Here’s a little bit about who I am…

Here are 9 quick, random facts about me (because 10 seems so cliché):

1.  I love cats; dogs are ok, too, if they are small, cuddly, and extra furry, kind of like a cat.
2.  My dream is to be a snowbird (someone who flees the nasty cold and snow of winter for more tropical climates) before I’m of “official” snowbird age, which I deem to be about 65. I have 20 years to make that happen so I’m feeling confident.
3.  I hate to talk on the phone, but will chat by email, text, or IM like nobody’s business.  You can also be sure those chats will be filled by lots of smiley faces 🙂  (or possibly frowny ones, depending on the topic at hand)
4.  One of my favorite snacks is brownie mix; no eggs, just a little oil & water.  Yummy!
5.  Even though I don’t enjoy cleaning, I do love to organize and am actually quite good at it.  I’m an enigma 😉
6.  I grew up in a town of 300 people, many of whom I was related to.  It was a great way to grow up, but I would go stir crazy there as an adult.
7.  My favorite color is purple and it has been ever since I was very little.
8.  My car’s name is Dave.  It’s a girl.  Named after my cat, Dave, (may she rest in peace) who was also a girl.  Don’t judge me; it’s really hard to tell if a cat is a boy or a girl if you’re not a vet…or maybe it’s not, I don’t know…but she looked like a Dave and my kids named her, so…
9.  I’m pretty sure I’m my parents’ favorite daughter.  It was touch and go there for awhile, but I think being the only girl put me over the top

I’m a Work-at-Home Mom with 5 kids.  I have 4 boys (they are all now adults) and a girl who is in elementary school. She is adopted from Guatemala and I am passionate about adoption. I love to see children, especially those who have been waiting for a family, come home!

I have been homeschooling my kids for over 20 years now, starting when my oldest son was just 3 years old.   I figure I have another 7 years to go.  That’s over 30 years I’ll have spent educating my children – that’s a LONG time!  It’s been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding.  I guess by the time I’m done, I’ll have racked up over 30 years of character building – for me 🙂

I love to read and learn new things.  I also love to write.  I really try to keep it short, but it’s just not possible.  I think that’s why I haven’t mastered Twitter…I just can’t say what I’m thinking in only 140 characters.

I would rather sit down and do hours of data entry than clean my house.  As such, I’m not a fan of the “pop-in”.  If you drop by to see me unannounced, well, you might have to sign a release form saying you promise not to tell about the dishes in my sink or the kitty fur on my couch.  (Disclaimer: Lest you think we live in a pig pen, my home is decently clean most of the time, but if you drop by, I make no guarantee that, at that moment in time, you will see a picture worthy place).  I have decided that I just really need an “Alice”; you know, the housekeeper on The Brady Bunch who was needed to cook, clean, do laundry, and watch the kids…even though no one could ever figure out what Mrs. Brady did except for needlepoint and some random volunteer work that apparently kept her too busy for anything else.

I  support my family by selling on Amazon.  I have developed a course about how I do this and I also teach others how to make a living from home.  It has allowed me to stay home with my kids, continue to homeschool, and yet still feed, clothe & shelter them (which they -and the authorities- see as very important).

I’ve also written a book about balancing life between work and being a Mom when you work from home.  I don’t claim to be perfect or have that all down pat, but I have learned some things throughout the years and hope you can take away some tips to improve your work/life balance.  It’s totally Free and you can get it by going here: WAHM- From Surviving to Thriving

The title of my blog might seem like it’s totally geared toward children, but it’s really not about the kids. Moms need to “play, dream, and grow“, too. My heart is to encourage Moms, no matter what stage of their parenting journey they’re on, how many kids they have, if they’re single or married, or whether they work inside or outside their homes, paid in dollars or jelly smeared kisses. I want to bring hope and practical, real-life help for Moms, sprinkled with a little humor just for fun.

You will notice that I sign off by saying “Keep Dreaming“.  My reasoning for that is I think it’s so important.  Dreams keep Hope alive and vice versa.  And I really don’t want to live in a world with no Hope.  Personally, I keep my Dreams and Hope firmly planted in Jesus.  Even when I stumble around, He is always faithful, so I figure He’s the best keeper of my Hope and my Dreams.  🙂

If you want to keep up with everything going on here, you can subscribe by entering your name & email below.  I promise not to sell your email for vacation money or to spam you with 50 posts a day.

Keep Dreaming ~
Beth