The Busy Moms

Congratulations to our Busy Moms!

Thank to everyone who nominated his or her Busy Mom. It was no easy task for our panel of judges to score all the essays we've received. Without further ado, here are your Bemis Busy Mom winners!

*update* Nineteenth finalist has been announced!*update* Twentieth finalist has been announced!

• Grand Prize Winner

• The Busy Mom: Robin Kirton of Murray, UT Nominated by: John Kirton of Murray, UT [+] Read Essay

  My wife, Robin, is definitely the busiest mom. Why? She ensures that our lives are as "normal" as possible. You see, she's not only the mom of six children—they're all Autistic. We have three boys age 3, 8 and 13 and three girls age 2, 5 and 9. And, Robin has fibromyalgia, causing her to be exhausted most of the time.

  Robin doesn't have a typical week. Our home is a constant, ever-changing, swirling combination of meals, diaper changes, laundry, housework, mopping, wiping, crying, comforting, appointments and so much more.

  This past year was an especially busy one. We were just discovering and dealing with the emotions of finding out about our children's Autism. Then, our family was hit by a heavy blow. Robin commented to a social worker about her frustrations and need for a break from the daily disasters in our home. As a result, our children were taken from us.

  At first, the state Child Protective Service thought how we dealt with maintaining our home and children was unsafe. Within two weeks our children were returned to us when the court realized exactly what we were dealing with. The judge ordered my wife to be evaluated. Robin has borderline clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder (not surprising). She is now on medication to help her through each day.

  The three youngest are still in diapers and the 3 and 5-year-olds are completely non-verbal. We have to put them in one-piece outfits, backward, to keep them from stripping. Our three-year-old climbs on, breaks and rips everything. We call him "The Destroyer" (like Conan the Destroyer).

  I often hear the dryer's buzz at 3 a.m. The washing machine runs nearly 20 hours a day. After the children are in bed, Robin will dash to the gym.

  If any mom needs a break from her busy life, it's my wife Robin.

• Busy Mom Finalists

• The Busy Mom: Brooke Dalton of Maumee, OH Nominated by: Jason Dalton of Maumee, OH [+] Read Essay

  I am writing to "MOMinate" my wife for the Bemis' Busy Mom contest. My wife is a stay – at - home mother of two wonderful boys. When you think of the typically stay at home mom you may think of cooking, cleaning, laundry, groceries, driving the children to practices, or school, or doctors appointments, taking care of the children while they are sick, helping with homework, and the list could continue on and on, but unfortunately for my wife that is just the a small glimpse of what she does on a daily basis. A little over three years ago I became temporarily "handicapped" from a car accident. Throughout the three – plus - years I went through countless procedures including five back surgeries. As of right now, my injuries have no end in sight and because of this my wife has had to take over not only my part of the household duties (i.e.. lawn care, snow removal, heavy lifting, etc.) but also the financial burden as well. I am only making fifty percent of my salary because I am on medical leave so my wife has had to run a daycare out of our home. For ten to twelve hours a day Monday thru Friday she takes care of five children under 6 years old and three over six (including ours) just so we can barely make ends meet.

  I hope I did my wife justice. Although you probably couldn't tell, this essay took me over a week to write. You probably are going to receive perfectly written eloquent essays but I found it very hard to put into words what my wife does for our kids and me. There are not enough words or time in the world to tell you what she means to our family. I have gone through a lot of pain over the last couple of years but nothing compares to the stress and the exhaustion that my wife has had to go through. I don't know how she does it day after day and still, when it's all said and done, can still be the best mom/wife anyone could ever ask for. There is not much I can do to help my wife at this point so I am begging you to help me. Our family, specifically my wife, has had to endure a lot over the years and although winning the grand prize won't eliminate our problems it would put a much needed smile on my wife's face. Our two son's and I already have our award; it's time for my wife to get hers.

