tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post116091045275448274..comments2024-03-29T07:03:28.783-04:00Comments on ben and birdy: BenBirdy1http://www.blogger.com/profile/13328557199418095755noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-60868253419054971812015-05-16T20:35:31.361-04:002015-05-16T20:35:31.361-04:00All i can say is a thank you to Dr OGUMEN for maki...All i can say is a thank you to Dr OGUMEN for making me and my family a happy home, i have been married for 2 years without a child and i had 4 miscarriage within this time, i saw a post that says contact Dr OGUMEN for Infertility help, so i did, after he cast a pregnancy spell on me i get pregnant few weeks later after having sex with my partner as instructed by Dr OGUMEN, and i am 7 months pregnant now without any complications and i will share another post here after my delivering and i will also give out my personal info, watch out for my next post, so i decide to drop this here for any body going through infertility problem to contact Dr OGUMEN on ogumensolutioncenter@yahoo.com<br />and you will be happy you did, contact him for any problem you are having i believed he will help out<br />anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16450270697376124465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1163445783089208112006-11-13T14:23:00.000-05:002006-11-13T14:23:00.000-05:00Hi Catherine,Thank God for you! You put into word...Hi Catherine,<BR/>Thank God for you! You put into words all the stuff I can't seem to verbalize in my own brain or otherwise... I first read your stuff on Baby Center when my now 5 1/2 year old son was born. Then, I lost track for a few years when my daughter, almost four now, came along. Just started getting Wondertime and what a thrill to check in with you again! So many parallels with yours and mine. As another mom said, your are the Erma Bombeck of our generation. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for sharing. <BR/><BR/>Okay, answers now:<BR/>1. I don't keep a blog <BR/>2. I read only yours and Ali Edward's - both to have that validation of what I'm feeling on this motherhood adventure. Not to mention how entertaining a writer you are. Brilliant.<BR/>3. It's all about being mindful - so we don't "miss" it, as well as the "we're in this togetherness"<BR/>4. about blogging, I wish our moms and their moms, and so on had this available to them!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161191906678749692006-10-18T13:18:00.000-04:002006-10-18T13:18:00.000-04:00Perhaps I'm too late for this particular bandwagon...Perhaps I'm too late for this particular bandwagon, but these are questions I think about periodically, so I thought I'd throw in my two cents.<BR/><BR/>1. Why do you keep a blog? I started my blog a few years ago when I was feeling particularly schizophrenic about my Ph.D. work and my parenting life. I felt like I need to write about both at once as a way of feeling more cohesive. But it's turned into a pathology all its own. I blog because I can't not blog. I'm addicted.<BR/><BR/>2. Why do you read other people's blogs? It depends on the blog. Some I read because they're in a similar situation, fellow mother/academics usually. But the blogs I read most often are usually people with whom I have some kind of relationship, friends either online or offline or both. I'm living in a place where I feel very isolated from others doing what I'm doing. The communication fostered through blogging has helped me feel more connected. I read your blog because I love the way you write about your children -- it inspires my own writing. And also because I used to live a few miles from where you are and I miss it very much. Vicarious enjoyment is another reason I read blogs, I think. Also the chance to step into someone else's shoes. <BR/><BR/>3. Blogging has given me a lot more information and feedback about parenting, which sometimes makes me feel less crazy and sometimes more so. It depends. Writing also often gives me some much-needed perspective. Those daily dramas that seem so important often become merely humorous when you try to write them down. <BR/><BR/>4. Blogging helped me regain my sense of self after wrapping myself up a little too tightly in the baby. As someone else has said here, it's cheaper than therapy. And probably more productive, at least for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161128511857110022006-10-17T19:41:00.000-04:002006-10-17T19:41:00.000-04:00This is completely off topic, but I just reread yo...This is completely off topic, but I just reread your version of Birdy's birth story...and I was laughing so hard I think soda came close to coming out my nose. BubTar was sitting at the table and he heard me and asked why I was laughing and I explained I was reading something funny. As I kept reading, he joined in on my laughter every bit as heartily as if he was in on the joke. I just wanted to say thanks for filling my home with laughter this evening.Kylahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03311014761113076785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161103351966891672006-10-17T12:42:00.000-04:002006-10-17T12:42:00.000-04:00Hi Catherine,Actually this is the very first blog ...Hi Catherine,<BR/><BR/>Actually this is the very first blog I have read. I hadn't read your column on babycenter.com for awhile, because, well, I