1978

After the previous Class Notes column, about mothers who are staying home with their kids, Jeff Weeks wrote, "Fathers can also choose to stay home with their kids. When our son Adam, six, was younger, I was a fulltime dad (well, I snuck a little math in during his naps). Now that he's in school, I work at home each day until the bus comes. For me it's the best of both worlds." Adam, Jeff, and Nadia live in Canton, N.Y., where Jeff devotes his non-parenting hours to the Geometry Center.

"I feel lucky that I can do it," says MaryKendall Brown. While her husband, ScottBrown, works at the Conflict Management Group in Cambridge, Mass., Mary is at home in Belmont with Gate 4, Jack 2, and krista 7 months.

Dee and Libby Putnam Flint have three kids—Dale 6, Connor 4, and Brian 2. While Dee is lawyering in downtown New Orleans, Libby, a former hospital administrator, is home in Metairie. "Every once in a while I get frustrated," she says. "And I feel anxiety about getting into the workforce. But I'm happy with the choice."

Christine Krolik had paid her dues as an assistant director and stage manager at the Magic Theater in San Francisco when HBO transferred her husband, Jeff Krolik, to Florida. She was pregnant and couldn't pay her dues again. Now Jeff works in New York (he's HBO's vice-president of strategy and analysis) while Christine is in Old Greenwich with John 5, and Billy 2½. "I feel very fortunate that I don't have to bring home a paycheck. If we hadn't moved I'd still be able to work-I'd probably be an assistant to a producer or a casting director. But now I can't conceive of anything else. I love it. You don't miss anything in their lives. When Billy was learning to talk there was no one who understood him better than I did. I love being there to pick them up from school. I gotta say, I love sending them to school, too."

For more information on this topic, there's a national support group called Home By Choice Inc. (P.O. Box 103, Vienna, VA 22183), which puts out a bi-monthly newsletter called Table Talk.

Debbie Tarinelli Purvin is at home with her kids, Marissa 8 and Mac 3. So is her husband, Dwayne, And their home happens to be a 26-foot sailboat. They were both realestate bankers and decided to do something-different. At one point Dwayne passed out from the agony of passing a kidney stone in the middle of the ocean, and Debbie thought he was dying. They home-school, or boat-school the kids.

For a subsequent column, I'd like to hear about other '7Bs who've put their regular lives on hold and embarked on adventure. Please write if you know of any.

Congratulations to Myles Sheehan, who was ordained as a Jesuit priest on June 18 at Holy Cross. Myles is also a doctor, in the Geriatric Division of Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.

Congratulations to Annie McLane Kuster, who, in addition to being a partner in her Concord, N.H., law firm, is a new member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Aid congratulations on a handful of recent arrivals:

1&2) The Mellifluously named Charlotte Alexandra and Olivia Christiana Brown, born to Daphne and Jay Brown on March 5. The Browns recently relocated to Corning, N.Y., where Jay is a patent attorney for Corning. 3) Leisa Brooks Simpson Brent, born on March 2 and adopted by Bruce and ChrisSimpson Brent. Bruce is a cardiologist; Chris is a client exec with IBM in San Francisco. 4) William Oliver Frick, born to Richard and Jennifer Hands Frick on January 19. They live in Torrance, Calif. 5) Jacklin Bliss Kimball, born to kathy and Rick Kimball in July of 1993. Kathy works in the treasurer's office for the University of California system; Rick is a partner at Montgomery Securities in San Francisco.

5317 White Horse Road Knoxville, TN 37919