Wonderemployment

Today, I did not enjoy being a mom. I did not enjoy waking up to a crying baby. I did not enjoy taking a sick day for my laryngitis, yet not being able to get any extra rest. I did not enjoy cutting up her breakfast into tiny squares. I did not enjoy hearing her whine while I made that breakfast. I did not enjoy pulling peanut butter out of her hair. I did not enjoy her "vocal exercises" of screeching and screaming. I did not enjoy hearing her wake up from her morning nap too early. I did not enjoy the THREE catastrophic diapers she prepared for me today. I did not enjoy her piercing cries at having her diaper and clothes changed. I did not enjoy having no voice to comfort her complaining. I did not enjoy crying while she cried; it really hurt my throat! I did not enjoy the eyedrops I needed to use for the pinkeye she gave me. I did not enjoy taking things away from her that shouldn't be used as toys. I did not enjoy picking soggy Cheerios off her shirt at snack time, ...

Hanging out with a baby can be loud, but it can also be very quiet at times. During this past year, my most constant companion has been my podcasts. Prior to my pregnancy, I only listened to one podcast, just enough to fill the time on my commute on BART. But once I started staying home all day with Holly, podcasts helped me not just fill time, but keep me connected to the bigger world. It was like having great conversations without having to do any of the work. They have become such a soundtrack to my home life, I wanted to capture them here as sort of an audio time capsule for this period of my life. Here are my top five podcasts (not in any order), along with some favorite episodes: Stuff Mom Never Told You : I feel like I tell everyone about this podcast because so many conversations remind me of things I've learned from this show. Cristen and Caroline look at tons of topics from a feminist, fact-based lens, with a good dose of humor. I am so bummed they won't be record...

One of my biggest roles as a board member at the Peninsula Family Y is advocating and fundraising for the Y's amazing programs. This year I have the honor of being the Community Campaign Chairwoman. I spoke at the Campaign Kick-Off event this week, to share my own Y story and encourage others to share theirs. Gabbie and her father came to cheer me on and celebrate their place at the Y too.  To kick off my own personal fundraising, I want to share my remarks from the event.  --- My name is Mai and I’m so excited to be the Campaign Chairwoman this year. Thank you all so much for taking time to be here, and more importantly, for supporting the Peninsula Family YMCA. We’re going to hear some incredible stories from people within our Y community today. Before we do that I want to tell you a little more about myself and my Y story. I’m currently on the board of managers, but I actually started volunteering with the Y as a Reach and Rise mentor. Reach and Rise is a therapeutic...