We're back.
Welcome.
After some much-needed time away and quite a bit of introspection, discussion, and processing, we are ready to blog again. I still don't think I can explain why we/I felt like we needed a break, but as I said previously it was a lot of things all at once. The best I can explain it is to say that I started blogging 3 years ago just for fun. I didn't think people would read it, it was just a journal for two newlyweds. We weren't planning on having a child so soon, but that really upped the sheer number of posts. People in our lives wanted to see photos and read the stories of the moments that they couldn't personally witness due to time or distance. As you know, though, we're a quirky bunch over here so sometimes our little family blog includes some things that are different from the norm and so as the posts increased, so did our apprehension as we tried to share the how's and why's of what we do around here. Just like everyone, we want to be understood and that gets difficult when who we are and what we do aren't necessarily considered "normal". As the blog took form, the number of readers grew. That wasn't expected, especially since I was taking precautions to make it as private as possible.
During the break, a lot of people have taken the time to tell me that they love the blog and support what we do. They have mentioned that reading about our different lifestyle is intriguing and inspiring. I am so thankful for those people.
There has also been mention that maybe it isn't the content, but the delivery that irks people. I get that. So, moving forward I wanted to make a few things clear.
1. I know you're out there. It's impossible for me to know who everyone is that reads the blog, but I know how many there are, what city you live in, what browser you use. (I use multiple stats counters for this, full disclosure.) One other thing I know for certain is that ya'll don't like to comment. I get that. Some people want to remain anonymous. But as long as I'm doing all the talking, you can expect to only hear one viewpoint, and that is my own. Sorry. That's how a blog works. I know that there are hundreds of you that visit each day, and I don't know who you are let alone what you believe or how you live. I might say something that offends you and if that is the case, please know that I don't intend that. I can't filter for everyone, you know. If there is an issue, question, concern, or maybe you like (gasp) what you see here, you can comment, email, etc. You know the drill.
2. I am not perfect.
Read that again.
I know that I act like I have it all together and that we parent just so, and that may give the impression that we get it right 100% of the time.
Smoke and mirrors. Smoke and mirrors.
Anyone who knows my wonderful birth plans for Owen knows that parenting has a lot of moving parts and it's impossible- yes, IMPOSSIBLE- to get it right all the time. Heck, it's hard to get it "right" half the time! When I talk about our eco-friendly lifestyle, our vegan diet, our parenting choices (discipline, potty training, education, cloth diapering) I know it can seem like I think we've got it ALL figured out and that we are SO perfect (in our eyes). That is so not true. If anything, the blog is a place for me to remind myself what our values are so that we can try harder next time.
We fail. All the time. Everyday.
That is what it is like to be a parent- you fail, you figure it out, and you are more mindful of it next time. If anything, when I come across as somehow better-than-thou it is only because after a lot of research and discussions with my husband/others, we have found a solution that works for us and I am excited about it! That is not to say that it would work for you or your family, but I would encourage you to do your own research, have your own debates, be mindful of your own choices and why you make them. I'm not always trying to convince you to do things as we do, but rather to offer an alternative way of thinking about things. A good friend recently told me that my blogging about our very alternative lifestyle makes it seem more mainstream, even if she doesn't feel the desire to make the same choices.
Amen.
3. (this one is just a tip, but useful as we move forward.) Have I mentioned how wonderful Google Reader is? I use mine to aggregate all the feeds that I like to keep an eye on each day. I read over 100 blogs (only the relevant posts, not each and every one) so I like to have them all in one place. However, even if you don't read that many, or maybe you just read mine, Reader is still useful for you. Here's why: I retroactively date my posts so that things are dated with the exact/approximate time and day that they actually occurred. This isn't usually a problem but sometimes I go back and post something that happened a few weeks ago, thus it gets buried behind newer posts. If you just check the blog and read based on what's at the top of the page, you'd miss a LOT of content. No good! A reader would put those things in your feed as I publish them so you'd never miss a post. If you need more help setting up a Reader account, let me know.
4. Finally, I am almost certain that everyone who knows us knows that we are opinionated, we do a lot of research, and we are people of strong conviction. I am less certain, but hopeful that everyone who knows us knows that we are kind, caring, loving, and fair people who don't degrade others for their lifestyle choices. We're still not perfect, but please try to keep this in mind as you read.
5. Go back and read #2.
That being said, I'm ready to blog again.
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