The Clark Clan

Halloween Lookback

2011-11-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

17 months

My how time flies.

Mo Willems

2011-09-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Abby wrote a letter to one of our favorite authors, Mo Willems. He is the author of the Knuffle Bunny books, The Elephant and Piggie Books and one of our all time favorites, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.

Well imagine how excited we all were (yes, Adam also) to open up the mailbox one day and find a letter from him.

Want to write a favorite author/illustrator? Check out this list for mailing addresses for some of the more notable.

Back to School

2011-08-15T04:51:00.000-07:00

Homemade Volcano

2011-07-28T00:48:00.000-07:00

Abby and I have been wanting to make a volcano for a while now and finally got around to doing it recently. We took some baby food jars and molded some old play doh and model magic around to make the mountain.

There are lots of great sights on the web telling you how to do this.

Cousin Lacy pouring in the vinegar.

Warning! This will kill your grass. We now have two big dead spots in the back yard. My bad.

Enjoying the View

2011-07-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

So summer is here and I have been enjoying the view and I don't mean the show with all the ladies talking over each other. We found a place close by that rents kayaks and gave it a try a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time and look forward to doing it again soon.

How is your summer going so far?

Happy Birthday Abby

2011-05-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

Abby turned 7 last week and then just a few days later graduated from kindergarten.

How can this be???

1 Smile and 2 Frowns

2011-05-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

11 Facts About My Daddy

2011-05-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

1. He wakes up happy and stays that way all day. This was very annoying to me as a teenager.

2. He is a wonderful grandpa.

3. He always has a pen handy in his shirt pocket. (see all photos)

4. He preaches a mean sermon, and by mean I mean good.

5. He loves to sing and has a deep voice that can be heard from miles around.

This was also very annoying to me as a teenager.

6. Butterflies like him.

7. He is not afraid to wear a hair net.

8. He loves Little Debbie Snack Cakes.

9. He goes to the gym 3 or 4 times a week.

10. He is very adventurous.

11. Today he turns 76.

Happy Birthday to the best Daddy in the whole world. I love you so much!

Spring Break Snap Shots

2011-04-24T16:29:00.001-07:00

We had the best spring break this past week. dying giant coffee filters to make butterflies
playing in the creek with friends

dying eggs

singing in the rain

jam session in the yard with friends

Headed out to Easter church service. I was the only one not wearing pink.

Hope you had a wonderful Easter!

oh hail....

2011-04-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

We had a nasty storm come through Saturday night with egg size hail falling from the sky.

We were very lucky and did not have too much damage. It did smash the 4-runner windshield.

Also knocked a board loose on the tree house. No big deal in the grand scheme.

Random Acts of Kindness

2011-02-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

This week we decided to do something nice for our school crossing guard. Abby made a stop light card and we added some Chick-Fil-A bucks so he can buy himself some lunch. Notice someone is learning about quotation marks at school. Abby said he was so happy when she gave it to him that he hugged her TWICE. My friend Jennifer emailed and told me about something really cute her son is doing. It is called Ding, Dong, Ditch. Ring a neighbors door bell, leave a bag of candy and kind words and run like crazy. So cute. I love this idea.

My friend Mary reminded me of the the book and movie Pay It Forward. Read it or rent it. You won't be sorry.

Julie shared a great book on her blog called Have You Filled a Bucket Today. Imagine that everyone you encounter has an invisible bucket they carry around. When you do something kind for them you add to their bucket. If you are rude to them you are a bucket dipper. What a great way to teach kids that their actions affect others. A good reminder for us big folks also.

So go forth and fill buckets my friends. Holler back at me if you do and I will share your ideas next week.

A Good Read

2011-02-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

If you liked this...
I think you will like this...

Wordless Wednesday - Goat Hugs

2011-02-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

Are You Up For a Challenge?

2011-02-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

"Be the change you want to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi

Two blogs that I read have done post this week about Random Acts of Kindness and Paying It Forward. They both inspired me to take action and do something nice for someone. I really would like to make this a regular thing for us. This week we took Moon Pies to the staff at our local library. So I want to challenge you to do something special for someone this week. If you do, please tell me about it. I would love to do a post next week sharing all the ways my readers are spreading kindness and love. For more great ideas check out Unplug Your Kids and Katherine Maria

Valentine Stuff

2011-02-04T05:32:00.000-08:00

Lots of Valentine stuff going on here that I want to share...

