five

My first post of Pook and Bug was five years ago, today.  I had lots of family stories in my head and was looking for a way to express them. A written paper journal was an option, but in the past years I'd become a follower of a couple of blogs and the idea had been simmering to start my own. 

I started reading, commenting and writing to a blog called Parent Hacks what seems like ages ago.  Asha, the author, suggested I start my own blog.  I said, rightly so, that I just didn't have any spare time to give to it.  I knew I'd give it time and I really didn't have any wide open windows.  Heck, Bug was a newborn; I didn't even have any cracked windows!  But once he was in school three days a week I decided that I could fit it in finally. Ideally I would work on it when he was at school. Instead, I found that often he was sitting on my lap while I typed but hey... parents can't be picky.

Our life is simpler than it was when Bug was in preschool and Pook in grade school. I can ask them to do things and they're capable of doing them.  Attention and compliance are different issues. They're still funny kids and they still do wacky things. I still like sharing our lives.  I barely remember those early days. I'm grateful that I can look back in here, whether the post brings back a memory or merely becomes a story to review. At least I have those. I need to videotape (what an outdated word) my boys more often just so I can remember their little boy voices. There won't be much more time. Unfortunately I can't bottle the smell of their still-sometimes-sweet heads.

So I have no exciting five year announcement. No proclamations. No specific goals for the future. I'm not a resolution writer or even much of a goal maker. I write when I think of it, not too often really, but as often as works. Topics come to mind and then flee my colander-brain. I probably should write ideas on paper so I'll remember them. But I don't.

Mary commented on my first blog post. I give her credit for the existence of a second post.  Harriet encouraged me to keep it up. Mir showed me that sharing family stories could be helpful to others, not to mention, entertaining. I included and then improved my photos of the garden because of Frances, and of foods because of Joy. Others have promised me that they follow my writings and have helped me stick it out over the years. I appreciate you.

Please leave a "hello" in the comments. I'd like to know that you're there as I start into a new year of Pook and Bug.