Summer camp mommy anxiety

There are exactly 4 school days left before summer vacation is officially here. My kids can't wait - swimming, camping, sleeping in and popsicles, what can be better?

This will be my first summer as a pseudo-SAHM and frankly, I'm a little nervous. I signed my son up for a whole bunch of camps when I was working full time knowing that I would need the childcare. I now have a spreadsheet of the various camps (sports, tech, swim and outdoor science), times, locations, friend whom he is attending with and the carpool situation. It is color-coded and nothing short of an organizational masterpiece! It's a Summer Camp Super-Matrix! Okay, that was then, now I am worried that I over programmed him and that he needs more downtown. Ugh! Does a mommy ever win?

I'm sure he'll have fun, but what happened to the days of summer of MY youth. I grew up poor, well not six people in a room poor. But we never went on lavish vacations or went to summer camp. My parents grew up in the Philippines - summer camp? When you are not working on a farm or in school, you go to the beach, stay inside and hang out. So what did I spend my childhood summers doing? You know it, we stayed inside our one air-conditioned room during the heat of the day and then spent the rest of the day in the New York city streets. We played stickball in the street, kick the can, and opened up the fire hydrant. The rule was " come home when the street lights come on". Wow, imagine raising your kids today with that freedom?? It sounds like a cliché now, doesn't it? Wow, I sound old.

As a child, I never knew any different. I thought camp was a thing rich kids, the Paris Hilton's of the world- got to go to somewhere in the woods. It was not something for normal kids, much less kids whose parents never even heard of summer camp. I'm sure this summer will be great. I suppose margaritas help...and getting to watch my kids enjoy the opportunities I never had.

As the song goes, "It's summertime and the living is easy...” especially with the aid of my summer camp super-matrix. I hope its worth the effort.

Going on a Book Hunt!

I read books occassionally to my daughter's pre-school class. Kiley and I head to our neighborhood public library and try to find books that are not part of the classroom. We love to choose the books together - we'd be there for days if she let me.

This is the list from Friday's visit. I am partial to stories that are untraditional, from kids of other cultures and ones featuring girl-power. I ran short on time, so these books are from our home library. Some were bigger hits than others for the 4 year old set - and yes, I read them ALL in one sitting. And yes, I needed a venti-sized iced-tea afterward.

Smelly Socks, by Robert Munsch
(One of Kiley's all-time favorites, amybe because she loves knee-high socks.)

Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O'Connell

Wash Your Hands by Tony Ross
(good for explaing about germs)

If You're Happy and You Know it by Jane Cabrera
(great for sing-a-longs and Beautifully illustrated)

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
(funny! and about being proud when you are tiny)

The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neil
(Focused on bullying and beautiful illustrations. The kids loved it and we talked about good and bad behavior on the play ground.)

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Micheal Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
(By far the class favorite! A classic, the boys especially LOVED it! It is a great repeater story and perfect for having kids participate.)

Take me out to the ballgame...all in pink!

I love baseball games in the summer - hot dogs, popcorn and beer. What can be better?

We headed to see the San Jose Giants the other night. My son donned his baseball jersey, hat and glove. My daughter got dressed and choose tights, pink dress and high tops. Vive le diference!

Top 10 Reasons I’m jealous of women who work

This post evolved from a comment that I was writing for a post on the mommy wars on the Silicon Valley Moms Blog. Even though I had already commented, I just couldn’t help myself--I had to comment again, especially after reading other people’s commentary and the recent I Surrender post.

At the risk of pouring fuel on the fire, I thought I'd share a rarely articulated perspective in the mommy wars. Even though I made the SAHM choice (and would still make that choice today), here's 10 reasons I find myself envious of women who work outside the home:

1. At some point during the day you can go to the bathroom by yourself.

2. Your probably clean your house less because it's not getting messed up all day when your kid is at daycare. Or maybe you have a nanny and she cleans for you.

3. For the same reason above, you probably create less garbage (at home anyway) and don't have to pay for a bigger garbage cart for all those diapers.

