Back it up, back it up, back it up!

Here’s what happens when you have nil in the way of IT knowledge and your only skill in HTML is how to bold everything or cut and paste a cute and glittery graphic onto Facespace. You lose stories of the daily grind with your Beans. You will have to sift through memories to recall the funny one-liners that toddlers tend to say while they are learning that pooping on the toilet is a good thing.

The pictures are somewhere on my faithful but failing laptop, but the words are gone. Not that I penned anything earth shattering. To be honest, I think it was mostly photos, as December was a blur of activity and concentrating on enjoying the first Christmas that the Beans could actually get excited for.

This wouldn’t have happened had I kept a baby journal the traditional way, or knew even a little bit about scrapbooking. Thankfully, I’m only missing a month or so. Lesson learned. #%$^$%@ technology!

$@#$%#%# Technology!!!

I know, I know. Where did December go? Out with the Christmas tree, apparently. I’m working on it, but if anyone can give me advice on how to recover lost posts after switching servers, I’ll buy you a drink!

Blog Love

I’ve mentioned before that I initially started this blog and its predecessor in order to keep my sisters and my sister-in-law updated on my pregnancy and afterwards the milestones and developments of the Beans, so that they would feel a part of the Beans’ life, even though they are miles away.

Along the way, I’ve learned a trick or two about html, I’ve found favorite writers and even developed a small but loyal following. And, I’ve been presented with wonderful awards that let me know I am loved! Yippee and hooray!

As I believe in karma, I also believe that these amazing women are more deserving of the awards that have been bestowed upon me.

So, to Amanda, Deb and Shawn, I give you the Excellent Blog award. The title speaks for itself.

Rock-A-Bye Your Bear, Bean Style

This morning I happened to be avoiding work, like any other day, so I decided to drop in on one of my favorite blogs of all time to see what those sweet little sisters and their wonderful momma were up to and lo and behold…they’re dancing! And for shoes!

Woo hoo! A contest that combines two of the Beans’ favorite things: dancing and shoes?? We’re so totally in!

Baby Loves Disco and Stride Rite are giving away shoes to the winner, so yet again, I’m offering my Beans up for public humiliation. If you can get through the dizziness of their circling the (messy) living room, you can see the Beans shaking their groove thing to their favorite group, The Wiggles:

And get on over to Parent Bloggers to dance for shoes!

Other Mommas

One of my favorite pastimes is reading the blogs of other mommas. I love reading blogs in general, but I hold a special place in my heart for the “with children” crowd. It’s something that I’ve not been able to do very often lately, as work has kept me away (the audacity!) and summer brings barbeques, visiting relatives and much needed vacations. But it is something that I need to do. It’s not unlike shopping, as it is a form of therapy for me. Reading about the daily lives of mothers out there who are experiencing similar emotions and going through familiar milestones validates my own feelings about motherhood and the journey that I take with my Beans daily.

Sometimes I am jealous of the eloquence of the writers out there in the blog world and covet the words that seem to pour so easily out of their keyboards and onto their pages. “That’s how I feel!” I think quite often. I just don’t know how to say it the right way. And, sometimes I am brought to tears by what I am reading. But all the time I am grateful to have your writing to reflect on my own joy that often is too overwhelming for the words in my head.

So, I will try to read a little more and comment too. I truly appreciate the feedback from friends, family and (not so) strangers. If you’d like, take a look at the links to the left, full of some of my favorite momma (and daddy) writers in the blogosphere. And, if you have a favorite, please share it with me.

Mothers make me cry.

Or, “Why I cringe whenever Pie touches my tattoo, just imagining the day that she tells me she has one herself.”

Amanda D, “Still Mine.”

Come Out! Come Out! Wherever you are!

I know you’re there. I see that little pink number below growing everyday. Most of you are relatives or friends, but some of you are lurkers (and I know who some of you are!!) so won’t you please honor National De-lurking Week and throw me a bone? If you de-lurk here, I’ll de-lurk there! I promise!

Whaddaya think?

Like my new digs?

It was a Christmas present to myself and part of the reason I haven’t been around recently.

Thanks to Stacy for the nudge and Emily for her patience and vision!

I’m still getting used to this new format, so please bear with me!