Growth Spurt

No doubt about it - my son grew since I saw him last. I dropped him off at summer camp last Monday (the 20th) and yesterday morning, when I saw him again, I could not believe how much taller he was! His first tooth is loose and it seems even his vocabulary and maturity level have increased.

I, too, grew in many ways during this past week, having time to reflect, both before and after BlogHer, along the road as Sugar Jones and I drove across country, tweeting and laughing our way from San Diego to Chicago - and back again.

This was my first BlogHer experience, and it did not disappoint. There was as much drama, laughter, drinking and learning involved as I had anticipated. Although it was a bit more intense than I imagined.

It was overwhelming. I felt slightly intimidated, but overall, it was quite humbling to be surrounded by so many great writers that I have been reading and following and even more that I am just now discovering.

As a writer, I appreciate the advice provided during the humor panel, from the talented women on stage (The Bloggess, Bern This) and the many people I met throughout the weekend (Shash, Mr. Lady, Anissa, Shauna, Redneck Mommy, Her Bad Mother and more).

Being away from my son for nine days put things into perspective for me. It reminded me of why I started writing in the first place, why I formed this company two years ago and what it is I so enjoy most of all (being a mother).

I've been laying low this week, trying to put my thoughts into words and wanting so badly to sit down and just write, but instead, I've been spending quality time with my son, stopping only for a few minutes here and there to jot some ideas down, and publishing my best material on Twitter.

My son is sitting next to me right now, on his own computer, creating online adventures that belong only to him, and this weekend, we'll be celebrating summer. Laughing, playing, and growing. Together.

The ABCs of Male Bloggers

Because I have always gotten along better with men, I could totally relate to what the guys on today's panel were saying about connecting with women writers and having female friends all their lives. I have connected online with several male bloggers and it was so awesome to see many of them here this weekend.

The fact that we had to come all the way to Chicago to finally hang out in the same room though is rather sad, considering that Matthew of Child's Play lives in San Diego too and Jim of Busy Dad lives just hours away in L.A.

As a single mom, I started to really appreciate and understand my ex-husband a little better after I began to read, from the male perspective, what goes on in their heads and the dynamics within the mom and dad relationship. I have chatted with Busy Dad and Child's Play X2 through Twitter and have really enjoyed getting to know them, both through their blog posts and by communicating directly with them.

Although Avitable is not a daddy blogger, he has a great blog which is very funny and quite raunchy and because he has named his balls and includes stories and pictures of them, it's kind of like the daddy bloggers who share stories of their kids and post pictures of them online!

(L to R: @ChildsPlayX2, @BusyDadBlog, @hip_m0m, @avitable)

Luckily, there was room on the floor so I could sit in the very front for the great panel, that was packed, entitled Vaginally Challenged Bloggers: The Men of BlogHer. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the session. You'll have to head over to the BlogHer stie for the full transcript and live footage for more!!

Avitable: "I'm the only whore here."


BusyDadBlog: "I thought I pioneered the idea of daddy blogging."

"I'd love to get a book contract."

"I'm here because my friends are here."

"I only exploited my kid once."


ChildsPlayX2: "We're trying to break through the glass ceiling of parenting."

"I've always had more female friends."

Many great conversations were sparked in this session and the women who asked questions added much to the topic. We got to talking about the men of our generation being more involved as fathers and more willing to share their stories and talk about their experiences in a more open manner than our own dads may have. We talked about the husbands who do not blog - or share as openly - and understand that the reason that blogging has brought us all together (online and to Chicago this weekend) is because there is a passion and an understanding amongst all of us writers that extends beyond our title (mommy blogger, daddy blogger, humor blogger).

One of the reasons why the men on the panel are here is because they are such great writers. There are many great female writers here as well, of course, but it's great to see men bloggers represented and supported here in this community.

Miss Brit did a wonderful job moderating this panel and I was so very impressed and inspired by the three men "on stage" who were also very sincere, funny and oh yeah, pretty darn cute.

As one audience member stated, "There's nothing sexier than a good dad." Or a set of balls.

LIVE from Chicago

I'm sitting in a room full, I mean - FULL - of bloggers - women who are writers and who either get paid (0r not) for what they, I mean WE do all day!

We're just SECONDS away from the major announcement this year. They're just making us wait a few minutes before letting us know where BlogHer 2010 will take place and everyone here is bracing themselves and praying that it'll be in their hometown.

At my table are a few women from the Denver - based carpool are hoping that it'll be there and I have to admit that it would be a beautiful place for a conference.

OMG! They're making us WAIT....I swear. This is crazy. I'm getting text messages from my Blog Her Carpoolers ' roommate from somewhere in this room, but where is she? Is she broadcasting LIVE as well?

THERE SHE IS!!

I can see her. She's at the next table and it looks like her coffee mug ...

NEW YORK CITY

Hilton New York
near Rockefeller Center
August 5 - 7, 2010

Woo-hoo!

