My Book Club

I have been so lucky to be part of a great book club for over 12 years now. We all used to teach elementary school together. A few are still at the school, a few have moved to other schools and a few have retired. This is a picture of some of us at our December meeting a year ago. Notice the cute little pre-reader in the front. Thought I would share some book club stats with you.

Our very first selection back in 1998: Patty Jane's House of Curl

Some of our favorites: The Book Thief, Still Alice, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, Year of Wonders, Rebecca

Actual time spent talking about books during our meetings: anywhere between 4 and 20 minutes :)

Cool thing we did one month: we each picked a John Steinbeck book to read and then talked about all of them when we came together.

Book most of us hated: The Crimson Petal and the White

Upcoming selections: The Last Child, I Am the Messenger, Room, The Best of Times


Are you part of a book club? Reading anything good lately?

Holiday Reading

We have added 3 new books to our Christmas Collection this year. I wrapped the books in newsprint again and Abby opens one each night of December. Check out some of our old favorites here.

feeling thankful for...

• my little animal whisperer
• farmer's market that is open till mid December
• peppermint chocolate chip milk shakes
• a husband that plays Princess Bingo before going to play hockey
• pets that purr
• my workout partner - she is so much more than a workout partner though...
• a hard to put down novel
• 70 degree weather in November
• friends that listen and love
• silly turkey songs
• bento boxes from Red Bowl
• family, far and near

What about you? What are you thankful for?

Waffles Anyone???

You know how when you turn the clocks back in the fall you wake up Sunday morning feeling like you have all this extra time. If you are anything like me you may even decide to go the extra mile and serve your family something beside cereal or yogurt for breakfast. Well this is how I spent that extra hour... cleaning the stinking waffle maker. Thankfully I have had success with the waffle maker in the past so I am not scarred for life.

A friend told me a few months ago that I should call my blog "Teresa's Perfect World".

I would like to dedicate this post to her. :)

Easy Holiday Decorating

I have seen this idea on several different blogs and wanted to pass it along. All you need is a 12x12 picture frame (I found mine at Michael's) and some holiday themed scrap booking paper. After you put your paper in the frame you can write any message on the glass with a dry erase marker.

My friend Kim teaches kindergarten and she had the idea of using this in her classroom and letting each child take a turn dictating the "daily message". Love it!

Take a peek here to see our annual thankful turkey.

Apple Picking

We took a road trip today to The Sky Top Orchard. This is a hundred acre apple farm near Hendersonville, NC.

We were so lucky to have my dad join us for the day.

The highlight of the day - apple cider doughnuts.

The calendar says it's Fall...

but it's hot out there people.

Update...

Hello everyone. My blog sure has been neglected these past few months. Wanted to give you a little update on a few things.

Abby loves kindergarten. She is excited to go every morning and all smiles when I pick her up each afternoon. I no longer cry when I drop her off, well most days I don't. Something about her walking into that big school all on her own, lugging that heavy book bag really gets me. I am just so proud of how she has adjusted to everything.

The garden has been a real success for the most part. We had more cucumbers and squash than we could eat this summer and our cherry tomato plant produced a ton. The other tomatoes were a big flop. Not sure why. We just started to plant for the fall. Spinach, broccoli and lettuce.

I started back to work at the preschool a couple of weeks ago. I am teaching 4 year olds this year, 3 days a week. The kids started this week and I have to say it was the best first week I have ever had teaching. I am crazy about my little group and just feel like it is going to be the best year.

Baby the cat has made himself at home and seems to love life here. He was an inside cat before coming to live with us and loves this new freedom of being able to come and go through the cat door. He is a big time climber and we looked out the other day to find him on top of Abby's swing set. He has also learned to catch lizards but as soon as he catches one Abby takes it from him. The poor lizards around here do not have a chance.
So... that is the scoop. What is going on with you????

Look Out Kindergarten, Here Comes Abby

Today is the day. My little girl is now a kindergartner. She was so ready. She did not even want us to walk her to her classroom but I insisted. For 6 years now I have craved alone time but now that it is here my heart is breaking. I am feeling bad about all the times she wanted me to play and I said no because I had laundry to do or dishes to put away. I am feeling bad about not being patient with her, wanting her to do things my way instead of her way. I'm feeling bad about all the television she has watched. As I sit here typing this it just occurred to me that I forgot to put a sweet note in her lunch box today. Ugh...
I am just having one big pity party today. Lord help my husband.

and Baby makes 5

I would like to introduce the newest member of our family. Baby the cat. Baby belonged to my sweet grandmother who passed away a few weeks ago. We are not crazy about the name Baby for a boy cat but just don't feel right changing a name that he has had for 3 years. Oh well.

Abby is thrilled to have two cats. Cleo, not so much.

Happy Hills Alpaca Farm

We took a little field trip to Happy Hills Alpaca Farm this week. I met the owners at the Waxhaw Farmers Market and found out that they love visits from small children (crazy, I know). This sign was the first thing we saw and I was a bit worried. Thankfully, no spitting took place.

The kids got to feed them hay and grain. We also got to see a demonstration of spinning the alpaca wool into yarn.

If you have any animal lovers at your house this is a great way to spend the morning. Let me know if you would like more info.

Keeping the Tooth Fairy Busy

On The Nightstand...

Hope for Each Day - Billy Graham - little daily devotional book. Reading this on the screen porch every morning with coffee. Coffee and Billy Graham, not a bad way to start the day.

