One Year.

Are you sick of all the celebration around here? With my bday two days after Christmas, and my sons the day after mine…really what was I thinking starting a blog in the same week? I wasn’t.

I clearly wasn’t thinking I would be celebrating a blogiversary as well! But its true, a year ago today I started Manic Mother. Lets take a  look-see at what has happened over the last year..shall we? 

Manic Mother the Stats-

It went from 0 readers to 719 (give or take on how FB is feeling)

It went from a page rank of 0 to a page rank of 4.

Manic Mother receives around 3,000-4,000 visits a month depending on how much I blog…I can’t believe I just shared that, I feel like I am standing in my underwear in front of you now.

In one year Manic Mother had 41, 019 visits from 119 countries!

People generally hang out long enough to read 1.88 pages.

Top three keywords people use and land on my blog with:

1. strawberry rhubarb crisp
2. manic mother
3. how to make a tutu

Top three really odd random keywords people land on my blog with:

1. mother peeing (ew, please don’t come back if you are googling this, thanks management)
2. slapping games (think people are getting S&M mixed with slapjack)
3. bathroom slave (note to self , refrain from writing about bodily fluids)

Favorite recipe I made, Mint Chocolate Cupcakes…..*drool*

Favorite Picture Posts, here, and here.

Most controversial post: I Am Done Tip-Toeing,  also one of the most commented on.

Favorite heartfelt posts: Because Suicide Seemed The Only Way Out, Random Ramblings, and Coping When Your Child Has Cancer.

In the last year I have written 291 posts, but it isn’t so much about the posts.

I walked into the blogging world completely oblivious to it, I didn’t read blogs, and certainly knew nothing about writing one.

People who don’t blog, don’t get it. Blogging has a huge community. A community that has offered me support in a way that I have never experienced before in my life. I have made friends, whom I may have never met in person, but I still consider them to be very good friends of mine.

To all of my loyal readers and commenters, I thank you so much!

Here are some of my loyalist commenters and friends: Diaries of a Coach’s Wife, The Young & The Relentless, Mighty M Family, Domestically Challenged, Princess Prose, Its A Beauty Filled Life, The Extraordinary Ordinary, Erasing the Board, Better in Bulk, Mommycosm, Just Breathe, Chic Mama, My Bottle’s Up, Putting the Fun in Dysfunctional, Whoo’s That Girl, Mamma Moe’s Blog

There are so many more of you I could add, if I didn’t add you my apologies, but the list could go on forever!

Peace out 2009!

Meet the Photographers Behind Bloggography

Meet Lolli! Go visit her blog to read about me.

About Lolli: I've been a stay-at home mom now for 13 years, since the birth of my first daughter on Christmas Eve 1996. I've now got 5 kids who keep me very busy, along with a busy husband who started a new business a little over a year ago. You could say that the business--Peanut Butter Sticks language software--is now our "baby." It certainly keeps us up enough at night.

I am a self-taught photographer and I love to take lots of pictures. I turned my hobby into a business back in March 2008 when I took photos at a friend's wedding. I figured I'd leap in with both feet. When I'm not blogging or playing with my camera,  you'll probably find me reading a good book.

--Tell me about your journey to becoming a photographer. Did you always have an interest in taking pictures, or was this a more recent hobby you picked up?

I think I've always enjoyed taking pictures. Even before I had an interest in taking "good" pictures, I always valued photos. I remember when I was younger wanting to document the events of my life on film, and I often took over my mom's camera on family outings. It wasn't until after my first son was born that I realized that I might want to take photography more seriously. I played around with it for a few years, until I was able to dedicate a little more time and energy into learning the technical side of photography after my last son was born. It took me a long time to build up my confidence enough to be able to say to people, "I'm a photographer!"

--What is your favorite aspect of photography?

I love capturing emotion and personality. I am much less concerned with the technical aspects of photography than I am with the memories captured.

--What is your biggest challenge when you are taking pictures?

Hands-down, my biggest challenge is getting the lighting right.

