Born and Raised (and Raising): Being a Mom Where I Grew Up

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Searching for minnows at the beach

I guess you can call me a Fairfield townie. I’ve lived where I was raised for almost all of my life- with a quick break during college to attend school in Worcester, MA. Something has always pulled me back to Fairfield. It is amazing to see how the town has changed after 30 years, and the many ways in which it has stayed the same. I’ve loved being here through so many different stages of my life, from childhood to motherhood.

Don’t get me wrong- there were definitely times when I moved back after college that I felt I had to escape the familiar. I took a job in NYC and vacationed as far away as I could: Chile, the Czech Republic, Peru. I contemplated teaching in Prague, or transferring from graduate school at Fairfield University to Chicago. I wanted to be anywhere but here.

But I stayed to finish my English teaching degree. I made and reconnected with amazing friends. I met my husband. We married and moved down the street from my parents (!). I had my daughter (now 4), a son (2), and am waiting now for our third (we’ve always waited to find out the gender, but my daughter assures us the baby will be a girl).

After the birth of my first, I stopped teaching to stay at home. My days are mostly spent playing with my kiddos, trying to remember all the hysterical things they say, cleaning up the chaos (my daughter innocently but accurately compared me to Cinderella on Mother’s Day), trying to read for my book club (just finished The Rosie Project), or binge watching NetFlix at night with my husband (Bloodline Season 2 is on!). I also keep in touch with my love of childhood literacy by selling Usborne Books and running pre-school book fairs.

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An Usborne Book Fair at area pre-school

So many things in my life have changed, and yet by living where I grew up, so many have stayed the same. There is something so amazing about doing the same things with your own children that you remember doing as a child: Enchanted Walks through the Audubon at Halloween, visiting the little shops at Captain’s Cove in Bridgeport, searching for hermit crabs in the sound, shopping at Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk, or eating vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups at Timothy’s Ice Cream in Bridgeport.

As I was talking with my mom friends the other night, we all agreed that despite the exhaustions, frustrations, and constant demands of raising babies and toddlers, we are loving this time and realize how quickly it is going. We are also lucky to be enjoying the adventure of motherhood in an area that has so much to offer young families. We have loved visiting and revisiting the Beardsley Zoo, the Maritime Center, Stepping Stones, and The Stamford Museum and Nature Center. We’ve even ventured to the Bronx Zoo, The New York Botanical Garden, and Stone Barns in New York. We never feel lacking for new things to do, new places to explore, and new friends to meet.

As Carly Simon once sang, I want to “stay right here, ‘cause these are the good old days.” I’ve always loved Fairfield County, but for a little while, I wish time could stand still. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel the push to move on to the next stage. Raising little children is so much fun, and I look forward to sharing our adventures on Fairfield County Mom’s Blog with readers who, like us, are always looking for some fresh ideas.

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Visiting the Holiday Train Show at New York’s Botanical Garden
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Kate S.
Kate S. is a mom at home in Fairfield with her 4 kids (2 girls and 2 boys) and one puppy. Kate's sister introduced her to Chris, whom she married in 2010. They welcomed their first daughter in 2012, a son in 2014, another daughter in 2016, another boy in 2018, and finally a puppy in 2021. Kate and Chris's parenting motto would probably be, "Just take them with you." As a family, they continue to enjoy activities like skiing, kayaking, and hiking by taking turns to teach the older kids or strapping babies into backpacks. Kate can be found out and about exploring with her kids, volunteering at their schools, or laughing with other moms at the beautiful chaos of life with children.

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