I seem to notice that when I get these 'Big Ideas' - I also lose time during the day! I just can't seem to find the right balance of work (from home), kids, and life. Life is busy enough with 4 kids, but add on to that my daughters dance and softball, school for 2 of them, making sure I get my orders completed for my business, and get ready for upcoming craft fairs, a baby that is constantly having ear infections, trying to get a house in 'selling' condition so that we can move to a bigger one, and remembering to schedule doctors appointments, snacks for preschool, homework for my oldest, the list goes on and on and on. There are times at the end of the day when I am exhausted, but can't think of ONE thing I actually accomplished that day. But I guess in the grand scheme of things, if all my kids are safe and sound with full belly's and asleep in their beds - I've done a pretty good job that day!
I would still like to do it all, just better and in a more organized way. Maybe so much so that I REMEMBER what I did that day!!
So I am asking you all for help - how do you do it?
Joy
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
My Children
Hello Again - I am sitting here in my living room listening to Spongebob, and decided that now is a great time to let you know a little about the ones that keep me going!
I am a stay at home & work at home mom of 4 beautiful children.
Sandra: We call her Sandi for short. Sandi is 7 years old, but to see her you would think she was older, she towers over most kids her age, and is very advanced for her age as well. She is finishing up first grade and she absolutely LOVES school. She is an excellent reader and loves to learn new things! She was named after my mom who died when I was 16 - I always wanted to name my first daughter after her. And my first baby happened to be a girl - so God sent me an Angel that day! I am so blessed to have her in my life. She has the BIGGEST heart of any child, she always wants to please, and to make people happy. I never get a bad remark from her teachers or anyone else that meets or works with her. She is my Princess!
Kiran: Pronounced Keerin: She is almost 5. We named her after a woman that used to be on FOX News channel. We had no other 'special' names that we wanted to use for our kids, so it was picking ones that we both liked. I loved the name Alexis, my husband was in love with the new caster so we compromised and used both! I love that her name is unique and she won't be 1 of 10 with the same name in her class. Now a little about her personality. Boy does this girl give me a run for my money. She wants what she wants when she wants it - and has no problem expressing that. I'm pretty sure she thinks her 'poop' doesn't stink! I have a feeling Kiran will go far in life based on her looks alone, she is GORGEOUS with long beautiful hair that I am totally jealous of! BUT she is pretty and she knows it, and my biggest challenge is making sure she doesn't grow up to be a 'mean girl' Kiran is sweetheart though most of the time, and she is a great student in preschool and is excited to be starting Kindergarten in the fall. Her big sister is her best friend! She is my Peanut!
Brady: Brady is turning 3 in a few weeks. My only boy - and my baby for life! I am so in love with my son! The sun rises and sets on this boy! I named him after the men on my favorite soap opera Days of Our Lives! Brady is all boy - dirt, cars, trains, sports, the works! He is such a kind boy, always looking out for his sisters and has wonderful manners for such a little kid. He is my easiest child, he doesn't require much, just an occasional refill on his milk - or his train tracks moved somewhere else, other that that he entertains himself for hours! He loves Thomas, CARS, Toy Story, The Little Einsteins, Team Umizoomi and Jake and the Neverland Pirates - so we watch those shows and movies almost daily! I wish I could keep him 2 forever - he will be starting preschool in the fall and that will crush me. He is my Bubba!
Avery: Avery is 9 months, and the sweetest baby I have ever had! When I found out I was having another girl, we were at a loss for a name. We had a boy name picked out but nothing for a girl. One day while I was at the gym watching the TV over the treadmills - a name popped up on the screen on ESPN. Avery Johnson. It was a mans name - but I LOVED it for a girl! So thankfully my husband trusts my judgement and had no problem naming her Avery - and her middle name is Rae (LOVE IT) She is so laid back and go with the flow. I am really attached to her and I think it is because I know she is my last baby. I want to hold on to the 'baby' stage for as long as I can with her. She is just such a happy baby, she loves watching her siblings run around and play (and fight) with each other, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is her staple - it is on multiple times during the day! She is my Munchkin!
I wish I could keep them all frozen at the ages they are now - time goes by so fast. In the blink of an eye my 'baby' is now 7. It is amazing how much they grow and change. I am looking forward to seeing them grow though, and watch their personalities develop, and see what they become.
I love my children, they are my reasons for living. I am blessed!
I am a stay at home & work at home mom of 4 beautiful children.
