Our latest Meet a Mom is Cynthia Tratnyek
1.How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I have 2 girls, ages 13 and 15 (7th grade and 9th grade)
- How long have you lived in Short Hills/Millburn/Livingston and what made you decide to live here?
We moved to Short Hills 13 years ago 2 weeks after Maggie was born. My husband is an 84 graduate of Millburn High School and I am an 84 graduate of Chatham Township High School. We looked at houses in both towns and found 2 houses we liked, one in each town. The Chatham house was across the street from my parents. Their next door neighbor brought up, “Everybody Loves Raymond”. Do you think they’ll come over for coffee every day? So we bought the Short Hills house.
3.Tell us about your business and what other local things you are involved in! And how did you get started?
I am the COO of Tratnyek, LLC. I run the internal workings of our family. I can find and fix almost anything while my husband can’t find the peanut butter in the pantry. I coach field hockey (5 years) in the fall and lacrosse in the spring (5 years). I am part of the merging of the MSHGLAX and MSHBLAX; we are one united Club,a 501C3. I was active in the Junior League for 9 years before going to Sustainer status. While my children were in the GLenwood School, I ran their Variety Show. I inherited the Show from Joanna Parker-Lenz and stayed on for 5 years until Maggie graduated.
4.Favorite thing to do when you need “me time”?
If you see me with a hair cut, that was the ME time.
5.Favorite place for dinner with kids?
We are fans of Enzzo’s in Short HIlls; I went to high school with Peri and it’s a great excuse to see her and Vinny.
6.Most enjoyable place to hang out?
On the back deck at Canoe Brook overlooking the fairway with a beer.
7.How do you balance your career and being a mom?
It’s a mystery, I just do it because I don’t know any better.
8.Proudest mommy moment(s)?
Both my daughter’s were on Odyssey of the Mind teams and both went to the world finals at Michigan State. Incredible experience for all the kids not just mine.
9.Can’t believe that happened mommy moment!
I locked Maggie in the car when she was a baby. I bought Claire to her nursery school and just before I put Maggie in her car seat, I dropped the keys onto the front seat to have free hands the buckle her in. As the keys hit the seat, it locked the doors. I shut the door and locked her in, couldn’t get her out. I had to call my friend who had a key to my house and get my extra car keys to open the door. I’m crying, Maggie is laughing.
10.Best advice you have gotten from a mom?
Enjoy this time you have with you children, they will be in college before you know it.
11.Best piece of advice you can give other moms!
Please see #10.
12.One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I love hard rock and metal. Led Zeppelin, Def Leopard, The Who, Queen, Scorpions, Kiss. I went to see Tran-Siberian Orchestra, what a great show. Pyrotechnics as good as Kiss. I was a preppy headbanger.