Chapter Three: Being A Soccer Mom Is A Good Thing

"If I expect my children to value education I must continually pursue it myself"

In the Fall of 1986, we moved to the Washington DC area. We lived in the Maryland Farms Condominiums in Beltsville, Maryland. Richard worked as a courier and in construction until he found employment with the APHIS division of the Department of Agriculture in Hyattsville, Maryland.

We became active members of Berwyn Baptist Church in College Park Maryland. We had initially visited this church because we had been searching for a school for our children to attend. We were looking for a school with small classes and devoted teachers. We had found these factors in place at Berwyn Baptist School.

The tuition for each child would amount to about $3,000.00 per year. It was astronomical for us, so I went to work for them to offset the tuition. The first semester, I taught Preschool Monday-Friday for a half a day. Oscar attended school and Victoria and Kathryn stayed with a sitter, Mrs. Mary Ann Bedor, an ASMS Charter Member (she taught me so much about being busy and never losing sight of my kids).

By the second semester I had agreed to teach Music for grades Kinder-Sixth, so that I was working for a full day.

I loved teaching. it was natural and yet a challenge. I had collected all this information. It seemed perfect that I should teach and share my knowledge with others. I was determined that I would be the best teacher I could be. I wanted to learn all there was about each age group I was in charge of and about every possible teaching method for reaching these young minds.

After school, we would pick up Victoria and Kathryn and return to my classroom. It was the most wonderful classroom I've ever seen. It was the culmination of many years of evolution through the ideas of many teachers and one in particular how was a part of that room for over thirty-five years, Yvonne Black, another ASMS Charter Member who was serving as a surrogate Soccer Mom for her four grandchildren.

The classroom was huge, bright and colorful. It had a large fish tank at floor level so the kids could sit right in front of it and a guinea pig named Ralph who had learned to squeak when he saw a lunch box. It had a well-stocked Living, Kitchen, Block, Craft and Reading Center. My own kids have wondeful memories of doing their homework and then playing in the centers while I studied or worked to ready the classroom for the next day.

Meanwhile, Richard was learning all about computers and networks and government workers. It was definitely a busy time for us all.

It was also a time of tall trees and colored leaves, too much pollen and snow; and such stuff not found in South Texas.

We did a lot of driving to just a few places because the ongoing joke amongst the kids was, "Mom, do you know where Dad is and do you have a quarter to call him when you get lost?" I keep reminding them that they were the lucky ones who always traveled the scenic route.

We met people from all over the planet and we tasted their foods (we will never forget the Chinese pearled rice meatballs, their New Year's Moon Pie or the Bolivian Soybean Soda) from their homelands. We listened to the stories from their homelands and their peoples.

We learned to juggle so much movement and so many activities and still keep our kids close at hand and we managed to make sure we were available for them and their needs.

We were often called upon to help with church functions. The kids went with us. They learned to set tables and greet people and do whatever needed. Since I taught in the Church's school, I could also send them to my classroom to give them a play break.

I also kept sleeping bags in the classroom for when they needed naps if a meeting was going too long. I was glad to see that such an attitude was quite accepted by our church and that other young parents adopted it as their own.

I taught English as a Second Language, to Chinese adults with whom our church shared the building. They had Church services while we had Sunday School and then we alternated. We would pass each other on the stairs each Sunday and had never exchanged many words. As it turned out, many of them were in need of learning English.

I taught on Sunday afternoons because Richard was available to keep the kids. I will always be grateful to Pastor Andrew Chen for allowing me the opportunity to share English with his congregation while they, in turn, taught me so much about their country, people and culture and about the beauty of graciousness.

Our first ministry was and is to our family. We cannot take away from them to give to others, but, ultimately, the example of who "we" are and what we are willing to give of ourselves to others will be the greatest asset our kids will have in the formulation of their own lives. So, we cannot isolate ourselves as a family unit.

While we were in DC, we learned to be busier than we thought humanly possible. I never did the tourist stuff while I lived there. I never even went to see the monuments! I drove by them, but I don't think that counts.

If family or friends would come into town, Richard and the kids would lead them through the tours and I would always opt to stay behind and take advantage of the rare times that I could be home alone. The last time I did this was really stupid, but I didn't know it was to be the last time.

@Jenni Vinson ....April 17, 1999