4. You get to exercise your brain.

5. You have a reason to buy nice clothes.

6. You can call in sick and leave your kid in day care and have the day to nurture yourself (or go to the Blake Lewis Parade as one of my friends did).

7. You get to eat lunch with other adults and have adult conversations.

8. You probably at some point in your commute spend time in the car alone and can listen to something other than kid’s music, like hard rock or Howard Stern.

9. You haven’t compromised your career by opting out of the workforce.

10. You get PAID.

Having read this in review, I probably come across as a little bitter. I don’t know if it’s that or if it’s just that the grass is ALWAYS greener. We give up a lot for our children whether we stay home, work outside the home, or fall somewhere in between.

On The Road Again

CAR TRIPS with KIDS was the featured topic of one of my favorite e-newsletters from the Sesame Street Workshop. I used to LOVE road trips. Remember when you and your favorite road trip partner, jumped in the car with a back pack of clothes, some snacks and a map of some kind. Those were the days, when you could be spontaneous and decide in the morning that you wanted to be in Las Vegas that night to put a bet on your favorite basketball team. Boom, you were there in no time and your only worry was whether to stop at “In-and Out Burger” or to try one of those random diners, like the one with the giant dinosaur and thermometeroutside it. Who eats there anyway?

Now every road trip is a carefully orchestrated drama. Here is my checklist for any trip longer than 2 hours:
1. 2 kids and 1 husband. – (You ALWAYS need as much support as you can get. I've had to do it alone once - never again!)
2. Snacks, something not too sugary! Who needs 2 kids bouncing off the walls at 70 MPH
3. Drinks, ice chest maybe
4. Portable DVD player What did people do without these?
5. Movies for the DVD player – some for a 7yr old and some for a 4yr old and 1 compromise movie that they both like.
6. Toys – Pokemon cards, Barbie dolls and any absolutely necessary stuffed animals
7. Coloring books and crayons
8. Magnet paper dolls - These work for about 20 minutes, but hey take what you can.
9. Wipes/paper towel for accidents
10. Pillow, maybe blanket
11. Music – mine and for the kids. Hip hop to do in-car aerobics with and something mellow to help when they are coming down from the snack induced sugar rush.
12. Special surprises, in case someone melts down and needs something to look forward to. (Essential to any trip longer than 4 hours)
13. A battalion of car games that the WHOLE family can play while I try not to run anyone over. We like rhyming games and finding VW Bugs.
14. Candy - for when nothing else works!

David Levin at Sesame Street has some great ideas for ways to have a road trip that doesn’t involve blood shed. I’ve tried most and they work.

But I need more ideas as we are about to head out on a 6-hour trip to Los Angeles for a weekend, where everything is at least an hour away. We've not even talked about how to prepare to have grandpa in the car too!

HELP!!

This post can also be found at my personal blog http://www.starfishcircle.com/xiaolinmama/

School Volunteer of the Year

Well, the word is out. I finally quit my job and am a mom "with more time". This translates into "available to volunteer for everything" according to my children, kid's teachers and school principals. While being available to "parent" in person more often was one of the goals for my leaving my last job, it was not the ONLY reason. I decided to be fundraising consultant for non-profits, among other things. Read my new blog www.starfishcircle.com. I've got to quickly close the floodgates on what is becoming my other full-time job.

First, I have to say I LOVE working in my kids’ schools. I love reading to preschoolers and love doing art in my son's second grade class. I look at it as a privilege to be able to do it and a gift to me when I am there. Since I've been "self-employed" (2 months) I've organized the school wide jog-a-thon, scooped at the ice cream social, chaperoned 2 field trips, coordinated decorations for another major school fundraiser, coached a soccer team and worked in a class room at least once a week. It's totally me, overcompensating for not being able to volunteer as much as I would have liked in the past year.

