Growing up in Freeport and now raising my family in Kittery, Maine, I have been lucky to always have nature in my back yard. The forest, lakes, rivers and ocean have been my playground my whole life. Since becoming a mother, I have found that nature can calm high or anxious energy and provoke independent play and creativity. With two boys there is a lot of energy that builds up quickly, so I send them outside where the energy naturally becomes constructive instead of destructive. I have taught them to respect and care for nature.

Worth The Wait is the first book I have written. I wanted to share my love of Maine by including fun facts about some of the animals that live year-round here as well as provide reminders on how to practice patience. Parenthood can take patience to a whole new level. This book is as much of a reminder to parents as it is a lesson to children. So…I created a story where Milo the Moose makes different friends while going on a nature walk to try and take his mind off how hard it is to wait for his first set of antlers to grow in. The character names are a nod to some places in Maine, Otto (Otter Cliff, MDI), Wyn (Winter Harbor), Poppy (Popham Beach) all teach Milo (Maine) methods to help practice patience.