Just So You Know

Guess who & guess when?

I finished the Master Cleanse on Tuesday, took my mom out to eat last night for her birthday and forgot to take any pictures, went to the zoo with friends today and remembered my camera but forgot to make sure there was a flash card in it. (There wasn't.) I must be in some kind of funk. I can't think of a single thing to blog and I haven't taken any pictures lately. Be patient with me, I'm sure I'll think of a million things to blog about tomorrow. That always happens.


Oh and I haven't forgotten about the organization contest. Or maybe I really have. ;)


Truly,

Poetry Recitation

As part of our Ambleside Online schooling, the kids are learning about poets and poetry. They learn 3 new poets each school year. This year, we started with Emily Dickinson. The four big kids are all memorizing this poem to recite for our fine arts co-op:

The Bluebird

by Emily Dickinson

Before you thought of spring

Except as a surmise

You see God bless his suddeness

A fellow in the skies

Of independent hues

A little weather worn

Inspiriting habiliments

Of indigo and brown

With specimens of song

As if for you to choose

Discretion in the interval

With gay delays he goes

To some superior tree

Without a single leaf

And shouts for joy to nobody

But his seraphic self!

Chloe, surprising us all, was the first to learn it. She begged me to video her recitation to show you all. Being the doting mother that I am, I obeyed.

For your listening pleasure, I present Chloe Clark:

Amazing Stuntboy

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it! Daniel has this tiny little bike that he loves and this past weekend, Isaac decided to take the training wheels off.

We weren't forewarned about this. Instead, 15 minutes later, Isaac called us to come see what he taught Daniel to do.
Daniel will be 4 years old next April. He's the youngest Clark ever to learn to ride a bike.

Branch & Crab Apple Baseball

Remember I told you that the kids were suddenly passionate about baseball? Well, here is their game. Isaac pretty much excels at any sport. He's just like his daddy.
Elena makes a very focused out-fielder. Don't mess with her! I think that's tabbacy in her lip, but I'm not sure.
Maya can do anything in flip-flops.
She outran Isaac and made a home run. The boy can run fast; he must have been studying cloud formations when she whacked the crab apple.

Chloe is more my style batter. She's not a great athlete, but what she lacks in skill she makes up for with flair.
She spun all the way around in her attempt to hit the ball.

While Chloe was attemping to do more than spin around on home plate, I was attempting to do my Bible study.

Lydia however, had other plans. She was determined to make me laugh. See her crossing her eyes? (Yea, I know, you can't really see what she's doing. But I just told you, so now you know.) How could I stay focused when she does that??

Then, of course, she wanted to me to take her picture. I put my foot down. This Bible study is important, child, now leave me alone!

Rather than obey, however, she took my picture. She has no appreciation for the excitement and thrill of a good ball game.

Pig Tail Fits

This morning, Liddy wanted pig tails. Now, you should know that I am very low maintenance when it comes to hair. I usually do little more than brush their hair and put a barrett in it. So this was a big request she was asking of me.
Oh sure, she's smiling there, but you should have seen her face after I finished and let her see her beauty in the mirror. She was wailing! I gave her a droll look as she screamed. I was not happy with her response. And she wasn't happy with the response she got from our trusty "spoon".
But it did stop the tears almost immediately. And it stopped them 10 minutes later when she decided to try out her fit again.
She's decided to be happy now, see? Happiness gets you smiles and hugs. Fits, not so much.

Shakespeare in the Park

This is where we went last Sunday night. Kyle went to the Financial Peace class with the babies while my mom and I took the four big kids out for some fun.

They colored thespian masks. We could hardly drag Elena away from this, she's our little perfectionist artist.
My mom is never too old to color. She had her picture taken in Shakespearean garb and colored the frame before giving it to the kids. I hope to be a grandma just like her one day. The kids are all crazy about her. Of course, the rest of us had to follow suit. (That's a pun. Get it? Get it?)
Later, we indulged in some free snacks and made hand-puppets. (Another activity we had to drag Elena away from. She's one artsy fartsy kid.) The weather was perfect and we had a great time.
The kids also got to stand on the mini stage and perform lines from various Shakespeare plays. You should have seen their faces when they quoted a line from a play they know. Too funny!

Unfortunately, I didn't get Merchant of Venice into the schedule before this event, so we didn't stay to see the play. Next year, we'll be ready!

Eau to de Toilette

Some things are worth waiting for, Lydia. Even if it takes patience. Your daddy loves being with you, but one day you'll realize what a sacrifice he made for you. Look at his sweet face. He's not having fun.
It's a lot of work for you, we know.
And sometimes it's boring work too.
Sometimes it really stinks.
But success feels so good!