had a baby. I feel like all I have time to do is feed the baby and toddler and do laundry. I did reread Waiting for Birdy since it's much easier to read while nursing than using the computer :). By the way I had a " Putting on the oxygen mask" experience yesterday. I was stuffing my face quickly before I had to go feed the baby and that just poppped into my head and made me laugh. Back to the topic though - I was excited to find your blog because your style of parenting really appeals to me- you are mushy about the important stuff and you laugh ( sometimes after cringing) about the mistakes you make along the way. Sometimes the other mom websites or books make you feel like you're doing it all wrong and how dare you mess up this perfectly wonderful baby, when really you're just doing the very best you can.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161042203667503632006-10-16T19:43:00.000-04:002006-10-16T19:43:00.000-04:00Oh my! Somehow I missed this. How interesting to...Oh my! Somehow I missed this. How interesting to read these comments.<BR/><BR/>You can quote me if you'd like. If you do, use my pseudonym.<BR/><BR/>Or what about Bambi? No one's ever called me Bambi before. ; )Raehanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15755307808583494663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161041841552773302006-10-16T19:37:00.000-04:002006-10-16T19:37:00.000-04:00Katherine, The only parenting blogs I read are you...Katherine, <BR/><BR/>The only parenting blogs I read are yours and SBFH (at your suggestion), but I do read other blogs related to politics and entertainment. I found many parenting blogs are just accounts of daily life that aren't all that interesting. What sets you apart is that you are a writer - someone who knows how to tell a story and it makes all the difference. Not everyone has your gift of writing an interesting turn of phrase or a great sense of humor. <BR/><BR/>I like reading blogs for other views and also finding people who feel the same way I do. But like anything else, you can drown in the information/opinion. It's like when you're pregnant and you read everything all the time. The second pregnancy, I was much choosier about what I read online and found I was happier and less obsessive about whether I was doing the right thing. Besides, there are some wacko opinions out there! But it is nice to know you can go seek someone else out - like yourself - if you want to.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161023739382290552006-10-16T14:35:00.000-04:002006-10-16T14:35:00.000-04:001. Why do you keep a blog?I started my blog as a w...1. Why do you keep a blog?<BR/><BR/>I started my blog as a way to keep my family, who all live in the US (we're in Canada), updated on the antics of my kids. I still use it mainly for that purpose (sometimes to bitch about things I don't want to bore my husband or friends with), but through blogging I've found a level of comfort in talking about my daily life that I frequently don't achieve in person. I can be a little awkward and shy in real life until I get to know somebody.<BR/><BR/>I also love that I'm building a journal for the future for myself and for my little family. I don't enjoy writing by hand, but I love typing, and sitting in front of the computer seems like real "me" time.<BR/><BR/>2. Why do you read other people's blogs?<BR/><BR/>I read other blogs to feel connected when it's not possible to visit in person or too expensive to make a phone call. I don't really "blog surf" - I have a little set that I visit regularly that include friends and people who make me laugh even though I've never met them.<BR/><BR/>3. In what ways does blogging--writing or reading--affect the way you parent or think about parenting, or how you feel about your kids or being a parent? (Please be both general and specific, if you can.)<BR/><BR/>In short, it makes me feel like I, my kids, my marriage, are normal. Of course, that doesn't mean we are! Only that we're not alone.<BR/><BR/>4. Anything else about blogging?<BR/><BR/>I would like to add that my appreciation for community has increased through blogging / forum-posting, despite the fact that some of my very closest friends are people I have never met in person. For those who find that strange, I compare it to Ye Olde Pen Pals of Yesteryeare. It feels good to make connections with people who share the same values/humour/experiences/failures, etc. without having to put pants on to do it. Nyuck! ;-)Serenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359976345973997230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161021614787325332006-10-16T14:00:00.000-04:002006-10-16T14:00:00.000-04:00I have a 16 mos. old thumbsucker, and honestly, th...I have a 16 mos. old thumbsucker, and honestly, the minute he puts that thumb in and let's out a big sigh, I sigh, too, and my stress level goes down a notch. Plus his stuffed bear's ear in the other hand with the bear face buried in his is also quite endearing and right now I couldn't imagine wishing it away ever. <BR/><BR/>Thank ye.