Day 24 or Day 29...

...depending on how you look at it.
Yes, it happened, I dropped the ball on my writing project and took a five day hiatus. The funny thing is that I was quite surprised when I looked at the calendar and saw that it had only been five days. It feels like I haven't written in at least a week and half. Day 1 of my sebatacle found me enjoying a sunny afternoon in the backyard with my kids...notebook and pen in hand. I began writing, but after less than a paragraph stopped and thought, "I don't want to write." This thought wasn't qualified with a right now; it felt more like an ever. This lead to four days of reevaluating. Why am I writing? What do I want to write? Do I really want to write? I really want to edit. I want to be a copy-editor. I really don't want to write my own stuff, I want to edit other peoples' stuff. And so on and so forth.
About a week ago I finished reading A Million Miles for a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. Great read, by the way. Near the end, Miller wonders why writers hate to write. Why we have to force ourselves to peck away at the keyboard each day. He quotes another writer as having said that writers "love to have written." So true! I love to have written, but when it comes to actually doing the writing...a whole different story. Actually, in my case, it's more the getting started that is at issue than the actual writing. I do love writing - when I have something to write about. A good friend asked me recently what genre I wanted to pursue. I had no idea. Shortly thereafter, the hiatus began. Writer's block set in because not only did I not have a topic, I didn't even have a genre! How can a person be a writer when they have no idea what they want to write about?!
Well, I am happy to say that what brought me to the computer today is an end to my block, my sebatacle, my hiatus...I know that I want to write (if for no other reason than to have something to edit ); and I know what I want to write.
I want to write about parenting. Now, I know that there are a million and one parenting resources out there (including some amazing blogs), and I am by no means an expert on any facet of this grand adventure we call motherhood. However, I do have something to contribute to the melee. I have funny stories to share, helpful tips to pass on, questions to ponder, and ideas to explore. I have kids. And I love to talk about them. I have two writing topics ready to unroll this week, and no doubt that each day will add to my list.
As for the daily writing challenge, I'm modifying it a bit. I'm still going to try to write every day. However, some days it may be something as short and sweet as my favorite kid quote of the day. Other days it may be an article on house cleaning or feeding kids or fun things to do with our sweet little people. We'll just have to wait and see!
As always, thanks for joining me on this adventure! I'm looking forward to your feedback. :)

Quote of the Day:
Eli watches me make coffee this morning and then says, "Mama, why did you make decaf?" How the heck does this kid know I'm making decaf?

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