New Blog

You know you have a Mommy Blog when . . .

• You make cutesy graphics (that are perfect for pinning) with photoshop, picmonkey, or picasa 

• You have given sage advice on breastfeeding, teething, and/or sleep training 

• You have pictures of your kids plastered all over your blog

• There is a variation of the word mommy in your blog name or header 

• You've written a lengthy essay on why spilled milk will most definitely make you cry

• You frequent babycenter or another parenting site between posts

• There aren't just recipes on your blog. There are recipes that are ideal for hiding veggies.

• You've written a post that linked back to one or more mom-authored blogs

• You have written review posts about diapers, formula, and/or toys

• You've used your blog to defend your parenting "style"

• You try really hard to come up with content that isn't centered around your kids only to end up writing a lengthy expose about what a blessing your kids are to you

• Strangely, other moms seem to be constantly drawn to your little corner of the web

• You try to brainstorm for content ideas and everything revolves around breastfeeding, preschool, and/or other controversial topics like electronics in the home and organic food

• You distract the shortest people in your home with their favorite organic greek yogurt or homemade edible play-doh so you can check into your latest blog hop or link up 

• You know what a blog hop or link up is . . .

• You know the meaning of this gibberish: AP, Ped, DH, Ferber, CIO, BM, EBF, Latch, EP, FF, GMO, MIL, PnP, Crunchy, VBAC, SAHM, SAHD, WAHM, WAHD, NFP, TCOYF, TTC, POAS, PPD, Mobile, DTaP, Montessori, Common Core, Nuby, Boppy, Bumbo, Moby, CD

• You use made-up, cutesy names (possibly following a theme) to represent your family members

• Some company sent you baby stuff to review

• Your primary topics include things like . . . whatever moms discussed in PTA meetings in the 90s, whether it's better to be modern or old fashioned, and more pressing matters like how to organize seventy thousand toys

• Your top priority is your family and your personal blog has become just one more outlet for expressing that

• You just can't be put in a pigeon hole. "Mom" is a title that includes so many different people. "Mom" is now the simplest description of you without using ten thousand words

• You're carving out your section of the web just so you can enjoy networking with other moms and learning about different lifestyles in order to better your own.

• You have 15 trains of thought in your head at any given moment anyway . . . might as well write (or type) it all out!

<3 <3 <3

Is there anything you'd add to this list?

Approved!

     Cool news! I feel like a legit mommy blogger now.  Spunky Nerd Mama was approved on Top Mommy Blogger! Click the blatantly obvious image below or the badge on the right sidebar to vote and support my blog and then go check out the amazing directory of blogs! No personal info or registration of any kind is necessary. Just a click!

Don't Breastfeed in Public Because People are Crazy!

The whole trend of blog-to-blog response is totally in so I'm going to try it. Go read this gem right here. Then come back to read my responses. I certainly have nothing better to do at 4:45am on a Saturday morning than to blog-back to a random article on cafemom.


1. Children are the ones who are being breastfed. I've never met a child that was the LEAST bit disturbed, alarmed, or bothered by seeing a baby or toddler nurse.  Many who have seen or met me while I was nursing just point out the baby and say nothing else. One time a ~5 year old stayed true to the awkwardly honest nature of a 5 year old and blurted loudly "What's she doing with that baby?!" Mom's response? "Feeding it." (Tada! End of story!) At first I thought the sentence "I wouldn't want him splashing around and . . . " was going in a different direction like say "I wouldn't want him splashing around and disturbing the mom and baby by covering them in chemically water in the middle of a feeding." Nevermind. Just another typical no-nipples-please post.

#2. Nipples turned you off your appetite? I hear this. I think . . . I bet it doesn't turn your appetite off when you see them in a sexual setting. Just in the biologically nourishing setting. I mean, I get it, nipples are kind of random and squishy. Boobs are generally rounded and squishy too. But, do bottles gross you out too? It kind of looks like a bottle with skin color, a boob. At least, I'm pretty sure that was the whole idea behind the design of bottles. Stay away from the baby aisles at Target they have hundreds of nipples displayed all over the wall. Some are clear but some are tan or pinkish!!

