Meet a Gazette Mom
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Stephanie Metzger
Age: 38
Location: Emporia
Occupation: Full-time mom and reading strategist at Village Elementary School
Family members: husband, Philip, 40; Colin, 13; Meg, 5.
The last time my child(ren) made me laugh: Both of my kids are hilarious, however, Meg catches me off guard with funny little things she says. The other day she saw some Valentine’s Day decorations out and exclaimed, “Mommy, look, they decorated just for my birthday. Wasn’t that so sweet?” She still doesn’t understand that Valentine’s Day is an actual holiday, not just her birthday!
The television mom I’m most like: Clair Huxtable. Clair loved her children dearly and would do anything for them, but she didn’t let them get away with much. She held her kids accountable for their actions and let the kids fail every now and again. She laughed and teased with her kids and her kids knew she loved them more than anything. She knew the reality of life and tried to prepare them for it.
My favorite outdoor activity to do with my child: I love taking walks in the summer with the kids. In June we like to walk, within reason, to most places we go. It’s good for all of us and it gives us time to talk since the only other distraction is nature.
The most important life lesson I want my child to learn: Life is good, but eternal life is better!
My proudest moment as a parent: I am most proud of my kids when they are randomly kind and helpful to strangers without prompting from me. Then I begin to wonder why they can’t do that at home!
My favorite book to read to my children: I love reading Junie B. Jones to my kids. I get as much enjoyment out of it as they do. Junie B is a 5 year old with attitude and it’s fun to get into character with my voice.
The last time I said “I’m sorry” to my child(ren) was for: Jumping to conclusions before I heard him out. I want my kids to see us humbling ourselves to apologize when we mess up to encourage them to do the same.
The one thing as a kid I promised I’d never do as a parent: I was the oldest and I promised myself that I would be fair and not let the younger child get away with more. I really try hard, but I think it is only natural for the youngest to figure out some way to talk their parents into things the oldest would NEVER have gotten to do.
My favorite kitchen gadget: The coffee maker. No one wants to be around me before my first cup.
My no-fail stress reliever: A hot bath with candles and a good book.
Favorite way to slow down as a family: Family nights. The kids make a picnic on the living room floor, and we order pizza and watch a movie. Our most recent family night was renting a miniature golf game for the Wii. I won!
I hope my kids inherit: My curiosity and excitement about silly things.
The kid’s toy or game I will never understand: Bakugan — I can’t even say it, let alone understand it. It’s basically a ball that falls apart when it hits a magnetic trading card.
When I have 30 minutes to myself: My first thought was to get on the treadmill or clean out a closet or do a load of laundry. But the truth is, I would probably take a nap!
If I could change places with anyone, living or dead, for a day, it would be: Kate Gosselin (from “Jon and Kate Plus 8”). I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a large family. I’d like to give it a shot just one day and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind the day off.
The one think I hope to do better as a parent in 2009: Live in the moment. So often I look at the things I could change about the past or plan for the future instead of just enjoying the moment I have been given.