I don't blog anymore...maybe in the future

Since having our second daughter Giavauna in July of 2010 I have very little time to blog. She is almost a year old! I may someday get back to it, until then I will see you on Facebook.

Bonding time and short lived joy!

With Daddy out of town for a quick 2 1/2 days, I am really looking forward to some bonding time with Alessondra.

We had a great date night with Sushi for dinner and City Bites cookies for dessert, however the real bonding came once we arrived home for the evening.

Jeff and Alessondra have been checking in on and giving water and food to this pigeon (Fuzz) for 3 days or so, it flew into our ceiling fan on the patio of a recently empty lease property. I spoke with the animal shelter today and they agreed to help it and fix it's hurt wing and or leg so today we brought it home to take to the animal shelter tomorrow morning.

Poor Alessondra took this pic , then we put it in it's box with some food, which it did eat a little bit of, checked on it, it was ok, then 5 min later she found it "gone."

Wow, she cried over and over " No My Lovee wake up, no wake up, Lovee I don't want you to be dead!"

One eye did not close when it passed, and she kept saying " No mommy look her eye is still open she is not dead!"

Wow, I am tearing up just remembering all of this, I just had to hold her when she cried and cried : ( We both cried!

She then wanted to keep Fuzz (to remember the bird forever), luckily I was able to talk her into letting me bury it. I found the big shovel and she found her sand shovel.

After the burial and prayer, Alessondra said to me "Mom, you can go inside now, I am going to swing for a little bit and think about Fuzz, I want to be alone."

I am still crying, Am I this emotional because I am pregnant or is it normal??

I just hurt when my little girl hurts... I am in trouble when some stinky boy breaks her "heart!"

Here is a link I found that may help some of you now or in the future:

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/lossandgrief/a/PetLossAndKids.htm

What about preschool? Aren't you afraid she will be behind?

A friend of mine wrote and posted this on her blog Mommyscope (click the link to go directly to her site for many other great post!)

It is statistics and information like below that led us to slow down our early on "formal" academics with Alessondra. Once I stopped trying to teach her to read at 18 months and started playing with her and doing more games her learning took off!

Have you been thinking about preschool lately? Those with three and four-year olds tend to crank up the anxiety meter about this time of year thinking of their babies heading off to school next fall. Aaaack! Picturing the moment they walk through those doors, forever exiting the baby years, parents feel sudden pressure to get them into the best and brightest preschool academies, some shelling out hundreds (or thousands) of dollars per year in the hopes of propelling them into academic greatness before they reach kindergarten. Others pray they are blessed with a public school or daycare teacher adequately trained and equipped to get their child off on the right foot.

So what about that? Are you one of the majority of parents who believes children will be more successful if they are plunged into the world of academia from the age of….well, birth? Any Your Baby Can Read graduates out there? This is a tricky game our culture has created for children. Does anyone note the peculiar irony of parents scrambling for position to get their little darlings enrolled into ”Harvard” nursery schools, meanwhile the “darlings” themselves would just as soon spend their days digging in the dirt and chasing bugs? (which is precisely something they should be doing) It almost sounds like a humorous scene in a Norman Rockwell painting.

But to be frank, we parents of young children do feel enormous pressure to do this “school thing” right. The varying statistics and information floating around about factors related to early academic success can make a person’s head spin. And because we’re all new at this, we tend to believe whatever is the current trend in early education practices touted by family and friends. We willingly hand our precious children over to professionals, often assuming they know what’s best and can turn our little babies into studious pupils by year’s end. And some of these “professionals” don’t mind letting you know that “we’ll handle it from here.” That literally came out of the mouth of a teacher to a friend of mine once.

