Feel the Beat of a Japanese Art Form: Taiko Drumming

About Jill

My name is Jill and I am a thirty-something part-time attorney, and full-time mother of two wonderful and delightfully engaging little boys, ages 6 and 4. Over 6 years ago, I was a full-time attorney and very much enjoyed the working world with all of its perks and pleasures. Then, came baby. Never, before giving birth, had I even considered tossing aside the benefits of my hard-earned law degree and employment status for a life strictly defined by feeding intervals, diaper inspections, and the continual and mesmerizing exchange of gazes and coos with my new little one. Seeing and holding my new baby for the first time triggered my nurture and protect mode, and it has been in full force ever since. I began my incredibly exhausting, yet amazingly gratifying parenting journey that day, and haven’t looked back. Now with two little ones, I feel very thankful for every moment I get to share with my boys and my husband as we take this voyage through life together. My passion is parenting and my parenting philosophy is based upon the commitment to raise my children in ways which encourage an appreciation of the world as a whole, a genuine sense of compassion, and an ongoing feeling of gratitude. I strive to bestow upon them the opportunity of a multi-lingual education, and to expose them to diverse cultural experiences which they can appreciate and enjoy. I believe that this will enhance their brain development, as well as encourage a cultural sensitivity and the insight necessary to be well-adapted to, and to thrive in the ever-increasing globally connected society in which we live. Although my husband and I no longer travel to the extent we did before we had children, and thus far have not had the opportunity to travel with our kids outside the U.S., we strive to create for them global adventures and discoveries about the world through cultural studies, and by the exploration of diverse food, music and festivals. Speaking of the hubby, he is the most well-mannered person I’ve ever met, (thank you, dear mom-in-law), a fantastic father, and a passionate foodie with mad skills in the kitchen. I am quite proud to announce that he is currently working with partners to develop a brand new and exciting Mediterranean-themed restaurant concept. I can’t wait to blog about the delicious details! The idea for this blog was primarily conceived through many chats with good friend and like-minded mom, Kim, (see Kim’s about me page). We have similar parenting philosophies and have joined forces to launch this blog and produce its content. Kim will be blogging from a small village in France where she and her family have recently settled. I will be blogging from my home in Tampa, Florida. Our goal is to stay in close contact with each other and to connect with others around the world by sharing ideas, stories, photos and videos about raising, healthy, happy, globally-enlightened children. My little ones are best buddies with Kim’s five-year-old son and they look forward to keeping in close contact with Kim and her boy on their adventure in France. Our blog will provide the children with many opportunities to share and compare their life experiences from their perspectives in two different parts of the world. They are excited to exchange stories on Skype and email about school, local museums, food, theme parks, and much more! For me, this blog will serve as an exercise in creativity and an invaluable opportunity to challenge myself, daily, to become more open-minded, and to set a great example as a parent by helping my children develop a true feeling of appreciation and optimism about the global community in which they live. It should be noted that I am a research junkie. Always an inquisitive individual, I honed my research skills in law school. Now, with the answer to virtually every conceivable question at my finger tips, I get online every day to attempt to quench my insatiable thirst for knowledge. This blog will enable me to pass along any and all information which I find valuable in terms of parenting, education and global issues. I plan to tweet about these tidbits of significant information upon which I stumble, so please follow us Twitter! We encourage readers to share their stories and photos and look forward to hearing about global parenting experiences from around the world. Please click on our share your story page and connect with us! Jill