Meet a Gazette Mom
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Age: 36
Location: Emporia
Family members: Husband, Mike; children, Ashton, 8; Baileigh, 5
Occupation: Reading strategist at Timmerman Elementary School, tanning salon owner, Motives Cosmetics consultant
The hardest thing about being a mom is: Balancing everything and doing it all well. I tend to be very organized and schedule-oriented, and sometimes things just get a little overwhelming, but I guess that is life and you need to do the best you can when you can.
The most fun thing about being a mom is: Watching my kids grow. To see them change into these little people is a proud moment for Mike and me. We get a kick out of seeing a little bit of us in them, as well.
The last time my children made me laugh: Every day they both make me laugh, but Baileigh, especially, because she is our “handful” and loves pulling pranks or jokes on her brother, which can be very humorous.
I carve out time for myself by: Working out and going shopping!
My favorite outdoor activity to do with my children is: Spend time together at our cabin on Table Rock Lake. We love boating, Jet Skiing, swimming and hanging out with each other with no schedule to follow. We also enjoy going to the Chiefs games together!
The most important life lesson I want my children to learn is: That life is short and an amazing journey and not to take anything for granted. Take time to enjoy life and appreciate everything you have and strive for the things you want.
My no-fail stress reliever: Watching reality shows! My favorite is “The Real Housewives of Orange County.”
The kid’s toy or game I will never understand: Bakugan apparently it is the rage now with my son and his friends. What is the point of it opening up on a magnetic card?
The future parenting moment I fear the most: I fear the day when they get their hearts broken for the first time, and I can’t take the pain away.
The most fun thing about being a mom: We like to travel a lot with our children and give them experiences that I had as a child so a lot of places we go to are child-related, therefore it allows us to get our youth back and brings back great memories for me as a child.
If I could change places with anyone, living or dead it would be: Ty Pennington, from “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Not only do I LOVE home decorating, but I would love to be able to change the lives of many people and leave a mark on those families forever. I would love to have the creativity he does and use it in a way that he does for others.
Favorite way to slow down as a family: We love to play games and watch family movies together, especially on cold days with a fire going.
I hope my kids inherit: My husband’s sense of humor and my patience.
When I have 30 minutes to myself: I enjoy a long walk around the neighborhood.
My proudest moment as a parent: Is watching my kids be kind and respectful to others without being told. When I see them being helpful to others and use their manners with strangers, I know that we have accomplished what we try so hard to do as parents.
My most embarrassing parenting moment was: A trip to Walmart (go figure). My son was 3 and my daughter was 8 months. My son was very insistent on going to the toy aisle and began sprinting that way. I had a cart full of groceries and my daughter. I couldn’t believe he was running away from me. The Walmart greeter was kind enough to take Baileigh and watch my cart. I found my son and had to carry him kicking and screaming back to the greeter. I left the groceries and was so embarrassed about the scene he had caused. He hasn’t done anything like that again.
One area of my home (or my life) that needs some serious spring cleaning is: For those who know me pretty well, I am a “clean freak” so my house is pretty clean all the time. On the other hand, my garage needs some serious cleaning due to storing a lot of garage sale items. I am planning on a garage sale at the end of March so then things will be all tidy again.