We love our Rio Grande Valley Moms Blog contributors, and we want you to get to know them as well! We range from first-time moms to moms of multiples. We stay at home, work at home and work away from the home. Some of us are born and raised in the RGV, and others only just realized how much they love it here!
So sit back, grab a pumpkin spice latte (or your beverage of choice!) and get to know Christy, a contributor since 2016. You can also follow along today as she takes over our RGVMB Instagram (@rgvmomsblog)!
Q: Tell us about your family.
A: I’ve been married for 12 years to my husband Caleb, who is a teacher at IDEA McAllen. We’ve lived in the Valley for nine of those years and love calling the RGV home. We have an 8-year-old son (Nate), a 5-year-old daughter who is adopted (Kamila) and a 2-year-old son (Eli). We have been foster parents for the last five years, and we have an 8-month-old cutie in our care right now.
Q: If you know me at all, you know I like:
A: chocolate, raspas, and soft voices.
Q: What kid’s movie or music choice will you keep watching/listening to, even when your kids leave the room?
A: There are SO many that I could name that DON’T make the list! But my current favorites kids’ movie is definitely Coco. We also have some of the Slugs and Bugs CDs that we listen to in the van, and I’m definitely guilty of singing along with them after I drop off the kids somewhere!
Q: What’s one pre-baby idea that you had about motherhood that you have since thrown out the window?
A: That I would never use a pacifier! That one went out the window on the way home from the hospital with my first! And that I wouldn’t have or need a van. I never dreamed of being the minivan mom with a bunch of kids in tow, but I LOVE every single thing about our Odyssey and all the little ones who have ridden in it!
Q: What’s your least favorite household chore?
A: Cleaning bathrooms! It’s gotta be done, but I just despise doing it!
Q: What one piece of encouragement would you give to first-time moms?
A: Motherhood is just like anything else, you get better at it over time. Do the best job you can, and give yourself grace when it comes to your plans and your timing for all things baby-related. Babies certainly teach us how not in control we are of life, so embrace the lesson and learn to go with the flow (at least a little!). Do the best you can…and have more kids! You’ll feel so much more confident (and chill) the next time around, I promise!
Q: What is one sentence/value/thought that you repeatedly use and hope has lasting power on your kids?
A: “Use your words.” I don’t know how many times a day this gem comes out of my mouth! Maybe it’s the journalism major in me, but the way we communicate matters so much — what we say, and how we say it (see soft voices, above)! The Bible says in Proverbs that our tongue has the power of life and death in it. I want my kids to speak life. I want them to speak with gentleness, love, and respect…and let’s just say we still have some work to do! But I’ve realized over time that I’m the only way they will learn this skill. Yikes. So I’m working on it, too!
