Thursday, September 23, 2010
Mommy of a Monster (and twins!)
Today we meet Natalie, mommy of three. Like me, she is new to the blogging scene. But she's come a long way really quickly! I'm a fan for sure.
Blog name?
Mommy of a Monster (I Mean Toddler) and Infant Twins.
When I started my blog, I was having an extremely difficult time with my 2-1/2 year old son (the monster) and my twins were about 6 months old. That's where the title came from.
To be honest, I need to think about changing my title because my twins are toddlers now, too. People know me as "mommy of a monster" so I won't change that, but I may change it to "Mommy of a Monster and Twins". We'll see!
The writer behind the words? My name is Natalie. I'm 36 years old and have been a SAHM since my son was born 3 years ago. My son turned three in August, and my twin girls turned a year old in August.
I love reading, writing, cooking, gardening, and wine. Spending time with family is extremely important to me, and we do a lot of it. Since I started blogging, I hardly ever have time to read books anymore, and I miss it.
When (& why) did you start the blog? I started blogging in mid-March 2010, so I've been at it for about 6 months now. I'm having a blast and plan on continuing to blog. In fact, I'm attending Bloggy Boot Camp in San Diego in March, and I'm hoping to attend Blogher 2011 in San Diego next August!
I started blogging because my friend Tonya created her blog (Letters for Lucas) before the birth of her son, Lucas (he's 15 months old now). I started reading her blog, and thought it was a really cool idea. Prior to reading her blog, I had never read a blog before, and didn't even understand what they were! And I never read any other blogs besides hers until after I started my own blog and decided that I wanted to grow it.
When I started my blog, I had no idea how much I loved to write - or that anybody would actually enjoy reading it! Now I blog to keep a day-to-day record of my children's childhoods, to record memories of mine and my husband before they're forgotten, and as a creative outlet for me.
When is your little one most like a monster? And what is most effective for you at those times? My son is most like a monster when we are paying attention to the girls instead of him. That's when he seems to act out the most. The most effective method we have come across to get him to settle down is to just including him in whatever it is we are doing...making him a part of it. Asking for his help and for him to "show" his sisters how to do things (like putting blocks together).
We're also having some issues with him not wanting to share. That one just started, and we're trying to figure out how to deal with it in the most effective manner.
Name one thing that surprised you about parenthood. I think the thing that surprised me most is that there is so much trial and error. I ask for a lot of help from friends and family that have older children. What works for their kids doesn't necessarily work for mine. And what works for one of my children doesn't necessarily work for them all.
That and the fact that I am no longer the center of my life. "Me time" is rare and treasured. I don't get to do whatever/whenever/however I want!
What does "balance" mean to you? I'm still trying to figure this out. Having three little ones ages three and one is difficult. Life is not full of balance right now - it's full of chaos. Hubby and I are really working on making time for us, because right now our lives revolve completely around the kids. But we don't want to lose our relationship, and we both realize that we have to put time and effort into it now more than ever.
All that being said, "balance" is learning how to be a mom, wife, daughter, sister, and friend all at the same time, and all without losing yourself.
If you had two hours of pure "me" time, what would you do? Read! In peace and quiet! I'd lay in my bed in my pj's with a glass of wine and a book. Ah, heaven!
@mommyofamonster on Twitter