In the past few decades, a couple of factors have compelled the government to find ways of improving our early childhood education system, accommodating parents in the work force needing childcare and responding to pressure to compete academically with other countries. And because they, along with teacher’s unions, have financed expensive research in this field, the rest of us tend to accept whatever they recommend. They are the professionals, after all. One method of change has been the tendency to “push down” learning, meaning they are pushing our children at progressively younger ages to pick up formal academics, which basically include reading, writing, and math. They started recruiting three and four-year olds into the schools, “institutionalizing” them, as my friend referred to it the other day, plopping them into tiny little desks for hours a day. The assumption was that if children entered the system earlier, it would allow more time to cram knowledge into their brains, roll them down the conveyor belt called “school”, and turn out a better and more successful product for society in the end.

Well, that hasn’t worked out so well. Amid this grand experiment, educators have begun realizing that formal academics for these youngsters isn’t the answer. Test scores have not improved and cases of learning disabilities have actually increased, along with ADD/ADHD and other behavioral problems. We have essentially backtracked as a result of pushing these young children to do things their brains are developmentally unprepared to handle. And their little bodies, made for running and jumping at this age, are being stifled by extended hours sitting at desks. Did you know that cognitive learning is directly built upon proper development of gross and fine motor skills? It’s no wonder these children, little boys especially, are being incorrectly labeled as ADD/ADHD and learning disabled. They should be outside! They should be spending more time doing arts and crafts, not worksheets. And early reading CAN be accomplished. But if the child is pushed before he/she is ready, it can result in reading comprehension problems not apparent until as late as middle school. More recent research has shown that preschoolers ARE capable of more than we think. But in our narrow-mindedness, we have connected early formal education with future academic success…there’s so much more to it than that.

A recent study by the Albert Shanker Institute titled “Preschool Curriculum: What’s In It for Children and Teachers” shows that through various experiences of free play, structured play, read-alouds, discussions, songs, games, projects, and other active learning opportunities, preschoolers develop the cognitive and social skills necessary for successful elementary learning. For those who stay at home and spend any amount of time with your children, does this all sound familiar? Pre-reading and pre-math skills are learned through activities that have no resemblance to formal education at all. Art, music, movement activities, and imaginary play all serve vital roles in preparing their minds for reading and math skills. It’s interesting that after all the time and money spent on research, we’ve come to the conclusion that young children learn best just by being children. But it’s also encouraging to know that educational scholars are taking note, and it will be interesting to see how soon it filters down into the public school systems.

Dr. Jane Healy, author of Your Child’s Growing Mind, Endangered Minds, and Failure to Connect, would probably agree with some (not all) of what this study concluded. Brain development progresses from the lower to upper regions, from brain stem to outer cortex, through a process called myelination. Infant development centers around lower functions such as basic neurological, sensory, and gross motor skills, gradually spreading outward. The neuron connections build upon themselves, forming pathways which ultimately lead to the outer cortex where cognitive skills are mastered, including reading and math, among other things. Pushing children to develop formal skills before their brains are ready causes forced neural pathways in lower parts of the brain to undertake complex tasks they are not equipped to handle. That’s why you have children show up with learning disabilities later in school, because they’ve been using the wrong parts of their brain to handle complex cognitive tasks and it eventually catches up. Have you ever heard that until a child can ride a bike without training wheels, their brains are not ready for reading? The gross motor skills required for balancing a bicycle are foundational in making the connections required to develop a successful reader. You won’t hear the makers of Your Baby Can Read talking about the science of child brain development. But then again, they stand to gain a lot of money from unsuspecting parents, taking advantage of their natural desire to see their children succeed. Just because they CAN read at that age (and it’s not even actual reading, but rather memorization of word pictures) doesn’t mean they SHOULD. More information can be found in Dr. Healy’s book, Your Child’s Growing Mind.

An added note regarding early formal education is the eye factor. Until age five or six, the eye muscles are still developing rapidly. Many optometrists agree that straining children’s eye muscles too early by forcing reading of small print is likely a contributor in the rise of nearsightedness among our youth. Just another thing to think about.

