Family First

The past 3 years I have dedicated almost all of my volunteer time to Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) because its mission of erradicating literacy is so important because knowing how to read is a necessary requirement to become a self supporting member of society.

RIF will always receive my full support, and a large chunk of my volunteer time, since I operate my own chapter however I will expand my personal mission of "Family First ~ Living a Family Centered Life" because at the end of the day I want to be remembered as a mom that was always there for her children.

In 2009, I became a Girl Scouts troop leader to ensure that Vanessa could have the Girl Scouting experience and it was one of the best things I ever did because it strengthen my bond with my daughter and improved her overall confidence in herself. Since Jade was too young to join the troop initially she served as my little helper however as of October 1st she is officially a Daisy Girl Scout. We are all so excited for the unfolding of the 2010-2011 scouting year.

Additionally, I am now a soccer mom to William (and Jade.) William's teacher explained to his dad that his self esteem needed to be bolstered because he did not interact well with classmates and oftentimes said negative things about himself. I have read numerous articles on how sports improves a child's confidence so I researched the different types available within our community and decided on soccer due to the fact that William is "specially-abled" due to not being able to use his left hand. Soccer was the perfect sport since no hands are allowed. So far, William is thoroughly enjoying soccer and it is the highlight of his week.

Earlier today, I made flash cards using Dolch sight words for all three children and it dawned on me that I need to share with others the importance of adult involvement in the lives of children (even those that are not biologically your own) because the impact these interactions have on the life of a child are priceless and directly determine the greatness of our next generation.