Thursday 27 March 2008

Tagged: Why I Blog

Got tagged some time back by hissychick. Sorry it took me so long to get around to this. So here it is (I actually did some thing like this some time back, but I think it's a little different now from then):


So, Why do I blog?

1. I want to keep a record of my children for my children.

I think we have many fond memories of our childhood, but there are some moments that will slip us because as a child you see the world differently and you will miss some of the magical moments noticed by your parents.
One example of my own magical childhood memory was this: At the supermarket, (I was about 4 years old) our mum got us some chocolate milk in small cartons. Those were real treats to us. My older sis and I came to this conclusion: Chocolate milk must come from brown cows. The black and white fresien cows (picture on other cartons) give regular milk. Of course we never heard of strawberry flavored milk then, or at least our mum didn't expose us to it.

So I would like Micah and Max to know of some of their funny and magical moments.


2. I want to keep a record for myself.

Micah is 4 months older than his favourite playmate, B.
B's mommy is really good at keeping records and stuff about her. It was when B's mommy kept quizzing me about Micah's milestones that I realised how easily I forget certain details, i.e. what was his first word? (First few words I remember, but not the first), when did he start talking? (err... maybe 9 months? He was talking before walking. Monosyllable but he got everything he wanted: up, down, go, yes, no, this, ... Soon he started on double syllable words like apple, turtle, purple, tractor. Micah walked on the day he turned 1. That I remember.)

So, realising my poor memory, I decided it was time to keep some kind of record. This was perfect, although I actually had to bug Gadget-daddy to help me set up my blog. Me the almost-not-techie married to the super-high-tech. I'm like the post-it notes decorating your PC screen. :)

Actually, there were many poignant moments and some funny incidences in the middle of the night when I was up and nursing Max that I had some insights of myself and motherhood that I wanted to remember and share with my friends. So there were a couple of e-mails out as a pre-blog. I really wanted to put some thoughts down for myself to remember.


3. Last weekend I declared this to a friend who asked if I am still keeping my blog updated, to which I said "Yes, It's my new Hobby."

Hobby is such an out-dated word. Today people use the phrase "past time", i.e. what do you do to pass time, or what's your favourite past-time?

Well, it's my current (new) and only hobby that I get to indulge in now. Others- like reading (not counting my children's books), swimming, window shopping with girl friends, cooking for my friends, experimenting recipes, collecting pencils, making my own cards, etc. - these are all in the past and like my many sentimental mementos, they are kept in boxes in my memory covered with layers of dust.

Gadget-daddy once teased me when I was excited to see if there was any comment on a recent post. He called me a comment-junkie. Well, that leads to my next reason...


4. Blogging is now my connection to a world of friends who share the same passion, preoccupation and "obsession" : our child/children. It also help me keep connected to other friends who are now physically far away.

Sometimes I feel like we are just sitting around a table with our favourite drink and chatting about what our day has been, the good and the bad. Talking about the important things and not just senseless small talk. So this has become very meaningful to me.
I am a huge social bug. The kind that loves people and want to be with people and talk to them and learn about them and learn from them... And now, with my days revolving around my boys, this has become like a haven for my sanity. To not just read about trains or cars all day long, to stop thinking about the cartoons and the nursery rhymes and to rest from working so hard to keep the boys happy and healthy. We still talk about all that but in a very different angle. Unloading and sharing the day => happy and relieved.


5. Finally, for whatever artistic bent that I may have towards writing.

Some people like how I write, basically a personal touch, but I actually envy those who write with real witty expressions and bombastic words. I like to have my wit and mind blown away sometimes; get some cognitive stimulation and do some cerebral stretching.

Like ann, I like words. I like the sound, the print, the way they make my tongue twist, turn and roll. I am just glad for technology that has made it so easy to "publish" and to be free of looking for scraps of paper to scribble on, pen running out of ink and "liquid-paper"! And that, I must thank Gadget-daddy who got me to overcome my fear of this machine* that I felt would just protest and freeze on me whenever I sit in front of it.


This will be it for now.

Thank you, my friends, for having "tea and talk" with me in cyberspace.

Cheers!



*I am now using a Mac and our first computer was also the Mac.
"Our" here actually means it's actually Gadget-daddy's but mine to use whenever he is not on it.

10 comments:

Ann said...

The post might have been late, but it is GREAT!

Totally agree with the 'comment' feeling! It is a great connection I reckon! And for me who expresses myself easier on paper, I think my blogger friends may know me better than my 'talk-ing' friends!