My point in discussing this is to encourage you as parents to take an active role in your child’s education, realizing that only in the last few decades has there ever been such a push to force young children into early academics. If you choose to put your child in preschool or are in a position where you have no choice, ask questions, get an idea of what type of learning environment the school has created. If it includes lots of hands-on activities, free-play, outside time, read-alouds, and interaction with nurturing staff, you are probably on the right track. If your child sits at a desk all day and gets sent home with a stack of worksheets every night, voice your concern or get them out of there if at all possible. Some may not have recognized it, but we are ALL “homeschoolers” to some degree. Just how much of that role you are willing to relinquish when they reach school age is up to you. But keep in mind that you are ultimately your child’s best advocate, and a quality education from the start will serve your child well throughout the rest of their life.

My next post on this subject will discuss Preschool At Home, an argument in favor of what I believe to be the highest quality preschool education available, teaching them yourself in a nurturing home environment. I will outline what that looks like and how you can get started. So check back or subscribe to my e-mail list. Happy schooling!

Go to Mommyscope blog

Happy 54th Birthday Dad, We miss you!

My husband, Jeff produced this video for us. It is one of the BEST gifts he has ever given me!

I wish you all could of known him he was the BEST father!

Sept 9th 2007 he went on to Heaven.

I am thankful that he is GREAT, he is not in pain, he is happy, he can run and he can use his hands completely.

Even knowing all of this, I still miss him and wish he could be here.

I hope you enjoy the video:

Bible Study starts up this Wed Jan 27th 9:30 am

Within The Word:

We will be studying the letters of Paul, starting in the book of Galations. We meet Wednesday at 9:30am-11:30am

Our group is a mix of ages and different stages of life. Mostly (28-60 years of age) some college students, Younger Moms , older moms, some have teenage children, blended families, and a few have grown children and grand children.

These older women have become such awesome role models and mentors for me and I learn tons from the other moms. So it is a great mix! We are all from different walks of life. We will laugh, cry and fellowship together.

Childcare: Currently we meet at a home in Gallairdia and the children are upstairs in the playroom.

We do pay for childcare, those of us that use it, it usually comes to $3 or $4 per child apiece.

We have 3 homeschooled girls that watch them.

The girls are great and the oldest is 15 years old and is CPR certified!

However if you can not afford to pay childcare, we can take care of that. We have a fund that other members donate to, so we can take care of any childcare if it can not be afforded! Please let me personally know if this is something you need assistance with.

Kathy Patton teaches and writes the Bible study.

After she teaches we then break up into 2 or 3 small groups to discuss the passages and that weeks homework.

The homework is not a lengthy assignment. It is usually about 15-20 questions about that weeks chapter that should take you anywhere from 30 min to 2 hours, depending how much you dive into the passages.

Kathy has written and taught many bible studies and has taught for many many years, she is AWESOME!! Found out more about her by clicking HERE

There is no cost for the study, we will upload the HW to our website www.withintheword.com weekly and you can download and print it at you convenience. .

Please check out our website too see some of the videos of the teaching and samples of the homework.

We do not mind if you come and try us out....kinda like speed dating : )

We begin meeting again on Jan 27th, 9:30 am

Just come and check us out at any time and if this is not the group for you I will try to help find the "one" for you, no problem!

Just let me know or check to make sure we are meeting, we do not normally take breaks during a semester but sometimes we do have to switch locations.

Oh Yea there are approx 15-20 that attend regularly and yes we have room for you!

PS Let me know if you plan to come, so we can be prepared with adequate childcare.
Let me know any other questions

Gaillardia Edition. ½ mile north of Memorial Road on MacArthur Boulevard

address is 5301 Pulchella Dr Oklahoma City, 73142, let the "guard" know you are going to the Tibbs home.

Turn in front gate of Gaillardia, turn right, take next right.. It's 3rd house on left, you can park along street by waterfall

Link to a map click HERE

email me at deziray@clickworld.net if you have any questions

Fit Kids Make Smart Adults

As most of you know I am into health, fitness and education so I thought I would share this with you:

I loved the latest blog post from
Joyce Cherrier’s Blog
Empowering People to be Healthy and Fit And Having Fun While Doing It!

