Geeky Talks
Children get older, I’m getting older, too
It’s so cliche, that whole, “their childhood went so fast” gig. I heard it again tonight at my daughter’s gymnastic. A mom, who has two kids in college, confessed she pines for those early years when one toddled around and the other ran frantic between friends and toys.
I looked at her like she’d been smokin’ the doobey.
But then I looked again at my son, already stable and walking, already half way up the stairs in the .2 minutes it took the lady to tell me this short story, already mostly bald from the stress of my working and I wondered: “Will it go too fast?”
It will. I know.
My daughter says the most hilarious things now. Things that generally make me guffaw in the car as I’m driving down the road to take her to a playdate/swimming lesson/gymnastics/preschool. She comes up with new sayings daily and literally has her own person now. She’s almost fifteen. Or four. Either way.
My son kisses me now on the lips when I say “I love you” and he snuggles his cheek against mine when I tell him it’s time to go to bed. He runs, happily, with his new-found freedom when I have the opportunity to let him outside. He is always busy building and sorting cups or Tupperware. Or his sister’s ponies.
Life is short and fast. It’s happening before my eyes. I’m working hard to find a balance and I’m struggling. I know we all do. I know. I also know I’m not in this for fame or money or popularity. I’m not in it to be The Best. I’m in it to be The Best I can Be and to be a good mom and maybe even a good programmer. Some days I might even make a client happy.
I love those days.
In the mean time, things are changing. Children grow up and friends grow in to family and family grows in to daily phone calls. Life spins madly on.
What is the meaning of this ten minute rambling session? I will not be here much for a while. Unless I’m hit with something I just HAVE to write. But I’m going stat-free (good-bye stat counter!) and eventually I’ll be ad free and one day I’ll be reader free, I’m sure. Because if there’s one thing we know, it’s that having a life does not bring on traffic.
And so? It’s the beginning of the end of sorts.
Where this road leads us? I have no idea. But I’m buckled in and ready for the ride.
Aug, 05, 2008 Read the Archives 
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I’m both really sad to see this and also totally supportive—I can understand what you mean, though I don’t have children. Having just found you, though, I can’t help but be slightly selfish in being sad that your blog will be winding down! We shall, I hope, always have Twitter.
Life is totally worth living.
As someone who hopes she is one of those friends who you consider family (since that’s how I feel about you sistah), I hope you don’t stop writing here (cause I love reading), but I totally understand why if you do. Life is crazy and it’s easy to get wrapped up and spend time and energy on things that in the end might not mean as much or leave you as fulfilled as what you missed out on while you spent time doing the other thing. Does that make sense? No? Huh. Bummer. I think you know what I mean though. You need to do what YOU and your family feel is best and what will leave you happy in the end. You know this….I just want you to know that I am here to support you (and listen to you vent or help you forget) WHENEVER you need it.
there are no words.
only…
yes.
You are so right on. I have found that I am learning to balance my love of blogs and my life. Basically it means early reading int he mornign and late reading at night and 2-5 posts a week when I have time. THat works for me. Hopefully you are finding what works for you….
Good for you girl.
I’m shamefully addicted to looking at my stats. I took a blog “break” last week somewhat, which still meant one post for the week and one posted photo. I’m pathetic!
I hear you on the children. I cannot BELIEVE m y oldest girl starts first grade next week. Don’t get me started. Gah.
I totally get it. You will be missed, though.
I will be missing you, Mrs. Flinger!!! I totally get it!!
Lady, I know.
I design, blog, work full time at another job and wonder what it’s all for sometimes. All this working, working, working then I look at my children and wonder if they’re going to remember all the times they’ve seen the back of my head.
No matter how hard I try and not let stats, fame and popularity get it me, it’s impossible. I commend you for hoping to go stat free. I know I couldnt do it.
I will miss you. I know you’re a wonderful person and so I totally support you in your need for more family time. I am totally on board with the family time. Good luck and remember we will be thinking of you.
(I also just wanted to drop a little bomb…I found out yesterday I’m adding to the brood. Yep, I’m pregnant! I’ll be due in the same month that my twins turn two…wish me luck!!)
I think everyone reaches this point in their life (sometimes time and time again!), and I think it’s especially true with bloggers. I kind of get the feeling that what starts out as cathartic turns into more of a chore (?) and something that loses its original purpose.
I think it’s always a great idea to step back and take stock. Things like a blog can be started and stopped, changed and morphed, but your family life really IS passing quickly day by day. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to miss a thing… except WE’LL MISS YOU! And we’ll look forward to those times when you feel you just GOTTA post!
LOVE THE MRS. FLINGER!!!
p.s. you realize that you were one of the FIRST bloggers I fell in love with? So if you really go away for good I’ll have some Flinger withdrawal. Sniff!
We only just met, and I’ll miss you, but I get it. Good luck!
In the scope of things, I really haven’t been reading your blog for very long, but I have truly enjoyed what I have read. If you stop blogging here because it is the best decision for your family, then that’s absolutely an admirable choice and I can only hope that you are happier for it =) Hopefully, we’ll be able to continue e-mailing down the road if we aren’t blogging together! Enjoy the time you spend with your kids! =)
I hate being cliche but I can’t. I was never this emotional before having the boys. Now I am sentimental about everything. It’s insane, embarassing, and yet I can’t get enough.
Oh no seriously? ~sniffle~ Please tweet back at me on twitter, so I know I’m alive, ok?
I guess that’s where me and the majority of bloggers diverge. I blog FOR my children, not in spite of them. I want them to see what it was like for their mom to become a mother… to test the waters and work through all the emotion. I want them to look back and see that this gig is hard and yet, that crazy lady did it, so can they. I want them to know when they first walked or told their first joke. And since I suck ass at baby books, this is the only chance they have.