Today at 10:30 a.m., I got an email asking if I could help take kids to he library at 1:30 p.m. Where do I draw the line? I know that I can say no anytime, but I am now caught up being on the short list for all school emergencies. Aargh! Summer break is coming up - a break for us all.

Funny, a few months ago when I was horribly unhappy in a toxic job, I dreamed of spending more time with the kids. I know this is exactly what I wanted, just think I need to learn to how to accommodate this all without driving myself crazy. Have I lost myself in the mix? How do people work from home when parenting gets in the way of business? The balancing act of having it all has shifted and yet continues in a whole new way…

Parenting SOS

What book should I read, what class should I take, to help me cope with my budding two-year-old? I need a class I can make it to once and leave with one tip I can put to use immediately. I need a book that's a fast read (and I can keep it in the bathroom). Perhaps there exists a terrible-twos blog or support group? Anyone, anyone?

Boys Playing with Dolls

I love this little picture I snapped yesterday at Monica and Audrey's house. Every time we go there it's like a foreign enchanted land for Ry, with all the Cinderellas, dollhouses, and pink.

Klepto Mom?

I’m not a klepto. I don’t enjoy stealing. I don’t want to steal. I don’t even know I’m stealing. But here’s the thing: I have the darndest time remembering bottled water at the bottom of my grocery cart. It’s hard enough keeping your 21-month old from tearing every glass jar off the shelf in the condiment aisle or completely destroying the candy display. How can I possibly remember to tell the cashier: “Did you get the water?”

Yes. It’s happened. The first two times I went back in and paid for the water when I noticed in my cart. The third time, my son was throwing such a fit the idea of going back in the store was like entering the gates of hell itself. So I rationalized it like this: how many times have I asked them not to put my Real Simple on the conveyer belt because I don’t want it covered in mystery ooze. But it doesn’t end up in my bag, yet I paid for it. I probably only go back a third of the time I get ripped off at the grocery store. Last week it was an $11 colander, so I felt it was worth the price of gas.

So I could probably avoid all this by doing the green thing and not buying bottled water at all. But until I get my new water filtration system, I have a new plan to avoid being the next feature Oprah does on “moms that steal.” I now put the water in the cart itself, not in the bottom. I can’t tell you how many times a well meaning cashier says, “next time you can leave it at the bottom.” Normally, I just smile and say, “okay,” yet continue to do it my way.

But last week, this cashier was downright rude about it. I heaved the water onto the conveyer belt. She gives me this totally annoyed look and tells me next time to leave it on the bottom. So, I say, “we’ll that doesn’t really work for me, I’ve walked out too many times without paying for it.” Did she change her tune? Did she seem to appreciate my honesty? No, she gave me another dirty look and litterly huffed. Maybe I caught her off guard, maybe she didn’t know what to say, but next time at that store, I just might do as she says and put it at the bottom . . . and forget it.

The mom of THAT kid.

It happened today. I become THE MOM of THAT kid.

The kid at music class throwing himself on the floor in tantrums. The kid ruining sweet lullaby time with whiny demands. The kid at the park shrieking like a pterodactyl because he wants to go down the slide, but doesn’t want other kids to line up behind him. The kid with alligator tears running down his face and snot dripping from his nose.

The mom who sighs in desperation. The mom who watches the kid writhe in the bark under the swings while calmly (or so it seems) drinking her grande-two-pump-soy-no whip-cinnamon dolce latte. The mom that EVERYONE is staring at, thinking does she give him too much sugar? Does he not get enough sleep? What is her problem?

Well, he’s 22-months-old. The twos are approaching. They don’t call them terrible for nothing, I guess. As he falls asleep on the ride home, I call my husband. “We need to take some parenting classes or read some books, cause I’m about to quit this job.”