<BR/><BR/>I started a blog but I think I'm going to try to make it a journal and not care who else is reading it. I'm just too caught up in that so thus, I never write. Stage fright.bleuskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13023570735855503230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161015927789701442006-10-16T12:25:00.000-04:002006-10-16T12:25:00.000-04:00I don't keep a blog, and don't read many, but read...I don't keep a blog, and don't read many, but reading Catherine's journal about Ben and Birdy the last three years has provided one gift in particular - relief. I have made a lot of mom friends since my daughter was born 3 years ago, but Catherine's thoughts on being a mom really resonate with me more than many friends; how she worries too much, her guilt when she's not her best self, even her fear of 'barfing flu'. It gives me a sense of relief to know that I'm not always entirely 'alone in a cave of fear' (to quote Catherine). Checking in with her writing has been my deep breath that I take that re-centers me and makes me feel better. Plus, she's totally funny - and that can also be the best medicine!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161015668764786332006-10-16T12:21:00.000-04:002006-10-16T12:21:00.000-04:00Why do you blog? I don't.Why do you read other's ...Why do you blog? <BR/>I don't.<BR/>Why do you read other's blogs? <BR/>I only regularly read your blog, your web/magazine journal entries, and Psycho Kitty's blog (thanks for introducing me in your last BabyCenter posting! Love her!)<BR/>In both these cases, the writing is very good. I enjoy the insights and the humor. Also, like others have said, reading the blog lends a sense of community,identity and comfort. I've seen other parenting blogs/journals and don't go back to them because they aren't written well and have that 'mommy's kveching at the playground' tone. Your entries (I tend to think of your journal entries as blog-like) are brutally honest AND wholeheartedly tender. For example, when you talk about some of the tedium of daily like with kids, it's with refreshing candor. Others have that smarmy, slightly sarcastic, 'oh, I'm so above all this, but since I'm in it, I might as well be witty' air about their writing that makes me cringe. But, when a blog is well written--it keeps you coming back. You can't wait for the next installment. There's also a sense that you're being permitted to read someone's diary. It's intriguing. <BR/>In what ways does it affect the way you parent, etc.<BR/>Provides a framework for thinking about/discussing a parenting issue. You can gather information and start to see themes emerge. For example, the great sleep debate. Nervous new parent reads everything she can get her hands on. The books and articles all basically say the same things about the strikingly different approaches. New parent feels like a failure because, despite all these materials, she can't figure it all out and pick a clear course of action to solve the issue. Then she starts reading journal entries/blogs and the comments to those blogs. Before she may have thoughts "I can't believe I have to lay down with my toddler to put her to sleep, sneak out of the room only to be back in her bed a few hours later. I must be doing something freakishly wrong and setting in motion a terrible pattern that will never get resolved." After reading the journals/blogs/comments, things are put into better perspective. I don't feel that the way I put my kids to bed is 'wrong' or even that different from many parents' experiences. It lets me take a deep breath and not worry so much. That's my specific example. I can't imagine anything is quotable, but if so--feel free, and you can call me Cathy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161014205340412362006-10-16T11:56:00.000-04:002006-10-16T11:56:00.000-04:00Confessions of a blog stalker.First, Thankyou! Th...Confessions of a blog stalker.<BR/><BR/>First, Thankyou! Thanks for sharing your life with the world, even the grimy details that are hard to share, even if it means you will be criticezed viscously for your decisions. Thanks for sharing your life with such honestly and openess, barely a filter applied to what you write. Thanks for being an example for me, an example of someone trying to mother in the best way they know how. <BR/><BR/>I have to confess. I’ve been reading your blog and baby center for nearly two years. I found you while I was pregnant with my first, and just enjoyed reading about your life – raising a kid. Something I was about to embark on. Now we are working on number 2, something I’m not really sure how we are going to be able to handle. So I read aboout how you did it – and still are with such grace! <BR/><BR/>I’ve been addicted to Mondays, when I get to read a new post. When I get to here the resolution to last weeks saga’s and an introduciton to this weeks. I quote you far to often, and a friend responded by asking meone day, “Have you ever even talked to her?” “Um….no.” I quietly reply. “Doesn’t that kind of make you a stalker?” Really extended pause, “No! She posts it out there for all the world to read!” My friend, with a skeptical look on his face, “I think you really might be a stalker.” <BR/><BR/>So, here I am… A stalker – confessing for all the world to see. I never thought it would happen to me! My husband refers to you by name and often asks, “So what did Catherine do about swearing?” Or “Do you think Cather drank this much while she was breastfeeding?” Weird….<BR/><BR/>So what brought on this confession? I’ve been planning it for months now, why today. You asked a question I needed to answer – more for myself than for you!