Clark Update

Clark is quite the celebrity in our home.  He is constantly entertained by his four adoring fans (Anderson, Caleb, Mom, and Dad).  His brothers are the first to rush in his room the moment he wakes up.

He is now sitting on his own and should be crawling in a month or so.  While he is sitting, he will lean himself way forward and rest his weight on his hands; that is, until the weight of his large noggin pulls him forward and he face-plants onto the floor.  Have I mentioned that all our floors are hardwood?  Poor Clark.  He is quite the drama king when he is injured.  I think he cries more from the insult and embarrassment of the whole thing than from any real physical pain.

I want to break him of the habit of falling asleep with a pacifier, so the other day I placed him down for a nap without it.  He fussed without really crying for about 10 minutes before he quieted down.  “That was easy,” I thought to myself.  I counted myself lucky until I peeked in his room later: he had turned, rolled, and wiggled his way to the end of his crib where he discovered his pacifier.  He had plopped it into his mouth and fallen asleep with his hand still clutching it to his face.  Apparently, I have some work ahead of me.

Clark has such beautiful eyes and such long eyelashes.  I continually get compliments on "what a pretty little girl" he is.  I just smile and say "thank you."  Perhaps Clark will not appreciated that I have recorded this for posterity.

Cultivate Your Talents

     The other day, Anderson discovered his harmonica behind the microwave.  I don’t know how Anderson's noisy instrument ended up way back there… it’s so odd.  He started to play and I plastered a smile on my face (Anderson is a great harmonica player- it's just so loud).  After a few songs, I encouraged him to play outside so the neighbors could enjoy his music also (insert sinister laugh).

     He took my suggestion very seriously.  He put on his harmonica-playing attire (see photo) and headed outside.  After playing up and down the sidewalk a few times, he started to knock on our neighbors’ doors to give them a personal performance.  Through my living room window, I noticed their plastered smiles and nods of approval (insert evil chuckle).

     We went to the park that afternoon.  Anderson brought his harmonica… and a jar.  I was torn between amusement and embarrassment as he settled himself on the edge of the playground to play for money.  This was one of those times when I had to stop myself from discouraging him simply because he was doing something that was out of my comfort zone.  I noticed quite a few chuckles being shared by the other parents at the park; he earned three dollars.  As you can imagine, he was quite thrilled. 

     He now has plans to play the harmonica for the school talent show… I will keep you updated.

You can't Kill Monsters with Logic

     Caleb is scared of monsters, as most 5 year olds are. He is convinced they live in the quiet corners of our house waiting to eat him when he enters a room alone. The thought of entering my bedroom to get a diaper for Clark as I wait in the living room reduces him to tears. This is frustrating for me because he is my slave, and I need him to fetch and carry for me all day! =)                                                 


 

    I have tried the blunt truth: "Caleb, there are no monsters."

 

 

    I have tried logic: "Caleb, I have been alive for a long time and I have never seen a monster. I'm not even very strong.... they would have eaten me by now if they were real."

 

 

    Yesterday, we even experimented: I put Clark on the floor in the middle of my room. Caleb and I retreated down the hall and announced, "Free baby! Come and get a delicious baby!" Sure enough, no monsters came out and ate Clark. (I can't decide if this experiment proves I am a smart mom or a bad mom.)

 

 

    Caleb seemed pretty convinced by the results of our experiment. We enjoyed a monster-free day. Today, unfortunately, the monsters are back. It goes to show that truth, logic, and scientific experimentation are no match against the power of imagination.

Dinosuar Teeth and UFO's

Anderson motioned me over while he was looking through a toy catalogue today. He pointed to a collection of 'authentic-looking' dinosaur teeth. "This is what I'm going to get you for Christmas," he said.

 "Wow!" I managed to reply with a straight face.

 "Yep" he said.  "But, I don't have any money, so you'll have to get me some."

So, not only do I get to be the owner of dinosaur teeth, but I get to spend $29.95 of my own money to become one.

Later today, Anderson ran into the room yelling, "Flying Saucer! Flying Saucer! Get the video camera! Quick!"  

I asked him if he thought the noise we were hearing from outside was his 'flying saucer.' It was really only a street sweeper truck. "Aw man!" he said as he slumped his shoulders and walked out.

My boy is growing up too fast. So, it makes me happy that he is still young enough to choose dinosaur teeth as a gift and believes that filming a UFO is a realistic possibility.

I pity the Tooth Fairy

The Tooth Fairy works overtime for the Harris family. Not only does she come for lost teeth, but
she also comes at Halloween. We have arranged for her to pay the boys five cents for every piece of Halloween candy they leave out for her at night. Anderson is highly motivated to earn money and leaves quite a bit. Caleb leaves enough to prevent the tooth fairy from feeling insulted by his lack of participation.

I feel sorry for the Tooth Fairy, though. I imagine that she intends to store this candy away and use it later, one piece at a time, to reward good little children. But, I bet she stares at this candy all day when the children are at school. I bet she feels her self-control slipping. Before she knows it, her lips are smeared with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Starburst wrappers (mostly the red and orange ones) litter the floor around her. Poor Tooth Fairy! She’s going to have to pull out her larger pair of wings.

If it isn't broken, don't fix it.

I have been comparing Clark to photos of Anderson and Caleb as babies. They all look so much alike! I had better start labeling photos!

Here's a game for you: Name that Baby. Submit your answers as a comment. The winner gets to label baby photos for me. =) Good Luck!

Baby 1

Baby 2

Baby 3