My 11 year-old daughter recently concluded her second Peninsula Youth Theater (PYT) production, which was the beloved “Annie,” so I’ve been reflecting lately on what it is I love about youth theater. And there’s a lot to love.
In our family we love sports as well; [...]
Boo is screaming in frustration as she tears off the three layers of clothing I’ve just struggled her into. “I hate all that stuff! Why are you making me wear all these clothes? This is the worst day ever!” The temperature outside is dropping from a cool [...]
It all started last Christmas. We planned on hosting Christmas Eve at our Silicon Valley home. Three days before Christmas Eve, I came down with pneumonia. I was hell bent on hosting since I had already bought the food. The day before I had a 104 temperature and [...]
Last year if you told me I’d become accustomed--no, make that ADDICTED--to reading novels on a 3.5-inch screen that fits into the palm of my hand, I would have called you nuts.
But over the course of 6 months, I’ve probably ingested hundreds and thousands of [...]
Although people tend to give unsolicited opinions on parenting no matter what the situation, one piece of harmless and cute advice that people gave me regarding my oldest son is that kids on the spectrum tend to enjoy [...]
It was a fun filled evening in Palo Alto on Sunday, November 15, 2009 as the bloggers from Silicon Valley Moms Blog gathered for our holiday party. In addition to the live event, our twitter party was hopping over on @svmomsgroup.com #svmomschevy.
Sidney [...]This last week has been busy in the area of women's healthcare. From the abortion coverage -ban language in the health care reform bill to the new guidelines for mammograms that were released (pap smears too), women are probably a little confused. Are [...]
Here we go, barreling full speed into the high calorie time of year, the time of baked bread, chocolate truffles and peppermint bark, of turkey and stuffing and...bet you thought I was going to rant about calories? Well - that too...no, it's the nasty little G' [...]
There has been an epidemic of head lice in my daughter's third grade classroom, and unfortunately she became the latest victim this weekend. She's fine now, but after all they have put me through, I find myself nurturing a deep-seeded hatred for lice.
Honestly, what possible [...]
Dear Senator Dianne Feinstein.
Usually, I sit on the sidelines and listen to infuriating discussions going on in the political arena from my couch. By nature, I am one to avoid conflict. I listen, try to make informed decisions and cast my vote each and [...]
I should have seen the clues. Going up the escalator of my local Macy's, I shared the ride with a dozen or so women, all toting armfuls of clothes. The store was abuzz. It was only 11am on a Tuesday morning and the parking lot was' [...]
Every parent knows what a Cool Parent point is, right?
You know, you earn Cool Parent points in those moments when your kids don’t think you’re a nerd, a geek, too bossy, or someone who is ruining your life.
You collect Cool Parent points when you do [...]
My kindergartner came home last week with a ton of information about water conservation. Apparently there had been a school assembly or something with folks from the water company. He was so excited to share his new knowledge about how to use less water. Don’t water [...]
Since this afternoon, when my daughter's soccer team played their final season game, I've been a bit off centered because of behavior I displayed behind the lines. What set my behavior off was an unbelievably obnoxious mother. She's one we've all seen on the field - [...]
Mid-day Saturday, my seven year old son sat in our living room defying me.
"I'm NOT going!"
"You don't know you don't want to go," I said. "This is going to be so cool -- it's a skateboard event!"
"Mom," my seven year old daughter' [...]
Like most folks this year, money is tight at our house. We're not taking any lavish vacations or buying a Mercedes Benz and putting a big red bow in it to surprise daddy with it Christmas morning. (sigh, maybe next year...not!) This year I am doing' [...]
My daughter is in 5th grade. This is a big year for her. It is her last year in elementary school, it is the year that she will go away to outdoor school, and it is the year that she will learn about puberty during the [...]
I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately about the stay at home mom and the working mom “jobs”. I’m sure there might be something in this post that will make someone angry. So let me say before I begin that I firmly believe that it’s a [...]
I joke that my kids are wild and wiggly little children. They have an abundant amount of en energy and I fantasize about moving to the middle of the woods and letting them run to their hearts content. But we like our cafes and Trader Joes [...]
