CALIFORNIA, USA: What’s on Your Christmas Tree?

Putting up the Christmas tree is more than just a holiday task for our family, it is a trip down memory lane. Collecting ornaments over the years remind us of family we love, major events in our lives, places we have been.

My husband and I put up our first tree together a few months after we started dating – that was 13 years ago. We had no ornaments! So being crafty (I am not artistic, but I am crafty), I decided we should “make” ornaments. So we opened some beers, bought some glitter, glue, and paint, and went to work. During our project, we got silly and put glitter on one of the empty beer cans – the glittery can still hangs on our tree every year.

Years later, as we hang the ornaments, I like to talk about how each ornament became part of our collection. It is like a game show – I say: “Remember this one?…” but only I seem to know the answer.

We have a memorable collection that gets a little bigger each year. Here are some of my favorites: (more…)

Angela Y (USA)

Angela Y. is in her mid-thirties and attempting to raise her two daughters (big girl, R, 3 years; little girl, M, 1 year) with her husband in San Francisco, CA. After spending ten years climbing the corporate ladder, she traded it all in to be a stay-at-home mom! Her perspective of raising a child in the city is definitely different from those who have been city dwellers all their lives, as she grew up in rural Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) surrounded by her extended family. Angela Y. and her husband are on their own on the west coast of the United States — the only family help they receive is when someone comes for a visit. But, the lifestyle in San Francisco is like no other for them, so there, they stay! This exercise conscious mom is easily recognized, especially when she is riding around her husband-built bike with two seats on the back. And, when she’s not hanging out with the girls, you can find Angela Y. in the kitchen. She loves to cook for her family, especially dessert, and then eats some herself when no one is looking! Sneaky, mom!

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CALIFORNIA, USA: Before 9 AM

A local newspaper or magazine (can’t remember which) runs articles about the day in the life of celebrities and high level executives. It gives a detailed account of their day minute by minute and hour by hour.

Mainly, the point of these articles is to humanize these figures – they, too, read books to their children – and to highlight how much they do in one day. I have read a few of these articles and thought, “Ha! A working mom can fill that same page all before 9 am.”

So, here is how a day rolls for this (part-time) working mom: (more…)

Angela Y (USA)

Angela Y. is in her mid-thirties and attempting to raise her two daughters (big girl, R, 3 years; little girl, M, 1 year) with her husband in San Francisco, CA. After spending ten years climbing the corporate ladder, she traded it all in to be a stay-at-home mom! Her perspective of raising a child in the city is definitely different from those who have been city dwellers all their lives, as she grew up in rural Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) surrounded by her extended family. Angela Y. and her husband are on their own on the west coast of the United States — the only family help they receive is when someone comes for a visit. But, the lifestyle in San Francisco is like no other for them, so there, they stay! This exercise conscious mom is easily recognized, especially when she is riding around her husband-built bike with two seats on the back. And, when she’s not hanging out with the girls, you can find Angela Y. in the kitchen. She loves to cook for her family, especially dessert, and then eats some herself when no one is looking! Sneaky, mom!

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CALIFORNIA, USA:  Interview with Angela Y.

CALIFORNIA, USA: Interview with Angela Y.

Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I live in San Francisco, CA. Specifically, I live in The Presidio, a old military post that has been transformed into a state park. We live in newly renovated, former military housing. Living in the park gives us access to outdoor space, trees, wildlife (coyotes, raccoons, hawks, and more), all in the heart of a major city; it’s like living in the suburbs without the commute.

No, I am not from here. I am from Northeastern Pennsylvania. I went to high school with Tara B. All of my family still lives there or close by.

What language(s) do you speak?

I speak English only. I couldn’t even pretend to speak anything else.

When did you first become a mother?

Big girl was born in August 2007. Little girl came along in October 2009.

Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you work?

