Month: June 2007

Categories
Random

I’ve been memed!

I’ve been tagged for a meme by Shawn at Letters to My Daughters. In this meme, I’m told to share four things that were new to you in the past four years. Four things you learned or experienced or explored for the first time in the past four years. New house, new school, new hobby, new spouse, new baby, whatever. Then you have to say four things you want to try new in the next four years.

Four New Things

  1. Marriage: almost three years now. I’m always surprised to remember something from my life before Ryan and be reminded that we haven’t always been together.
  2. Motherhood: sixteen months and I still don’t have it all worked out. More on that Monday.
  3. Marketing: just under two years in Internet marketing. It’s weird to get into an industry that you’d never even heard of and get to be the assistant editor of one of the top search marketing blogs in so short a time.
  4. Mortgage: just under two years (actually about two weeks before I got my first job in search marketing). Sometimes I say I own a house; if you catch me on a quick day I’ll say I own a mortgage.

Four Things to Come

  1. MBA: No, not for me. I want an advanced degree, but not in that. This has been Ryan’s goal and if it still is, I want our family to work together for that goal.
  2. More kids. Again, more on that on Monday.
  3. Maybe move? Depends on our job and family situation.
  4. More conferences? Right now I want to, but of course that also depends on our family. I’d love it if Ryan and Hayden could come with me to conferences, but I’d feel bad for ditching them all day while I’m in meetings, and I don’t know how Hayden would do with the late night parties. He’s a bed-by-eight kinda kid.

Tag? I have to tag people? Hm… Let’s find someone I’ve never tagged before… I’ll tag Kasie (~the art of life~), Zabs (MommyZabs), MamaZen (The Zen of Motherhood) and CamiKaos.  (Note: if you’d rather participate in the one word meme, feel free!)

Categories
Kids/Parenting

Start ’em young

I saw a study today from the NDP Group about children and technology. It said that:

On average, children begin using electronic devices at approximately 7 years of age with televisions and desktop computers showing the youngest initial exposure (about 4 or 5 years of age), and satellite radios and portable digital media players (PDMP) showing the oldest (about 9 years of age).

‘Round here, we start ’em young. Here’s a video of Hayden when he was six months (ie, during the silent film era):

Categories
Kids/Parenting

I have returned!

I’m back home now! Got in at 4 AM (oy!). A bit of an adventure getting back—there was some concern that I might not have a seat on the second leg of my trip (thanks a ton for canceling my reservation, airline). (And thanks a ton for getting me on the plane anyway.)

Hayden is normally pretty excited to see anyone who comes to get him out of bed in the morning or after a nap. As in squealing, running across his crib, or being so overexcited that he can hardly move.

I had Ryan get him up and bring him in to me (still in bed) as a surprise. When I pulled the sheet off my face, I was expecting ecstatic squeals, back arching and frantic attempts to get out of his dad’s arms.

Instead, Hayden slowly smiled and leaned down for me. Ryan handed him over and I laid Hayden on my chest. He wrapped his arms around my neck and laid his head on my shoulder, stroking my arm. He didn’t say much, but laid there for a couple minutes.

And then he was over it.

He was a little frantic at nap- and bedtime, but we told him that I would be there when he woke up. By all accounts, he was very good for his caregivers while I was gone, but he was very clingy with Marty, his monkey. I didn’t notice him being overly clingy with it today. I anticipate that he’ll take a few days to recover emotionally. It’s good to have my boys back, although it’s really weird to go from hobnobbing with the “searcherati” (ie lots of the top minds in my industry) to playing with a toddler all day long.

Categories
Random

To be so young and so serious

Things are going well here in Seattle. It’s a little weird to be “working” again. Actually, since I’m at a conference, it’s almost like being back in school. Except I never had a laptop in school (Thanks again!! to my brother-in-law who let me borrow his at the last minute). But I type notes frantically and study instead of making friends and type as much as I can but actually hear very little. People keep asking me if I feel as though I’ve learned things here. I’m like, “Are you kidding? I’m not listening; I’m typing!”

On a related note, when I look up and see other people on laptops checking their email, surfing or playing solitaire, I want to shout them, “Hey, you or your company paid a lot of money to get you here and you should pay attention!” Come to think of it, I felt the same in college when people were playing on their laptops in class.