• The Busy Mom: Vanessa McCarthy-Johnson of Wilkinsburg, PA Nominated by: Crystal McCarthy of Wilkinsburg, PA [+] Read Essay

  I would like to nominate my aunt, Vanessa McCarthy-Johnson. She is an ideal candidate for your contest, The Busiest Mom. My mother, her oldest sister, died from breast cancer last year and she has stepped in to make sure my children and my sister have someone to watch over us. She is incredibly busy. She works a full-time job as an administrative assistant at a local non-profit that ensures all children receive free, appropriate education in the state of Pennsylvania. She has 4 daughters (13, 11, 8 and 2) that are very involved in sports, baseball, soccer and basketball. She must shuttle them to all of the practices and games. She believes in grassroots organizations and volunteers in our community. She was the chairperson of our 2006 Community Days event and is currently chairing this year's Community Days and also is working on several other events. She has worked with a local neighborhood group who has spurred new housing initiatives in her neighborhood. Her neighborhood had many abandoned homes that are now being rehabilitated by a local preservation society to be sold at reasonable prices. She is also currently running for a seat on our local borough council. The election has taken a lot of her time, but yet she still finds time to spend with her daughters and her disabled husband. She usually cooks full meals from scratch and bakes a lot too. She is always helping others and dedicates a lot of her time to making sure children have activities to keep their minds busy. I truly admire her and all that she does. I love her very much.

• The Busy Mom: Nanette Ladiero of Poway, CA Nominated by: Cameron Salazar of Poway, CA [+] Read Essay

  My mom is a single mom of four boys, she works full time as an office manager for a roofing contractor and has a house cleaning service. Between the two jobs she works about 60 hours a week (usually more). My mom also does craft shows. She crochets scarves, makes candles and sews purses to help pay the bills. She is also involved with the cub scouts group with my identical twin brother and volunteers at the school my three little brothers attend. She also makes time to take me back and fourth to the hospital. I have a rare blood disorder that requires blood transfusions to keep me alive. Because of the transfusions, I have many other health problems and require several doctor's visits throughout the month. My mom has to juggle appointments with the many different specialist that I see between her jobs. Not to mention keep track of all my medications. One of my little brothers has severe asthma. She takes him back and forth too! My mom is always making time to do crafts with the boys and spends all her free time with us, weather it's taking us to the beach, parks, movie's or having a back yard BBQ. She needs a rest!! She never slows down to pamper herself. My mom hasn't had a break from us kids since August of 2006, when my step dad deployed to the Middle East. I love my mom and think she IS the busiest mom around! I'm not sure if she even sleeps anymore...

  Sincerely,

  Cameron Salazar

• The Busy Mom: Lynn Davis of St. Joseph, MO Nominated by: Alexandra Davis of St. Joseph, MO [+] Read Essay

  Busy: actively and attentively engaged in work or a pastime. This is the definition that I found when I searched the word "busy" on an online dictionary. Not only is my mom "busy," she takes it to the extreme. She is a mother of six children. She is actively engaged in her work, for sure. In fact, she works four jobs to support our family. She is a teaching assistant five days a week for the Saint Joseph School District. Three nights a week, she is a photo assistant at Walgreens Drug Store. Two nights a week she tutors an eighth grader with severe ADHD. On the weekends, she is the Confirmation Coordinator at our church. She is dedicated fully to all of her responsibilities, but she knows what her most important job is: being a mom. She is the biggest fan of all of us kids. I am the oldest and I go to college an hour away from home. My mom always drives me back and forth and helps me whenever I need anything. All five of my younger siblings play basketball, two of them play volleyball, three play soccer, one is a gymnast, one plays the bass guitar and drums; one is on student council, one runs track, and one plays football. It is obvious that my mom supports whatever interests that we have, and she puts her heart and soul into making our dreams come true. She is also an active participant in making her own dreams come true. These past two years, on top of her four jobs and six children, my mom went back to school to pursue the career that she dreamt of having. This year, she graduated with an art degree and will start the next school year as a high school art teacher! I am so proud of, and amazed by, all of the things that my mom has accomplished, and this contest would be an amazing gift to her.

• The Busy Mom: Karen Crandall of Great Valley, NY Nominated by: Bob Crandall of Great Valley, NY [+] Read Essay

  I would like to Mominate Karen Crandall as busiest mom. With four school-age children ages 10, 11, 16, and 18, and a sometimes childish husband, Karen's days are always full. Just doing the routine household chores of paying the bills, managing the household finances, cleaning, shopping, laundry, cooking, getting the kids off to school (she drives two of them) with the appropriate money for lunch, pictures, etc. is busy enough. However, Karen's activities extend well beyond the household. She is currently the treasurer of both the football and girl's basketball booster clubs—attending meetings, coordinating fund raisers, handling the finances, as well as participating in the concession sales at all of the events. This fall Karen was heavily involved with a $50,000 fund raising drive for new playground equipment (she also helped assemble it) at the 3rd-5th grade elementary school where she has served for two years as co-president of the PTO (parent teacher organization). This playground drive was easier since she was instrumental in a previous fund raiser that resulted in new equipment at the K-2 elementary school, where she was also the PTO co-president. When Karen took over as treasurer of the football booster club she had to give up her seat on the Salamanca Youth Activities Board, which she had held for almost 10 years. However, she is still fully involved and makes a point to attend all of her children's activities. That's four children, each participating in three sports. Except for the 2-3 weeks in between seasons, there is something going on virtually every night—and Karen is always there.