It's Cleanse Time Again

It's Day 4 for me on the Master Cleanse and I'm feeling so much better already. I gotta say it's really a lesson in selflessness, making food for other people 3 times a day (plus snacks twice a day) while not eating. It's a lesson I can always use and I'm grateful, but I'm not saying it's easy!
Friday week is our annual Family Fun Day, so I planned this cleanse around that. Can't let everyone eat homemade pizza without me!

Several people have asked for the specifics. This is for you:

Here's how the Master Cleanse works:

(1) Drink 1 qt. of salt water first thing every morning. 2 tsp. good quality sea salt (NOT Morton's) in a quart of filtered water.

(2) Then drink at least 8 glasses of the MC lemonade:
1 oz. Grade B maple syrup
1 oz. fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice
8 oz. filtered water
1/10 tsp. cayenne pepper

(I actually love the taste of this spicy lemonade. You will feel hungry if you drink less than 8 glasses.)

(3) Drink a cup of Senna Leaf tea every night before bed. AKA Smooth Move tea or Get Regular tea. Senna is a laxative herb.

The Master Cleanse is designed for a minimum of 10 days.

That's it!


Here's to your health,

We Finally Did It!!

A couple of years ago, I picked up this book from the library and we started putting Dave Ramsey's baby steps into action. Debt-free living was our goal. I had over $40,000 in student loan debt and we had two car payments when we married. Add a mortgage to that a few years later and that's a lot of debt. When we were newleyweds, we wanted to pay down our debts and we learned about the debt snowball. One problem with that was: if you don't have enough money in savings, you're destined to fall back into debt. Enter Dave Ramsey and The Total Money Makeover.

Long story short, we are now debt free!!! Woo-Hoo!

I can't tell you how good it feels!

The Bridge

Awwwww, How Sweet

A public school in San Francisco bused 18 first-graders to City Hall yesterday, so the youngsters could scatter rose petals in celebration of their lesbian teacher's wedding.

The students, from Creative Arts Charter School, waited on the steps for their teacher with bags of pink rose petals, bottles of bubbles and, at least for some, with political buttons asking Californians to vote down Proposition 8, a ballot measure that seeks to define marriage in the state as a union between one man and one woman.

Here's the rest of the story.

You think your local public school doesn't have any political agendas? The government owns that public school.

Don't Be Anonymous

To leave a non-anonymous comment (since you know I won't publish anonymous comments) follow these simple steps:
1. Type your comment.
2. Click: Name/URL
3. Type in your name. (Website is optional.)
4. Click: Publish Your Comment.

Just because you don't have a blog doesn't mean you have to be anonymous.

Another Day at the Zoo?

The weather's nice again, so we're back to our weekly trips to the zoo. This particular trip was different, in that we didn't go to see animals at all.
Unless you count these. We always start our zoo tour with a couple rides on the carousel. Very relaxing.
The babies never want to ride on an animal. They always choose the bench that doesn't move at all.
What can I say? I'm not the best self-photographer out there. But I love my girl and I do what she says.
Then we went straight to the kids' area. They have a little brook where the kids like to play.
Or lay. They would lie down and get their backs all soaked, then run over to the slide for a slippery ride down. Kids are so easy to entertain.

After they f i n a l l y got bored of the brook, slide routine, they all hit the giant spider web. Isaac stood in the center and jumped so that everyone bounced up and down violently. Of course, they loved it.

Can anyone name this cool bird? That is one fancy crown he's sporting.

So Glad It's Fall!

It's my favorite time of year. I love the fall! Summer is finally over and we can enjoy playing outside without sweating. We've hit the park almost every day this week.
I read our Bible study while the kids eat breakfast, then I make sure phonics and math get done. That's plenty of school work (we call it Half Time- we do half the work because the weather's nice.) By 10ish, we're getting shoes on and heading outdoors.

Sometimes I find the girls just sitting and chatting.

One day last week, we spent the whole day outside. Went to the park right after out bity bit of school, ate lunch there, then went back right after naps. At dinner time, we ran to get something to eat and ate it outside.

The kids have a sudden passion for baseball. Since they didn't bring any equipment with them, they hunted for a branch for a bat and a crab apple for a ball.

I don't want to waste any of this awesome weather! I'm really bummed that I'm going to have to run a bunch of errands today, grocery shopping. (Sprout's for produce, the bakery for bread and tortillas, and the Chinese market for 20 lb. bags of rice and as many rice noodles as they have in stock.) While it's fantastic weather outside, we're going to be inside buying groceries. Grrrr. But I have book club tonight, so I can't do it then. I won't sacrifice anything for my book club.