#3. I get the logic here. I really do. But,  I have a better solution. Start kicking perverts (aka creepy men) in the balls, poking them in the eyes, and taking them off airplanes. If they must travel tie their hands under their butts, buckle them in, and put duck tape down on their closed eye lids. Yay.

#4. See my answer to #1. I can totally guess what my three year old would say . . . "IS THAT A BAAAYYYBAYYYY!?" or "Is that LADY feeding that BABY over there mom??" My answer: yes, thanks for talking so loud because now I have no ear drums. I mean are you taking your 7 year old to hooters regularly and teaching them to scream "TITTIES!!!!" at the sight of a boob? I could see how that might be totally embarrassing for you. Don't go to the beach with them.

#5. Yes, elaborate. I guess your logic is that all the repentant perverts are at church so we should cover up so as not to disturb their time of worship. Yes, no, maybe? I personally think it's much less noticeable to dip a top down and latch a baby then to throw a cape made of dazzling, eye-catching fabric over your head. It's super rude to passive aggressively announce that you're a superhero in the middle of church.



No really, I hear the concern for mamas and babies. Please, grab that mama a glass of water and a snack. Go buy her a gift certificate for a back massage. Offer her a more comfortable seat. Punch a pervert. Those are much better ways of showing your concern IMHO.

3am Schmee Schmay Shmem

It's 3am and I'm up with my not-sleepy 20 month old. It's a magical time.

School is out for summer now so I'll have more time to blog on here! Nothing crazy going on in our neck of the woods. Not anything I'm ready to share here just yet anyway. ;)

I do update the links just above the search bar as regularly as I normally would so don't forget to click around.

I'm looking forward to the decent whether this weekend. Hopefully we can spend most of our time at the pool but we'll see how that goes.

Nighty night!

School.

It's late. Kiddos are in bed. I'm lonely. Just got done studying.

What could you possibly do to make mom-life harder? Get a full time job and/or go to college at the same time. What could make that harder? Doing it at home with your littles underfoot.

Why oh why didn't I take the BLUE pill?

Sometimes, I truly feel pathetic. I second guess everything I've ever done. I graduated high school at 17, great GPA, decent ACT scores, and headed to a private university (they certainly think they're awesomesauce . . . can you say $$$$$) just after turning 18. Now I've made my choices. Here I am. I'm 22, haven't held a regular job in 3 years, eeking by to hopefully finish my 2 year degree before 23.

Then I go and look in at those two beautiful girls. I walk out of their room and pass the portrait of my Marine on the wall. There are toys all over the floor, used dishes in the sink, leftovers from a good meal on the counter, and a pile of dirty clothes (still) sitting in a hamper.

What the HELL is wrong with me? I have nothing to complain about. Seriously. I have nothing to want. This is far from being pathetic. I sincerely hope no one pities me. If you are you're wasting your time.

So here's a better perspective. I'm only 22. I all ready have an incredible marriage of three years to my best friend in the universe. We've made these two amazing little humans (the most amazing in the world in my humble mommy opinion). I have done all I can to bring in extra money (babysitting, ebay, paper route anyone?). Even though I could drop out now I haven't and even thought a 2 year degree has taken me 4.5 years I'm going to get it. (By all means, I might just take a stab at getting my 4 year degree.) I supported my husband as he pursued his dream of becoming a United States Marine. Rather than accumulate more debt staying in a private school I dropped out until I could afford it.

It may seem out of order. It's definitely harder. But I'll be damned if anyone convinces me this isn't the best story.

Certainly, there is no better legacy I can create than the two sleeping babes on the other side of this wall. There is no better creation, no wiser investment, no richer return.

Sometimes I have to remind myself why I'm in school. I'm doing this for me. I actually love to learn and if it was free I'd probably stay in school until I die. But, I'm also doing this for them. They need to know what they're capable of doing. Who better to show them than their own parents?

So there you have it. My next to last semester at this school has begun. I'm keeping fingers crossed I can kill these courses, transfer to an online program, and get my bachelor's. Meanwhile, my man is out in a field somewhere being amazing. Our two princesses are in their warm beds.

Note to self: I'd take the red pill again just like that.