I received this shadow box of hearts from a student (and her very crafty mom) yesterday and I just love it.

The next two ideas came from this great blog. Love, love, love Abby's little pink Love Birds.

Thought this would be a great card for Abby's teachers.

I made a little Valentine Advent for Abby.

These little magnetic tins came from Ikea.
I have them lined up around the fire place but they would also work great on the fridge.

Each tin has a little love note and sweet treat.

If you can sew - check out what my friend Julie made at Three Queens and A King. I love these so much.
Any Valentine stuff going on at your house?

Bookmarks for Book Worms

2011-01-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

Abby and I made bookmarks during the recent snow days. Thought we could send these as a little Valentine treat to some of our favorite book worms.

where is my camera anyway???

2011-01-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

Abby got a hold of my camera last week and had her own little photo shoot.

This one really makes me laugh.

Hakuna Matata

2011-01-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

When Abby was around 3 years old I introduced her to my VHS copy of Disney's Lion King. Well she fell in love. We now own the DVD and every book, cd and toy related to the movie. Any large rock we come across quickly turns into Pride Rock and I can not tell you how many times I have had to pretend to be Scar while she plays the part of Mufasa. So you can guess how excited we were when we were given tickets to the theatrical production for Christmas. I have seen the show in Toronto and on Broadway but nothing will ever compare to watching my little girl, wide eyed, mouthing the lines along with the characters. She absolutely loved it. Thanks Grandma Gail for making a dream come true.

Bear Fun

2011-01-13T18:57:00.000-08:00

Well the snow and ice have given Abby and I both a week off school. It is like Christmas break take 2. I have loved almost every minute of it.

Most of you know that I spent several years teaching kindergarten. Because of that, I have about 12 plastic storage tubs in my attic filled with fun things for 5 and 6 year olds. I pulled out the Winter tub a few days ago and Abby was excited about all the Bear things she found.

We made Bear Biscuits.

Stuffed and sewed a grocery bag bear.

We have also have read several bear books. Here is one of our faves.
Have you been snowed in this week? What are you doing to pass the time?

Happy Snow Day

2011-01-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

We woke up to 4 inches of snow this morning and it continued to snow most of the day.

Even Cleo got in on the fun.

My Book Club

2010-12-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-11-21T17:42:00.000-08:00

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???

2010-11-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-09-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

but it's hot out there people.

Update...

2010-09-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

On The Nightstand...

2010-06-23T07:44:00.001-07:00

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

2010-06-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-21T04:11:00.000-07:00

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

You are so funny. You make me laugh so much.
You love your daddy something fierce. (you have such good taste.)
You are the best frog and lizard catcher this side of the Mississippi.
You only want to wear comfortable pants. (I am so with you on that.)
You have such a kind heart and I see you caring for others so often.
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

2010-05-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

Garden Update

2010-04-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-03-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

***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

2010-02-28T13:41:00.000-08:00

The Lost, Lost Tooth

2010-02-25T08:44:00.001-08:00

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. :)

Hello Snow!

2010-02-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

We woke up to 4 inches of snow this morning. the view down our driveway

Taco Soup

2010-02-03T03:28:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share one of my favorite winter meals with you. Thanks to my friend Lois for sharing this recipe.

Taco Soup

1 to 2 pounds of ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 4oz can of chopped green chilies

brown and drain

then add:
1 pkg of taco mix
1 pkg of ranch dressing mix
2 14oz cans of corn -drained
2 15oz cans of black or pinto beans drained (I like black)
3 14oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup water

Simmer 30 minutes or all day in the crock pot. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream.

A Few Good Books - by Abby

2010-01-27T15:20:00.000-08:00

The Gruffalo is a book about a little mouse that tricks lots of animals. He is a smart little guy.

The Gruffalo's Child has a little gruffalo in it. He is so cute and I love him so much. The mouse scares him in this book and that is not nice. You could get these books at the library. They have lots of books at the library.

Look Closely...

2010-01-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

you

might

see

freckles

Some Guest for Lunch

2010-01-16T06:14:00.000-08:00

Favorite Reads of 2009

2010-01-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

The Art of Racing in the Rain - a fast read that I could not put down.

