When Mothers Get Together

Before I had Winston, I dreaded getting together with new mothers, because they could only talk about one topic – the baby. My eyes would glaze over and I could barely conceal my boredom.

Therefore, I can’t help but feel remorse when I find myself talking to other mothers about what to feed Winston at what age, what to expect when he’s teething, how much sleep he should be getting, what kind of skills he should be mastering, how to cut his fingernails and hair when he does not want to sit still ever, etc. These topics are indeed mind-numbing for those who do not have kids.

Recently as I started looking seriously in the housing market, I have found myself focus on completely different things from last time when I bought my first house in San Diego. Back then, I wanted a really nice house, both inside and outside. I loved the views and the easy commute, and totally did not care about school district or convenience to shopping. Now that we have moved to Bay Area and rented the house to a lesbian couple with a newborn baby, I realize that out of pure coincidence the house in San Diego was perfect for a new baby, with its community park, pool and jacuzzi, its easy access to shopping, its balmy weather, its quiet neighborhood, and its nice indoor layout.

Well, now that we are in the insanely expensive Bay Area, I can’t have everything I want in this house. Yesterday I had lunch with a friend at Google and her friend. Since we are all mothers with very young kids, we ended up talking the whole time about baby topics. My friend lives in Foster City. Her parents and parents-in-law take turns caring for her two-year old son during the weekdays. Her friend lives in Saratoga, and has a live-in nanny. We exchanged our stories on how to manage and motivate this “team” at home to take good care of the kid.

Towards the end of the lunch, her friend asked me if I was interested in having a second baby. And I just shook my head emphatically, “ oh one kid is already so much worry and work.” My friend just had a tough night with her kid, so she said that she also occasionally had doubts about having a second baby. But, she said, “ you should definitely consider having a second. Winston is so agreeable and laughs all the time that he could be a baby model!” - Of course that was music to my ears – praises for Winston.

When I talked to my mom on the phone later at night, she said,”yes, why don’t you try to see if he could be a baby model?” I said that I wanted him to grow up healthy and happy, and certainly do not expect him to make money for us when he can barely walk! And yes, I would certainly be delighted if his pictures are adored by many people, but he himself does not benefit at all from it, so my motivation would be purely for my own sake. Given the choices between roaming around the house and posing for photos, I know for sure what he would choose. And I really just want to see him happy.

So where should I buy a house for Winston? - If I were really rich, I would certainly choose to live in Palo Alto or Menlo Park, where the neighborhoods are nice, the commute is easy, the weather is agreeable, and the schools are close by. He’s not even 10 months old, and I am already considering sending him to the International School of the Peninsula from K to 8th grade, which is located in Palo Alto, followed by the Menlo School for high school, which is located in Atherton. But we can only afford to live in a tiny house in Palo Alto/Menlo Park area, unless we are willing to live close to the train tracks or busy streets. Maybe west San Mateo or Hallmark area of Belmont, which are fairly close to the 280 highway? Or Maybe Farm Hill area of Redwood City?

This wil be the home where Winston has his first memories and I just want to make his first memories as rosy as his cheeks!