Happy Birthday MommyBlog!! (and Mommy, too!)
This site began one year ago, as a 32nd birthday gift from my husband, Casey. I can hardly believe that I have been writing here for a full year! Kenny was just shy of ten months old and I was starting to feel the brain freeze that can crop up in a person who’s primary social interaction is with someone who can’t talk yet. Casey bought the domain name and hired a web designer to create the site to get me started, and had encouraged me constantly to write often and “think big.” Thank you, Boo!
Though this past weekend, I have spent many moments thinking about the act of writing, the venue of a blog and the reason that I do it. I know that the primary focus of this online journal is to chronical my life as a woman, a wife and a mother. Ok, maybe mostly just the Mommy part. I want to be able to give this to Kenny someday when he has kids and let him read about his own antics, and the crazy/fun life we had when he was little. It’s like a baby book (which I haven’t had a chance to make for him) on steroids.
But I have also wondered if there is a way to incorporate all the other things I think about and want to write about. Because I’m really not just a mommy, for all of you loyal readers out there. I started thinking more clearly about this when that awful writer from that horrible site picked my blog to feature in his weekly “worst on the web” column. Though his mockery at what he claims is the ridiculous trend in woman blogging about their kids as a last ditch effort in attention-getting was juvenile at best, I have no illusions that “mommy blogging” has any claim to literary or newsworthy genious. I write here for many reasons,
- To journal.
- To blow off steam at the end of the day.
- To share a story, or a question, with other moms. Afterall, our society doesn’t exactly revolve around a town square anymore, nor are the neighborhood wives gathering for bridge or quilting circles these days. This is a community, annonymous or not, and weren’t we created to live in a community?
- To share pictures with the grandparents and relatives that don’t live close enough to see Kenny very often.
- To create something that will one day be a gift to Kenny.
- To practice writing, and challenge myself to write in a way that is worth reading.
To be frank, I write because I like doing it. And I happen to really love my life and love writing about it. Journaling can be tedious, yet blogging is invigorating. And I can turn the worst day in the week into the funniest story to tell. Kenny is hilarious; he’s mysterious and maddning; he’s loving and sweet, funny and smart and writing about him is a real kick.
And let’s not forget Dudley…
… I still think I could write a whole blog on him. Maybe I should designate a “Dudley Day” in the week, and wrap up his weekly antics…
Lest I close this post without mentioning my MVP, let me take a few lines to say that Casey is the rockin’-est husband ever made. For my birthday yesterday, he arranged to have my parents take Kenny for the night (his first “sleep-over” without us! And he did great!), then took me downtown where we were all checked into a beautiful bed and breakfast, then to one of the top spots in town for dinner (where there were a dozen looooong stem roses on the table), and an evening to stroll hand in hand without interruption or split-focus. This morning we went for a run and a long walk together by the water, had breakfast, and returned to my parent’s house to get Kenny and Dudley, who were happy and exhausted, and who are now both well into their second hour of napping. What a gift!!
So here’s to the next year of MommyBlog… and who knows what may next be in store…
Happy birthday to you and your blog! What a cute picture of the three of you. Your reasons for blogging sound just like mine. I too, have yet to start a baby book for Laiq, bought it a while ago, but haven’t managed to put it together. It sounds like you had a perfect birthday with the perfect family. May you and the blog have many more!
June 26th, 2007 | #
Happy Birthday!! I like reading your site! It’s great that you and Casey were able to spend time together and have a little break. My husband and I have had date nights, but we have not tried the overnight thing without our 16 mo old. He actually asked me the other day if that’s something we could do sometime soon. He knows how hard and nerve wracking it is for me to even think about leaving him with someone over night. BUT I know we need to do that to keep ourselves “glued” together for our son and for us. Keep up the good work!!
June 26th, 2007 | #
Happy Birthday! Your site has become one of my favorites, I love to read about Kenny’s antics. Cheers to you and your family!
June 26th, 2007 | #
Happy Birthday to you! Kenny is so lucky to have a mommy who wants to share with him these stories in the future. Your blog is a wonderful reminder of how to make the most out of the mundane (and not-so-mundane sometimes!)…
your birthday date sounds fabulous!!!! What a guy!
June 26th, 2007 | #
Happy Birthday Sista! (and Mommyblog!) You were my inspiration to start my own blog… however, I did wait an extra 3 months in hopes that you’d create a section for other mommy bloggers on your site! ppptthhh. Love you sis.
June 26th, 2007 | #
Happy Birthday!! I really enjoy your writing — you always get me to LOL— no kidding!
June 27th, 2007 | #
Can I borrow your husband for my birthday in November!? Wow, what a great man!
And I thing you should definitely have a Dudley Day!
Love your blog… happy birthday to you AND your blog! 🙂
Jane, Pinks & Blues Girls
June 27th, 2007 | #
Happy Birthday, Kristjana and Mommyblog! I’m so sorry to hear that some wretched person criticized your blog (if he’s not interested, why was he reading?). What he obviously fails to realize is that we women are social creatures. I’ve been blessed by many of your posts and always look forward to catching up with you and all your boys. I think we’ve all experienced a stray skunk or two wandering onto our blog. Good for you for realizing he’s full of it.
June 27th, 2007 | #
Happy birthday! I’m so glad that Casey gave you a gift that is also such a gift to the blogging world! Yay!
Yes, I think you need a Dudley day. He sounds like he’s a character, too!
Your reasons for blogging pretty much mirror my own. I get e-mails and comments from friends and family across the country about the adventures of Princess and Buddy. It’s so wonderful to be able to exercise my writing muscles AND keep the family up to date on what we’re doing. And it’s a lot easier to find time to do this than it is to find time to put together scrapbooks! Yikes!
Please don’t let that blogger guy get you down. I found his article and read it and he is SO off base. We are in a different world from his world – he has absolutely no understanding of who we are and what we do. He might as well criticize a gardening blog just because he doesn’t have a garden. I am so sorry that he hurt you. Just know that you make a difference to a LOT of people.
June 28th, 2007 | #
Cheers sweet gal! I am so happy that you aren’t listeinging to horrible poo poo people who dog on moms who share their hearts. Your blog is a blessing to many people and is a wonderful treasure for your son, husband and (dog of course) Glad to hear you had some one on one time with your husband too, I love those times. May God bless you with many years of writing and enjoyment!
June 28th, 2007 | #