Trying something a little different.

I, like many writers, live several lives...sometimes all at the same time.  It makes for a very weird existence.  Which is good for my style of writing - hectic and humorous - because if you're going to be a trained monkey, dancing for whoever you're standing in front of, then you have to have a sense of humor.

All of my lives are represented here.

Thinking about this gave me the idea of discussing each of these separate lives in more detail - to perhaps give myself some perspective.  I thought I'd start by discussing the most obvious of them - motherhood.

I went into the motherhood business with my eyes open.  I knew it was going to be wonderful, difficult, challenging, rewarding, and everything else you can imagine.  These two wonderful people are older now.  They don't need me as much, which is great.  It's not that I don't want to be needed and it's not that I don't want to hang out with them (which I do, because they are awesome in every way), but it is very nice to be able to wake up in the morning and take a shower (use the bathroom, brush my hair, teeth, dress, apply makeup....) without an audience or the frenetic thought that while I'm doing any one of these things they are climbing out the window and into oncoming traffic.

Because that's what children do.  They live on the edge of terror at all times and it is your responsibility to prevent any mishaps.  This is why older mothers have shaky hands and eye twitches, because our nerves have been permanently damaged.  We also sometimes scream, "IT'S LUCKY ANY OF YOU ARE ALIVE!" and are not at all bothered when people glare at us.

After we yell at you we bake you cookies and push your hair out of your eyes.  Motherhood is complicated business.  Not for the faint of heart.