NYC Moms

Dishwashing

In college, I once enraged a friend because I blithely assumed that she, like everyone I knew, had grown up with a dishwasher.  In fact, dishwashers are a bit less common than I thought, though if you speak to most moms, it is one of the appliances that I could not do without.  Washing machines in the city are probably less common than dishwashers, since not every apartment can fit, or legally have one, but do without a dishwasher?  Forget it.

But do without a dishwasher is exactly what is happening in my house right now.  Our top rated Bosch dishwasher is spewing water all over our nice slate floor and we are washing dishes while we wait for the repairman (person).

We are somewhat lucky that both my husband and I work from home, because the authorized repair services gave us an 8-hour window.  I don’t know why you can’t get a more precise time -  yes, some repairs can take longer, but even a busy hand surgeon can give you an appointment and generally see you within an hour of that appointment.  How can appliance repair be less precise than orthopedics?

What's Cooking - A Silicon Valley Moms Group Book Club on "Comfort Food" by Kate Jacobs

There are quite a lot of foodies among us, but we are also readers, writers, mothers, friends, colleagues...rivals, people who are searching for themselves?

Today, Silicon Valley Moms Group bloggers are enjoying our monthly book club, eating...and discussing the book Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs.

• Chicago Moms Blog's Serena leads us off with some food for the soul
• Chefdruck from Chefdruck Musings reflects on her comfort food evolutions
• Bonggamom from Finding Bonggamom was surprised by reincarnations
• Jenn from Kids and a Keyboard steps outside her comfort zone
• Robyn from Who's The Boss asks if you're passionate about your job
• MamaNeena from The Carpool Reader takes comfort in the simple things
  
• Silicon Valley Diva from Blog on the Wall talks about her (dis)comfort with some French food
• Jennifer from Connect with your Teens combines work with kids
• Melanie from Tales from the Crib is finding comfort
• Kim from Passion & Art is happy to be enjoying her Vietnamese comfort food
• Rose from It's My Life wonders if applying childhood labels translate to grown-up characteristics
• Roxane from Rox and Roll on comfort food
  
• Nicole from Not Just a Working Mom says Mmmmm.....
  
• Stacy from Laptop TV Mom says pass the cream of mushroom soup
  
• Amy from Occupation Mommy asks what's your favorite comfort food?
• Jessico from This Mom Rocks It talks about when life gives you lemons
• April from Its All About Balance does some kitchen bonding
  
• Laughing at Chaos from Never a Dull Moment thinks about her transformation
  

More posts will be put up throughout the day on our writer's personal sites, so be sure to check back to follow along.

.... and if you have a post up on YOUR personal site on this topic, please leave a comment here and we will add your link!

Past Silicon Valley Moms Group Book Clubs have included:

• Much to Your Chagrin by Suzanne Guilette
  
• It Started with Pop-Tarts by Lori Hanson
• Who By Fire by Diana Spechler
• The White Trash Moms Handbook by Michelle Lamar
• Writing Motherhood by Lisa Garrigues
• The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert W. Sears
• The Other Mother by Gwendolen Gross

Stroller Wars, really? C'mon.

I was looking for an article that I could link to what I was originally going to write about, and then came across this. I almost woke up my babies I laughed so hard. First let me say this, I LOVE Park Slope.  I have been there often and we have even talked about moving there.  We have great friends in the area, whom I love to visit, and consider it to be a really great neighborhood. Of course, I don't actually live there, so maybe I am seeing it through the eyes of a tourist. 

I have read over and over and over from other moms who live there how much they love it, but I have also read articles upon articles, upon articles portraying the parents that live there in such a negative light, that I do have to wonder, "What gives?"

With regard to this specific issue of businesses posting signs not allowing strollers inside and then the parents uniting and protesting against such a thing, I have to wonder, do you know where you live?  This is New York City my friends, land of the tight and small everything.  Apartments are small, restaurants are small, shops are small, it should not come as a surprise that restaurants ban strollers from entering their premises due to lack of space. Such ban, in no way, automatically equals banning of families or children.  Just the stroller. The massive, annoying strollers that gets in other people's way as they try to make their way to their table and the serving staff trying to make their way to serve you.  It's annoying. And this is from a mom who has a double stroller and two boys that once loose require all the strength and speed humanly possible to contain them.

Lunchbox Blues

Growing up in New York and attending public schools, I'm all too familiar with the quality of cafeteria food. The smell of grilled bologna served with breakfast is impossible to forget, try as one might. Was it considered healthier than bacon, or just cheaper? There really isn't a good excuse when you think about it.

Flash forward 20 years and I'm still faced with the same poor food choices, except this time it's for my five-year old. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that I send her off to school with a healthy, home-packed lunch. Problem is by this point in the school year, packing it feels a bit like the movie Groundhog Day. After 100 days of school, you start to hit a wall. Then comes this peanut butter scare.