Oh, and I'm going to head to the GM booth today so that they can set me up with another Test Drive with the 2010 Chevy Camaro.

San Diego Parenting Examiner

My mom sends me links to some great websites that I might otherwise not have the chance to discover. Just last week, she asked me if I had ever been to The Examiner website. I hadn't.

She sent me the link to the San Diego network of sites there and right away, I was intrigued. How could I write for them? My blog's RSS feed is pulled into sites like Wellsphere and Intent, but I would love the opportunity to have my writing appear on sites that are local, and relevant to what I teach and practice as a Certified Parent Educator.

The same session where I first entered The San Diego Examiner site brought me to the page where I was able to apply to be a writer for them. I'm not shy about my abilities and experience, so I felt pretty confident about the possibility of writing for them, but I had no idea that they'd respond as quickly as they did.

I received a phone call from them the very next day. In the message that was left for me (and one that I listened to more than once), they mentioned that they had a chance to see my writing (here) and wanted to "bring me on board." Seriously. I was just as shocked as you are right now!

My first post went live today! I leave tomorrow for an out-of-town wedding but I'll be writing from this point forward for both sites - mine and theirs - and I hope you visit both sites and continue to leave wonderful comments that keep the discussion moving forward.

I wouldn't have made it this far in my writing career if it weren't for the readers who stop by here and who are also (in most cases) bloggers who inspire me, entertain me, make me smile and laugh out loud as well as put up with my own comments on their sites.

Thank you for continuing to read my lengthy posts, for commenting without judging and for asking me questions or making statements that encourage me to think outside the box and explore other perspectives and possibilities.

If you're just discovering my site or have ended up here by chance, welcome! Take a look around and let me know what you'd like to read more of, either on this site or over at my page on The Examiner.

Comment Luv

Comments are what makes the blogs go 'round. Seriously. If it weren't for comments, I'd wonder if anyone was reading these words, although it probably wouldn't make one bit of difference. I would still feel compelled to put my thoughts and opinions down in writing since that's what us writers do.

I was a bit concerned about yesterday's post. I didn't really expect anyone to comment since it was a pretty personal piece that touched on many different subjects, all relating to sex.

Jared, my new BFF, wrote a simple statement in the comment field which has inspired today's link share. If it weren't for my dear friend - and fellow blogger - Jared, I would not know about the following amazingly wonderful sites, blogs and resources:

Just 4 Families - written by a fellow Top Health blogger through Wellsphere
minti - powered by parents
Jorim's list - Not a blog, but a video game content resource site for parents
Will U Sit - a matchmaking service between parents and babysitters
21st Century Dad - doing everything mom does (except breastfeed)
Just Daddys - a place for dads to be dads

And last, but certainly not least, Jared's blog, Dad Thing - a Dad's view on parenting. I love photos and images in blogs, and one that particularly caught my attention was from a hilarious post he wrote called I Wasn't Invited. He has other funny and insightful posts, but check this one out to get a feel for his writing.

Bloggers Unite

I continue to discover more blogs written by Moms and Dads. There are so many great writers that I now read on a regular basis that I am finding less and less time to write. It's a good thing that reading helps inspire me, because I'm often compelled to respond to a post I come across with one of my own.

Here's this week's latest blogs written by some great parents:

• My Baby Our Baby
• Husbands and Dads
• Hope 4 Peyton
• Rockin' Mama

Check out more great site for parents along the blogroll in my sidebar. I have included each and every mom and dad authored blog that I've come across. Please let me know what I've been missing.

Mommy Needs Therapy

Next week, I'm going to be a guest blogger over at Katt's blog, Mommy Needs Therapy. That's right...she's letting me write about whatever the hell I want so stop by next week to read my guest post at her site.

Guest bloggers will be joining me from time to time and I am always looking for more people to fill that need when writer's block takes hold or I travel, or I just want to take a break. Please comment here if you'd be interested in being a guest blogger in the near future.

I look forward to checking out new blogs along the way and hope you enjoy Mommy Needs Therapy as much as I do.

Blog Day 2008

Blog Day 2008 is two weeks away. Are you prepared?

Participate by adding a badge to your site and research at least 5 blogs to share with others. Instructions are simple:

1. Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting
2. Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending them as part of BlogDay 2008
3. Write a short description of the Blogs and place a link to the recommended Blogs
4. Post the BlogDay Post (on August 31st)
   
5. Add the BlogDay tag using this link:
   http://technorati.com/tag/BlogDay2008 and a link to the BlogDay web site: http://www.blogday.org

Moms Like Us

My mom is my behind-the-scenes partner. I don't think she realizes how much of an impact she has made on my career as a writer. Although, she probably remembers more about the beginning of my writing career than I do since I started writing at an early age (on her typewriter).

She's the one who introduced me to Alltop and she continues to send me links, articles, blog posts and websites that always leave me wondering what I'd do without her...where I'd be.

