F2F: Carrie With Children

Happy Friday!

Today, meet Carrie. A former PR professional, now a full-time stay-a-home mommy to a toddler and a sweet infant.

Blog? Carrie with Children

When was your blog born - and why?
I still consider myself a newbie to the blogosphere. I started my site at the end of September 2010 to share the story of my daughter Molly, who was born with Down syndrome. After about a week of blogging, I realized I was hooked and my site has now evolved into so much more than just a special needs blog - I'm enjoying sharing/learning parenting tips, meeting other parents and sharing my opinions on products and hosting giveaways too!

Carrie With Children can also be found on TWITTER and FACEBOOK

The writer behind the words - list 5 adjectives that describe you.
Friendly, Stubborn (or so my husband says), Positive, Procrastinator and Gullible

Something that recently made you laugh?
Santa brought my oldest daughter, Maggie a play kitchen and a chef costume for Christmas. I laugh at (and with) her daily while we "eat" the food she's cooked. I love that she gets really excited about wearing the chef outfit, complete with the chef hat too! I always get the giggles playing kitchen with her because I'm constantly trying to cleanup all the "food" that she's thrown on the ground and just as fast as I can pick it up, she's making a mess again. Ah, the life of a two-year old!

A favorite photo? I love this picture of my girls.

I'm biased, but they are just so happy and cute together! Maggie is so interested in her little sister and very anxious to play with her. Maggie is a little chatterbox and is always "talking" to her sister. I hope they grow to be the best of friends.

If you had 2 hours of pure "me" time, what would you do?
As the mom of two-year old Maggie and seven month old Molly, I'd be selfish and probably sleep all two hours. There are so many other productive things I should probably do with that time...but a mom never gets enough sleep and I could definitely use some time to catch up!

Remember me

A letter from Mom
April 2021

My lovely Amelia,

I cannot believe you are officially a teenager. You have grown up so fast, and I am so proud of the young lady you have become. You are intelligent, capable, and friendly - with that spunky gleam in your eye we first noticed within moments of your birth.

The next few years will be a whirlwind. You will soon enter high school, meet new friends, develop your interests, and begin to mold yourself into the person you want to be. If you ever need an extra boost or simply a hand to hold, remember me.

When you were almost three years old, I was your world. You held my hand wherever we walked. You insisted on sitting next to me at every meal. You kissed me goodbye before bouncing into your preschool classroom to play with your friends. Now, we don't kiss goodbye. I wouldn't dream of embarrassing you in front of your friends. But if you are ever feeling down or lonely, just remember me.

Your father and I joke with you about staying away from boys, but we do look fondly towards the day (several years from now!) when you meet the right guy. You are an amazing and strong person, and one day you will find someone who will treat you with respect and look at you with love forever. As you venture into the world of dating, you will meet different types of guys. Never sell yourself short - you deserve only the best. And if you ever suffer a broken heart, don't forget to remember me. As I tended your cuts & scrapes as a child, I will provide whatever you need in times of sadness.

We don't have to get along all the time. We don't have to be friends. It is a mother's job to help her child gain independence and eventually let her bird fly free. As I let you go physically, never forget that you are always tied to my heart. No matter what happens in your life, I will stand ready to support you.

In times of joy, remember me.

In times of self doubt, remember me.

In times of fear, remember me.

In times of anxiousness, remember me.

In the pain of defeat, remember me.

In moments of victory, remember me.

I will be your mother forever. And you will never have to traverse this world alone.


I love you forever and always,
-Mom

Wordless Wednesday: Sisters

"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost."
~Marion C. Garretty

Orange furniture... must be 1978

What I hate about blogging

My blog was born just over a year ago. It began as an outlet through which I might extract the feelings from my heart and release them into the world. And shortly thereafter, I let ego and ambition get the best of me. I had a vision of making my blog something marketable, something through which I could get money and products.

That is where I went wrong.

In a recent post, "the age of me", I described blogging as a narcissist's dream. Most of us like to write about ourselves, our kids, our lives. Many of us think that our stories are amusing and worth a quick read. Myself included - I love writing about my life as a part-time worker and full-time mom. I love interacting with people who share my perspective as well as those who can open my eyes to a totally new one.

But what I hate most about blogging? The shameless self-promotion. There are so many blogs that reek of desperation. Have you ever seen one of the top successful bloggers post 23 "follow me and I'll follow you back" comments through a blog hop? Um, I don't think so.

One of the big-time bloggers, someone I truly admire, recently asked a question on Facebook. She asked, "What are your favorite parenting blogs? I need some good examples. (feel free to pimp yourself!)". Clearly, many commenters read only those last five words. Many of the comments were simply links to their own blogs.

"Me!"
"Mine!"
"Here!"
I don't see how that helped answer the question at hand.

What makes a good blog? Confidence. A true voice. Writing in such a way that readers can physically feel your emotion. Being a real person. Someone to identify with. Quality writing. Entertainment.

