I love blogging.
I started this blog when Aviana was not quite two, and I was quite pregnant with Brielle. I started it for two main reasons 1–so family and friends who didn’t get to see us on a regular basis would be able to keep up with us and see Aviana change (an upgrade from her aboutmybaby website) and 2–as THERAPY!
I’m a very social person, which means one of the biggest challenges of being an at-home parent is the isolation. This is compounded especially since we live way out in the country, and I can’t just grab a cuppa with my neighbor or visit with a friend while walking.
When I was teaching, I was talking with students all day and was guaranteed to talk to my best friend who taught math next door to me every 50 minutes. I got to talk with people all day long.
Then Aviana was born, and I was relegated to being home alone with this screaming infant.
I started writing more to help me process my feelings and to get it out of my head onto paper (or the screen). I took lots of pictures when she was not crying, so I could look at them during peaceful moments and remember it wasn’t always hard. I went to message boards to have a chance to “talk” with someone while I was nursing or holding her, since I had precious few friends at home during the day, and they lived 30-45 minutes away!
I discovered blogs in people’s siggys (signatures on the message boards), and finally decided to start one of my own.
I never imagined that blogging would help me find such a sense of camaraderie, a knowledge that I’m not alone in this, a feeling of belonging to a community. Even though I have never met my bloggy friends, I consider you to be very real friends.
Too, it’s always a little disconcerting when one of my real life friends mentions something she read on the blog or knows all about this or that even though we hadn’t talked about it because she “reads me”. I sometimes forget that very real people are behind my computer screen.
Yesterday I was hanging out with a friend at the library. Coincidentally she is one of two people I know IRL who has a blog. We had attended story hour and were now trying to have a semblance of a conversation among five small people who also wanted to talk with us.
Imagine my surprise when a cute stranger walks up to us.
“Jessica?!”
I look up from nursing the baby, trying to place the vaguely familiar face.
“I’m Lisa!”
Recognition dawns!
We had realized we were from the same area almost a year ago. Even though we have much in common, and knew we would hit it off, and have tried to get together to meet, it hasn’t worked out yet.
Now…we’re bloggy friends and IRL friends.
I’m so pleased.
*******************************************************************************
Aviana had been trying valiantly to get me to read to her, or to me to let Julie read to her but I was trying to get her to go entertain herself. She was, after all, in a building FULL of books. You’d think she could find something to look at! I had told her that we were talking, and she needed to go play.
When Lisa sat down, Aviana asked me, “Now may I ask Mrs. R to wead me a stowry, since you have somebody else to talk wif?
*********************************************************************************
And Brielle has been dry for 5 days in a row! You may remember she was practically potty trained before Cadrian was born, but once he came, she decided she wanted nothing to do with it.
Well. Finally, bribing her with an M & M if she’s been dry and goes in the potty is working.
Yesterday she told me, “Sleeping Beauty wants an M & M.”
“Oh?” I responded, “And where is Sleeping Beauty?”
“In my hand!”
How cool to meet a blog friend IRL! That’s awesome! I would love to meet 1 of my bloggy friends someday! And the quotes at the end from your girls are too, too funny!! Love it!
Great post! 🙂
Well you see, one day we’ll meet too Jessica, since you’re friends with my sister (Julie)! It’s like one big blog party!!! By the way, I’m the prettier and nicer sister (totally kidding! Julie is like a model!).
Well, as my aunt once told me when Sam and Evie were toilet training at the same time, “There’s a fine line between bribing and rewarding learned behavior. Except when it comes to the bathroom. Anything you can do to make it work, do it!!”
And I’m jealous you got to meet blog friends! I want to meet blog friends! Can I come visit you? Or maybe you should just come visit me this winter, and escape all that snow. We don’t have that here. Our first Christmas in this house, we were all wearing t-shirts and all the kids were playing tag outside. 🙂
~Brea
I don’t comment often but I read regurally on your blog. I also have you linked on my site (hope that’s okay). Glad you got to get out and meet a virtual friend!
It was quite the treat 🙂 I was hoping you didn’t think I was a freak walking up to you while you were nursing, but then I decided we knew each other well enough for me to do that 🙂 You looked just beautiful in person, as did all of your little kiddos! We’ll have to “meet” again soon!
Yesterday she told me, "Sleeping Beauty wants an M & M."
"Oh?" I responded, "And where is Sleeping Beauty?"
"In my hand!"
ROTFLM*O!!!! That is the funniest thing I've read all day- and I've been blog hopping ALL DAY!!
She is too much!
I have yet to meet anyone from blogging IRL- every blog I read is pretty far away. The closest I've come is to meeting Jess (who designs my blog) she lives in the same town as my inlaws- in FLORIDA- but I've yet to have "free time" to meet up with her when I'm down there. 🙂
yes, blogging sure has taken on a world of its own in my house too. i just love it…
i love the bit about sleeping beauty being in her hand…hahahaha
Wow… it’s like you are a blogging celebrity…having someone you don’t know IRL recognize you and approach you in public. Your in the Big leagues!
Love the sleeping beauty thing!! And I love that you met a blogging friend. That is so fun. Maybe we will meet one of these days when I go back to Iowa!!!
I was at a Christmas concert at a HUGE church in another state one time and this lady walked by and sat down in front of me. I thought “I know her!” But I couldn’t place her. I kept thinking about it and finally figured out she was on a board I read EVERY day ALL day long. We had talked for years and then just by accident ended up at a concert together..haha!!
I love the stories about your kids, they are hillarious.
how fun to meet up irl! i’m pretty positive none of my blog friends are going to show up at my library!!
Megan