Poverty has many different dimensions but an inability to put at least one nutritious meal a day on a child's plate must be the most devastating hardship a parent can endure. In Bolivia, where 32% of the population lives in extreme poverty, and where 23% of households are food insecure, that's a heartbreaking reality for thousands of families. Thankfully, organizations such as the World Food Program (WFP) offer a glimpse of hope to many impoverished Bolivian communities by providing children with nutritious meals at school. Last week, the boys and I connected with a group of children benefiting from the program through WFP's Send Your Message initiative. You can be a part of it too!

No matter where they live or come from, most little girls have big dreams and even bigger aspirations. Some may want to become lawyers, doctors, scientists, journalists, or businesswomen. Some fantasize about a big, beautiful house with a bedroom overlooking a lake. Some would like to travel and explore the world. Some have a calling to become pastors, nuns, or philanthropists.  Some dream of raising a beautiful and healthy family. But some dream of things that should never be out of reach. They should be guaranteed to every single child as a matter of right. Maybe I will be the first girl in the family to go to school? Maybe they won't marry me off before I'm 18...

On Monday, August 20, 2007, at 1:23 p.m., my life got a new beginning and a new meaning: I became a mom to a wonderful baby boy, Dominik Coltrane. With dark hair and blue eyes, Dominik was an instant beauty but most importantly, he was a healthy and happy bundle of joy. Now, five years later, he (almost) always has a big smile on his face, and continues to be an absolute joy to be around. Similar to George, one of his favorite book & cartoon characters, Dominik has unimaginable curiosity and energy, and he loves to explore the world. 

Three years ago on June 9th, Mark, Dominik, and I welcomed a precious little munchkin into our world. We named him Filip Miles. The time flew by and Filip has blossomed into an ingenious, curious, energetic, quite opinionated, stubborn but absolutely lovable preschooler.  Yesterday, we celebrated his third birthday which, to me, is an important milestone. 

We love vacationing but this one is somewhat bittersweet. In a few days, we will have to bid farewell to Babcia Ania, the boys' grandmother, who is travelling back to Poland after a six-month-long wonderful, memorable visit. On June 8, we set off for a journey from Virginia to Buffalo en route to Toronto, where Babcia Ania will catch a flight to Warsaw. By doing it, we crossed off one item on our summer bucket list: go on a road trip!

Dominik & Filip have just completed a wonderful year at Providence Nursery School (PNS), a cooperative preschool we have been a part of for two years. It was Filip’s first and Dominik’s last year at PNS, which offers not only an inspiring and creative learning environment but also an inviting, accepting and friendly community of parents, teachers and children alike. 

On my recent Starbucks run I spent more money than I had anticipated but this time it was money well-spent: instead of coffee, I bought Every Mother Counts 2012, the second album to benefit the organization of the same name established by a mother, director, activist, and supermodel Christy Turlington Burns.  $8.00 per CD sold in participating Starbucks stores between 5/1 and 12/31 will support the cause of reducing global maternal mortality.