Video: Winter Outerwear Fashion Show

Noelle (in purple) and Natalie (in pink) trying to show Daddy their new coats and boots through the telephone...

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.