I follow her on Twitter and her blog, she knows her stuff!

Fit Kids Make Smart Adults
There are dozens of articles about all the physical and mental reaosns to get fit. Almost on a daily basis a new study comes out, giving another compelling reason to be healthy. As an adult we make the decision every day to either move towards being healthy or away from health. That’s our choice. But what about our kids? Is it really fair to short change them because we lack motivation to get healthy? I really believe it’s our responsibility to give them opportunity to be their very best. I won’t even begin to go into a rant about obese children. They eat what we give them. As adults we set the table. Now a study shows evidence that not only does exercise affect a child physically but also mentally.

In this article in ScienceDaily a study showed a connection between young adults exercising and their I.Q. Here’s what the study found: Young adults who are fit have a higher IQ and are more likely to go on to university, reveals a major new study carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

The study shows a clear link between good physical fitness and better results for the IQ test. The strongest links are for logical thinking and verbal comprehension. But it is only fitness that plays a role in the results for the IQ test, and not strength. “Being fit means that you also have good heart and lung capacity and that your brain gets plenty of oxygen,” says Michael Nilsson, professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy and chief physician at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. “This may be one of the reasons why we can see a clear link with fitness, but not with muscular strength. We are also seeing that there are growth factors that are important.”

“We have also shown that those youngsters who improve their physical fitness between the ages of 15 and 18 increase their cognitive performance,” says Maria Åberg, researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy and physician at Åby health centre. “This being the case, physical education is a subject that has an important place in schools, and is an absolute must if we want to do well in maths and other theoretical subjects.”

Based on this study the link seems to be about oxygen and the brain. Great incentive to walk the dog and take the kids when you do. Or maybe they can mow the lawn and shovel the driveway. I think I dreamed about that once. A bike ride on an afternoon is a great way to get some cardio time in. I also suggest a DVD by the creator of Insanity called Shaun T’s Fit Kids Club. Great for a winter day when outside is not an option.

The whole family can get involved and it can be used as quality time. It’s an investment in your child’s future. It also sets good habits in motion. And fitness is contagious. Before you know it, the whole family will be involved. I remember as a kid my mom telling me to get off my duff and go outside and get some fresh air. Of course she never said it would make me smarter. I’m sure she would have liked that in her arsenal. Now we parents, needing a break as we do sometimes, can say, “Go outside and play, you’ll get in a good college!” I’m really hoping one of these studies come out about cleaning bedrooms, doing their own laundry and washing dishes.

4 year old funnies

Alessondra: Dad, can we still watch the CMA show when it's on? The one with that Carrie Underwear girl on it? #alolod

Alessondra, crying over @DezirayClick's trip away: Daddy, we'll do art, watch movies, & play war with cards. But there! Will! Be! No! Mommy!. #alolod

Jeff Click to a crying Alessondra as @DezirayClick leaves for a trip: Will a Twizzler cheer u up? A: Wul, no, I because I want Mommy more. #alolod

Are you smarter than a 4 year old..I am FOR SURE NOT!!

We were blessed with tickets to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Ballet tonight, Thanks Aunt Lisa! What a great way to spend Halloween night!

We have looked forward to the day when we could take Alessondra to one of our all time favorite restaurants, Cheevers!

Daddy decided that tonight would be a great night, it is not far from the Civic Center and she is old enough to behave properly in a nice restaurant. Below is a conversation between Jeff and her on our way to the restaurant:

Jeff: Alessondra we are taking you to Mommy & Daddy's favorite restaurant, Cheevers. There'll be art on the walls that I bet you will like.
Alessondra: Monet?
Jeff:No.
Alessondra:Daddy will there be any pointillism?
Jeff:Monet didn't do pointillism.
Alessondra:I KNOW THAT DADDY, Georges Seirat did! #alolod



Alessondra enjoying her first look at her "Seafood Tamales"

ROFL, more 4 year old funnies!

