An education is something we take for granted in this country. It’s inevitable that at age five, kids will start school. Annabel started Kindergarten at age five, just like I did, and my own mother…

I feel so lucky to be raising three boys in an environment where milestones are often taken for granted.  Those first snowmen, first words, first steps, first ice cream cone, first zoo visit, first, first, first…are moments we recognize, but may not realize how amazing they are.

“For all of life’s paths, make sure a few of them contain dirt.” This is a picture of the first time we went strawberry picking. An important milestone in my baby’s life, this is when she discovered how much she loves the outdoors, especially dirt.

Her #princess game has been strong since the beginning! #TBT

#TBT to her first birthday. All she wanted to do was give Abby kisses. She’s still a kisser and a hugger. Most nights she tells me “I don’t know why but I just can’t stop myself from hugging you!” I love that about

My son asked me last night what it felt like to not have a past before age 17. It’s weird is the only answer I can give him, like a movie I watched so many times so long ago I can hear it and feel it deep down but can’t quite bring it to the surface.

My First Communion. This photo of a lucky girl was cropped out of a group picture of other lucky first graders celebrating our First Holy Communion at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church! We were lucky because we were growing up in striving neighborhoods in 1970 Los Angeles.

Remembering my son’s 1st birthday almost 13 years ago, and thinking about how fortunate we are that we have access to healthcare. So many children lack access even to life-saving vaccines!

His first smile. His first “Mama“. His first walk. I treasured those milestones because I knew that these firsts were also my last.

The other day, Mickey and I were looking through pictures of our kids.   I can’t believe how much they have changed!  We found this one of Allie eating her first piece of Corn on the Cob.  Something about it is so sweet to me. 

It is nothing short of devastating to imagine that a mother could lose their child by the age of 5 by a completely preventable disease.  5 years old! No parent should have to experience that tragedy. Not in America. Not in Liberia. Not in any developed or underdeveloped country. 

This photo was taken at his first big relay competition where his school competed against all the other teams in the league. He came home with a medal that year. What an accomplishment! Unfortunately some families in developing don’t get to experience milestones like this because children lack access to life-saving vaccines.

#TBT to our son Thomas’s 5th Birthday Aug 9. He loves acting and dress-up. Many children in developing countries die before they reach the age of five.

welve years ago, putting on a fireman’s gear was a dream come true for him (and I love the supportive hand of the fireman in this pic too…). Grateful he never had to worry about the basics of health and was free to dream…

This photo was taken nearly thirty years ago. That’s me on the far right, proudly donning a pointy party hat in celebration of my younger sister’s first birthday.