Lava Lamps

 

 

 

For additional instructions and info on how to make a lava lamp go to The Science Mommy blog.  Check out the other science experiments that she has for kids of all ages!

Encyclopedia of Fun: B & C

Mr. Clark recently informed me that I've been neglecting my blog.  My sincerest apologies.  I was having trouble getting my photos to upload to Picnik so I could edit them.  Then our internet service became fickle and started moving at a s n a i l s pace.  That's basically the reason I've been behind.

To catch you up with the Clark Clan here is what we have been doing:

---B---
Baseball

 The number one rule concerning sports is safety.  Sammy understands this and therefore wears a bike helmet while hitting his plastic ball with his plastic bat.

 

Bean Bag

 It's fun to put a bean bag on your bed and pretend it's a roller coaster.

Afterwards you can put in on the floor beside your bed and use it as a landing pad.

Our poor bean bag already had a rip in the outside leather part.  With all the jumping off the bed and onto the bag, the inside material ripped as well.

Before we could get it fixed the kids decided to make the bean bag "snow."

 

If only we could make a snowman...

 

---C---

Caterpillars

 Hannah named this "little" guy Fatso.  We kept him in our bug catcher kit for a few days but had to let him go.  

  Have you ever seen a purple & pink caterpillar?  I hadn't until Samuel found this fella in the yard.  Hannah ended up losing him while she was running up to the trampoline.  I wonder what kind of butterfly he would have turned into.

Cleaning

Mainly dishes...

Cutting  

potatoes for supper.  yummy mashed 'tatoes.

* I have two fabulous little helpers.  They make a lot of messes but they're always more than willing to help clean up.  They both help with dishes, making supper, separating clothes for laundry, etc.*

Check back soon for more updates. I'll be posting about the Lava Lamps we made and possibly about the Plum tree we recently planted. And there will definitely be a post about Santa's Land in the near future.

 

 

Herbal Remedies

It's that time of year again.  School has started, chilly weather is creeping in and with it comes a multitude of germs.  They take the form of colds, flus, fevers and sore throats.

Just this past week Hannah & I had a cold while Samuel had a fever for a day and a half.  Thankfully I had researched and found some valuable information on natural home remedies so we were prepared.  I love home remedies because they don't involve trips to the doctors office, unnecessary chemicals and considering that most of them aren't ingested, they're not going to hurt your child.  You probably have everything  you need in your pantry - garlic and olive oil.

Here a few of my favorite remedies and medicines:

Colds:  For colds I use the garlic press.  You just peel a clove of garlic and crush it into a paper towel.  Fold the paper towel, with the garlic inside, and run it under hot water.  Squeeze all of the excess water out of the p. towel and then apply to the sole of the foot for 60 seconds.  I do each foot for 60 seconds each.

Chest Congestion:  Repeat the instructions for the garlic press but this time place the paper towel on your chest for 90 seconds.

Ear Infections:  Crush a clove of garlic into a tablespoon of olive oil.  You can heat it in the microwave until the oil is warm (but don't get it too hot because that will not help the ear).  Strain the garlic out  of the oil.  Rub oil around the outside of the ear and around the lymph nodes.  Also, put a small drop or two in your ear three times a day.  

Sore Throat:  Do the garlic press and apply it to your neck and the soles of your feet.

Fever:  There's not really a natural remedy for fevers.  I use Motrin and give luke-warm bathes.  I don't bundle my kids up but dress them lightly and cover them with a blanket if they're cold.  I will do the garlic press on their feet just as a precautionary measure.  

 ............

With everything I give my children a teaspoon of raw honey each morning and each evening.   There are so many health benefits of honey that we actually use it for everything!  We eat it on as many foods as we can, I put honey on burns and cuts and we use it as a vitamin when we're sick.

Also, to alleviate the systems of a cold, I give Hannah & Samuel Hyland's Homeopathic Cold'n Cough 4 Kids.  You can give it to your two year old (but not younger than two).  My kids love it!  You can buy it at most pharmacies but we get it at Wal Mart because it's cheaper there. 

I promise these remedies work.  I use them any time we're sick and they have shortened our illnesses by days.  A cold normally lasts two to three days in our house!

Useful links:

• Bulk Herb Store has great articles on remedies and you can even order herbs from them.
• Click here for a great article on the benefits of raw honey.
• Click here for a great article on the benefits of garlic.

Summer Is Best Spent...

finding creative ways to eat our snacks....playing with Barrel of Monkey's (and finding them everywhere!)....coloring and coloring some more....swimming at OSP....finishing the Summer Reading Program at the library....designing our on boxes and finding multiple uses for them....swimming in a friend's pool....water painting....eating delicious foods....blowing bubbles....

and much much more!!  

I hope you're enjoying your summer as much as we are!!

Thankful

Today the kids and I said a prayer thanking our Heavenly Father that my Dad is still on this earth with us.  It's been one year since he had his brain tumor removed and he's recovered wonderfully.   

