Awkward Silence

You may have noticed that after my critically-acclaimed (at *least* 10 people have told me they enjoyed it, so there!) first post, there has been a bit of a lull over here at MortarBored Mom.  As it turns out, it's a lot harder to write about myself and my life than I originally thought. Ask anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes, and they will tell you that I have no problem talking about myself. I come from a long line (my mother) of talkers, so I come by it honest, but I have found writing about myself to be a different beast.

What if what I write about isn't interesting? What if I'm not interesting? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...

I bounced those thoughts around for a week or so, and really thought about putting this on the table for a while. For a long while.

But then I had another thought. I didn't start this blog to become a blogging goddess, amassing thousands of followers and giving keynote speeches at international conventions. No, I started this blog for me. Because I needed an outlet. I needed to say things that maybe I wouldn't have the guts to say aloud, afraid if I said these things, there would be no one to hear me; no one to care, to understand, to commiserate. Maybe there isn't. But maybe, just maybe, you are there. And if you're not now, maybe you will be. And maybe I'll say something that you've been wanting to say, but didn't know how. Or maybe you will think I'm a raving lunatic. Or maybe you will think that I really like the word "maybe." Anyway...

For your viewing pleasure, as I henceforth deem Fridays as Flashback Fridays, here is a picture of me from exactly 4 years ago, 7 months pregnant with my daughter. Enjoy.

See you soon. Probably. All right, all right. I'll be here. TTFN.

- MortarBored Mom

In the Beginning, There was Kindergarten Graduation.

You know how the Cullen kids made that giant wall hanging of all their graduation caps?  Granted I'm nowhere close to that because I'm not immortal and haven't graduated high school 20 times, but I've accumulated my fair share.

Kindergarten graduation - I guess it's really more for the parents than the kids. I mean, does this face look like I had any idea what was going on?

I suppose it is momentous, the transition to 1st grade and classes that don't involve coloring and juice...

Fast forward 12 years to my high school graduation. I was thrilled to be graduating, but terrified of leaving my friends and family and going to college. Funny now to think of how much I didn't want to leave home.

Four years later, I graduated from college after changing my major 7 times. I ended up picking a major based on how many credits it required, and calculating how I could manage to still graduate on time. I had no intention of pursuing a career in the field.

One year later, I enrolled in graduate school to obtain a Ph.D. in the same field I thought I had no interest in. Turns out, I kinda love it. Four years later, the same school that gave me my undergraduate diploma gave me another one because as it also turns out, I'm kinda good at it. I was ready to conquer the world.

That was 2006. Six years, 1 husband, and 2 kids, no job later, it sometimes feels like all of those graduation caps were for naught. My diplomas, simply wall hangings. They say a mind is a terrible thing to waste, well I believe it. I live it.

So...welcome! I'll be around for a while because currently, I've got nowhere else to be. If you're not too busy with your life, please feel free to stop by and hear me blab about mine.

- MortarBored Mom