My goodness, that boy is cute! I sure do love him. I love him enough to pass up good weather in order to buy food for him. The way he eats, it seems like it is all for him.

Too Much Pressure

Yesterday afternoon, I took the kids to the library. We go to the library at least once a week and everyone knows us there. As we were heading into the kids area, we passed a librarian who's always very friendly to my kids and she smiled as we walked by. Later, we were at her desk getting some stuff for the kids and she smiled really big at me and said, "Every time I see you in here, I think: That's me 10 years ago!" She went on to explain: "Whenever I would go places, I'd always have a bunch of kids with me because all the neighbors sent their kids to my house. People would always ask if they were all my kids and I'd laugh."
It never occurred to me that all these librarians who were always so nice to us didn't know these were all my kids! HA!
As we finished checking out, I looked down to see Maya holding a book that was never scanned. I told her to just return it. (It was twaddle anyway.) As she walked away, the other 5 kids darted for the door, unaware of what just happened. Before I could catch them, 2 of them were outside.
They know to stay close by me, but I hadn't reminded them what behavior I expected when we arrived at the library and that always makes a big difference. As I was getting them back in the library, other people were trying to leave and it was a chaotic mess. I was so embarrassed!
Why was I embarrassed that my kids disobeyed and were brought back in line? Because I have a big family and I know I am judged based on that. I want to give big families a good name by making sure my kids behave and are pleasant. Most of the time they are, too, and I should have given myself more grace. But I didn't. I'm a perfectionist and I do worry what other people think. There, I said it!

Honestly,

What's the Future Hold??

What the West Needs to Know

Kyle and I just finished this documentary and I can't recommend it highly enough. Everyone should watch this! It is more than eye-opening; it is shocking!

Virtually every major Western leader has over the past several years expressed the view that Islam is a peaceful religion and that those who commit violence in its name are fanatics who misinterpret its tenets. This claim, while widely circulated, rarely attracts serious public examination. Relying primarily on Islam’s own sources, this documentary demonstrates that Islam is a violent, expansionary ideology that seeks the destruction or subjugation of other faiths, cultures, and systems of government.

The documentary consists of original interviews, citations from Islamic texts, Islamic artwork, computer-animated maps, footage of Western leaders, and Islamic television broadcasts. Its tone is sober, methodical, and compelling.

Encouragement

I've recently discovered this blog of a friend of mine. I think you'll enjoy it. He has recently been blogging about a book I also had strong feelings about- The Shack. I'm curious what you think of his analysis of the New York Times best seller that is touted as a great Christian book.

Good Doctor

Two weeks ago, I went to see a new doctor. I'll call her Dr. Owens. My experience was totally different in every way than with Dr. This Ain't No WalMart. There were several things Dr. Owens did that set her apart. When I walked in, the waiting room was set up like a living room, not a waiting room. There was a candle burning on the sign in counter and the check-out counter. The tv was in an entertainment unit with a bunch of videos lined up underneath it, much like in many homes. There was a basket full of magazines next to the couches. Cozy.

When I saw the doctor, I went into her office instead of into a clinical room with anatomy posters and dipolomas on the walls. Instead the walls were decorated like a home office. She had family pictures and art on the walls. The floor was tiled much like the tile in my home and she had music playing behind her. I sat in a big comfy chair. Dr. Owens was wearing street clothes, not a lab coat. She talked to me like she had nowhere else to be. She looked at me when she talked to me, not at a clipboard or her computer screen. When I told her that I had adrenal fatigue, she asked if I'd read the book by that name by Dr. James Wilson. She wanted me to be educated. That is rare from the doctors I've visited.

I could go on. I was very pleased with her demeanor, not to mention that she cut my bill by half when she found out I was cash-paying. Doctors don't all have savior complexes and shouldn't treat you like you're too dumb to have a medical degree yourself. You know your body better than anyone. Find a doctor who respects that.

Help Me Get Organized

You guys were so much help with my photography dilemna, I thought I should ask your advice more often. But this time, I thought I'd make it more interesting. I'm having a contest!

Leave a comment with your best organization tips. If you send me a picture of your organization idea, you'll double your chances of winning. (I really, really want pictures!)

The winner's idea will be published here, with pictures, and will win a gift card to The Container Store.

So let's have it guys! How do you stay organized?

Your Best Read

I love to read. I go back and forth between non-fiction and fiction. I love to learn new things, but I also need a break from that sometimes and just want a good story.
I'm Curious: What's your favorite fiction book? Do you have a favorite author?