--What is your favorite subject to shoot?

I love taking pictures of children, because it can be so rewarding and fun, but I have developed quite a love for photographing teens and adults, simply because they're so well-behaved! Basically, I like taking pictures of people. Even my nature shots tend to have people in them most of the time.

--What has been the tool that has helped you progress the most?

I read everything I could get my hands on. I checked out multiple books at a time from the library and did extensive research online. But the one thing that really taught me was trial and error. I simply took tons and tons of pictures until I understood how to get a picture I was happy with.

 

Bloggography now has a Flickr group! Please join and upload 8 of your favorite pictures taken by you. Amateurs and pros are welcome!

New to Flickr? Flickr is a great way for all of us to share our work in one place, ask for critique and help. And of course shower each other in comment love!

Stop back next Tuesday for the first Bloggography tutorial and assignment!

Five.

 

I can’t believe he is five.

Five is big, five is huge.

Five is no longer teetering on the edge of toddlerhood.

Five is boy boy secret handshakes ( hi-five, fingers. knucks, daps, handshake, eyes, eyes, nose, head, hugs, and another hug, and another.)

Five is superheroes, big boy bikes, legos, and video games.

Five is saying big words like misappear (disappear) and compuro (computer).

Five is not just being a brother to your brother, but a best friend as well.

Five is backwards underwear, all the time.  (why would you wear the superhero in the back where you can’t see it?)

Five is learning patience, and testing it as well.

Five is cleaning your room, and sharing.

Five is saying thank you, no thank you, I'm sorry,  please, and bless you all unprompted.

Five is knowing with absolute certainty what you like, and the same degree of conviction towards what you don’t.

Five is thinking farts and burps are hilarious.

Five is kindergarten in the fall.

Five is independence.

Five is big, five is huge.

I love you Rowan, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy watching you grow into yourself. You make a remarkable person, and I am so proud of you!

30 Never Felt So….

(pic taken by my hubs on our beach vacation)

Thirty never felt so commonplace. I think believed that I would have a sense of looming doom upon turning thirty. That everything would seem different, changed.

Instead it feels familiar, the same as when I woke up yesterday and was only twenty-nine.

While I won’t say thirty is the new twenty. Thirty is however, much like a favorite pair of jeans. A beloved pair that stretches against too much weight, but when washed is almost like new again. A pair that is slightly worn in spots, and frayed at the ends. A pair that you don’t struggle to get into, and you marvel at their comfort.

So with open arms, I am embracing thirty.

Forty and I may have to have words though. Until then, I can’t wait to see what the next ten years have in store for me

Beach, part deux

More birds…

More sweet little boys….

This is what happened after Ezra scared the birds…

 

This picture may be one of my favorite pictures of all time, if I stare at it too long, tears well in my eyes….

There was the light house we saw…

 

Christmas palms, and  these unknown white flowers….

Sponges…

and shells as far as the eye can see…

And of course the ever changing painted sky…

I have no clue who these people are…but they make the picture!

We all had an amazing time, I think we all feel a little more rejuvenated. The beach has healing powers, I will miss it when we move someday….

Our Trip, part 1

When Ezra was diagnosed with leukemia,  we missed 2 planned family vacations, it was our goal to make one happen as soon as we possibly could. So since Ezra is now in long term maintenance, and my husband has a break from school, we headed to the beach, for a much needed family vacation.

 

 

We invited my sister-in-law with, she is such a good friend to me and a great Auntie to the boys, she has been such a blessing!

 

 

 

Ezra didn’t quite realize what would happen, when he ran towards the birds, he turned around crying when they flew at him.

Speaking of birds, there are an insane amount of them here, and they are all fearless of human beings.

The boys are having such an amazing time, even with Ezra on steroids!

They are such beach babes….

We are staying on the Gulf side of the ocean, at Sanibel Island. The sunsets are breath taking…..

This picture is one of my favorites….

I think I could photograph the sunsets every night and never tire of it.

