Meet Nicole VanNieuwenhoven!
Q: What town/city do you live in?
A: I live in East De Pere and fight the roundabout traffic.
Q: How many kids do you have?
A: Two–a son and a daughter.
Q: What are their ages?
A: My son will turn 2 at the end of October and my daughter is 5 months old.
Q: Do you work outside the home? If so, where & what do you do?
A: Yes. I work as a mental health counselor with the VA. I work with veterans and their families that are struggling with PTSD, anxiety, depression, etc. I drive an hour and a half to work so it makes for a long day.
Q: What is your favorite at-home activity to do with your kids?
A: My favorite at-home activity with my kiddos is to play with toys. My son loves to play with tractors, cars and trains. We also read books.
Q: Where is your favorite place around Green Bay to take your kids?
A: My favorite place to take my kids around Green Bay is the NEW Zoo. It’s close and lets my little guy get to see the animals and feed them at the petting zoo. He also loves the playgrounds that are around the park. Now that my baby is getting bigger, she enjoys watching the animals as well.
Q: What has been your biggest parenting challenge thus far?
A: The biggest challenge right now is potty training and making sure we (my husband and I) are consistent with it. A lot of times that means going back to the bathroom right after we left it! There is also bribery involved in getting my son to sit on the potty, however, often times he outsmarts us and what worked yesterday no longer works today!
Q: What do you like to do when you have time for yourself?
A: My favorite hobby when I have time for myself is to travel and sew! I love to make quilts but I’ve been on a hiatus since my daughter was born.
Q: Are you a night owl or an early bird (despite what you have to be as a mom)?
A: I am an early bird despite having kids. However, I wouldn’t mind a few days of sleeping until 9 like my early pre-kid days.
Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: I was in the military for 6 years. That experience changed me for the better and has led to beautiful, awesome, crazy experiences. I lived in Europe for 4 years and fully believe that we are the best version of ourselves when we understand and can relate to others. It took me being on my own in a different country to fully appreciate myself and my strengths and I like to inspire that in others as well. If I can do it, so can you!
Thanks for sharing with us, Nicole! Please check back next week to meet another area mom.
(P.S. Let’s go mommy is always in need of more submissions from moms or dads, so please contact me if you are interested and willing to be featured at lindy@letsgomommy.com. It’s super easy!)
