Thoughts on a Blog
Do I start this post by pretending I've not neglected this space for almost a month? Do I acknowledge I've been a slacker and try to justify my choices? I just don't know. I'm not sure where this blog is headed these days...
I began the blog in February of 2006 as a way for family to keep up with my rapidly growing children. Lily was but a bitty little thing back then, merely two months old, and Hannah was getting to be such a big girl. I wanted to have a record of their lives, and, at the same time, let folks see how they were changing. Because, boy howdy do kiddos grow up fast.
Then, we lost Hannah, and the blog became something more. It became my place to work through my grief and I blogged religiously to help manage the pain of loss. I still come here to work through that. I found a loving and supportive community who helped me through the most trying time of my life. I'm eternally grateful for that.
It's been almost eight years since we lost Hannah, and my grief, although always present, has abated and allowed me room to breathe and live.
And, I've been living.
I say this all the time, but it's still relevant--you only think you're busy when your kids are little. You say to yourself, "Once they're bigger, I'll have more time." What a lie. The older they are, the more they're involved in, and the busier you become.
At the same time, I'm becoming more selfish. I'm finally having time for me, time that I've not had for close to 14 years. I'm reveling in it!
My girls are independent.
This is the first time since 2001 I've not had a child aged four or under in my house. Every time I had a four year old, I had another baby. It was like starting all over. By four, they were able to fend for themselves on the food front, keep themselves entertained for extended periods of time, and didn't need me for pottying issues.
And then, I'd have a baby. So much for that.
And now, rather suddenly, I have scads of time for me. Or, at least, more than I used to. And, I find I'd rather spend it crafting or reading or sleeping, than spending time on the computer.
Which, is funny, since the internet and blog world kept me grounded and sane for so many years.
And therein lies the rub.
I miss you guys.
I'm not on FB (deleted that account and haven't looked back--sure, it's created some difficulties here and there, but for the most part, I'm good with it), so that's a time-suck I can avoid. I am on Instagram (@rndwbrg for CW photos, @mom2lid for everyday life) and post there nearly daily, often multiple times per day. I avoid CNN now (I'm happier for it) and get my news from NPR. I waste less time that way too. No more sensationalized news and click-bait headlines. I stopped visiting all sorts of places that ate my time.
But, as I've said, I miss my bloggy friends. It's time to strike a balance.
I want to keep documenting the girls' lives (as much as possible, the older Lil gets the less I feel inclined to share in an effort to save her modesty and whatnot) and want this journal to be here for them.
I want to be able to look through my archives and see how my gardens have progressed year to year, to look at how my girlies have grown and changed, to have an outlet for when the down yos hit.
I want my blog to be a place of peace and compassion and kindness in a world filled with judgement and outrage and condemnation. I want to continue to be me here. There's room for that.
I've had a big ol' hiatus this spring, time to hop back on board.
Life has been busy--ha! Of COURSE it has! Lil has had SOL tests (for those of you NOT in Virginia, that does NOT stand for Sh!t Outta Luck, but "Standards of Learning") this past week and another round of testing this week.
Ellie and I just finished up swimming lessons and she's a fish. Truly. I'll have to upload video to share.
We're signed up for summer swim again this year and I'm actually looking forward to it! :oP Ellie has told me she's going to get ribbons. Lil has told me she won't be competing. I'm fine with both. ;o)
I'll be keeping four kiddos this summer--Sadie, Sally, Bella and Ryan--so I'm sure to be busy with them. I plan on swim practice in the morning, home for lunch and back to the pool in the afternoon, just like last year. That was a good way to spend the summer. :o)
Ellie's school ends Friday. I'm devastated. I've loved Co-Op so very much and it's been so wonderful for her and I'm so sad for her because she's going to be devastated.
Lil's still in school until June 12. We've a long haul and yet, it's going to fly by. Summer swim practice starts next week (the 26th). Goodness!
B is still working on his master's and doing non-stop homework. :sigh: It's so hard. Working full-time and working on a degree is a tough gig.
I've been getting my crafty groove on and delving deeper into the world of sewing.
I began the blog in February of 2006 as a way for family to keep up with my rapidly growing children. Lily was but a bitty little thing back then, merely two months old, and Hannah was getting to be such a big girl. I wanted to have a record of their lives, and, at the same time, let folks see how they were changing. Because, boy howdy do kiddos grow up fast.
Then, we lost Hannah, and the blog became something more. It became my place to work through my grief and I blogged religiously to help manage the pain of loss. I still come here to work through that. I found a loving and supportive community who helped me through the most trying time of my life. I'm eternally grateful for that.
It's been almost eight years since we lost Hannah, and my grief, although always present, has abated and allowed me room to breathe and live.
And, I've been living.
I say this all the time, but it's still relevant--you only think you're busy when your kids are little. You say to yourself, "Once they're bigger, I'll have more time." What a lie. The older they are, the more they're involved in, and the busier you become.
At the same time, I'm becoming more selfish. I'm finally having time for me, time that I've not had for close to 14 years. I'm reveling in it!
My girls are independent.