Sure, I can click the follow button and become a Google follower to a hundred blogs. Do I ever have to actually read those blogs? Nah. I can click that button and never come back again. I can follow you on Twitter in an attempt to win a prize, just to un-follow you later because I don't really care about six giveaways and four fabulous product reviews every week. Companies lean on these numbers to decide which bloggers are "worthy" of their free samples. But personally, I think those numbers are easily skewed and tell nothing about the quality of a blog (and I buy media for a living!). I don't care how great your blog is, I will stop coming back if it is a never-ending commercial.

On the flip side, I know there is a market for giveaways and reviews. I'm sure thousands of people like to click follow buttons and win prizes. I won a few prizes myself, and it's very exciting. There is a big audience for this kind of blog. And if you get enjoyment out of that, then more power to you.

MY blog?
Isn't about that. My blog is about whatever I want it to be. Whatever I feel, think, or want to show the world. I am not a professional writer. I was never an English major. I do not agonize for hours to perfect a blog post. I just like to write.  I simply regurgitate the words swirling in my brain and the feelings in my heart.

Will I never do a review again? I didn't say that... but I will limit this aspect of blogging. I don't want to do it just to receive something for free or to boost some numbers that really don't mean anything.
I am not going to do this for numbers.

I am not going to do it for free products.

I will do it for the love of expression. For the chance to interact with some fabulous people. As something my own mother can read and be proud of. As stress relief.

So, follow me if you want. But if you don't? That is okay too.

There - I said it.

A Zoo-riffic Adventure!

After more than a month of cold temperatures and gray skies, the SUN CAME OUT!

The forecast predicted a high temperature of 64. They were wrong... it ended up reaching 70 degrees! What a wonderful, gorgeous day.


The Atlanta area doesn't get much bad winter weather (our January snowpocalypse was shocking!), but our months are very gray. Clearly, the sun has a winter home in south Florida. After weeks of depression-inducing weather blahs, when that first sunny day hits Atlanta, the people head outdoors. The nearby parks were so crowded, it looked like ants pouring out of an anthill.

We knew we had to relish the incredible day as well. We took Amelia on her very first trip to the zoo! This was a huge event for such an animal lover. And she was at a perfect age. She kept her eyes wide with wonder and a spring in her step as we discovered meerkats and lemurs, snakes and gila monsters, panda bears and lions.

In true Amelia fashion (and with typical loud preschooler volume), she kept the commentary running the entire time.



"Woah, those are the biggest I've ever seen!"



"He was scratching his bum! What's his name? Oh, Ivan! Hi Ivan! You have an itch on your bum!?!"

 

"Panda bear! Snacktime for panda bear! Hey, Mommy! She said he is three! When it's my birthday party, I will be three! Hey bear... Amelia is three too!!!"



"He's so funny! It's a tired sleepy day! Hey kangaroo... WAKE UP!!!!"

"It's OK baby elephant... your daddy isn't here? Oh, he's at work. He will be home soon! Shhh, baby elephant. It's OK. You'll be fine. Shhhh, shhhh."

And a silent Amelia in the middle of the path. She did not want to go home.

Animal Lovers

As a kid, I loved my stuffed animals. The shelves in my bedroom were loaded with a menagerie of furry little creatures. Somewhere in the late 1980s, I got my very own camera. A skinny pink camera with 110-size film. I loved taking photos. And what better subject matter than my very own animals?

I posed them in my bedroom,

 

and in the backyard.



I even created photo shoots for my real animals. My living and breathing dwarf rabbits, 

Hops-A-Lot:
 

and Nibbles:


Many people declare that Amelia is a little mini-me. She has my cheeks. She has my spunk. And she most definitely shares my love for animals.

She used to hug the cat (whether he liked it or not).



Even with the stuffed ones, she has so much love to give.



She has animal tea parties,



and preschool "circle time".



Animals of every kind - stuffed with fluff, on the television, or alive on a farm - are both a wonder and a delight.

  

This weekend, we may go to the ZOO!

Friends 2 Follow Friday: Ballerina Babies

Welcome back to another Friends 2 Follow Friday! Can you believe it is already the last Friday in January? The year 2011 is already one month down.

I'm mixing it up a little bit today. I'm not featuring a semi-famous mommy/parenting blogger. I'm featuring an entrepreneurial crafty mom and her adorable Ballerina Babies Boutique.

Please LIKE the Ballerina Babies Boutique Facebook page to support a crafty mom. 

Describe your store/products.

Ballerina Babies Boutique sells handmade tutus and hair bows. My tutus are made of yards and yards of soft, fluffy tulle that is hand tied onto your choice of elastic or ribbon. They can be made in any size and color combination of your choice. My hair bows are boutique style, and are hand sewn together to ensure stability. They also come in your choice of color and style.


How did you get started making or selling these products?

I decided to sell tutus because when I was little I had a tutu that I wore ALL the time. It made me happy and I wanted to pass that happiness onto my daughter. The look of joy on a little girl's face when she's twirling around without a care in the world is priceless, and knowing that I was able to help create that joy makes it even better. I decided to sell hair bows because I just love them! They are a great addition to any outfit and they also look great with tutus!

(Photos from Christopher Scott Photography)


And by the way...  Eden is one of my online mommy friends, sharing in the joys and drama of raising an almost-three-year-old girl. Learn more about my online mommy group from a past post: Did I Just Say That?