Category Archives: blog nosh

Light my fire

By December, I have to have completed 30 hours of continuing education to maintain my national certification as a Speech-Language Pathologist.  I’ve had several years to complete this, but since I’ve not worked since before Carson was born and conferences are quite expensive, I have NO hours completed.

Every few weeks when I get my national orgazination‘s newspaper, I suddenly remember those incomplete hours, panic, then get distracted by the dishwasher or screaming children and promptly forget all about it until a few weeks later when I get the mail, and there sits my national organization’s newspaper.

Before the kids were born, I always said I’d go back to work once the kids were in school.  I’d work in a school and be gone the same hours they would be gone, it would be easy!  There are two more years before Carson and Ella will be in school five days a week and I’m not really sure I even want to work as an SLP again.  I’m not really sure I want to work at a traditional job, away from home, having to take sick days and do laundry in the evenings.

I can’t decide if I should get those continuing education hours completed just in case.  What if I make the wrong decision and regret not maintaining my certification?   I would feel guilty for the potential waste of my hard-earned and expensive (thanks Mom and Dad!) Master’s Degree.

Last February I attended Blissdom in Nashville and left there completely inspired to start my own business.  I told everyone who would listen that I was starting a business.  As soon as I got home, I bought the domain name for my business, set up a twitter account, made lists, and spoke with a few contacts.   I started doing some research regarding business set-up, legal issues, and business accounting procedures.  Reality set in that my really great idea would take work, it would take money, and I became overwhelmed and scared.

I have done nothing to see my business come to fruition since those few weeks after Blissdom.  Voices of self-doubt have filled my head.  “You could never really do this, you know.  You have no business sense.  You’ll fail.”

I don’t know what it is that I want to do, other than I know that I want to do something with my future.  Even when my kids are in school, I’ll always be a mother and have those responsibilities to fulfill, but I know that I want to do more.   It’s just that knowing all the work that will go into getting those 30 hours to maintain my certification or starting my business has left me paralyzed and unable to even get started.

Blog Nosh Magazine is currently hosting a carnival, Celebrate the Heart and Art of Motherhood.  The carnival was inspired by the founder of Pepperidge Farm, Margaret Rudkin, who faced her son’s food allergies and started a business as a result.  I’ve read every post submitted and I’ve been inspired all over again that I really could start a business or maybe even think out of the box in terms of continuing as an SLP.   Maybe I could even overcome my fears enough and do something with my love of photography.  There are so many things that I could do, because like all the carnival writers, I’m creative and industrious, determined and bright.

I need your help and inspiration.  I hope you’ll consider writing your own post for Blog Nosh Magazine’s carnival and tell me what lit your fire and inspired you.  So many of you out there reading, I know that you’ve somehow managed to weave motherhood and work together, some of you have started businesses, donated your time.   I know you have done wonderful things.  Come on people, light my fire.  (Please excuse the cheesy Doors reference, I couldn’t resist.)

My son, the teenager. Or man. Not sure there’s really a difference.

Both kids were safely buckled into their seats as we drove away from Carson’s preschool.

“So!  How was your day, Carson?”  I asked, as I ask everyday when I pick  him up from school.  I already knew the answer.

With major huffing and puffing, Carson replied, “I don’t want to talk about it!  Stop asking!”

This has become his standard reply.  Occasionally I’ll get a noncommittal affirmation that he had a good day or that he played with his best friend, Mary Grace, “on the monkey bars,” like,  DUH MOM.   At first I was concerned and would press for further details.  “Did something happen?!” I’d ask, being careful not to say,”‘did anything BAD happen,” fearing that I’d give him the idea that if something had indeed happened, that it was somehow bad and that he’d possibly become the school hating Carson from the years before.

Though I’m not certain, I’m pretty sure nothing has happened, in fact I think he really loves school.  He’s just choosing to be noncommunicative, like a teenager or man.  (I’m not sure there’s really a difference.)  Carson would just rather not talk about his day at school and it annoys him beyond belief that I’d ask, day after day.

