CPO Member Spotlight- Ladybug Mom

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By CanadianParents.com Community

What brought you to CPO, or how did you find us?  

I first found CPO back in 1999 when my daughter Mackenzie was a Toddler.  I had just bought my first Internet ready computer and joined the Parenting Pen Pals section in search of other Single Parents to correspond with. Then when I was expecting my son Liam in 2002 I reregistered under my current name Ladybug Mom, but it wasn't until I was expecting my 3rd child Ciaran that I became hooked.  My husband was working out of town for 6 months and CPO became that daily adult interaction that I was missing while he was away. You've been stuck with me ever since!

Any favorite Boards?  

I tend to post all over CPO by browsing the Hot Topics of the Day, but the boards that catch my eye are definitely the Baby Wearing Board, Family Vacations Board, Car Seat Safety, Breastfeeding Support, Cooking Recipes & Mealtime and Green Living. Those are the ones I tend to post on the most often, but I read posts from everywhere. I have joked with some CPO'ers before that I read a lot more than I post!

What are your hobbies and interests?

I absolutely love to cook, the bigger the meal the better!  I also started paper crafting and scrapbooking in the fall of 2005 and love the creative outlet it has given me.  I never really thought of myself as artistic, but there definitely is something amazing about taking scraps of paper and embellishments and creating beautiful cards, layouts and keepsakes.  Another passion of mine is Car Seat Safety. I recently became a Certified Child Restraint System Technician and I frequent the Car Seat Safety Board and plan to write some more articles on the topic. I credit some CPO members who are also passionate about Child Passenger Safety for helping to educate me and many other parents out there. Lastly, I love to travel! Luckily my husband Andrew does as well. I try and write about some of our family's travels at my CPO Blog- Tales From a "GREEN" Minivan.

How many children do you have?

I have 4 children aged from Toddler to Teen!  My eldest and artist, Mackenzie is almost 13. Liam will soon be 7, he's the inquisitive and cautious one.  Ciaran, 5 in the fall, is my first redhead and yes, what they say about redheads and tempers is the truth! Last but not least is wee Finn 2.5, also a redhead and who we like to call the escape artist!  We think he may have a career in it someday!

Maybe a little something about your parenting style or parenting  philosophy...

My husband Andrew and I are pretty laid back parents.  We have learned over the years that one method that may have worked on one child may not work on another. This can be a challenge especially with 4 children!  We try and do our best to keep things fair amongst the kids, and value their input as well.  In general, we see parenting as a sport and our family is our team, we try and work together to achieve winning results!

 What are you most looking forward to this Summer?

I am most looking forward to our home renovations being complete!  We started early in the summer and tried to time some of the work being completed while away on vacation.  I'm also looking forward to some CPO get togethers this summer and meeting a few more community members IRL.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with the CPO Community?

It has been an absolute pleasure being a part of the CPO Community for the past 7 years and Community Producer for the past 3 years. I have learned so much through other parents' experiences with their own children and I know my kids have benefitted from that wisdom. I look forward to logging in and going to work every day and interacting with such great people. I have been lucky to meet many CPO'ers and hope to meet many more!