<BR/><BR/>So here goes…<BR/><BR/>Why do you keep a blog?<BR/><BR/>I keep a blog for a lot of reasons. <BR/>I keep one to remember. I so quickly forget all the little day-to-day occurances that are so big to me as a mom. <BR/>I keep one so my duaghter will know. She will know when she hit certain milestones, experienced new things. <BR/>I keep one to let our friends and family know how we are doing and what’s happening in our boring little lives. As a working mom, I don’t find the time to keep touch with our friends on a regular basis. Blogging helps us feel like we are keeping in touch, even though we haven’t spoken in ages.<BR/>I keep a blog to confess my sins and be absolved (so to speak). It takes the weight off my chest if something is bothering me, like how I handled that really whiny sleepless night last night.<BR/>I keep a blog to sort out questions I have. Something about putting my thoughts downs helps me sort out my thoughts on tough decisions. It also helps me feel better aobut the decisions I make raising my daughter.<BR/>I keep a blog as a release. Being a parent is so much more intense than I had ever anticipated. I will lay in bed at night, my mind in a spin, unable to sleep. I’ll hop up and write it all down. It calms my nerves and let’s me sleep.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>Why do you read other people's blogs?<BR/><BR/>I have my circle of friends, they are all really great people. We share information about our lives as parents, but with a filter. We are not really close. We all are here for work, for most of us, this isn’t where we want to stay. We all live in an area with a really high percent of people of a specific religion and political leaning (Think Utah). I live in a community of members and non-memebers (me). The non-members flock together, even though we are oh so different in how we parent. These differences make us all shy away from really openeing up about how we choose to live day to day.<BR/>I read other people’s blogs to hear what other parents have to say that have the same values and beliefs that I do. Someone I can realate to. In blog-land I can find people that support the same parenting decisions I am making. I makes me feel more secure in my decisions. I don’t have these friends in the “real world” so I read about them online. (Oh I’m such a nerd!!!!)<BR/>There’s something about the anynomity about it. There is a name, or psuedonym, who you are the parents of, some obscure number, maybe even a picture to go along with it, but we are all just people in writing. We don’t have to suffer the repercussions of our neighbors, co-workers, or familiy finding out what was said or done, so the honesty seems to go up. The filter comes off. It seems more real here than in the “real world.”<BR/><BR/><BR/>3. In what ways does blogging--writing or reading--affect the way you parent or think about parenting, or how you feel about your kids or being a parent? (Please be both general and specific, if you can.)<BR/><BR/>It no doubt makes me a better parent. In writing it helps me put life into perspective and deal with things as they happen one thing at a time. I tend to get worked-up, too worried, too out-of control. Writing gives me a chance to lay it all out, organize, take a few breaths and move on.<BR/><BR/>Reading reminds me to keep trying to be my best (Catherine hasn’t given up yet, I can keep trying too). It gives me ideas and solutions for parenting, from how to handle meltdowns and potty training to breastfeeding and improving my sexlife. <BR/>It’s a reminder to take things one day at a time (or one week in the case of most blogger’s), all these people out here are doing just that, and I can too.<BR/><BR/>I could go on and on, but my break is loooooong over and I must get back to work.<BR/>Thanks for listening, and my spell check’s broken, sorry!<BR/><BR/>Sharie Williamson <BR/>Oh ya, you can quote, but I can’t imagine why you would want to… <BR/>Name listed above.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161012180977659062006-10-16T11:23:00.000-04:002006-10-16T11:23:00.000-04:00I live in Greenfield, so I may just take you up on...I live in Greenfield, so I may just take you up on that drink offer. ;) <BR/><BR/>1. I keep a blog to keep in touch with family and friends. I like to discuss politics and hope to keep people informed about current events. I like to point out interesting products and ideas so that I can find them later and also because maybe someone else is interested. I also keep a blog to keep memories alive.<BR/><BR/>2. I read other people's blogs to keep in touch, to enjoy great writing and to be pointed in directions I might not otherwise take.<BR/><BR/>3. Blogging, both writing and reading, is affecting the way I parent by first allowing me to affirm that I'm normal and I'm doing a good job, and second, by allowing me to voice my opinions and fears and questions and to get responses to those posts. I've met so many people by having a blog. <BR/><BR/>4. My world has become bigger by having a blog and by reading others. I have so many friends whom I've never met in "real life". <BR/><BR/>On a side note, all the women in my family have read your book. You are a great writer and I want to thank you for your honesty.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161011785885700422006-10-16T11:16:00.000-04:002006-10-16T11:16:00.000-04:001. Why do you keep a blog?Therapy... I have good ...1. Why do you keep a blog?