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10/10/2004 |
| Name: Shannon Age: 42 Home: Texas Occupation: I have been a mom since high school (I don't recommend starting that early). I have held part-time and seasonal jobs but have decided that being a full-time wife and mother is the most rewarding job for me. Family: Husband - David-49, Daughters Marleah-27, Amy-25, Sons Johnny-18, Jake-16, Samuel-15 Hobbies: What little spare time I have I like to spend cultivating female friendships, decorating my home, and helping my children with their pursuits. What Funny Things Do Your kids Do/Say: Our youngest son has severe disabilities. He only speaks a few words and most of them only family can understand. He can say Momma, Daddy, A-dee'ah (Marleah), Deedle Dee (Amy), Nonny (Johnny) and Nonny (Jake). Yes - he calls both of his brothers Nonny which really perturbs his brother Jake. We have joked that its is like the characters on Newhart, "This is my brother Daryl and my other brother Daryl". The Most Rewarding Thing About Parenting: Watching my little ones turn into responsible, polite adults has been the highlight of my life. All of those times I thought I was beating my head against a wall have paid off. The Most Challenging Thing About Parenting: Raising my daughters was easier to me than my sons. After all, I'm a girl (not a lot older than they are) so I could relate fairly well with the issues they were facing. My sons are "horses of a different color". They are going to be men, so as they have gotten older I have deferred to my husband on a lot of issues. Favorites: Some of our best times have been spent around game boards; Monopoly, Farkle, Upwords, and such. Even when the children were young we would modify games so that everyone could play. Money Saving Tips: Take time to sort laundry, pre-treat stain and mend tears. Keeping the kids clothes in good repair has allowed me to hand them down to younger siblings. Best Bargain Ever: We bought a fixer-upper house for $29,000. It was large enough for our family (2400 sq.ft.) but needed some work. We sold it 8 years later for $65,000. In the Kitchen: I have a small chest-type freezer in my pantry. When I find a good buy on an item I purchase extra and freeze it. Grated cheese at the wholesale club is a wonderful buy and it freezes beautifully. One box of freezer bags lasts me a long time. I wash and reuse them. (Do not reuse ones that have had meat products in them.) Organization: Look at your closets and see if there is wasted space. Is there room for an extra shelf above the hanging bar? Adding a shoe shelf the the bottom of the closet will double the number of shoes you can line up. Keep short hanging items on one side of the closet and use the space below for additional shelving or another hanging bar. |
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