Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Blog it like it's hot with unrelated photos

Ch.1

How do you schedule blogging? I don't schedule much in life and I'm working to change that. I'm trying to be a planner and a more orderly human bean in general (in my life and in my mind). I find that too much flying by my seat makes my brain feel tired and mushy. I don't like that. And so I'm trying to change it. But blogging throws a whole new wrench into the machine. How do I maintain an orderly blogging schedule? You know, not the kind where you blow off you're entire flock of children while they pick crackers out of the rug while entranced in the Netflixes while in pajamas. Not that kind of blogging. I know how to do that already. The kind that is healthy and not flowing from disordered/mildy abusive parenting. Do you have a method? Does it work? Tell me your secrets. (No, seriously. All of them. Not just the ones about blogging.)

Ch. 2

Do you get semi-panic attacky when you think you don't have anything to blog about? I do. Like my blog-life is absolutely over. Like I'll never have anything to say ever again via a blog. Like I'm completely uninspired in every way and my blog is a sham and who do I think I am even writing anything in the first place?? What's that all about? It's never true. I always end up having something to say, even if it's not right then. Why am I stressing? Tell me I'm not alone...

Ch. 3

Did you see that I interviewed my brother for Bonnie's blog? I think it is maybe the worst interview to have graced the internets. The morning Bonnie posted it, one of my brother's bandmates texted me to tell me he had read it.

"Are you a closet mom-blog reader?" I asked him.

"No, it came up on a Google alert in our band email."

Exactly what I hoped would happen... (cringe)

Ch. 4 (not about blogging)

I'm pretty sure my spine is collapsing in on itself. I have zero core strength and I think my body is sort of telling me 5 babies in 7 years with no exercise make me no happy. I recently saw a new chiro about it and didn't realize he was the kind that likes to bend and stretch you and push your legs waaaayyy back and dig his elbows deep into your hip bones and crack your neck like he is someone capable of straight extinguishing your life. And so I wore a skirt to my appointment.

So... I mean, you can just imagine the horrible awkward of it all, right? I don't need to go into it further, right?

(All accidental semi-nudity aside, he is a great doc and I feel much better. I as in my body. My ego on the other hand...)


Ch. 5 (not about blogging)

Last night we went on a spur of the moment dinner and errand jaunt. Which we never do. Which we realized 4 seconds into our children all piercing holes in the sides of their styrofoam cups filled with beverage why we never do.

I ordered wine with my dinner because hello, they served wine. It was a classy establishment so they served it to me in a little plastic cup and I didn't have time to finish it during my dinner because I was busy scarfing. Anyway, basically what I'm trying to say is I just walked out of the restaurant with my wine. I drank it as we walked through the parking lot with all our children. It felt awesome. Whoever I was last night, I would like to be that lady more often. Drinking wine in plastic cups in parking lots with all my children. On Mondays.

Ch. 6

I'm going to feature the Kirb soon for a follow up to Vlog 1. I was actually planning on doing it as a Father's Day special but then remember how I had that heart attack over people really not liking which rules I like to break with my babies? Well, I got distracted and I never did it. But now I want to do it, Q&A style. That's where you come in. So, on top of giving me your blogging tips, telling me secrets, reassuring me that I'm not a psycho, and making fun of me for wearing a skirt to a chiropractor, let's have some questions for the man behind the me!

I think things would turn out best if he didn't see them or have time to prepare. I'll pick a handful of questions and spring it on him, rap-battle style. Sink or swim, homie.









21 comments:

  1. I knew but then forgot that your brother is in The Head and the Heart -- seeing them in Madison, WI, in September on my travels back to the home state and am really looking forward to it. Especially because my favorite hometown band is opening for them!

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  2. Ch 1 - I try to blog 3 times a week: M, W, F. Some seasons of my life I only have time for Fridays and so I gather things into a 7QT post.

    Ch 2 - Sometimes when I have nothing else to say I write one of my "Best of the Web" posts where I link to all the people who did have something to say. And people tend to like it.

    Ch 3 - People LOVED that post! You were so funny. The letter -I laugh every time I read the line about the letter. Also, I'm cringing to think that your brother and his bandmates may have seen the picture of me kissing Let's Be Still. Maybe they loved it? :/

    Ch 4 - Oh I would feel like such an ass.

    Ch 5 - I think of you as that woman. All the time.

    Ch 6 - What do you think of the land of mommy blogs? What are your hobbies? What do you find most attractive about Blythe now and what was it when you first met her?

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  3. I think you are awesome. That is all :)

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  4. re Ch uno- I set the bar low low low and feel extra special when I post twice a week. I think it's helpful to think about my audience, and, if I were reading my blog would I have the time to read more than that from a blogger in a week? My answer is a big fat naw. So I generally don't freak out even if I skip a whole week. But it's also good to note, that I tend to blog less when I notice myself feeling more teeth gnash-y toward the anklebiters. Anklebiters win, bloggylyfe sits in the backseat, always. Also: the wee hours into the night do me jus' fine.

    ch 2- I don't think you could ever really have "nothing" to blog about! Your readers want to know all about you. Sometimes the most well liked posts are not the ones we so carefully type with the deepest reaching insight (some of the ones I thought were sure winners did a big fat nosedive on the "like" scale), but instead, they're the ones where we quickly jot out a short memory or story explaining little details about our life. This post, for example, was fun to read. :)

    And oh the chiro! I've been forgetting to make an appointment for the last 5 years, and even though I was super into sports growing up, I have absolutely zero desire for any physical exertion. ever. again. no.

