Tot Mom #43

Bonnie & Triston — Proud working mom & her little man

Both Bonnie and her husband are originally from New Jersey. She lived there during her youth before attending college at Belmont Abbey, in Belmont, North Carolina. She majored in Business Management and moved to Charlotte to work for Phillip Morris after graduation. She decided to move back home to NJ and met the man of her dreams shortly after while hanging out with some friends at a concert.  Of course, she thought he was good looking and proceeded to ask him out. I like a woman who can take charge! The two were engaged one year later, at a concert, go figure. They were listening to one of her favorite Jersey punk rock bands and to her surprise, the band stopped to say a few words to a special lady in the crowd. The spotlight shone down on her and before she knew it, Adam had the ring in front of her. Needless to say, she was completely swept off her feet as she accepted his proposal to one of their favorite songs, Lean on Sheena. During their engagement, Bonnie decided to make a career change to the field of nursing. The two were married in June 2008 and her life changed forever! They moved to Greenville, NC where she obtained a job in nursing, however, the couple wanted a little more action in their lives, so they moved to Charlotte after 2 years. Bonnie is currently a nurse in the emergency room at Carolina Medical Center North East. For fun, Bonnie and Adam love to go to concerts, enjoying a variety of music. They enjoy being outdoors, swimming & hiking. Their favorite spots around the Charlotte area are Lake Norman and Birkdale Village. Bonnie’s hobbies consist of scrapbooking and cooking, which she would love to pick back up now that her little man is growing older.

Triston, aka T, or Triston Jade (if he is in trouble), will be 2 years old July 25. His absolute favorite things are art and music. In fact, his birthday party is going to be art themed. The kids will even get to decorate their own smocks! Triston also enjoys wagon rides and would stay in there for hours if you let him. He loves his kittys, Dublin and Chanel, or diddys (as he calls them). This baby boy is growing up and will start preschool this fall and mom couldn’t be more pleased at the thought of adding some structure in his life. For fun, Bonnie and Tristen like to go to the Birkdale fountains together and splash around, but their favorite outing is the Cornelius Art Center. This center has drop in art, where you pay a fee of $6 and your child gets to visit various art stations for one hour. That sounds like so much fun, Madison and I are going to join them on their next art adventure!

Bonnie says the hardest thing about being a Tot Mom is keeping up with Triston and allowing him to be independent. She has to separate her nurse mentality from mommy mentality so she doesn’t become too overprotective. The best thing is watching how he copies everything she and her husband do. It is so much fun to watch him pick up life habits just by observing his mom and dad’s actions. Looks like you guys will have to watch what you say and do from now on!

Tot Mom #42

Grace, Miranda, & Sabrina — Cute, Cuter, Cutest

Miranda — Drama Queen

Sabrina — Miss Independent

Grace is originally from Augusta, Georgia and lived there for most of her life. She attended Augusta State University, earning her degree in finance & economics. Grace picked up and moved to Charlotte when she was transferred with First Union and has now lived here about fourteen years. She didn’t know a single person when she moved here, yet was able to eventually build friendships, some through work. A fellow coworker had two friends that he thought may interest Grace, so she met them and began hanging out with both of them within her group of friends. All of them attended the MS walk in Newton, NC one weekend and she began to grow very fond of Randy, who is now her husband. They were married in March 2006 and now have two adorable girls. For fun, they love traveling, but have had to put travels on hold with two little ones. Grace and Randy are going to start planning a much needed trip to Cabo San Lucas. Good Luck! For now, the pair enjoy an evening out every now and then at their favorite restaurants, Ru’sans and Ruth’s Chris. Grace has been a stay at home mom since September 2011 and loves it! She will continue to stay home as long as the family can swing it with one income. One of her favorite hobbies is belly dancing, which she describes as a “celebration of womanhood”. Grace also stated that she never had a lot of time to put much effort into cooking, so she is enjoying cooking now that she stays home with her girls.

Miranda is four years old and goes by the nickname, Miranda panda. She is a bit of an introvert, yet has been recently coming out of her shell. Miranda is also mommy’s little drama queen! For example, the other day she spilled her drink and asked Grace, “Mommy, are you going to leave me?” Then, she took off running and locked herself in her room. Sounds like most girls to me! Miranda is into princesses and girly things, so it comes to no surprise she wants to take dance lessons. She is also the little swimmer in the family, having begun lessons at only 7 months old. Sabrina is one year old and the opposite of Miranda. She is fearless and a risk taker and enjoys climbing on just about everything. Sabrina is the extrovert and outgoing. This little one likes to be independent and do things her own way. It is a good thing she has such a great big sister, who loves her and helps her any chance she gets.

