Silicon Valley Moms Blog

Silicon Valley: Were we robbed?

The holidays tend to bring extra mail delivered, holiday cards on the table, gifts under the tree, lots of food in the fridge, candies and cookies on the counter, and decorations all over the place.   My sister once claimed that our house looked like Santa barfed all over it.   I prefer to think of our holiday decor as sentimental decorations, often lovingly made by family members, placed everywhere the eye can see.    It feels like home to be surrounded by such wonderful memories and beautiful things given by people that we love.

Our tradition is that the weekend after New Year's we take down all our holiday cheer, and put it away for next year.    This is no small undertaking, and usually involves a weekend's worth of work (as well as about 20 boxes).  And while some people breathe a huge sigh of relief to have the holidays over and done with, looking forward to 'normal' routines resuming, somehow I feel a little lost in the aftermath of it all. 

Through a child's eyes

I've always thought that the holidays, by their nature, are more fun with children.   The excitement, the suspense, the whole thing is bigger and better when you have little ones around to share it with.  Who can resist the big eyes of a child, when they wake up and first see the presents under the tree on Christmas morning? However, no matter what your tradition might be, sometimes with all the hubbub of making the season 'perfect', it can be easy to overlook some of the smaller joys that make the holidays special.

This year, with the economy failing, pocketbooks are a little lighter.   Presents are fewer.   Parties are smaller.  Many people are looking to establish new ways to celebrate.   Some are returning to older traditions like making gifts and charity instead of buying presents.   Others are staying home &   slowing it down... spending more time with their loved ones rather than rushing from event to event.  Whatever the case might be, this turn of events has shifted my focus.    It has stopped me from planning things for my children, and instead helped me to include them in the celebration itself.  The reward has already been immeasurable, and we haven't even hit mid-stride.   

Veteran's Day

Veteran's Day is one of those holidays that I think many people glaze over.  It is not tied to a three day weekend.   It doesn't have a huge shopping sale associated with it.  There is no big Hallmark card section in your local stationery store.  And though the concept of Veteran's Day should and does affect everyone, many people feel disconnected and don't bother to pay attention.

This however was never the case in my family.   My grandfather on my mother's side was in the Navy.  My grandfather on my father's side was in the Army.  My father is Army to the core, he is a Ranger.  And my brother-in-law is a Marine.  There is a lot of military to go around, and therefore there are a lot of veterans to remember and thank for all that they do for our country.

Today we will be honoring my father, my brother-in-law, and my grandfathers by going to the Veteran's Day parade in downtown San Jose.  My nephew and his Cub Scout pack are walking in it... so we are going as a family to support and thank those people that risked their lives for the freedoms that we all enjoy.   I want my boys to see the people that protect and serve this country.  I want them to have pride in our veterans.  I want them to honor their country.

Getting into the spirit!

Today is THE day.  V Day.  Voting Day!    No matter what your party affiliation, this is a big day.  No matter if you are loving every minute of this year's political scene or counting the minutes until the mayhem is over, there is a reason to celebrate today.   

My husband and I will be glued to the news, watching the results, and generally being distracted from our normal parental duties for the evening.  We have talked to our kids about the election, but they are only 3 & 4yrs old - I am not sure how much they understand.    That is why today we are bringing the voting spirit home to our house.    

A new reason to go to the Mall

I hate shopping.  HATE it.  I can never seem to find what I want, within the price that I want, and I end up leaving empty-handed and frustrated.   Now that I have kids, this feeling has been exacerbated three times over.  We can never spend enough time in a store for me to even attempt to find what I am looking for.  And the minute my kids get sight of the play area, the entire trip unravels. 

Let's be honest.  Does anyone really like the play area?   In theory it's great, a place for kids to blow off steam so that parents can continue shopping.   However, it seems that most people bring their kids there when they are sick, and can't play with anyone else.  Thus it's a germ incubator; my kids never fail to get sick after playing there. Plus, there are always a million kids ranging in size and age.  So the little ones get trampled, and the big kids get bored and thus a bit hyperactive on the toys.   

However, yesterday I was meeting a girlfriend at the Westfield Valley Fair Mall, and I changed my mind about the whole experience.

Who are you today?