<BR/><BR/>Therapy... I have good intentions to blog regularly, but they fall by the wayside more often than not... usually when I do post there is something driving it.<BR/><BR/>2. Why do you read other people's blogs?<BR/><BR/>Validation, as one blogger put it, I am the crunchy mom too... so my style, while I wouldn't say it conflicts with the rest of my families styles, is different...<BR/><BR/>(Example, My daughter is 2 and a half and still sleeps in our room, usually in her crib but sometimes in our bed, and honestly, I don't mind... and neither does my husband.)<BR/><BR/>I loved reading Ben and Birdy because for the first time there was someone who felt the way I did much of the time... what really hit me was the comment you made at the preschool about the real parents being there, cause you didn't feel like the real grown-up. <BR/><BR/>3. In what ways does blogging--writing or reading--affect the way you parent or think about parenting, or how you feel about your kids or being a parent? (Please be both general and specific, if you can.)<BR/><BR/>Again validation, since I am the only person I know in my circle of family and friends who allows her child to sleep with her, it is hard, most people think you are nuts or something. We don't watch regular TV when she is awake... although we don't stop others from watching it when she is in their homes... although we do suggest Katie friendly shows and she does watch dora videos and disney rated G movies... she doesn't get many sweets at home, etc. etc.<BR/><BR/>So our philosophy is very different and much of the time I feel very "out-there", reading that there is someone else doing what I am doing helps... I do have kindred spirits out there, even if I don't know them personally.<BR/><BR/>4. Anything else about blogging?<BR/><BR/>No one but my husband knows which blog is mine... I blog and I don't think anyone ever reads my blogs, but really I don't care, I like going back and reading some of the stuff and it bring a smile or a sigh and well generally a warm fuzzy...<BR/><BR/>You can use my blogger.com id... and quote me if you wish!ThreeOfUshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15712030319726027256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161011454336953962006-10-16T11:10:00.000-04:002006-10-16T11:10:00.000-04:001. Why do you keep a blog? Well, I've always lov...1. Why do you keep a blog? Well, I've always loved writing, and this is a way to kind of keep that writing muscle in shape. I do keep a journal for my daughter as well, but blogging lets me feel sort of in touch with the grown up world even when I'm stuck (but not unhappily or resentfully so!) at home with a baby. And it's therapeutic, of course, to put your feelings into words. It kind of allows you to analyze and get a new perspective on the situation you're blogging about.<BR/>2. Why do you read other people's blogs? I pretty much just read yours, my sister in laws, and of course the parenting journals at BabyCenter. As a couple other people have mentioned, a lot of blogs (mine included, I'm sure) can be boring and obvious and just kind of a waste of time, much like watching your average reality TV program. They're fun, but they can be addictive, and before I know it I've spent two hours solid staring at the computer. But the select few I do read I read because I come away with something-from yours, for instance, I come away with a good laugh and a refreshed outlook on spending another day being the best parent I can be.<BR/>3. In what ways does blogging-writing or reading- affect the way you parent or think about parenting, or how you feel about your kids or being a parent? It makes me a little more mindful, because I know I might be writing about any given situation at some point, and it kind of gives me a feeling of accountability to know that a lot of my friends and family are keeping up on all my little mommy dramas.<BR/>I don't know that it affects the way I feel about my daughter as much as it reminds me of how I feel about my daughter, you know what I mean? I can sit down to complain about an awful day, but in the end I always come back to the conclusion that I have the sweetest baby in the world and I wouldn't trade lives with anyone!Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07141742419364168878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161011310273547812006-10-16T11:08:00.000-04:002006-10-16T11:08:00.000-04:001. Why do you keep a blog?I don't. Partly because ...1. Why do you keep a blog?<BR/><BR/>I don't. Partly because I'm lazy, and partly because I value my privacy, especially if letting people into my world would reveal to them how much I suck.<BR/><BR/>2. Why do you read other people's blogs? <BR/><BR/>Because they are funny and heartwarming and reassuring.<BR/><BR/>3. In what ways does blogging--writing or reading--affect the way you parent or think about parenting, or how you feel about your kids or being a parent? (Please be both general and specific, if you can.)<BR/><BR/>A big chunk of my parenting depends on plagiarism--I see how other people do things, and I think "Oooh, good one! I should try that." I will occasionally read something knowing full well that it is going to make me crazy, but for the most part I want to know that I'm not in this alone and that while I may be losing my mind, there are enough kindred spirits out there that we have simply redefined what counts as sane. There's no way they can condemn everyone who broods about the advisability of letting my kids eat nonorganic hotdogs, can they? Wait, is that just me? Am I really alone? <BR/><BR/>4. Anything else about blogging?