Tag, I'm It!

I have been tagged by my friend Rachel to answer these questions and post a picture of myself with my children. I tag my friends Karen Cochrane and Erin Essenburg to copy this post and answer the questions.

1. How many children do you have? 2

2. What are their ages? Avery is almost 3.5 and Mary Hannah is a very talkative 1.5

3. What time do you start your day? 5:30, The alarm so rudely awakens my well-deserved slumber and reminds me that life in the real world awaits! I roll out of bed, after hitting the snooze a time or two, and shuffle like an old man into the bathroom where the bright lights cause me to squint as though I was staring directly into the sun.

4. What do you eat for breakfast? Breakfast on the run, so as not to wake the little ones (their room is next to the kitchen). Yogurt and granola, usually. However, thanks to my friend Angela T. I have recently tried the Jimmy Dean light breakfast sandwiches. English muffin, turkey sausage, egg white, and cheese. It's WAY more delicious than it sounds!

5. Do your kids watch TV? Yes, we watch family friendly TV, sports (both MH and Avery love watching football!) , and DVDs (most recently, we love the LeapFrog series, Raffi and Hermie). I don't let them watch any shows or cartoons whose characters exhibit behaviors that I don't want to see in my home. Family Guy, for example, is not even close!

6. What are their favorite activities? They LOVE to play outside. Going to the park is a huge favorite. At home they enjoy "reading" books and coloring.

7. Do you get a break during the day for some you time? Yes, if you count the 28 minutes that I have for lunch at school. In that time I drop off the kids, reheat my leftovers, visit the potty, check my email, call a parent, discuss lesson plans with colleagues, grade papers, and return to the cafeteria to pick up the students feeling fully refreshed from such a lovely break.

8. How do you end your day? I love comfy pjs. They are way underrated! I sit in my cozy bed to watch TV, check my email, facebook, blogs, etc. and slowly drift away to Sleepytown, USA. It is a beautiful place.

9. What is your best parenting advice or tip? It is important to establish from the very beginning the roles of parent and child. Adults should be the parents, and the children should be the children. Too often, children are allowed to call the shots and rule the house, resulting in terrible misbehavior, chaos, and an imbalanced environment. A stable home is one where everyone has a role and feels secure in playing their part.

I really love what Rachel said: "Be consistent. Children really want guidelines. Also try to focus on the bigger picture or goal in why we discipline. I am trying to keep in mind that my ultimate goal is to teach my children to exemplify Christ's love to one another."