Daddy (Jeff): Don't you think that fresh broccoli is a bit too sweet for so late? Alessondra, rolling her eyes: Dad, I'm trying to grow my hair longer.#alolod

Alessondra, to her cousin: "That's annoying." @DezirayClick: You could say that nicely. Alessondra gently, smiling & batting her eyes: "That's annoying." #alolod

4 year old funnies

Alessondra: "Mommy, today at lunch at Red Lobster, I had cheese biscuits. But I'm pretty sure they were organic". #alolod

A: On the hay ride this guy w/a mask jumped out & I was like "What the heck?" & Mommy said I can't say that. He wasn't scary anyway. #alolod

Alessondra: Hey, guys, now that I'm older (still 4yo), the drive to Uncle CJ's is much shorter. #alolod

Kids say the cutest things:

Alessondra grabs her Daddy's face, pulls his lip down and says " So Daddy, Which one of your teeth is the sweet one? #alolod

The funny things a 4yr old says.

Alessondra: Mommy, I don't love you any less even though you look different from me & you have freckles. Actually I do have ONE of those, on my booty. #alolod

Alessondra Laugh Out Loud Of the Day (ALOLOD)

My husband Jeff (@jeffclick) has been tweeting the funny things our daughter says, so I am going to start sharing them with you.

Alessondra, pre-bite to her calamari: Sorry, Squid, but yer gonna be dead for sure when you get in my belly! Have fun in heaven... #alolod

You are not alone, by Heather Parker

My friend, Heather and fellow blogger had a great post for all of us mommies, I have learned a TON from her blog, she has SIX, yes SIX girls. So when she talks I listen, read her latest post below or click HERE to visit her blog.

Are you exhausted?
Are you willing to take any sales call just for some adult conversation?

Do you feel alone?
Do you feel like no one else has ever felt the way your feeling now?

I'm here to offer you some encouragement. As a mom of many little ones I can remember days when I only had three. They were all so close in age. There were many days that I felt overwhelmed. I saw other moms that were a little further down life's road and thought they had it all put together. But I have come to realize two things. First, they had older ones to help with their many little ones (thankfully I do too now). Second, they did not have it all together. They felt overwhelmed weekly, if not daily, just as you , and I do. So the truth is we all feel overwhelmed, but we all make it through.

How do I make it through?

First, I would encourage you to daily spend time in God's word. He will be your strength, joy and peace. When you start to feel like you're loosing your mind, stop and think "Have I had time with Him today?" I can always tell those days when I told God I was to busy to read His love letter to me. Make this a priority. Dive into His word and get to know Him in a new way. He is the one that has called you to motherhood. He has a plan. Ask Him what His plan is for you and your little ones. Your heart will be softened as you read His word and spend time in prayer.

The next thing I would encourage you to do is to start an exercise routine. Whether you are a size 2 or not, this can help. I don't say this to encourage vanity, but motherhood is a demanding job, you need to be ready for everything. I wish I had started this earlier in my life, but I often poo-pawed it. In the last year, I have made it a part of my morning routine. It is my time to do something for myself. I do it before anyone else is up so I get to watch the show I like, or spend time praying, or even listening to music. All of this starts my day off with a smile. This does mean you will lose some sleep, but "no sleep" is just part of motherhood. Everyone needs to have their own time. Maybe your special time is not exercising, but you need to find something you enjoy. Make time for it!

The last thing is, who is your support group? You must have a support group! Who are those around you that you know will encourage you? Even if they are not on the same path as you, who are those that will let you vent your struggles and call you back to Christ? This is not a one person job, that is why I used the word group. You need ladies around you that have older children. These are the ladies you could seek advise from. Ask them how they survived. Have others whose children are the same age as yours. There can be some real validation from these ladies. You will realize you are not the only one, you are not alone. You should even have those that have younger children than yours. Through them you'll be reminded of how you felt before and made it through. You could be a big encouragement to them.

So remember:

You are doing the greatest job in this world!

Satan wants you to fail!

You are not alone!

Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.
Posted by Squirly Girls at 5:58 PM

The Simple Woman's Daybook

The Simple Woman's Daybook (suppose to be posted on Monday...I'm late, does this surprise you?)

