SUMMIT TWP — Like an adept one-woman band, Elizabeth Wagner manages to multitask in near superhuman ways.

Elizabeth and her husband, Mark Wagner, welcomed their fourth child, 4-pound-11-ounce Jessa Grace, into the world on Feb. 1.

A new mom for the fourth time, Elizabeth now faces familiar challenges as she home-schools her other three children: Daniel, 8, Hannah, 6, and Karis, 3.

“I'm a very scheduled type of person. But I've learned to be flexible,” she said.

“I don't require a lot of sleep.”

The daughter of a pastor, born in Ohio and raised mostly in West Virginia before coming to Butler — where her grandparents live — about five years ago, when her husband became pastor of Hannahstown Road Baptist Church.

The Wagners met while both were students at Fairhaven Baptist College, where she took courses in Bible study, computers and music, though didn't earn a degree.

“I just wanted to take a variety of classes to further my education,” Elizabeth said, joking that instead she earned her “Mrs.” at the Indiana college.

The Wagners married on May 18, 2002, and welcomed son Daniel the next year.

“I got huge. I remember that. I was working, but it didn't seem that difficult. I worked up until the day I had him,” Elizabeth said.

“I got to sleep when he slept and worked around his schedule. It doesn't work like that after the first one.”

She called her mother and mother-in-law regularly for advice, and still does.

“I had so much to learn. I did a lot of baby-sitting as a teenager, so I thought I knew a lot,” she said.

“You eventually feel a little bit more comfortable having another baby.”

The Wagners always knew they wanted a big family, and welcomed daughters Hannah and Karis within five years of Daniel's birth.

They learned boys seem a bit more level-headed, while girls tend to be more emotional, Elizabeth said. They also learned about the difficulties in raising and educating multiple children.

“When I had Karis, that was the year Daniel started home schooling. That was the most difficult time,” she said.

Elizabeth attended public schools through eighth grade before completing her education through A Beka Academy, a DVD (VHS, at the time) based, virtual learning school

“It's a great program. It's usually about two years ahead of public school. When I started doing the home school program, I had to work a lot harder and I learned a lot more.” she said.

“It's a Christian program, and Christian schools are very pricey these days.”

Elizabeth said she balances teaching time, between 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a lunch break in the middle. Several child protection gates in the house keep children learning separate lessons or playing in different rooms.

“The curriculum we use is very demanding,” she said. “If we miss a day, it's a pretty big deal.”

The learning doesn't stop at 2:30 p.m. on weekdays, though.

Daniel is learning the piano, while Hannah has taken up the violin. Also, Elizabeth plays piano and teaches Sunday school at Hannahstown Road Baptist Church.

Mark said his wife also counsels parishioners when she can.

“(Our home and children) are her primary ministry, and it's a joy to watch her operate,” he said.

“She's an incredible woman. It's a blessing to watch her, not only in the way she spends time with each child, but in her dedication with others in the church.”

Elizabeth said she learns more every day in raising her children, and is well-prepared to handle Jessa Grace's phases, like children's affinity for coloring on furniture and walls with permanent marker and the infamous ‘terrible twos.'

“One thing I'm still working on is just having patience,” she said.

“The things they destroy are just objects. I go to the Lord a lot in prayer over my children.”

Sitting in her spotless living room, Elizabeth adds, ironically, “I used to be a perfectionist. I think with each child I cleaned the house a little less.”

“Each of them has their own peculiarities. I love watching their individual personalities grow,” she said.