I simply do not have the time to post. I am going to try to catch up this week though.

By the way, I know you're reading, so go ahead and become a Follower. It won't hurt you, but it will make my heart happy. :) Go bless!

Happy Thanksgiving 2009

We have so much to be thankful for! Our lives are blessed beyond measure. We may not have as much money as others, but we have so much more.

I am most thankful for Matt’s and my relationship with God. He has brought us so much closer. God is our rock, and Matt and I are twain (as we like to say J ), so we always have God and one another to lean on. I am thankful that God found us. We weren’t even looking for Him, but He was looking right at us. God brought us to the place that He wanted us to be at so that our lives could unfold and be enriched and blessed beyond measure. Matt and I do not think it is coincidence that we found our beautiful wooded acre of land in Big Cove, only to call about it, be told that it had already been sold, and then be called back a week later to be told that the land was again available. Indeed, God was working behind the scenes, and He knew just where we needed to be.

I am thankful for Matt. For twelve years he has been my best friend (besides God, of course). Matt has seen me through some rough times, and we have made it through some rough patches, and I am glad to say that though we are not perfect, our love for one another is! With God by our side, we know that we can make it through any trial. Matt has helped me to be a better person. I know that he was chosen by God for me. That story deserves a post of its own…

I am thankful for my beautiful, perfect girl. Kennedy has been and remains my light on dark days. She loves me despite my faults and forgives my mistakes so easily. I wish that I could give her the world, but she already has it because she puts God first and loves Him so much. I have learned more from that little girl than I could ever teach her.

I am thankful for my sweet, huggable boy. Case is just the most daring little thing, and all of his harrowing antics terrify, yet amuse me. He is Kennedy’s polar opposite, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love that he brings me Lucky the Wonder Dog and pulls on my leg to let me know that he wants to be held. He is the baby, and we have spoiled him rotten (just like we did his sister).

Case enjoys reading books, or at least abusing them.

I am thankful for my blood family and my church family. Over the past few months, it seems as though my relationship with my parents has improved, and that is wonderful! I love them all toujours! Our church family has been so good to us. I am blessed to know them. I have been missing Bother James Earl so much over the past few weeks, and I know that his family is missing him today too. But he is at rest with his sweet Lucille, and I know he couldn’t be happier.

The Night I Learned to Make Dressing

(with Matt's parents)

I am thankful that Matt and I have not only good jobs, but jobs that we LOVE. Going to work is so much easier when you actually enjoy it. I have such a sweet little class of 23 (not so little, huh?), and their parents treat me like royalty. They are probably tired of all of the little projects I send them, but they keep asking for more, and I don’t want to let them down.

I am thankful that our babies have such wonderful teachers!

I am thankful that I learned to make dressing the other night and that I get to go shopping tomorrow at 3 am sans kids. J I am thankful that my sister Lark and my cousin Whitney better be meeting me at my house to hit Best Buy! Speaking of Whitney, I am so thankful that she is staying with my parents right now. Please say a prayer that God will truly bless her life.

I am eternally thankful that Jesus came to Earth, walked in our shoes, and died for our sins. I am thankful that we are free to celebrate his life and mourn his death. That brings us to Christmas, my most favorite time of the year (though it takes place during my least favorite season; this eczema on my hands is just horrible and painful in the winter). I LOVE all of the Christmas festivities, and we have already begun watching our Christmas movies!

Bridge Street Tree Lighting

We hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Kennedy's Hands

I love to look at Kennedy’s hands. They are so gorgeous! I often sit around and just marvel at their beauty. But, this wasn’t always the case. I used to look at Kennedy’s beautiful hands and be saddened in my heart because I knew she was in pain…

When Kennedy was about three and a half (like she was in the picture below), she began to get warts. At first she had one, then two, then three, and so on.

I have had warts before (I find that most people have), and I know how annoying and painful they can be. Three times I had to have fingernails removed! When Kennedy began to get them, Matt wanted to try to freeze them off, but I refused. That freezing is painful business, and Kennedy has the pain tolerance of a balloon (which I think would be extremely low). Instead of using modern medicine, I decided to use the oldest form of medicine ever created: PRAYER!!!

I prayed fervently for her warts to go away. I fasted. I sacrificed. And do you know what happened?

They got worse! But I kept praying, fasting, and sacrificing. Matt joined the pursuit too!

