Me: 40-something; Jeopardy! champion; Ivy-League educated woman; non-practicing lawyer licensed in 2 states and 4 Federal courts; mother of three boys; married to a wonderful man for 15 years. My mother is still living, but my father died in October 2007.
Wine Guy: my husband; the big 5-2; a brilliant physician; a good father; makes me laugh, and challenges my thinking. Alternately endearing and enfuriating, but aren’t all men.
Wizard: My oldest son, age 13; officially a teenager, in the ugliest throes of puberty; a very, very smart boy who reads the local paper and the NYT daily; a lazy and manipulative child; loves Harry Potter; loves to read, read, read; stands 5′11″ and wears a man’s 13EEEE shoe. Wizard is in 8th grade (middle school) but really should be in boot camp at Parris Island. He is currently the bane of our existence and is up for adoption.
Wild Thing: My middle son, age 10, in 5th grade; the classic middle child; absolutely adorable and funny; very musical; has a big stubborn streak; wonderful zest for life; as much street- smarts as book-smarts; a dawdler, a dreamer, but a real fighter.
Moose: my youngest son, age 7; my sugar and my heart; full of wonder and attitude; as physically able as his older brothers; a force to be reckoned (not reasoned) with; in 2nd Grade but reads at a 7th grade level; the smartest of the bunch and likely to be the biggest.
My Parents: Dad passed away in October 2007 at the age of 79. Mom, still going strong in her late 70s, comes from a line of long-lived Jewish mothers. She’ll be around for a long time.
My Brothers:
- The eldest is The Egg; he is brilliant but completely deficient in common-sense or money-management skills. Emigrated to Israel more than 20 years ago; has a wife, eight kids (four of whom are married), and two grandchildren.
- Doc Bro is the second of my three older brothers. His an orthopaedic surgeon in New Jersey. We look and act similarly. He’s married to my SIL, VJ, who is the most competent mother you’ll ever meet.
- Tax Man is the third brother. He’s actually a business- and estate-planning lawyer in the DC area. He is the most artistically talented of us all. He’s married to SILL and has 4 kids.
August96 Moms: My circle of Internet friends whom I’ve known since 1995. They are The Oracle, The Source of Wisdom. They keep me sane.
My Friends:
- MB Walker: My very best friend (f/k/a BFF), whom I met in law school. She is the wind beneath my wings.
- Calvin: My closest friend near The Zone. She works full-time as an attorney in her own practice, has 2 young boys, and a big teddy-bear of a husband; known for her dry, Midwestern wit. She helps run my life. She’s a charter member of The Breakfast Club.
- Belle: A relatively new friend, but a fiercely loyal one. She’s got a great sense of humor and is a very hard worker. She is more than a realtor; she’s a real-estate maven. She’s also a charter member of The Breakfast Club.
- Doctora: another relatively new friend and a member of the Breakfast Club. She’s a board-certified physician who has recently returned to practice. She is a font of gentle wisdom.
- Sprite: A positively brilliant woman; an English teacher with the most impressive degrees, including a Master’s in Literature. We could discuss books endlessly.
