To work or stay home, that is the question, or is it?

We all do the math, playing out different scenarios. Many mothers and fathers have no choice but for both to work full-time, especially if you live anywhere urban and in demand like the Bay Area.

We have played out several scenarios ourselves. One scenario moves us to a sweet little mountain town  in Montana like Bozeman that would allow us to share our passion for the outdoors, winter sports, and just a more simple way of being with our boys. This scenario also has only one parent working full-time while the other attends to the full time to the daily needs of the family.Which everyone know requires both parents to put in overtime after hours:)

As Eric begins kindergarten this fall and both of our jobs and homeowning pressures seem to get even more demanding, the drumbeat call of Bozeman seems to get louder and louder for me. Of course it has been a long time since I have spent a winter there but with the right gear  and the right price to take your family skiing every weekend you can weather and temperature, right?!

The cost of living the life we want to live and raising our kids in the way we have dreamed of just seems so out of hand it makes a person wonder if "here" is worth it.

With both of us working full-time we have needed to find the best way for  our kindergartener  to spend  the other half of his day. He is used to a full pre-K day of full attention! What insane person set up a public school system that short changes a kid's opportunity for learning with a 3 - 4 hour school day, and then loads on homework (before they are developmentally ready for it)that has to be completed by their parents during their precious family hours when parent's get home from work and bedtime. This system clearly dates back to the days when one parent was able to be home.

When we looked at the price for after-school care and before-school care and saw what of attention we  were paying for we decided for the price and value we might be better off looking at a private school. We found a sweet little private school with a full school day and year-round teaching until the 4th grade. Eric's class has only 12 students and along with learning to read, write, and do math he will have weekly classes of music, art, science, Spanish, dance, and gym. Perfect for Eric whose interest in learning is massive!

And it is perfect for us because we know that while we are at work  forging away at some sort of career our impressionable little boy is getting the caring attention he needs at such a young, impressionable age. Private school is priceless for this at least until we decide to flip our entire lifestyle for a scenario where one of us is home.

Our gradute

Ready for first day Mt Whitney Pre-School September 2010

Graduating Pre-K Mt Denali June 201

Eric started attending Clif Bar Base Children's Creative Learning Center the first day it opened, September 9 2010. He was thrilled have somewhere new to explore and new friends to meet. Momma was thrilled to have him right next door, on site at CLIF BAR. He was so excited that first day to pile into the car and drive to "work" with Momma.




Eric's first day care was spitting distance from our house. Our first drive to  BASE CAMP it was as if his whole world had just expanded exponentially.  I had never seen anyone so enthusiastic spotting the BART train and the AM-Train (aka Amtrak).  It was then we began our game of "who can call BART first" and getting excited when we saw two crisscross .

Eric and Momma ready for first day at Base Camp

Soon after, Noah joined in the fun and began his Base Camp experience as one of the first infants to attend. Both boys have grown leaps and bounds since we started. Noah moving through infant(Mt Hood), toddler (Mt Shasta), and now jr. pre-school(Mt Raineer). Eric began in pre-school(Mt Whitney), then pre-k (Mt Denali).

On June 21,2012 Eric celebrated as the first graduating pre-k class from Clif Bar Base Camp. The ceremony included his close-knit friends. They performed the song "The World is Our Rainbow" and each received their pre-k diplomas. My heart melted and when the moved their little tassels across their faces the stream of tears came pouring out.

You see, it wasn't just my five year-old standing there so proud and joyful. It was my 1 pound 14 ounces preemie baby big and strong; healthy and happy standing in the Clif Bar auditorium in front of so many of our Clif Bar friends that supported us through his tiny times. There he stood proud and strong not only bringing tears and smiles to Momma's face but all those from CLIF who know his story. It was very special.

Now we move on to our newest adventure. Kindergarten for Eric, and for Noah creating daily identity a bit more separate from his favorite person, his brother.

Base Camp is a special place bringing together compassionate big-hearted kids who, much like their parents on the other side of the wall, race laps, tell stories, and strive for the top.

Miss Sayaka & Class

Special Friends Nolan Fay & Eric

Great Buddies & lovers of italia Logan Simmons & Eric