Grace stated the hardest thing about being a tot mom is finding a way to nurture the relationship with her husband. The best thing is the joy her little girls give her every day. “I feel complete.”

Tot Mom #41

Dana & David — Love at first sight

Meadow — Making everyone smile

Lyric — Compassionate & Kind

Dana was born in Lantana, Florida, however, grew up in West Palm Beach. She attended the University of Florida, where she majored in music. After one semester of having fun, Dana moved back home to attend Palm Beach Community College, where she was able to be serious. During this time, she got a job at a Cigar Bar as a personal assistant doing party hosting. She eventually became very busy planning events, so she made the decision to do it full time. Dana met her husband, David, at one of the events. He noticed her and that is all she wrote. David asked her out and they went on a date two days later. After ten days of dating, the two packed up everything they owned and took off on an adventure to start their life together. They stopped in Helen Georgia for a break from the road trip and David proposed to Dana. She knew he was the one and said, “Yes!” They continued their journey and landed in Asheville, North Carolina where they lived in a hotel. Dana got a job at a physical rehabilitation clinic working at the front desk, so they stayed there for a while. Within three weeks of knowing one another, they were engaged and found out that they were going to have a baby! Unbelievable! Dana and David stayed in Asheville for a few months, however, found it difficult for David to find work. Being a massage therapist, he needed a location where he could move forward with his career. He found a job at Massage Envy in Huntersville, so the two moved here. In the middle of all of this, Dana grew homesick, so they tried moving back to Florida, yet found themselves continually discussing how wonderful it is in the Charlotte area. They made the final decision to settle down in Huntersville and have been married now for four years and have two beautiful children. For fun, they love being outdoors, especially to go on hikes. They also enjoy going for day trips to explore and visit new places. Currently the two are training to run a marathon. Dana’s hobbies include reading, visiting the website ‘pintrest’, and photography. You can visit Dana’s website at (laviephotographic.blogspot.com).

Lyric is almost four years old and loves any sports, mostly baseball and soccer. He also enjoys wearing his pajamas and would live in them if mommy would permit. Being a social butterfly, he likes to play with his friends and take care of them. When his friends fall down, he helps them up and wants to kiss their boo boos. He is gentle, polite, compassionate, but most of all, “the best big brother”. Meadow is seven months old and one of the most mellow, laidback babies around. On any given day, she is all smiles and easy going. Her favorite thing in the world right now, “mommy’s breast”. She also loves her big brother, watching him as he engages in play and giggles when he takes a moment to smile at her and call her “little miss”.

The hardest thing about being a Tot Mom is not having any alone time or time for yourself. The best thing is all the love and laughter. “They are so funny, it is priceless.”

Tot Mom #40

Kristina & Ruth — Always Outdoors

Kristina was born in Colorado and lived in just about every area of the US due to her father’s career in the military. Her family finally settled down in Virginia, where her parents currently live. She attended William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia and earned her degree in Psychology. During college she met her husband, Micah, while both were working at Staples. They didn’t hit it off right away, so it took some time of getting to know one another before falling in love. Micah was a few years ahead of Kristina, so he graduated and moved to Charlotte while she finished college. They held a long distance relationship until she graduated and moved here to continue their romance. They have been married now for about 8 years. Upon her arrival in Charlotte, Kristina went into human resources as a recruiter for a bank, yet decided it wasn’t for her, so she began looking into getting her Master’s Degree. She attended UNCC where she earned her Masters in Early Childhood Education. While taking classes, she got a job writing curriculum and loved it. Kristina is currently a stay at home mom and teaches a class at UNCC. She and her husband enjoy many activities, mostly those that involve being outside. They go camping, hiking, and indulge in the occasional motorcycle ride when they want to seek a thrill. This pair are also highly competitive and like to play boardgames, especially to beat other couples or family members. For their anniversary, they went miniature golfing and just to avoid any fun banter between the two, she threw the game. Her husband didn’t realize it until the last hole! Kristina’s hobbies consist of yoga and making greeting cards with stamps. She is also interested in getting back into ice skating, even though she states, “I’m not very good!”

