*shudders*
Am I really? No….I can’t be. Yet, that’s what most categorize me as, so I GUESS I am. That’s ok.
*stifles vomit*
I thoroughly enjoy mommy blogs. Some of them, anyway. There are some that are really engaging and well done and fun to read, but for every good one, there are a hundred bad ones. No, I’m not exaggerating – that ratio is probably too lenient.
Newsflash: I don’t give a shit what your kid had for breakfast or what they wore today. That is not interesting. My kids have breakfast everyday. The wear clothes. The day I blog about it is the day they cook their own damn three cheese omelets and are able to tie their own shoes. Those would be accomplishments. Seriously. I mean, if you’re going to do it, at least make it enjoyable to sit through. Blogs are journals for many of you, I know, but Jesus H. Tapdancin’ Christ – I’m not interested in reading your diary, or your baby book. If you want to chronicle your child’s life fine. But at least do it well like BusyDad.
I don’t want this to be just a mommy blog. That’s not my goal. I consider this a more ‘Maria’ blog. There is much more to me than the fact that I’m a mother, and I’m comfortable sharing it with you. I use this blog to do so, openly. But I am a mommy. And I’m a blogger. So…yeah.
When I told you all about being invited to speak @ BlogHer this year Huck and Kim and a few others told me that they were happy I was going, since I’d be able to represent ‘the other side of mommy blogging’ that isn’t all gardenias and hand stitched diaper covers. I realize that this other side, is a darker side. But it’s also more real.
Would you like to see what my children are doing as I write this?
Whilst Blogging… from Maria Young on Vimeo. [Password for the video is the same as the one for protected posts.]
That is as real as it gets. Even out of town and staying with family, the room is a mess from playing dress up [and dress down, obviously]. They’re sharing a sleeve of Ritz and stealing swigs of my Coke Zero when I’m not paying attention. Dancing to The Beatles is the only thing that gets me time to keystroke a few paragraphs. Wha’? Am I supposed to pretend they’re usually napping or drawing perfect isosceles triangles while I’m on the internet? They aren’t. And I’m not so full of shit that I’ll pretend they are.
I blog while my kids are awake. There have been times where I’ve become so absorbed in reading other blogs that Goobie writes on walls or The Bella gets a round brush so tangled in her hair I basically have to cut it out. I admit it. Freely.
I curse a lot, and I curse just as much in front of my kids and sometimes I even tell my kids to curse. It’s funny, sue me. But they know the difference between adult words and words that are appropriate for them to use and will quickly reprimand anyone who has the nerve to say even ’shut up’ or ’stupid’.
I have a big mouth and I rarely sugarcoat, and my hardassedness [yes, I made it up] extends to my parenting because I will not be the person in the grocery store with the child spread eagle in the aisle because I wouldn’t buy them candy.
Goobie gets away with a lot more than The Bella because I have separate standards for them based on age and maturity and that sucks for Isabella, but that’s what she gets for being a damn near perfect child from birth.
I’m young. I’m uneducated. I’m broke most of time because we blow through money like Snoop Dogg smokes weed. I have tons of unrealized potential and I spend entirely too much time on the internet or watching televsion. I’m one of those people who complains about being fat and then eats a plate of french fries. I’m loud and obnoxious and my temper is notorious and the only thing that keeps me sane and grounded is the fact that I’m a mother.
Maybe that’s why some people like me. I know many people who don’t. I may be a mommy blogger – but at least I’m a real mommy blogger, and I’m not trying to make you all think that our life, my parenting, or my kids are anymore perfect than you and yours. Or boring you half to death with not-so-great photos and ‘today we…‘ posts every single fucking day. So you know what? I can totally handle being this type of mommy blogger.
And before you get your panties in a bunch: if I read you/comment you/you’re on my blogroll – I’m not talking about you. If I don’t/you’re not and this applies…I could be. *shrugs*
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I wanna be a mommy blogger.
The latest from Xbox4NappyRash…Available for trade
For someone claiming to be uneducated you sure write pretty damn well and have those street smarts that will carry you through life with an ease that even many PhD’s will never manage.
