Go-Go Mommy

Sorry mom, Maria Shriver has your "thank you" card!

Two nights ago, I attended a private talk and book-signing with Maria Shriver featuring her new book, "Just Who Will You Be?" I'm sure you'll hear this from every other mom blogger who attended but I'll reiterate just in case: Yes, she is even more beautiful in person. Yes, she is kind, gracious, and witty. And yes, she spoke from her heart and touched all of ours.

Maria Shriver is known for many things; she comes from a famous family, she has a famous husband, she is the First Lady of California, and she was a high-powered journalist - with an emphasis on "was". This became the impetus for her newest book. After she was asked to resign and give up her journalism career when her husband became Governor, she discovered that her twenty-five year career had been the major factor by which she defined herself. And when that vanished, she wasn't sure exactly who "Maria" was.

Sound familiar? How many of us have by choice or otherwise changed paths or are deliberating a change? How many are at a "personal versus professional" crossroad? How many of us define ourselves by our jobs, by our successes? How many of us are trying to find our own voice while we are the caretakers of others: spouse, children, parents, grandparents, etc?

As Maria spoke to our Silicon Valley Moms Blog group, she told us that the "theme" of all of her writing has been to create dialogue. And boy, did she ever with this one! As she spoke, she openly shared her inner struggle between her background where she was raised to constantly make herself useful and be doing something of importance (after all, with a father who founded the Peace Corps and a mother who founded the Special Olympics, she joked that maybe the only thing for her to do to top that would be to run for President like the rest of her family), and finally her realization that just being herself should be enough.

Many more great points came up in her talk and during the Q & A that night: how she takes 10 minutes a day to just be still and let her mind be still; how she struggled with work/life balance with the birth of each child; and how she manages to run her family while she created and is running an incredible volunteer network.

But the point that really resonated with me was when she said that the greatest gift we can give to our children is to let them know that "they are enough." To which I wanted to yell, "Hear, Hear"!

BTW, here's a photo of the thank you card I hand-stitched and gave to Maria for sharing her personal soulful journey. Sorry your "thank you" from Poppy will be delayed, Mom!

Photo Friday! 04.04.08 (Fire Safety)

Last weekend KB, Poppy, Sweet Pea and I went on a tour of a local fire station with our Parents' Club. The kids had a great time learning about when to dial 9-1-1, what to do if there is a fire at home, how to develop and practice practice practice an emergency plan for leaving the home and meeting outside at a specific location, and even watching one of the firefighters put on all his gear so they wouldn't be afraid of a fully-suited firefighter.

For the kids, the highlight was definitely getting their photo taken in the fire truck.

Hats off to all firefighters and rescue workers for all you do everyday!

PSA: Bone Marrow Drive - April 19th!

For all you bloggers and readers here in Silicon Valley, there is a very important event taking place on April 19th: a bone marrow drive sponsored by the Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

It's a call to action and I hope everyone considers being a part of such an important event. You can check out the National Marrow Donor Program here. For those of you wondering how to donate, it's a simple swab of your saliva. So for those of you who fear needles, none will be in sight that day!

Here are the details:

Date: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Location: 95 Crescent Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94301 (right near highway 101)
Time: 9:00am to 3:30pm
To be eligible to donate, you must be between the ages of 18 to 60.

With 6000 children, women, and men searching for donors everyday, you can make a life-saving decision today. Please consider becoming a donor!

My 30 days: 15

Not quiet your everyday moment - this was a quite a special "everyday." Disneyland came to give the Silicon Valley Mom's Blog team and our families a private party. The incredible part was, while I waited for "the pitch" from Disney, it never came. Instead it was our "everyday moment", albiet a crazy one, with our family and blogging friends.

Poppy had a wonderful time getting her face painted, coloring a picture of Ariel, putting together a "Disney" themed Mr. Potato Head, and best of all... meeting Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Cinderella for the very first time. Here they are lost in a typical girly conversation about Poppy's birthday party...