  From a professional standpoint Karen is also a very busy mom at work. As head of the payroll department she is responsible for helping 35 employees with everything from payroll deductions and 401K administration, to child support issues. She also has been known to council some of the younger employees about the responsibilities associated with parenthood, especially fathers.

  In what has become a familiar role reversal, Karen has recently become the "mom" to her widowed mother. Following a recent illness, Karen's mother has been unable to drive. As the eldest of four children and the only one within 40 minutes of her mom, Karen has assumed all of those responsibilities-taking her mom to hair appointments, doctor's appointments (there are many per week), grocery shopping, and just spending time being a friend. With this responsibility has also come the mothering of her siblings-providing updates, coordinating and facilitating meetings regarding long-term care, and providing strength and leadership in what can be very difficult times.

  Karen handles all of this and still manages to make each one of her children feel special and able to go to her with any type of issue. Although any one of these activities is enough for any one person, Karen handles them all with composure and grace. From the minute she wakes up in the morning to the minute her head hits the pillow in the evening, Karen is the busiest-and best-mom that there is.

• The Busy Mom: Jean Lucas of Woodburn, OR Nominated by: Ginger Holman of Keizer, OR [+] Read Essay

  Jean Lucas is an exceptional "busy Mom." I met Jean six years ago when she came to work for our physical therapy office. Over the years, she came to be office manager and developed a passion for helping people. Jean is bilingual and an invaluable asset for our community, which has a strong Hispanic, migrant worker population. Over the last few years, she has helped many people who would not have otherwise been able to receive the care they needed navigate the health care system. She met her husband while attending a Spanish-speaking church in Woodburn, OR. Her now father-in-law is the minister. With her husband and two children, she is involved in her church, teaching Sunday school and being an active part of the women's ministries. A few years ago she decided to pursue a career in nursing. After going to school part time to complete the prerequisite classes and armed with a degree in zoology, she was accepted by her first choice of schools to study for her BSN. She now goes to school full time, works part time in our physical therapy office, and has two (possibly three) work-study jobs at the school she attends to help keep tuition costs down and make ends meet for her family. She does all of this while caring for her 6 and 4 year old daughters, helping with homework, supporting her husband in his music career, staying active in the church and keeping in touch with her family in Arizona and Wyoming. Her energy seems to be limitless and her sleep minimal. I admire her drive and determination to achieve her goals. The example she is setting for her daughters is phenomenal. She sets the bar high for all of us working moms. The prizes that winning this contest provides would not change the exemplary person that she is, but they just might make her life a little easier.

• The Busy Mom: Lara Turk of Salado, TX Nominated by: Sharee Grazda of Pagosa Springs, CO [+] Read Essay

  With four children, ages 6 months to 11 years, my daughter-in-law, Lara, works full time as an RN in the labor and delivery unit of a busy hospital in Texas. She is also going to school to earn her master's degree in nursing in order to become a family nurse practitioner. Lara was a gymnast for 13 years. Her only daughter shows great promise to carry on her winning history. Lara not only gets her daughter to gymnastics class, but she teaches it! The three oldest children are all signed up for swim class and competitions this summer, and she will be the chauffeur and the cheerleader at all those events. Lara is very close to her elderly grandmother who is suffering some dementia. Even though her grandmother lives in another town, Lara faithfully visits her and takes the children to visit her, showing the children a great lesson in love and loyalty. After her youngest child was born, my son was injured in an accident. With second - and third-degree burns over both arms, he was in a lot of pain and incapable of caring for himself in the simplest ways. Not only was Lara getting up every two-and-a-half hours to feed the preemie baby, she was getting up every four hours to medicate and assist my son. Twice a day for weeks she dressed his burns with compassion and good cheer. From building a huge, beautiful deck as a surprise for my son, to organizing fun camping outings for the entire family and making beautiful quilts for family and friends, Lara certainly encompasses the idea of a mom who meets and surpasses!