Plus your kids are adorable as all hell. Keep blogging, baby, you’re a pleasure to read.
The latest from Tess…Found Money and Split Lips (The Illustrated Version)
i love you.
The latest from the planet of janet…Random acts of blondness, part the second
You know how I know you aren’t talking about me? Because my daughter ran around for 3 hours yesterday screaming ‘FUCKING BEAGLE, MOM! FUCKING BEAGLE. My daddy said it’s not nice to saying fuckin’ beagle. But it’s so funny…FUCKIN’ BEAGLE FUCKIN BEAGLE, FUUUUUUUUCKIN’ BEABLE”. yeah… On a serious note, love this post.
I don’t consider you a mommy blogger. I consider you a mommy who has a blog, or a blogger who is a mommy… but not a mommy blogger.
that’s just me though
The latest from CamiKaos……
Funny, I haven’t thought of you as a mommy blogger. I mean, I have cats that I talk about sometimes like when they pee on my stuff and make me nanny cam their asses caught in the act and post the video on my blog, but that doesn’t make me a cat blogger (please say that doesn’t make me a cat blogger – not that there is anything wrong with other people being a cat blogger – I even read some, shhhh), does it? No, you are you blogging, and you happen to have kids. If I had kids? I’d kiss your Tappdancin’ Christ (who knew?) and would probably tell the Internets every boring detail, but I’m glad you don’t do that because you keep things interesting whether you talk about mom stuff or not. I read a few supposed mommy blogs even though I’m not a mom, but the ones that I do read appeal even to me not in the same circle because they are that good. Like yours.
The latest from Maggie’s Mind…Haiku Friday 5/30/08
yup. i love you. (not in a creepy way, just like a she WILL be my best friend whether she knows it now or not and if i have to tie her up to show her, well then so be it kind of way.)
whaaa?
Oooh, I am exactly the kind of mommy blogger that you’d hate. I once blogged about how my son would eat all the green vegetables before all the others, and I wondered if it was a taste preference or a color preference. HA!
You’d hate my mommy blog. I bet many would. But that’s why it’s private… only my family members (who “have” to read it), or others who voluntarily request it, have access!
I love “heifer.” And was Goobie scratching her butt? So cute.
For Christ’s sake Maria, we can’t have HONESTY on the internet! What are you thinking? :p
To anyone who feels they have to present a perfect mommy face–I say take back mommy blogging. I’m a mom. I also drink, smoke, swear, fuck, and make tons of mistakes. My house is a mess, sometimes I feed my kids junk or let them watch TV just to get them to leave me alone. I can do all that and still be a good mother. Not only that, but who really needs the motherhood stamp of approval from the collective internet?
The latest from Honeybell…My Love Child With Clark Gable
Aw geez! I’ve missed so much. I must have forgotten to update my google reader. All this time I thought you just weren’t posting. Man, I’m lame.
Anwyay, I wouldn’t categorize you as a Mommy Blogger. You’re a blogger that happens to be a mom. You’re definitely a Maria Blogger.
The latest from Groovy Mom…Big Superdork On Campus?
I guess I never think of you as a mommy blogger. I think of you as Maria, a blogger, who just happens to be a mom. It’s a very different thing. And, who tries to pretend to be perfect? I don’t read those people.
I’ve always found the term Mommy Blogger a little demeaning. Not to say that there aren’t mommy blogs out there that are good (like the ones you mentioned), but to call someone like you…. or me… a mommy blogger is ignoring the majority of who we are. In fact, half the reason I blog is to spend time NOT being a mommy…
My “mommy side” is only a very small fraction of what makes up the entire person of who I am.
I KNOW you were talking about me, biatch.
REPRESENT.
Snoop Dogg smokes weed?
The latest from Huckdoll…The Year To Get Hot
And this is why I have a raging girl crush on you. Because I am the exact same damn way.
The latest from Miss…Almost 3 years later…
Thanks for the compliment. ;-) I am a proud Mom who Blogs.
This was fabulously written and I adore your honesty. I only wish I was going to BlogHer so I could hear you speak and meet you in person. Maybe next year.
