​​I have a confession- I read YA fiction. I turned 30 recently... so I don't think I qualify as a YA anymore. But I often get mistaken for a high-schooler, so I'll keep reading those books until they start carding me at the library.

who am i?

I am a mother, a wife, and myself.

I'm the wife to an amazing photographer (benpanter.com), the mother of two boys (I'm still not used to the sound of that!), a part-time elementary art teacher on family leave right now, an ex-French teacher (oui, oui), and an author/illustrator of children's books! 
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I grew up drawing, watching anime (Sailor Moon), reading manga (more Sailor Moon), admiring the art in comic books, reading fantasy/adventure novels, watching Star Wars since elementary school (back when there was only episodes IV, V, and VI), and being an all around nerd and loving it. As a "grown-up" I'm excited to tap into this part of me that loves creating and imagination, even while juggling the other parts of me.

a day in the life...
I wake up several times at night to feed Baby Boy #2 (1 year old), finally wake up for the day to eat breakfast with the firstborn (5 years old) and the husband, and then wave bye bye to the husband as he goes to work (which could be either the job where he works as a graphic designer/videographer/web content creator, or as an adjunct photography professor). The boys and I play, read, and nap before the firstborn goes to the local public school for 2.5 hours of preschool and speech therapy. I try to fit in some sketching, drawing, reading, or otherwise creative work in there. On my "real" work days (which I don't have at the moment since I'm on family leave, hooray!) I leave bright and early to go teach kinders thru 3rd graders the significance of Duchamp's The Fountain. 

but, why?
I have several ideas for children's books floating in my head. After making my first one, Mama, Who Drinks Milk Like Me?, I got the book writing bug! I was mostly just trying to create something for my firstborn, but now creating books is a part of me. I recently finished Mama Holds Me Close, a babywearing-themed book. Now that I have some more ideas, my inspiration is still the same: my children. The book ideas that I have are about things that are very important to me, and I want to share them with you as I share them with my own family.