Happy Birthday to the Mommy Quack!
Yesterday was the first anniversary of my blog. It’s hard to believe I have stuck with a hobby for a year. I tried to scrapbook and I couldn’t crop a picture or put cute little stickers, excuse me, embellishments where they belonged. I tried yoga but I laughed too hard during the names of the poses. I’ve never bothered with Bunko or Bridge games either because once in 5th grade a group of kids conspired to get me out of a round of “Heads Up! Seven Up!” and ever since then I just don’t like games at all. Despite my lack of well-rounded hobbies, here I am-still blogging! That is a wow right there.
My blog came to me while I was driving down New Garden Road in Greensboro, North Carolina. How bizarre that I was in that location. Who said you can’t go home again? Before you start a blog, naming it is everything. I don’t think I would read anything called “My Perfect Child.” Don’t do it people.
What is the coolest thing that has happened since I started blogging? Well, it is silly, but I did have a company send me free bath products after I posted about giving my kids a bath.I still buy the Elmo foam soap; it smells great and it doesn’t break them out. No, the company is not paying me to say that.
The second coolest thing was becoming part of Autisable. Those people really care about autism and while I don’t write about it all the time, it is cool when my voice is heard by more people than the ones that come here. Just don’t forget that blogs are not medical counseling. I’d still ask an expert before I did anything crazy. I can tell people my daughter really benefited from the Letter Factory DVD, but that doesn’t mean every single child will. I would love to write more about autism, but I have to go to the grocery store, fold laundry, grade papers, read vampire novels, you get the idea.
Where do I find the time? Where does anyone find the time to do anything they want to do? You have to set your time. Unless something ridiculous happens that I have to share, I am a once a week blogger. I have friends that blog daily and I have friends that write short blogs. I can’t do that. I tell myself that once a week is fine. During the summer months, it is probably once every ten days as I am not attached to my computer as much as I am during the school year.
One of my goals for the new blogging year is to work on my bells and whistles. My blog isn’t as fancy as other ones. While I think that my words can hold their own, it is neat to work on all the little things that are possible. The more I practice, the cooler it will get. Wait a minute-is blogging cool? I don’t know as I have never been cool in my life.
Before you start a blog, ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” My original answer would have been that my Harry Potter essays were never accepted on Mugglenet, so I created my own place to publish whatever I wanted to write. Showed those kids, didn’t I? I’m not kidding. I need to post more of those essays. My blogging topics have branched out since then. I write about a lot of different things. Like I said, be careful because no one wants to read a blog called “My perfect child.” Not to mention that a blog about hemorrhoids and your special treatments for them might get some gags and/or laughs. But then again, there might be a group of people out there with serious intestinal problems that need your expertise. Use your best judgment.
The last thing to say is this: no one else has lived your life. You bring all of it to your blog. You bring it to whatever you do. So there is no reason why someone who wants to blog shouldn’t start. I could write a post about going to the zoo and so could one hundred other people and they would all be different and worth reading by someone.
The Quack will probably never own a sewing machine or play golf. I don’t see myself making jewelry or quilting. I would like a garden some day and I am getting really good at running. But of all the hobbies I never had, I hope this one stays around. Aren’t you glad I didn’t start ceramics?
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PLEASE don’t anyone get upset by the word crazy. No one is crazy except me. I write tongue and cheek but always feel a need to explain myself. Happy Birthday to me. And I didn’t write in my general blog that this year I went from one child on the spectrum to two. I really need you guys more than ever! Thanks for being there. -Page the Quack.