Sarah's Key is a novel based on the 1942 Paris round up and deportation of thousands of Jewish families. As you can guess, this book is heart breaking but it is a part of that time that I knew nothing about.
What are some of your favorite reads from the past year?

My New Favorite Place to Shop

2010-01-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

My friend Nicki recently started a children's clothing business and I love, love, love her stuff. I did a quick interview with her to learn a little more about her new venture.

Tell us about your business: Izzy Puddin specializes in custom children's clothing and embroidery. We carry A-Line dresses, 2-piece monogram sets, applique sets, bibs, burp clothes and more.

Where did the name Izzy Puddin come from? We used to call my daughter this when she was a baby.

How long have you been sewing? 6 years - my aunt gave me my grandmother's sewing machine and I basically taught myself how to sew. I have come a long way since I began. LOL

What price range do your items fall in? $12 - $57

Thanks Nicki! Head on over and check out the Izzy Pudding web site. One thing on my wish list right now is an applique shirt with the number 6 for Abby's next birthday. I also think I am going to have to order that cute little Valentine's 2 piece that is pictured on the cutie at the top of this page.

Our Year in Review

2009-12-29T04:11:00.000-08:00

As 2009 comes to an end I thought I would take a look back at some of our highlights from the past 12 months. It snowed twice.

We made slime and soup.

Abby learned to swing all by herself, swim, whistle and chew gum without swallowing it.

We had visits from all our extended family. Enjoyed spending time with them so much.

I read some really good books. Click here to see a couple.

We had the best time touring a working cow farm while on vacation in Canada.

I went back to work part time after being home for 5 years.

Adam and Grandpa Warren built a great new deck on the back of our house.

Abby played the role of Mary in the school nativity play.

It really has been a great year. I have so much to be thankful for. Hope you have a wonderful New Year.

For Unto Us a Child is Born

2009-12-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Weird Santa

2009-12-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

Abby: That Santa was kinda weird.
Me: Well I think that was one of the guys that helps Santa. You know the real Santa is so busy this time of year.
Abby: Oh no, I forgot to ask him to make me be able to fly.
Me: oh well, maybe next year.

Wrapped and Ready

2009-12-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

I pulled the holiday books out last week and wrapped them all in news print. I thought I would throw some number recognition in this year and numbered them from 1 to 24. The plan is to let Abby pick one each night after dinner for us to read. For a peek at some of our favorite books from last year - click here. What are your favorite holiday reads?

Counting Down till Christmas

2009-11-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

This activity came from my first grade teaching days and I am excited to introduce it to Abby this year. Each day in December she will get to glue a cotton ball onto Santa's beard. When Santa has a full beard it will be time to leave out the cookies and milk.

Thankful Poem

2009-11-16T16:38:00.000-08:00

Thankful

by Abby (age 5)

I'm thankful for my Mommy, Daddy, Cleo and myself.

I'm really thankful for dessert and cookies.

I'm thankful for my cousins.

I'm thankful for my friends.

I'm thankful for my grandparents.

I'm thankful for my school and my swing set.

I'm thankful for raspberries.

But most of all I am thankful for lizards and my bug catcher.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

Meow!

2009-11-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

Can you keep a secret?

2009-10-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

I recently bought Abby a couple of books for Christmas that I am so excited about.

The Lion & The Mouse is a beautiful wordless adaptation of an Aesop fable. Abby has a thing for lions so I think she will really like this one.

How to build an A comes with a bag of foam shapes so the child can make each letter as they read along. Abby does not have a thing for the alphabet, so I am keeping my fingers crossed on this one. :)

Have you done any shopping yet?

Doing a Little Decorating...

2009-10-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

carrots and black eyed peas ghost tree

apple print pumpkins and hand print Frankensteins.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

2009-10-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for pumpkin goodies and do I have a treat for you. These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are so yummy. Thanks to my friend Beth for passing along this great recipe.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

The Star

2009-10-10T08:52:00.001-07:00

Abby was the Star Student last week at school. She had to answer the questions below and we sent in several pictures to go up on a bulletin board in the classroom.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A firefighter

What do you like best about school?

School is fun and school is exciting. I like to go to Toys & Games and Centers and my favorite part of the day is snack time.