Sandra: We call her Sandi for short. Sandi is 7 years old, but to see her you would think she was older, she towers over most kids her age, and is very advanced for her age as well. She is finishing up first grade and she absolutely LOVES school. She is an excellent reader and loves to learn new things! She was named after my mom who died when I was 16 - I always wanted to name my first daughter after her. And my first baby happened to be a girl - so God sent me an Angel that day! I am so blessed to have her in my life. She has the BIGGEST heart of any child, she always wants to please, and to make people happy. I never get a bad remark from her teachers or anyone else that meets or works with her. She is my Princess!
Kiran: Pronounced Keerin: She is almost 5. We named her after a woman that used to be on FOX News channel. We had no other 'special' names that we wanted to use for our kids, so it was picking ones that we both liked. I loved the name Alexis, my husband was in love with the new caster so we compromised and used both! I love that her name is unique and she won't be 1 of 10 with the same name in her class. Now a little about her personality. Boy does this girl give me a run for my money. She wants what she wants when she wants it - and has no problem expressing that. I'm pretty sure she thinks her 'poop' doesn't stink! I have a feeling Kiran will go far in life based on her looks alone, she is GORGEOUS with long beautiful hair that I am totally jealous of! BUT she is pretty and she knows it, and my biggest challenge is making sure she doesn't grow up to be a 'mean girl' Kiran is sweetheart though most of the time, and she is a great student in preschool and is excited to be starting Kindergarten in the fall. Her big sister is her best friend! She is my Peanut!
Brady: Brady is turning 3 in a few weeks. My only boy - and my baby for life! I am so in love with my son! The sun rises and sets on this boy! I named him after the men on my favorite soap opera Days of Our Lives! Brady is all boy - dirt, cars, trains, sports, the works! He is such a kind boy, always looking out for his sisters and has wonderful manners for such a little kid. He is my easiest child, he doesn't require much, just an occasional refill on his milk - or his train tracks moved somewhere else, other that that he entertains himself for hours! He loves Thomas, CARS, Toy Story, The Little Einsteins, Team Umizoomi and Jake and the Neverland Pirates - so we watch those shows and movies almost daily! I wish I could keep him 2 forever - he will be starting preschool in the fall and that will crush me. He is my Bubba!
Avery: Avery is 9 months, and the sweetest baby I have ever had! When I found out I was having another girl, we were at a loss for a name. We had a boy name picked out but nothing for a girl. One day while I was at the gym watching the TV over the treadmills - a name popped up on the screen on ESPN. Avery Johnson. It was a mans name - but I LOVED it for a girl! So thankfully my husband trusts my judgement and had no problem naming her Avery - and her middle name is Rae (LOVE IT) She is so laid back and go with the flow. I am really attached to her and I think it is because I know she is my last baby. I want to hold on to the 'baby' stage for as long as I can with her. She is just such a happy baby, she loves watching her siblings run around and play (and fight) with each other, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is her staple - it is on multiple times during the day! She is my Munchkin!
I wish I could keep them all frozen at the ages they are now - time goes by so fast. In the blink of an eye my 'baby' is now 7. It is amazing how much they grow and change. I am looking forward to seeing them grow though, and watch their personalities develop, and see what they become.
I love my children, they are my reasons for living. I am blessed!
Monday, April 4, 2011
About Me!
I want to make this blog a place where people are comfortable sharing stories about their families, bouncing ideas off of people, and getting advice on all things parenting! I LOVE sharing stories about my family and my life - and I think it will help people connect with me on more personal level than a 'facebook page' or 'blog' So - here is all about me - I will blog about my hubby and kids on other posts!
Me - My name is Joy Clare, I was born on December 4th and I won't reveal the year!! I was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and am the youngest of 3. I had a wonderful childhood - loved playing outside, barbies were my favorite and I would spend hours on end riding my bike! My dad worked a full time job and my mom worked part time on the days when I was in school - but she was ALWAYS with me. She was and always will be, the most influential person in my life. My mom passed away in 1995 at the age of 47.
My dad got remarried a few years later to an awesome woman who I am close with - if I had to pick someone to be there with my dad after my mom - it would be Bev.
I started working at a mortgage company in Customer Service. It was my first 'real' job outside of retail. I LOVED it! Met a bunch of really nice people, some of who I am still friends with - and one who I am married to! I met my husband Andy in 2002 when I was working as a Loan Officer - he got a job there and the rest is history! We had our first child in 2003, got married in 2005 had another child in 2006, one in 2008 and another one in 2010!