• The Busy Mom: Patricia Kelly of Bensalem, PA Nominated by: Kathleen Redding of Philadelphia, PA [+] Read Essay

  My mother is a 64 years old mother of 5. 3 boys 2 girls she raised all of us. were all grown married and have children of our own now, but she's still not done raising children at her age she has been raising her daughters (my sister) 3 girls now for the past 4 years as she passed away and also my brothers 2 boys ages 7 and 8 years old, she wakes up every morning to dress them ,feed them and get them off to school, and then once there off to school she has to clean her house for account of so many children they make such messes, bedrooms, toilets, showers which is a constant thing with 3 girls and all that hair, makes beds, does boat loads of wash on a everyday basis. Then finally when she's done all this she starts thinking about what to feed them for dinner every night they sit down for dinner and have full course meals, not just things you throw together when you have so many kids at once eating dinner. Then after dinner is sports, she takes the boys to their practices and games. takes the girls twice a week to therapy on account of their mother passing away and just started a couple months ago taking the boys on 2 other nights a week to therapy too figuring it couldn't hurt, just maybe help them some. On account of their mother being neglectful and my mother having to raise them for the rest of her life. Okay after all this therapy sessions and sports, they come home my mother helps them with homework gets them in the baths, and ready for bed to do it all over again tomorrow. My mother is getting so thin because she's so exhausted but never complains. She loves these children just as she does us she wouldn't trade it for the world.

• The Busy Mom: Siobhan Healy of Gwynn Oak, MD Nominated by: Christopher Healy of Gwynn Oak, MD [+] Read Essay

  I'm nominating my wife for this contest because SHE is the busiest mom on this earth.

  My wife birthed 13 children, including three sets of twins. The children's ages are: 16, 15, 14, 12, 11, 10, and 6(twins), 4, and 2(twins), 11 months (twins). Our last seven children were born in less than six years. Our last set of twins had twin-twin-transfusion syndrome and were born extremely premature at 24 weeks last July. They had to spend 5 months in the NICU. My wife traveled between the NICU and our home several times a day to visit our sick preemies (after a cesarean-section during which she nearly died). She had to juggle 11 children at home, two babies in NICU and run a large household, including three home-made meals a day, constant laundry, cleaning and driving kids to their activities.

  My wife's busy schedule became even busier when our preemies came home from the hospital. Since I have to earn money outside of the home, my wife now has to take care of 13 children, eight of which go to school and five of which stay home with her all day.

  She gets up at 5 a.m. to immediately put in a load of laundry. She then prepares breakfast for the eight school kids who leave the house between 6:45 a.m. and 8:10 a.m... After the school kids are fed and seen off, she prepares yet another breakfast for the five youngest children who stay home with her. The former preemie twins require frequent doctor's appointments and Siobhan has to get all five children ready for those. Afterwards, she has to go grocery shopping for a family of 15. She then has to prepare lunch for the little ones, while already cooking dinner for the school kids and me. In between cooking and entertaining the five stay-at-home-kids, she also has to continue with up to eight loads of laundry a day, clean up after five very messy kids and take care of the bills. My wife doesn't have any outside help with the house cleaning or caring for our children. When the eight older children come home from school around 3 p.m., she has to help with homework and drive some kids to and from after school activities. By the time I come home from work, around 5:30 p.m., dinner is ready and served. After dinner, the day is still not over. A huge pile of laundry has to be folded, dishes put away, floors mopped, and children bathed and put to bed and toys picked up. The children are usually all asleep around 9 p.m. but the youngest two still wake up during the night. The 11- month- old twins have to be fed at least once per night. While I'm trying to help as much as I can after work, Siobhan is still the busiest mom I have ever seen. My description of her can be verified by watching the Discovery Health show "Parenting a Baker's Dozen," a one hour show about our family for which, by the way, we didn't get any royalties).

• The Busy Mom: Pazley Moore of Wilmington, NC Nominated by: Self [+] Read Essay

  When my husband and I made the decision in 2004 to move our family back to North Carolina, where he was born and raised, we thought it was the move of our dreams. We did not realize that it would become a living nightmare.