In October of 2007 we were at church when God let me know that He was going to heal Kennedy’s warts. I was so thrilled to know that He was looking at my little girl. I had no doubt that He would take care of her. I didn’t know the time or place, but I knew the Who and the means.

Well, over the next eight months, not only did Kennedy develop eight warts on her hands and one on her knee, but she also started getting skin tags in various places, including her top lip and beside her eye. She probably had about ten tags (that seemed to pop up overnight) in all.

It would have been real easy just giving in and taking her to the doctor, but I had God’s promise, and God is no liar! Matt and I have a sign in our house that reads, “Faith is not believing that God can, but knowing that He will.” And I knew that He would heal Kennedy’s warts and skin tags. Instead of praying and asking that God heal her, I began to thank Him for His promise of healing her because I knew that in His time and in His perfect way, He would. I prayed harder and tried to be a better servant.

February 2008 rolled around, and I was constantly sick and in pain from being pregnant with Case. One day Kennedy got in my lap, and when I looked at her beautiful face, I noticed that the skin tag on her lip looked funny. I flicked it lightly with my finger, and it just came right off, like a crumb. I was elated, and through my pain I yelled for Matt, told him what had happened, and began to give praises to God. After that it seemed like Kennedy’s skin tags disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. Her warts, however, were still hanging around.

May 2008 came, and I had to move classrooms, end a school year, and get ready for a baby who would be coming in August (and who was named Walker at that time). Life got SO busy that I failed to check Kennedy’s hands for improvement. The third Sunday of May we were at church when Kennedy sat in my crowded lap. I was holding her hand when I suddenly noticed that ALL of her warts were gone!!! I could only see the dim scar of the worst one (and that scar is now gone). I began to rejoice in my heart. I was sobbing uncontrollably. Matt came to see what was wrong, and I showed him just what was right!

Since then we have reminded Kennedy again and again of what God did for all of us. We NEVER want her to doubt the power of prayer or the power of God.

There are so many obstacles in our way in life, but sometimes, nay always, the best ‘medicine’ for dealing with those obstacles is prayer. With God all things are possible.

There are FAR worse problems than warts, and I surely know that! In fact, I almost deleted this entire post because warts seem so trivial compared to what other people must endure, but I feel that God put this testimony on my heart for a reason. I pray often for children and their parents who are afflicted, and I ask God to let me bear some of their (maybe even your) pain. But I wrote this post to remind you that no obstacle is ever too big or too small for God to make right. Just go to Him in sincere prayer, and your burdens will lighten!

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

Please let me know if I can pray for you in any way. We appreciate ALL of your prayers!

Two Mrs. Clarks?

This story has cracked me (and several others) up since Friday afternoon. I just have to share it.

I have been reading to me class the first Magic Tree House book: Dinosaurs Before Dark. Well, the story got to a point where information was given about a triceratops. In the book it said the triceratops was a plant eating dinosaur who weighed about 12,000 pounds. Now, in an effort to completely enlighten my students so that they will be the brightest kids around, I always give them a scale reference to go by. I was thinking of how many first graders it would take to equal 12,000 pounds.....still thinking....got it! So I say, "That would be about...(pause to make sure I have the right number in mind)....

Before I could get the number out of my mouth, sweet Cameron, with his big blue eyes helps me by saying, "Two Mrs. Clarks?"

I cracked up. He was so sweet and sincere about it!

With that being said, I bought a workout video that I am going to HOPEFULLY begin tonight. I asked Matt if he thougth I really had 50 minutes to devote to the video four or so times a week, and Matt replied, "Do you really think you can do it for 50 minutes?" I tell you what, all of these gentlemen in my life sure know how to woo me!

Trick or Treat '09

We had a wonderful Halloween!

On Friday night we went to our church Halloween party. Kennedy got our moneys worth out of the inflatable slide! She was sweating from playing so hard!

