This week we are introducing you to our new contributors! Yesterday we introduced Becky and Jessi. Today we’d love to have you meet Laura and Melissa!
Meet Laura
My name is Laura and I am excited to be joining the Moms Blog team!
I’m a mom of three little ones who keep me on my toes: Ethan (age 7), Anna (age 4) and Kate (age 1). I met my wonderful husband Ryan when we were in college and we have been adventuring around the country together ever since.
I am an Iowa transplant. After growing up and going to college in Maryland, I spent the first 10 years of my grown up life living at the beach – first in southern California and then in South Carolina. I had never been to Iowa before the day that my family moved into our first place here in the Iowa City area. It was a big leap of faith to move somewhere sight unseen for my husband’s job at University of Iowa, but I haven’t been disappointed. We’ve lived here almost 4 years now and it feels like home. I feel like Goldilocks. My one stoplight hometown, population 1,500, was too small. The L.A. area was too big. Iowa City is just right. I love being able to walk around downtown or go to the park and run into other families that we know but still have all the culture and amenities of a “big city.” We’ve found Iowa City to be a great family-friendly community and we are really glad to be raising our kids here.
I have lucked into the wonderful position of being a work at home mom, where I feel like I get the best of both the working mom and stay at home mom worlds. I work full-time as the Development Director for a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged children in my old southern California community. I spend my work days writing grants, planning events, creating marketing materials, and getting hugs from my kids throughout the day. Really, I can’t imagine a better way to work than that!
Though writing has always been an important part of my life, this is my first time blogging. I’ll be sharing some of the best and the hardest parts of being a mom and I hope you are entertained by my adventures in parenting!
Meet Melissa
Having been born and raised in southwest Iowa, I love everything about living in a state where family and education is highly valued. After graduating from Shenandoah High School, I attended the University of Northern Iowa, where I earned both my bachelor degree in Early Childhood Special Education and my master’s degree in K-6 Learning Disabilities. My very first teaching job brought me to the Iowa City area, where I have now lived for 14 years. My family and I currently reside in North Liberty, where we have enjoyed small-town life while being close to the city, for the past 4 years.
I am the mother of Kennedy, our very energetic and funny 3 year-old little girl. My husband Eric and I have been married for 10 years and we both teach for the Clear Creek Amana School District. I currently teach kindergarten, but have previously taught early childhood special education, preschool, and K-3 special education. After 14 years of teaching, I have found that my passion for working with young children continues to grow and I love how my students make me smile and laugh everyday!
Outside of teaching, I enjoy doing hands-on activities with Kennedy like creating with homemade play-dough, finger painting with colored shaving cream, or building castles in our sandbox. Anything messy is on our list of favorites for Mommy-Daughter time! I also enjoy walking our two four-legged children; our old and overweight beagle Lenny and our oddball and sweet dachshund-beagle mix Cooper. I like to spend whatever free time I have left hanging out with my family and friends, reading, baking, cheering on the Hawkeyes at wrestling meets, and of course shopping when my teacher budget allows!
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