Video: Magical Moments

I know this video isn't the best quality, but it was such a sweet moment that I wanted to capture it anyway. Natalie is in pink...they are 22 1/2 months old.

I tried to bring the camera around without attracting notice, but when I moved over to avoid the glare from the window, Natalie spotted me. I tried to fake her out by pretending to look away, but it was all over but the shouting from then on. You can see when she catches sight of me, and then she can't look away. Finally I give up, because I knew she'd just get goofier and goofier.



Speaking of magical moments, this was taken yesterday... See? It DOES happen occasionally! Noelle is in the foreground.

Tire Swing, Autumn Leaves

Natalie & Noelle


Conor


Clare


Brian



Theresa



Sarah and Natalie, after Natalie was stirring up the ash can


Can't you just see this photo in a Christian magazine ad, with this caption:

Will you please sponsor this child?
For only fifteen cents a day, you can make a difference in Natalie's life...

Autumn Moments

A craft project that went awry...

These were supposed to be orange jack-o-lantern shirts, but the box of dye that was labeled "Sunshine Orange" ended up more sunshine than orange. Oh well, at least now they aren't limited to wearing the shirts only once a year.

Brian, Conor, Clare & Theresa
in authentic Lithuanian costume,
posing with Bishop Kevin Rhodes
of the Diocese of Harrisburg.

Presenting our last-minute, "what do we have that fits?"
2008 Halloween costume creations:

Clare (queen) and Noelle (space cadet)

Theresa (unicorn) and Natalie (clown)

Natalie had to quit after about 5 houses, because this is all she wanted to do every time somebody put candy in her bag:

Sarah as an accident victim, and Dad as John Klemick.

It's time to break out the winter hats, gloves, etc.

Noelle was kind enough to model for us.

Gee, if I were looking for twins, where would I look first?

Here is Noelle, playing puppy fetch with a baby doll. Sarah babysat for a few hours, and this is one of the fun things they did together.

And speaking of Sarah, here's my two biggest babies:

Clare has been doing online reading lessons at Headsprout since March. It cost about a hundred bucks to enroll her, but I justified the expense by admitting that with the twins now toddlers, I just couldn't find the time to give everybody all the time they needed with me every day. Sending them all to school was an option, of course, but I'm not ready to give up on the homeschooling dream yet, and I know this phase with the twins will not last forever. I just have to outlast them....

Anyway, she's been plodding along through the lessons and has completed 65 out of 80 total. And last week, something miraculous happened. . . she discovered that she can actually read things that aren't part of the Headsprout program. Literally overnight she has turned into a raving fanatical bookworm. She has, for the most part, eschewed television and playing and even sleeping. She reads inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs, bright light, low light... I swear, she's going to need glasses by the end of the month.

Overnight, her world paradigm has shifted and so much has opened up to her. I always feel so privileged to witness an everyday miracle like this.

Sarah, 17

Morning Prayer

Here's another prayer that has captured me with its simplicity...

Ready to go
Ready to stay
Ready my place to fill
Ready for service
Humble or great
Ready to do Your will

I made it up with a colorful border and framed it for certain select, privileged kids.

Boycotting the Portrait Studio

For various reasons, I haven't had the kids' portraits done since 2006. Me, who made a special point of keeping the portraits updated, and had a focal point in the living room with all of their current portraits.

First of all, the twins have brought most areas of my life to a grinding halt. Going anywhere with the twin tornadoes has a difficulty level that ranges from inconvenient to extremely challenging to impossible.

Secondly, "Portrait Day" always was majorly stressful. Getting them all dressed up and keeping them happy until their turn is a Herculean effort. The ones who go first are exhausted and starving by the end, and the ones who go last are completely mussed up by their turn, and Mom is ready to run screaming into the night.

Then there's the cost involved. Sure, portrait studios offer great deals sometimes, but there's always the fine print - "only one offer per family per visit." Sure, you get a 45-piece portrait package for $2.99, but that's only for the first kid, so then I have to add at least 40 bucks for each additional kid. An alternative is to enlist friends or grandparents to take multiple kids at a shot, or to visit more than one studio in a day, or go on subsequent days. That is if I want to take all the kids at once.

Another option is to take them in their birthday months, but with a family of eight, that means I have to be at the studio every three or four weeks from March until August, plus once in the dead of winter, and I can't guarantee that there will be a special package deal available when I go. Then factor in football or swimming practice, Daddy's bizarre work schedule, nap times, the cost of gas, homeschooling in general, etc. It's just not worth it.

I find all of the options to be a major pain in the neck. So I'm going to try it myself this year, while they still have beach tans. These were taken in full sun. They're nice pictures, but I wasn't happy with the shadows. I'm going to try again tomorrow.





These were taken while it was still bright but the sun had gone down below the treeline. I was much happier with the quality of light in these, but I should have taken them about 30 minutes earlier.

Sarah says I should use this one, because it shows her silliness...

This was taken the next day, when it was overcast but still bright

I"ll keep experimenting!