DelaneyFOSTER

31-year-old mother of six children

Favorite healthy snack: A RAW bar.

Favorite not-so-healthy snack: Cheetos and Reese’s Cups.

My nutritional approach: We limit sweets and junk food and always try to make good food choices.

My stress buster: Chocolate and a few minutes alone, or a date with my husband.

Favorite book: Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Ted Tripp.

Favorite healthy treat: I have a recipe for healthy chocolate chip cookies.

Favorite unhealthy treat: Chocolate.

First ER visit: Our 1½-year-old daughter pulled her elbow out. Doctors performed an X-ray and then relocated the elbow.

Best mommy trick: No tricks. I just stay consistent in requiring my children to obey, and I always follow-up with them.

Favorite mommy moment: When my children get to that age when they purposely smile at me.

Healthy role model: In August, my husband and I began the first day of the rest of our lives by starting a program called the “24-Day Challenge.” As of today, we have both lost 50 pounds. We are healthier, feeling better, more energetic, and above all, setting a much better example to our kids.

Sharing the love: Just spending three to five minutes with each child can be sufficient. They can help me with tasks around the house, such as drying dishes, loading clothes into the washer, or shopping with me at the grocery store. They go from unruly child to mommy’s wonderful little helper in no time flat. Never underestimate the power of one-onone time.

First ER visit: We have been blessed to only have one emergency room story — knock on wood. Our son, Damon, decided that he wanted to be the youngest acrobat ever. At age 2, he climbed out of his crib and landed face first on the hardwood floor, cushioned underneath only by concrete. He had a concussion, a huge knot smack dab in the middle of his forehead, and a swollen area around his eye.

Favorite health flick: Facing the Giants. It is all about growing and conditioning athletes physically, mentally, and spiritually. We often revisit that movie for inspiration.

My stress buster: Cleaning because it burns quite a few calories.

Best mommy trick: It’s called the paddle. And it’s not a trick.

F

Guilty pleasure: Going out to sing karaoke, although it hardly ever happens.

Favorite book: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.

Healthy living: I minimize the amount of sweets and white processed carbs my children consume. They are excited to be training for their first 5K race… not because we are making them, but because they came to us and asked!

Worst mommy memory: I lead the music at my church and had planned to go over to the piano player’s house to plan music one night. When I arrived it was raining, so I hunkered down, ran into her house, and got to work. It was a good while later that it hit me like a lightning bolt — Daisy, my youngest, was still in the van. Thank the good Lord above she was still sleeping and the temperature was neither hot nor cold. It goes to show that no mom is perfect.