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When Tate and I first met, he used to spend an inordinate amount of time quoting movies.  I think it’s a standard mating ritual for males, trying to show their potential mate their incredible comic and memorization abilities.

I heard lines from Caddyshack, Fletch, and Spies Like Us nearly as often as I heard, “hey baby, wanna make out!?”

“One mocks what one does not understand,” was AND STILL IS (help me) one of Tate’s most favorite movie quotes.  (Spies Like Us.)

Lucky for me (not), Carson has started quoting movies and expects great laughs each time.

“How about some delicious, hot schmoes!  [dramatic pause] They’re s’mores, Buzz,” he’ll say, looking expectantly at me, hoping I’ll be as impressed as he is with himself. (Toy Story 2)

If that one doesn’t get the laughs he was expecting, he moves onto the movie Cars.  “GOOD-BYE!! Okay, I’m good,” and on cue I laugh and laugh, heartily and artificially.

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So let me see if I understand.  The only way I’m going to get Carson to communicate with me for the next twenty or so  years is through movie quotes?

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I just wanted to remind you all about the blog carnival going on over at Blog Nosh Magazine that’s sponsored by Tide Loads of Hope.  The carnival is a great way to support this worthy cause AND it’s a great idea for participating in this blog community while generating a little traffic for your blog.  {hint, hint}  Three posts participating in the carnival will be chosen to be featured on Blog Nosh Magazine!

The hope of magic

One of my children’s favorite books is The Polar Express.  They’ve been begging to have it read to them nearly every night since the first Christmas commercial was broadcast back in October.  I also love this story, it’s beautiful illustrations and the reminder about the true magic and spirit of Christmas.

On the other hand, BAH HUMBUG.

I think I first began to lose the magic of the Christmas season the first December after Tate and I were married.  Instead of looking forward to all the merriment and celebration, it started to feel like nothing more than a to-do list.

1.  Attend the same Christmas party that had been cranked out every year before.
2.  Fret and stress over over every gift purchase.
3.  Travel long distances home for the holiday and bounce from one relative’s house to another, trying to keep everyone else happy.
4.  Unpack 1,000 ornaments out of their boxes to decorate the tree, only to have to repack them three weeks later.
5.  Hear the same sappy Christmas songs on loop, no matter your location.

And the list could go on and on.  So for the past several years, I’ve invited Scrooge and all his angst into my heart to endure the purgatory of December.

Will Jennifer allow Scrooge to dominate this holiday season?  Will she soften her anti-Christmas stance?  Will she post a video of her singing Christmas carols while hula hooping?

Find out!  Click on over to Blog Nosh Magazine to read the exciting conclusion and learn more about this Blog Carnival, sponsored by the Tide Loads of Hope program.

Drunk with power

*whistling*

So, uh, have you heard who the new MANAGING FREAKING EDITOR of Blog Nosh Magazine is???!!!
Blog Nosh Magazine

It’s me.  Yep, ME!!  Me!!!  I’m very excited for the opportunity to work with Megan and all the other fantastic Channel Editors over at Blog Nosh.

Speaking of Channel Editors, Blog Nosh is currently looking for some fresh meat  (or fresh tofu, for my vegetarian readers) in the following areas:

  • Race & Ethnicity
  • Fiction & Poetry
  • Personal Finance
  • Military
  • Green Living (branching off from Homemaking)
  • Business (a current channel in need of fresh voices)
  • Politics (particularly in need of moderate voices)
  • Travel & Expats (branching from Entertainment)
  • Food (branching from Health & Fitness)

To learn more about the responsibilities of a Channel Editor, head on over to Blog Nosh Magazine to read the low down.

Briefly, a Channel Editor finds the GREAT blog posts to republish on Blog Nosh, contacts the author and gets permission.  Very little writing is involved, just blog reading!  And you’re already doing that, aren’t you!?

Also, men???  Hello…..MEN?  This whole Channel Editor thing isn’t only for women, we would LOVE to have some MEN as Channel Editors.

Interested??  Of COURSE you are!  Email me with your blog address, a few favorite posts, and some url’s of blogs that you read related to the channel you are interested in editing.  If you have already emailed me, never fear…I got your email!

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