"Did your kids get the shot? Where did you get it? Do they have more?"
"Are your kids high risk? Mine aren't, but I'm going to lie."
"Who's going to the county clinics?"
If you spot a group of moms huddled together outside school or [...]
SV MOMS GROUP TWITTER PARTY!!! Sunday, November 15, 2009 from 4 - 7 pm PST!
Join us as we give TONS of great stuff away - including a HP Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web All-in-One printer, a single-serve TASSIMO hot beverage system from Bosch, tickets to the [...]
Martha Stewart’s food guru, Lucinda Scala Quinn, suggests the way to get teens to the dinner table is to cook savory dishes. Apparently, the aromas and tastes should be so compelling, any teen would [...]
SILICON VALLEY MOMS GROUP HOLIDAY GUIDE - TWITTER PARTY
Entrants can start tweeting as soon as this post goes live and tweet multiple times. Starting at 4pm PST winners will be announced approximately every fifteen minutes. FOLLOW THE TWITTER ID @svmomsgroup to see who won the prizes and more fun announcements during [...]
As the mother of teens and tweens, it's a daily task to observe and reinforce good internet safety to my children. There was a time about ten years ago when my eldest daughter was eight years old and was on an internet site innocently chatting with someone who had' [...]
I pulled the princess cowgirl out of her car seat and slung her onto my hip. Then I slipped the princess witch's hand into mine and headed towards the back entrance of my new office.
The staff Halloween party marked the culmination of my first week' [...]
My son Gobez is a good kid: outgoing, helpful, cheerful and sweet. (Of course, even a truly nice boy might throw his sister's basketball onto the roof on purpose sometimes. Nobody's perfect.) He's also known as a good citizen at school. In first grade, when a' [...]
Both of my Grandpas were military men. Both grew up dirt poor in the rural South. Both knew what it felt like to go hungry. Both felt the military was the only option to pull themselves out of deep poverty.
My mom's dad, Skip, was a' [...]
It's 10:30 p.m. on a Thursday. My child is cozy in her bed, fast asleep. My husband is in the home office, working on family budgeting, writing some work emails, keeping an eye on SportsCenter. I am in the family den, sitting on the [...]
I'm lucky to have that rarest of treasures: two of them---who do the stuff everyone wants their kids to do:
Not losing sweaters and jackets.
Getting school permissions slips signed and turned in on time.
Not forgetting lunchboxes at home (okay, just once or twice)
Now they’re older– and they’ve' [...]
My daughter and her Kindergarten class were going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. I was quite relaxed about this little adventure, but as the date of the field trip approached, I started to get nervous about the bus ride. Do they have seat-belts and car-seats [...]
Several months ago I appeared in an SV Moms A Byte Out of Life video along with fellow twin moms Linda and Akemi and discussed the pros and cons of separating our twins in elementary school. It has been almost 3 months now [...]
Have you taken a look at your grocery bill lately? I mean have you really broken down all your monthly expenses to figure out where you are spending the bulk of your money? Ya, well if you do - be prepared to be shocked.
How I [...]
Last summer at BlogHer I was invited to a lunch sponsored by Clorox Green Works. They had provided us with samples ahead of time to try out. At the lunch each table had a Clorox representative to answer any questions we might have [...]
I really dislike the term "empty nester." It conjures up images of a quasi grey haired couple who are looking out the window wistfully at the yard in which their children played. Of mothers who are clutching their kid's childhood pillowcase in a moment of melancholy.' [...]
Everyone’s heard of the Tooth Fairy. Maybe even the Sugarplum Fairy, of Nutcracker fame. Our household is starting to crowd up with fairies of all sorts. But...does it have to be filled with only the good ones?
I swear I’m going to hurl rainbows if I have [...]
Last week I cemented my reputation as Crappy Crocker, the Domestic Not-ess of baking. It started with an email from a nice mom who (I thought) was going to bake Halloween cookies for my daughter's class. She wanted to know how she [...]
Cross posted from our sister blog, DC Metro Moms Blog.
I grew up in a military family. My father was a career Air Force officer, as was his father. My brother joined the Army a few years after high school and served two tours in [...]
