One Year of Blogging = Goodbye

Today is my one year anniversary of creating this blog. 

I've loved it so much.  It's been a great way to remember how much I used to want to be a writer and how much more life experiences I now have to make that happen.  It's been cathartic and helpful.  And it's taken a lot of my time. 

When I told Husband that I was shutting it down after a year, but how sad that made me, he said, "but you knew this would happen, didn't you?  As soon as you took on this huge volunteer role, I knew you would eventually have to give up the blog to devote yourself to it instead." 

I'm glad he knows me so well, because I really did think I could do both.  And I imagine I still could if I wanted to keep limping along with a couple of posts a week with no real in-depth creative discovery like I had going on in the winter.  But I don't want to do it like that.  That makes me feel like a failure and if there's one thing the Happiness Project has taught me is that voluntarily doing things that make you feel like a failure are bound to make you feel unhappy. 

And it's heartbreaking to even write this - I sit here in tears as I type the words.  I will miss writing this blog tremendously.  I will miss the comments from my blogging friends.  I will miss the cathartic, sometimes physical stress release of actually typing the words that help my brain stop feeling so FILLED. 

I've learned so much more about gifted children and education that I didn't know a year ago.  I hope that I've helped some others along the way as well.  But I do feel like I've over-focused on Oldest as a topic, rather than who she is - a growing girl with real emotions.  So I've swept some of the more stark posts about her.  I don't want her ever reading this and thinking I didn't love her with every fiber of my being.  Because I do.  And I don't want Youngest to ever read this and think she grew up in Oldest's shadow.  Because she's not. 

I started this, in part, as a way to struggle through what it means to be a parent.  And I think I can explore that struggle better than I have on here for the last year.  Being a parent has little to do with the kiddos, specifically.  I think it has a lot to do with ME as the parent.  Or YOU, wherever you are as you read this.  Children's antics certainly have influence on who I am as a parent, but my "parent" status has more to do with how I handle it, rather than what they do to cause it.  Make sense?

And I have another concept in mind.  A much, much better concept.  It's something I started developing in February.  It's something I'm not ready to unveil yet, but it will involve a new site, with a way to better reflect my blogging goals.  It's going to involve building my own website (gasp!) and really poplulating it before I hit publish for the first time, rather than how I started this one - totally by accident.  I'm guessing it's going to take about 6 months to do this.  And I will likely be calling on some of you to help me.  Because it's a global mom concept, not just a ME as a Mom concept. 

So, friends, this is not goodbye forever, but it is so long for now.  All of you who I've met through blogging - worry not - I'll still visit and comment to yours!  I love you! 

Stay tuned.

Chaos can be Fun

Last night we had some people over for dinner.  My parents and another couple with grown children.  They can never get enough of my children's "cuteness."  All of the things that I "get after" my kids about, they love.  The wife always tells me how much I'll miss it all when they're gone, how she struggles with loneliness now that her youngest daughter's graduated from college and moved to a different state, how quickly this time goes. 

And they are game to do ANYTHING my kids ask!  I'm in the kitchen last night fixing the appetizers and I hear all of this hooping and hollering from the living room.  I go in and Oldest has convinced them both to "jump the couch" with her.  As in, take a running leap over the armrest and land on the couch.  She and Youngest showed it off a few times and the next thing I know these people in their 50s are doing it too! 

I come in, a bit agog, and they're like, "your kids are so fun!" 

Here I am on the final stretch of summer.  You know, that stretch where "kids" and "fun" can be mutually exclusive terms on some of these hot, August days when all of the "good" ideas were exhausted a month ago. 

So it was nice to see and hear that sometimes when kids "do the darndest things," it really is OK.  They're likely not totally appalling the older generation.  They're probably making the older generation smile a little, wishing they had these days back. 

And "jumping the couch?"  It really IS fun and is, in part, why we don't get new furniture.  Kids jumping a new couch would get a very different response from me than kids jumping a 14 year old couch.  That's just one of the Great Truths in our house. 

A Blog Award of Substance

Judy over at What I Live For, gave me this award earlier this week.  And it just made my day. 