Today we did some afternoon shopping, and Case took a late nap, so he was ready for trick or treating. We got Kennedy ready, took some pictures of just her, and then Case woke up. We got him ready (eardrops and all), took more pictures, and off we went with a cowgirl and Master Yoda. Sidenote: Last night a friend asked if Case was Shrek. I have cracked up all day about that. I obviously need to buy her a Star Wars movie! Yes, our whole family loves the Star Wars movies (excluding the prequels). Cowgirl and Yoda hit a few houses on our road, but then we went to a subdivision that we have been going to for several years. Usually it’s busy with children, but this year it looked like a ghost town. Several of the residents there told us to take as much candy as we wanted because they for some reason didn’t have as many trick-or-treaters as usual. We became bored with the ghost town, so we went to a different subdivision, which is going to be our new trick-or-treat place because it was abuzz with action! At the end of the night, Kennedy’s bag was full of candy, Case’s belly was full of milk, Matt was full of exhaustion, and I was just full of love for my sweet family. We had such a fun night! Even Case was well-behaved. J He even followed behind us on the sidewalk, rather than running in the opposite direction. Perhaps he’s turning over a new leaf! I’m still praying…

This is my favorite picture of the day, and I actually took it. I do not usually take such good pictures! Kennedy is just so gorgeous, inside and out. She has a natural beauty, but she’s not very photogenic (which she gets from Matt), so pictures do not usually do her beauty justice. This picture, however, showcases her beauty!

Here’s a picture from last year. It’s unbelievable how much my babies have grown in a year! I wish time would slow down a bit.

Love is....

Pushing your six year old in the Publix buggy (no matter how much your feet are hurting after standing nearly all day in heels) while waiting for a free cookie! Then it was off to ice skating. Kennedy is finally showing some progress.

Seriously? Four Teeth at Once?

It's been quite the weekend! Case is cutting four teeth at once (including at least two molars), so I've kind of been out of sorts this weekend. He is one ill boy! Fortunately, he has not yet run a fever... Please pray that he continues to be fever free and that his teeth poke through SOON!!! He just wollers all over me, but he doesn't want to be held and rocked (just carried around). Kennedy was such a cuddler, especially when she was sick! Amanda, I used to feel so sorry for you when I would read that Caden didn't want to be cuddled, and I just knew that I would NEVER have to go through that. Well, here I am, and I don't like it one bit!!! I want to put him in the bed with us and just hug on him, but Case would never be able to sleep that way. On the other hand, Case is drinking juice like fruit is no longer going to grow. Matt and I agree that he has a drinking problem. :) Case is hardly eating any food; just drinking juice. He is killing his Huggies!

Why, Playhouse Disney, Why?

So, I took a children's TV character quiz on Facebook (and I had a perfect score). The quiz showed you a picture and you had to answer the question, all related to children's TV characters. Some of the shows were older; most were within the last five years. This got me reminiscing... and thinking...

Ever since Kennedy was a baby, we have been big fans of Playhouse Disney (PD), and a lot of the ?s on the quiz were about PD characters. PD used to have the BEST shows: JoJo's Circus (Kennedy was JoJo for Halloween when she was 2), Bear in the Big Blue House, PB & J Otter, Higglytown Heroes (my personal all time favorite), and Out of the Box, just to name a few.

These days, the only really good show on PD is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Charlie & Lola is okay. Thankfully, they did get rid of The Wiggles and The Doodlebops (sorry, Courtney). But they've replaced those two awful shows with more awful shows! Why do we need Imagination Movers? Sure, the song is catchy, and my family often hears me sing, "Me, my name is Rich, I go rat-a-tat-tat." Sidenote----I am SO sorry that they have to hear me sing that (or anything for that matter).----But do we really need these fellows to help us with our idea emergencies? I'm pretty sure that most of what they're tackling doesn't actually qualify as real emergencies for children (or any other sane person). True, Warehouse Mouse is cute, but Uncle Knit Knots (sp?) isn't! I have grown to like Handy Manny, but mostly only because when the theme song plays, my sweet boy gets a HUGE grin on his face. Why did PD think that Jungle Junction was a good idea? Please let me know if your child actually likes it. I'm trying to figure out who its one viewer is. Special Agent Oso is tolerable, but I fear that it's teaching our children that every problem has a three step solution. And I know it's educational, but The Little Einsteins just aren't for me. I will not even get started on Choo Choo Soul...

Please, PD, bring back Higtown!!!!! How cute would Case be as Kip?