I am proud of myself when I ...

whistle or swing all by myself

I am good at...

catching frogs and lizards.

My favorite subject is...

lions

I am a star student because...

I don't cause no trouble. :)

Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed

2009-09-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Johnny Appleseed's Birthday this week by making Apple Faces. Just slice some apples down the middle (I had to cut a couple of seeds out), spread some peanut butter on them and add some fun toppings. We used craisins, raisins, and mini marshmallows.

And don't forget to say this prayer before eating:

Oh, the Lord's been good to me

And so I thank the Lord

For giving me the things I need

The sun and the rain and the apple seed.

The Lord's been good to me.

For more kids in the kitchen ideas head on over to A Little Fun With Me and Lu.

Kids in the Kitchen

2009-09-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a couple of kids cookbooks with you this week. Pretend Soup is a great cookbook for the preschool age. The recipes use very simple pictures that make it very child friendly to read. We just checked this book by Paula Deen out from the library. There are several recipes in here I want to try. I think this would be a great one to own when Abby is a little older.
Do you have any favorite kids cookbooks?

For more Kids in the Kitchen ideas head over to A Little Fun With Me and Lu.

I'd like to thank all the little people...

2009-09-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

I just received my first blog award. Three Queens and a King gave me the Honest Scrap award. I am supposed to tell you 10 things about myself and then pass the award on to some blogs that I enjoy.

1. I taught kindergarten and first grade for 10 years before Abby came along.

2. I just started back to work teaching preschool 3 days a week.

3. I am a pastor's kid and a daddy's girl.

4. My husband and I compete to see who can read the most books each year but he will never admit that.

5. When I started college I planned to major in Social Work but switched to Elem. Ed after my first year.

6. My daughter and I have the same birthday - which is wonderful in some ways and not so wonderful in other ways. :)

7. When I was in first grade I erased a friends name off of their homework and put my name on it. (Dad - if you are reading this - it was a one time thing.)

8. One of the best books I have read this year is The Help.

9. I worry too much about lots of different stuff.

10. If I could travel anywhere my first choice would be The Galapagos Islands.

Now I would like to pass this award along to:

Eat, Drink and Decorate

A Little Fun With Me and Lu

Plays With Mud

I Blame My Mother

Felt-O-Rama

Paper-and-String

Back to School

2009-09-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

Big week for the Clark girls. Abby and I both went back to school. I will be teaching a 3 year old class at the same school Abby is attending. I am learning how to balance work and home life and behind on lots of things (phone calls, emails, laundry). So things might slow down for a little while here in my blog world while I get caught up. Hope your September has started off super!

Kid Friendly Friday - Easy Puzzles

2009-09-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

I realize this picture does not make us look like the healthiest eating bunch but these box tops were saved over a long period of time - at least 2 weeks. :) Anyway - I cut each one into 3 or 4 pieces, put them all in a pile and let Abby put them all back together. For more kid friendly ideas head over to see what is going on at I Blame My Mother.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

Scenes from a 1600 Mile Roadtrip

2009-08-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

Just got home from visiting family in Canada. We had a wonderful time and as you can see from the pictures we had lots of animal encounters.

Teaching Place Setting

2009-08-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

My latest felt project: place mats for Abby's play kitchen.

Abby has a Pen Pal

2009-08-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Her name is Lu and she is from the great state of Florida. She made Abby a bookmark and even created her own stationary by painting with marbles. Her mom has a blog full of great ideas. She was so excited to get mail. We also had fun writing her back. Lu is a busy girl (as most 6 year olds are) but we can't wait to hear back from her.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

ready to go snacks - Kid Friendly Friday

2009-07-31T04:05:00.000-07:00

I get so many great ideas from Carisa's blog and here is one of my favorites - a bowl full of snacks. This stays in the pantry on a low shelf (as opposed to the chocolate that stays on a very high shelf). When Abby wants a snack she can go get one her self. If we are headed out the door and need a snack for the car - she can pick one or two real quick. To see more kid friendly ideas check out I Blame My Mother.

What is making your life easier at the moment?

Muffin Tin Lunch

2009-07-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

This muffin tin meal was inspired by the book Apple Trouble. pear, apple, milk

cashews, black berries, leaf shaped peanut butter sandwich

These are all foods that the poor little hedgehog found stuck to his back. Thank goodness for a friendly billy goat that helps him out.

