Am I Going Mad or Am I Just a Mommy?

Don't be without a babysitter when the Bloglax kicks in!

Oh why don't they understand, these lovable little dictators of mine? One leaps around me vying for my attention, while the other waddles along behind, competing for his. 

But I must blog!

There is much silliness to share and, (gasp!) some seriousness as well.

Yet they come first. 

In a few hours, my little darlings will be in the loving care of a friend.

You see, I have a long-awaited hair appointment.  Ah Bliss!

After that, I have a decision to make:  Do I blog or instead buy food for my family to eat?

The demands on a mommy blogger are endless!

Oh, just paint an "L" on my forehead and be done with it!

I love my Site Meter!  It's so exciting knowing how many people visit my little blog, and even more fascinating contemplating where they are visiting from!

Hello  Arizona!  G'day Melbourne!

Top o' the morning to you, Dublin!  Ciao Firenze! 

Hey Arlington!

(Wow, I haven't posted in a month and I still have a gazillion visitors to my blog.  I MUST ROCK!!!)

Hello again, Arlington! 

Back so soon, Arlington?

(Same IP address...Wow, you must really love my blog!  Aren't I feeling wicked awesome about myself?)

Uh, Arlington?  37 visits in one day?  You are starting to creep me out!

(OMG, I have a stalker!  I have a stalker! Eeek! Must call Super Dad at work!  Reveling in the drama of it all by this point. )

Hi Super Dad.   I must be a big time blogger now.  I'm being stalked!!!

What's that, you say?

Wait a minute.  You mean to tell me that our new Internet Service Provider is based in Arlington?

The IP address? Hold on a minute, I'll get it.

Checking Site Meter now.  Checking....checking.....

Oh, okay.  Nevermind. (I hang up, feeling deflated.)

                               

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Ahem. 

This is a Public Service Announcement from Moodswinging Mommy for Users of Site Meter:  If you happen to change internet service providers, make sure you set your Site Meter to ignore visits from your new IP address!!!  K? Thanks. Bye.

Now where did I put my dunce cap?

Another Blogging Heroine

Remember my Makeover Monday goal of reading every post in my Google Reader?

(Yeah, right! I'm kidding no one! The only way that is going to happen is if my laptop and I get stranded on a deserted island with WiFi this weekend.)

Quite a while back, I became aware of IzzyMom's Blogging Declaration of Independence when reading about it in a post by one of my favorite bloggers.   I intended to address it here but then, in typical MSM fashion, I forgot.  Until recently.   After rereading this work of wisdom, I feel the need to redefine my Makeover Monday goal.   I simply have no other option than to stalk IzzyMom read IzzyMom's entire blog from beginning to end by Monday.

Izzy Mom, we "blommy moggers" salute you!  Thank you for giving us perspective and helping us to keep our priorities where they should be!  I'd much rather be thought of as a good mother than a slacker blogger. 

Without further adieu, I give you IzzyMom's Blogging Declaration of Independence:

A Blogging Declaration of Independence

1. I will only write when I feel like writing. I will not allow myself to feel obligated to write a blog post or do any other blog-related activity if I don’t feel like it.  Amen!

2.  I will no longer stop to consider if a post will be boring to other people or use that as a deciding factor in what I write.  I need to work on this

  3.  I will write from my heart and remember that my blog is about me and whatever I want to write about.  Yes!  If you don't like it, you can go somewhere else.

  4.  I will not compare myself to other bloggers. This is a tall order for a competitive person like me, although I gave up on it a while ago. 

5.  I will not allow myself to feel bad if I notice that someone doesn’t come to my blog anymore.  I'm trying!

  6. I will not concern myself with comments or stat counters or other numeric devices that might have the ability to affect my mood or what I write.  Does anyone have a secret for not getting sucked into the numbers game?  If so, please share!

  7.  I will not feel bad if something I care about doesn’t get a lot of feedback or comments.  This can be a killer!  "Way back" when I first started blogging, I was devastated when some of my favorite posts went unnoticed.  I'm getting better.  Different strokes for different folks...Besides, it's not my fault if you don't have taste! (Snort! I'm only kidding people!)

  8. I will always try to remember that blogging is a hobby first and foremost. When it stops being fun, I will step away and re-evaluate.  This is why I don't blog every day.  I'm in a state of constant evaluation.

  9. I will no longer feel guilty about not commenting “as much as I should” because my first responsibility is to myself and my kids. Though I love reading and connecting with other bloggers, real life needs to come first.  Yes, yes, yes!  IzzyMom, I bow down before you!