My Dad is a blessing to us (most of the time...) and I can't imagine not having him around.  Hannah and Samuel sure do love their Papa...

Mary & Carroll

Have I mentioned that I hate summer?  (I hate the oppressive heat that seems to stretch on forever with no end in sight.)    But summer has one thing going for it... we stay busy.  Swimming, parties, grill-outs, traveling, gardening + many other activites help the summer fly by. 

And with traveling comes family.  We generally visit Bobby's maternal family about once a year.   Most of his Mom's family lives in Indiana so we normally go there.  Rarely do we visit his Dad's family.  Before Bobby & I married, we drove to Houston, TX to visit his Uncle Thom (Bob's brother).  And in 2009 we stopped in Maryland to visit Bobby's Grandmother, his Aunt Nota and his Aunt Janet (Bob's mother and two of his four sisters.)  

So it was a pleasant (and most welcome) surprise when Bobby's Aunt Mary called a few weeks ago and informed us that she & her husband were planning to come visit us.  Bobby and I have been married for 9 years and dated 4 years before that.  In all the time we've been together Mary and Carroll haven't been here for a visit and Bob certainly hasn't gone to visit her.  I can't imagine not seeing my sister for 10+ years!   Needless to say, I was very excited to meet another member of Bob's family.

 (listening to Bob talk...)

They arrived late Sunday morning.  We sat and talked for about an hour before anyone remembered that we all needed to eat some lunch.  We planned to treat them to lunch at the Steak House but they wouldn't hear of it.  They insisted on taking us to lunch (at the Steak House!)  After lunch we ran by Ingles b/c I needed to pick up my newspapers and we thought it would be fun to surprise Bob with an early visit from Mary.  It was so sweet to watch him walk through the doors of the dairy department and hug Mary.  I felt like crying.

We spent the afternoon looking through our photo albums and catching up.  Bob, Tommy and Emily (our neighbor) came over and we enjoyed a delicious supper with plenty of loud conversation.  We spent the remainder of the evening on our (newly cleaned) porch, drinking coffee, and continuing an endless stream of talk.  It was so relaxing and fun. At one point in the afternoon, Sam begged Carroll to come outside and watch him jump on the trampoline.  As they were walking back to the house, I noticed Carroll & Sammy holding hands.  Oh how I wish I had taking a picture of that!!  So sweet.

 Mary & Carroll spent the night at Emily's since we lack a guest room.  It worked out well since Mary & Emily are close to the same age and have similar interests.  I'm so glad they opted to stay next door instead of a hotel.   

I loved every minute that Mary & Carroll were here and I was so sad to see them go.  But we are planning on going to visit them for Thanksgiving.  Hannah is ready.

Love Letters

Hannah and I have spent the afternoon reading through a 3 ring binder full of love letters Bobby wrote to me while we were dating.  The earliest letter was dated April 1997.

 ...There were...
letters hastily written while he was waiting for one of his classes (at Clemson) to start.
letters written late at night in sloppy handwriting.
letters full of plans for our future.  Bobby was going to be a doctor you know.
letters full of apologizes for being a jerk (I may have to frame some of those!)
letters professing undying love and hope for our future.  Those are my favorites.

Most of our "plans" didn't pan out.  A few did - mainly the ones that involved marriage and children.  But those were the best and most important plans weren't they?

Twelve years later our love notes consist of:

Dear Bobby,

We're at Mama & Daddy's.  Call me when you get home.

Love,

H

____ 

 OR__

Heather,

I'm running.  I'll be back in an hour.

Bobby

Really romantic.  


So, here's a sappy little love note for my darling husband...

Dear Bobaroo,

I love you!

Even after 9 years of marriage I still get excited when you pull into the driveway after a hard day's work.  Our sweet babies get excited too.  They either rush out onto the porch to greet you or they quickly find places to hide for a little game of Hide 'N Seek.  You know they can't stay quite to save their lives so it only takes seconds to find them.

Even after 9 years of marriage I still think you're the most handsome man in the world.  And I have to say that the beard makes you look wise.  I wasn't sure about it when you started growing it but now I can't quite remember your face without it.  I love when you look at me with your gorgeous blue eyes and then smile at me.  

I'm thankful that we made it through those early years of "dating" and getting to know one another.   I was so young when we became a couple.  But here we are!  Married and with two beautiful babies.  We're crammed into our tiny house but you said it best when you said it was "cozy".  You're right - just like you normally are.  There's no where else I want to be than in our cozy little nest with you, Hannah, and Samuel.  We've both grown up a lot in the last decade though sometimes I'm not sure when that happened!

I love you.  I love everything about you.  I even love all of the little quirky things you do that drive me crazy. 

By the way, Hannah said to tell you that she loves you too and she thinks you're "actually" handsome!

Today, Tomorrow and Forever,

Heather