To see more great muffin tin creations click here.

Kid Friendly Friday - yarn

2009-07-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what adding a little bit of yarn and glue will do to liven up drawing time.

For more kid friendly ideas go check out I Blame My Mother.

Got Zucchini????

2009-07-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the farmers market with a big bag of zucchini. I recently read the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (it is a really good book - no matter what my book club friends say) and found this great recipe:

DISAPPEARING ZUCCHINI ORZO
¾ lb pkg orzo pasta (multicolored is fun)
Bring 6 cups water or chicken stock to a boil and add pasta. Cook 8 to 12 minutes
1 chopped onion, garlic to taste
3 large zucchini
olive oil for sauté
Use a cheese grater or mandolin to shred zucchini, sauté briefly with chopped onion and garlic until lightly golden.
thyme
oregano
¼ cup grated parmesan or any hard yellow cheese
Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat.
Combine with cheese and cooked orzo, salt to taste, serve cool or at room temperature.

and don't forget this recipe. It is my all time favorite way to eat zucchini or squash. My friend Katy just posted this recipe on her blog for zucchini bread which I plan to try soon.

Kid Friendly Friday - Slime Style

2009-07-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Making slime has been my favorite summer activity so far. I had as much fun playing with it as Abby did. It is very simple to make and will last for a few weeks in an air tight container. Go here for the recipe. The animals always seem to end up playing with us.

For more kid friendly ideas go see Sarah at I Blame My Mother or

We Made it Fridays Showcase at Ramblings of a Crazy Woman.

Summer Fun

2009-07-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

I saw a great idea on this blog for a way to add some fun as the summer days start to get a little boring. I think I have mentioned before that I am felt crazy, so I was very excited to have a new felt project on my to do list. Each morning of our Summer Fun week I had a special activity planned for the day.Our special activities were:

make cookies

visit a nature museum and picnic in the park

paint toe nails (this was a first for Abby and a very big deal)

play at the mall and have lunch with friends

make Slime (more on this soon)

visit a local Raptor Center

have a movie night with snacks and popcorn

I plan on doing this one week out of each summer month. For tons of great activity ideas go here or here.

And the Winner is...

2009-07-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the bad picture but the winners are Katy for the Princess book and Loretta for the Pirates book. Congrats girls. The books are headed your way.

Go Ape Card Game

2009-07-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

Abby got one of the coolest games for her birthday. Go Ape is like Crazy Eights but instead of asking for the card you need, you have to act it out. We had lots of laughs playing with cousin Emily when she visited us from Canada last week.

Thanks Grandma Gail for this great game. :)

For more Kid Friendly ideas check out I Blame My Mother.

Scanimation

2009-07-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

I just have to share a new author we found recently. These books use a technology called scanimation and it is the coolest thing ever. As you move the page the image gives the illusion of motion. So, so cool. They are sturdy also, so even the littlest readers can enjoy.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway. Only two days left.

Time For A Giveaway

2009-07-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

In honor of my blog's first birthday I would like to host a give away. Two lucky winners will get a copy of one of these Barefoot collections that include a storytime CD.

Here is how to enter: leave a comment telling me which book you would like to win. If you have a blog and would like to be entered in a second time, blog about the giveaway and leave another comment letting me know. The contest will end Sunday at midnight. Good luck.

overheard...

2009-06-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

conversation between Abby and a 4 year old male friend we will call J:

J: Abby will you marry me?

Abby: Sure

J: I just don't know what to do. I want to marry L. also.

Abby: Well, I'm Abby.

J: I want to marry both of you. I just don't know what to do.

Abby: I know (finger up in the air). You should marry the library. Marry, library - they rhyme.

Some New Friends

2009-06-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

I recently made these two sock monkeys for Abby. The instructions came from this book. So many cute ideas in here.

Wikki Sticks

2009-06-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for ways to make learning fun here at our house and this is one of my new favorites. Wikki Sticks are wax coated string that you can mold into different shapes. I was so excited to find these cards to go along with them to help teach letter formation. They came from this site, which is one of my favorite places to buy birthday presents for our little friends or good quality toys for Abby. They even have free shipping right now. The girl that runs the shop has one of the best blogs ever with so many great ideas. If you have kids - you must check it out.

