Silicon Valley Moms Blog

You would never know Silicon Valley is in a recession if you went to Calafia

Yesterday, I planned to go out for lunch with two very close friends.  A gals lunch out was desperately needed, and our restaurant of choice was Calafia  Having heard about this new restaurant that recently opened at Town and Country Shopping Center, and dealing with a concoction of allergies (hello, gluten free, dairy free, nut free and god knows what else free, between the three of us), we somehow agreed that Calafia would meet all our crazy needs.

Since one friend was hopping around with a broken foot, I pulled into a handicap parking space, and let her out to get our names on the list (No reservations for parties under 8).  From there, I began circling around the shopping center lot.  And around. And around... only to keep driving around for twenty minutes.  Then I planted my car in front of a row, and waiting a few more minutes until a spot finally opened. SCORE!

Aren't we in a recession?  Why in the world is ALL OF SILICON VALLEY at Town and Country?

I then made my way in to Calafia, and bumped in to a few friends that were sitting at the counter (our table was not quite ready).  "Have you been here before?  Did you see the restrooms?  You have to check out the hand drier and the community sink!" they said.  Bathrooms?  Sink?  Community sink????  HUH????

Why I Love Silicon Valley

Bashing this valley we call home is a common theme on this blog. While I will often join in the chorus, yes, our crappy homes all cost too much, and it is hard to feel accomplished with Steve Jobs as your neighbor. There are constant reminders of the many successes our friends have had- be it the new Tesla in the driveway, or the jet share. ( My poor kids not only fly commercial, they fly coach!) Sometimes the pressures here are too much to deal with.  Now I am not going to boast about our weather, though it is pretty great, I am going to revel in the fact the there appears to be no such thing as a 'fashion faux pas' here. Silicon Valley truly exemplifies the "California Casual" style.

I am reminded of how relaxed, or uncivilized we are when ever I am faced with a special event or a trip. On my to do list today, is to buy khakis for my oldest son. One would assume that a thirteen year old boy would have a pair. He does, but a size too small as they have not been worn in a year. Khakis are only used for weddings or in this case a bat mitzvah, and a school interview. The school interview is back East. We asked a friend what he should wear. The reply, the school is casual, just khakis, a sweater or button down. Guess what, Julian does not own any of the above. My son has never owned a blazer.

Resolutions and Realizations

It has been so long since I have blogged, that I was challenged by the "new" typepad format. Years ago I was thrilled  to blog about the many woes and wonders of parenting. As my children have grown older, and I have grown older I no longer feel the "need" to share it all. Those who know me know that I am not the most private person. One could accuse me of being an "over sharer". However I prefer to choose who I over share with now. The opportunities to share are plentiful. Between Facebook and Twitter, hundreds of people know when I am going to  Healdsburg for a weekend. So it is not as though I have become a recluse. I just do not "need" to let thousands of people know when I am dealing with a personal issue.

When I look back at the posts I wrote about my nanny issues, I realize what a different place I am in on my parenting journey. (Remember me, the stay- at- home Mom with a full time nanny that many loved to hate!)   So why am I blogging now ? Honestly, it is because I want to connect with the amazing group of women that are part of the SV Moms group blogs. After attending the S.V. Holiday party, I was reminded of the wonderful women that write here on a daily basis.

WTF Gentry Magazine... Sloane Citron on DIVERSITY

Dear Sloane Citron, Founder and Publisher of Gentry Magazine.

You  just knew that we were going to have to comment on your latest November 2008 Gentry article, A Diverse Story. 

Written by Sloane Citron, Founder and Publisher of Gentry Magazine.  November 2008 issue.  Page 18.

I am walking on a thin ledge here, but I want to address a subject that I first broached several months ago.  I fully respect your right to disagree with me, but I hope you me the benefit of expressing my own thoughts.  Several months ago I wrote a piece about my children's wonderful school, Hillview Middle School in Menlo Park.  After eight years and four kids through school I was -and am- sorry this experience is finished.