Of course, Sweet Pea had a great time too. She actually did pick out some potato head pieces of her own. The rest of her time, however, was spent honing her "fast walking" skills as she nimbly slipped in and out of the crowd catching anyone over 5 feet tall off-guard. (Sorry again, everyone, for the little 2 foot firecracker who was on the loose!)

In the midst of all this madness wonderful fun, KB and I split up and spent our entire time "refereeing" our little ones. So, while we didn't get to enjoy yummy hors d'oevers, a delicious spread, and sparkling conversation with my incredible fellow bloggers (I even missed the group photo), we did get to bask in our "everyday" moment of watching two incredible girls light up with wonder as they were introduced to the magic of Disney for the first time. And yes, Disney certainly does know how to make you feel like a kid again!

It looks like Poppy is finally ready - it's time to start planning our roadtrip to Disneyland! Many thanks to you, Disney, for my extra-special "everyday" moment!

A Season for Memories

My dearest Poppy. Just a note to say "thank you":

Here's a memory that will live forever for me and hopefully, for you too Poppy. Where do I begin? Oh what a fun time we had together last night at your first visit to the ballet to see The Nutcracker at the San Francisco Opera House!

It began as all good "nights out" do - with the preparation of finding the right dress (yours was a beautiful hunter green velvet with a white silk shantung collar and bow that tied at your waist in the back with delicate smocking in the front - thank you Grandma B for providing the perfect outfit!) and buying new black patent dress shoes (these actually had heals on them - another first!).

You were so good while we were getting ready to leave that we even had time to paint our nails a sensible shade of pale shell pink. What we didn't have time for, however, was dinner since it rained earlier in the day. In the Bay Area, even a "little rain" can wreck havoc on the evening commute. So we simply had a quick cookie and milk. And yes, it actually was one cookie each - a shortbread cookie with a chocolote drop on the top that we made the day before.

Thankfully, daddy made it home from work early so he could help you with the final touches (he put on your shoes, brushed your hair, and told you how beautiful you looked), while I finished getting ready. Then, we quickly said "goodbye" to daddy and 'lil sis Sweet Pea and headed off on our adventure. You certainly do love going on adventures!. By the way, daddy was very disappointed that he couldn't join us. Unfortunately, Sweet Pea's babysitter was ill and Sweet Pea had a little fever herself. Daddy wanted to give us our "girl time" and take care of Sweet Pea himself since she is still too little to go to such a grown-up event, but he is definitely looking forward to joining us next year for our (now) traditional Nutcracker outing.

Project: Life Change - The Kite Runner!

Well I we did it! After, ah let me see, I don't even know how long. KB and I finally secured our favorite sitter and went out to a movie by ourselves. Yeah! And not just any movie. We actually got to participate in a movie premier night for "The Kite Runner" with over 100 other bloggers, neighbors, and friends. Thank you soo much Citymama for arranging all this (and T-shirts, too)!

Okay, I'll admit it. I must be only one of two people who hasn't read the book (KB being the other person) so while I can't compare the two, the movie was extremely moving to me. While it may have run a bit long, it was amazing seeing the contrast of Kabul over the years. Also, the movie evoked many strong feelings about friendship, love, and healing on a variety of levels. Surprisingly, this is a great movie for the hoilday season.

And so even though you are probably so busy with your own lives as you get ready to celebrate or are already celebrating your holidays, I hope you take the time to change your own life in some little way. Whether it's taking time to reconnect with your favorite person over a cup of coffee, a bite to eat or a movie out, or 10 minutes to yourself to read while you soak in the tub, don't forget to honor your inner hipness for a change of pace!

Seeing Red? It's National Poinsettia Day!

Rather than have a picture of myself to introduce you to my blog, my personal perference is to focus outside myself and share a glimpse through my eyes with a photo that speaks to me (pictured at right). I like to change my personal photo with each season and when I saw the vibrant red of the poinsettia photo, I knew that this was "the one" that I wanted to use to welcome visitors to my blog and to welcome the festive season. I had no idea that in doing so, the historian in me would be compelled to find out more about it's origin.