10. I will make an effort to not get lost in blogging. Just because I can while away an entire evening in the blogsophere with relative ease doesn’t mean I should.   The mind boggles at the hours that one could spend reading blogs or networking on blog-related sites!  If you don't see me around all that often, this is the reason why.   Besides, it's in my nature to do things in spurts.

11.  I will not worry about losing readers if I change my focus from time to time. Hey, my name is Moodswinging Mommy.  I'm lucky if I can focus on something for more than twenty minutes!  I'm up, I'm down, I'm all around.  Thank you to my regular readers for recognizing that this is me, and for sticking with me.

12. I will be true to myself and my feelings. I will be cranky if that’s how I feel. Being a diplomat 24-7 is just exhausting and unnatural.  I'm working on this too.  Often a lot goes unsaid.  I laugh when I really want to cry.  Enough of being a diplomat.  Let's start now, shall we? Uh....about Declaration # 7?  I wasn't kidding.   

13.  I will try really hard to fight that feeling that I am missing out on something if I’m not reading and commenting on blogs.  This is why I love how so many of you share your favorite posts through Google Reader.  I'd have missed out on some gems without you!

14.  In committing myself to this declaration, I am setting myself free so that I can enjoy blogging more and stress about it less.  It's about time.

15.  I will update and add to this declaration as necessary.  You betcha!

I invite anyone who wants it to take this declaration and personalize it to your specific needs. Post it on your blog and link to it from your sidebar so you will see it and think about it regularly. Be sure to come back and let me know about it so I can link you from this post :)

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Wasn't that fantastic?  Please pass it along to others who need to hear it.

See you in a bit, kids.  My life (and IzzyMom's blog) are calling....

Ack!

What has happened to my reliable Typepad?  First there was a power failure.  Now I cannot find the nearly complete draft of the post that should be here, that I saved umpteen times?  Come out, come out, wherever you are!

If the calendar did not say Tuesday, I'd swear this was a continuation of my day from hell yesterday.

Rockin' Blogger- Part II

Hello friends! Did you miss me?  I'm finally back after taking a bit of a blogging break (a-gain- I know what you're thinking...This gal takes more breaks than the Iraqi Parliament!) Okay, if you must know, my dear brother and sister-in-law were visiting from Canada. 

When last I blogged, I promised to hand out some Rockin' Blogger awards.  Well wait no more friends, because here are a few bloggers whose blogs rock my world (in no particular order).

Nancy at Marie Millard- This is one funny lady, folks, and one I can completely relate to.  Anyone with a tag line like I'll have a Cafe-Mocha-Vodka-Valium-Latte to go please, is a girl after my own heart!

   

I find Tempting Mama from Temporarily Me absolutely hilarious.  Just love that girl's sense of humor!  (Plus, she gets extra points in my book for being from Canada and being a regular contributor to Mommy Blogs Toronto....not that I'm biased or anything.) Now, she's been feeling a bit under the weather, so make sure you swing by and wish her well.

Whenever I feel like I need a little shot o' retro style, I head on over to The Apronista for inspiration.  Deanna and Eren  are so stylish, and they help make this stay-at-home-mom feel a lot less frumpy as she goes about the daily grind.  Their individual blogs, Domestic Chicky and Vintage Chica are also among my favorites.

EE from Life Unscripted.  What a positive attitude and enthusiasm for life this blogging chick has!   I love seeing all her family pictures and hearing about her fun times with her kids.  She gives me an idea of what my life as a mom of teens will be like in ten years or so.

Janelle from Brown Bag Blues and Talk of Tomatoes also rocks in my book (and in my son's, since his preschool lunches have improved thanks to her). She's another source of inspiration for me, only this time in the kitchen.  Good thing I don't have the time I wish I had to whip up some of her concoctions.  If I did, I'd weigh three times what I do now!

That's all for now.  Enjoy ladies, and display that blog bling with pride. You deserve it!

 

Who, me??? Are you sure?

Moodswinging Mommy is on a high today.  Why? Well, because someone thinks I rock. Wait a minute- I meant to say that five people think I rock.   

This leads me to two possible conclusions:

1) I am so cool that I can still rock your world despite being chronically absent from your blogs and my own.   The simple fact that my blog exists is enough to wow you.  You are too kind!  Really.

2)  All the other girl bloggers have already been awarded the title of Rockin Girl Blogger, and I was the only one left to nominate, wasn't I?

Really, I am the worst with compliments!