 

Ezra is holding nets we bought for catching seashells, Sanibel Island is one of the top places to hunt for seashells in the the US. The boys are loving it.

This type of stuff is everywhere. The boys have collected some really awesome shells.

I will leave you with one more sunset, there are lots more pictures to come!

Merry Poopmas!

When driving by the local Colon Hydrotheraphy and Massage Healing Center I saw this!

What kind of blogger/photographer would I be if I didn’t stop and take a picture for your viewing enjoyment….

Above Santa was a sign that said:  “Help Lighten Santa’s Load, buy a gift certificate”. The gift certificate no one wants…eeek! You gotta give them points for creativity, I think I like Stink Pickle the best.

Merry Poopmas!

Nothing Tastes as Good as Being Skinny Feels- Guest Blogger, The Mighty M Family

This is my dear blogging friend Teri, we have been reading each others blogs almost from the beginning!

First off I would like to thank Manic Mother for allowing me to fill in for her this week while she is on vacation!  This is my first ever guest post and I am very excited it is being posted here!

My blog is called The Mighty M Family.  I got into blogging because it seemed like the fun new thing.
And I like fun new things.
If you like cute kids, you'll most certainly like my blog.
Not that at all I'm biased or anything. 
--------
Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels.

I believe Kate Moss is the latest to spout these oh so helpful words on how she keeps fit and trim, but she is not the first, nor will she be the last, to offer such a fantastic dietary tip.
I mean, don't get me wrong, I am 100% certain I have used this mantra in my own life.

For example, that phrase sounds pretty good when:

1) I am extremely full from having eaten something or things that I can assure you were most delicious and I am pretty sure tasted better than being skinny feels.
If only momentarily.

2) I am no. where. near. anything even remotely delicious.

3) I am neither hungry nor am I extremely full. Things tend to sound pretty rational when I am not hungry. 
Or faced with things that call my name. 
Like chocolate and peppermint
I am pretty sure the combination of chocolate and peppermint taste just about as good as being skinny feels. 
If only momentarily.
I love chocolate and peppermint.  The holidays bring out a couple of my favorites:

1) Peppermint (candy cane) ice cream

2) Trader Joe's Peppermint Jo-Jo's (think Oreo's with candy cane filling)
But my absolute favorite combination of chocolate and peppermint, holiday or not, comes in the form of cake.
Delicious, wonderful, cake.
I love peppermint cake!

My Grandmother has made this cake for as long as I can remember.  It has always been a birthday staple at her house.  It is delicious and very easy to make yourself. 
Want to try?

All you need is:
     Chocolate cake
     Jar of hot fudge
     Whipping cream
     Candy canes/peppermint candies, crushed
Make cake as directed on box.  Having a helper on hand doesn't hurt either.
 
When cooled spread as much hot fudge as you can cram on the middle layer (it works better if it is softened a bit) and frost over the middle layer and the remainder of the cake with the frosting. Which is simply:
     Whipped cream, whipped (of course!)
     Sugar to your taste
     Fold in the crushed candy canes (as many as you like, I used 4 which was probably 1/2 - 2/3 cup). 
And there you have it!  A delicious dessert that I think would go well with any birthday, or holiday feast. 

Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels?
Perhaps.
But I'm willing to bet Ms. Moss hasn't had this cake. 

Some things are worth the splurge.  What's yours?

Thank you Teri! Please give her some comment love and go visit her blog.

We’ve Flown The Coop….

We will be on a short family vacation this week to the beach. I may or may not be blogging, it will depend on how great our Wifi connection is. But I do have a guest blogger lined up! And I will leave you with the most recent pictures of my little monsters men.

This picture cracks me up, this was taken after he told me I couldn’t take his picture, but then he became jealous I was taking Ezra’s picture. I will title it “Compromise”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really, really love this picture…..

When did he get sooo big?

We took the boys to see some Christmas lights, there is a hospital in our town that decorates their pond every year. 

 

We have gone every year to check it out…

Its pretty magical, minus all the duck poo…..

Peace out.