In honor of Babygirl's arrival I have switched back to part-time work, and though my maternity leave officially ends after Thanksgiving, we ratcheted Babyman down to part-time daycare on November 1. Which means, of course, that yesterday was my first full day with two children, on my own. I'll kill the suspense here and tell you that it went really well, and I feel with some confidence that I can do this. (Though it also bears pointing out that in doing this I will do little -- read: NOTHING -- else. I will not read the paper, I will not watch the news, I will not download the new ... [READ MORE]
The Babes and the Boobs
October 3, 2011 by 1 Comment
As mentioned in my previous posts, shortly before midnight on August 28th, my husband and I welcomed a daughter into our family. We had kept the gender a surprise and were both prepared for another boy, so when she emerged a little girl there was much joyful weeping and disbelief, followed shortly by a staggering parade of pink cotton clothing. YAY! She is, of course, perfect. Round head, little nose, all those tiny fingers and toes...and the simple fact that every night since her first at home she has slept at least one 5-6 hour stretch has us convinced that she is, in fact, made of ... [READ MORE]
Statute of Limitations
September 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment
We live in a doorman building, fairly unusual in San Francisco, which allows us to do a great deal of retailing online because there is always someone to sign for packages. My favorite website on earth (and I'm totally serious, I can't say enough good things about it) is Diapers.com. Four words: free next-day delivery. Heck yeah! Oops, I'm almost out of diapers! Order by 6pm and by midday the next day, there's a case on my doorstep. I try not to abuse this service and order in bulk as much as possible for biological-footprint reasons, but it's nice to know it's there in a pinch. Well, ... [READ MORE]
And Then There Were Two (or is it four? or two-on-two?)
September 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
About ten days after the arrival of Babygirl on August 28th, I found myself in the kitchen at 5am, baking cupcakes for Babyman's birthday celebration at school while Babygirl enjoyed her post-breakfast snooze in her bouncy chair. The morning unfolded with the usual parade of lunchboxes, 3-year-old negotiations for more playtime/Sesame Street time/book time, the great wrestling match that is getting dressed and putting on sunscreen -- interspersed now with all the breastfeeding, diaper changing, soothing, burping and so forth that accompanies a newborn. By the time the family stroller ... [READ MORE]
Fast Summer Seafood
August 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
In a post a few months ago I mentioned a new column in the San Francisco Chronicle called "Weeknight Dinners." I recommend checking it out. Amanda Gold is the mother of a six-month-old, a professional chef, and a writer for the Chronicle, and she gets it. My husband and I always place a premium on fairly quick dinner preparation on weeknights; by the time we get Babyman to bed and the apartment back in order it's often after 8pm, and we generally like to eat before midnight. Lately, though, ease has become ever more paramount as my due date approaches and we're both just trying to ... [READ MORE]
Hot and Cold
August 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Last night I made an omelet for Babyman with an egg and some smoked gouda. He eyed it suspiciously as he climbed into his booster seat (Babyman and eggs have been on somewhat tenuous terms lately), but ultimately he tried it. "I like this omelet, Mommy!" he exclaimed. "This omelet is particularly tasty! Is there tasty cheese in it?" (Babyman's diction has gotten quite adult lately and it's pretty hilarious. A couple of Sundays ago he looked at me across the breakfast table and said "Your dress is just beautiful, Mommy." At the time, I was wearing a sweatshirt and pajama pants and had ... [READ MORE]
There’s a McApp for That
August 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment
In my last post I mentioned that we had recently returned from our summer vacation. Oh, Tahoe time! What a wonderful week. It was touch-and-go there for a couple of days. A week before our trip my husband went to get the car washed and found it in its parking space a few blocks from our apartment, hood crumpled from a collision, with a cryptic note bearing a bum policy number and no name. Needless to say, we were on the hook for the rather extensive repairs to our dear old '98 Dodge Stratus (aka The Stratus Symbol) and the garage called at the 11th hour to let us know it probably ... [READ MORE]