  Last year, when my husband died, we already had five children. I was pregnant with our sixth child while attending a family reunion, my husband took a ride on a motorcycle and we never saw him again. Since then, obviously, our life has changed. I am still a stay-at-home mom, more out of necessity than design. I have not been able to find a position that will provide for us materially, while still allowing the flexibility that we so desperately need. My husband had no life insurance, so we are trying to subsist on his social security income. Meanwhile, our sixth, and last, child was born on Dec. 19 2007. My husband wasn't here to share in the joy of it. Our beautiful little girl will never know the wonderful man who gave her life.

  None of my family members are close by to help, and my husband's family are all busy with lives and children of their own (he has four brothers and two step-parents) so I don't get any breaks, unless you call going to the dentist a break. I will start home schooling my children this coming school year, which, of course, will make my life even busier. In addition, we are very spiritually active. We attend, and study for, religious meetings two nights a week and once on Sundays. Although our spirituality and closeness to God has been the major reason we have been able to cope, I feel that all of this makes me not only busy, but very overwhelmed. I don't know if this makes me the busiest mom, but I feel it definitely puts me in the running. Thank you. ~Pazley Moore~

• The Busy Mom: Glenda Thomas of Casper, WY Nominated by: Mike Thomas of Casper, WY [+] Read Essay

  My wife is the busiest mom in the world. We have a three-year-old girl, two-year-old girl, and nine-month-old twin boys—four kids under the age of four. She is a chemical engineer and working full time to try to start up a uranium mine in Wyoming. Things around our house are crazy. Trying to feed, dress, bath, and keep everyone happy is quite a challenge. My wife does all of this with a smile on her face. The two-year-old red head constantly keeps all of us on our toes and keeps us laughing.

  On top of handling the kids, cleaning the house, and grocery shopping, she is working to design a new uranium mine. She is the general manager for production and balances her time at work and with kids—working lots of hours in the middle of the night. We recently sold our house, moved to a new town, had a house built, both started new jobs, had healthy twin boys and watched my father die of cancer. It has been a crazy year, but my wife has been amazing though all of this. She holds our family together.

  My wife also loves to work out and compete in triathlons. Since having the kids so close, this has become a low priority on her list. I would love to give her the opportunity to train again and any help that we could get around the house or with the kids, might give her just a little bit of extra time to start swimming, biking or running again. I know this is important to her, but she always puts everyone else first.

• The Busy Mom: Lisa Gliever of Roseville, CA Nominated by: Self [+] Read Essay

  My name is Lisa. I am a 44-year-old mom of six children. Here is my story, in 500 words or less. In February of 1988, not even a year after getting married, I had my first daughter. Then, in July of 1990, my first son was born. Next, in October of 1993, my second son was born. I was a stay at home mom from the beginning, taking a job scheduling for a home health agency that I could do from home. Often, I would have to take calls in the middle of the night, so a good night's sleep was foreign to me. I did this job up until I was pregnant with my fourth child. I also took my children to a co-op preschool, where I worked two days a week. I loved being able to be at their school and spending special quality time with them. Along came my second daughter, in September of 1997. I am now up to four children, also referred to as "my angels". Sadly, my marriage was going downhill fast. In October 2002, my husband was charged with domestic violence and removed from the home. I then filed for divorce, and my four children and I were alone. We went through a very rough time financially and emotionally. Our first Christmas after that, we could not afford a tree or gifts. My oldest daughter found a tree in the school dumpster up the street and brought it home for us to decorate. It was small, but of all the trees we've had over the years, it was the most special. I also remember our electricity being turned off and sleeping together in sleeping bags on the floor by the fireplace. We tried to make it into an adventure, but inside I was worried. Along came a new man in my life, Brian, who I quickly dubbed "Superman". Even though he only knew me a short time, as soon as he learned of our situation, he insisted on loaning us a bit of money. We soon fell in love and ended up together. Over time, I had to sell my house and move. Brian eventually moved in with me and my children and we got engaged. A few months later, I became pregnant, and learned that we were having twin boys! I was excited, but scared! In February of 2005, our identical boys came into this world a month early by C-section. All was well. So, now I have a 19-year-old daughter, a 16-year-old son (who now lives with his dad), a 13-year-old son, a 9-year-old daughter and 2-year-old twin boys. Six kid's altogether and I am still sane (for the most part). Recently, in March of 2007, we discovered that the twins have autism. My days now consist of taking them to an autism school three hours a day for therapy, and once a week for speech therapy. At home, we work with them each day on learning new tasks and journaling it. Money is tight and life is incredibly busy, but each day I count my blessings, which are many (I can think of six right now!).