I was really surprised at how young some of the people that I’ve come to “know” through their industry blogs really are. Or look. I know when I talk to these people—some of whom are surely older than I am—I feel as though I’m the old one. After all, I can hardly make it a paragraph without mentioning my husband or son. To be married and have a kid makes you old, right? at least one person (who was old enough to have grandkids) was surprised to learn I’m so young.

I don’t feel like I look terribly young. Maybe I do. Maybe I’m a poor judge. I was at a Mary Kay facial thing a few weeks ago and someone asked me if I was engaged. I told her, “No, I’ve been married for three years, almost.”

“Wow,” she said, “you look good.”

Um… what part of three didn’t you understand? It’s not a long time ago. And I know I don’t look 18, thanks.

Sigh. Should I keep you in suspense? Care to guess how old I am? (Family members: hold your tongues fingers.)

Categories
MetaBlogging Fulfillment

A hug, metaphorically speaking

When I came across the blogging metaphor group writing project on Successful-Blog.com, it didn’t take me very long to figure out the correct metaphor for my blog. Really, what I want to accomplish with this blog is to not only focus my search for fulfillment, find fulfillment daily and stop overanalyzing everything and just enjoy the moment, but to be able to help others do all those things. I want other mothers to realize that it’s okay to be a mom—not “just a mom,” but a mother.

It’s okay to stay home with your children. The work you do within the walls of your home is more important than anything you can do outside of them. Even the million dollars in future earnings that you’re supposedly giving up by “putting your career on hold.”

But just knowing it’s important isn’t enough. I want mothers to feel appreciated and to know that what they do is important and worthwhile—and fulfilling. I want them to know that motherhood isn’t just drudgery. It’s not just boring, horrible work and endless laundry and diapers and stupid games and wrangling toddlers away from outlets.

I want to tell mothers this because it is so easy to forget that something as mundane as motherhood can be, it is the most important thing you can do with your life. And if you try (or if you let it), it can also be the most worthwhile and fulfilling venture you’ll ever undertake.

That’s what I want my blog to be. I’m thinking about lots of other projects that might help with this—another group writing project (next month, ladies!), maybe a podcast (would you be interested in this?), etc. But to choose a metaphor for what my blog means or what I want it to mean to others is very easy. Because if I could, I would take every mother in the world one-on-one, and tell her how I feel—and give her a hug.

But since I can’t do that, I’ll reach out and put my words around you to reassure you that you matter and that what you do matters and that your work is appreciated.

*squeeze*!

On a related note, see also The Mitchell Group’s entry, Blogging is Like a Mommy[tags] blogging metaphor [/tags]

Categories
Random Work

Ask and ye shall receive

Friday morning I was suddenly reminded that the event of the year for my industry, Search Marketing Expo Advanced (SMX), was impending. I’d wanted to buy tickets long before, but frugality, homebodiness and an insatiable need to be with my son won out. Tickets were sold out now, plus I’d have to travel to Seattle.

I lamented my case to my husband, who recommended that I e-mail my boss, Andy, to see if he had any extra passes. I demured. And that afternoon, Andy posted on the blog—he had come across an extra pass. Did any readers want it? I said I did, but so did a couple other readers, who wouldn’t have to travel.

Andy decided I deserved it (how deeply flattering!). And now I’m in Seattle.

Saturday I’d convinced myself that I deserved/needed/would enjoy some time away from Hayden. Not that I don’t love him, of course (I know you understand). But ever since he was born, I realized that motherhood was the one job I’d never be able to take a vacation from, no matter how burned out I got.

And here I am on vacation (ish).

So, we shall see how my son and I hold up apart. A huge thank you to my friends who are watching him today and tomorrow. I’ll be home very early Wednesday morning, and back into motherhood.

But today, I’m playing the part of the experienced professional. Oh, and I’m also pretending to be outgoing and friendly, which is a lot harder in person than it is online and in print. (Luckily, an opening social last night broke the ice, so I should be okay. I hope.)

Blogging may be a bit light until Thursday, but I’ll try to get a couple posts in.