I am a full time stay at home mom. I WISH it was as easy as people who aren't SAHM's seem to think. My day begins about 6:30 when the baby wakes up, and goes non stop all day. Getting the oldest up and ready for school - breakfast for all of them. 3 days a week my 4year old has preschool so me and the 3 kids are back and forth there. Then there is CCD, Gym, Dance and now softball. It is a crazy busy life - but I love every second of it. Do I wish for a little more 'me' time? Sure, but that will come all too soon when the kids are all grown up.
I have always loved doing crafts, my mom was always making something so my love for it started young. I would make anything you can think of out of construction paper, puffy paint was my best friend, then there were those shirt kits that involved glue and sequins - HEAVEN!! After I had my daughter I started a scrapbook for her - and my love for that began. I started to make pre-made pages and albums and sold them at craft shows and then on ebay for a while. But the time and cost involved didn't pay much when all was said and done. So I sold all of my supplies and decided to think of something else to try. I then rolled first diaper - and it was all over from there! I really love making diaper cakes! I started making some small ones and the they just got bigger - and the designs and ideas grew from there. I started selling them on ebay, then I found Etsy and began selling through there. My business has grown so much in the little over a year that I have been doing it and I am so greatful for it! I started my facebook fan page and have been networking through there. I have met some wonderful people through facebook and my business, people that I know will be friends for life! I enjoy so much what I do, the flexibility of being home with my children while making money doing something I love!
I hope you all feel like you know me a little better - feel free to ask any questions you may have about me!
Joy
Me - My name is Joy Clare, I was born on December 4th and I won't reveal the year!! I was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and am the youngest of 3. I had a wonderful childhood - loved playing outside, barbies were my favorite and I would spend hours on end riding my bike! My dad worked a full time job and my mom worked part time on the days when I was in school - but she was ALWAYS with me. She was and always will be, the most influential person in my life. My mom passed away in 1995 at the age of 47.
My dad got remarried a few years later to an awesome woman who I am close with - if I had to pick someone to be there with my dad after my mom - it would be Bev.
I started working at a mortgage company in Customer Service. It was my first 'real' job outside of retail. I LOVED it! Met a bunch of really nice people, some of who I am still friends with - and one who I am married to! I met my husband Andy in 2002 when I was working as a Loan Officer - he got a job there and the rest is history! We had our first child in 2003, got married in 2005 had another child in 2006, one in 2008 and another one in 2010!
I am a full time stay at home mom. I WISH it was as easy as people who aren't SAHM's seem to think. My day begins about 6:30 when the baby wakes up, and goes non stop all day. Getting the oldest up and ready for school - breakfast for all of them. 3 days a week my 4year old has preschool so me and the 3 kids are back and forth there. Then there is CCD, Gym, Dance and now softball. It is a crazy busy life - but I love every second of it. Do I wish for a little more 'me' time? Sure, but that will come all too soon when the kids are all grown up.
I have always loved doing crafts, my mom was always making something so my love for it started young. I would make anything you can think of out of construction paper, puffy paint was my best friend, then there were those shirt kits that involved glue and sequins - HEAVEN!! After I had my daughter I started a scrapbook for her - and my love for that began. I started to make pre-made pages and albums and sold them at craft shows and then on ebay for a while. But the time and cost involved didn't pay much when all was said and done. So I sold all of my supplies and decided to think of something else to try. I then rolled first diaper - and it was all over from there! I really love making diaper cakes! I started making some small ones and the they just got bigger - and the designs and ideas grew from there. I started selling them on ebay, then I found Etsy and began selling through there. My business has grown so much in the little over a year that I have been doing it and I am so greatful for it! I started my facebook fan page and have been networking through there. I have met some wonderful people through facebook and my business, people that I know will be friends for life! I enjoy so much what I do, the flexibility of being home with my children while making money doing something I love!
I hope you all feel like you know me a little better - feel free to ask any questions you may have about me!
Joy
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Reaching Higher
Hello - And welcome to my first blog - EVER! I am very new to this and I hope to get the hang of it quickly!
I decided to start a blog to make new contacts, further my business, and just have an outlet to talk about being a mommy!
I will be tweaking the colors, layout etc when I get the chance to really sit down and do it! I hope you will enjoy my blog!
Joy
I decided to start a blog to make new contacts, further my business, and just have an outlet to talk about being a mommy!
I will be tweaking the colors, layout etc when I get the chance to really sit down and do it! I hope you will enjoy my blog!
Joy
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