this woman's work

“Our baby will be born on…”

Dawn — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:55:10 +0000

No, not mine. This is most decidedly not any kind of announcement.

I’ve read a couple of hopeful adoptive parent blogs and the hopeful parents have each matched with an expectant mother and they type this, “Our baby will be born in September.” “Our son is due on October 13th.” (I’m deliberately choosing dates that have passed recently to disguise these waiting hopeful parents.)

It frustrates me. I think their agency/lawyers must be doing a poor job of counseling them (and then I can’t help but assume that they’re also doing a poor job of counseling the expectant parents).

Our fabulous social worker, Denise, never encouraged this kind of entitlement before the baby arrived; in fact she actively but kindly discouraged it. She was very matter of fact that an adoption plan is not worth a dime until the baby has arrived. When our first match unmatched, she was sympathetic but practical. She made it easy for us to follow her lead and understand that this wasn’t about us at all — it had to do with the woman who decided to parent.

“But it’s hard!” we’d whine. “It’s hard living in limbo!”

“Parenting’s hard,” she’d say. “Why should this be easy?”

(OK, I don’t know if she said that exact quote but she said something pretty much like it.)

I get itchy fingers, wanting to comment on these blogs but I don’t think some stranger on the internet lecturing them about how adoption ought to work is really all that helpful or kind. So instead I’m ranting here a little bit.

Possibly related posts

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Writers writers everywhere

Dawn — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:45:50 +0000

One writer friend of mine is inviting all the writers she knows for a happy hour at her house. So I grabbed a couple of my writer friends (one of whom already knows this writer) so we can all go together.

I don’t know how much writing we’ll talk but it’ll be good to hang with each other and start thinking about how I can smush my writing into in my messy, busy, ridiculous everyday life.

I looked over my chapter outline for my hasn’t-been-touched-for-days book proposal and just hated the hell out of it. I slapped my head and asked myself what in the HELL I was thinking so now I want to rethink it. But there’s a lot I want to do and I feel disconnected from it all.

But writers! Peer pressure can be a Very Good Thing so I’m especially looking forward to tonight even though it is COLD out there and staying home in my jammies sounds appealing too.

Possibly related posts

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

p.s. Guess whose birthday is today?

Dawn — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:03:49 +0000

Not mine!

(...)
Read the rest of p.s. Guess whose birthday is today? (128 words)

Possibly related posts

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I want to win

Dawn — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:51:12 +0000

Because Noah needs more cocolate covered cranberries (just ask him!) but because I am kind, I’m telling you about this giveaway over at Kids Know Stuff. Goji cereal, which is raw and healthy and the kind of cereal you wish they sold at the grocery store instead of the perservative-laden, styrofoam stuff they do sell. I wouldn’t use it as cereal though — I’d take it along with me on playdates and homeschool dates for a snack! Packs easy, lots of high-energy ingredients and a total no brainer. What more could a busy parent want?

The Kids Know Stuff girls are giving tons of stuff away as they gear up for the holidays. Expect more contests and more ways to win so make them a daily stop on your rounds (the more traffic they get, the better giveaways they can do because they will be enticing bigger companies to share)! I’m going to be helping them out with some marketing plans soon, too.

(By the way, the girls really do write their own reviews with some minor spellchecking by mom! Pretty good, eh?)

Possibly related posts

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Sick of not writing

Dawn — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:01:21 +0000

I’m not writing lately. I had a minor breakdown about it yesterday (to Brett’s exhausted distress). But there isn’t any time. Between work and life (you know, feeding and clothing and otherwise making sure people are able to walk around upright) there really isn’t time. Or space in my head.

Our cable is gone so I’m not watching television.
The election is over so I’m not obsessed with political blogs.
I AM trying to get back with my exercise routine but I figure that’s not negotiable seeing as how if I drop dead from a heart attack there won’t be any writing anyway so I probably should try to get and then stay fit.
I’m neglecting the kids about as much as I feel comfortable with in order to get the work and working out done.

Oh I don’t want to do this — list the reasons I haven’t been writing. I wanted to whine about NOT writing. Because I’m not. And I’m frustrated.

Here’s the more positive part of it — I’m back in touch with some of my writing friends who went missing when their own busy lives took over and I’m meeting some new ones. I’ve got a writers event to go to on Wednesday (thank you Lia!), which I’m really looking forward to and hopefully the peer pressure will do me good.

For me, a lot of writing is a head game. I can find time even when there isn’t any when I have time to think. I’ve been jacking up my work efforts so much that all writing thoughts tumbled right out of my mind. Brett says I should pull back on the networking/marketing a little bit and focus on writing but damn, it’s hard to do. I get worried that I won’t be able to make my financial goals and the holidays are staring at me with their greedy little eyes. (Not to mention Noah’s birthday just a month after.)

Oh me of little faith!!

Possibly related posts

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh