Wednesday, October 30, 2013

The Reason Why

A few people have asked me what's happening with the blog.

Short answer: I don't know.  Long answer: I still don't know.  It sounds like a cop out, I know.  How can the author not know what's happening with the story?  I don't know what to tell you.  Late this summer, instead of being the creative outlet it once was, the blog became like a millstone around my neck.

After leaving the blog alone for a few weeks, I could see two major reasons for my burnout.

Reason #1:



The wretched schedule.  I don't know how well you can see it, but this is a picture of our September calendar.  I actually stopped writing things on the calendar because I was running out of room and it was depressing me.

My kids are not in multiple activities. I would not call them over scheduled, but I found that most coaches/instructors look at you like you have three heads if you say that a practice schedule is too much because it cuts into family time.

I think that's what made the schedule feel so onerous.  There was very little time for us to be a family together, and it made me sad.  Even Sunday, the day of rest, was cross country meet day.  For a CYO team!

I felt crushed and rushed and drained by the schedule.

Reason #2:

This is what my baby looked like when I began this blog:


This is what that baby looks like now:



I have been blogging for 7 years.

Maybe you didn't catch that.  I have been blogging for SEVEN YEARS.

I've made four more people in that time. I think it's fair to say I was (am?) experiencing a little ennui.

Sometimes, I just don't know what I want out of this blog.  What am I trying to communicate here?  I don't home school; I don't homestead; I don't farm (or even garden very well); I don't know how to craft anything (except people, apparently).

When I started this blog, Francie was still young.  She was the same age Sally is now, an age where I felt I could comfortably share her funny, sweet little stories.  Now both Francie and Fiver have passed that invisible border between childhood and adolescence. I can't tell everything about them now - they have to tell it themselves, in their own ways.

But then, while I was changing my template around, I spent some time going through my archives.  I went back to the beginning.  There were so many sweet things about the children that I have already forgotten, with only a post to remind me, and I found myself very glad that I wrote them down.

So I think I'll keep going for a little while longer.  Maybe not until Sally turns 14 (!!!!!), but definitely a little while longer.

In 7 more years, she will be 9.
Whoa.







6 comments:

  1. I have the answer for why you blog (and should continue):

    It makes me happy!!

    Seriously, I love seeing a new post from you pop up, you were one of the first blogs I followed, and you always inspire me and make me laugh.

    I have all the same reasons as you for not blogging...it's like "What do I have to offer?"

    But, I love having this virtual memory book for my kids and I love making the friends I have here. I love them all so much, and I would miss that.

    So I selfishly hope you keep it up, because I love this blog :)

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  2. I am not a homeschooler, a homesteader, a crafter, a tipster, or a farmer either. What we write is called a memoir blog. And yes, that is a real thing! We will never make a lot of money from it, or gain world-wide fame, or even a book deal, but we will have a story for our kids to read to their kids. That's why we blog!

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  3. Just do what you can, when you can, because you want to, on the blog. I know that I'm happy that I kept mine up because I can look back on some memories of my kids' younger days. You don't have to write on schedule.

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  4. It's not "homework". You don't have to worry about meeting deadlines. You don't need to explain yourself to anyone else. Although... I totally relate to what you said. I remember when it took you a while to write about Septimus, I was like, "FINALLY! Someone who knows that it's tough to blog with children". (I couldn't figure out how everyone seemed to be able to do it so efficiently!) You were relateable to me. It's a way to record memories or your family and YOUR family is not worth less than any other because of the reasons you listed. Do what you feel is write...uh, right (little slip there) and know we love to hear about your world.

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  5. Anonymous3:53 PM

    Yes, what they said!!

    Chandra

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Go ahead and say it. You know you want to.