The recipient, after thanking the giver (check) is supposed to sum up her blog philosophy in 5 words.  Hmmmm.  Ok, my blog in 5 words is:

A "For My Family - Sanity Saving" Blog.

Then I'm supposed to tag 10 people and I would, I really, really would.  But.  Butbutbutbutbut.  It's late, I'm tired. 

So I'll give it to you - do you think you have a blog of substance?  If so, why?  I do think mine is of substance.  I think it's grown over the year into having way more than it did at the beginning.  I'm ready for it -to have even more substance.  Hint - check back Sunday for what I mean - it's my 1 year blogging anniversary. 

Happiness and a Maniacal Monday

                                                       


It's Happiness Monday! I love My Happiness Project, where I decided to spend a year "finding" happiness with the help of Gretchen Rubin and her awesome book. Check out her website for more information. And buy the book! It's never too late to start your own Happiness Project.


It all started last night with the kids talking me into a state of exhaustion.  Then I stayed up later than I should, stuck on the phone for close to an hour, then trying to make up for that by staying up late to prepare my environment for the week.  Then I slept later than I should (7:15am).  Then the moment I got downstairs to take out the whining puppy, I hear this:  "Cry, cry, cry.  Mommy, I need to come out.  Cry, cry, cry."

Then the next thing I know, they're BOTH downstairs by 7:45 - at least an hour earlier than they have been this summer.  Uh, hello?  Still on summer time, anyone?  I am. 

And for an hour, it all went downhill from there.  You know.  Everytime I turn to my oatmeal, something gets spilled, someone yells, someone hits someone, someone's crying AGAIN.  I threaten things like sending them back to bed until they wake up "more rested and ready to take on the day." 

Isn't it amazing how LONG 60 minutes can seem sometimes?  Interminable.  Endless. 

And then, breakfast ends and everyone evens out.  And the day, thankfully, turns out good. 

Do you ever have those mornings that challenge your happiness, make you feel PISSED from the moment it starts?  How do you break out of it when it happens?  Today, it was a combination of luck and attitude.  Attitude is everything.

Super Sunday Series - Gifted Kids and TV

I've found some parents of gifted kids don't let their kids watch any TV.  I've heard the reasons:

1. TV deadens the brain.
2. TV wastes a gifted child's mind.
3. TV prevents them from being creative.
4. TV has too much junk for an extremely smart child.

And on and on. 

And I get all that.  Really I do.  But.  But.  But.  But.  But.  But.

I am a parent and I like to complete my days without yelling at my children.  My children are on full speed ahead and their brains do not stop going.  Hardly ever.  For example, tonight they have both been talking so much MY brain is dead just trying to keep up with the questions, observations and "guess whats!?"  that have been going on all, all, all, all day long.

During those 30 minute shows I try to strategically place through the day, however, we all get a break.  They each get one show.  One of them gets one in the late morning, one gets one in the late evening.  And sometimes they can "earn" an extra one through good behavior.  Sometimes they can watch a full length movie if that's the only show they choose for the day (this is usually reserved for weekends). 

Sometimes I don't want to do anything but sit and veg in front of the TV.  I need that down time.  And so do they.  Sometimes after a long, long, long, busy, busy, busy day, I'll give them a "free" day where they get a lot of TV.  Because I look at myself and recognize  that sometimes there's nothing more satisfying than lying on the couch for two hours straight. 

I know we gave up TV for Lent and we loved it.  I'm  not contradicting that.  I maintain how valuable it was.  I also maintain that we all need a little down time - especially in the summer time when we have 12-14 hours in a day together. 

It's all about balance.  And moderation.   And hopefully not rationalization of something I really should say no to. 

What do you do with your gifted children?  No TV?  Moderate amount?  Or tons?  Don't worry, I won't tell. ;)

And I have an announcement to make.  This is my last Super Sunday Series post.  I can't give it the time it needs, so it's time to hang up the Super Sunday.  My 1 year blogging anniversary is one week from today.  I have another announcement for you about that too.  Tune in next Sunday.