We've been to a lot of birthday parties recently. People snicker and talk about "New Years Babies," but it is true. Our schedules are more booked now than they will be the rest of the school year or next summer. Many of the parties we've attended [...]
We arrive, sign in and wait. I watch another mother with two children enter. The speech therapist comes out and takes her older boy in for his time to play and practice better speech...her youngest wants to go too, "your turn is later in the [...]
It’s been kind of a rough year of cancer diagnoses for those close to me, and I was inspired by WhyMommy’s wonderful post about How to Help a Friend. Many “chemo gift basket” ideas are very female centric, written for and by [...]
This year’s Halloween haul hit a new high for our family. In an effort to minimize the intake, I knew I was going to have to act quickly. I didn’t realize it was going to require a tactical assault.
Thinking I was awfully smart, I proposed [...]
Fat. The ugliest word I know. Unfortunately, one I know all too well.
It took me years of therapy to get over the fact that I wasn't born thin. Session after session I'd sit with my wide thighs half-crossed and wonder why God hated me so [...]
I am so angry and frustrated it is difficult to write. In fact, I've waited since October to write about this story because I am having difficulty absorbing the immensity of what happened to a 15 year-old Richmond girl. It sickens me' [...]
I have not yet tuned in to the CNN debate, but it seems everyone's talking about the woman who was taken off the plane when her cranky toddler would not stop crying. It's front page news, the columnists are taking sides, and it's all the' [...]
The Girl Scouts mission statement is: "Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place." I love the idea of the organization. I remember wanting to be a Girl Scout when I was growing up. I made it to Brownies [...]
One of the best things about being a parent is dwelling in the world of children. Take Halloween—yes, adults have fun dressing up and being goofballs, but nothing matches the sheer delight of trick-or-treating. Going “alone” to the doors of strangers’ houses at night (usually forbidden), [...]
My turn! My turn! Today, I led the first Art Vistas presentation for my girls’ Kindergarten class. It was so much fun! I have anticipated devoting time to my girls’ school for the last few years and it’s finally come around. I have such fond [...]
Image via Wikipedia
As I look at the 5 carved and mildly moldy pumpkins sitting on our porch, I was relieved that my kids decorated for Halloween. I did not plan for our family to carve pumpkins, but I - like Lisa from Silicon Valley [...]
For me, when it comes to Halloween costumes, store-bought is the only way to go. It's one of my curmudgeonly quirks; I don't like homemade costumes. Yes, they're charming and teach kids creativity, but I say, save it for dress-up days at home. When' [...]
I must confess I’m not a big fan of Halloween. Not since the 2nd grade have I cared about witches, ghosts, goblins, or dressing up. And all that Halloween candy sitting around the house. I always seem to gain a few pounds this time [...]
Empower: one of my least favorite words---is the key word in the mission of Maria Shriver's annual Women's Conference, held this week in Long Beach: We Empower Women to be Architects of Change.
With all due respect---and new respect for what California's First Lady [...]
Halloween is the most bestest holiday in the whole wide world!
Think a kid said that? Think again! I'm a middle-aged dad, and I love Halloween. And not just because I like seeing my kids get all costumed up. Halloween is' [...]
While my family has not been hit by the flu (yet, knock on wood) we certainly have had our share of illness this year. Just this month my youngest has been sick for 21/2 of the 3 weeks. Because my kids are good at sharing, I [...]
I feel compelled to give an update on my now, 5-year-old twin girls’ obsessions with all things princess-y. A couple of years ago, this was the subject of one of my first blog posts here on SVMoms Blog where I’d outlined my trepidations with [...]
This morning, my husband I were talking about life and our careers. A typical conversation for a Silicon Valley couple who has been immersed in technology startups for almost twenty years. We have both seen the success and failures of companies - it is just par for [...]
My four-year old is turning on the charm, head tipped to one side, eyelashes fluttering, smiling apple cheeks swelling with cuteness. It’s not working. “Sweetie Bug, I can’t do a puzzle with you, right now. I have to finish my work, first.”
Her face falls [...]
