Down with Detroit.
Home. Family. Where I’m building a life. I was born and raised in a suburb of Metro Detroit. I have gone to school here, met the love of my life, given birth to my children and started a life here. Detroit is one of those cities that becomes intertwined with your soul and you become protective of it, fall in love with it, and your heart becomes adorned with pride for it. No fans are as loyal as Detroit fans and no city has such a hearty combination of struggle, grit, and passion. Deep within my heart, I too hold a memory box filled with sights, smells, sounds of MY DETROIT. I can still feel the excitement of jumping in the car to go down to Tiger Stadium, the purity, the essence of how life just flowed in slow motion – an embodiment of childhood happiness at its finest.
About Me.
I am a middle-school teacher by trade and recently launched a new business venture with Rodan and Fields. In addition to my full-time job, I am pursuing a Master’s Degree in Bilingual Education with a concentration in ESL (English as a Second Language). Needless to say, this keeps me on my toes, but I would not have it any other way! I grew up as a Bilingual so it drives my interest, my teaching, and my passion for education – especially for these students. I come from a long line of hard-working Italians who sacrificed a lot to make a life here. The struggle was real and it was not always pretty. I’m here to make that transition a little easier for families who come from overseas, struggle with a language barrier, or just simply want to feel like they belong. Education can be such a powerful medium for change.
I am happily married to the love of my life. He also keeps me on my toes with a witty sense of humor that drew me to him from the very moment we met each other. Funny how our parents and grandparents just KNOW things. My Nonna (grandmother) told me, “You’re going to marry that boy one day” when she saw us together for the first time. I was 14 and it was a simple hello (along with a face full of blush – and not the kind you buy at the makeup counter). Even then, she knew. Call it a sixth-sense, call it intuition, call it what you want…it’s REAL folks. So listen to your MAMA…or in my case your Mama and your Grand-mama too! Italian women know best. Don’t attempt arguing. We are officially the most stubborn. I stand by this (because I know them, love them, and I am one). There are a lot of you who know. You’re sitting there nodding, shaking your head right now, and probably snickering too.
In my free time, I love to cook and I have a huge passion for Pinterest. My co-workers tease that I must have stock in it or something…um I wish! The obsession has spread to them too. I am always looking for new and innovative techniques and ideas for my classroom. You can find my boards under the username: centia. Language and culture fascinate me and anything that is aimed at advocating for children – especially in education is of utmost importance to me. Coming from a bilingual home, I am invested in helping ESL students succeed.
Babies and Beyond.
I am a mother of two spunky, bright, beautiful girls, ages 3 and 6. These bundles of sugar and spice have been running (not walking) since approximately 9 ½ months of age and my youngest leaping from her crib at about 11 months of age. Busy is an understatement. They are just as lovable as they are busy and are two of my greatest blessings.
My oldest will be starting first grade in the fall (where did the time go). What is it about sisters that they fight like cats and dogs, but will defend each other to the death? Sometimes I defer to my husband who has two older sisters…I grew up in a house with three boys. It is an entirely different dynamic. Spartacus, our two-year old Beagle/Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (mouthful I know…lol) mix rounds out our house and remains sane despite the giddy girls around him. My poor husband…I’m not so sure. If you want to know what kind of people my husband and I are…we went out on a date…and came home with a dog. Yup. That happened.
Spartacus aka “Sparty”
I am so deeply honored to join the Detroit Moms Blog family and I look forward to getting to know all of you – learning about your passions in life, and your passion for this beautiful city we live in! Detroit is due for a comeback…and you know what, I think it’s in the works. Detroit has a story worth telling and a PEOPLE worth talking about.
I’ll be seeing you!
~Anna~