Anyhow, many thanks to Annie at Blooming Marvelous for this pretty award,

Now Annie understands where I'm coming from.  After all, she was astute enough to recognize that I do rock...in a corner, with my head in my hands, muttering "make it stop!" while my elder child whirls around like a dervish, and the younger one crawls, yet again, towards the closest electrical cord.

Smiling Mom gave me this:

in honor of Makeover Mondays,

as did Believer in Balance,

and my new friend Bella,

C'mon over and participate in Makeover Monday, ladies.  All are welcome!

 

Last, but not least, Lene from Families Are Like Fudge gave me this:

Although she doesn't know it, she paid me the best compliment when she called me silly.   For many years, I have been struggling to let go and take things less seriously.   My blogging is no exception.  It's nice to know that it's working on some level.  Thank you all for this wonderful honor!  It truly makes my day, and makes me feel better that I have not been nominated for some other awards, whether I deserve them or not. 

You think I'd be happy enough being a large mammal.

(As I said I'm trying to take things less seriously...It doesn't mean that I can't be an envious poor sport from time to time.)

Okay, now I have some decisions to make. 

First, I know the time has come to pass this along.  This is perhaps the hardest task of all, and one that carries with it some responsibility.  Since I've been so out of the loop the past few weeks, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait for part 2 of this post.   I'm not one for handing out awards like they're candy, so please bear with me while I make a few rounds and investigate some likely candidates. I am open to recommendations.

Second, I need some help deciding which of these pretty awards to display on my sidebar.  I'm not going to put all five up.  One will suffice.  I am partial to the masked girl blogger (I like to call her Dominatrix Blogger) and the "Rosie the Riveter" version.  If you have a preference, please vote in my first-ever poll (top, right sidebar).   

Stay tuned for more Rockin' Bloggers coming soon!
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Now That's Disappointment!

Google has been in my bad books lately.  First, it tried to drive me closer to the brink of insanity by turning off my comments, and deleting a post here and there in my old Blogger blog. Then, the Powers That Be decided to disable my Ad Sense account.*  What a blow!  There would be no more playing of my favorite game: What Hilarious So-Called Contextually-Relevant Ads Will Appear Next On My Blog?

How dare they screw with my mind and then make me feel like a common criminal?  I was done with Google!  Or so I thought. 

And then I discovered a new game.

All the cool kids were playing it.  And I finally figured out how to play too.  (It took me a while, since I've never been cool.)

Yes, dear friends, I will now share with you my favorite Google Searches that brought unintended and unfortunate visitors to my blog. 

1.  "i really Lost now"- Yes, I'd say you are.  Who would type this into a search box, anyway?

2.  "cute mommy awards"-  Did someone give me an award for being a cute mommy?  They must have forgotten to tell me.

3.  "caffeinated mommies"- Hey, wait a second.  Maybe this person was searching for me?

4.  "BEN 10 TOY"- Nothing screams Am I Going Mad or Am I Just A Mommy?  like this attractive fella, wouldn't you say?:

                                     

Actually, I do look a bit like this before I've had my coffee.  Damn!  Now someone might confiscate my cute mommy award!

5.  "Gorgeous Mommy Madison"-  How flattering! Only my name's not Madison.

6.  "mommy have to change your stinky diaper"-  Am I the only one who is creeped out by this? I'm glad I removed most of the pictures of my children. Of course, it could be completely innocent....Yeah, I don't think so either.

And the winner of Mood Swinging Mommy's most unique search term....Drum roll, please!

"rectal exam stirrups nurse toy"

Imagine the disappointment of this searcher!  He was very specific in telling Google exactly what he wanted.  What does Google give him? A humorous account of my trip to the gynecologist.  Now, I'm fond of this post myself, but methinks this was not what he had in mind.  (For the record, I'm aware that I used the pronoun He.  I stand by it.)

So where am I going with all of this? Well, all of this amusement has left Mood Swinging Mommy with the feeling that she was too harsh with Google.  In the spirit of reconciliation, I drafted this little letter.  What do you think?  As always, I am open to suggestions.
                   

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Dearest Google,

How can I stay angry with you? 

I owe you a big thank you for creating such a reliable, and yet unreliable search engine.  You've brightened my day, and that of many other bloggers.    Where once you used to piss me off, now you almost make me pee my pants with laughter.  Thank you for all that you do.

Keep up the good (or is it bad?) work!

Fondly,

Mood Swinging Mommy

PS: Just to clarify, that's mood swinging mommy, not swinging mommy. We wouldn't want to mislead some poor pervert out there.  Thanks.)