This is the first time since 2001 I've not had a child aged four or under in my house. Every time I had a four year old, I had another baby. It was like starting all over. By four, they were able to fend for themselves on the food front, keep themselves entertained for extended periods of time, and didn't need me for pottying issues.
And then, I'd have a baby. So much for that.
And now, rather suddenly, I have scads of time for me. Or, at least, more than I used to. And, I find I'd rather spend it crafting or reading or sleeping, than spending time on the computer.
Which, is funny, since the internet and blog world kept me grounded and sane for so many years.
And therein lies the rub.
I miss you guys.
I'm not on FB (deleted that account and haven't looked back--sure, it's created some difficulties here and there, but for the most part, I'm good with it), so that's a time-suck I can avoid. I am on Instagram (@rndwbrg for CW photos, @mom2lid for everyday life) and post there nearly daily, often multiple times per day. I avoid CNN now (I'm happier for it) and get my news from NPR. I waste less time that way too. No more sensationalized news and click-bait headlines. I stopped visiting all sorts of places that ate my time.
But, as I've said, I miss my bloggy friends. It's time to strike a balance.
I want to keep documenting the girls' lives (as much as possible, the older Lil gets the less I feel inclined to share in an effort to save her modesty and whatnot) and want this journal to be here for them.
I want to be able to look through my archives and see how my gardens have progressed year to year, to look at how my girlies have grown and changed, to have an outlet for when the down yos hit.
I want my blog to be a place of peace and compassion and kindness in a world filled with judgement and outrage and condemnation. I want to continue to be me here. There's room for that.
I've had a big ol' hiatus this spring, time to hop back on board.
Life has been busy--ha! Of COURSE it has! Lil has had SOL tests (for those of you NOT in Virginia, that does NOT stand for Sh!t Outta Luck, but "Standards of Learning") this past week and another round of testing this week.
Ellie and I just finished up swimming lessons and she's a fish. Truly. I'll have to upload video to share.
We're signed up for summer swim again this year and I'm actually looking forward to it! :oP Ellie has told me she's going to get ribbons. Lil has told me she won't be competing. I'm fine with both. ;o)
I'll be keeping four kiddos this summer--Sadie, Sally, Bella and Ryan--so I'm sure to be busy with them. I plan on swim practice in the morning, home for lunch and back to the pool in the afternoon, just like last year. That was a good way to spend the summer. :o)
Ellie's school ends Friday. I'm devastated. I've loved Co-Op so very much and it's been so wonderful for her and I'm so sad for her because she's going to be devastated.
Lil's still in school until June 12. We've a long haul and yet, it's going to fly by. Summer swim practice starts next week (the 26th). Goodness!
B is still working on his master's and doing non-stop homework. :sigh: It's so hard. Working full-time and working on a degree is a tough gig.
I've been getting my crafty groove on and delving deeper into the world of sewing.
In fact, I made all the Mother's Day gifts this year.
This is a 1 Hour Basket found over on Craftsy. Who knew such fun existed over there? I've been saying I've been getting lost down rabbit holes as I explore new sewing projects and classes. :o)
The basket on the left is one I made for Nana, and the one on the right is Lissie's. :o)
This is a 1 Hour Basket found over on Craftsy. Who knew such fun existed over there? I've been saying I've been getting lost down rabbit holes as I explore new sewing projects and classes. :o)
The basket on the left is one I made for Nana, and the one on the right is Lissie's. :o)
And, the one I made for GG. I used a pattern from here for the tulip and made up the rest of it.
I'm learning to use fabric pre-cuts in piecing things and have fallen down quite a few fabric rabbit holes on etsy. :oS Mercy fabric is beautiful!
We drove to the 'burg for Mother's Day, to spend it with Liss, since I've not been with her for MD for a number of years now.
I'm learning to use fabric pre-cuts in piecing things and have fallen down quite a few fabric rabbit holes on etsy. :oS Mercy fabric is beautiful!
We drove to the 'burg for Mother's Day, to spend it with Liss, since I've not been with her for MD for a number of years now.
We celebrated on Saturday, with an outdoors picnic of sorts. Liss has the most delightful patio for dining and we invited Dottie over to share the day with us. :o)
I spent part of Saturday morning tooling around Lissie's yard and gardens snapping pics of her flowers.
See? Isn't it lovely? But, B wants to know where I would put them. I'm SURE I could find a home for them...;o)
Gee, can you tell I've been here??
As is typical for us, Liss and I got our stamping groove on. :o) We find we stamp and create better when we're together. :o)
This is what these two did while we worked. :oP I seriously adore this man. :o)
As for the rest of the weekend, we got an early start Sunday morning and roamed the backroads exploring as we went, and eventually wound up at Mom and Dad's for Mother's Day dinner with Nana and GG. :o)
I'll post photos of that trip tomorrow--I promise! :o)
As for the rest of the weekend, we got an early start Sunday morning and roamed the backroads exploring as we went, and eventually wound up at Mom and Dad's for Mother's Day dinner with Nana and GG. :o)
I'll post photos of that trip tomorrow--I promise! :o)
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