Wonders, Mishaps, Blunders and Joy.. commentary on my life as a mom in the form of letters to my son
Every night I tell myself, as soon as Lucas goes to bed, I’m going to go too and every night, I stay up WAY past my bedtime.
This is my view at 11:15 PM.
And I wonder why I’m such a grump in the morning.
This post is for Wordless Wednesdays and if you want to link up, or see some really beautiful photographs, please visit Alicia at A Beautiful Mess. This week, she is on vacation with her family and being rejuvenated by sand and surf.
Armed with my fresh off the press blog cards, comfortable shoes, a light weight sweater, a fully charged iPhone (that only lasted until noon), a notebook, pen (that was out of ink by noon), a firm hand shake and a smile, I attended my first blogging conference, Bloggy Boot Camp on Saturday.
I loved the intimate round tables, the seating assignments, the view of the ocean from our seats and the very informative speakers…
I enjoyed listening to the adorable Ashley Stock (Little Miss Momma), whose blog is barely a year old (!) share tips and tricks suitable for any and every new blogger.
I appreciated what Anna Vielle’s (ABDPBT.com) had to say about Social Capital (your metrics and demographics) vs. Trust Capital (staying true to yourself and your voice, i.e. not selling out).
Mama Mary’s presentation was all about incorporating videos to your blog, which is something I might try with Letters For Lucas some day after she made it look so easy. NOT!
But it was DeNae Handy (My Real Life was on Backorder) and Mama Kat (Mama’s Losin’ It) that stole the show for me!
DeNae’s kind nature and wit make her an absolute joy to listen to. I wish she was my neighbor so that she could help me with my writing, maybe babysit Lucas form time to time and I bet she’s a real hoot after a glass of wine. She shared so many writing tips and good things for us all to remember that I have to share some here:
Your readers are people. Your readers are you. Write for you and you write for your readers.
Read, read, read… just as singer sing, writers write in language that speaks to them.
Make sure it is your story to tell.
The Internet lives forever! Be careful what you put out there. People are more important than a punchline.
Generosity plays well on the Internet. Support, support and support some more.
And Mama Kat, well, she’s just awesome and I must have told her nine times (shaking my head in complete and utter embarrassment).
I came away inspired and encouraged by this amazing group of women PLUS, I met the incredible writers behind Mandyland, San Diego Momma and BernThis!
I have a list of things I can do to improve my blog and my writing and I have a ton of new friends to boot.
It was Ashley that started the day by saying, You have a story, You have a voice. You deserve to be here and those words resonated with me throughout the conference and today. There may be 4 million mommy bloggers, but only one Letters For Lucas.
A HUGE big thank you to our hosts, the SITS Girls, Tiffany and Francesca for putting on a terrific conference.
Thank you too, to Morgan, (The Little Hen House) who is my friend in real life and was kind enough to help a sister out by lending me her phone charger and a pen. 
This is my first time participating in Post-It Note Tuesday (PINT) developed by That One Mom at Only Parent Chronicles.
PINT is a weekly meme that uses...you guessed it!…Post-It Notes to convey random streams of thought. Check it out and link up!
Every six months or so, I have a weekend that I look forward to with so much anticipation and excitement, and is so jam packed that it’s almost a blur come Monday morning.
Last weekend was one of those weekends…
I was in Vegas for an annual girl’s trip on Thursday night for a whirlwind 24 hours, home with just enough time to wash the smoke and ick out of my hair.
At 7:15 on Saturday morning, my friend, Coreen (The Adventures of Captain Fussypants, Little Miss & Caleb the Wonder Dog and pictured with me below) arrived at my house so we could car pool to Bloggy Boot Camp together.
It was an awesome one day conference but my head is still reeling from all the great take-aways. I promise to share highlights in an upcoming post.
On Sunday, I spent the rain soaked day in LA waiting for my sister to cross the finish line at the LA Marathon, along with hundreds of other people. I was drenched and freezing fully dressed, so I can only imagine how miserable the runners felt.
Leah was really hurting towards the end of the 26.2 miles, but she finished in just under six hours and I am SO proud of her!
This picture was taken from the lobby bar at the Hotel Shangri-La. Once I learned that Leah had roughly an hour left to run, I wised up and got warm and dry and then ended up taking her there for a meal and beer.
It was in large part thanks to Leah that I was able to enjoy this crazy, fun, wonderful weekend because she spent Thursday afternoon, all day Friday and most of the day on Saturday with Lucas. Thank you, Leah! I sincerely appreciate your help and I know Lucas loved having his aunt visit for a few days. xoxo
Here’s hoping to catch up on my sleep tonight.
