Back in the 70's, when I took my training as a Montessori teacher, I never dreamed someday I would be mother to 12. But here I am - and alive to tell about it too!My life took many a tangent before it settled where it is now. From Washington DC antiwar activist/radical feminist to San Francisco drug addict/ welfare mother. In 1980 I began to see the light, cleaned up my act and tried to become the mother my two daughters - Samantha Sunshine and Jasmine Moondance - needed. In 1983, I married a fellow seeker. We meditated daily and searched relentlessly for the truth. We began building an award-winning tree care business in California. In addition we began having babies every 18 months. By the time we found Christ in 1987, we had five - the two girls, plus Joshua, Matthew, and Benjamin.Some things changed - our politics, for instance - while some remained the same, like new babies on a regular basis. I homeschooled our children for 10 years, putting into practice all I knew of Montessori. In 1995 I began writing - in the beginning to share with other moms how to incorporate Montessori principles into their daily lives and to find more joy in raising their children.I have since published over 1200 articles and 9 books. And for the past five years I have written extensively at my blog www.MommyLife.net where my goal is to unburden, enlighten, encourage, and empower moms to find joy in their role as mothers while staying informed about the world we live in..Today, Samantha and Jasmine are married - each with six children of their own. Two sons are married - one a contractor and one an aspiring opera singer. Two are single - an actor and a soon-to-be marine OCS candidate. One daughter is in college. This leaves my husband Tripp and me at home with 5 - our famous daughter Maddy (seen on American Idol) and 4 sons with Down syndrome - three of whom were adopted. I am in the unique position of having raised two full generations of kids - so I write from a position not just of "been there, done that" but also "still here, still doing this." Eight years ago, I returned to northern Virginia with 23 native Californians. Who says you can never go home again?