Just yesterday, she sent me a link to a new site dedicated to connecting moms, locally. Of course there's a site for me here in San Diego and it also covers many cities throughout the country.

So far, the cities include:

• Baltimore
• Boston
• Charlotte, NC
• Chicago
• Cleveland
• Dallas-Ft. Worth
• Denver
• Detroit
• Hartford-New Haven
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
• Minneapolis (Twin Cities)
• New York City
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• Pittsburgh
• Portland, OR
• Raleigh-Durham
• Sacramento
• San Diego
• San Francisco (Bay Area)
• Seattle-Tacoma
• St. Louis
• Washington, D.C.

Head on over to connect with local moms in your area!

First Date: How to Avoid Having it Be Your Last

Rules for a First Date:

1. Do not talk about your ex (girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse) in detail. The person you're with wants to know about you, not about how your last relationship went sour.
   
2. Do not talk about your children. The person you're with wants to know more about you, not about the adorable thing your son/daughter said this morning or how many kids you plan on having.
3. Do not talk about the relationship between you and your parents. The person you're with wants to get to know you, and does not want to hear about how your parents discouraged you from pursuing your childhood dreams.
4. Do not talk about your pets. The person you're with doesn't want to hear about how you spend most of your time talking to your dog/cat/goldfish.
5. Do not talk about money. This is the first date and the person you're with does not want to know that they make less money than you or that you spend more than you make.
   
6. Do not talk about marriage. The person you're with is not ready to hear about how your first marriage went wrong. They also don't want to hear about how you've sworn that you'd never make that same mistake again.
7. Do not talk about how long it's been since you've had sex. If you are simply looking to hook up with someone, let's be honest. This is not a date - it's foreplay.
   
8. Do not talk about love at first sight. There will never be a second date if you go this route.
9. Do not talk about your religious beliefs or how you feel about abortion or the death penalty. These are conversations that are best left for second or third dates (if you get that far).
10. Do not listen to me. What do I know about dating or relationships? Every relationship I've ever been in has ended. If you have any real advice, please send it my way.

If you have first date horror stories, or laugh-out-loud details to share, post them in the comments, or over at Dad's House. You may just win this great writing CONTEST.

Is this blog MomWorthy?

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting is the top site listed under the Parenting, Children, Relationships, Shopping, Humor, Books, Fashion, Clothing and Design tags over at MomWorthy. If you feel it is MomWorthy, let all of their readers know by simply clicking on the MomWorthy star.

Mom Worthy is a new site and they need your help! Not only can you vote on the sites already listed, but you can submit your favorites or your own site! Tag your favorites, share the blogs you read and vote for those you discover.

Five Questions

Thanks to Kane/Miller, I have been lucky enough to work with authors and illustrators from around the world during my six and a half years with them. Several of these individuals have been quite friendly through email and some have even offered to show me around should I ever make it to their homeland.

Trudy White is one such author/illustrator. She is the creator of a very intimate book, Could You? Would You? I say intimate because you cannot read through the questions and instructions in this 96-page picture book without taking an intimate look at yourself, or those who you might share it with.

Kane/Miller Book Publishers

Inspired by the responses of several kidlit blogsters, I have taken the time to answer the five questions that Trudy selected for her mention in this past weekend's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast posting.

• How would someone find you in a crowd?
  

I'll be the one with the purple glasses and the tattoos. Oh, and I sort of look like Emma.

• If your house had a secret room, what would be in there?

My secret reading room would have plenty of natural sunlight shining down through the skylights along the vaulted ceiling. The room would have built in, wall-to-wall bookshelves. Oh, and there would be a wine cellar (and a small bathroom) not too far away.

• Where do you like to walk from your house?

I enjoy walking up the street to the playground which is on the campus of a community college. It has tennis and basketball courts, a community swimming pool, baseball and soccer fields and a volleyball court. There are always happy people and children there to inspire me.

• How will you change as you grow up?

I hope to never grow up in that I enjoy living in the moment and seeing the world from a child's perspective. I would imagine that as my son grows and changes I will too but I can only hope that I will be even more happy, healthy and hip than I am now! And au naturel.

• What sort of animal would you like to be?
  

I liken myself to a snake, seemingly vulnerable yet powerful and strong, moving smoothly and constantly shedding my skin.

The questions and instructions from Trudys' book that would make great first-date discussions:

• What is the best thing about you?
• Can you wiggle your ears like a rabbit?
• Draw a picture of your family.
• What is the best thing about where you live?
• What special thing will you keep until you are old?
• What makes you smile?
  
• What makes you angry?
• What is the funniest thing you can remember?
• What helps you feel better if you're sad?

Oh, and just in case you're curious, Trudy and her partner recently "bought a block of land by the beach along The Great Ocean Road in Victoria - an hour or so from Melbourne."

I'm looking you up when I get to Australia, Trudy. I have some questions for you.