Merry Christmas

We have had another wonderful Christmas spending time with family and eating lots of good food!

ALL of the Hammond great-grandchildren (which are under the age of 4).

From left: Bella, Jacob, Clark, Carston, Keiran, Johnathon, Matthew, & Calen
Memaw and Pop at the annual Christmas Eve dinner. It was at Lake Redwine this year since Memaw's house is under renovation for Pop's new bathroom.

Here is a picture of our mantel with the only two stockings that arrived on time!
Clark and D-Dog on Christmas morning playing with some of the toys from Santa.
Clark and Bella playing after the Hammond party at my mom's house.
Nate, Clark, and Bella playing with the Christmas village.
I can't figure out how to turn the picture...so just stretch your neck a little...it's worth it!

Clark likes Santa!

Santa paid a visit to the church on Sunday. Clark sat in his lap and didn't talk to him, but we did get Clark to laugh.

Birthday Fun Wears Clark Out!

On Saturday, after Clark's much needed hair trim, I took Clark to Hayden's birthday party. The kids were so cute trying to play together and at the same time claiming all of the gifts were "mine". I was afraid the whole way over that Clark would appear selfish claiming the gift was his, but was gladly surprised when the other boys did exactly the same thing. Some even helped him open his presents! Clark mostly did his own thing, climbing the mountain to go see the neighbor (which we don't know), going up and down the steps to the back yard, and hanging out at the end of the driveway (but not in the street). Here are a few pictures. Notice the one of Clark sound asleep on the way home. I forgot to mention that he had not had a nap before the party!

Did you know Cookie Monster takes naps?

First, let me tell you that Drew has an oral fixation. He chews on straws, gum, paper, etc. So the other night we were sitting in the living room and I look over to see Drew with one of Clark's little Cookie Monster toys in his mouth. As I'm hanging up the phone, I walk over to see what he was doing and to my surprise, Cookie Monster's eyes are gone!!! I said, "Drew, Clark will be devestated when he sees this." His response: "I bet he doesn't even notice." Who are you kidding? A few minutes later, Clark sees Cookie Monster! He picks him up and kneels on the floor for a few minutes examining Cookie...he turns him over...upside down...all around. He looks intently at Cookie's face, which is missing both eyes, and begins to poke out his bottom lip when all of a sudden he looks up at us and says, "Cookie Monster sleeping". We both cracked up and Clark thought it was hilarious too. Little does he know that Cookie Monster is having an eternal nap!

Santa Claus is comin' to town

Clark is ready for Santa!

Busy in the kitchen

Notice: The left handed chef is at work in the kitchen. Clark loves to help in the kitchen, especially when he gets to sit on the counter to do so. He really enjoyed helping make pancakes and he thought the train pancake was the best.

This is a little later in the day. If you read my very first post, you'll know why Clark is wearing a different shirt... the syrup smell lingers on and on and on...

Is this not the cutest lion you've ever seen?

Here is Clark in his Halloween costume...at the only stop we made on Halloween night,Mimi's house, and at church for the Fall Festival.

"Just when I'm getting the hang of it..."

We don't do Halloween too big around here. We did do the normal pumpkin carving, Halloween stickers everywhere, orange and black decorations, adorable costume (as a lion), and of course practiced new seasonal words. Clark loved pumpkins and for some reason he was into spiders. So, when I asked if he would like to taste apple cider the other day, he just looked at me like I was crazy and said "more apple juice, please Mommy". He liked it, but it seems that the Halloween words have been mixed in with the Thanksgiving words and apple cider is to Clark "apple spider". I'm sure he thinks I'm the crazy one for calling it cider when we worked so hard to get from "pider" to "spider".

Clark shows his loyalty to the Dawgs

So...we've been working now for many months with Clark on the Georgia cheer. For those of you who don't know how it goes, keep reading. Every time we started the cheer, Clark would say some part of it or do his favorite part, the barking at the end. Since we've been working on getting the cheer, we always praise Clark and laugh and encourage him when he does any part of it. Last week during the Georgia/Florida game we were all very excited and Clark went around saying the cheer...the whole thing. He has really enjoyed doing this at random times over the last week (to my satisfaction and encouragement). Until today...in church...during a prayer...he starts saying the cheer...not only once...but several times in a row...with me laughing (trying as hard as I could not to)...and telling him "we can't do that in church"...but it didn't work...and he kept on.....

"GOOOOOOOOOOOO Dawgs! Sic 'em! Roof! Roof! Roof! Roof! Roof!"

Although I was a little embarassed, I was such a proud mom (of what looks like a loyal Dawg fan at the ripe old age of two)!

So here it goes...

I'm finally doing it. This is the first official blog of hopefully many to come.

The reason I've decided to do this is not because of the forever nagging of others to start nor the envy of others' ability to write. It's not even the adorable pictures and videos of kids that I've spent hours looking at. It happened today when I was attending a writing workshop. We were "learning by doing" and the assignment was of course...to write...which I'm not so great at. However, I just let the pen flow and...out it came. The assignment was about writing to the senses. We had 5 minutes to write and of course when the time was up, I was not finished. It seems that writing about Clark could be the answer to getting me to enjoy writing!

The presenter read us this book (which I can't remember the title) where each chapter began with "let me tell you about . . ." That was exactly our assignment. So...

Let me tell you about Clark:

I see a blue-eyed, blond haired boy that looks more like an angel that anything I've ever seen. His bangs hang just over his eyebrows and his "pretty little mouth" looks perfect in every way (Memaw, that's for you!). His smile lights up his entire face and when he's sleeping, there is no more perfect sight! Is it possible that everyone thinks he looks as angelic as he does to me?

I hear his giggle when we play chase or hide and seek. His subtle grin slowly turns to a laugh, which gives way to a shriek that takes every bit of what his tiny little body can give. Music to my ears!

I smell syrup on his cheeks even after his face and hands have been washed (a half dozen times). I eventually realize the smell may be lingering on his shirt instead of his hands and face. School peers teach all kinds of things. One of which is to wipe your hands on your shirt. Why waste paper towels when you always have a shirt?

I taste Goldfish, raisins, Nilla Wafers, Smarties...I'm willing to take almost anything he's willing to share. His sweet little hands pick up one at a time; He wants me to savor every bite (and I do). Every single fingerful is special because I know if he's willing to share the things he loves the most, his heart is already growing in the right direction.

I feel his gentle hands as he pats my shoulders during a hug. There is warmth in every part of me, from each corner of my heart right down to the tips of my toes. All feels well with the world!