Keep on blogging!

Moomykin said...

ann,

Thanks. I agree that my blog buddies and others who read but don't comment will actually know me more than others I see on a regular basis, i.e. on Sundays. This is because with the kids around and considering all the other buzz after service, there really is no time to share about the stuff we talk about here.

Great to have met you here. :)

JLow said...

So true. I have also made some friends here on blogosphere (whom I am sure will be meeting real soon now ;) ) locally as well as abroad, based solely on the common theme of parenting.

I didn't start off my blog for recording / tracking purposes, but you are right- for me, it's become a very welcomed side-effect!

A gift from God said...

Oh yes...keep going girl... I am one of your regular reader.

Oh... I love comments from others.. that actually keeps me going.. It's like a bonus...

hissychick said...

Fantastic post Kathie.

I'm so glad to have 'met' you through your blog. Hooray for the internets for providing such a fabulous way to link us parents from all around the world.

You are a talented writer too so keep up the good work :)

Moomykin said...

jlow,

I am glad there are quite a few Daddys out there who share their perspective on parenting. I really appreciate that.

Incidentally Gadget-daddy and I realised that the up coming meet-up actually involves all parties who are his friends, or at least got to know him first and then me through him. Fancy that. :)


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a gift from god,

Thanks for your support and encouragement.

Yeah, some response to let you know that your are causing some ripples in a gigantic lake of parenting can stir you quite a bit. :)


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hissychick,

Thanks. Thank you for the compliment.

I am glad to have "met" you and your household too. :) Physically e are far apart, but our hearts, like different instruments in an orchestra, resonates the same tune.

Lee said...

Hi Kathie, re what you mentioned about being able to write well, just write from your heart, it is better than 'bombastic' words or writings we have to pull out a dictionary to find out meanings. Or have to read twice see what author meant.
You are doing well, very eloquent and one feels warm reading your postings. I do.
Re keeping notes, memories, I must relate this.
I have two matured friends, each of them have kids, and when each child was born, that same day the daddy buys two local newspapers, and unopened, wraps it up carefully in a tight plastic wrap as well a cylinderical box.
Once the son's or daughter's 21st birthday, he presents it to them..to read what it was like the day they were born.
A 21 year old priceless birthday present.
Oh ya, one father took a picture of his baby girl, second day after birth, then put the baby picture in the classified ads, informing the arrival of his daughter.
Can you imagine his daughter receiving the two newspapers, second one with her two day old baby picture? Priceless!
Re memories, I started keeping notes of interesting events, at first in note books, just short notes in point form.
When I started working and received those large Executive diaries from Hong Kong bank, Malayan banking, etc, apart from my work, business appointments, I would note any interesting happenings, and if it ahemm, involves my dating women or relationships, I code the notes in Alphnumeric and morse code incase the diary falls into the wrong hands. But no names mentioned but instead just my own code for whoever.
I wanted to destroy the whole lot prior migrating here, but somehow changed my mind and kept them in a locked box...all these years till two years back, October 2006, I happened to pop into The Malaysian star and noticed 'Blogs'. I did not know what is a blog and being a kaypoh, took a peek.
Then got motivated to start my own, but didn't know what to blog about when I remembered I have more than 20 diaries and old faded note books. The rest, you know, ha ha.
You keep well, Kathie, Lee.

Moomykin said...

u.lee,

Thanks. Thanks for all your kind words. I am encouraged. You are a fantastic story teller yourself. :)

Wow! 20 diaries?!! Well, I am glad you did not throw them away and now we can have some interesting stories to read of your colorful life and old Malaysia. I especially like those distinctively Malaysian in culture and history. :)

The newspaper is a very wonderful idea. The announcement of birth too. I actually kept for Micah a special ear end pull out for 2004 of The Star, but I did not manage to that for Max as I was having my confinement and before I could ask gadget-daddy to keep it a relative took the papers away and that was the end of it... Too bad.

Happy blogging to you, too, u.lee. Hope the weathers warming up for you.

JLow said...

Drats!

And I thought my mum's idea of keeping that day's daily calendar tear-off's was already a good idea!

We did keep the respective days' tear-off's for both kids, complete with the Chinese dates.

Moomykin said...

jlow,

Yeah, we did that tear-off calender thing too. I also thought that was nice, and I wrote their Chinese names on it.

These I actually keep in the folder with their birthcerts and for Max, a copy of the hospital's report (the original is kept by the registrar department. Didn't know that first round, so Micah does not have his.)