The truth about this mommy blog

So great news, Mother, Inc has been selected as one of 5 finalists for the Best Parenting Blog award in the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards 2011. When I got the phone call, I told the kids because they are after all the stars of the blog but they weren’t very interested, like “Mommy, you’re a finalist? Ok, can we go the playground now?”

I tried to explain the concept of awards and that it was sort of a big deal but they started stoning out so that was the end of that. Nothing like a bit of toddler perspective to keep my delusions of grandeur in check.

When I started blogging over 2 years ago, I had no idea how big this was going to be or where it was going to take me. There’s just something about having kids that makes you go shutter crazy and talk about them incessantly. All the people I know got tired of hearing me go on and on about the kids so I had to go on the Internet to find more people to listen to me. True story.

In a way, having kids helps you to relive the first 3 years of your life. I have no recollection of what it was like to take my first steps or taste my first strawberry or jump into the pool for the first time and the kids, they give that experience back to me. All the little joys in life that we take for granted are new and wonderful to them. They literally roll on the floor laughing when they hear a funny word and they boogie to Lady Gaga in supermarkets. They live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment. They love without reservation or fear of getting hurt.

So I try to capture all these moments in the blog. So that when they’re older and they wonder what the first years of their lives were like, they can look back and experience it through my eyes.

That’s my present to them and that’s why I write the blog.

What I didn’t expect was that in the process, I’ve come to meet some really awesome like-minded parents (and non-parents who feel the same way about a dog/cat/sea-monkey/baby sister) who are smart and witty and cool and incredibly inspirational. People who have walked the path and get the blog. I’ve come to really enjoy hanging out with you on the Internet. Thanks for sharing in your own blogs and in the comments.

And then I also write because that’s what I love. Sure, it takes time and effort and heart and lots of brain power, (all of which I could be spending with/on the kids) but when you love something, you do it even when it’s tough.

Also, if you must know, editing photos is a royal pain in the ass but I’m committed to putting out pictures that won’t make you want to gouge out your eyes. My philosophy is if I’m going to bombard you with photos of the kids, I should put in some effort into making it “nice-nice” (because 2 nices is nicer than just one nice).

This is usually where I badger you to vote but you probably have better things to do like bring your kids to the playground. Which is why I’m going to casually mention that if you happen to be terribly bored and would like vote for a blog you like, you can do it here under the Best Parenting Blog category. You can even vote once every 2 hours from today till 27 November, which is like playing Neopets or FarmVille or Mafia Wars, except more meaningful.

But seriously, thanks for all the love. You guys are awesome.