• The Busy Mom: Dawn Tyrrell of Plantation, FL Nominated by: Tony Tyrrell of Plantation, FL [+] Read Essay

  Dawn is the busiest mom I know. She is the stepmother to my two boys, as well as mom to her own three kids, one of whom has autism and other special needs and requires extra love and attention.

  Three years ago, we bought an old house. Because we can't afford to have work done for us, we do it ourselves, and I'll tell you, this house was a dump when we bought it. Dawn has been by my side tiling floors, tearing down and putting up drywall, pulling out bathtubs, and making this house a home for our family. She has made our home beautiful with creative painting, beautiful mosaic tile work, old furniture she rehabbed, and hand-made curtains. When the exterior of our house needed painting, Dawn painted it herself, which saved our family thousands of dollars. She also ripped out and replanted a lovely yard. She does the landscaping maintenance herself, including the mowing and edging.

  She now home schools two of our children, both of whom require special education. Autism is a challenge, and our other child has reading disabilities, which also requires a specially tailored education plan. Dawn is always reading and seeking out ways to educate all of our kids.

  She also is responsible for cooking a gluten-free diet for herself and two of the children.

  This requires baking their own breads and pastas, and constant monitoring of foods they eat to make sure they are gluten free. She doesn't just bake a batch of something; she has to bake two - a wheat version for most of the family, and a gluten-free version. Most fast foods contain gluten and there are few restaurants that provide a gluten-free meal, so there is rarely a night off from cooking. Most packaged, frozen or convenience foods contain gluten, so she makes everything we eat from scratch, including sushi!

  In addition, she operates her own pet sitting and dog walking service, which she started to offset the costs of our son's dietary, medical and educational needs.

  She also works part-time as a writer and editor for an educational company and has found time to be team mom for sports teams, take the kids to church, and manage the family's needs and desires. She is a hands-on mom. She is there when the kids get sick, have a doctor's appointment, need to sew a costume, or run for school office. She makes herself available to all of us with joy in her heart and without complaining or acting like a martyr. She often does this alone, as I travel for work part of every month. When I come home, it is to a peaceful, well-decorated home, happy kids she is raising to be good adults, and one very tired lady.

  Did I mention she is the best wife I could ever dream of?

• The Busy Mom: Tanya Boatright of Gun Barrel City, TX Nominated by: Andora Henson of Eustace, TX [+] Read Essay

  I would like to nominate Tanya Boatright for the Busy Mom contest. Tanyau is a pastor's wife, mom of four birth children, two adopted children, and two foster children, director of a day care center, a daughter, sister, leader and friend. Just describing a few of the roles she plays everyday takes a while. Imagine how busy she is actually doing them. And, she does them with grace, too.

  Tanyau is a strong and powerful woman who uses her strength and power to help those around her. It has been said of her sweetness that she has such a kind way about her that she can give you bad news and make you want to hear more. She helps so many other women that I would love to help her. Should she win these prizes, I would feel honored to have played a part in it because she is so very deserving.

  Tanyau is a very respectable and proper southern lady. As such, she maintains a proper household and keeps things in just the right order, inasmuch as it is possible. Of course, with six of her children still living at home, three of which are under five years old, you can image the task at hand in keeping things orderly. As Women's Pastor at our church, Tanyau holds many functions at her home and I have never seen as much as a coaster out of place. I just don't know how she does it, but I know the house cleaning prize would be a great blessing to her.

  Additionally, Tanyau is director for Little Beginnings Day Care. She is an active participant in her daycare and works on site many hours each week. The stresses of the many roles she fills would make the prize of monthly massage and spa treatments a God send indeed.

  Finally, being a pastor is a 24/7, 365-days-a-year job and our pastor is a great one. It comes with a unique set of trials. As a pastor's wife, Tanyau shoulders a great deal of responsibility and counsels, encourages and blesses the congregation in many ways. The child care services prize would be such a help in finding time for them to get away for a few hours a month to reconnect and just be partners. This is a necessity for all married couples, especially those who minister so much to the needs of others.

  Tanyau Boatright is a woman of grace, a mentor, a role model and friend. I nominate Tanyau Boatright for the Busy Mom contest and prizes because I feel she deserves it, and would benefit greatly from these prizes.