I walked into a hornet's next by lauding Hillview in the piece and regretting the move to Menlo-Atherton where "diversity" seems to be the key philosophy of the school's operation.  Well, as a result of my statement deprecating this emphasis on diversity, a group of women started a blog condemning me and my statement about diversity.

To continue reading this full article, go to Gentry Magazine's site, click on the November South Bay issue and enter page 16 or... click HERE and enter page 16.  Go on... read it!  We'll wait!

Where to even begin?

Prop 8 - a very sad morning.....

We woke up this morning full of hope. Obama's victory is the start of a new direction for our country. We want to celebrate. Yet, on a more sobering note, Prop 8 passed. We are saddened, shocked and dismayed that such a hateful measure could pass in our state. We wanted to believe that equality for all would trump homophobia and hate. We were wrong and can not understand the fear that our fellow Californians have about marriages. There clearly is more work to be done to assure equal rights for all in this state.

We try to teach our kids about equal rights, and acceptance. We like to think that if we had been alive during the civil rights movement, we would have been marching, kids by our side. Yesterday, we joined Stanford students, Paly students, friends (old and new) and their children to protest Prop 8 in Palo Alto, on the corner of El Camino Real and Embarcadero. We all want to make this world a better place for ALL our children. Here is some video from our afternoon on the corner. If you are curious, Prius owners were the most supportive!

Jill Asher and Pamela Hornik, Co-Founders of Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

We tried... we really TRIED.....Other No On 8 Posts from SV Moms include:

• Aren't You Glad Your Not Gay?
• Relief and Hope- With A Twinge Of Sadness
• A Special Sunday Wedding for "the girls across the street"
• What Are The Political Lawn Sign's In YOUR Neighborhood?
• Are My Sons Gay?  I hope not
• In Which The Political Becomes Deeply Personal
• How the California Supreme Court made an honest woman out of me, same-sex marriage, and teh Prop 8 campaign
• A Christian against Prop 8

Video from Palo Alto Obama Headquarters Office

What are we to do this historic election day?  With many hours before the polls are set to close, we had to find a way to spend our time in a productive manner. 

Put a group of four women in a Prius on election day in Palo Alto and you never know what to expect.  Our destination, the Palo Alto Obama Campaign Office on the lovely El Camino Real.  The drive there was interesting.  Doing our civic duty, we removed some illegally placed campaign signs on Alma.  We were non partisan in our sign removal.

Challenge One:  Parking!  Parking on El Camino Real near the HQ office was next to impossible.  (Note to campaign, next time pick a better location.  Volunteers basically can NOT park within blocks of your office).  Driving by, we could see volunteers spilling out into th parking lot and surrounding areas, sitting on chairs in their makeshift offices and making calls from their personal cell phones.

Challenge Two:  After finding a coveted parking spot, there was the Obama HQ Bouncers, guarding the door to the call center.  They seemed to be less than thrilled to see me with my Flip Camcorder.  "NO Paparazzi Allowed!"  We somehow managed to convince bouncer number one to tell the volunteer organizers that all we wanted to do was take video of the volunteers in action for Silicon Valley Moms Blog.  I think it was the pink Obama hat that did the trick.  We were invited inside and took this video; an inside glimpse on what is happening today in obviously a very intense environment. 

Another WTF GENTRY MAGAZINE

Dear Elsie Floriani, Founder/Executive Editor of Gentry Magazine.

Yes, it is that time again... another Gentry WTF!  We were kind of hoping that our last Gentry WTF would have changed the type of garbage that you published.

I have received Gentry Magazine by the gate of my house every single month that I have lived in Palo Alto.  That would make it, over 70 magazines that you have given me.  For Free.  I suppose that I am one of the "lucky" receivers of Gentry, because of my zip code. 

This month, I actually tossed the magazine into the recycle bin before I had a chance to read the pages.  As much as I like hearing about our friends and "local celebs" in the Gentry pages. I skipped perusing the local gala's and social scene.  Just didn't feel right, especially when so many of us are struggling with finances and mortgage payments and debt.  Sorry.  Yes, even people in Silicon Valley have been effected by the economic crisis.