~THE SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK~

Would you like to linger on the simple things...then join me and many others in taking a little look into the day plans and thoughts of those who are focusing on simplicity...beauty of the 'everyday moments'.


Outside my window...Back window patio plants and coy pond, front window recycle bin at the curb


I am thinking... I will miss Alessondra while in Chicago Wed-Sun, and it will be chilly there : ( Jeff should enjoy it!)


I am thankful for..my husband, that God has gifted him with creativity. His niche is building MODERN homes!


From our lesson plans/ home education...learning to skip count 2 and 3's, working on sounding out words, vowels, and learning the 10 commandments, and getting use to giving presentations in front of people


From the kitchen...
Sunday- Healthy taco salads

Monday-Leftover taco salad for Jeff, soup for Alessondra and I, frozen yogurt from the new Fro Yo place called Berri Licous on N Penn Between NW 164th (15th st) and NW 178th st (2nd St)

Tuesday-Roast
Wed-Sun- Chicago.

I am going...

Monday - gym, hobby lobby to buy supplies for Preschool Activity Swap

Tuesday - gym, Return WAY pass due library books and movies, quick pedicure (Maybe), need a haircut?? Shop for a few fall/winter shirts for Chicago (TJ Max)

Wednesday- gym, Then off to Chicago

Thursday - Chicago

Friday - Chicago

Saturday - Chicago

Sunday - Chicago


I am reading... Bible, Acts, Creative Counterparts, and just borrowed "Taking Charge of your Fertility" (Thanks Angela!), Runaway bunny If Jesus came to my house (Over & Over) see above the past duee library book!


I am hoping...alessondra's fever does not return while we are away, and that we do not miss her too much


Around the house...packing, laundry
Two Pictures I thought worth sharing

Alessondra reading her Bible book:


Her FIRST Thank You note, I can not wait until she can write all of mine!



You can share with others a little look into your day plans andthoughts while you are focusing on the simplicity of the everyday moments around you. That is my vision for this idea! Slow down, take time and enjoy the moment...the day.

If you would like to join the fun: http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/

Parable told by Jesus

This week at Lifechurch.tv Craig Groeschel spoke on Drifting from God. Part of his message was on a parable out of Matthew. This passage ALWAYS speaks to me. So I thought I would dive in a little deeper, I hope it speaks to you as well!

Jesus tells a parable…
Matthew 13:3-8,
3 “A farmer went out to sow his seed.4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Matthew 19-22
19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”


There are two especially important symbols in this parable—the seed and the soil.
The seed is God's Word.
The soil represents how we receive and respond to God's Word and His calling on our lives.

The seed that fell on the hard path (13:19) represents those who hear God's Words and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts.

Pathways are worn hard and smooth by constantly being walked on.
Many people are like a path. The world has walked upon us so much, that we are worn smooth.
The fertile soil in which God's word could take root is packed down so tight that it is as hard as concrete.
Are you a follower of Christ?
Have you let God take root in your heart?

Is your life like a hard path…

The rocky soil (13:20-21) represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.

People can have a lot of rocks in their lives. On the surface, they seem fine; but, hidden beneath the surface where no one sees are hard rocks that keep God's word from making good roots.

Is your heart full of rocks that keep the roots of God's words from spreading deep into your life?
Dig up the rocks and throw them away.

The thorny ground (13:22) represents those who hear and accept Gods word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced.

There are so many things to care about and worry about in our world… Kids, Houses, Cars, Clothes, Food, work, school, groceries, little league, soccer, girl scouts, boy scouts, yard work, house work, doctors, medicine, vitamins, gasoline prices, noisy neighbors, politicians, taxes, elections, holidays, birthdays, PTA’s, bake sales, weddings, funerals, baby showers, parties, friends, enemies, family, community, shopping, exercise, newspapers and magazines, the dishes, the trash, having enough cash, and don’t forget the kitchen sink (it’s leaking)…

It’s no wonder that so many people in our time are turning away from the word of God. There’s no time for it!
Our lives are so full of the cares of this world; Gods words are choked out like a flower in a field full of weeds.