* I may not be cool, but apparently Google thinks I'm really bad news.  You'd do well not to cross me. It's all Super Dad's fault.  I'm afraid he was a little overzealous in his use of my blog's Google Search box.  I get the "don't click on your own ads" rule, but why can't he use my search box if he need to search for something?  Silly Google!

Growing Pains

Have you ever moved into a beautiful new house, only to realize that the there is no dishwasher and the movers broke all of your crystal? (Not that you ever use it, but that's not the point!) 

Or that there used to be a meth lab in the basement? 

You adore your new neighborhood, your casa and all of its amenities, but you feel a tiny bit of regret that you made the move in the first place

I feel a smidge like that right now.  Why?

The dingo ate Typepad ate my baby! 

(Am I weird that I regard my blog as my baby?)

Since I'm not very observant, I just discovered that I lost a lot of my pictures when I imported my posts from Blogger to Typepad.  I am still unpacking boxes, so to speak, but you'd think I'd have noticed this glaring omission before now.

Anyhoo, if there is anyone out there who reads my archives, please stay tuned.

The pictureless captions will soon be corrected.

On Anonymity

Dear Readers,

You may want to click away and come back tomorrow, for Moodswinging Mommy is getting all stream-of-consciousy today.  Besides, she hasn't yet had her coffee.  (As if inventing words isn't proof enough.)   If you are of a brave sort, then by all means, read on...

When it comes to the Internet, anonymity is both a blessing and a curse.

As a blogger, I cannot enjoy one of its blessings.   My family and friends read my blog.  Some read it regularly enough to make me censor the topics on which I choose to write.  (Message to Family and Friends: Yes, I can see you,even if you don't leave me comments.  Did I mention to you that I LOVE COMMENTS?  Never mind. That's a topic for another day.) Super Dad also reserves the right to final editorial approval. Since I blog about him and have to live with him, that's just best for our marriage, not to mention that it's common courtesy.  To that, I might add that he's an open-minded fellow and has only exercised this option once or twice.

Sigh.  So much bloggable material left untouched.  And trust me when I say that it's really good stuff, too.

Damn. 

I can, however, take comfort in the greatest gift of anonymity, or semi-anonymity in my case: protection of my loved ones from the sickos who roam the Internet.  If you are especially observant, you may have noticed that I removed the pictures of my children from my blog a couple of days ago. All that remains are a few that do not show their complete faces.  That will be my policy from now on. 

Why did I post them in the first place?  Well, it isn't because I am naive.  Indeed, I have been using pseudonyms since day one.  So why include pictures?   I did so for the simple reason that this blog started out as a means to keep in touch with family and friends.  As other bloggers have found with their own creations, my little corner of the Internet has evolved into something more.  Much to my great surprise, I now have a greater audience.   In real life, I would have no qualms inviting the majority of my readers home to tea.  If I were to encounter others, I would bolt my door and possibly dial 9-1-1.  I will not elaborate on this further, except to encourage you to read Absolutely Banana's excellent post.  With its many links, it is a great starting point.

Yes, anonymity can be a great thing.

Yesterday, an incident occurred on one of my (too many) message boards that reminded me of the downside of anonymity.  A situation came up where an anonymous poster was in a desperately bad place and was appealing for help.  She was in immediate danger and was not thinking rationally.  She did not reveal enough information to allow readers to assist her.  Much to their credit, the message board founder and administration were quick to respond, contacting the police to see if her IP address could be traced.  The end result was not one we would have hoped for.   The IP was unknown, and could not be traced without a warrant.  As for the suffering poster, I can only hope that she will maintain a dialog with her support group instead of doing something regrettable.   I might add that the entire incident may have been a hoax, since trolls are a sad reality of the Internet.  In this case, that would have been preferable. Hoax or not, the situation demanded action.

So, Dear Readers, is anonymity a good or bad thing?

Sometimes it seems you just can't win.

Welcome!

Welcome to the new Typepad digs of Am I Going Mad...or am I just a Mommy! 

I'd appreciate if you'd take a moment to wipe your feet and change your bookmarks and links. (I know,  I know, SuperDad thinks I'm a pain in the derriere, too.)

Thanks.

C'mon in and pull up a box chair, or grab a paintbrush and make yourself useful!  Yes, the decor is looking a bit sparse around here, but hopefully things will be up and running soon if my little angels cooperate with me.  I am trying to get acquainted with Typepad and do what I can while I slowly creep to the top of design Goddess Jules' queue.  Am I there yet, Jules?  Am I there, yet?

Now I'm off to attempt some more widgets before Baby C wakes up.  Wish me luck!