• The Busy Mom: Rebecca Bench of Grand Junction, CO Nominated by: Self [+] Read Essay

  I feel sort of awkward nominating myself. I have been told by many of my friends and family that they don't know how I do it all. I've actually enjoyed myself. First off, I'm a mother of six (yes, I gave birth to all six!). There are three boys and three girls ranging in age from 3 to 15 years old. In order to keep my energy up, I go running/walking with a friend Monday through Friday at 6 a.m. Right now, we are training for a 5K. My oldest children both attend public school. The next three children attend Connections Academy (an online virtual school). I am their "learning coach." I'm the one actually teaching them and going over their assignments with them. I am also the community coordinator for Connections Academy. I get to plan at least two field trips every month for all of the Connections Academy families in our area. I am also a cub master for Cub Scout Pack 365. We currently have 15 very active boys in our pack, including my eight-year-old son, and we meet once a week for about an hour. I teach a class in church every Sunday for the 7 - 9 year olds. Some of the boys in my Cub Scout pack also attend my church class. I don't count myself as a working mom but I am a seamstress for a local dry cleaners. I average about 15 items that need altered or repaired a week. I try to do most of this before the children get up in the morning or after they go to bed at night. I am also a board member of the local Grand Mesa Little League. I am the Coach Pitch Rep and also one of the Fall Ball co-coordinators. Also, just to fill my spare time, I am the sewing/quilting specialist for our church Relief Society. I enjoy gardening (vegetables and flowers), crocheting, cross-stitching, hiking and pretty much volunteering anywhere that I see a need. My father-in-law passed away last November on Thanksgiving Day, so my husband and I spend a lot of time with his mom, helping her with house and yard repairs or just being there to distract her on a lonely day. My children are involved in basketball and baseball (I'm usually the team mom or scorekeeper), band, orchestra, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, young men/women (church youth), and play groups. We go to the library every two weeks to participate in story time, puppet shows or crafts. Most importantly, my husband and I go out on a date once a week. That's for my sanity! I don't know how I do it all, I just do it.

• The Busy Mom: Megan Barling of Little Rock, AR Nominated by: Joyce Mills of Ashland, VA [+] Read Essay

  I just happened to find this contest while searching for an easy cleaning toilet and was directed to your Web site. I think my daughter, Megan, should be considered to win your contest because she works so hard taking care of her family. She has three children, two teenagers and an 11-year-old. Her husband has multiple sclerosis and is legally blind and bedridden. Megan has had to be the main breadwinner for the past 15 years, handling the finances, make major decisions, handle household repairs, and hold her family together with many obstacles. She is constantly on the run, driving the kids to school and social activities, doing all the shopping and running errands. She had to drop out of her college night classes because she couldn't keep up with studying and caring for her invalid husband and kids. At times, she has been very depressed and almost given up. But now she has started a new job with AT&T and going through five weeks of rigorous training. Being in her 40s, it is hard for her to compete with her class of much younger trainees who are much more computer literate. But she has a strong will and determination, or she wouldn't have made it through all she has been dealt so far. She is a very good mother and I am so proud of her accomplishments. She does have an email address which I listed above, however she had to discontinue her Internet service due to financial difficulty. I pray she can make it through her training so she can make a decent living and provide for her family. I hope you will consider her as a very needy winner of your contest. Sincerely, her mom, Joyce Mills

• The Busy Mom: Susan Lutcha of Sayville, NY Nominated by: Linda Spinelli of Smithtown, NY [+] Read Essay

  I met Sue in 1993 at a mother's group meeting offered by a local hospital after the birth of our first sons. Our second sons were born two years later. We have become very close friends. Sue has been a 6th grade history teacher for more than 15 years.

  In 2001, Sue's mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. They shared an extremely close relationship and it was difficult to balance work, family and her mom's illness. Her dad was also sick with advanced diabetes and she was constantly at doctors appointments. Her life was really revolving around her dying mother, her sick father, her failing marriage and her career. Her mom died February 2003. Eleven months later, she called me telling me she had said her goodbyes to her dad and was waiting for him to pass. She never asked for company but I was at the hospital in 20 minutes. Her friends are her support group. Her only brother is a professional fisherman and is away months at a time. After her father‘s death, she was faced with the realization that her alcoholic husband was not seeking help. It took a few years to get the courage to end a marriage of 10 years.