In doing so, I found out today is significant for two reasons: (1) Sweet Pea turns 14 months old today; and (2) it's National Poinsettia Day. Well, at least it's two significant reasons for me - I'm selfish that way.

Apparently, Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851) was our country's first Ambassador to Mexico. (Later, he would found the institution we now know as The Smithsonian Institution.) Joel had a love of botany and during a trip to Southern Mexico, he took a keen interest in the native plants which bloomed a brilliant red known in Mexico as cuetlaxochitl. In 1828, Joel sent some clippings to his hothouses in South Carolina. From there, he grew more plants and sent them to his friends (sound familiar?) one of which owned a nursery in Pennsylvania, and viola - the sales began! Needless to say, it was around 1836 that the flowering plant became known by its common name in honor of Joel.

So as you bring these vibrant flowers into your home or the homes of friends or family this season, picture the warm, more tropical climate where these plants originated. It will definitely help make your season warm and bright!

Hip Family Outing: The Holiday Train

For those of you who reside in the bay area of Northern California, an exciting holiday event is about to take place: the 2007 Caltrain Holiday Train is coming to town with Santa, Mrs. Claus and friends! This weekend, December 8 and 9, the Holiday Train will leave San Francisco and stop at four stations along the Penninsula each night. You can view the poster here.

What a great kick-off to the holiday season! Each station will have live entertainment 30 minutes before the train arrives. The entertainment varies from station to station and may be an orchestra, choir, or even a barbershop chorus. I can't wait to see the girls' faces as we sing carols, watch a train decorated with more than 40,000 lights pull into the station, and then see Santa and Mrs. Claus come out to greet everyone. I believe the word is priceless.

Best of all, you can bring unwrapped toys and books to donate to Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army. What a fun and worthy event. Hope to see you there!

Sex, Lies, and Charitable Contributions

If you know me, and I know most of you don't so just to let you know, I LOVE (yes, with caps) the Holidays! I absolutely love this time of year when there is that electric mania in the air. When you can go outside and smell the pines, feel the crisp nights (in California we have to wait until the sun goes down to feel the chill of the season - at least on most days), and go into overdrive to get everything on the never-ending holiday "to-do" list done.

And while I've been enjoying the early start to the television Christmas Specials - Poppy and I have already seen A Charlie Brown Christmas, Shrek the Halls, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas - I must admit that I'm kind of already looking forward to the end of the holiday season for the first time in my life.

It's not because things have gotten too hectic with trying to buy, wrap and send gifts, decorate the house like Martha Stewart, set up an outdoor display rivaling Clark Griswold's (I couldn't pass up the Christmas Vacation reference), or bake wonderfully tastey treats to give to all the important people in our lives while keeping up with the usual over-stuffed schedule. It's just that on Thursday, January 3rd, history will be made. For all you reality tv junkies out there, that's the night Celebrity Apprentice debuts!

I know, I know, another Apprentice. We all know the formula, we've seen it a million times. The couple who "finds love" while competing for the coveted spot, the secret alliances, the usual tasks, the backstabbing and doing "just enough" to be seen as a competent business person so you don't get fired in the boardroom. Yet, how can you go wrong watching Gene Simmons (the quintessential business man who has mastered the art of self-marketing while maintaining his ultimate rockstar playboy status) work with someone like Stephen Baldwin, a "born-again Christian" who has been touring the country speaking and touting his new book "The Unusual Suspect, My Calling to the New Hardcore Movement of Faith."

Mix that combination together with the likes of Tiffany Fallon (2005 Playboy Playmate of the Year), boxing champ Lennox Lewis, Latina media powerhouse Nely Galan (former President of hugely successful Telemundo), and "The Sopranos" actor Vincent Pastore, and you've got a recipe for sparks to fly and fabulous quotes to be made. I may even have enough new fodder to replace some of my standard "Caddyshack", "Godfather" and "Smokey and the Bandit" quotes! (And I will definitely post those later.)

