Teri Parris Ford

I was born Teresa Marie in East Los Angeles, California. My friends call me Teri. I married my best friend, whom I met in October of 1977, when we were in 7th grade. He is a wonderful man because he does laundry and still sends me love notes. Together we have three lovely daughters. We came to Madison in 1990 and got stuck here. The best thing about living in Madison is having all the comforts of big city living with the safety and beauty of a small town.

For five years I was a stay-at-home mom. Being a mother is an amazing calling for some; for me, it is hard work. Joining the work world thirteen years ago was a way for me to get away from the drama of toddlers and potty training. Today it takes me away from the trauma of teens and a lot of dirty laundry at home.

I teach art at Madison Memorial high school with four other amazingly talented art teachers. I love my job. In my spare time (which I have very little of) I try to be creative. I take a lot of pictures and I paint. I have challenged myself to write a daily blog. I write about my children, both my school children and my birth children, and the challenges I face being a mother, teacher and woman in her forties. My younger two daughters are involved in sports, so there is a soccer-mom theme that occasionally gets repeated.