Keeping the Kellys in our Prayers

This past Wednesday evening, a church family was leaving Orlando, headed to Gulf Shores, when they were in a terrible car accident. Dustin and Melissa (the parents) were trapped in the car, and the children were both ejected from the car. Six year old Kensley was hurt very badly. She has a head injury, which caused bleeding on her brain. As I understand it, Dustin, Melissa, and Konnor have all been released with bumps and bruises (and I am sure emotional trauma). Kensley is still in the hospital on a breathing machine, but things are looking favorable for her. Praise the Lord! Please, if you get a chance, say a prayer for this family. You can visit their blog, which will hopefully be occasionally updated by a family member: http://dustnmo.blogspot.com/

I am sure that on top of all that has happened, it does not help that they are away from home. I pray that they will ALL return home soon!!!

The Natatorium

Kennedy has been begging to go swimming, so I decided to take her to the Natatorium (close to Brahan Springs Park) on Tuesday morning. One of our friends came along with her five year old daughter and eleven month old baby. When we got there we were informed that either we had to swim with the girls (because they did not meet the height requirement) or the girls had to pass a swim test to swim without us. What!?! They just want to play in the four-foot end!!! Well, we ladies were NOT swimming, so we said test them! Now, a 25-yard swim does not seem like much, but for a five and a six year old, it’s pretty long. Kennedy jumped in, and swam across!!! She passed. I was SO proud of her! She definitely has her momma’s love of the water. Unfortunately, when her friend tried to swim across, she was just too scared to try. She would go about a quarter of the way and turn around. I really believe she could have made it, but that pool was so tiny compared to her that it scared her. Kennedy played for a while, and then we all left to go eat at Chick-fil-A. The girls had a great time playing on the playground, especially when the rain began! We will have to go to the natatorium again. It was so private. There were never more than four other people in there, and they were just swimming laps.

Kid Venture

Since we stayed home this year for fall break, I tried to find a few fun places for us to go. On Monday I took Kennedy and her best friend E to Kid Venture, an indoor playground for toddlers to nine year olds. The cost is $8 per person, and adults are free. A monthly family membership is $28. I did not know how the area was set up, so I took Case to daycare for a few hours while the girls played. There are all sorts of things to play on. There is a wooden pirate ship, an inflatable obstacle course (with jumping area), air hockey (for free—my fav), skee ball (for free), a bouncy horse, a circle of bicycles, a new age seesaw, a small jungle gym, and lots more. It was worth the money, and I would take Case next time. There is a toddler play area in the same room, so you can watch your toddler and your older child(ren) at the same time. Case would be able to play in both areas. Also, there are tables in the lobby area, and you can bring in outside food and just eat lunch there. We only stayed for about an hour, and the girls were worn out. We had lunch at McDonald’s and picked up Case. We will have to go back during Christmas break. Have you been yet? What did you think of Kid Venture?

Fall Break---Last Year

This time last year, Case was only ten weeks old, and I was on maternity leave. We decided we needed a little getaway, so we went to Atlanta. We stayed at the Hilton in Downtown, and the view was amazing. I lived in Atlanta until I was almost ten, so I always enjoy visiting. Matt, on the other hand, does not like the traffic.

While we were there, we did a lot of walking, sightseeing, and eating.

On our first day there, we walked from our hotel to the Atlanta Aquarium. I liked it okay; Matt and Kennedy were more into it. Case slept the whole time we were in there (must have been the dim lighting). My favorite area was the shark tank because you stood on a conveyor and looked up to see the sharks and other fish. I also liked the whales A LOT!

After the aquarium we went to the World of Coke, and I think we all liked it better than we liked the aquarium. There was so much to explore there, and you got to taste all sorts of free coke products (not that I even drink soda, except Sprite). Then Kennedy played across the street at Centennial Park. That was a wonderful day.

The next day we went to the American Girl store that is at a mall right outside of Atlanta. After going to the store, for Christmas last year, Kennedy just had to have an American Girl doll! She has never been too into dolls, but we splurged on this one, and we will probably NEVER do so again, because she just does not play with it too much!

While we were in Atlanta we ate at The Cheesecake Factory, which was definitely worth the money!!! We are almost willing to drive to Atlanta just to eat there and then drive straight back home! That was the best cheesecake I have ever had! The day we left we even went back by and each got another piece to go. We also ate at the ESPN Zone, but we were not too thrilled with it.

The most memorable part of the trip was Case crying almost the whole way there and back. Well, and also stopping at the Children’s Place outlet store!

I am so glad that we took that trip! It wasn’t a huge trip, but Kennedy has wonderful memories of it, and so do I. We are planning a big spring break trip this year, and we can’t wait to surprise our princess and prince with it! What is your favorite weekend getaway?