Ruth, AKA tooter (because she toots a lot) and moobear, is an outdoors kind of girl who enjoys getting dirty. Her favorite activity is going worm hunting. She loves to dig up worms and bury them in her piles of dirt. Another outdoor activity she likes is going to the Lazy 5 Ranch to feed the animals. This active, curious 2 1/2 year old also has the silly habit of taking off her clothes. “She likes to be naked when running around the house and occasionally in public.” In fact, I witnessed her taking off socks, shoes, and pants. Yes, Ruth was running around in her diaper while having a play date with Madison and I! She is also very verbal and enjoys telling jokes to anyone who will listen. It comes to no surprise that she likes to be the leader and I have no doubt that she will continue leading the pack as she grows older.

The hardest thing about being a Tot Mom is watching your child when they get hurt, knowing there is nothing you can do but hold them until the pain goes away. The best thing is seeing everything through her eyes. “Everything is fun!”

Tot Mom #39

Denise & Billy — Lovers of the Lake

Cole, & Addison– Sweet & Spicy

Denise was born in Biloxi, Mississippi and moved to Winston Salem, North Carolina when she was thirteen. Her family often relocated due to her father’s career. She attended Fayetteville Tech to earn a degree in radiology, yet decided it wasn’t the career she wanted to pursue, so she moved to Statesville to go to CPCC  for Real Estate. Denise then moved to the Lake Norman area and began her career as a loan officer for a mortgage company. She met her husband, Billy, through mutual friends. Denise’s best friend was dating Billy’s best friend, so they began hanging out for a little while before starting a relationship. They have been married now for six years and love their Lake Norman life. When they have a chance to engage in activities without the children, they enjoy sneaking away for some wings and drinks. They also like to attend Panthers football games and take their boat out for a cruise on the lake. In fact, the whole family piles onto the boat to enjoy water activities all summer long. Sounds like the good life to me! Denise’s hobby consists of running and working out at the YMCA. She needs to stay in shape to keep up with her twin four year olds!

Cole is laid back and mild mannered, often depending on his outgoing, strong willed twin sister. He loves superheros, transformers, and most of all, dressing in cowboy attire. He and his sister attend the YMCA preschool program and love it. The Y offers a wide range of athletic actvities from swimming to gymnastics. No wonder they love it! Addison is a girly girl and highly into princesses and fashion. She is the leader of the pack and “rules the nest” at home. Cole listens to Addison for the most part. She is a little swim bug and would live under the water, if possible.

The hardest thing about being a Tot Mom is juggling the toddler years with all of the melt downs and temper tantrums. It also becomes difficult to juggle being a mom and a wife. The best thing is watching them grow and develop their own personalities. “It is hysterical to watch a mini you and your husband running around.”

Tot Mom #38

                                    Emma & Mama’s Boy

Emma, Kylee, Chloe, & Liam — Young Love

Emma was born in Romania and lived there until the age of 6. She and her family moved around a little, having lived in Oregon, California, and finally Chicago, where they have been settled for 20 years. She met her husband, Cosmin, at a wedding when she was 15 years old and they have been head over heels ever since. They are both Christian and made the decision to save themselves for marriage. After 4 years of dating, the two tied the knot and have been married now for 9 years. Emma stated that she feels blessed to have such a sweet husband and has cherished seeing him every day for the past 13 years. Fairy tale love is real!  Emma had a wonderful job in Chicago at Neiman Marcus before becoming a stay at home mom. The two moved to Huntersville 3 months ago for Cosmin to continue his career at Sprint Nascar as a computer technician. For fun, they enjoy street racing and are proud to say that they own a Mitsubishi Evo, which is just as fast as an exotic car. I’ll take your word for it! Street racing has come to a halt since they have 3 children, so Cosmin likes to drive the Evo to work. Emma said the engine is loud and she can hear her husband coming down the street every evening from work. Her hobby consists of playing the guitar and singing. She used to sing gospel at her church and looks forward to getting back into music soon.  We had the pleasure of hearing Emma play the guitar and sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. Madison watched and listened intently as the sweet music filled the air. What a treat!

Kylee, Chloe, & Liam are all under the age of 6 and mommy had them all before reaching 26. Kylee is 5 and the stubborn one in the group. When she comes home each day from Kindergarten, “All hell breaks loose!” Emma has accepted she can’t change Kylee’s character, so she has revamped the way she disciplines her. Kylee is into Hello  Kitty and loves to sing. She and mommy do duets together and Emma admits she is good. Shopping and going out anywhere are high priorities for this little Vixon. You name it, she will be there! Chloe is 2 1/2 years old and the lamb of the family. She is very calm, never cries, and is considered to be the “perfect child”. Her favorite thing to do is play with her toy story dolls, which she has many. She also has a large bronco in the living room, which she likes to ride like Jessie, the cowgirl from Toy Story. Liam is 11 months old and a “mama’s boy”. He is obsessed with his mommy and attached at the hip. Emma even has to cook while holding him. He likes to play with his sisters and bug them, when he isn’t climbing on mama.

