Lauren's dance recital

Lauren had her end of year dance recital today. She danced both ballet and tap. She did an amazing job and really had a lot of fun on stage with her friends. We were so proud of her!

The ClarkMobile

Jessica and I have been carpooling since last week when I sold my car. I have been looking for a midsize SUV for the past week but there were not many that had all the options we wanted. I finally found a 2007 Honda Pilot today so after work Jessica and I fed the girls and were lucky enough to get our babysitter to come over for a few hours so we could go buy the car. I haggled a little and felt like I got a great deal so I am happy. Jessica is happy because she now has her car with a 3rd row. Happy Birthday Jessica :-)

Clark Aviary

Birdie bye-bye is still sitting in the nest outside Lauren's room, and tonight when outside we discovered a baby cardinal in the side shrub. We were able to look at it for a little while, then it flew away. At that moment, the mommy bird and daddy bird came swooping down at us! We ran as fast as we could and they went back to their respective perches. The baby bird was trying to fly, but it was really windy, so it stopped on the sidewalk for a rest. It finally found a branch and stayed put for a while.

Memorial Weekend

Beautiful weather, good friends, great food, and an extra day...what more can you ask for? We had a couple of friends and their kids over Saturday for hamburgers and margaritas. We blew up a cheap plastic pool, and by we I mean Bill, and let the kids go nuts. It was hot enough most of the adults were thinking it didn't look all that bad. Sunday we went to Jen and Holly's house (check out their link for a bio) where Holly put all Texas BBQ houses to shame with 40 lbs, yes 4-0, of smoked brisket and beef ribs. Slow cooked to perfection - people were swarming around the cutting board to get the remnants. I made slow cooked baked beans (6 hours of cooking) and those were gone in 30 seconds (thanks Grandma for the recipe and Mom for the horseradish tip!). Monday we started the grueling process of used car shopping, and in the afternoon went over to the community pool for a swim. Lauren and Bill have been taking swim lessons, and Lauren now goes under water for 3 seconds and wears swim goggles. She is so excited afterwards and can't wait to tell anyone about it.

Bye Bye Car

I got a call from a guy who looked at my car last week and he made me an offer. Tomorrow morning the car will be sold and we start looking for a SUV with a 3rd row. After Emma, Lauren and I ate Dino's and French Fries for dinner we went outside to wash the car. They had a great time but Emma didn't like getting sprayed at first. She kept saying "Don't spray me Daddy". Did I listen? Ff course not!!! it was 100 degrees out.

Jessica in Minneapolis

Jessica is in Minneapolis this week for work. The girls and I had tacos for dinner and then went outside in the back to play. First they spent some time in the sandbox and then after their bath they did some of Laurens dance stretches.

Our Pet Lizard

Usually we have many lizards around the outside of the house, but this year they have been quite scarce. So, it was very exciting when we came home and found a chameleon type lizard living in the large pot on the front porch. When we first saw him, he was lime green to blend in with the bright flowers, but we managed to spook him into the brownish grass, where he promptly changed color to blend in as a blade of grass.

Bird Case is Solved

Lauren figured out why Birdie Bye-Bye came back. There are 2 new eggs in the nest! Lauren went upstairs after school today and was screaming with excitement about the new eggs. I was surprised to see them, not expecting the bird to lay a new set of eggs so recently after Leaf and A-Leaf. I wonder if it's the same bird?!?

Birdie Bye-Bye is Back

Birdie Bye-Bye's two babies left the nest last week, and yet she has been back sitting in the nest most nights. I'm not sure why she returns, but she's always looking up at Lauren's window when we move the curtain to check on her.

Brussels in Austin

We tried something tonight at dinner for the very first time...brussel sprouts. I ate them and thought they were good. I mean, with enough Land O' Lakes butter, anything will taste good. Emma took a bite, or well, put it in her mouth at least. Lauren said she would try it and took a half of one and nibbled at it. Her face was like she sucked on a lemon, so it is safe to say she did not like the sprouts. Last to try was Bill. He purposely ate around them through the whole meal, when Lauren looked at him and said "Eat it Daddy, they're really good". What a little liar!

My Mother's Day

Lauren, Emma, and Bill came home yesterday each with a bouquet of flowers for me. As they got out of the car, Lauren and Emma were screaming Happy Mother's Day! It was very cute. They were sitting next to the flowers this morning so I had to take a picture of it to share.

Emma the recycler

Emma has started to help us by recycling. She thinks it so much fun to carry the items from the kitchen to the recycling bin in the garage. She walks saying "I help recycle, I help recycle".

Emma is an eating machine

Emma sat down for breakfast this morning, ready to eat the yummy toasted waffle with strawberry jelly that daddy made for her. I came out and she was half finished with her waffle. I sat down with two pieces of toasted bread with butter and began to eat with her. She looked over at my breakfast and said "I eat your breakfast mommy?". I was starving but she was so cute, that I handed her my piece of toast. She proceeded to devour the piece, then polish off what remained of her waffle. I saw her eyeing the remaining half of my toast, so I quickly ate it, then asked if she wanted the rest of Lauren's eggs. Emma turned her nose up at that. The funny thing is, she goes to school and eats another complete breakfast (starch, protein, and fruit) and they always say how well she eats. So, even though I felt guilty for a second about shoving that bread in my mouth, I knew her school was going to feed her. I'd have to pay for my second breakfast at work :-)

Lauren's Costume Changes

Lauren on occasion will come out of her room after nap or in the mornings with a completely different outfit on than what she went into her room wearing. I ask her why, and she tells me "Why not mommy?", which is a perfectly good response from someone who doesn't have to do the laundry every Saturday morning. Last night her clothes swapping exercise got the best of her. Bill had put her in her Little Mermaid pjs, taken her upstairs, read her a few stories, tucked her in, and came downstairs to play his regularly scheduled weekly game of XBox 360. I of course, took the time to crawl into bed early and read one of the many books I have half-going at the moment. I was one foot in bed when I heard what appeared to be a someone crying faintly, and I couldn't quite tell if it was Bill's video game or one of the kids, so I came out and sure enough I heard Lauren yelling for me. So, I raced up stairs and there she was sitting in bed, in a pretty red dress, with her arm stuck inside so tightly that she could get it neither in nor out. Her face was as red as the dress, and I was laughing so hard I could barely help her out of it. Oh, the life of a little girl and all her costume changes...she is ready for the stage.

Lauren's Little Birdie

A couple weeks ago, Lauren complained that a noisy bird outside her bedroom window was waking her up too early in the morning. We looked and sure enough, a mourning dove had made her nest in the tree branch directly outside Lauren's window. So, we've been watching everyday on the progress of the baby birds. I asked Lauren if she had named the mommy bird, to which she replied "Yes, Birdie Bye-Bye". A few days ago, Birdie Bye-Bye flew away revealing two babies in the nest. Lauren has lovingly named them "Leaf" and "Aleaf". Most nap times we find the window shade pulled open, so we know she watches her little bird family.

Lauren's first black eye

At school on Friday Lauren tripped on the way to the bathroom and hit her eye on the corner of a bookshelf. The natural eye shadow is pretty.

Bill

Emma the bully

Emma got in trouble today for the first time at school. Her daily sheet said the following:

"Emma was being a bully today. She kept taking toys away from her friends, hitting them in the head, & kicking. And in one of those the kid got upset and bit Emma"

Well she got what was coming to her. Lauren gave her a lecture in the car so hopefully everything will be better tomorrow.

The First Post

Just testing this thing out. Jessica and I will try and update this once or twice a week with all the fun things that the girls are doing.

Bill