So daunting, staring at a screen, coming up with your first official “blog”.  Do I be funny?  Inspiring?  Sarcastic?  (Oh wait, that last one will just come organically to all posts.)

SO.MUCH.PRESSURE!

What inspires me to write?  I can’t say what one thing makes me sit down and start typing.  Periodically I just have ideas rattling around in my head that are clamoring to get out.  So, the blog gives me a vehicle to do just that – and if others read ’em and enjoy ’em, great, and if not, at least I’ve silenced the voice in my head that’s nagging me to write (the voice that constantly reminds me about the M&Ms in the pantry NEVER shuts up.  EVER.  Not even when fed.)

I do enjoy reading other blogs – some quite popular (Mommy Shorts, Snarky in the Suburbs, Scary Mommy are faves) and some from friends (OnHavingOvaries – yes, you, Alison; and Sievers Stories from Tracy, one of Katie’s teachers).   I don’t know what it is about reading those snippets out of another woman’s life – maybe just the commonality and the amazing beauty of it all – the giggles, the snuggles, the late nights, the worry, the puke, the heartache – all of it.  Motherhood is a sisterhood, cliche but true.

I do have to say a big fat THANK YOU to my dear spouse, Skippy (he’s made me promise not to call him “hubs”, so here I’ve done it once and I’m done).  He bought me a laptop for Christmas as encouragement to write.  He’s  also official tech support – while WordPress has some pretty exhaustive templates and tools, he’s figured out the whole hosting thing, he’s working the best way for y’all to log comments, and he’s messing around with the different tools and stuff here in WP – all of the junk that would drive me batty in about two minutes and have me cursing at my screen.   He started the framework and picked out the initial picture on the front page, and it was Skip who put “and crap about Skippy” in the banner.  I think that makes him fair game for future blogs, no?   Also, since he’s my tech support, if you have problems with the site you need to talk to Skippy, not me.

And thanks to Heather for suggesting “Jen’s Pen” and my friends who encouraged me … I just hope I don’t disappoint y’all!

Not sure how often I’ll be on here … whenever I need to appease the voices in my head, I guess!

TTFN,

Jen