  Sue never has time for herself. Her boys are involved in soccer, basketball, baseball, wrestling, lacrosse, golf and football. She is their constant cheerleader. She will squeeze in movies with her kids before getting her hair cut. She is there for studying or documenting statistics for science experiments during a busy weekend. She rarely sleeps past 6:00 a.m. and will food shop in the early hours. She is a thoughtful friend to all who know her.

  We would love nothing more than to reward Susan for the endless hours she has devoted to her children among the heartache of losing both parents and a spouse within one year. She is so deserving of relaxing and having someone do something nice for her.

• The Busy Mom: Lorey Friedman of Flushing, NY Nominated by: Elliott Friedman of Flushing, NY [+] Read Essay

  The dictionary defines busy as:

  1. 1. Actively and attentively engaged in work or a pastime
  2. 2. Not at leisure; otherwise engaged

  This is truly my wife. From early in the morning when she wakes us around 6 a.m. to start getting our six children up and out for school, until late in the night when she usually finishes the day around 12 a.m. or 1 a.m. by setting up snacks and lunches for everyone for the next day. Including a lunch for me for the next day!

  Every second of the day is used to its fullest. Mornings, my wife teaches at a nursery school for 3 year olds, so even though she spent several hours early in the morning getting her own children out to their schools, her "real" day doesn't get started until after she finishes teaching around 12:30 p.m... The afternoon is spent with a myriad of activities, from setting up events for various local organizations and schools, some where she "officially" works as a volunteer—Hospitality coordinator, Parents Association President, Shul Board Member. Some activities, although she has no official position, she just sees a need and pitches in to help out, publishing the weekly school newsletter, helping set up youth activities in the local synagogue. There are many things people never even realize she does, since she does everything quietly to avoid attracting attention.

  And through all this, she never forgets her family. The kids all know when they have a project or book report to do, just let mommy know and she'll be there to help. She stays up late at night reading the book so she can help this one with the book report, then she'll look up the Arctic on the computer so she'll know how to help another one build a diorama for a science project. The work never ends!

  And yet, the house is neat, snacks are on the table when the kids come home from school; laundry is done, folded and put away. When it all happens, we don't know. However, we think she must hire some elves when we're not looking. The tooth fairy never fails to magically change a tooth into a coin.

  These are just some of the reasons why she is the busiest Mom in the world. I know there are others because quite often I'll be out with her when someone comes over to tell her about something and I can see from her expression she's already working on a new project.

• The Busy Mom: Jennifer Fitzgibbons of Troy, MO Nominated by: Matt Fitzgibbons of Troy, MO [+] Read Essay

  I "MoMinate" my wonderful wife! She has far exceeded her mom expectations and is the busiest mom in the universe. She wakes up early and goes to bed late and is moving every minute of the day. All of our friends and family call her the "go-getter." She never stops, even when she's sick.

  I remember a time when she was recovering from a surgery and was supposed to be "taking it easy." When I came home from work, I found out that she had hobbled around the house with crutches to decorate for our daughter's birthday. She had also managed to make her a cake and her favorite dinner as well. She wouldn't go lay down until the party was over, even though she was in an extreme amount of pain. She said nothing would stop her from making sure that each of our daughters had a special birthday every year.

  Jennifer is a super mom because she puts her kids’ needs first—always! She cooks all day Saturday with her girls and then freezes the meals. Then during the school week, when there are sports practices and games, the girls always have a quick and healthy meal even though they're all in a hurry. She goes above and beyond because she plans ahead of time so her family can be successful.

  She also takes the time to better herself and be a role model to her daughters. While working full time as a teacher, mom and wife, she worked extremely hard and earned her master's degree. We were all so proud of her and she took the time on her graduation day to let each of her daughter's put on her robe and hat and explained to them that if they worked and studied hard, that they, too, could be anything that they wanted to be.

  Jennifer also feels it is important to be active in her community and help in any way that she can. When anyone needs a volunteer, they call her first. She includes our daughters in this as well to make it a family activity. She has helped clean up the park, plant trees at a local school, and raise money for a nearby food bank that was running low and that’s just a few of her projects. She is always finding ways to not only improve herself and her family but the community and world.

  She is a kind, wonderful, busy soul. To be honest, I don't know how she does it; sometimes I think she is secretly a super hero!