Kettle Moraine Lutheran’s class of ‘07 had a total of 90 kids, two of them now Mr. Jake and Mrs. Lindsay Kroll, math teacher. They would not have known it back then but, thanks to mutual friends, the two now prepare for their third child together.

The now husband and wife have known each other since they were 14 years old, but they do not have the high school sweetheart story. The two never dated at Kettle Moraine Lutheran or even when they attended the same college. After graduating from Concordia, they ran back into each other.

The Krolls currently have two boys: ages two and four. They are expecting their first little girl at the end of July. There are many steps to preparing for another child, and Mrs. Kroll reflects on how the family is preparing.

“The biggest thing is I don’t know how the younger two will react to having another sibling in the house and a girl as well,” Kroll said.

The changes to come this summer will greatly impact the whole family, but trying to have two younger children understand this change can often be a bit daunting for some.

“They’re old enough to see the changes in my body and know there is a baby in mommy’s belly. They also talk to their friends at school about having another baby soon which is so cool to see!” Kroll said.

While looking at the positives and focusing on soaking up all the special moments happening right now, she “leans on [her] husband as he is going through the same changes as I am getting the house ready for our new addition,” Kroll said.

The Kroll family recognizes a change in routine coming their way in just a few months but “[they] will fall into a new routine and make time for the important things at that time,” Kroll said.

Along with the Kroll family, Jen Zortman, math department chair, also recognizes the importance of family and focusing on what is important in the moment.

“I want [expecting moms] to know that the number one thing is to be a mom, school will go and kids will learn. They need to focus on forming a connection with the new baby,” Zortman said.

Recognizing the importance of disconnecting from work during this period of change will allow the Kroll family to fully embrace the special moments to come with their growing family.

When reflecting on how being a mother has influenced Mrs. Kroll’s relationships with her students, she notes the importance of perspective in every situation.

“Being able to see different layers to every situation and knowing that you have kids now too who will go through similar experiences one day, it really changes the way you react to relationships and situations in order to better understand where kids are coming from,” Kroll said.

Gerardo Lujan-Ramos, senior, has also been able to see things through a new perspective because of Mrs. Kroll’s influence on him as his math teacher.

“From freshman through junior year I hated math classes; however, being in Mrs. Kroll’s Calculus class senior year, she showed me oftentimes in life all you need is a different perspective to overcome challenges. Once I changed my perspective on the subject, I began to perform much better but have also learned to apply this to my personal life,” Lujan-Ramos said.

Mrs. Kroll recognizes the impact her students have had on her family as well and is eager to watch her children grow and learn things she has learned from her classroom.

“You gain more flexibility and understanding for moving parts as a mother and the lessons learned from students influence your kids too. I am excited to see how this continues to positively influence my kids as they go through a big change in their lives this summer,” Kroll said.