Something in-between. I consider myself a stay-at-home mom. Currently, I am working 3 days a week as a contractor doing my pre-children job at a major retailer’s corporate office. I am helping out during a friends maternity leave. I have a brand (more…)

Angela Y (USA)

Angela Y. is in her mid-thirties and attempting to raise her two daughters (big girl, R, 3 years; little girl, M, 1 year) with her husband in San Francisco, CA. After spending ten years climbing the corporate ladder, she traded it all in to be a stay-at-home mom! Her perspective of raising a child in the city is definitely different from those who have been city dwellers all their lives, as she grew up in rural Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) surrounded by her extended family. Angela Y. and her husband are on their own on the west coast of the United States — the only family help they receive is when someone comes for a visit. But, the lifestyle in San Francisco is like no other for them, so there, they stay! This exercise conscious mom is easily recognized, especially when she is riding around her husband-built bike with two seats on the back. And, when she’s not hanging out with the girls, you can find Angela Y. in the kitchen. She loves to cook for her family, especially dessert, and then eats some herself when no one is looking! Sneaky, mom!

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CALIFORNIA, USA: The Placebo Effect

I am not certain what made me do it, but I decided to go for acupuncture. Well, I can pinpoint a number of things that pushed me in that direction…

First of all, I just haven’t felt “myself” since the birth of little girl. And, she is about to turn two. When I mentioned baby blues to my OB/GYN soon after her arrival, he pushed it aside and said it will pass.

But, maybe it didn’t.

The straw that broke the camels back, as the say in the United States, was the day I got SO ANGRY that I yelled at big girl in public and stormed off from my family and went to the movies alone (I saw Harry Potter 7 Part 2 – which I must say was the perfect escape). My behavior was like a clip from Nanny 911 or Supernanny. I hated feeling so out of control, but couldn’t seem to rein it in either. (more…)

Angela Y (USA)

Angela Y. is in her mid-thirties and attempting to raise her two daughters (big girl, R, 3 years; little girl, M, 1 year) with her husband in San Francisco, CA. After spending ten years climbing the corporate ladder, she traded it all in to be a stay-at-home mom! Her perspective of raising a child in the city is definitely different from those who have been city dwellers all their lives, as she grew up in rural Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) surrounded by her extended family. Angela Y. and her husband are on their own on the west coast of the United States — the only family help they receive is when someone comes for a visit. But, the lifestyle in San Francisco is like no other for them, so there, they stay! This exercise conscious mom is easily recognized, especially when she is riding around her husband-built bike with two seats on the back. And, when she’s not hanging out with the girls, you can find Angela Y. in the kitchen. She loves to cook for her family, especially dessert, and then eats some herself when no one is looking! Sneaky, mom!

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CALIFORNIA, USA: First Ballet Recital

There was an article recently in The Wall Street Journal that described how to help children remember momentous events from their lives. The key was to retell the story over and over and as they get older, relate it to current events. It was a day that I didn’t want big girl to forget, so I planned on making it grand and talking about it often.

It was big girls first ballet recital.

Big girl fell in love with ballet on her own. I don’t even recall how it happened. So at 2 ½ , I signed her up for her first ballet class. On Mondays for the past year, we have been taking ballet at a nearby studio. She loves ballet! There are many mornings that she gets up and the first thing she asks is “I have ballet today?”. To round her out, big girl plays soccer and takes swim class in addition to going to preschool. But her true love is ballet class. (more…)

Angela Y (USA)

Angela Y. is in her mid-thirties and attempting to raise her two daughters (big girl, R, 3 years; little girl, M, 1 year) with her husband in San Francisco, CA. After spending ten years climbing the corporate ladder, she traded it all in to be a stay-at-home mom! Her perspective of raising a child in the city is definitely different from those who have been city dwellers all their lives, as she grew up in rural Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) surrounded by her extended family. Angela Y. and her husband are on their own on the west coast of the United States — the only family help they receive is when someone comes for a visit. But, the lifestyle in San Francisco is like no other for them, so there, they stay! This exercise conscious mom is easily recognized, especially when she is riding around her husband-built bike with two seats on the back. And, when she’s not hanging out with the girls, you can find Angela Y. in the kitchen. She loves to cook for her family, especially dessert, and then eats some herself when no one is looking! Sneaky, mom!

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