Normally quiet, shy and reserved until you get to know me and more than happy to hide behind my laptop, I went out on a limb thinking no one else I knew would be attending (except Mommy of a Monster, who is now not able to attend after all) and bought a ticket for my first blogging conference.
I don’t know what I was thinking… I’m not overly comfortable in large groups, especially when I don’t know anyone, but that was more than seven months ago. Now, I have so many friends via Twitter, Letters For Lucas and the mommy blogging community in general that are going to be at Bloggy Boot Camp tomorrow that I am peeing in my pants excited!!
Bloggy Boot Camp is a blogging conference hosted by the SITS (The Secret to Success is Support) community. There are six events this year around the country and this one just happens to be in my back yard.
The event is limited to 125 attendees, so where I once was afraid, I am now looking forward to the intimate setting and because I still consider myself a relatively new blogger, I can’t wait to network and learn what the pros recommend.
The speaker line-up sounds amazing too. I am particularly excited about seeing/hearing/meeting Mama Mary of The Mama Mary Show, whom I have had fun on Twitter with and Kathy, aka Mama Kat, the blogger behind Mama’s Losin’ It. Each week I participate in her nearly world famous, Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop.
I’m sure I’ll walk away mind boggled and inspired.
Check back next week when I share highlights and be sure to let me know if you ‘re planning to be there too.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! I hope you’re wearing green.
For me, inspiration comes from 101 different places…. a kind gesture, a meaningful connection with someone I admire, respect or never even met in real life, those that give of themselves and expect nothing in return, an exploration involving a passport, being within the comfort of my home, an epiphany that leads me down a road of self to discovery, a starry sky, a roaring ocean or a vast dissolute desert.
Inspiration also comes from:
My parents because their relationship complimented one another so seamlessly and it’s one that I would like to emulate, they exposed me to the whole world, they instilled in me a strong work ethic and a respect and empathy for all. 
My son because his light, curiosity and wonder amaze me daily. He makes me want to be a better person.
My husband because he puts up with me and all my neurosis and supports me as a navigate through a very wide range of moods and emotions. 
My friends because no matter where our lives may take us or how busy we get, I know without a doubt we will always be there for each other. We share our successes and failures equally.
But, it’s reading books, blogs, magazines, quotes and lyrics that inspire me the most. Just knowing that others have experienced what I have and learning their coping mechanisms or marveling at their own unique lives is a wonderful gift and makes me feel truly alive and incredibly hopeful in myself and the human race.
This post was written for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop, Prompt 5) I’m inspired by… 
(A photo journal entry)
So much of my day consists of this…
… I line up Thomas and his friends, build train tracks, move trains along the tracks, rebuild train tracks, talk about trains, “feed” trains, sometimes watch trains on television, read about trains, wash and rewash train sippy cups, dishes and utensils, dig trains out of my purse, or shove them into it and try like hell to avoid breaking my neck by stepping on one of these guys.
This post is for Wordless Wednesdays and if you want to link up, or see some really beautiful photographs, please visit Alicia at A Beautiful Mess. This week, she is featuring a sweet thought on change.
Last week Lucas turned 21 months old, which means in just three short months he’ll be two years old. Crazy!!
Lucas is also able to play quietly with his trains or cars, “read” books or run around the backyard without much interference and for this I am also grateful.
He’s 21 months old for now and as challenging and infuriating as he can be sometimes, I’m wishing there was a pause button.
It was either Facebook or Twitter where I first learned about The Mom Pledge. Either way, I am all about it and I hope you will be too.
The Mom Pledge
I am a proud Mommy Blogger. I will conduct myself with integrity in all my blogging activities. I can lead by example.
I pledge to treat my fellow moms with respect. I will acknowledge that there is no one, “right” way to be a good Mom. Each woman makes the choices best for her family.
I believe a healthy dialogue on important issues is a good thing. I will welcome differing opinions when offered in a respectful, non-judgmental manner. And will treat those who do so in kind.
I stand up against online bullying. My blog is my space. I will not tolerate comments that are rude, condescending or disrespectful.
I refuse to give those who attack a platform. I will remove their remarks from my blog with no mention or response. I can take control.
I want to see moms work together to build one another up, not tear each other down. Words can be used as weapons. I will not engage in that behavior.
I affirm that we are a community. As a member, I will strive to foster goodwill among moms. Together, we can make a difference.
I have committed to the principles of The Mom Pledge because I believe that it is important to be supportive and respectful to each other. If you do too, please visit: http://www.efloraross.com/
