Writing.

So I haven't felt very inspired to write lately.  I've spent some time thinking about why and can only come up with the following theory - Writing to me was an avenue to process all the crazy stuff we had going on with the kids and generally living life.  Many days I felt like I was on a high-speed train and there was no getting off.  Every time I turned around, a new crazy situation was occurring or something that should've gone as planned, didn't.  I needed to get it all down on paper before it too quickly became a blur.

Writing was my way of moving on.  Documenting all these little moments and the big ones too so we'd have record of them to look back on when the kids got older.  I never want to forget some of the more outlandish experiences (flying with the kids when they were 2!, taking them to the zoo when they really didn't want to be there, Ian at the dentist, working for The Crazy Man), just like I don't want to forget our wonderful traditions (apple picking, ice cream on the first day of school).  And along the way, there were some very funny moments (accidentally dropping Ian in the trash can, Sam telling Ian that he needs to stop talking because she was going to pass out from his bad breath), the special days (Ian's Bar Mitzvah, my trip to England/Portugal, adopting Lucy) and hitting milestones (getting braces, learning to ride a bike) deserve their place too.

But lately, our life has become so much "easier' (for lack of a better term).  The kids have become very independent and can do so much on their own, without assistance from me and Jeff.  We can leave them alone at night and go on a proper date.  They can prepare simple meals for themselves, and showering is most definitely a solo activity not needing our assistance.  All of our potty training issues FINALLY became a thing of the past.  The kids have wonderful friends with very little drama that normally associates itself with adolescence.  Sam's behavior has vastly improved and she has become a fabulous little person to be around.  Life just feels more comfortable.  It's like this is how it's meant to be lived and I don't count the minutes until Jeff comes home at the end of the day to rescue me.

I still very much want to document the day to day - it's the best form of a diary I'll ever manage to keep, but I need to be inspired to write.  And I just haven't been until now. Something has happened very recently and my first thought was, wow, this day needs to be written about.  So I'm back at the computer and getting back in my groove.  Stay tuned...

Getting my groove back

Lately I've just not been feeling liking writing.  I love updating the blog and keeping an online diary of what life is like at the Toppall house, but for some reason I am just not feeling inspired.  Usually I don't lack material.  But every idea or topic I come up with is feeling more like work on getting my thoughts written, rather than the usual flows-quicker-than-a-3-year-old-playing-with-water-in-the-sink momentum I typically get. 

Jeff noticed that my blog hadn't been updated lately and asked what gives.  I told him I just wasn't feeling it and he promptly sent me an email with some ideas on what to write about.  While this particular blog wasn't on his list, I felt it necessary to explain the lack of presence in the recent week and to let you know I am back.

For what its worth, I've been in a bit of funk lately.  There is some high school-type drama bullshit going on around me that is utterly ridiculous.  People need to grow up and act their age.  There is a community that I love being a part of that is starting to go quite sour.  For the record, I would like to say I am a straight shooter. If I like you, you'll know it.  If I don't like you, I'm not going to bother with you.  Ever.  I am so torn between standing up for a cause (which can be done in varying levels from having an all-out verbal war, to leaving the community on principal and starting over somewhere else) to keeping my mouth shut, my opinions to myself (something new for me!) and letting all this blow over.  Either way, it has become a train wreck to watch and I am all too caught up in seeing what will happen next.  Oy!  I try to take the high road, but its hard. 

Read all about it

One of my great mommy friends, Amy, told me about something a few months ago and I filed it in the back of my mind and forgot about it.  She had told me about a company that can take your blog and turn it into a book.  She didn't know the company's name, but knew that one existed.  I loved this idea and had been wanting to print out my blog and stick it in a binder since day one. 

I never really started printing it out, but the idea to have all my stories in a tangible form really appealed to me.  I love that I am keeping a day-to-day diary of our life and what the kids are going through.  From the mundane to the momentous, I am documenting most of it and I hope one day Ian and Sam will appreciate the opportunity to go back and read about their lives growing up. And in a more morbid view, I like that I am leaving something behind that I hope the kids will find special.  Something that tells them all the stuff we experienced (good, bad and crazy!) and just how much I loved them. 

About 2 weeks ago, the idea to turn my blog into a book popped back into my head.  I quickly googled "turning blog into a book" and about 4 different companies appeared on the search page.  I decided to go with Blurb and in about an hour, had downloaded the software, uploaded my blog entries and formatted the book.  It was super easy.  Since my blog is an ongoing, never-ending project, I decided to create volumes.  Volume 1 is May 2009 (the start of my blog) to December 31, 2009. Each January, I will create another volume of the previous year and order it.  I found the pricing to be incredibly reasonable.  156 pages, in 4 color, with an image wrapped cover (complete with photos on the cover and back cover) was only $60.  I'd probably pay more in printer ink if I printed out that many pages.

I love how easy it was to pick the dates of the blog to input.  It made each page a new blog entry (I had my choice to keep it continually flowing or create page breaks after each entry) and it included all the photos I used.  In addition, I could go through and edit or change any of the pages.  Actually, every aspect of creating this book could be customized to my heart's content.

I am very excited about this discovery and so pleased that I  started my Mommy Meltdowns volume set before too many years of material got written.  Many thanks to Amy for letting me know this was possible.



This is the cover I designed for Volume 1