How do you get rid of weeds?
Pull them up! Spray them with roundup and kill them!
But you’ve got to know the difference between a weed and a useful plant…
What’s really important in your life? What are your priorities? What has God called you to do? There are a lot of weeds that are pretty!
Do the things in your life bear fruit that is consistent with what is important in your life? What type of fruit are you producing?

The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God’s message, live it and produce a huge harvest—thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”

This is the goal—good, fertile soil where God's Word takes root and grows into a healthy and fruitful plant.
What does a good, fertile life look like?
Soft and easy to work with—God can shape you and make of your life what He wants. (Contrast with the concrete soil)
Fertilized—God’s word and prayer
Watered—Christian fellowship, friendship, and support

What kind of soil is in your life today?
Are you worn hard like a well-traveled pathway?
Is your life full of rocks that need to be dug up and discarded? Or is your life like a field full of weeds that threaten to choke away the beautiful spirituality God wishes to establish in you?
What type of soil are you?
What type of soil do you WANT to be and what are you going to do about it?

Oklahoma mom opts for traditional birth after C-sections

Click below for more info:
Oklahoma mom opts for traditional birth after TWO C-sections

- women with a previous cesarean and have a trial of labor have a 99% chance of not having a uterine rupture.

A glimpse into Alessondra's Home Education

Tracing and writing letters. She is working on following directions, fine motor skills, precision and focus.

She found a frog in the pond and put it in her butterfly home.

I used the opportunity to work on science, the life cycle of a frog and environmental stewardship. She was not happy about it, but she did the responsible thing and let it go back "home".

Here she is helping to make chocolate chip muffins!

Cooking with a child helps to teach team work, listening skills, following directions and math!

She loved that while using the chocolate chips for subtraction she was able to EAT them as we subtracted them!

Teaching a child cooking skills while they are still young and eager participants is very rewarding and pays off in the long run. Not only do they learn cooking skills, but they also learn self-confidence in a job well done.

Painting: Fine motor skills, much needed if she is ever going to have better handwriting than me! Painting also requires her to analyze, organize and THINK about what she is going to paint, and whether the image she paints is complete.

Here, Daddy is helping her work on the letter "E"

That day she learned about eskimos, elephants and used plastic eggs for sorting and counting.

These verses are some of the verses that God used to speak to me about home educating Alessondra:
Our family verse:
Proverbs 24:3-4 (NIV)

3 By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;

4 through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19,
18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it."

ALOLOD (Alessondra Laugh Out Loud of the Day Part 1)

Jeff became a father on March 17th 2005 to Alessondra Cielo Click.

he is a "Daddy's Girl" in every sense of the phrase!

He her "Prince" and she his "Princess"

As a way to document the special moments with his "Princess", "Prince" started a photo blog via Flickr.


He also journals online the cute things she said, the "Alessondra Laugh Out Loud of The Day, (ALOLoD) via Twitter.


I thought I might share some of those funny ALOLOD with you.

Laughing because my 3yr old just boldly informed me, "Daddy, I won't stop sucking my fingers because it helps me relax when I'm onda couch."
Sep 10th, 2008

LOL! "Daddy, this rubber ducky will make your back feel better." No Super, I don't think it will. "Yes, it will, Daddy. It's a Duck-ter.8:55 PM Oct 28th, 2008
Super asked "Do I get a transportation?" to the ballet teacher today as she handed out INVITATIONS to the recidal.
Nov 10th, 2008

LOL! Alessondra, why did you have to tinkle AGAIN this week during ballet? "Because I dranked water and it digested, Daddy."
Nov 17th, 2008

Still laughing at Alessondra. "Daddy, don't tell me again that Mommy is coming home tomorrow. You already told me like twenty times already.
Nov 22nd, 2008