I don’t think good parenting/being there and blogging have to be mutually exclusive.
Then again, if it’s time to slow down: do. Nothing is required here. Make sense?
Its so true how life tends to fill up so quickly with unbalance. I don’t even have to deal with a family yet and I work so much that I don’t have time for a life. So glad that you are focused on wanting to make time for the things in life that truly matter.
Okay I’m already mourning losing you.
I understand, but…
No L=unhappy Mamma
Whatever makes you happy is what is most important, and coding is that thing. That makes me happy when you are happy.
This better not mean no more play dates though! I totally want us to be related when Bacon and LB get married in 20 years! We can be grannies together! (Wait that sounds weird!)
oh no. Who’s going to lick me at BlogHer when you are gone?
No, seriously, I understand. Because though these people in this box care about you and love to read you, they don’t love you the way your children do… The Blogosphere is large and will move on. I have thought about this, as well. But for now, I am ok with continuing. If my kids get the short end of the stick over it, I will stop, for sure.
Will miss your posts. Hang in there.
T.
I will miss you so very much, but I understand.
You go girl!
Well, not GO go, or, you know, go-go, but GO. Spend time with your children before they’re grown. Make your clients happy (ahem
). Enjoy the life outside this little fruit-labelled box. I’ll still be here, at least, when you return.
So sad that I just found your blog and now you’re closing shop, but it’s understandable. Life does move on and we must too.
I’ve enjoyed getting to know you a little bit and I hope life continues to bring good changes. And fewer fail whales.
I understand. Don’t like it, but I understand it.
I’m right there with you. Was looking through my uploaded pics the other day, and found that I’d only uploaded TWO (2) last year. As compared to one-hundred-something the year before.
Methinks enjoying (and really getting into) parenthood / work / life-in-general has a way of slowing down the blog.
Cheers!
*You were right - adding the Boy to our lives has been the Greatest Thing Ever!
I love ya, woman. I love ya.
Okay, ready for what you don’t expect to hear?
Yay!!!
You’re going to so appreciate this break one day down the road.
I say break - because I have *so* been here!!!
My blog prior to the one I’m doing now has been active for 6.5 yrs. In that time, well over 3,000 posts. Hundreds of subscribers, relationships built and routine gotten into.
Last year about this time something in me broke.
I realized I was too overwhelmed. Something had to give.
A friend lead me to Twitter - and I signed up, but didn’t really use it. Then she drifted off to another blog. I set up geekmommy.net as an “alternate little personal playground that no one knew about.”
Because honestly? It had gotten to feel like if I wasn’t interesting and posting regularly, I was letting people down.
I ramped up Twittering in November & December - hitting my stride in January. And my other blog - my ‘the world stops so I’ve got time to blog’ blog? It went on uncertain hiatus.
The geekmommy blog ramped up a bit - but I wasn’t really ready to start blogging again anywhere.
My haphazard posts of a couple a month or more weren’t setting any records - but I felt free.
Now I’m saddling up again. I’m about to jump back in. It feels like I went on sabbatical and am coming back refreshed and ready to start anew.
Either way? You’ll find your path - you already found your voice and your friends!!
(((((((((hug)))))))))))
Congrats! and I’ll see you on Twitter and wherever we can swing it! BlogHer09!!!
Don’t TELL me you’re leaving tha Internets! Don’t!!
Or, do. But know you’ll be missed by many people. Wishing you well!
It saddens me to read this because I know how talented and perceptive you are…but I applaud you for at least losing the stat counter - good job.
It’s been a helluva ride!
Good luck!
You my dear will always be in my feed reader for as long as I’m blogging and reading blogs. So when you wanna write, I’ll be here to read.
Do what you gotta do. I get it.
We’ll miss you, but understand. Thank you so very much for all the joy you’ve given all of us.
NOOOOOOOOOO!
will miss you. but i get it. i totally get it.
You do Stevie Nicks proud with that title, and yes - I get it. Totally.
I totally understand how you are feeling and totally get it. As others have expressed, you will be missed if you should stop blogging all together. In the end you have to do what is right for you and your family.
We made our first trek down the hall to Kindergarten this week. It hurt. It hurt baad.
Dude. I deleted my Google Reader today. ON PURPOSE. (So blogging about it Monday) but for many, many of the same reasons you list here.
I totally love you, woman.
It does go quick, my oldest is going into middle school & my youngest is already going into 2nd grade. I really couldn’t imagine blogging as much as I do now when they were smaller.
Hopefully you won’t go away forever, I found a lot more free time when my kiddos started school full time
Two songs come to mind.
To everything, turn,turn, turn…there is a season, turn,turn, turn
And
The cats in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man on the moon…
Mrs. Flinger,
IT DOES GO FAST. LIKe lighting speed. My daughter #1 starts HS in two and a half weeks. Daughter #2 starts kindergarten, and wearing a uniform, taking the bus, and staying allday. Daughter #3 is weaned and learning to talk and hang out with the rest of the gang. When I look at the oldest it seems like yesterday that she was five, when I look at the five year old, it seems like moments ago, she was 20 months, and the baby who is 20 months, well, it’s like she was just born.
Sometimes, I lay awake at night, thinking how in a few short weeks, I will be thirty four! People say, oh that’s not that old, but the way time flys, I feel like any day now, I’ll just wake up and be fifty.
And then I remind myself, the only way to live this life is to take things one.day.at.a.time.
Keep that in mind Mrs. Flinger.
I feel ya and respect you even more.
Besides, life is for the living. Or so I hear. Enjoy it.
Dude, this post was seriously bittersweet. In a good way. You’re doing what a lot of us think about doing but don’t. Enjoy life, your kids, your new ventures, all of it
word my friend. is it bad I was relieved when I flipped open my reader and saw 1 post from you? love it just as much as 5