I feel like I owe it to my dear, understanding friends and husband to explain why I am blogging. You see, they have had to hear about it as incessant chatter from me for the last several months. I know, I am a little obsessed, but here is the deal.
Once upon a time there was a young woman who was an undergrad and she had people telling her that she could never earn her degree in Biology (because I am a woman). Fuel. Fire. I now have a Bachelor's of Science in Biology with an Emphasis in Ecology and Evolution. This continued with becoming a SCUBA instructor, getting my Masters and Teaching Certificate, living on a boat, living on an island, buying a home, traveling for months to scary places, having two kids, starting my own garden.
I have always been a very goal-oriented person. Checklists in hand. Tasks for the day to be completed in one way or another, but they would be CHECKED by the end of the day.
Then I had kids. If I were to keep a checklist, I would get deeply depressed. Each box would have a partial check of one size or another in it. Do the laundry (crap, I have to run that load AGAIN!). Clean out the dishwasher and load (baby is crying, Cheddar Bunnies just flew, diaper blowout, time to go to play group if we are going to make it, socks, shoes, clothes, jacket, hats, potty break). Sweep the downstairs (sweep, sweep, spill, sweep, spill, sweep....spill). Water the garden (take pictures of little ones, they are growing so fast). Weed the garden (head to the lake with the kids, it IS warm today and we had a long winter). You get the idea. I am not complaining, just reflecting.
Why the blog? Because it is something I can complete. Write the entry. Type in some ideas. Edit. Take some pics. Write. Edit. Post. Done. Completed. Blogging is a creative outlet that I can experience while nestling in with my kids and doing the afternoon nursing marathon with my littlest one. I know this time is valuable, it is why I am here and I savor it; however for my stay-at-home self, I need to have an outlet for completion. Blogging gives me a chance to have a quiet moment inside my own head, to get things "straight".
The checklist I allow myself to have: Tuesdays - Say What?!?, Thursdays - Need / Want / Like / Love, Fridays - This Moment. It keeps my creativity jiving and the checklist keeper in me sane. The beautiful, unexpected perk along the way is all of the wonderful mamas I am "meeting" via their blogs and comments. Cheers to all of you.
...and they all lived happily ever after in their little house by the sea.
Check.
Share your thoughts. Click here.
Val,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog it brought tears to my eyes not of sadness but of joy. I could see Cole and Kate in my thoughts while you were describing the diaper blowouts....the sweep sweep spill scenes. To funny! Also, the way you share with everyone is awesome. I only wish that when I was raising my boys we had such a outlet to share, learn and reflect. Thank you!
Ok, now for gardening. I still can't get over how good your spring garlic was that you sent me home with. My stomach was so happy and had no complaints :)
Keep up the good work and hugs those little ones for me. :)
Your Auntie
Hi Val, this is an awesome post, I can totally relate to how you feel, being a mama myself. it never really occured to me that blogging is actually one of the few things i get "done" these days, but after reading your post - well, yes! you are so right. thanks for pointing it out for me ;-)
ReplyDeletehave a great day, Sylvia
Hi Val, this is an awesome post, I can totally relate to how you feel, being a mama myself. it never really occured to me that blogging is actually one of the few things i get "done" these days, but after reading your post - well, yes! you are so right. thanks for pointing it out for me ;-)
ReplyDeletehave a great day, Sylvia