Jude Eats Toast

Just posted this to our YouTube channel.
Check it out and follow for more videos coming soon!

Click for Jude eating crunchy toast...

Happy Easter One and All!

Today we had a neighborhood Easter egg hunt! All three kids went and had a lot of fun! They were so cute running around picking up eggs! My little guy, who is only three, was so happy about each egg he found! He kept saying "I'm going to get the little eggs!"

My middle guy would say "I'm going to get the Golden Egg!" Turns out he got the golden "chick" egg! He was really excited about that!

Our oldest, Angel Girl, had a great time "hiding" the eggs with her Daddy. There were 437 eggs and about 35 kids! It was a MUCH bigger hunt than last year's!

We all hope you have a blessed Easter tomorrow and enjoy being with family and friends!

Lots of love,
Claire

Never Fear.

I just wanted to address something that's been on my mind the last couple of days. I will keep this blog for the updates on the cuteness of the kids and our family activities, etc., but I want you to know, there is www.suchaclevergirl.blogspot.com for my etsy business and blogs that regard my etsy shop will get posted there.

I still haven't figured out what to do about facebook, although, I'm not too worried about it...for now, it'll be a little bit of both. Although I have started a page for the etsy shop on facebook, I'm not doing much with it until I'm ready.

I am so thankful for my first two etsy sales! That's super excited! The kids love watching Mom create pieces when we're all done with schoolwork! They are even getting in on the fun! Here's Tractor boy making some earrings for his "girlfriends"! He is such a cutie! I just love him to bits!

Oh Potty! Oh Boy!

The past couple of days have been gung-ho toilet training with Danger Boy! He's going to be a big boy wearing big boy underpants really soon! I know that with each of my children, potty training came at different times and ages and seasons of their lives. With Angel Girl, it was around preschool age, we didn't push it because Tractor Boy had special needs when he was born and we didn't want her to feel pressure or for her to regress. With Tractor Boy, it was after his g-tube had been removed and he gained more body awareness. Now, with Danger Boy, we are just barely three years old and he announces, "Mommy, I would like to go to the potty!" and he really likes m&m's as a reward (one for #1 and two for #2). Today he has gone potty more than a dozen times and it is so adorable to see him run excitedly to the potty and feel the accomplishment that goes along with our cheering him on. (which by the way, is another gift of homeschooling, having his siblings here with him to encourage him is a very big deal!)

All of this recent activity has led me to reflect a little.

Potty training goes both ways.
The child is trained to use the potty, wipe, flush, wash hands, pull up pants, etc. The parent is trained by the child as to when the child needs to go, what sort of rewards are good incentives, what sort of pottying cues to look for, etc.

I thank God for the humbling experience of potty training.
Thank You God for the little messes to clean up, because they mean that I have a little one to clean up after.
Thank You God for the toilet, that we don't have to use a chamber pot or an outhouse.
Thank You God for toilet paper, that we don't have to use something else!
Thank You God for soap, that we can be clean!
Thank You God for bathrooms, that we don't have to do our business out in the open!
Thank You God for the gift of eliminating our own waste, we'd die if we couldn't.

We have so much to be thankful for and there are so many things that we take for granted. When was the last time you thought about what you take for granted? How about taking some time to Thank God today for the little things...you might start with the toilet. ;-) lol!

My first Etsy Listing

Oh, boy, I'm so nervous! I'm venturing into new territory with this whole etsy thing. You know, it's the online place for everything handmade. Well, I have been enjoying making earrings and things in my "spare" time. (come on, I have to have some ME time!) Anyway, I'm pretty sure that I'll have to start a separate blog for the etsy stuff (I'll let you know what it is), but for the time being, you can check me out by searching for suchaclevergirl 's shop on etsy.com.

I'm nervous and tickled at the same time. I've been waiting to do this and take the leap, but I suppose that time has been what held me back, just finding the right time.

Here's my first listing:
My First Etsy Listing!

what do you think? (you may have to cut and paste that into your browser...I don't know if it'll go through, still not sure if I did it right...)

Well, I hope to post more things to my etsy shop soon, so stay tuned!

2012 and halfway through January!

What is happening?! This month is already halfway over and I'm still adjusting to writing 2012 and typing it too for that matter.

I've been reflecting on how I wanted to be better at blogging and how I am just going to have to be easier on myself and let things happen when they do. I have to admit to myself that I'm not going to be a consistent blogger. I have to admit that to you too. I don't have much to say sometimes. Then sometimes I think of things that I want to share and I am in a place where I can't write anything down and I know that my mind will be blank or preoccupied when I'm back at my computer. I know I can't be the only one that feels this way.

So how was your 2011? Mine was full of revelations and hard lessons learned. I am praying that I was sanded down by the hard lessons and that 2012 will be easier on me and my little family. I pray for good health, for improved health, and for peace. I ask God to bless us with answers to prayers and give us the strength we need to persevere through our commitments.

I especially wish for light. Brightness. Not from the sun, so much as from The Son. I trust that He will deliver. I look forward to how He will surprise me with the answers to our prayers.

I hope for the same for you.

Love you.