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0816 AUGUST
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what time is your alarm set for? 6 a.m. three
things
you always have with you? my iphone, a good ink pen, and my journal. three words to describe yourself? tenacious, loyal, and brutally honest. how would your friends describe you? passionate, loving, and intense. how do you like to spend time? we?re big homebodies. i enjoy reading the news, spending time with my family, and watching bates motel on netflix. first thing you notice about people when you meet them? their smile. most recent proud parenting moment? our
son
has autism, so anytime he tries something new is a proud moment. how do you keep it all balanced? i try to stay in the moment. whether i am at work or eating dinner with my family, i am giving 100 percent. it keeps me sane. greatest thing about being a mom? all of the little victories. as adults, we forget the magic of the world. but with having our
son
, we get to experience the magic all over again. what?s your favorite family meal? we eat a variety of
things
and i rarely cook the same meal twice. our guilty pleasure meal is a cheese pizza. how did you meet your husband? we went to the same church growing up. favorite spot around town for date night? we like to get a beer at tin roof, and we love indian food from india?s restaurant. if you could invite anyone over for dinner, who would you invite? amy poehler and tina fey. they?re both hilarious and accomplished women. what?s something parents shouldn?t feel guilty about? taking time for themselves. what do you wish you had more time for? myself! what good habit do you have that you would like to pass on to your
son
? being engaged with what?s going on with the world. being mindful. any bad habits you would not want to pass on? i?m a perfectionist, and that has always been a challenge for me. i would want him to enjoy
things
as they are and not be upset if
things
aren?t perfect. hardest thing about being a mom? there are so many opportunities to second guess yourself. last gift you received? my husband gave me a painting that was written in script and said, ?you are enough.? what?s one thing you must do every
day
or else you feel your
day
won?t be complete? every
day
after school, my
son
and i go and get a donut. it?s our special moment together, and he loves it. what?s one thing your
son
has taught you? to make the most of every
day
. we learned that early on because we never knew when or if that
day
was going to be our last with joseph because we were fostering him. we adopted him before his third birth
day
. how did you react when you found out you were going to be a mom? it was bittersweet because his first family wasn?t able to be a part of his life. what?s your parenting style? firm but fun. i have high expectations but i?m committed to having fun and making the most of it. what?s one piece of advice you often give your
son
? be kind to others. being kind can take you far in life as a child and even as an adult. how has parenthood changed you? it has wrecked me in the best way! i never imagined enjoying it as much as i do. it has challenged me to let go of the unimportant
things
and cling to the wonderful, unex - pected
things
. what?s the best parenting advice you have ever received? we were travelling and stopped and ate at a burger king, which is something we rarely do. an old man told us, ?slow down, enjoy it, and take photos. one
day
you?re going to look up and he?s going to be grown.? we still think about that man from burger king! what?s one thing you would invent to help make your life easier? a laundry folding machine. it never ends! fill in the blank! before kids, i never thought i would... lie to my kids. the parenting item i couldn?t live without... google. i am always looking up parenting information. in my fridge, you will always find... watermelon. favorite movie growing up... ferris bueller?s
day
off . my guilty pleasure is... trashy courtroom t.v. favorite children?s book is... the velveteen rabbit . growing up, i knew i wanted to? change the world. i can?t stop listening to... the civil wars. august 2016 | brparents.com 51
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