Top Ten Maija Facts
This was me when I started blogging:
1. Maija is pronounced My-ah.
2. I am the mom to 3+1. Sugar Plum (6), Bugaboo(2), Sweet Pea (1) and my sister (16).
3. My kids are my life.
4. I adore my husband. Even the days when adore is a strong word I really do adore him.
5. I am a working mom. I work long hours as a fundraiser for one of our country’s largest hospitals.
6. I have a crazy mother (no really – diagnosed!)
7. My paternal grandmother is the most influential woman in my life and has made me who I am today (well all the good things – the faults are my own doing).
8. My parents divorced when I was eight and both re-married. If you combine my brother from my parents’ marriage with the two siblings from my mom’s marriage and then two siblings from my dad’s marriage I am now one of six children. Confused? Just wait - blended families always need a few Coles Notes.
9. I am a shift worker’s wife so that makes life a little more challenging and always a little more interesting.
10. I want to write. Maybe I need to write. I definitely feel the need to document my children’s lives. Perhaps it’s because my own childhood ended up in boxes of unlabeled, unorganized pictures in my mother’s basement that ultimately were destroyed and forgotten. My children’s pictures are in albums. I journal them (although wish I had time to scrapbook) and put them lovingly on the top of bookshelves where they know they are there, but have to ask to see them.
This is me now:
1. Maija is pronounced My-ah.
2. I am the mom to 3+1. Sugar Plum (8), Bugaboo(almost 4), Sweet Pea (2) and my sister (18). My sister went off to University this year so I’m learning what a +1 means now that she’s an adult and living away from “home”.
3. My kids are my life. Even the +1.
4. I adore my husband. Even the days when adore is a strong word I really do adore him.
5. I am a work-outside-the-home-mom. While once upon a time all I ever wanted to be was a stay-at-home-mom (and I still have my days!) in October 2011 we took the plunge and moved across the country for a professional opportunity for ME! My husband left his job as a HUGE show of support and here we are almost 3,000 km away from everyone and everything we have ever called “home”.
6. My mother is still the greatest stress in my life as she battles with significant mental illness including addiction and bipolar disorder. My grandmother tells me I feel this stress because I’m still looking for a mother. My therapist tells me I should block her emails. Maybe they are both right.
7. My paternal grandmother is the most influential woman in my life and has made me who I am today (well all the good things – the faults are my own doing). Did I mention I’ve moved almost 3,000 km from her? That will take some getting used to.
8. My parents divorced when I was eight and both re-married. If you combine my brother from my parents’ marriage with the two siblings from my mom’s marriage and then two siblings from my dad’s marriage I am now one of six children. Confused? Just wait - blended families always need a few Coles Notes.
9. As of October 2011 I am no longer a shift-workers wife. I’m not sure what the transition will be but what I’m excited about right now is that I no longer have to hear the “but I’m just coming off of nights” excuse!
10. I want to write. I need to write. Maybe a book one day?
These days a lot of people are writing their about pages in a creative manner. I think I should change my About page, too.
By the way, nice and good-looking blog here.
I was thinking the same thing! I like the Top Ten format. Kudos.
I love your words, your thoughts, and the love for your family. I too am a mom and struggeling to make my art into a business, while working a sales job. I too come from a divorced family and understand the, I guess you could call it, Crazziness! Ha. I am impressed you find time to write. I do so in my journal and find it very meditating in a weird way.. Blogging is very admirable bc you express it with the world. Good luck with your expression! All the best! From one mom to another..
Thank you so much Rachel for your very kind (and inspiring) words. I hope to see you here again soon!
I agree with everyone else – it’s a great, quick way to get some insight into you and why you write.
Your Mom sounds very similar to mine. It’s no fun being the daughter of a person who lives somewhere other than a place of accountability. I also cared for my “sister” although she was my cousin who I happened to be raised with for the better part of my life so she’s more a sister than a cousin. She was 15 when she lived with us. We wanted her with us longer than she was, but treasure the time we had and hope she is better for her life with us. Nice to “meet” you more officially than on twitter.
so excited for you hun x
Congratulations. Big move and big changes. Wishing you good things and good times at this new stage in life.
I’m new to “you” and here. But I already feel right at home. Daughters of crazy mothers unite! *shudder* Really looking forward to trying to remember to check in on your blog and I promise to always comment when I do.
Good luck and congratulations with this amazing recent move.