It is hard to believe that Halloween is just around the corner. Like many children across the country, my kids cannot wait for this holiday. They enjoy dressing up and of course, they love trick or treating. The more candy the better!
Once September rolls around and the Halloween decorations [...]
It happens to the best of us. We wake up one morning and realize we are FAT. It may only be 5 extra pounds or it may be 50, no matter the number, it sucks. It happened to me, but THIS mommy has finally gotten [...]
Last week when Disney released their Digital book collection, I nearly fell off my pink plastic Cinderella princess throne. A kiddie Kindle concept gone awry, I thought. I refused to click the link, mostly on principle that it claimed "Reading Made Magical."
To me, helping our [...]
One thing I’ve noticed in my blog reading is that [...]
Cross posted from our sister blog, DC Metro Moms Blog.
Maria Shriver, the Center for American Progress and NBC have been having a party, of sorts, with the launch and roll-out of The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything. The gist of the report' [...]
Halloween is right around the corner, so it's time to pick your pumpkins, unpack the fake cob-webs, and download "Monster Mash" on iTunes. Of course, it's not Halloween without Trick-or-Treating, so don't forget to shop for costumes and bags of candy' [...]
Can we please declare a moratorium on the mommy war? The one where mommies are fighting about whether it’s better to stay at home or work? The war that is almost halfway to the Hundred Years War? Can someone please muzzle Dr. Phil and all the [...]
I’m convinced that I’m living my life backwards, upside down. I can’t seem to get a bearing on who I am and how I should parent. And, I’m not talking about the darlings that are my children. I’m talking about their grandparents. How do I [...]
One of the things I love most about living in Silicon Valley is the diversity of people, ideas and cultures. People come from all over the world and make Silicon Valley their home, so my kids are growing up with people of every shade in the [...]
Late in the summer, a glossy catalog arrived in our mailbox touting the most fantastic, and fantastically expensive, Halloween costumes ever. My kids got a hold of it and their holiday planning began.
My youngest daughter, Lemlem, is 6. She fell in love with a [...]
I wouldn’t consider myself pro-vaccine. Sure, my son was stuck in his chubby little thigh right on schedule. But, honestly, I never considered any other options. If The Vaccine Book had come out while I was pregnant, I would have chosen to slow-vax my son. [...]
Recently the Department of Transportation held a Distracted Driving Summit. As I watched the proceedings, I was impressed by the scope of the problem. I thought texting was the biggest culprit but soon found out talking on the cell phone is still a [...]
I’ve found the one thing my gay male hairdresser and my straight Mormon SAHM friend agree on. No, it’s not legalizing gay marriage, or what should be done about health care reform. They each raved to me about loving the fully-clothed massages at [...]
It seems we once again have a ridiculous outcome from a well intentioned rule. A bright little boy has been suspended for bringing a silverware camping tool to school. It's got a knife you see, and there is “zero tolerance” for weapons (suspension reduced,' [...]
Turn on tub faucet like you always do.
Add Epsom salts to calm and alkalize your body.Add Vitamin C because you read somewhere it neutralizes chlorine.
Wait 45 minutes for your 110 gallon tub to [...]Some people make love to make a baby, I made an Internet purchase.
I must have been 10 or so when I knew what I wanted to do with my life: I wanted to be a mother. It was all I've ever really wanted to be.' [...]
Has anyone out there gone through "the change"? And by change, I do mean the hormonal, feminine variety punctuated less by a period and more by an exclamation point, as in "is it me or is hot in here!?"
I believe I am going through it now, [...]
As a single dad on the dating scene, I can totally relate to my teens as they date. The butterfly feelings of meeting someone new, the nerves that come with letting [...]
As a woman who is accustomed to taking a half dozen pairs of pants into the dressing room to see which identically sized pair actually fits for that particular brand and cut, it’s a relief to select men’s clothes. They have inseam, waist, neck, and sleeve [...]
Some people may call me a media whore, or a media horse - but that is not really the full story, I am an opportunist. I just have a knack for creating a buzz, being at the right place at the right time and if [...]
