Seattle Mom Blogs

Hello, my name is Stacy and I am a blogger. I have one blog (so far), Mama-Om. I know y’all are dying to know how a nice girl like me ended up writing for the internets, so read on!

1. Where do you live and how long have you lived there? Where did you grow up?
I’ve lived in Seattle since back in the grunge days (early nineties for all you young ones out there). We currently live in a central neighborhood in Seattle — we love Seattle and we love our neighborhood. We moved into this house six weeks before our first child was born. Amid all the chaos and boxes and huge belly-ness, I could focus on only one thing: CURTAINS. All I needed was curtains on the windows so I wasn’t flashing my heiney to all my neighbors as I gave birth (both our kids were born in this house). We got the curtains up and pretty much haven’t done another thing to this house since, unless you count the crayon wall markings.

Before Seattle, I lived in Ketchikan, Alaska, where I was born and raised. Ketchikan is a small town on a huge island amid an immense ocean. With no way to get anywhere except by boat or plane. And it rains all the time (really! 160 inches a year). It is exceptionally beautiful, especially if you’re into the temperate rain forest with everything absolutely stunningly green thing.

2. What’s your blog about and why did you start blogging?
Mama-Om is a place for me to share sincere and silly stories about my attempts to parent from the heart. I write about my kids. I create and photography skits starring their toys. I make fun of myself. I make mistakes and try again.

I started my blog almost two years ago when my first child was three years old and my second was three months. In an attempt to fit together the puzzle pieces of WRITING, WORK, MOTHERING, and MEDITATING, I started working from home part-time, quit my writing group, started a meditation class and began this blog, all in the same week. At the time, starting the blog was a way to say to myself, “See! I’m still writing!” One of my first posts was about trying to remain calm as the new mother of two, and that has been a theme ever since.

3. What are your most and least favorite parts about blogging?
My favorite things are writing and meeting people in real life. I love thinking up new posts, revising posts, and then reclaiming the work and repurposing it for other mediums (mostly personal essays). I have also really enjoyed meeting some bloggers in real life (through Seattle Mom Blogs!) and maintaining a connection with them.

Another favorite part is seeing all the great blogs that are out there! I love getting comments and then getting to know other bloggers. There is such fabulous writing and photography happening in the world.

My least favorite? When the computer overtakes my life, and the blood in my veins begins to feel like electricity. Must. unplug. from. the. borg.

I’ve recently started keeping the computer upstairs and mostly off during the days, and my kids and I are much more relaxed! No-computer-for-mama days seem to go much more smoothly.

4. What does your spouse/significant other/family think about your blogging?
I didn’t tell my family (other than my spouse) for a long time. My mom loves it, in only the way a mother, and grandmother, could. My husband likes reading the stories, and supports me in my desire to write.

5. What goals, if any, do you have for your blog?
Goals? To keep writing, to connect with other parents, provide some entertainment value to all those who are reading, and to record my life with kids. Mama-Om is basically the only baby book my youngest son has ever had!

6. What topic would you never discuss on your blog? (yes, discuss it now!) I try to practice Right Speech in my life but even more so on my blog. Right Speech is understood to be abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from abusive speech, and abstaining from idle chatter.

To put it positively: I try to be truthful, kind, gentle, and helpful in what I write. One way I do this is to only write from my own perspective and from what I know to be true. I do not want to tell anyone what they should be doing, but I will talk about what I am doing.

I tend not to write about anyone else but myself and my kids, but I always ask myself, “Would I be comfortable saying this directly to the person I am writing about?” If the answer is no, then I won’t post it.

7. Are you a cat person or a dog person?
Both. As an adult, I’ve had cats (and loved them lots!), but I think I see a dog in our far-off future, once our kids are bigger.

8. What’s your favorite coffee drink (this IS Seattle Mom Blogs!)? Um, tea.

What a way to end, huh?

Thank you, Wendy, for doing these interviews!

Blessings,
Stacy

Thanks, Stacy, for sharing! We SMB members are all enjoying getting to know each other with these features. It’s fascinating to see our diversity! SMB members and everyone else can visit Wendy at Let the dog in!, where she will be taking a deep breath. She can be reached via email at wendy(at)letthedogin(dot)com.