Good and Angry - Turansky and Miller - parenting book that is supposed to help exchange frustration for character in the parent and child. Pray it works...

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress Janzen - fun memoir.

Troubling Deaf Heaven - J. George - a gift from my dad, this book is written by the actress that played Corrie ten Boom in the movie The Hiding Place.

Someone Knows My Name - L. Hill - my mother-in-law suggested this one to me and i am having a hard time putting it down.

Science is Simple - P. Ashbrook - easy science activities for preschoolers. Hope to use what I learn from this one at home and work.

My Turn, Your Turn

carrots from our garden - but this has nothing do with the subject of today's post


Do not bother reading this post if ...

• you never have to (I mean get to) play with young children


• you love playing anything and everything your child suggest


• your child will happily play any educational game you have ever come up with

Do read this post if ...

• you find yourself counting the minutes till school starts back and wondering how in the world you will survive another minute of playing tag, or Littlest Pet Shop Toys or acting out the death scene from Lion King


• your child can sniff a learning opportunity from a mile away and wants nothing to do with it

Okay - for those of you still reading I want to tell you about a game that I came up with that may just be my best idea ever. It is called My Turn, Your Turn. Very simple - Abby and I set a timer for 10 minutes and we play what she wants (dance party, barbies, lion tamer) and when the timer beeps it is my turn to pick (letter bingo, connect four, pattern blocks). It is a win, win for both of us.

Garden Update - June

The garden is coming right along. We have been eating spinach and snap peas out of it for a few weeks now and just brought our first broccoli in yesterday. The squash plant is about to take over the neighborhood and the tomato plants look promising. No critter issues yet (probably due to my scary scarecrows).

Happy Birthday Abby

Happy 6th Birthday to my sweet, sweet girl.
Here are 6 things that I love so much about you:

1. You are so funny. You make me laugh so much.
2. You love your daddy something fierce. (you have such good taste.)
3. You are the best frog and lizard catcher this side of the Mississippi.
4. You only want to wear comfortable pants. (I am so with you on that.)
5. You have such a kind heart and I see you caring for others so often.
6. You love to be outside and will spend hours in our yard looking for creatures.

I am so thankful to be your mommy and look forward to seeing the world through your 6 year old eyes.

A Marvelous Mother

To all the folks that follow “The Clark Clan” blog, there is a bit of a change this week. The site has been hijacked by husband of the blogger. You only have to follow the blog for a few weeks to see all the neat things that Teresa does and wonderful experiences she exposes our daughter Abby to. However, I wanted to let everyone know what an amazing mother Teresa truly is.

I know darn well how lucky I got,

When Teresa got hit with Cupid’s shot.

But what I really did not know,

Was when it came to mothering, she is a pro.

She teaches Abby new things every day,

And makes learning fun through lots of play.

Crafts and activities are always at hand,

You’d be amazed at all the uses for sand.

Her patience and temperament are truly great,

Even when Abby is filled with hate. J

The fun days, the tough days, she never gets fazed,

To watch her with Abby I am simply amazed.

Just watching her parent inspires me,

To be the best father I can be.

I got so darn lucky to find such a wife,

Friend and mother to share my life.

So today here’s to all you mothers out there,

Thank you Teresa for letting me share.

Garden Update

On the left: snap peas, broccoli, garlic and onions

On the right: spinach

Center front: carrots

Center back: Abby - stalking a lizard :)

Happy Earth Day

Garden Update

Spinach Snap Peas


broccoli

I now know why they call those places that sell plants nurseries. I worry about these little baby plants. For years I have read children's books about cute little rabbits that get into someones garden. I was always on the rabbits side. NOT ANYMORE! NOT ANYMORE!

Grassapillars and Chia Heads

We raided the recycling bin and planted some clover seeds last week. Thanks to my blogging friend Paula for this great idea.

Looks like someone needs a haircut...

Our First Garden

Spring has sprung my friends and we here at the Clark house have taken a leap of faith into the world of gardening. Living in the woods, we have very little space in our yard that gets several hours of sun so we are trying this approach. I am very lucky to have a husband that knows how to build stuff. He has been working on this planter box for weeks. He and Abby also started seeds growing inside the house several weeks ago. We have a long list of vegetables that we are hoping to grow.

Any gardening plans at your house?

Tweet Tweet

I was in charge of bringing the treat for Abby's Easter party at school this week so I made these cute little bird nest out of rice crispy treats. Easy peasy and a huge hit.

this weekend i...

***sat in the sand and watched my girl run barefoot

***ate way too many Krispy Kreme doughnuts

***devoured the book Still Alice

***became the proud owner of a hermit crab

***enjoyed the music and storytelling of Bill Harley

***touched a stingray

All around, a good time with my family!

What did you do this weekend?

Little Billy Goat Gruff

The Lost, Lost Tooth

Dear Tooth Fairy,

I wish I could give you my tooth but I lost it. Could you still please leave me a treat? Tooth Fairy - do you have a castle made of teeth? Will you write me an email back and try not to wake me up?

Love,
Abby (age 5)


Dear Abby,

Congratulations on loosing your first tooth. Please be very careful with the next tooth you lose. If you save that tooth for me, I will tell you what I do with all the teeth. I am leaving you some money to buy yourself a treat.

Sincerely,
The Tooth Fairy


Epilogue: After spending a good bit of time looking for the lost tooth, Abby admitted to us that she accidentally ate her tooth while trying to fit it back in her mouth. Ugh...
Also wanted to note that the tooth fairy does not do email. :)