The hardest thing about being a tot mom of 3 is not having help. The best thing is just having them, they are a blessing.

Tot Mom #37

Jennifer, William, & Matthew — Generations of Love

Jennifer was born in Miami, Florida, yet lived in a number of areas. She moved to Knoxville, Tennessee for her father’s career and considers this to be her hometown since she was raised here. Jennifer went to Birmingham, Alabama where she attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.  A short while later, she moved to Augusta, Georgia with her family.  She started her career at  a retina clinic as a certified ophthalmic assistant. After gaining experience in a diagnostic dye test, she accepted a position as head retinal angiographer in Wilmington, NC. She loved her job and ended up working for this clinic for 8 years before taking a position which involved research in Charlotte.  She rented a house in Southpark and started working at Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose, & Throat in the Imaging department.  During this time, she joined the ever so popular eHarmony site where she met the love of her life, Tom. They were inseparable from the very beginning and were married in November 2008. For fun, this couple likes to go to the mountains, particularly Blue Ridge Parkway and Blowing Rock. They also like going to beach, which is convenient since both of their parents own beach houses. Jennifer & Tom love playing with their boys and working in the yard.  Jennifer’s hobbies include shopping, cooking and play dates for her boys. Her relaxation time is spent watching the food network to get ideas for gourmet dishes.

William is 18 months old and is the fourth generation, having been named after his father, grandfather and great grandfather.  He loves swimming and has been in the pool since he was 12 weeks old.  It also comes to no surprise that he enjoys bath time. Will is a sweet boy who loves his class at The Little Gym.  His favorite toy is his night soother ocean wonder machine (he never goes on a trip without it) and his favorite show is Yo Gabba Gabba. Matthew is 4 months old and named after his maternal grandfather.  He has just begun to smile and babble.

The hardest thing about being a Tot Mom is the sleep deprivation. Jennifer can’t wait to have her nights back so she can catch up on her sleep.  The best thing is that she and Tom have found the meaning of life through their boys.  She says everyday is heaven on earth.

Tot Mom # 36

Lauren — Pretty in Pink

Liam — I’m brand new!

Shelley & Luke — When you know, you know

Shelley is from Youngstown, Ohio and attended Youngstown State University, where she earned her nursing degree. After college, she decided to move to Pensacola, Florida to attend Bible school. She earned an associate degree in practical ministry and moved to Charlotte in 2003 to help the Bible School start a church. Shelley met her husband, Luke, at Freedom House Church. Luke was making a move personally in his life and sent an email to the church members to see if anyone could help him move his things. Shelley is the only one who showed up that day, so she and Luke had a few hours to get to know one another. After knowing each other for about 1 1/2 months, Luke told Shelley that she would be his wife. Her response, ” I know.” About 8 months down the road, the two took a leap and have been happily married now for 5 years. When this couple has a chance to go out, they like to dance or listen to live entertainment, mostly jazz. They also enjoy going to dinner and catching a broadway show. Shelley’s hobby is playing tennis. She used to play, pre-tots, and hopes to join a tennis team when her children are older. I would start searching the Lake Norman area!

Lauren is 21 months old and loves just about any activity, since she is so active. She enjoys reading books, putting puzzles together, and watching her favorite television show, Veggie Tales. Lauren also likes being around other people and is quite social, so Shelley makes it a point to take Lauren out and about so she can be around other children. Gymboree is Lauren’s favorite place to enjoy mingling with peers, as well as singing, dancing, and getting the wiggles out. Liam is only two weeks old, so Shelley says she is unable to identify any type of personality yet. My guess? Liam is probably shy since it seems as if most siblings are opposite. Only time will tell!

The hardest thing about being a Tot Mom is juggling two kids’ schedules. It seems as if they both need you at one time. The best thing, “It is so much fun!”

