Category Archive for ‘Family’ at Laptop Television Mom

Archive for the 'Family' Category

Back to School = A Time of Firsts

Back to School

I’ll be honest, this back-to-school season is extremely overwhelming for this mom. I have crazy-emotions right now, mostly because this is a season of many important firsts for our family:

First day of Kindergarten: My daughter is starting Kindergarten on Monday. You’d think I would be okay with this concept; after all, she has three years of pre-school under her belt. But this time, in my mind, it’s different. Kindergarten is the first step toward graduating high school. The school is big, and there are tons of older kids to influence her. This Mama Bear is nervous. First day of Kindergarten also means…

First day of public school: I mentioned the three years of pre-school, well, they were small private schools. And these schools were small, high-security schools with strict rules. I don’t know enough about the new school to have an opinion, but I’m sure I will in no time. The teachers and parents seem great, so I am very hopeful and positive. First day of public school also means…

First day of no uniform: Yes, my daughter went back-to-school shopping for the first time. My daughter now has choices and opinions about what she wears to school. While she is excited, I am not. I love school uniforms. I miss school uniforms. I am frightened by some of the clothing options for little girls. I guess I’ll have to create (and enforce) my own rules. The first day of no uniform means…

First day of marketing over-load: I loved the fact that my daughter’s private schools did not allow branded clothing or merchandise in the classroom. No SpongeBob lunch-boxes or iCarly backpacks. The kids brought bags with solid colors, simple designs and no logos. Luckily, we found an appropriate backpack and lunch box for Kindergarten. Of course, this means I totally over-spent on my kid’s backpack, but it took persuasion for her to select the brightly colored (and pricey) backpack over the “Princess” option. And to top it all off…

First day at a new school in a new city: Yes, we just moved to this state, city and school district. Lots of big changes for my small family. But, I am so proud of my little girl. She is handling all of these changes with grace and tolerance… which is more than her mom can say.

– LTV Mom

This post was inspired by participation with the Yahoo! Mother Board, where 80 amazing women share thoughts on a single topic each month. While Yahoo! is my client, these thoughts are mine and I did not receive compensation for writing this post.

Photo credit: My Stock Photos via Flickr

Published

Stacy Libby

on August 20, 2010

in Family, Laptop Television, The Kid and Yahoo! Mother Board

. 3 Comments

From Silicon Valley to Silicon Hills

Austin, Texas

Well, it’s official. I am an Austinite. For those of you who you did not hear the news from me, I am so sorry. The whole thing happened quickly and quietly for many reasons. Quickly: we wanted to be somewhat settled before The Kid started Kindergarten in late August. Quietly: the entire process has been extremely emotional and stressful, and I really didn’t want/need the added attention. Plus, I hate goodbyes, and these goodbyes were just too hard.

Jon and I lived in California for 16 years, and they have been some of the happiest years of my life. We finally found where we belonged, built great careers, discovered new hobbies, bought a home, brought our daughter into the world, and met amazing friends… no, built a family… in California.

Since I left with unanswered questions, here is a quick Q&A:

Q: What? You moved?! A: Yes. We moved to Austin, Texas this week.

Q: Um, why? A: Job opportunities and closer to family.

Q: Are you leaving Voce? A: Thankfully, I will continue to work for Voce and service my clients from Austin. My colleagues at Voce have been very supportive of this change, and I am so appreciative. I am also beyond thankful that my clients are so supportive, which is a relief and a joy.

Q: Will you be visiting California? A: I will be in the Bay Area once a month for work. This actually is pretty cool because I will return sans family responsibilities, so I will have time for happy hours in Santana Row, dinners out in Palo Alto, and maybe even karaoke with Glennia.

Q: Was it hard to say good-bye? A: Oh yes. Beyond words. The hardest person to hug good-bye was my beautiful goddaughter. Well, I didn’t actually tell her goodbye, I told her good night. I am a chicken.

Q: How have people responded to the news? A: It’s been a mixed bag but mostly positive. Those who have been to Austin are excited or even jealous. Of course the Silicon Valley loyalists think we are crazy.

Q: Do you know anyone in Austin? A: Thankfully, yes. We have friends there; in fact, our first friends in California are now in Austin. Also, my cousin (and possibly my daughter’s favorite person on Earth) lives not too far away in Dallas.

Q: Who had the most surprising reaction? A: My mom-blogger friends. I was touched and humbled by their support, surprise, sadness and (in one case) tears. You have no idea how much you touched my heart. [Note: second runner-up goes to four-year-old Olivia who cried for 30 minutes when she heard the news. I love that kid!]

Q: Can we come visit you? A: Absolutely! Please! We will have a small apartment at first, but hope to be in a house by the time SXSW hits (because apparently we will have a houseful, so make your reservations soon!) Just make sure you give me enough warning so I don’t have to cancel playdates with Sandra Bullock’s kid or postpone my regular bike rides with Lance Armstrong.

Q: Are you going to buy a pickup truck? A: No.

Q: Are you going to wear cowboy boots? A: No.

Q: Are you going to start yelling “Hook ‘em Horns?” A: Hell no.

Q: Will you fly your Iowa State flag on game day? A: Hell yes. Even on Oct. 23 when the Cyclones roll into town for their annual slaughter.

Q: Do you blame UT for ruining the Big 12 conference? Q: Well, I would like to actually make friends here in Austin, so I will quickly move to the next question.

Q: When can we see you? A: You can see me every day on Facebook on Twitter or here on Laptop TV Mom. I will post updates and photos as long as you do the same!

Q: Are you excited? A: Actually, we are excited. Change is good. This much change at one time is stressful, but it can be good. But I will only accept change – and be excited – as long as we can continue friendship with the people we love.

