The Rey Family

The Rey Family

-- Members: Barbara and her children Ashley, 15, and Bobi, 13. Also, Hirut Girma, from Ethiopia. They live in Bellevue.

-- Mom's talents: Barbara, talent director for a Lola Hallowell Talent Agency in Seattle, used to sing advertising jingles and appear in television commercials. (For six years, she was the spokeswoman for Sears.) Now, in her extra time, she plays tennis, gardens and takes voice lessons.

-- Kids' talents: Both the kids earn good grades, says mom. Bobi, a student at Tyee Middle School, plays basketball and skis. Ashley, a Newport High School cheerleader, takes acting classes. The kids also have appeared in television commercials. Ashley did Thriftway grocery ads for a year and a national ad for Toyota.

-- How the family works: ``I think we're friends. I think the kids and I appreciate each other. We communicate,'' says Barbara, who's been a single parent for 12 years, works full-time and drives in two morning carpools. She manages with help. First of all, they are a strong Christian family. And Barbara believes ``the Lord has always been our provider and protector.'' Also, one day she decided ``I can't do all of this.'' So her children learned to accept responsibility and be accountable for themselves. Mom also learned to overlook imperfections and go for what's important - being together.

-- Help around the house: Barbara has always hired a live-in baby-sitter, which has allowed the children to stay home while she worked, instead of being in day care. ``It stabilizes the home when I'm gone,'' she says. Hirut has been part of their family for three years, and helps with cleaning and cooking in exchange for room and board. She attends Bellevue Community College.

-- Their best times: Camping at Lake Alta in Eastern Washington because ``you get down and dirty together,'' Barbara says. ``Everybody pitches in.''

-- On single parenting: The hardest part is ``learning how to take care of myself,'' Barbara says. But, despite raising two kids singlehandedly, ``it has been a real privilege for me to be their mom,'' she says.

Suggestions on families to feature in Family Portrait come from a variety of sources. If you know of good candidates - or if you'd like to suggest your own family - drop us a note at Portrait, c/o Scene, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. Please include a daytime phone number.