Tot Mom #35

Justin, Jessica, Joel, & Jobe — The Super J’s

Jessica and her husband, Justin, both grew up in Maryland and began their relationship right before heading to college. Jessica attended AACC college and Justin attended Clemson University. They continued a long distance relationship for a few years, seeing each other about 1 week every three months.  They got married when they were 20 years old right after their sophomore year in college. Jessica transferred to Anderson College in South Carolina to complete her junior year and Justin continued at Clemson. Jessica got a job as a Teacher’s Assistant, which allowed her to see what the future would hold once she graduated college. This experience, however, prompted her decision to fold up shop and discontinue earning her Education degree. Jessica is now a stay at home mom and loving it! She and her husband have been married 8 years now and just moved to Charlotte, NC on August 19, which makes them Charlotteans for all of 17 days. They love the lake area and can’t wait to go wakeboarding out on Lake Norman. This family is active and enjoy being outdoors, camping and hiking. Jessica’s main hobby is cooking. When she was young, she earned an allowance for cooking since her mother worked a lot. It didn’t feel like a chore, though, because she had already grown fond of cooking. Today, she cooks for all of her boys and admits that she is pretty darn good. To offset all of the delicious food, she takes her boys on a 3 mile jog everyday. Eating, then exercising, what a concept!

Joel is three years old and enjoys any boyish activity, including sports, balls, trucks, cars, and riding bikes. His favorite toy of all, however, is his set of golf clubs. Joel’s favorite television show is Wipeout, believe it or not. He will watch that show over any other popular kid’s program, including Blues Clues. Joel is laid back, calm, and shy. When he is around a group of children, he won’t say a word. One thing I noticed, though, is that he is very sweet. He and Madison were sitting on the bench at Birkdale and he leaned over and kissed her cheek. Jobe is one year old and completely opposite from his older brother. He is constantly on the go, doesn’t watch television, and he is not shy at all! Jobe is also all boy, liking to climb and hike. He is obsessed with trains and loves playing the drums. It comes to no surpise that he also enjoys  following Joel around, attempting to do everything he does. That will never change!

The hardest thing about being a Tot Mom is managing the 2 kids, feeding one, potty training the other. Jessica feels outnumbered when she is by herself. The best thing is seeing the fruits of your labor being played out. Watching the children follow through without being told what to do is so rewarding.

Tot Mom #34

Nancy, Murphy, & Neve — Soft, yet hard

Nancy was born and raised in Thailand and moved to Charleston, South Carolina when she was 14. She attended Lander University in Greenwood, SC and Trident Tech where she studied criminal justice and sociology. She completed her training and certification at the police academy in Columbia, SC. Nancy was a police officer for 8 years with the Greenville City Police Department. It is strange to think of her in this role because she is so sweet! After 8 years of enforcing the law, she felt herself becoming a different person and needed a change. Her friend was a massage therapist and always looked so calm and carefree, so Nancy looked into it. During this exploration, she took her neice to Boone to snow ski for her 21st birthday. She met a guy while snowboarding and by the end of the trip, they exchanged numbers and he planted the seed that she should live in Charlotte. Nancy moved to Charlotte, bought a house, and attended the Southeastern School of Neuromuscular & Massage Therapy. Of course she and Scott began dating and have been married for four years. While in massage school, she obtained a wonderful job working at  Tuscan Development as the assistant to the president of the company and put massage therapy on hold. After the economy crash,  Nancy was laid off and became a full time massage therapist. She has been building relationships and learning people’s bodies to help them feel better ever since. She and her husband love going to WVU games, snowboarding, and spending time with their girls. Nancy’s hobbies include cooking, baking cakes, sewing, and doing crafts. I had the pleasure of making a beautiful necklace at Nancy’s house and I’m looking forward to making a mobile for Madison’s room. Thanks for bringing out the crafty side in me Nancy!

Murphy is three years old and a little on the wild side. Nancy commented she was as good as gold, until she hit age 3. Sounds familiar! Murphy loves her baby sister, playing with her and giving little kisses. She likes doing gymnastics and plans on attending a gym this fall. She is also going to preschool this September, thank goodness, since she has become “obsessed” with school. Murphy also enjoys coloring and has really neat crayons made for her dry erase board. This will be good preparation for Kindergarten. Neve is four months old and just a sweet, little Lovey Dovey. She is calm and quiet, most of the time. Neve likes hands, so instead of munching on her own, mommy gives her a banana toothbrush to use.  It is cute to see the girls together, since Murphy looks just like Nancy and Neve looks just like Scott. They have two very different looks, yet are two very adorable girls!

The hardest thing about being a Tot Mom is letting go and allowing her husband to do his thing. It is often more peaceful when Scott is at work, just because Nancy has the girls running like clock work. The best thing is that it is perfect! “This is what life is all about!”