On Mother’s Day, it seems only fitting that I write about the various moms in our lives.  I am lucky and blessed to still have my mom with me and wish her a wonderful Mother’s Day.  Growing up, mom was the youngest of seven children born to immigrant parents.  As the youngest, she often told us stories of how she had eight people always telling her what to do so that when she went to play outside, she was “the boss” or “the leader’ of her friends.  She often said how it was the depression and when her father would take the kids shoe shopping, they would fill up the seats in the shoe store and her father would say, with his Italian accent, “Mister, shoes, not too much.”  “Seven.”  My mom also remembers her mother making bread.  My grandmother would get up at 2:00a.m., make the dough, and then let it rise until morning.  Then in the morning, she would bake the loaves.  The children would wake to the smell of fresh bread two or three times a week.  One of my aunts also recalls her mother delivering bread to the neighbors at holidays.  She recalls the neighbors excitement as one would say, “Here comes Mrs. Larco with the bread.”  Apparently my grandmother was known for her bread baking.  As my grandmother was known for her bread baking, my mom was known among her sisters for her homemade chicken soup.  My Aunt Angie would often say, “Adeline makes the best soup.”  Aunt Angie left us last month to be with her parents and brothers and is deeply missed.  My Aunt Angie had great stories about family life in the 30’s and 40’s also.  Aunt Angie was the social one.  Since she and my mom are only 18months apart, they were a year apart in school.  In high school, they had a gym class together.  My aunt would often get reprimanded for her talking.  My mom, the quiet one, was often held in esteem to her older sister with the teacher saying, “Miss Larco, why can’t you be quiet like your sister?”  To this my aunt would jab my mother and say, “Can’t you talk a little?”  As a teacher, I can attest to the fact that times may have changed, but children have not.  Many of my students still have a lot to say.  Some of my other students are quiet like  my mom was in school.  Even with cell phones and texting, human contact is still the main stream of communication.  Put thirty plus teenagers in a classroom and there is much conversation.  Some about the lesson, at hand,  some not so much.  So for this Mother’s Day,  it is my hope and wish that all moms receive plenty of love and conversation from their children and the children whose lives they have touched as a “mom.”  I know I am forever grateful to my mom, aunts, and neighbors who were all “mom” to me growing up.  Happy Mother’s Day!

Growing up with a large extended Italian family has left me  with many memories to smile upon.  I cannot help but reminisce about the “good old days” by the pool with all my aunts, cousins, and uncles stopping by for a dip.  Living in Connecticut, with its short summers. above ground pools were very popular.  They were inexpensive enough for the average middle class family to have one pop up in their backyard.  They were easy maintenance and above all, a lot of fun on a hot summer day.  Looking back, I really cherish those days of splashing around in the backyard pool but more so than the actual swimming, I cherish the memories that have become imbedded within  me.   One favorite memory is of my Aunt Edie.  Aunt Edie would come for a “quick dip” in the afternoon after she spent the morning house cleaning and she always added several adjectives to your name when addressing you.  For example, I was “Lori, honey, angel, sweetheart, darling” when she wanted me to do something for her.  Aunt Edie carried this trait of addressing her nieces and nephews by name plus adjectives through out our many years of family gatherings.  So, it was only natural that some of us picked up that habit.  As a middle school teacher, not a day goes by that I don’t ask students to comply.  Whether it be with an instruction for an assignment or a direction for an activity, teachers are always making requests of students.  One day in class, we were working on an activity of direction following and communicating without using voices.  Students need to think outside the box to communicate with one another as to their birth date so that they could line up in chronological order from oldest to youngest.  Most students caught on quickly and began using their fingers to symbolize their birth month and day.  However, one young man seemed to be having  particular difficulties and was using his voice, moving people out of their spots, and just creating havoc.  The students were becoming frustrated as some tried to help him, some tried to get him into a spot, and others just wanted to get on with the activity.  As a teacher, I was being ever so patient and was trying to guide him toward thinking how he could find his correct spot.  His attitude was less than cooperative.  Finally, emulating my Aunt Edie, I said, “Anthony, honey, angel, sweetheart, darling, just find your place in line.”  This was too much for one other student.  Which at this point, Alex, equally frustrated, stepped out of line and said, “Now, Ms. Groves. you know he ain’t any of those.”  The class erupted into laughter.  Even Anthony was laughing.  I could only join them.  Well, Aunt Edie, I tried.  But, “out of the mouths of babes” as the saying goes.  Anthony finally did find a spot in line and a spot in my heart as years later I still recall this memory and with it, fond memories of my Aunt Edie.