A Dream Come True

I have great news to report: The sippy cup of my dreams exists!!! The Nalgene Grip-N-Gulp (NGG) is everything that I had hoped and imagined a few months ago. I love the description of the bottle on the company's official website:

"We’ve taken on Everest. Now we’re ready for toddlers! Nalgene containers have stood up to some of the worlds most extreme conditions. Small potatoes compared to small children. The new Nalgene Grip'n Gulp™ is tough enough to survive being thrown from a moving minivan, spill proof enough to compel parents to blame the rug stains on the dog, and odor proof enough to allow leftover milk to go undetected under the couch for months. Most importantly, its a great way for little kids to reach new heights."

The first time I spotted the NGG it was in the cupholder of an SUV parked at Jeeper's school. A few weeks later we were brunching with friends and they gave one to Jeep to use for slurping his apple juice. I made an admiring comment and they told us we could take it home (it was no longer needed since their youngest is a very mature six year old who is so over sippy cups). After my brief but delightful experience with this hand-me-down version, which proved to be all that Nalgene advertises, I ordered one for practically every toddler I know. I recommend you do the same. (The best price I found was the SALE price at www.campbound.com.) Happy sipping!

Power Struggle

I recently called BlogMama to propose a topic for her personal blog gratitude365… electricity.

Probably not at the top of your thanksgiving list, but I know over one million people here in the Pacific Northwest have a newfound appreciation for the juice that fuels our overhead lights, garage door openers and furnaces (and a whole slew of other luxuries). While many homes in the greater Seattle area had power restored one, two or three days after the wild wind storm the night of December 14th, we were among the unfortunate few who waited eight days in the dark and cold. Okay, we didn't exactly wait all eight days - the last two nights we stayed in a hotel, but even during those two days the trips home to pick up necessities were chilly and dim.

Living without power has many similarities to camping so the first day or two it was almost fun. During our "camping adventure" we relied heavily on our small woodstove. We used it for heat (the uneven temperatures were frustrating at times), for cooking necessities such as grilled cheese sandwiches and cowboy coffee (water and grounds thrown together into a saucepan and heated to almost boiling), and for entertainment ("Dancing Flames: the Mini-series").

But while I imagined I was Laura Ingalls-Wilder at first, I quickly tired of hauling wood and stoking fires. Those oh-so-important daily toddler routines became impossible and Jeep's moods swung wildly. We tried to be grateful knowing there are so many tougher challenges in life, but patience ran thin all around. The hard-to-penetrate-darkness was the hardest blow for me personally and I felt completely exhausted by 7:30 or 8:00 each night.

This brief challenge brought great respect for pioneers and people who suffer through disasters with losses much greater than the food in a fridge. I am ever so slightly more aware of what is truly important in life (the answer is people, not clean laundry - although clean laundry is very, very nice) and also a tiny bit more aware of all that we take for granted in our easy, electric lives. That being said, the moment the electricity came back on I ran around the house, flipped on every light, turned on the TV, played the radio, cranked up the heat, started the laundry and ran the dishwasher. Ah, the power of power!

Green Nails

As more and more of my friends, neighbors, colleagues and associates announce that they are happily expecting, I've been been reflecting on being pregnant. I've decided that my pregnancy was a hike in the gently rolling hills while motherhood is a rock-climbing adventure. In my very-average pregnancy I experienced physical, mental, emotional and spiritual changes that were life-altering, but they happened more gradually than the changes motherhood throws my way.

It is true that pregnancy offers many uncontrollable aspects (Is it a boy or girl? When and how will I go into labor?) but the baby on the inside was a little easier to control than the baby on the outside. Not that Jeep is harder or easier than your average 17 month year old. But when he was inside, even though I couldn't make him eat or sleep or play happily by himself "for a couple of minutes so Mama can go to the bathroom," it didn't really matter because he was inside and I could usually manage to eat or sleep or go to the bathroom in peace. Of course I knew that once my baby arrived I wouldn't be able to eat or sleep or use the bathroom the same way I did before. But having a child has changed the way I do those things as well as every single other thing in my life. And at the same time that I'm trying to operate my life in a whole new way, I'm in an intense relationship with a fascinating person who changes even more quickly than I do - my son.