This week I had a hankering for Fruit Loops. Walking down the cereal aisle I saw them, and I just couldn’t resist. Amazingly enough, I was able to sneak a box into the shopping cart and unload them from the car without my kids noticing! Now I [...]
I don’t do back-to school shopping any more—but I still sense the educational expectations and emotions that arise every September. Even without all the fuss over Obama’s speech, the start of a school year summons up strong feelings. The first day photo op. Proud parents, sweet [...]
Lately I've been feeling like I suddenly know what people are talking about when they refer to a mid-life crisis. My twins just started kindergarten and, while I still have a little one at home, the whole world has changed. It is a big adjustment -' [...]
These days we have neighborhood watch groups, organized resident patrols, citizen-requested police officers cruising our little secluded neighborhoods. Though I’m not exactly sure what all that costs us taxpayers or how much of a crime deterrent it really is, this I do know:
I have a better proposal. It [...]
If you've ever spent time in the grocery store studying labels (and what parent doesn't, at least once), you know how frustrating it is comparing all of the information on one box to fifteen other choices, nearby. Wouldn't it be helpful if there were a mark' [...]
Do you care about climate change? Does it keep you awake at night? Are you doing anything about it? Have we reached the point of no return? Are we doomed?
I asked The Global Warming Questions to anyone who'd listen this summer as I traveled around my native' [...]
The school year is starting; almost 2 million kids are heading off to college for the first time----so there's a predictable rash of articles on the internet. How to let go and say goodbye. 9 tips for sending off a college freshman. ' [...]
I knew our luck would run out soon. I had a feeling this would be the year that one out of my three kids in elementary school would end up in a combination class. They are independent students who follow the rules and are not disruptive [...]
The first day of school is less than a week away but I"m not worrying about back to school clothes, new backpacks or which brand of crayons to buy. Instead" [...]
My eldest daughter recently made a decision which goes against the typical high school senior's way of thinking. She has opted, with our encouragement, to take a gap year. Rather than continue without a break after 13 years of school (K through 12) and proceeding to' [...]
I recently celebrated a birthday that edges me closer to 50 than 40, and my kids have predictably started teasing me about having senior moments. You know, those times you forget something you clearly should have remembered? Like wondering where your glasses are when they're sitting [...]
I've been keeping a little secret, only sharing amongst close friends and family. When I've had to tell people about the secret, I've been quick to list of my many reasons for our decision. See, we live in an affluent area with fantastic public schools. Our' [...]
Seven years ago on a sweaty August day in Boulder, my mom's funeral took place on my birthday. She died from long term effects of radiation poisoning - high-dose radiation used in the late 1960s to treat blood cancers. It saved her life and' [...]
One of the toughest things about living in Silicon Valley is the lack of a family infrastructure. My parents live in the Philippines, a 16-hour flight away, and Alfie's parents live in the UK, a 10-hour flight away. Not only does that suck from a practical' [...]
This past spring when S turned 5, I skipped his birthday party.
Just to clarify, we DID celebrate this milestone; but we kept it simple. Meaning no Chuckie Cheese birthday bash, no ice-skating party, no petting zoo, no Pump it Up party, or any other “in” birthday [...]
I have struggled the past few days with what I was going to write. I am still numb from a family member being really sick, and I think it has finally taken a toll on me, both emotionally and physically. How could it not? Cancer is [...]
This weekend was one of those emotional roller-coasters that makes you think hard about how you live, how you think and how you will die. I experienced the whole "circle of life" in 48 hours. On Saturday, my Mom and I flew to Los Angeles for [...]
bonggamom, Maxine, Tina Case, Rose, Sharon, BirdieRoark, Akemi/svtwinmom, svmgadmin, Karianna, Angela O., Stacy Pena, mommaof1, Lisa, StephV, Linsey K / KrolikLegal / Me Too You, Nicole Pelton, Sheila, Alix, David, Darryle Pollack, Laptop TV Mom, Joan, Simon, Sidney, MyrnaL, MicheleSpringFajeau, Monica, MommyTwinGirls, Jamie R Lentzner, Jane Maynard (This Week for Dinner), Ana Garza, Rox, Erica C., Kimberly Kauer, BethB, mama speak