Best of all, and keeping in line with the Holiday Season, these celebreties aren't actually working for a job. (Duh!) Instead they will be raising money as well as awareness for their favorite charities and causes. Definitely a win-win.

Now, aren't you happy you have something to look forward to after the Holidays?!

Wine, mommybloggers, and a great time!

I actually had a grown-up afternoon on Sunday and I am still glowing from the wine event! It was my first Silicon Valley Moms Blog get together and I not only had a great time, but I scored big time!

First, it was a great opportunity to finally meet my fellow mom bloggers face to face. XiaolinMama and I took advantage of the "moms day out" opportunity and rode together so we could do some catching-up - look out loves, 2 hipster mamas on a 10 minute road trip - hey, you take what you can get! The really weird part came at the event, I didn't realize that after reading these awesome ladies' posts for the last 5 months, it already felt like I knew a lot of the people there. Kind of freaky; like being in the middle of a conversation before you've even met the person, but with awesome ladies like BonggaMom, CityMama, and Glennia (who I actually did meet once about 3 years ago), they eased my "semi-stalker" sensation and made it seem like the most natural thing in the world. I love blogging and bloggers!

Second, the event was sponsored by Graco who introduced their new soothing center called "Sweetpeace". It is this incredible machine that is built to actually sway like a person. Yes, a person (side to side) rather than a machine that simply goes forward and backward. In addition, it truly blends in with modern decor. It's a very beautiful beige color with some very tasteful light green trim, rather than being a primary color eyesore in your home. When the awesome Graco people were showing us that it not only has a variety of settings and sounds but that it also had a hideaway drawer so you can hook up your ipod, I was immediately hooked. When I said, "Wow, I wish I could bring it home to let Sweet Pea (my 12 month old) test drive it, they instantly said, "No problem, we'll let you take it with you." GASP! Did I just hear correctly? SCORE #2!

Of course I immediately set up the soothing center when I got home and Sweet Pea went in it at the first opportunity. Here she is looking all cute and cuddly.

She was having a ball being soothed giggling and kicking her legs to the beat of my 70s Dance Party mixes. Which, by the way, leads me to mention that the sound on this center is surprisingly good whether you are using your own tunes or the prerecorded selection. And oh, by the way, when I returned from the park with a sleeping Sweet Pea, I didn't have to take her out of her carseat and ruin her nap - I just popped the carseat onto the Sweetpeace stand and she was all set to finish her nap. All I can say is - I wish I had this soothing center when she was 1 month old and colicky. Oh well, at least I've got it for the next five pounds (t's approved up to 25lbs.). Finally - being a premmie is paying off!

Hip Events: Sing-Along at Stanford's Pottery Barn

Last Friday's outing for Poppy and Sweet Pea included a trip to the Pottery Barn Kids at Stanford Shopping Center for a Sing-Along and it was quite a success. The featured performer was James K - a guitar-wielding songwriter who really got all the kids up and moving with his infectious energy and image-rich songs.

James performed his own collection of songs that cover all the bases in a very lively, toe-tapping way. In fact, Sweet Pea (who is just starting to walk more than crawl) couldn't be held back and left my lap to join in the fun with the "big kids" who were up and dancing. James K makes learning the abc's, days of the week, and months of the year fun and easy. I especially loved a beautiful "Good Morning Sun" song that is very catchy as well as a terrific "Crocodile" cajun tune set in the bayou - just perfect! In fact, his CDs have won "Parents' Choice" awards.

The great news is you havent' missed your chance to have your own fantastic outing! James K will be at the following Pottery Barn Kids stores next week:

Walnut Creek - Wednesday, November 7th
Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara - Thursday, November 8th
Stanford Shopping Center - Friday, November 9th
*Check his schedule for other locations and dates

All shows are at 10:00am and 11:00am. And don't forget to invite a friend to join you for a perfect playdate. I promise you'll have a great time!

If you cannot attend, you can still find James K's music here and at Pottery Barn Kids stores. It's definitely worth picking up for your kids or it can be a unique gift for the upcoming holidays - then you can set up your own "sing-along" playdate.