Over the summer of 2009, the Almonds (Jeffrey and Rachel) welcomed another daughter into their family.
photos courtesy Jeff Almond
About two years ago, Thomas Jefferson’s husband and wife team, Literature Teacher Jeffrey Almond, and Special Education Teacher Rachel Almond, welcomed their first child, Naomi Faye Almond, into the world. This summer, on the Fourth of July, the Almonds welcomed the birth of their second daughter, Ruby Ilana Almond.
“When you have one great kid, you want to have another, as well,” Jeff said of the birth of his second daughter, Ruby. The Almonds chose to have another child not only for the benefit of themselves, but for Naomi as well. Jeff believes the new addition to the family will allow Naomi to have not only a playmate, but a friend and companion. According to Jeff, “Naomi already loves her new sister and is pretty gentle with her. “
When Rachel found out she was going to have another child, she decided it would be best to take the whole year of 2009-2010 off from teaching. Although Rachel was able to be a full-time mother during her year off, she wanted to be able to continue teaching special education. However, raising two kids is hard work. “Our room gets really crowded at night because both Ruby and Naomi are in our room,” said Jeff.
When Jeff leaves a school full of kids, he is often relieved to go home and be with his own daughters because, as he puts it, “It is totally different.” While at home, Jeff is a father but at school, he is a teacher who is surrounded by young adults. After a long day at school, Jeff likes to know his daughters are at home waiting for him. Jeff likes spending time with his daughters because even though Ruby is a bit young for much playtime, Naomi loves playing with her toy vehicles, often asking her father to join in the fun. On a typical weekend, if the Almonds are not found in their garden (Jeff said, “One of our goals is to keep Naomi from eating the grapes.”), chances are they can be found at the Denver Zoo, as they live within a walking distance. After a full day, Jeff usually reads to his daughters. “By reading to them, I get to spend time close to them and see their reactions. I especially love stories with a variety of characters (Dr. Seuss books are our favorites) because it allows me to do the different voices. Reading to your kids makes them happy,” Jeff said.
“What makes Ruby unique is her beautiful smile and how she is good at holding her head up. She is at the age where her facial expressions are great. Seeing some of her impressions, Ruby seems like she is aware of her surroundings,” said Jeff. While Ruby Ilana Almond is the second child, the Almonds find both children to not only be Almonds, but a joy to raise as well.