Today when I picked Jeeper up from his Montessori school, I noticed that he had splotches of green on his hands and under his fingernails. I got a lump in my throat because that green paint residue was a quick and clear reminder that he isn't a baby anymore. He walks and runs and talks on the phone and plays jokes and operates the velcro on his shoes and expresses himself creatively with art supplies. Sure he still wears diapers, nurses and cries sometimes, but make no mistake, he is rappelling his way right into kid-town. And I'm just along for the wonderful and wild ride.

Play dates and friendships to last a lifetime

This past Thanksgiving was wonderful. We had family in town for part of the week and then went to visit with my husband’s “adopted” family for an evening. His- now OUR, “adopted” family are folks that John has known since high school. He and his best friend, Mike played soccer together, went on double dates for school dances, house boat trips and even went to the same college. Our families are intertwined- so many of our best memories involve not only Mike, but his parents, siblings and other family members and now our children. My children even call Mike “tio” and his father, “papa”. Mike’s wife is our son’s godmother. What a gift for us all to have such an extended family.

I bring this all up because I wonder who will be that family for my kids. Who will be willing to pick them up and take them to camp? Who would be willing to give them rides to tournaments and amusement parks? Who will be willing to share the load of raising them and ensuring that they are compassionate, courageous and good citizens? Who will treat them like one of their own?

C has had three play date in the last few weeks, families that are great and all completely different. I wonder if I’ll be sharing margarita’s with any of these mom’s one day as our families camp for the week.

We’ve been fortunate to have a group of families with kids of similar ages that we share a lot of adventures with. But WE, the adults, chose each other. I joke about how we really like each other but are really simply insuring a future prom date for my son, by being friends with folks who have girls! It will be interesting to see whom my son and daughter choose as friends and which ones last a life time. It has been a gift for my husband and I and one, I hope, they will have the privilege of having as well.

Childhood Obsessions

Sorry Ladies, for being so out of touch lately - started a new job that has been a shock to my family's system on many fronts - I'll blog about that later. Today I've been musing about my children's obsessions and how they have developed over the years. For my eldest, it started with anything Thomas the Train or Toy Story, then moved to dinosaurs, followed by anything Pokemon and Yu GiOh! . Lately it has anything to do with Star Wars, video games and soccer - the "three" most important things in the world to him. His obsessions have led me to do a crash course on the differences between dinosaurs, searching high and low for a train conductors hat and learning the finer points of purchasing soccer cleats. I think he is a collector at heart –even had a “dirty nail” collection, until I found it and had to quickly get rid of that one…

With my daughter, at the wise old age of 3 - going on 13, she has started briskly with anything Dora the Explorer. While, she loves anything having to do with the Little Einstein's, her latest obsession is anything with a PRINCESS! Wow, has Disney got our number!

She has a bathing suit that she loves – green with tule and sparkles (a gift from a family friend). “Very Princess-like” according to K. She LIVED in it ALL summer. I found it in the back of the closet yesterday. It’s straps were worn and it had some kind of punch or jello stain along the front. I was headed to the trash can, when K immediately saw me and asked to put it on. (It is like 55 degrees here in San Jose!) I relented, I guess that is why we have indoor heating.

So we were at church today and K needed to go to the bathroom; so what did I discover underneath her Sunday dress? You got it – the green bathing suit! Some obsessions never die.

I will miss them!

