The City Mouse

Happy 1- year birthday, dear blog! And my introduction to the Writing Salon.

It has been one year since I launched this blog, which also occurred about 7 weeks before giving birth to child #3. Although the timing of that might have seemed a bit mad, I know, I realized that if I didn’t get it started before the kiddo arrived, it may never have happened. And that…
Where ghosts, gold & hipster coffee collide

After 17 years spent living in San Francisco, I still find tiny slivers of pure paradise tucked around corners and nestled between buildings, just waiting to be discovered. This week found me uncovering one of these hidden gems in one of my very, very favorite slices of the city. I’ve always known it as the “antique district,”…
How can I turn back time? Oh, wait. I can’t: 72 hours in New York City.

I do believe that I earned my true City Mouse moniker this year, when, upon realizing that I definitely needed a postpartum, adult vacation and mental “escape from it all” chose New York City. Not the beach or the mountains or the wine country. But, a long weekend in Manhattan. To many, it may not…
When I grow up…Another “stump the band” question from the 4-year old.

There are definitely days as a stay-at-home mom or “person on a mommy-sabbatical” as I like to call it, that are a blow to one’s ego. Having had a full life and robust career before kids, it can sometimes feel like an out-of-body experience to go from dynamic, discerning decision-making to a tedious and tiring toddler tango.…
The Six Week Boot Camp: Or, perhaps the most important thing that I will ever write.

There are certain things that I definitely wanted to know before having children (the ins and outs of childbirth), things I didn’t want to know (how much they would really change our life) and things that I didn’t know, I didn’t know, but wished I would’ve known. The topic up for discussion, falls into…
The CPMC “Celebration Dinner.” Aka, my hamburger journey: SIR-MIX-ALOT to Spruce

I come from a long line of burger and fry fans, on both sides, but particularly on my mom’s side. The genetic code is strong in this area. I fondly recall that nearly every time my brother and I would stay with my grandpa (maternal) for a weekend while my parents were out-of-town, we’d inevitably…
Three’s company? Three’s a crowd? The jury is out.

Because, as I sit here, rounding out the last few dwindling hours of my “due date” and still, formally, the mother of 2, I have some time to write this post, completely in the dark as to the state of the union of the matter of 3. 3 children. It’s been interesting the responses we’ve…
Beautiful torture: The last few days & weeks of pregnancy

If any of you have waited for the labor and delivery process to start, you know well and I am just now learning with #3, how truly torturous this wait can be. Even with the well-honed knowledge of what is to come, I’m still ready. Meaning the real stuff, not The Pottery Barn Kids kind…
“But Why?” My existential trip to gain a Residential Parking Permit.

Today I ventured to the SF Municipal Transportation Agency office to obtain yet another Residential Parking Permit. Having moved 5 times in the 15 years that I’ve lived here, this is certainly a task I’ve done before. This morning’s conundrum was a debate of taking the 2-year-old with me or waiting to go by myself.…
Time for a “Time Out!” : Lesson #1 from a FTSM (First Time Summer Mom)

Being the FTSM (First Time Summer Mom) of a preschool aged child, I now pay attention to and read the other funny articles and self-deprecating mommy- blog posts on coping with summer vacation/ end of the school year panic and fatigue. This one has been circulating wildly around my Facebook feed and while I can’t…