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To quadruplets, school feels like home
Four Okeene students can call their English teacher ‘Mom'

 
By Bryan Painter | Published: August 31, 2008    Comment on this article Leave a comment

OKEENE — Place yourself in Ginny Dobrinski's high-heeled shoes, figuratively speaking.

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Aug 29Ginny Dobrinkski talks about having her four children in...

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Ginny Dobrinski's quadruplets from left, Jamie Dobrinski, Scott Dobrinski, Shelby Dobrinski and Michael Dobrinski are among her students in Okeene. By David McDaniel, The Oklahoman
The other side(s)
OK, we talked to Mom, now let's hear from the Dobrinski children.

Each has three siblings in English class, and their mother is the teacher.

Michael said he's known this was coming for a couple of years.

Jamie expected the experience to be fun but different.

Shelby said her friends think her mom is cool, so she's looked forward to this year.

"I've been waiting for her to be my teacher for as long as I can remember,” Scott said. "It's good if I have homework, (because) she can really help me.

"It's bad because she knows everything that goes on.”

The biggest question going into the school year was whether they would call her Mrs. D., as the other students do, or Mom.

"I try to call her Mrs. D, but sometimes I have to correct myself when I say Mom,” Shelby said. "I'm getting used to calling her that in class.”

First, go back to 1995 when Ginny and husband Mike were told they were going to have quadruplets.

"I cried a lot,” she said. "I kept saying, ‘I can't do four, I can't do four.' Then when it finally sank in that four was what I was going to have to do, all I could say was, ‘I don't want to drive a Suburban!'”

Now move forward to the start of the school year in Okeene. Ginny is a junior high language arts teacher. Guess who she has in class for the first time?

Their names are Michael, Jamie, Scott and Shelby, all Dobrinskis.

Good thing Ginny Dobrinski has a sense of humor.

"Sometimes I wonder if they aren't telekinetically connected in some way, shape or form,” she said, "because I swear at times all they have to do is look at one another and they know exactly what each other is thinking without one word said.

"That makes me worry a little about their teen years when they all are making alibis for each other. Michael and I won't stand a chance.”

Ginny knew she would be teaching her kids and their friends.

Many of those friends have practically lived at the Dobrinski house for much of the past 12 years.

Mrs. Dobrinski, not ‘Mom'
On the first day of school she reminded them they should treat her as a professional at school.

"It will be a challenge to get them to not expect me to joke around and cut up with them at school like I do at our house all the time,” she said.

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