Determined

What is that quality in someone where they are so set to get what they want that nothing stands in their way? Dogged determination is a phrase that comes to mind - and then I actually think of a dog in saying that. You know how a dog can just clamp his jaw down on something and not let go? Or think of a record, with a huge scratch, and the needle just keeps hitting that same phrase over and over (and over!) again. Yes, this is in reference to my child. My way of handling it? Distraction - no, the child looks at me like, "you've got to be kidding, mom" and just continues with the request, idea, desire, etc. Sometimes I do explain the situation, and why what he NEEDS at that very moment canot happen. Oh, this child has perfected the use of "I need to", "I have to", and all other forms of that same phrase, and has become adept at repeating the phrase over and over, all while I'm trying to talk to him. Very much akin to someone clamping their hands over their ears and yelling, "I can't hear you." while you're talking. Tonight it was about story-time. (Prior to what I'm sharing I had to spend 5 minutes repeatedly carrying him back to his bed after he'd scamper out and demand that he sleep in our bed.) Now, because he was not cooperating with getting his pajamas on, he was told very clearly that the consequence was no story. He knew that is what I had stated. However, he still saw fit to ask for, and then begin demanding that he get his story, no less than 10 times. I would think the issue was put to bed, so to speak, and I'd say 'goodnight', give him a kiss and leave the room. He'd call "mommy", I'd go back in and we'd repeat the same conversation. (I didn't go in the room 10 times, but he requested his story at least 3 - 4 times per visit.) I deal with his determination in some way, shape or form each and every day. It's not like I say "no" to something and he whines, or cries, or sulks - he just comes back at me, again, and again. I guess he's determined to break me? Or he's thinking, "oh, the answer was 'no' just a minute ago, but now it might be 'yes' - I best try again." I don't give in folks - really, I don't. If there are any jobs out there that are well-suited for this skill - please let me know. Maybe it's his way of closing out his 3rd year. It's been a doozy, folks, and maybe it's going out with a bang. I'm just praying that this situation, and so many others, gets better once he's 4. But, then I'll have a whole new bag of traits, skills, & tactics that come with being 4. Someday this trait of his will serve him well, but in the meantime, I best get some rest and get ready for whatever tomorrow, and his next year of development, will bring.

At Least Paper Ballots Don’t Crash

As much as I fantasized about writing a whip-smart essay on the ballot measures and candidates and how you should vote and why, that just didn’t happen, for several reasons, but the primary one being that I’ve hardly read the paper--or anything--since my son was born. I’ve literally had my head buried in the sand.

But, I DID VOTE, after “cramming” the last few days. Yesterday, I dug the voter guide out of a ridiculously high stack of catalogs and magazines, which have also gone unread. Today, I read the local paper, but really only the Endorsement Roundup on the op-ed page. I had a brief discussion of the issues with my husband, who is very much more political than I, having worked for the Clinton administration, but who also is struggling to be on top of things this year.

Having a kid has just turned our lives upside down. That being said we went to the polls after burgers and mac-n-cheese at Mojo Burger . We thought we’d tag team Ry and this would be easy. Not so. We arrived at 7 pm and STOOD IN LINE FOR AN HOUR. Not because of the crowds of people rushing to get their last minute vote in, but because the voting machines were out of order. Although five machines were set up, only three were working and by the time we got to the front of the line, only two were working! It was sheer torture waiting our turn with a 15-month-old ready for bed. Meanwhile, we stared at the precinct across the room, zipping through their line with their five WORKING machines.

Although I found the actual act of electronic voting to be easy, intuitive, and efficient, paper ballots don’t crash and don’t require the “expert” in the room to get them up and running again. I can’t believe they didn’t even offer the choice—or back-up—of paper ballots. Before this evening, I had these grandiose notions that we’d create this voting tradition with our son going to the polls and hopefully he’d look forward to the day that he too would be able participate. Unfortunately I think that I’ll be voting absentee from now on, unless they come up with secure servers so we can vote from home online.

My Halloween History

Halloween is not my favorite holiday. When I was a kid, my mom made some great handmade outfits for my brothers and me (she was a 4-H sewing champ) and I've always been pretty crazy for sweets so it seems like I would be a fan. However, I am w-i-m-p-y about all things scary so the whole haunted side of the holiday gives me the creeps. When I do celebrate, I carve happy Jack-o-lanterns, choose cheery costumes and prefer to skip the cobwebs, tombstones and werewolf howls.