For over 6 months now, my children have been assuming alter-egos.  You might think I am referring to famous Superhero's like Spiderman or Superman.  Or maybe you are assuming that I am talking about the men from Star Wars like Obi-Wan or Luke.   Or even yet, maybe they pretend to be a character from one of their cartoons, like SuperWhy or Diego.  Uh, No.  All the other 3 & 4 year old boys, I have met, idolize these characters, but not my kids.

My kids are fascinated by service people.  The electrician is the coolest guy ever with his tattoos, and they have an on-going love affair with the plumber and his tool belt. The Orkin guy tops their list with his bug sprayer, and the guys who put in new duct work in the house were awesome since they crawled around in the attic with flashlights!  However no one has held their interest for longer than a few weeks, except for our neighbor's gardener.  He has reigned supreme in our house.  Daily, my boys tell me that they are no longer Andrew & Justin... they are Jose & Ketchup.   You got it, they actually pretend to be REAL PEOPLE.  And those people are Jose & Ketchup.   My very fair, very blond, very blue eyed boys will REFUSE to answer to their legal names - and will demand to be called Jose & Ketchup.      

You might think this is funny, and it is, until the preschool teacher corners you on Back To School night and demands to know who Ketchup is.

The Breeding Competition

Ever notice that being a parent is the 'in' thing to do these days?   Everyone's doing it.  Not only are people having one child... they are having lots of children.  I don't mean twins & triplets, which also seems to be all the rage.  I am referring to the fact that people are aiming to have large families now. 

Two kids is passe.   Three kids is the new 'two'.  And four kids isn't as uncommon as you might think it is.

All this is old news though.  We've been talking about this trend for the past few years - especially when celebrities started popping out babies left  & right.  What I didn't notice until recently was that the underlying, somewhat obvious, message is that having kids seems to be a competition.

Nothing makes this more apparent than the family stickers I see parading about our streets these days.

For the five republicans out there

I am just going to say this.   I mean no harm, and I mean no offense.  However, I am really sick of reading posts about why Palin is a horrible person, why McCain is George W. Bush all over again, and the many blog posts providing a list of every. single. thing. that either of them has said that has been unliked by the Democratic party.

I don't mind fact checking.  I appreciate it.  However lately it seems that it is not being done in the spirit of being accurate.  Instead 'fact checking' is the excuse people are using to stand on their soap box and lambaste the candidates personally.

Frankly I am sick of it. 

One Step Ahead or Behind?

Since the birth of my 3rd son, I am now back on the 'baby magazine' circuit.  You know, those magazines that just arrive in the mail like Sensational Beginnings or One Step Ahead.   They apparently offer everything that a parent NEEDS to rear their precious children. 

I remember pouring through these magazines when I got them, wondering what things I MUST have in order to raise my first born.   Every now and then I would break down and buy something that I just had to have.    Often those items were safety related.  Occasionally I bought something that just seemed good... like the Snack Trap, which kept my kids entertained for hours trying to fish out cheerios. 

However, as I look through the magazines this time, all I see is a bunch of stuff we just don't need as parents.   Many products seem like good ideas in theory; unfortunately they end up being worthless in real life.  And some items are just completely ridiculous.... like knee pads.

Better than deja vu

A few weeks back I gave birth to yet another son at Stanford Hospital.   Since it was the third time we have gone through this process, I knew the drill and what to expect.  There were no surprises.  In fact, the whole process was quite relaxing and fun for a change!    I had experience on my side, and it made all the difference.     I kept telling my husband that this birth was almost like going to the spa or taking a little vacation ... the nurses did everything for me from the food, to the sheets, and I even didn't have to take care of my older kids for a few days!   The hospital was actually quieter than my home!   All I had to do was take care of a newborn again, and I already knew how to do that. 

The only difference this time around was that I had to share a room.  With the previous two kids, I had my own private room - which was AWESOME.  So when I was put in a room with another couple you can guess that I was disappointed.   I didn't mind MY baby waking me up a million times a night, but I certainly didn't want another person's baby to be doing the same thing!

That was until I found out that my roommates were New Parents.  First-timers.  And sharing a room with them actually made my third time around even better than I could have imagined.