Meet Nikki Gouin!
(I recently chopped off my hair and it feels great!)
Q: What town/city do you live in?
A: De Pere (East side)
Q: How many kids do you have?
A: Three (But it feels like we are pregnant with our fourth!! For our first time we are pursuing adoption through foster care and praying for our fourth now).
Q: What are their ages?
A: Daughter, Joslynn age 7 and sons, Micah age 4 and Jared age 2.
Q: Do you work outside the home? If so, where & what do you do?
A: I am an RN (on-call status only) in Labor and Delivery at Aurora (I heart OB!!!) and an adjunct nursing instructor and NWTC (both great places to work!). Most of my time is spent with my kids at home during the weekdays and working on my Master’s degree in Nursing.
Q: What is your favorite at-home activity to do with your kids?
A: Read a fun new book from the library or try a fun new craft.
Q: Where is your favorite place around Green Bay to take your kids?
A: All of the parks. We lived in California for 9 years and it was not nearly as family-friendly as the Green Bay area. I love the beauty here and all the free and fun things we can do together as a family.
Q: If you had one parenting tip to share that has worked for you/helped you, what would it be?
A: The biggest “aha” moment for me was determining if our home was child-centered, parent-centered, or gospel-centered. For my family, if we are heavy sided on either our children’s expectations or the parent’s expectations, we all are left flustered, disappointed and sometimes even angry. When we redirect our focus back to the gospel and get our wisdom from scripture, everything seems to function the best. As a busy mother, I find comfort and a sense of peace when I turn to the Word for self-control, patience, and direction. I know from experience that when I try to do things on my own accord I often end up exasperated.
Q: What do you like to do when you have time for yourself?
A: A new PINTEREST craft and a fun fiction novel.
Q: Are you a night owl or an early bird (despite what you have to be as a mom)?
A: Despite being more on my kids’ schedule of 5:30 AM, by nature I tend to be more of a night owl. I prefer the nightshift as an RN. My body seems to function better in the PM’s and NOC shifts.
Q: Share a funny quote from one of your kids.
A: Driving in the car the other day my son saw me praying and says “Mom, are you talking to Jesus again?”. I love that my kids see that as a normal day-to-day activity.
Q: What is something not many people know about you?
A: I grew up in a trailer park and my mother was pregnant with me at age 14. I was also in the military for 6 years.
Q: What is your most embarrassing moment?
A: In California, there were no bus systems for my daughter’s school (budget cuts!). Therefore, I picked her up and dropped her off every day. One day, I was running late. I had just gotten out of the shower, ran to the dryer and quickly grabbed the first pair of capri pants my hands could find. I put the pedal to the metal and got to her school as quickly as possible. I ran through her school and patiently waited outside her door with all the other parents. Her door opened to the outside and it was your typical (dry-heat) California day. Jos and I walked toward our car when I realized I had to stop at the front office for something. As we went into the office I felt the cool air conditioning on my skin. I also felt it on my rear-end which was something I wasn’t familiar with. I reached around to feel with my hand. At this point, I quickly realized that I had a gaping hole in my capri pants that started from my belt line and went all the way down to the middle of my thigh. I just so happened to be wearing my “desperate” panties which was a hot orange thong. I looked at all the parents standing behind me in line. I could feel my face turn all shades of red as I apologized to everyone standing behind me. I ran out of that office in a hurry without completing my task. I ran to the car as quickly as I could (while holding my pants together as best I could). I asked my daughter if she had noticed the gigantic hole in my pants and she said, “Well, I thought it was kind of strange, but I guess I thought you knew about it.” LOL!! What an embarrassing moment!!!!
Thanks for sharing with us, Nikki. 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!)
