I'm self-employed now. I've probably mentioned that along the way -- I lose track -- but yes, I am my own boss. And I'm co-founding a company! More on that later (if I remember and have time to write it down). It's all very exciting. These audacious professional moves have coincided with the collapse of our after-school childcare infrastructure in the wake of LittleMan changing schools. So basically there's good news, and there's bad news, and the bad news is that my house is a mess and my kids are quickly becoming notorious in Safeway for their after-school shenanigans and I don't ... [READ MORE]
Perfect
November 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment
My husband's favorite month is October, and for the longest time I thought mine was too. But strangely, I woke on November 1, 2014 feeling more optimistic than I have in months. While LittleMan and Babygirl staggered through the morning-after-Halloween in their various states of exhaustion and sugar-fueled bursts of energy (or tears), I blazed around the apartment, tearing down the paper bats and skeleton bunting, tossing out tired-looking pumpkins, and eventually re-arranging all the toys and purging yet more "baby stuff" that no one plays with or wears anymore. Practically whistling while ... [READ MORE]
Beauty Lurking Everywhere
October 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment
For the second year in a row, a massive wildfire scuttled our plans to take to the mountains for one last gasp of summer. If parenthood teaches you nothing else, it teaches you how to flex. And so noon on a September Friday found me with the car fully loaded, THREE children wedged into the backseat (we borrowed a friend of LittleMan's for the weekend, in a rather foolhardy weekend-long play at our first-ever sleepover), and no clue where I was headed. My husband called: "Guerneville. Check your email for the map. I'll be out front of the office." Lake Tahoe, Russian River...any old ... [READ MORE]
In Search of Cupcakes
August 28, 2014 by 1 Comment
My daughter's crying is boring a hole into my brain. Back when I first had babies and researched babies compulsively, I read an article explaining that a child's cry ignites in its mother the same neurological and biological stress response as an emergency siren. In other words, a mother alone in a room with a crying baby might as well be trapped in an office during a fire drill. Which is exactly as fun as it sounds. Before you jump to any conclusions, let me assure you that I have tried to comfort my daughter. I have snuggled her cheeks, offered compromises, attempted "redirection" ... [READ MORE]
Vacation, Week Two
August 28, 2014 by Leave a Comment
There were two straight days of rain. The first day felt cozy and lazy. The second day was frustrating. Looking at a grim forecast, we felt robbed of our sunscreen-slick skin, our dry, sticky hair, our ice cream on the bench above the beach, our late afternoon grapefruit margaritas by the pool. The children became restless, squabbly, cranky. We scrapped our plans to grill spare ribs, contemplated the stove. Our summertime vibe, man, was at stake. So. Not. Cool. Puzzles, Candy Land, Netflix. A fire in the fireplace (in August!). Cookies in the oven. A long drive, just to get out. ... [READ MORE]
Dawn, Lakeside
August 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment
On our annual Tahoe vacation, unfettered by the 5:15 gym routine and the lunch boxes and the office hours, I totally dig mornings. I like the peace of the morning: a hot, bittersweet cup of coffee and a good lakeside sunrise and a soundtrack of geese squawking in chevron flight. Up until approximately 6 years ago, I liked putting Joni Mitchell on the iPod and cracking the paper and letting the morning happen. I liked long walks before the world woke up. We indulged in leisurely marital debates on the merits of a hike versus a bike ride, beach versus lake. As it turns out, on our annual ... [READ MORE]
Treading Water
July 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment
I don't actually know why we bother to say that we're busy. I think what we mean to say is simply that we're living. Keeping on keeping on, and all that. With that said, here's the usual saw: it's mostly been busy, but in a good way. Busy with bachelorette pool parties, camping, Father's Day surprise getaways, Mendocino wedding festivities, long drives to Tahoe with chocolate milkshakes to keep us cool. Busy sneaking in the first half of the USA-Germany match and a Bloody Mary before work. Busy with work travel (the Husband), and then work transitions (me) and a crazy new venture (more ... [READ MORE]
