Meet Miss A.J. Gain

All About Miss A.J.

What was your childhood ambition? I changed my mind all the time. I wanted to be a dancer, an actress on Broadway, a Marine Biologist, a horse trainer, a mom, a stunt double, the list goes on…

What book are you currently reading?  The Vaccine Friendly Plan by Paul Thomas, Strong as a Mother By Kate Rope and Missional Motherhood By Gloria Furman

What’s your favorite fall or winter beverage? I was just introduced to Almond Milk Peach Cobbler Chai made by SOZO Coffee Shop…my new love!!

What was your favorite toy as a child? I loved my Fisher-Price Dollhouse. My sister and I spent hours setting up the whole house. By the time everything was set up, we were bored and cleaned it all up to do something else.

What’s one of your funniest parenting  or teaching moments?  I was teaching in a four-year old classroom and one of my boys was super hyper. As I was standing in front of the class giving directions, he kept wiggling and rolling on the ground. Finally I said, “Alex stop wiggling, you are going to hurt someb—” Before I could finish my sentence, his shoe flew off and hit me in the mouth. It hurt terribly and I had to walk out of the classroom so I didn’t cry or yell in front of him. He apologized to me every day for the rest of the year.

What’s a fun fact about you?  I ate dinner with live zebras and white water rafted with crocodiles in the Zambezi River, all in the same day.

What snack is your guilty pleasure? Watermelon…always watermelon!

How many years have you been with the Fun Van? 3 years

What did you do before working at the Fun Van? I was a director of a  preschool and a nanny.

How did you hear about the Fun Van? I taught a toddler tumbling class with Miss Julie Reeves while I was getting my masters. She later started working at Fun Van. When she was ready to move on to another job she reached out to me and told me she thought I would be a good fit here. She sent my resume to the library director and he contacted me for an interview.

What do you enjoy most about working at Fun Van?  I love working closely with parents. One of my frustrations as a director and preschool teacher was not being able to truly get to know and help parents. Now I get to brainstorm and problem solve WITH parents. Watching parents fall in love with their kiddos and with parenting, regardless of the age or stage their child is in, is my favorite thing.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?  I spend my days hanging out with my awesome 4 month old and my amazing husband. We love to cook, hang out with other families, travel and search for Geocaches.

What advice do you have for parents?  Find a tribe. Parenting is hard and isn’t meant to be done alone. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You know your child better than anyone on this planet. If you suspect something is up, ask for help, and keep asking until you get what you need.

What’s one of your favorite books and activities for your Fun Van families?

Elephant and Piggy books by Mo Willems are hilarious read-aloud books!

Miss Julie’s playdough is the best! She always comes up with fun scents to match our themes. The apple pie spice that is in our centers this month is the best!

http://www.craftyorganizedmom.com/kool-aid-play-dough/