It's 2:24 in the morning. An excellent time to start a blog right? Right. I've kicked this idea around for awhile. The truth is I don't need another commitment. Not another reminder or something else to put on the to-do list. I'm pregnant with baby 4 and up to my eyeballs right now with our other babies, 5, 3, and 1. But as insomnia came for a visit tonight, I started thinking about this idea again. And decided I'm just going to share notes. This is going to be somewhat haphazard. This blog will be a place for me to share links, type out ideas, ask questions, and generally think, out loud. To the known universe. Without much rhyme or reason or schedule. I apologize in advance!
Who am I? I'm a thinker, an analyzer. I'm also a wife, mother, daughter, friend, former coworker, and the list goes on. I'm a vacation planner, party thrower, appointment maker, house keeper, chauffeur, your usual stay at home mom jack of all trades. I'm 36. We live in a nice suburban area in California. I've lived in some part of California my whole life. As I'm now settled into domesticity and raising a family, I have lots of views that I really didn't have before. Lots of questions. Some ideas. Turns out I'm somewhat of a skeptic. Of things like our government, politicians, our schools, ... the usual suspects. I'm a libertarian leaning conservative. Probably more libertarian than traditional conservative at this point. My politics color my view a lot. We don't currently attend church but have discussed the desire. Now to act on it... at some point.
I've also learned I have high standards for certain things. My quality of life. Friends. The environment in which my children are raised. Their education. These things matter to me. When I'm not being overly analytical and serious, I really enjoy lighter things like planning parties for my babies, decorating the house, reading, my perpetual attempt at regular running (I keep getting pregnant, dang it), cooking... ?, teaching the kids new stuff, sometimes sewing, and apparently writing!
Where does this all lead? I feel like a salmon. I feel like I do not fit into the usual flow in my environment (most people heading downstream, I'm going up). On the one hand I'm a pretty typical suburban mom, minivan and all. On the other, I don't take things at face value. I question the merit and quality of our schools. I believe in Free Range Kids and parenting in this style. I don't mind if my kids get messy, dirty or even mildly hurt when playing. I cannot stand princess stuff for girls. I am seriously considering homeschooling down the road. I am an unusual mix of traditional and ... granola? (I'm not even sure what to call that side of myself.) I attempt to look nice and maintain my appearance, but then a lot of times you'll find me without makeup, in yoga pants (so cliche!) and I cannot seem to make myself attend a gym to save my life. I'm sure there are plenty of moms out there like me, but I do not know many. If there are other salmon lurking in my stream, I don't see them too often.
So, as I figure out what the heck I'm doing, what I think, and what we will be doing, I hope you'll join me on the journey upstream. I'll be sharing random notes, comments, thoughts, links, and really any old thing that I feel like sharing about this life. Talk to you soon!
-Lisa
