Clay has asked me to be the Featured Member this month so here are the list of questions I have to answer. 

Starting with name, location, how many children (and ages).

• Hi, I'm Kristen and I live in the US.  Today I have a 23 month old son Ethan and we are expecting to welcome Nathan Clark home sometime in the middle of February.  Right now he is kicking his hellos in Morse code to Minti.

How did you find Minti?

• Well......I met Rachel Cook (Minti founder and Mom extraordinaire) at the BlogHer conference this summer.  She may have mentioned that she was turning 30 at midnight and I may have convinced her to ring in her birthday with me and Tracey.

What's your favorite thing or feature at Minti?

• I like to check out everyone's blog and see what's going on in everyone's life on a day-to-day basis. Foto Friday is the best because you get to see how big all the kids are getting.  I'm not as great with my blog but I hope to do better this 2007!!!!

What's your favorite thing about being a parent?

• I love the surprises that every day brings.  Ethan is such an active, happy boy and he is such a joy in my life. 

What has been your biggest parenting challenge?

• My biggest parenting challenge has been learning patience and learning how to relate to my son.  He really tries hard to communicate with me and is learning new words every day.  Even so there are some days when we just don't understand each other and we both get frustrated.  I love Minti because there is so much great advice out there on how to boost my communication with my son.  I don't know where I would be without it.

What worries you most about parenting ? (education, health, mental development, physical development, teaching manners, etc )

• The thing that I seem to focus on the most in my parenting is teaching Ethan to be respectful of others.  That is so important and so neglected these days. 

What's the best parenting advice you've ever gotten from someone?

• "This too shall pass."  Every drama or frustration in parenting seems to envelope me and overwhelm me.  Reality is that these are just bumps in life's road and my purpose is to teach my son how to be a good man.  Sweating the small stuff will only bring you down.

What were your babies first words?

• School.  I know, it's ridiculous but true.

What is your favorite song?

• Little Red Caboose, by Lisa Loeb.  But that might be because it is Ethan's favorite song. 

What is the funniest thing you or your child or significant other has done or said?

• When, today?  My son (and my husband, for that matter) makes me laugh every single day.  I guess one of the funniest things Ethan said today was "no more 'puter, Mommy" and rolled his stoller over for me to take him for a ride. 

Using just one word sum up Minti.

• Real.  Real people, real stories, real life. 

What is the best piece of advice you have got from Minti?

• It's too tough to narrow down to one piece of advice.  I think that there have been so many great articles on communicating with your children and those are the ones that I find myself drawn to.  That and the articles on pregnancy.  And toddler safety.   And making time for family. 

How do you deal with your Minti addiction?

• What addiction?  Who says I'm addicted?  Did my husband tell you that?  I thought I was hiding it better from him...

How does your family deal with your Minti addiction?

• My son climbs up beside me on the couch and yells "MAMA" every time he sees my picture.  He just laughs.  I often find my husband surfing Minti when he thinks I don't notice.  He stays fairly anonymous, but he likes to read the articles by the dads.