Congrats on being MOTW.
I ran into a bit of a snag however…I’m hoping the e-mail I dug to find works!
So go tell her congrats!
I’m happy to report that I did get a hold of her and WA-LA! The answers you all are waiting for!
1. How long have you been blogging?
For just a little over a year.
2. What made you start a blog?
Rejection. I felt rejected by mommy group’s because I wasn’t swooning over my new baby and, instead, wanted to rant about my difficulty transitioning into motherhood. A good friend of mine suggested I start a blog to vent my frustrations. When I got emails from other women who had similar feelings as me, I felt inspired to keep writing.
3. What is your greatest challenge as a mom?
Patience. I’m a bit of an A-type personality, which means I like to get things done as effectively and efficiently as possible. With children, this isn’t always possible. In fact, it’s rarely possible. Even something as simple as getting ready to take the kids to the park can be a huge endeavor. As soon as you get one kid to clean up his toys before leaving, the other kid is taking them all off the shelves the moment you turn to get your shoes. That’s when you realize one of them has just taken a dump, which means you won’t be leaving the house for yet another twenty minutes. Then once you do get all the toys put away and the diaper changed, you herd the kids out the door and they instantly become distracted by every little ant, leaf, flower, neighborhood kitty you wish would stop pooping in your yard – whatever – which means walking to the car is never a linear operation. It’s as if their being so close to the ground has actually put them in their own time zone.
The good news is that I’ve always wanted to have more patience and having children has forced to me consciously work at it. Every single day. So, while it’s my greatest challenge, it’s also just one of the many ways that my children are helping me to become a better person.
4. How do you keep your identity as a PERSON, outside of being a mom?
Attending grad school full-time helps. When I’m in classes or studying, it’s a time for me to see myself outside of the motherhood role. It’s a time for me to think about things that truly interest me. Not that my children don’t interest me, because they do. Reading “Goodnight Moon” 450 million times in a row, however, does not. For me – and I do just mean me – having that time away allows me to appreciate my mamahood that much more. When I am with the kids, I find it much easier to focus on them without feeling as if I’m somehow losing myself.