<BR/><BR/>I want to thank all the parents who are brave enough -- and energetic enough-- to put their lives out there. I feel sort of like a dead weight in cyberspace, benefitting from others' creative efforts while I contribute nothing other than the odd comment.<BR/><BR/>Slim<BR/>carrots,breathof@hotmail.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161010684332622762006-10-16T10:58:00.000-04:002006-10-16T10:58:00.000-04:00Good luck with your article. Here are some thought...Good luck with your article. Here are some thoughts. Hope it helps.<BR/><BR/>2. Why do you read other people's blogs? <BR/>The main reason is because I'm very (too) serious about parenting, always worrying. Reading the other mother's blogs makes me laugh about parenting, makes me take it with "un grain de sel". And laughing is so precious. The friend who made me laugh the most went to Swiss two years ago to commit a legal suicide.(She was extremely sick and courageous) Some mother's blogs have replaced her, in a way, in part. <BR/>3. In what ways does blogging--writing or reading--affect the way you parent or think about parenting, or how you feel about your kids or being a parent? (Please be both general and specific, if you can.)<BR/>This morning, from another room, I heard Leonard, 3 years old, commenting about an Halloween "vitrail" (stained glass?) in the living room window. He was discovering it and he said to his sister : "Regarde le beau vitraux, c'est merveilleux !!!" ("Look at the stained glasses, it's marvelous!!!".And really, it's in plastic, a pumpkin that is cracked and a bit old.) <BR/>Blogs from other mothers, and your blog and columns in particular, has allowed me to hear that comment from my son(and comments of that sort, or phases, or fears, or loves from both my children) to appreciate it and to stop and be happy about it. THAT is "merveilleux". Reading other mother's experiences makes me feel like I exist, like my experience as a mother is significant, important, and that feeling is increased if the blogger is an artist, a real writer. Reading mother's blogs has allowed me to see my children from a distance, as persons of their own(in my best moments, I must precise, which are not so frequent, but maybe would be inexistant, maybe, if not for the blogs and the psychotherapy...) <BR/>4. Anything else about blogging?<BR/>I don't understand why yet, but I have trouble writing my blog in French, my language. I only have written three posts, and two are in English. I am not sure if I will continue blogging at all, because I seem to want to write about silly things, like, for example, my wondering if a BBQ chips stained paper (my fault) I had to mark would end an already frail intellectual job.MaOdiLeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08185479370656774542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161010017322254982006-10-16T10:46:00.000-04:002006-10-16T10:46:00.000-04:00ps-it's okay to quote me on the above- Carolyn fro...ps-it's okay to quote me on the above- Carolyn from Connecticut. I know my comments are exactly what you're looking for, and have given you that EUREKA! moment you've been seeking. So, yeah, go for it.Guwihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17671706189168131048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161009615809150982006-10-16T10:40:00.000-04:002006-10-16T10:40:00.000-04:00Dear Catherine, I have read and loved your column ...Dear Catherine, <BR/><BR/>I have read and loved your column for a couple of years now but never posted any comments before. However, as we have the same name and similar age children, and furthermore once published poems in the same edition of literary mama ezine, I feel we have a lot in common! <BR/><BR/>1. Why do you keep a blog? <BR/><BR/>I started to write a blog because I thought it would motivate me to write on a regular basis. We live in China and there is so much I want to write about raising a family here and our interactions with this culture. However I can claim to have the least-trafficked blog on the internet, both by myself and others. This is because after I started it last May I found that I could not access the site from China. I could post but could not visit the site or read comments. This took the wind out of my sails and I only started posting again in the past few weeks when for some unknown reason the block was lifted. I think this says something about the process of blogging, at least for me. It is as much about creating a window onto your own life for yourself, as it is about sharing your life with others, and if the window only works one way, the fire goes out of it somehow. That is what I found anyway: if I could not see my blog and read what others might have to say about it, then it felt like it was just going out into the void and I didn't have the urge to write it. <BR/><BR/>But I must be a fairly constipated blogger anyway because even now that that block is lifted, I am very cautious about what I put out there and I have hardly even told anyone that I write the darn thing! Perhaps I am too exacting, or I am used to reading such high-quality writing in blogs like yours, that I feel reluctant to just blurb about my life. Probably I need to just relax and get on with it. <BR/><BR/>2. Why do you read other people's blogs?