Thank you for your input on the Great Debate ‘08. oh and right now. My son is covered from head to toe in goopy gooey sticky smelly strawberry Dora yogurt and Princess is watching Shrek 3. Uh, I mean Monkey is doing toddler yoga and Princess is reciting her alphabet in Latin. *snort*
The latest from rachel…Swinging and Sprinklers
This reminds me of the “happy perfect family” that I know. Their kids didn’t watch a lot of t.v. They eat dinner together every night. You get my drift right? They were just “perfect”
Years later when I saw on the sons at the hospital where I work, I asked him what was going on with his family. He told me his mom had committed suicide and his dad had violated his parole(which I never knew about). His two sisters had been in and out of drug rehab and his older brother was also in prison like him.
Point of the story: There is no perfect family. No perfect mommy exsist. My mom cursed a lot. She was very much a hardass. We grew up in the Mississippi delta just as poor as everyone else around us. I used to hate it. Then later when I had grown up I thought about all the fun things she did let us do. All the t.v. she let us watch. All the times she let us stay up late. She let us do a lot of things that the “perfect family” would never let their kids do. My brothers and sisters and I are doing prety well in life.
Take this however you like.
The latest from Barry L. Atkins…Photos With Music!
I have never once thought of you as a mommy blogger. Just because you have kids, and you occasionally mention them, that doesn’t mean you write a mommy blog. I have been know, on occasion, to f%@k my husband. Doens’t make me a sex blogger. Your blog is about YOU, and that’s why we love it.
tiny hiny scratch’n action? funny as hell. you? awesome as hell.
The latest from Mrs. Kitty…fur baby tears
Yeah, I’m with you on the “what my kid ate for breakfast” blogs. There are so many fabulous bloggers, that I’ve just stopped reading the boring ones. Does that make me a bad lady? Perhaps, but I just don’t have time to read out of guilt.
Now if your kid eats dog poop for breakfast, please tell me about it.
The latest from Jenni…Double Standard
Yeah, you might be a mom who blogs, but you’re not a Mommyblogger in the pejorative sense of the word.
A Mommyblogger is someone who defines themselves purely by their kids and are devoid of any personality, hobbies, or interests outside of raising their spawn.
The latest from Avitable…Lazy Sunday XLII
And htis is why I read you-because we are moms, sure, and it defines a huge part of who we are, but by no means all. I didn’t squezze out brain cells along with the babies, and I like to think I actually have a brain worth more than what kind of lotion works best on baby’s skin and isn’t she cute. Well, yeah. Of course they are cute. But we also hate them and love them with equal passion, we want to smack them and hug them in the same instance, and sometimes we wish they werent around or quite so, you know, fucking needy. And those who do the…what did you say”hand stitched diaper…somethings”? They are lying if they ever said they don’t have the same feelings. And agian, this is why I read you, and love you, and totally relate to you on a lot of different levels that have nothing to do with our badge of “motherhood.” I call it honesty, the good and the bad. So there. :)
The latest from Kori…Flashback Friday-The Daughter’s Accident
Oh, Maria-how I want to be you. Stay tuned I have a whole blog coming up about how my life might seem sunshine and roses; but I grew up in a trailer, did drugs, stripped, go tatted up and THEN became a suburban housewife……see-it’s THAT shit that makes you (and dare I even say ‘I’) different from the ‘today lil bit made poopy!!’
The latest from TRACI…Friday Funday Friday Funky Body Image Day
June 1, 2008 at 12:33 am
Love you.
Damn it, now I am going to have to think of another post for Monday. I was going to write about what the kids ate for breakfast this morning.
The latest from ohmommy…OHmommy Illustrated: 2008 Swimsuit Edition
You are speaking at BlogHer? Damn I wish I could go.
I’ll admit–I love reading you precisely because you are NOT a typical mommy blogger. Nothing bores me more than cute little stories about some snot nosed kid I’ve never met!
The latest from Jill…What a lame excuse…
Gak – “mommyblogger” – it’s such a terrible term, and like you said there’s so much good stuff out there.
People always just need to pigenhole…
The latest from Manager Mom…Political Chat With The MomFather
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