Guest Blogger: Lauren

Hi friends! I'm up in Seattle having a lovely time with my Lil' Sis and cleaning up a never ending stream of J's vomit. Seriously, the carseat has never received this much cleaning. On multiple days too. Meanwhile, a couple friends were willing to write some guest posts for me this week. I happily introduce my friend Lauren from My Dot Calm. She is an adventurous mother of three with a lovely sense of humor. Her blog reminds me to enjoy even some of the terrible motherhood moments (like when your child pukes 3 times on the way back from Mt. Ranier, but at least you can make lots of jokes about her being naked under pink peacoat). I'm so happy to have Lauren here so leave her some comment love!


This is the first time I've ever been asked to guest blog. I have to admit it kind of makes me feel like I've made it. Ya know, guest blogging = total big time. But I really am honored that Geneva would ask me to write a post for her blog. I started reading her blog back before it was Hazardous Undertakings and laughed myself silly at the funny things her junior high students said. Now I just read in awe at her ability to make a crap load of fabric flowers for weddings. I do not think my fingers are capable of such feats!

 Anyways, she told me to write about anything I wanted. Which really stumped me at first. I really have no clue why anyone reads my blog, but I hear from people all the time that they love reading it, and I absolutely love writing it - so I do. But writing for someone else's blog? What can I say?

 I once gave birth in a kiddie pool in my apartment. I could write about that, but I write about that a lot. And besides if I told you that then you might think I don't wash my hair and Occupy places.

 I started running barefoot. Like actually barefoot. No "barefoot shoes" or anything and I LOVE it. I finally love running and have run miles the past few weeks. I could write about that, but then you would definitely think I don't wash my hair and spend my time Occupying space.

 So what to write, what to write. Well I have been wanting to write about blogging. So I think that it was what I shall do. A blog about blogging, if you will.

 I have kept my current blog since 2007, and it contains 526 posts. Before that I had a livejournal which I also updated almost daily. Before that I was part of this awesome site made by some tech savy friends called Digital Goulash. We all posted occasionally, updating each other on our lives as we each left for college. And even before that, I'm talking circa 2000-2001 here, I had an online diary on a website called Diaryland. So basically I could say I've been blogging for over ten years. Oh yeah, so before it was cool. I just love to write. It literally keeps me sane. Well I guess that's debatable - the whole me being sane thing.

 I have several friends who have blogs but they rarely update them. They usually say they don't have the time, or don't know what to say. The truth is - if you really want to do it you will find time. I think this is true with anything in life. We don't have time for things we don't really enjoy. But we still have time to check Facebook, or make a quilt, or paint a picture, or whatever it is. Because you enjoy it. If you don't like writing, you probably won't update your blog very often. Not because you don't have time, but let's be real, because you don't enjoy it. So don't beat yourself up over it. That gets you no where.

 However, if one day you find yourself wanting to write, write. Don't let the fact that you haven't written anything in the past 6 months stop you. You don't need to catch up on every single thing your child has done since your last post. Just start where you are.

 I love writing. I always looked forward to writing papers in school. It was never hard for me to write. Occasionally I'd have some writer's block, but once I started writing the words would come easily. Same with my blog. It is quite literally my therapy. When I feel totally crazy and like I'm losing my mind, I sit down and let my fingers start typing. The words seem to appear on the screen and I read them as I'm typing out the insane scenes that had just unfolded in my life.

 I have three kids who wake up each morning and compete with each other to see who's going to make mommy go crazy first. I'm convinced this is true. The best part of having a blog is when they are all doing their best to make me nuts, all I can think about is what great material they are giving me for my blog. Sometimes right in the middle of their craziness I will open my laptop and start typing away.

 I love capturing moments this way. They are there, seemingly forever. Moments that would be otherwise forgotten get to live on forever in cyber space. I recently changed my blog title and merged my old blog with my new blog. During this transition I read a lot of my old posts. It is so fun to go back and relive those moments I had completely forgotten about. 


 Perhaps you don't write because you feel like you don't have anything to say that anyone will care about. Allow me to let you in a little secret. As much I love to write I love to read other peoples blogs. I love to read whatever random ramblings they have going on. If someone links to you from their blog that I read I promise you I have read your blog. I am constantly reading blogs. It is probably an addiction and I should look into therapy. But I know I am not alone in this. People love you. They want to know what's going on in your head. So don't let that thought of thinking no one cares about what you have to say stop you from writing. Even if no one reads it - write it for you. 


 My blog doesn't have hundreds of followers, or tons of comments on every post, and I've never made money from my writing. That's not why I write. I write because I enjoy it. I write because it's cheaper than therapy. I write because I like making people laugh. I write because I want to remember every thing I can about this stage of life with all my little children. The fact that people read it and tell me that they enjoy it, is only icing on the cake to me. Of course icing is the best part of the cake... so ya know feel free to comment on this post, or email me. Ya know whatever, just sayin'. Now stop reading this blog and go write a post of your own!