<BR/><BR/>I don't read many because they are a black hole for time and those few precious free hours can be so easily squandered reading them. The ones I do read: yours, my friend Sophia Raday's columns in Literary Mama and a couple of others are all ones that I can identify with personally and that inspire me to write because they are so well-written. <BR/><BR/>3. In what ways does blogging--writing or reading--affect the way you parent or think about parenting, or how you feel about your kids or being a parent? (Please be both general and specific, if you can.)<BR/><BR/>This touches on another reason why I am such a reluctant blogger. I don't know if other people find this but, if am thinking about something I want to write about, on my blog or in the newsletters I write to friends and family from China, it totally distracts me from the business of everyday life. In particular from the business of being a Mother. So I will be walking down the street with my sons, or sitting at the table with them, a glazed expression on my face and my mind busy mulling over how to describe some cute thing they have done, when suddenly I realise there is food all over the room or my oldest is waving his hands in my face and shouting, "Mummy, hello, are you listening?" and I realize I am not fully with my kids because I am too busy thinking about writing about being with them. Does that make any sense? <BR/><BR/>The upside for me is that blogging enables me to step back a little from my daily life and the repetetive, draining side of parenting to reflect on what it all means. Trying to record the best and worst and most meaningful moments reminds me how wonderful so much of it is and how lucky we are. <BR/><BR/>So that is the bad and the good, but I suspect there is also the plain blog-ugly. That's harder to pin down but is something to do with ego and the process of self-representation, how blogging makes me think too much about how my life and family appear to others rather than working on the actual substance of it myself. But I don't feel qualified to unpack that one fully. I clearly have a way to go to be a real blogger but in the meantime, thank goodness for people like you who are less inhibited and more creative than I am! <BR/><BR/>Fine to use my name: Catherine from the UK but living in Sichuan Province ChinaCat Platthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05177328727529022244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161005330828952732006-10-16T09:28:00.000-04:002006-10-16T09:28:00.000-04:00I started keeping a blog because I've always enjoy...I started keeping a blog because I've always enjoyed writing, and I can do that without having to find an agent or deal with rejection and pesky deadlines. Unlike being a professional writer with an actual paycheck, if I go days or weeks without writing, I don't get nasty calls or witheld monies. It's also an outlet so I don't barrage my husband with the day's inanities--they number in the hundreds over the course of my day, and there's only so many hours after work and before bed--time enough for recounting about 450. Writing them helps me pare down the list.<BR/><BR/>I read several blogs for amusement and/or reassurance. Other people have messy homes, insecurities about their parenting skills, and crazy families and they get through the day, so why can't I? Not all the blogs I read are parent-centric, though. Some just make me laugh. Rather like the guys I dated when I was younger--sometimes I went for the nice-looking ones, but the only ones that lasted longer than a few dates were the ones that made me laugh (and were also nice-looking, like my husband. I felt I needed a little qualifier there). After nearly ten years together, I can honestly say that the most important thing in my marriage is a sense of humor. Everything else seems to stem from that, at least for us.<BR/><BR/>Reading and writing a blog doesn't necessarily affect the way I parent. Every so often I read something that might give me pause or lend clarity to a vague idea, but for the most part I'm confident in my parenting style, and something I read won't drastically change it. Unless someone writes that it's wrong to consider my child's face clean if it's been spit-shined (my own or the dog's) or to use sarcasm as a primary means of communication. Then I would totally change my ways. Really I would.<BR/><BR/>The only other comment I have about blogging is that it's easy to get caught up in someone's opinion as the Final Word. Seeing something in print does not necessarily mean it's true or correct. The best attitude I bring to reading and writing blogs is that the internet is a valuable means for an open exchange of ideas; opinions can and do vary. I never slam people for writing something I disagree with, I just simply disagree and move on. Everyone's entitled to his or her own ideas, and having the freedom to express them is a powerful thing. <BR/><BR/>Unless they're just being a jerk, in which case, they totally asked for it.Guwihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17671706189168131048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161004598055867622006-10-16T09:16:00.000-04:002006-10-16T09:16:00.000-04:00Oh, and permission granted if you want to use any ...Oh, and permission granted if you want to use any of my babbles from earlier. :)<BR/><BR/>--TraceyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161004421965871082006-10-16T09:13:00.000-04:002006-10-16T09:13:00.000-04:00I'm an artist so I like to look at other artists w...I'm an artist so I like to look at other artists websites and blogs. (shameless link to my website: http:www.brendysart.com) There is a group of artists that paint a painting every day and post them to their blogs. Very cool. Some day I hope to do this. <BR/><BR/>I also love to read your blog and a couple other mom blogs. Your honesty has made me feel not alone more times than I can recall.