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  5. Which bandmate read the interview with Kennybear? Got my curiosity in a cackle.

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  6. Ch. 1- I don't really. Mostly, i have times when I *don't* blog. Like nights when hubs wants to hang or weekend nights. I really only blog after the kiddos go to bed because I am very very bad at self-discipline. So I have to stick to that or I will sit in blog land all day while my kids duke it out in the backyard/kitchen/possibly up the street because who's watching them anyway? Consequently, I only blog a few times a week. I shoot for 2, but since this pregnancy, I've only been hitting two on a regular basis.

    Ch. 2- Absofruitly. All. The. Time. I'm a sham and crock and good for nuthin'. Until I'm not, and then usually that's the Holy Spirit, anyway. So yeah. A sham.

    Ch. 3- I loved it. Laughed so so hard. My family is a bunch of amateur musicians. Well, my brothers are. I mostly pretend I can sing and the people who like me don't tell me otherwise. But anyway, I loved the interview and also the old post on visiting your brother that you linked to.

    Ch. 4- Dying. Dyyyyyyying. I just had my newly-board certified chiro brother (I have a lot of brothers) adjust me at Easter. I was all, sorry my feet are disgusting, dude. He was pretty chill about it, but then, I was wearing pants. Dying.

    Ch. 5- For Kirby: What's your favorite thing about Blythe? And who's your favorite child? JUST KIDDING! Don't answer that second question!

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    1. Ch. 1 should have said "I shoot for 3 (each week), but since this pregnancy, I've only been hitting 2..."

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  7. For Kirby: how did you come to embrace NFP and how has your relationship (from a man's point of view) changed since embracing it? Did you embrace it immediately when you converted, or did it happen gradually? How do you view your role and Blythe's role in your family and with regards to child rearing?

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  8. Ch1 I have to schedule my guest posts in advance or I will forget I have to do them and flake out on others! I usually have a post from the other blogs I can throw up if I'm tired. For my own blog, usually two a week in summer.
    ch2
    I would like to write more personal things sometimes,but that scares me a little. But then I wouldn't have to take so many photos. I do feel a little constrained by my sewing craft blogger niche. I have never gone more than a week without a blog post for almost four years. Wierd.

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  9. I would like a blog post on meeting and flirting with Justin Timberlake, As an over 40, happily married for 16 years, Catholic, semi-normal mother of three in Maine, I feel this episode in your life warrants further discussion. Did you ask him to dance for you? That is all.

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  10. word to a JT post! Were you like, "Hey Juu-stin, wanna go step on a disco ball?" and did he roll his eyes and say, "seƱorita, I feel for you." ?

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  11. I'm flexible on days, but I post at least 3 times per week. 1-2 linkups, 1-2 content, plus a party or current event post as necessary. I plan on writing 5 nights per week. I do all my writing at night. The kids need looking after, but also I can't concentrate on writing until it's quiet anyway. I tend comments and Facebook during the day, and make a meme as the inspiration strikes, but my writing happens after bedtime.

    I keep a running note on my iPad of post ideas, then when I sit down to write, I just pick the one I like best at that moment. I always start with the title. If I have a title I like, the whole thing just flows from there.

    When I get home, we need to get the kids together and hang out in front of a 7-11 with some wine. Or peep mojitos.

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    Replies
    1. We really do need to. We can be those ladies.

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    2. SORRY, DID SOMEONE SAY PEEP MOJITO

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  12. I heart your blog! :)

    Also, so random but is there a Lighthouse Catholic Media cd with a talk from your dad about keeping kids catholic? I was listening to it with my husband, and when your (maybe) dad mentioned being a former Protestant minister and then mentioned his daughter Blythe, I was all like "Blythe from the Fike Life"? If that's not your dad, that's definitely a crazy coincidence. If it is, your family is all sorts of famous! Also, if it is, that's one of my fave Lighthouse Catholic Media CDs... And that's saying something being my husband and I have listened to a LOT of them on road trips. Your (maybe) dad is a great speaker!

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  13. You've got lots of stuff to write about!: Your life as a pop star (with a video!) , link up to how you homeschool, what does the hypothetical life of an orderly parking lot wine drinking lady look like? Because that's the dream: The perfect balance of fun, chaos, and order!


    I liked the interview with your brother! My favorite part: when he said," But that feeling is the best. To create something, and all be able to share it, and love it equally." That's how I feel about all my boys and probably why I have so many of them.



    Questions for everyone's favorite Catholic Latino Leader aka Senor Kirby:
    What does he think about your blog going Big Time? What did he want to be when he grew up? What part (if any) of his current life looks like the one he imagined for himself? Favorite thing about being Catholic? Best thing about having a large family? Does he miss anything about being an Evangelical Christian? Favorite saint? If he had a blog, what would it be about?

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  14. I have plenty of times when I can't think of one possible thing to blog about at all. And two days later I can think of five posts but I have no time to sit at a computer. It's normal, I think. The inspiration likes to come and go at random....

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  15. Hey, cool, we were going to head to a Marriage Encounter for our 8th anniversary in August, but your hilarious interview totally made me spend the dough on H&tH tix for that weekend instead. Thanks, you are the bestest! (Should we tell Kenny we are stalkers from the Catholic mommy blog network? Or will our six trillion children be a dead giveaway?)

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