I am humbled today. I posted an article yesterday about not saying “Good job” to  your child.  I have read this article several times over the years as a training-teacher, a “real” teacher, as a mom and now as a blogger and I felt it was important to share. I have received more comments, more “likes” and more feedback on this one particular post than any other.  This humbles me.  And it got me to thinking. How the heck did I end up in this place called “blogging” anyway?

I remember watching an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” where a patient was a blogger. She couldn’t make a decison without writing about it and getting feedback from her readers. I remember thinking at the time how silly blogging was.  Why would anyone do that?  Who would read it?  Well, little did I know what my future held.  Little did I know that I would one day be a blogger myself.

I suppose it makes sense. The path I took to get here that is.  I was a teacher for many years. I taught children ages 3-8, but spent most of my time teaching with 6 and 7 year olds. I “retired” when I found out I was pregnant with my first son. My dream had always been to be a stay-at-home mom. Some find that old-fashioned. To me, it was (and is) ideal. I love, love, love being a stay-home-mom and find it is a thousand times more challenging (and rewarding) than teaching 18 students.  I was fortunate enough to become pregnant again and had another son. Life continued on as usual for a few years. We had playdates, doctors appointments, birthday parties, family trips, out-of-town visitors, music classes, swim lessons and eventually preschool.  Then a little over a year ago, my husband’s job was moved to Sydney, AU for three years and we moved.

As you can imagine, once here, I was a bit lost and lonely.  Being a stay-at-home mom in your own home town is one thing, but to do it on the other side of the globe in a time zone when everyone you know is asleep or awake when you are not, is a whole different ballgame.  So, I began a blog. This blog served three purposes: 1) to document our time here 2) to share our adventures with our friends and family back home and 3) to help me feel connected to people back home. I cannot tell you how much those comments on my posts meant to me at that time.

So a year+ has passed since we arrived in AU. We have done all the touristy things, explored every inch of the city, gone to every playground and found every Starbucks within walking distance. 🙂 And life suddenly became just that- everyday life. Normalcy.  No fantastic adventures. Things that once were new and exciting, were just part of everyday life.  So my blogging for friends and family slowly began to fizzle. I still write a bit when something exciting happens, but there is not much to say that hasn’t been said in terms of our adventures. Of course, there are always wonderful kid stories to tell!

Then my son started “kindy” and was beginning to read and write. The teacher in me was re-awakened. I began teaching my son and using the methods and activities I used when teaching.  I felt alive again! I felt that my brain had been turned back on after 5 years of infanthood and toddlerhood.  I still had it!  But now, this time, instead of doing it all behind the closed door of my classroom, I wanted to share it. Share it with whoever would listen and whoever cares.  And that is how Boy Mama Teacher Mama came to be. That is how I landed in this place called “blogging.”

Now I am here and I love it. I love the challenge of coming up with new ideas or reinventing the tried and true. I love putting it down in words and pictures and pressing the “publish” button. I love turning on my computer in the morning and seeing the comments and “likes” from (literally) around the world.  I feel whole again.

Strangely enough, through blogging I have “met” an amazing number of gifted and strong women who like me love their children, love creating and sharing and love blogging.  I never, in a million years would have imagined that I am in the place I am now. But I am here and I am going to keep on creating, inventing, sharing and of course, blogging.  This is going to be quite a ride! Glad you are all here to keep me company along the way.

© Boy Mama Teacher Mama 2012

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