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1161001297062037312006-10-16T08:21:00.000-04:002006-10-16T08:21:00.000-04:001. Why do you keep a blog? I blog so long-distance...1. Why do you keep a blog? I blog so long-distance family can keep up with the lives of my kids. I generally write like the whole world is reading, but usually it just fulfills a need of my husband and I to chronicle every spec of our kids lives for an eternity of looking back fondly.....we hope!<BR/>2. Why do you read other people's blogs?<BR/>I feel like most people are a little more loose because of the protection of anonymity. People, especially parents, can be more honest and open about their experiences.<BR/>3. In what ways does blogging--writing or reading--affect the way you parent or think about parenting, or how you feel about your kids or being a parent? (Please be both general and specific, if you can.)<BR/>You blog is really the only one have have read for so long. Since the beginning at Baby Center you have given me the freedom to be myself and parent at the same time. Your humorous descriptions about life have made me feel normal. I am a more laid back parent thanks to your blog!<BR/>4. Anything else about blogging?<BR/>It may just be me, but I have this great fear that one day all of my thoughts and memories of this day or that will go sprialing down some cyber-potty, never to be read or seen again. This is my fear of blogging. <BR/><BR/>I don't care if you quote me. My name is Rachel White. My blog is ourmunchkins.blogspot.comRachel Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17102246216487987060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1160999174973360712006-10-16T07:46:00.000-04:002006-10-16T07:46:00.000-04:001. I live overseas and kept a website/blog before ...1. I live overseas and kept a website/blog before the birth of my son to keep in touch with family and friends. Blogging also helped to kill time when I was alone in a new place without a job, but with some interesting experiences to share (was living in Uganda.)<BR/>2. Various reasons. One blog I read is a former boyfriend's - pure voyeurism (omygod he's still such a loser.) I dabble in political blogs and vlogs. But I'm a regular reader of a few blogs about children (you really started that addiction...) It has been an enormous help for making the adjustment to stay-at-home mom after having worked. I'm still overseas (now Germany,) and the first year with the first baby I felt very isolated. Helped to know that more or less that's generally true.<BR/>3. Reading blogs about parenting is a way of validating some of the unbelievably strong feelings parenting brings about - tenderness, joy, sadness, frustration, etc. But it's also about simply enjoying a good laugh at a well-written description of a humorous incident involving kids who are about the same age as mine. It helps to keep things in perspective.<BR/>4. If there aren't any sociology studies yet on this topic, you might have PhD material...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-1160997854131257302006-10-16T07:24:00.000-04:002006-10-16T07:24:00.000-04:001. Why do you keep a blog?I actually don't -- I ke...1. Why do you keep a blog?<BR/>I actually don't -- I keep a picture blog of sorts, but no writing yet, probably because I figure it wouldn't measure up...<BR/><BR/>2. Why do you read other people's blogs?<BR/>Well, yours is the only one I read; I've been reading your columns for years, but I love your blog -- it's more the real you. However, and you've always done this well in your writing, I love the voice that comes through in people's blogs -- I feel like their true personalities show.<BR/>I used to teach and when I was teaching writing I would stress the importance of being able to have your "voice" come through in what you are writing (funny, since I've never been very good at it). Blogs are a perfect example.<BR/><BR/>3. In what ways does blogging--writing or reading--affect the way you parent or think about parenting, or how you feel about your kids or being a parent? (Please be both general and specific, if you can.)<BR/><BR/>I like to think it helps me to be a better parent -- reading your writing inspires me to try to do better. At the very least, it reminds me that not being perfect (or even very nice sometimes) is okay, and it helps keep me sane. There are so many people going through the same experience that I am right now, and that makes me feel better about the whole experience somedays...<BR/><BR/>You can quote me -- Jen Watkins <BR/>Asheville, NCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com