- LTV Mom

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Published

Stacy Libby

on August 13, 2010

in Family, Laptop Television, Life in Austin and The Kid

. 14 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: My Sweet Girl

My Sweet Girl

Published

Stacy Libby

on August 5, 2010

in Family, The Kid and Wordless Wednesday

. 1 Comment

Wordless Wednesday: Fourth of July 2010

Enjoying the waters of Orange County with best friends!

My California Girl!

Published

Stacy Libby

on July 15, 2010

in Family, The Kid, Trying to be Cool and Wordless Wednesday

. 1 Comment

Celebrities as Role Models (and what to do with iCarly?)

Are Celebrities Good Role Models for Kids? @ Yahoo! Video

Parents are often asked what we think about celebrities as role models for our kids. As you can probably guess from the name of my blog, we are not afraid of TV in our house. While we limit the amount, and the type, of TV shows my five-year-old can watch, we often have the TV on during the evening hours. (I like to watch Cash Cab when I cook dinner!) So, I have to be mindful of the shows we are watching, especially if my kid is in the room.

That said, I’m one of those parents who will turn off the TV, cover the kid’s eyes, or change the channel if the programming quickly turns inappropriate for a child. I freak out when a major network plays a Viagra ad in the 8 p.m. timeslot or there is a racy performance on American Idol. My kid does not need to see that type of entertainment, so I simply take action. (After all, that’s my job.)

I have greater concerns about the shows my kid loves to watch, especially when she becomes glued to the TV. She is allowed to watch cartoons when eating her breakfast (when mommy is getting ready for work, packing lunches and running around like a wild woman). The rest of her TV-watching is during the weekend, when I just need 30 minutes to make dinner, wash some clothes or pay some bills. Her favorite show is iCarly, followed by similar shows like Wizards of Waverly Place and The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. At first, I thought the shows were okay for a five-year-old… not great, but okay. And then I realized iCarly kids are more than characters to my kid, she was seeing them as role models. And I didn’t like the effects I seeing.

I realized that if my daughter watched more than two shows in one day, she would quickly start to emulate the characters by copying the word choices, rude actions and snarky facial expressions portrayed by the kids on her shows. Trying to nip this behavior in the bud, I would sit and watch the show with her and interject commentary like “you do realize that you are never allowed to talk to a parent in that tone or manner, right? You would be in big trouble!” I then struggled with letting her watch the shows and being the super-annoying mom who was barking at her during her TV time.

Finally, I decided to use iCarly and the gang to my advantage. When my kid is busted for back-talk, not listening to her parents or being disrespectful… the iCarly privileges are taken away with the explanation that “you are not allowed to act like that, even if you do see it on TV.”

To explore other thoughts and opinions on celebrities as role models, check out the video above where my fellow Yahoo! Mother Board members from across the country discuss their opinions.

Finally, I’d like to close with my thoughts on celebrity role models for ME. I admittedly get caught in the trap of celebrity beauty, weight and glamor. But then I need to get a grip and remember professional celebrities have access to trainers, chefs and an entourage. Most importantly, I have to remind myself “I need to judge and respect people based on their personal character… not their personal accomplishments.”

– LTV Mom

Published

Stacy Libby

on April 4, 2010

in Current Affairs, Family, Laptop Television, Silicon Valley Moms Group and Yahoo! Mother Board

. 6 Comments

Our family loves Sidewalk Chalk!

Finally, we had a Silicon Valley day without rain. (Yeah, I do not pay Silicon Valley housing prices to get Seattle weather!) I was itching to get outside, but the kid wanted to stay inside to play. Desperate, I offered up a bike ride, a walk around the block, even a wagon ride. No dice… until I pulled out the magic idea: let’s decorate the driveway with sidewalk chalk!

The kid and I spent a good hour working on our masterpiece. We drew ourselves holding kites, tall apple trees, pink and purple flowers and a giant yellow and orange sun. It was so much fun to be outside, breathing fresh air, and sharing our creativity. We collaborated on the design and color choices, and laughed a lot! We were very proud of our accomplishment, and this mom will always love sidewalk chalk for outside activity and mother-daughter bonding!

– LTV Mom

Note: the sidewalk chalk was all mine, and Crayola was not part of this post.

Published

Stacy Libby

on March 17, 2010

in Family, Laptop Television and The Kid

. 1 Comment

Why I missed the 2010 Mom 2.0 Summit

I was really looking forward to attending the Mom 2.0 Summit this year. I purchased my conference ticket in December, I had my hotel booked, I was even going to travel with one of my favorite clients. It was going to be a great conference with some of my favorite blogging women.

And then, I learned my daughter’s dance team would be performing at Disneyland that same weekend. No contest. (I love my fellow blogging-mamas… but I love my kid more.) I quickly found a new owner for my Mom 2.0 ticket, and booked a flight to the OC. I’m not sure who was more excited: my little dancer or her mama (who has impressive stage-mom potential).

My husband and I gathered our best friends in Silicon Valley, and our best friends in Orange County, and we all trekked to Disneyland. We braved roller coasters, consumed cotton candy, hugged Mickey and Minnie, and marveled at my five-year-old dancing on stage! Our family had a good time at Disneyland and a great time watching the Big Show. My little girl may not be the next Cyd Charisse, but she is cute as a button!

Take a look at the video, and you too will understand why I can wait until 2011 to attend the Mom 2.0 Summit.

– LTV Mom

Video Credit: totally goes to Tulia’s Dad (not only is he a Bay Area firefighter and EMT, he’s awesome at getting video off his video camera and to a place where people can actually see it!)

Published

Stacy Libby

on March 2, 2010

in Family, Laptop Television, The Kid and Travel

. 11 Comments