Cast of Characters

Here are the most important people in my life. That's Dave and Jamie at the beach this summer. Dave is usually the one taking the pictures, so it is hard to find a good one of just him. The kids, however, are a different story. They are my favorite subjects to photograph.

 Here is my darling girl, Kara. I took this a couple of weeks ago in Canada. She is lovely, sweet, kind, apt to be dramatic at times. She is going to kindergarten in a few weeks and I cannot possibly believe that she will be out of the house all day. I am having separation issues.

Here is my baby boy, James. He is a bit of a handful. This was taken back in April. I just love this picture - particularly since it is one of the few recent photos that does not show an array of bruises on his head. People must think I abuse my child.

  Here I am. Dave took this one while we were having some deck time at my mom's place in Canada.

So nervous

So I will admit that I have been thinking about writing a blog for quite a while, but I have been reluctant to actually start. Initially, my knee-jerk reaction to all things blog was critical, with a heaping side of snarky. No matter how interesting someone is, isn't a blog the most narcissistic mode of expression? But recently, I have become completely obsessed with a few blogs. I feel like I know these people and I can't wait to check in and see what they have written. Somehow, the authors I read have found a way to share their personal moments in a way that is compelling without being self-congratulatory, revealing without being awkward or icky. Of course,  when I read a blog that I find completely captivating, I can't help but feel that I will, inevitably, suffer by comparison.Perhaps it is time to get a grip on these not so latent self-esteem issues and jump in.

For the past four years, I have been a stay at home mom - and even as I write that, I can't quite believe it is true. I love my children. I love being here during this time of their lives. But I also loved being a full time teacher. I loved being ambitious and driven and successful in my career. I have wanted, for at least the last year, to start writing a journal again. I thought that it would be a good place to sort out my many, and often conflicting, feelings about motherhood at home full time. I also hoped to record some of the moments with my children in an effort to preserve them before they slip out of my cluttered mind. So, perhaps, this blog will be a way for me to accomplish both of these goals. And maybe, because I am sharing this all out on the web, I will be more likely to write at all, and write well when I can. Here goes...