This is me . . .

Just to give you a little insight into my life I think I should explain a few things. As a working mom of two things can be overwhelming, hectic, confusing, hurried, scary, sour, heart wrenching, and wonderful. I'm a special education teacher by trade but have spent the last almost five years helping students with disabilities discover and maneuver through the world of life after high school, first time jobs, employment, assistive living, workshops, and adult services. My days are spent with a wide variety of families and students. With 16 year old high school students and questions like, "when you graduate do you want to find a full time job, part time job, do you want to go to college", and students who are cognitively or physically impaired and questions like "when you die, have you made arrangements for your son or daughter, chances are you won't be able to take care of them forever". The conversations with parents can sometimes be painful, watching mothers and fathers stare blankly into conference room tables as tears of realization fall from mothers not ready to give up the dream of being able to save and protect their son or daughter for a lifetime. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I love the students I meet and I love the feeling of shedding hope on a situation that some would deem hopeless.

At home, I'm a wife and mother. I'm the wife of a creative, daring and successful man whom I befriended at age 21 (he was 18). We were friends in college and eventually decided that we wanted more than just a friendship and got married in June of 2006. He's the owner of a barbershop in the city of Chicago and works hard balancing the shop and his family. Together we are the parents of two beautiful little girls, Olivia, age 3.5 and Paige, 9 months. Our house is filled with dresses and bows, princesses and miniature high heels. Days are spent trying to balance it all. I would love to stay home with my girls but as life goes, it's necessary for me to work and carry insurance for our family. If it weren't for a wonderful nanny, Bridget, we wouldn't be able to make it. The girls love her and her care for them alleviates a pool of fear and worry in their mommy. I'm hoping to make this a lighthearted blog filled with silly happenings and new discoveries. Hopefully I can stick to it.