Mothers' WEEK

(NOTE: Clicking on a link in this post will open a new window and will not take you away from the spinabifidakids.blogspot.com page.)


Last week Kari (raisingtoby.blogspot.com) emailed me with the idea that in preparation for Mothers' Day, we write about ourselves. Her idea included a photo and a description of why we blog, what our hobbies are, what kinds of food we like, what we can't live without, best friends, etc...

I love this idea!

So...

I'm Karin.

I started blogging because my brother started a blog. And as has been true for most of our lives, whatever he does, I do. Better. A couple of days later, my sister started a blog. Then all three of my sisters-in-law. And it became a great way for us to stay in touch as the miles between us grew.

But over the years, my blogging has taken on more direction as I've started posting regularly at 5 Minutes for Special Needs and occasionally at Adopting the Older Child. I've written guest posts for other blogs, and currently maintain three personal blogs (HennHouse, HennHouse-Fitness, HennHouse-food), and my nine-year-old even has a blog where he posts some of his artwork and photography.

I guess my blogging has evolved into community. While I started blogging to keep up with my older brother (and he is only 11 months older than me, so you know how that goes), I KEPT blogging because of the connection I felt with the friends I was making online. I have met the most interesting, most unorthodox, most eclectic, and most genuine people while blogging.

And now I can't stop.

Some other random things about me:

I'm a working mom, which has some unique challenges when you've got three special needs children. I work at a major research university in marketing communications. Primarily, I'm responsible for email marketing. But I do try to compartmentalize. Except when my son is suspended, again, and I've either got to work from home or take him with me. Which can be, um, interesting.

I've got three kids. I consider raising them my job. Sure, I work outside of the house, but that just pays the mortgage. My REAL work takes place inside the walls of our home. And on the front lines where I wear the hat of advocate, teacher, disciplinarian, comforter, voice of reason, voice of "that's just stupid" (I have a teenager), PR representative, photographer, movie producer, cheerleader, manicurist, activities coordinator, coach, therapist, nurse, maid, short-order cook, etc... I consider it the highest honor to be mom to my three.

I love to cook and bake. LOVE it. For my family. Friends. Strangers. Bake sales. If there is a reason to be found to smoke a brisket and have a crowd over, I will find it. I wouldn't say that we like to entertain, but we do like to fellowship. And the work doesn't all fall on me. My Tim is pretty amazing in the kitchen, too. And, he does all of the dishes.

I also love shoes. Clean floors. Cookbooks. Pajamas. Christmas. And going barefoot. I save WAY too many things. I like clean, clutter-free living, but I also have a hard time letting some things go. I like to be organized, but that doesn't always work out for me either.

My husband is my best friend. Really, I think I'm the only one who gets his humor, and that's ok with me. I left my small hometown at age 18 for the "big" city thinking I was leaving the farm girl behind, but I married a tree hugger, so, we snack-scape and my back yard is one big year-round vegetable garden. And I find that I don't mind one bit.

I cannot be defined in one word. But, if I had to choose one thing that I love the most, it is being a mom. I have learned so much about love and life from my kids that I don't ever lament for the time in my life that I didn't have kids.

Being their mom is what I was meant to be.