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Featuring:

In Family Profile, AppleTree
introduces you to local families
committed to Judaism and the
Jewish community. Candidates
for Family Profile need not
belong to a congregation or be
leaders in Jewish organizations.
We're simply looking for those
families who, through their daily
actions, show a serious interest
in conducting a Jewish life and
serve as role models for all.
We hope you find their lives
inspiring.
Please send your nominations
for this feature to: Family Profile,
c/o AppleTree, 27676 Franklin
Road, Southfield, MI 48034;
fax to (248) 354-6069; or e-
mail to philapple@earthlink.net .
include the name, address and
phone number of the family,
along with a brief description of
why you think it should be fea-
tured. ALL INFORMATION
MLST BE -YPED.
Thanks to the anonymous
caller who suggested this
month's profile on Michael and
Laura Kay and their family.

also had his eye on Laura, and sent a
friend over to arrange a re-introduction.
"We talked all night," Laura says.
"Sixty-five days later, we were
engaged."

How He Proposed: "It was outside
a restaurant called Under the Eagle in
Hamtramck, right by a liquor store,"
Laura says. "There was a vagrant sit-
ting there. After I told Michael I would
marry him, he said to this guy, 'The
most beautiful girl in the world just said
yes to me!' Well, that's what I like
about Michael — he is not shy."

Professionally Speaking:

Healthy, Hydro-Spa
Whirlpool Pedicure!

Michael sells medical insurance. Laura
works with him, handling the marketing
aspect of the business.

Acrylic Fill-in ( re9 $ 1 8)

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About Their Brood: "I was an only

$25

Manicure (r" $1 2)

5

child," Laura says. "And I was always
hanging out at the home of my friend,
where there were four children. I
thought that was an army, and I loved
it, and I vowed I would have six kids

16

10

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Pedicure/Fill-in ( reg $ 46)

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3

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walk-ins welcome • bring in ad for discount

anything to anyone," Laura says. "I do
tell people that I feel very lucky.
Michael and I both are very grateful.
We have an abundance: food, a roof
over our heads, jobs, great families,
enough of everything.
"So many people sit around in life
and whine, 'My kids drive me crazy';
and they tell me, 'I don't know how
you do it!' You know what I say? 'If
you've got everything, shut up and be
happy."

pair [the three younger children are in
day care at grandma's house in West
Bloomfield while Laura works; the rest
attend Green and Abbott schools].
"What we do have is a routine. It
begins when the kids wake up. The
night before, I line up the clothes to
wear. The children get dressed and
clean and come downstairs, where the
cereal bowls are on the table for break-
fast. The two older boys, Zack and
Dan, take turns (complaining and then)
preparing bottles for the babies and
making lunches." As Laura explains,
"We believe that teaching the children
chores is important so they learn about
responsibility for the future."
And not everyone gets the same
thing packed for lunch. "I've got a
daughter who is a vegetarian and one
child who has never even tried a veg-
etable — I don't think he even knows
what a vegetable is. Come over here,
Dan. Look at him: the most beautiful
thing you've ever seen. Now, Dan, can
you name a vegetable?" his mother.
asks.
"Potato?" Dan asks shyly.
"Potato is a starch," she replies.
"A banana?"
Silence.
"Apples? BlUeberries?"
Now Laura is laughing. "You see! I
told you!"
There are variations on a theme
when it comes to dinnertime, too.
"Each child has a favorite meal," Laura
says, "and we want everyone to have
a chance to have his or her favorite, so
we have variety in menus. Zack likes
lasagna and peach pie, for example,
while Dan likes noodles, chicken and
brownies, and Sam likes spicy pesto
with garlic."

Teaching the Message: "I want

The Grandparents: Both Laura

my children to understand how lucky
they are, so we make it a point to help
out," Laura says.
"We teach the kids to put money in
the pushke [charitable collection box],
donate to Yad Ezra [kosher food
pantry] and take all our old clothes
right to the homeless shelter. We want
to show the kids that the disadvan-
taged are not just hal -way across the
world; they are five minutes from our
home."

and Michael are close to their parents, •
Moishe and Helene Last, and Goldie
and Jack Kay. Unlike many spouses
who love nothing better than a good
mother-in-law joke, Laura feels fortunate
to have Goldie Kay in her family. "She
treats me like gold," she says.
The senior Kays are Orthodox, but
this hasn't presented any problems with
their Reform daughter-in-law. No won-
der. When Laura speaks about attend-
ing services with her in-laws, instead
of complaining about separate seating
in the congregation, she says, "It's nice
because Mike gets a chance to sit
with his father, brother and nephew,
while I get to sit and gossip with my
mother-in-law, sister-in-law, Risa, as

when I grew up.
"My husband wanted between eight
and 10 — he isn't one of these guys
scared by big numbers. Now [with our
seven], he likes to tell people that he's
sorry he married me so late in life,
because we didn't have a chance to
have a large family."

Family Fun: A former college foot-

ball player, Michael enjoys all kinds of
sports activities with the children. Laura
likes going to the park with them. They
travel together, and often visit Michael's
parents in Canada.
"We have a nine-person Suburban,"
Laura explains of their penchant for
going everywhere as a family. "The
next phase after that is a church bus."

They've Heard It All: "You name

it, I've heard it," Laura says. When she
and her husband are out with all the
children, at least one of the following
remarks is bound to come her way:
Are they all yours?"
"I feel so sorry for you."
"Are you Orthodox or Catholic?"
"Are they adopted?"
"You sure have your hands full!"

The Answer: "I don't need to justify

Time Management: Organization

is a key word in the Kay home. "Both
my husband and I are extremely high
energy and very organized," Laura
says. "We don't have a live-in or an au