I'm going to just put this out there: I have a hard time lately knowing what to write about. I want to blog about my wife's obsession with Pinterest, being an incredibly geeky dad who plays World of Warcraft, or the fact that my daughter used the big potty today, but I'm just having a hard time getting motivated to write anything.
Putting this stuff into words is pretty difficult sometimes, which is probably why my postings have been somewhat inconsistent as of late. Sometimes I just want to write about the fact I can't think of anything to write about, just so I can tell myself I did write something and thus, have not completely failed.
I think its important to keep writing, even when you don't feel like it. Its not my job, its a hobby, so I don't get paid or anything, but I think keeping up with this blog is one of the few things in my life that helps me keep my sanity some days. Just having that outlet is nice.
I've noticed since I started this blog that other people feel more comfortable writing/talking/posting about their kids. Especially my friends who are dads and uncles. Now, I freely admit that this probably doesn't have something to do with my blog.
Its like when I played football and my jersey number was "65." I started noticing that number everywhere. Why? Because God wanted me to know that He wanted me to play football and I was destined to be in the NFL someday?
Not even "High School Freshman Me" believed that. It was just something that had new meaning to me, and now I noticed it more often.
Since I'm blogging about my kid, I notice other parents talking about their kids more often. I won't lie, sometimes I hear their stories and size up my kid verses theirs. No, not in a juvenile "my dad/kid can beat up your dad/kid" way. I don't have that "My kid can beat up your honor student" bumper sticker because that isn't only stupid, its pretty lame (And my bumper sticker would probably say "your kid only makes better grades because they're a kiss up" but I digress). The reason I "size up my kid" verses yours isn't out of competitiveness. I know parents like that and I think its silly. Your kid won his soccer game and my kid can barely walk? Incredible. Archie Manning's kids have won 3 Super Bowls. Now what?
No. The reason I compare my kid is to see, in my own head, if she's on pace with where she should be. If your two year old is potty training, and doing great, and another friend has a kid who is four and just getting into pull-ups, I feel a little better about my kid being just behind your potty trained two year old. If your three year old knows the alphabet by sound, but can't recognize the letter H, and my daughter is able to note which is A and which is V, I'm a little proud, yeah, but not out of competitiveness. Just satisfied that my kid is at least average.
See, this is what I told our physical therapist when things started with that, "I don't care if my kid is going to be the greatest soccer player in the world, I just want her to be normal." By normal, I mean on pace with other kids.
No kid of mine will ever be normal. I came to terms with that long before she was born. I'm a huge geek, after all, with a wife who likes to make mouse shaped cupcakes.
