Introducing Tina Sreniawski, a Flat Rock Mom

My Background

If you’ve ever seen an episode of The Brady Bunch, then you’ve got a good idea of what my childhood looked like. I grew up as #5 out of 6 kids in our noisy family on the south side of Grosse Ile, in a house my parents built with a lot of love. My dad worked for Ford, and my mom stayed home with us until we were teenagers. Some of my favorite memories were coming home and watching General Hospital with her after school while doing homework at the kitchen counter, or watching action movies on the weekends with my dad and siblings. We went for walks and bike rides in our wooded neighborhood, and out on the boat on the weekends as a family. I still get a nostalgic feeling when I cross the big green bridge, even though I haven’t lived there since college.

I enrolled at Wayne State University which is a melting pot of cultures from all over the metro Detroit area – I loved meeting new, different, diverse people with similar interests and goals. A few years later, I graduated and got my dream job as a teacher for the Woodhaven-Brownstown School District. Nothing can really prepare you for what it’s like to have your own classroom. I remember feeling so excited and nervous before my first day at work that I couldn’t sleep the night before school started! I have been lucky enough to work with some amazing people, many who are my closest friends today.

As the years went on, I changed buildings, subjects, and grade levels, but working with students is still the best part of the job. They simultaneously make me feel young (“Awesome, 90s fashion is back again!”) and old (“What’s a Cardi B?”). As the years progressed, my students celebrated all my grown-up milestones – they congratulated me when I got engaged, laughed at my wedding pictures and stories I shared about the Worst Wedding DJ in the World, and were excited for me each time I announced a pregnancy. They supported me through my miscarriage in a way that still brings tears to my eyes. I am currently on a leave of absence and am employed as a full-time SAHM, but I want to return to teaching someday. 

Babies & Beyond

My husband Lou and I met playing adult drop-in volleyball. He still remembers our first conversation (it was about the socks I was wearing – how romantic!). I remember how he made me feel like I was the most important person in the room. His laugh is still one of my favorite sounds. I like quiet, and reading books, and I can be overly sarcastic and negative. He is a sports fanatic, outgoing, and is an eternal optimist. Lou and I can be opposites, but we make it work by trying to put each other’s needs before our own. We were married on the beach in Florida in 2010.

We knew we wanted a big family, since I came from a family of 6 kids and my husband is from a family with 4 kids, so we got started right away. Our son Michael was born in August 2011, and suddenly we were parents! Michael was our dream baby, who slept and ate well from day 1, rarely fussed, and completely fooled us into thinking we were rockstar parents. There are only 14 months between Michael and his sister Ella! We might be crazy for having 2 kids so close in age, but honestly, it brings me joy to see our two big kids together – they have always been best friends.

When Ella was just over a year old, we suffered a devastating miscarriage. It was one of the darkest times of my life, but made the birth of our son Logan two years later so much more meaningful. He was even born on the birthday I share with my mom, so he is extra special to me – my gift from God!

Logan has a lot of health problems, but he doesn’t let them slow him down – he is an impish three-year-old today whose favorite question is, “Why?”. I want to write for DMB so I can help other moms who also struggle with navigating life when a child has chronic health conditions.

Logan became a big brother when Chloe was born last year. Chloe has an extremely rare genetic condition called BPES, which effects the muscles around her eyes. She has already had her first surgery, and could potentially have more as she grows and changes. I must have struck gold to have such a unique child completing our family! Being her mom has changed my life, and truly makes me appreciate that our differences can be our strengths.

My family and I live in a beautiful neighborhood in Flat Rock, where we can walk to the library, or to  Michael’s baseball games. We can take long bike rides to Lake Erie Metropark to visit their playground or watch the boats go by, and stop by A&W for a root beer float.

Since becoming a SAHM I’ve learned so much about myself. I thought being a full time mom would come naturally to me (it didn’t), and that I’d have a lot of free time (I don’t) and a spotless house (HA!) among other things. It turns out that the expectations I set for myself are usually unrealistic, and I am working to try to find a balance between what I want to accomplish, and what I’m actually able to. I wanted to write for DMB so I can find other moms like me, who may not have it all figured out but are having fun trying!

Tina Sreniawski, a Flat Rock Mom