LOL-o-the-day: "Mommy & Daddy, I have a big problem. Something is making me not clean up like you said."
7:34 PM Nov 28th, 2008

Best line of the day...Alessondra: "For dinner, I'm sitting next to my hero. Daddy, where'we sittin'?"
7:07 PM Dec 7th, 2008

LOLing at my jaded Alessondra watching Enchanted, saying to me, "Prince Charmy, this show is just silly. Dragons can't talk."
7:38 PM Dec 11th, 2008

LOLing: "Mommy, why did you say I can't have boyfriends? I NEEEED my Daddy!"
8:45 PM Dec 22nd, 2008

Only in Oklahoma, from a 3 year old: "No, Daddy, I won't sample that off the fork. I only eat ribs off the bone."
7:07 PM Dec 26th, 2008

My 3 year old wants to know why so many parents drop their kids off at the mall to be babysat without a babysitter. It's a good question.
8:08 PM Jan 17th

LOLing @AlessondraClick: Can we have ice cream? @DezirayClick: We'll see. @AlessondraClick: See what? What are you even talking about?
8:39 PM Jan 25th

A: Daddy, tonight, I'm a tiger. Roar!/(toot) Me: I don't think tigers toot and roar at the same time. A:Yes, they do. Roar!
7:25 PM Feb 24th

A:"Daddy, now that we have the new puppy, it's still all girls and you. If JohnnyY was here, you wouldn't be the only boy."
10:28 AM Mar 28th

Alessondra: Daddy, Adam & Eve should've said "God, may we speak on the matter? We think the snake seems nice, so may we eat from the tree?"
7:20 PM Apr 13th

@DezirayClick asks "What made you just ask about helping homeless people, Alessondra?" A:"My brain just told my mouth to ask, Mommy."
8:15 PM Apr 20th

Alessondra: "I think David Archuleta is Adam Lambert's little boy." The ironic, innocent profundity of a 4-year old in this day and age.
10:51 PM Apr 22nd

TV'S in our childrens rooms & Why we want our children to READ, READ, READ

Photo taken by Aaron Escobar http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronescobar/

Cheryl Lange of Lodestar ( http://lodestar.publishpath.com/community) posted this on her blog

For decades, Jim Trelease has been one of the best-known advocates of reading in America. His book Read-Aloud Handbook has made a huge impact on many families and education – and on me and my family and how we homeschool and what I teach others.

I will be sharing from some of his writings (From “Ten Reading Facts” brochure) over the next few blogs.

7. THE top winter Olympians come from states where they have the most ice and snow. And reading research shows that children who come from homes with the most print—books, magazines, and newspapers—have the highest reading scores. They also use the library more than those with lower scores. Libraries have the most and best books in the world—all for free. Remember: a used book for 50 cents— like you find in garage sales or thrift shops —has the same words as a brand new copy for $12.95. Reading families use the 3 B’s (to help the 3 R’s): Books, Bathroom, and Bed Lamp. Make sure there’s a box for books and magazines in the bathroom for idle or captive moments, and add one near the kitchen table. Install a reading lamp near the child’s bed and allow the privilege of staying up 15 minutes later to read (or just look at book’s pictures) in bed. It might be the most important night-school he’ll ever attend.

8. THERE is a strong connection between over-viewing of TV by children and underachieving in school. Simply put: those who watch the most know the least. Research shows that up to 10 TV-hours a week has no impact on children’s grades but beyond that the grades decline. Sixty percent of children now have a TV in their bedroom. Oh-oh! A side-by-side comparison of third-graders’ math and reading scores tells it all —scores of children with or without a TV in their bedroom (from —Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2005): Third grade math scores: 53.3 with TV in bedroom 63.1 without TV in bedroom (That is TEN whole points difference) Third grade reading scores: 47.5 with TV in bedroom 55 without TV in bedroom The average child spends 1,460 hours a year watching TV/DVD’s and playing computer games—equal to watching “Gone With the Wind” 392 times year. What about buying those computer programs or tapes you see advertised on TV that teach reading?