Any learning going on at your house this summer?

Frozen Fun

2009-06-17T04:43:00.000-07:00

This is a picture from last summer but I wanted to remind you of this fun activity. Have your child gather some small toys and treasures in a bowl, add water and freeze. Then grab your self a drink, a magazine and relax while they are busy trying to free the items. We used hot water, salt, an old tooth brush, a nail brush, and an eye dropper.

June, June, Wonderful June

2009-06-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

It has been an exciting month for The Clark Clan. Grandma Gail came for a visit, someone turned 40 and someone learned to swim (and neither one was me) :) I would also like to wish a happy first birthday to my little blog. Time really does fly when you are having fun.

How is June treating you?

What we have been up to...

2009-06-01T05:21:00.001-07:00

Sewing: bacon and eggs - play food for birthday treat bags Baking: Lion cupcakes -

Celebrating: Birthday Party at The Little Gym

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Abby

2009-05-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

This picture was taking the day we met you. 7 days old, a little over 4 pounds and already feisty.

I can't believe you are now 5. This year you have learned to swing all by yourself, whistle and chew gum without swallowing it. I love, love, love being your mommy. Happy Birthday doodle bug.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T11:53:00.001-07:00

Need a Good Book?

2009-05-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

I am in the middle of this book right now and let me tell you - it is so good. Like, neglect the family good. Thanks for the recommendation Rachel.

My friend Lois told me about this book a couple of years ago and I finally got around to reading it. I loved, loved, loved this book. It is a true story about a homeless man and a wealthy art dealer. A must, must, must read. Read it. Now. With a box of tissues.

What are you reading?

Wordless Wednesday - kinda

2009-05-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this by email and having trouble seeing the picture, just click on the title at the top of the page and it will link you to the actual blog post. :)

My Mommy by Abby Clark

2009-05-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

How old is your Mommy? I guess 60 or 69.

What does your Mommy like to eat? the same stuff I like to eat

What does Mommy like to do? She likes to give me treats.

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? play leap frog outside

I love my Mommy because? She's nice.

What work does Mommy do? She does lots of fun stuff like crafts.

Many thanks to the preschool teachers for doing this little interview.

The Clark Clan

Halloween Lookback

Mo Willems

Back to School

Homemade Volcano

Enjoying the View

Happy Birthday Abby

1 Smile and 2 Frowns

11 Facts About My Daddy

Spring Break Snap Shots

oh hail....

More Good Reads

Random Acts of Kindness

A Good Read

Wordless Wednesday - Goat Hugs

Are You Up For a Challenge?

Valentine Stuff

Bookmarks for Book Worms

where is my camera anyway???

Hakuna Matata

Bear Fun

Happy Snow Day

My Book Club

Holiday Reading

feeling thankful for...

Waffles Anyone???

Easy Holiday Decorating

Apple Picking

The calendar says it's Fall...

Update...

Look Out Kindergarten, Here Comes Abby

and Baby makes 5

Happy Hills Alpaca Farm

Keeping the Tooth Fairy Busy

On The Nightstand...

My Turn, Your Turn

Garden Update - June

Happy Birthday Abby

A Marvelous Mother

Garden Update

Happy Earth Day

Garden Update

Grassapillars and Chia Heads

Our First Garden

Tweet Tweet

this weekend i...

Little Billy Goat Gruff

The Lost, Lost Tooth

Hello Snow!

Taco Soup

A Few Good Books - by Abby

Look Closely...

Some Guest for Lunch

Favorite Reads of 2009

My New Favorite Place to Shop

Our Year in Review

For Unto Us a Child is Born

Weird Santa

Wrapped and Ready

Counting Down till Christmas

Thankful Poem

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Meow!

Can you keep a secret?

Doing a Little Decorating...

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Wordless Wednesday

The Star

Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed

Kids in the Kitchen

I'd like to thank all the little people...

Back to School

Kid Friendly Friday - Easy Puzzles

Wordless Wednesday

Scenes from a 1600 Mile Roadtrip

Teaching Place Setting

Abby has a Pen Pal

Wordless Wednesday

ready to go snacks - Kid Friendly Friday