So this morning, an email exchange starting going on through my Silicon Valley friends.  Collectively, we were all in in shock and disbelief that the you, the FOUNDER of Gentry would write such a disturbing, repugnant  and offensive (and yes, THOSE words were used) article titled, PolITALY Speaking. 

Here is a direct quote from your article: (page 22)  referring to your love of Italy, and why we (United States) should behave and live more like the Italians. ....... (or you can click here and scroll to page 22 and read the article in full - Gentry articles are quite difficult to find online).

Many of you are saying about now, "Okay, Floriani, why don't YOU just go away.  We like having the government take care of us, telling us we have to wear seat-belts, that we can dial cell phones in the car but we can't put them up to our ear, what kind of food we can sell in the marketplace, and how we should not profile suspicious-looking people in burkas with big packages strapped around their waists.  We like being dependent on foreign oil, and we like a free and undisciplined society where everybody can do anything, marry anybody, and sue the britches off anyone who crosses us in any way.  We love the overly zealous ACLU and those other eagle-eyed lawyers who see spilled coffee as a way to facilitate their early retirement."  Yes, you can say that, but that's not the America I grew up with and I'm just too set in my ways at this age to welcome any of those changes.

Where to even begin......(eyes rolling!)

How The Hell Do You Use That Thing?

Coming back from vacation is always difficult for me. Transitioning from the lazy days of summer, into the frantic pace of the "summer camp shuffle" is overwhelming. There is the unpacking, and the laundry. There is the storing the LL Bean duffle bags until our next family adventure.There is the months worth of mail to sort through. As of that was not enough, this summer, I am confronted with the most daunting of all post vacation horrors, the hands free phone. Oh No!

A new California law went into effect while I was sitting on the beach in Cape Cod. I can no longer just pick up my phone.  For the past week, I have just not been talking while driving, which is actually safer for everyone else out there. When my phone does ring, my son answers it for me. Julian has become my personal assistant as my cool new jawbone device scare the hell out of me. However, he will return to school, and I will be faced with using  jawbone. I am wondering if I am the only one challenged by this simple device. (I still do not know how to work my Tivo either.) Since I spend most of my day in the car, I am feeling like I am not in contact with anyone. I can not chat while backing out of a parking spot, waaah. How will Jill know exactly how I am feeling every moment of the day? 

Challenges for A California Girl

I was raised in California, and reside in California. This I believe makes me unable to deal with weather.

If you are not a Californian, this post may annoy you, and appear to be nothing more than me whining. I am whining, because I miss the weather reports with seven sunny days forecast in a row. (Admittedly, the lack of rain has caused drought and has lead to a horrible fire season, but we are guaranteed sun almost all summer.) New England weather is an entirely different beast. (I guess that's why LL Bean was founded here, you actually need all that weather gear.) So before I offend all the New Englanders, I am a Red Sox fan, and married a New Englander.

I just hate the damned weather. 

Stop Messing With My Kid !!!

My son is being bullied and I do not like it. I try to be as hands off as I can in my parenting. I often joke that I "parent by neglect" to build resiliency in my children. I see so many Palo Alto parents overly involved in their kids lives, that I usually take a step back. This time I am taking a step forward. No, I want to take a big step forward and march onto that baseball field in that big stadium and scream, "stop messing with my kid." I am not so sure that my son, or husband for that matter, will permit me.

My son is almost eleven, but the size of an eight year old. He is short due to that fact that my husband is short, (damn those genes), and a disease that impedes his growth. The combo for a kid that was a stand out athlete has been devastating at times. His lack of athletic prowess opened some new doors. He now plays drums, and is very focused on academics. But he wants to be the athlete that he once was. It is hard to compete with kids your own age when they are twice your size. Harder for me to see this, and accept this. My husband, also "height challenged" wants our son to deal with this on his own. I want to swoop in and rescue my child. I can not stand the thought of him being taunted, having pebbles thrown at his face because he is short. Why are kids so damn mean?