The struggle in Silicon Valley

Another year went by and I am in disbelieve that I have been back to work for over a year. Working at Stanford is truly an eye-opening experience. I never get why do people complain about working/surviving in the Silicon Valley when I was just being a stay-at-home mom.  All I can say is it is quite brutal as described now that I am in it myself.  It is definitely quite exhausting trying to keep up with others. There are always younger single people who could devote all their time to advance their career in the SV. One becomes obsolete the moment he/she turns 30 or have a family.

Aaron is the only reason keeping me in the job market as I want to be able to provide for him too. I want to feel like I am contributing to whatever he needs in SV. It is insane to learn that his tuition, activities, and other miscellaneous expenses cost as much as our mortgage. Despite the expenses, it’s not going to change my mind on giving him the best we can afford. I hope he will understand and appreciate all our hard work one day.

Fun activities

We've been doing a few artsy activities/projects with Aaron as he seems to really enjoy them. I love making memories with him so he can look back later how much we had together. We did our annual clay hand print, tie dye shirt, muffin cup painting, and pumpkin painting the last couple months. I tried so hard not to interfere with his creativity, yet I don't want him to totally ruin the projects as he's still a little kid after all.

Clay hand print @ Art Beat

 

Tie Dye @A Brighter World

Muffin cup painting @Color Me Mine

Pumpkin painting @Artist & Craftsman SF 

Switching swim school

After 2.5 years with Waterworks and making little to no progress with swimming, it's time to try out a new swim school.  We switched to StarSwim in Los Gatos and started having private lesson with Coach Steve. He definitely seems like he knows what he's doing. He is firm yet friendly and Aaron seems to enjoy his swim lessons so much more.

We can definitely see some improvements since switching to StarSwim.  I am not expecting Aaron to become an Olympian, all I want is him being able to swim independently. It's not that much to ask for, right?

Coach Steve is helping Aaron surf. :)

First day of Pre-K

How did my baby start going to Pre-K already? Time has been passing by way too fasttttt. I haven't even been able to catch my breath and he's starting pre-k. It's definitely awesome to see all his growth and development, yet it's so not cool that he's growing up so fast. I don't feel like I ever have enough time to hold and squeeze him when life is passing by so quickly.

Aaron is going to a new classroom, having new teachers, and meeting so many new friends as most of his friends from last year are older and are going to a different classroom.  I have to admit that it's more nerve wracking for me than for him when facing all the changes. I hope he will enjoy another year of preschool and have as much fun as he can.

2016 Summer Camp

This is Aaron's first year of attending summer camp full time. I chose to let him go to his school's summer camp as it will be an easy transition for him when he's already familiar with the environment.  Teachers and friends will be different but hopefully it is not going to be an issue. Summer camp just seems so much fun (swimming, arts, puppet show, petting zoo...) that I wish I were given the chance to do so when I was a kid. I remember all my summers were pretty boring growing up. Staying at home on most days, swimming for less than a handful of times the entire summer, working on summer workbooks as my parents were both working full time.

But I cannot blame them for my uneventful summers as I understand I wouldn't be able to live a comfortable life without their hard work. It'd just be nice if they would spend more time with me like I've always wanted. I hope Aaron would appreciate all the time we spend together and enjoy his childhood as much as possible. Raising a happy kid has always been my goal and I need to keep reminding myself that. :)

Big booboo

It was just another ordinary day of swimming until Aaron fell and tripped right by the swimming pool earlier.  I didn't even think anything was serious until I got closer and saw him bleeding heavily from his mouth and chin. I immediately froze as I didn't know what can I do to stop the bleeding. Fortunately daddy was there when it happened and he helped everyone to stay calm. We took the poor kid to an urgent care and he just wouldn't stop crying the entire time.

I knew it was not going to be pleasant once the doctor determined that he needs stitches.  The rest was just a lot of screaming/crying/kicking during the entire procedure. I couldn't help but feel guilty that I wasn't able to prevent this horrific event. I kept asking myself if this accident could have been avoided if I sat closer to him? Or if I insisted that he shouldn't run around the pool? :( Nothing can be worst than seeing your own kid gets hurt right in front of you and nothing you can do about it. It hurts more to see him in pain than getting hurt yourself. Is this truly the lives of being parents? I remember I once read this quote - "Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." and I am finally understanding the true meaning of it by being a parent.

I am so thankful that we have the best medical insurance and healthcare resources in the area.  Liquid diet and some antibioitics are the plans for the next couple days.  Aaron is one tough cookie and I am sure he will be okay in no time. Thanks be to God.

Happy 4th Birthday

Time flies like an arrow, Aaron turned 4 last week. How did a baby turn into a big boy so quickly? It seems like everything just happened yesterday yet he has already completed his first year in preschool! It is truly amazing how much he had grown and I cannot be more proud to be his mommy.

It can be such a headache planning a birthday party for this little guy.  I want to find something fun and age appropriate for him and his friends which is getting harder every year. I came across this indoor soccer place in Santa Clara that seems to be perfect for his birthday. I booked the place without even visiting as I have been tied up with work lately. I am so glad that everything worked out fine and the kids all had fun running around at the party.

Peppa Pig has been Aaron's favorite character for a long time and I think he totally deserves a Peppa Pig themed party. Who wouldn't love a piece of Peppa Pig strawberry shortcake? :) Happy 4th Birthday my baby!