I remember being excited for the Halloween haunted house at my elementary school. The teachers warned us that once we started to go through, we had to finish. There would be no early exits; no exceptions. I stepped through the door, heard the spooky music and immediately started bawling. I cried so hard they quickly made an exception to their "no exception" policy. No more haunted houses for me. I've never watched a horror movie and could only bear to watch Michael Jackson's Thriller video with one eye open. I'm a fan of The Simpsons and I faithfully TiVo each new show, but I'm not recording this week's annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode since I can't even handle scary cartoons.

In addition to the creep factor, Halloween ranks low on my holiday list because I don't enjoy dressing up. Some people love the challenge of creating a costume, but I don't! I never come up with very good ideas and then I just fret. Will I be uncomfortable? Will I be too dressed up? Or worse, not dressed up enough? Like the year I came to work as a gardener and no one even noticed that I was in costume. Because it is so common to wear overalls, a straw hat and galoshes to the office. Nevermind that I had my hair in pigtails and a spade in my front pocket. Argh.

When we moved into our house a few years ago, I started to get a little more excited for Halloween. It is fun to hand out candy and see the neighborhood cuties all dressed up (even though the doorbell rings only about 5 times thanks to the dark, rainy October nights here in Seattle). Last year we stayed in, dressed four-month old Jeeper in Halloween themed pajamas and answered the door. No stressful creative costuming and nothing scary. My perfect "all-hallows eve."

Jeep loves dogs, so this year I got him a puppy costume and made plans with a friend to take our babes to University Village for trick-or-treating. I told myself I was doing the right thing for the photo album and then prepared for some twoodler (like tween) fits of frustration. When one of my colleagues wished Jeep "lots of fun" on Halloween I responded with the observation that Halloween isn't exactly fun for one year olds. Not that it is torture, but fun for a one year old is a familiar place (like home) and an enthusiastic audience (especially one that will clap, cheer, sing and rough-house). Fun isn't big crowds, sitting for photos, wearing a weird hood or being urged to put treats in a basket.

I was right, Jeeper didn't burst into grins or giggles at any point during our Halloween adventures. He tolerated his hood, carefully observed all the commotion and took his treat taking very seriously. But what surprised me, in addition to his good behavior, was how much fun I had! The cool autumn air, the energy of all the families, the ease of a being with a good friend and the cuteness of my son together with the sugar high from a few mini candy bars made me into one happy Halloween mama. I'm already looking forward to celebrating Halloween as a family in the future. Just as long as I don't have to wear a costume any time soon.

Happy Halloween!

Tonight was the first of many Halloween memories to come in our new home in our new neighborhood. Ry was joined by his friend Audrey and his cousin Megan (and chaperones) for a night on the town. We headed to the "best street" in the neighborhood for some serious action.

Blog Mama meets Elizabeth Edwards

Yes, that’s me in this picture with Elizabeth Edwards, yes as in the wife of former vice presidential candidate John Edwards (as a feminist with identity issues I shouldn’t be describing her that way, but I did it anyway). She’s written a book: Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers. As part of her book tour, I had the amazing chance along with 14 other bloggers from the Silicon Valley Moms Blog to sit down and talk with her last Tuesday.

For those of you who don’t know much about her, you can read her bio on the Senator’s web site, but what you won’t read here is how her oldest son died at age 17 in a no-drinking, no-drugs car crash (the wind blew his Jeep over and it burst into flames) or that she underwent fertility treatments to start a second family and her third child was born when she was age 48 and her fourth at 50! More widely known is that she was diagnosed with breast cancer the day after the general election in 2004.

She’s been on my mind quite a bit the last week, and I wrote a couple posts for the Silicon Valley Mom’s Blog that included references to our meeting: What I didn’t Ask Elizabeth Edwards and Other Random Thoughts (like how I picked my outfit that day) and Six Feet Tall and Bullet Proof (how meeting her is helping me put my role as provider/protecter into perspective). As you’ll see in these posts, I really find her to be an inspiration--as a mother, writer, career-minded women, and supportive wife--and am looking forward to reading Saving Graces.