Clarkoween Eve

Despite being sick, we have successfully carved our pumpkins and documented the event with substandard photography. I can only stand up for a minute before swaying and sucking air, so this is what you get. ;)

Sophie's birthday party is postponed but we'll still have a little family party here tomorrow. She's not too disappointed, with the promise of an exclusive playdate next week with her bff Abby. She's satisfied with that. I'm more disappointed than she is. I bought all these cute Halloween decorations and colored sugar for cookie decorating, scary pencil erasers and pencils and candy for gift buckets, only to be easy-chair ridden and unable to be productive in any way, except for typing. Sigh. Oh well. The kids are happy, then I'm happy. There will be kitties and trick or treating tomorrow. Stay tuned for the scary kitty pics.

Happy Halloween Eve!

FALL in love with IOWA!

Iowa is a beautiful place. I thought I better say that before winter arrives in like a week and destroys all my hopes and dreams. Actually, I enjoy winter too, just not for six months straight. Through New Year, it's fine. Past that...no thanks.

In the past few weeks, it's been dreary and rainy here + cold = depressing. So as the sun actually rose today and stayed out to play, we took advantage and snapped some pics. The girls helped me pick out the most fabulous trees to capture. We did this with our Florida family in mind. Poor Floridians. Constant tropical awesomeness. Must be rough. But still, we thought they might need a lil bit of Iowa (minus the flu).

So, we drove around Polk City to find the best in show. Then the girls wanted their own photo shoot. When I say girls, I mean GIRL (Olivia) aka the poser. Model at heart. Loves to set up a good photo. Let's just say I nixed a few of her pose ideas....a bit racy for age 6. Rosie Posie Clark even stopped her soccer practice to pose for a few.

Bottom line: we love our little house (even though the roof is leaking), this town, and Iowa...in all its glory. ;) Happy Fall y'all.





Best buds










That's actually the pooper scooper rake that Sophie revamped.

Sly





This is my favorite photo of all time...























The house of Clark in the Fall

Signature Sophie (She's #1).

Homebound

El sicko. Me. Home from work. Short non-sentences.

I have the body aches, chills, hot flashes, and sleepiness. Nice.....

Olivia played hard in her last soccer game of the season today without her mama on the sidelines. Ouch. (Mainly for me). When I came home from work an hour early and knew I couldn't possibly go, I broke the news to her, telling her how much I wanted to be there and how she should play like a stud like always and tell mama all about it when she got home. I was begging for kid-mercy.

Not missing a cue from her H1N1 prep from school, she replied pragmatically, "You really shouldn't go out in public when you have the flu, Mom. You are supposed to stay home and rest. If you were not sick and didn't come, I'd be upset. But you can't come because you're sick. Of course I'd forgive you!"

Replies my 30 year old grown up daughter. Handing out some grace to her mama. Gotta love that kid.

Well, sitting here in my big chair, barely able to sit up and blog it, I'm sipping cherry 7Up courtesy of Steve and the rest of the fam is out at the pumpkin patch. Sigh. Oh well, might as well enjoy the people silence with a little college football for background music.

Here's to soup, 7Up, Lysol, Clorox Wipes, and "hanitizer" (aka-O&S version of hand sanitizer). Happy Flu Season everyone!!!