Q: What about your children makes you laugh?
A: Sometimes I overhear my daughter in the next room mothering her little brothers, and I hear my exact words coming out of her mouth.
Q: What is your favorite family ritual?
A: Very early on Sunday mornings, my husband and my daughter go out and bring bagels, lox, and cream cheese home for our family.
Q: What was your most frazzled mom moment?
A: Pick a day, any day.
Q: What parenting issue do you and your partner disagree most about?
A: My husband makes up games with the kids—roughhousing games—that they love. Even when someone gets hurt, they recover in two seconds and want to do it again. Jerry's favorite is Bounce on the Bed—he throws them up in the air, really high, and they land on a huge pile of pillows on the bed. I literally cannot watch—I have to leave the room.
Q: What is your parenting role: good cop or bad cop?
A: I'm the bad cop, for sure.
Q: What do you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about?
A: I'm not thinking—I'm hearing someone calling, "Mommy!"
Q: What do you wish you had done before you had children?
A: Traveled more to far-off lands.
Q: What is a typical Saturday morning in your house like?
A: My husband travels for work most Saturdays, so the kids and I go on special adventures. It's usually something simple, like walking to the beach, collecting leaves, and bringing them home to make an art project. Those early hours on Saturday—when everyone is fresh, there's no school and no commitments—are special.
Q: What was your mom most right about?
A: She taught me by example that the key to happiness is to help others.
WHAT'S YOUR...
...guiltiest pleasure?
South Park.
...ideal getaway?
A family skiing vacation in Colorado.
...favorite clothing item?
The only thing I wear that I really care about is my wedding band.
...current reading material?
What to Eat by Marion Nestle.
WHAT'S YOUR PREFERENCE:
Chocolate or cheese?
Dark chocolate.
Eat at home or takeout?
Cook at home.
Coddle your tot or let him cry it out?
A little of both.
