a little more conversation, a little less action

Dear readers,

I adore you. I appreciate all of the wonderfully supportive emails and feel a bit overwhelmed. I tried emailing you back individually but it became too time consuming, so I am answering you here. Posting my "middle of the night rampage" was immature of me. I was venting because #1 my husband didn't want to hear a WORD of blogging drama and #2 because I was really tired and frustrated. I made matters worse by including everyone in the scandal :) So I apologize.

I will do my best to explain without causing more chaos, but please know that I am doing much better. As I explained in my ramble, the stats on this blog have increased dramatically... but the large majority of the newcomers were referred from a knitting site. Apparently about a thousand or so knitters were discussing my blog, my entries, my personality, my family. I have no idea why my blog was brought up in the first place or why they spent time dissecting my posts (none of which were from my best of list... just random posts, which I can concur were poorly written and/or very sarcastic..) Although many of the comments were positive, a vast majority were very cruel. And I was shocked that hundreds of strangers could have such opinions about a person they have never met. No one attacked me personally or made any negative comments on my blog. This is NOT the reason I took off comments in the first place. That just happened to be coincidental.. thankfully.

There were a couple of smaller blogs who wrote "entertaining" posts comparing me to TAMN or writing about my terribly designed laundry room and how my family will suffer from the paint colors I chose. I wasn't necessarily offended by these posts, just amused that people have such strong opinions about another person and their blog.

Although I was overwhelmed a couple of days ago, I am doing much better. I realize that it's silly to get worked up over the opinions of complete strangers and know that it's not wise to try to explain yourself or worry about pleasing everyone. When I tried to talk to Aaron about it, he rolled his eyes and said, "It's like having a total stranger walk up to you on the street and say 'I HATE YOU'.... why would you care what they think?" I understand where he is coming from, but I don't know how to think like a MAN! And they were criticizing me, my personality, my family! It wasn't some art project or some novel I was writing.. this is my life here! I have been far too open, and that is my mistake. I feel vulnerable because I have placed myself in this situation. I am working on finding a better solution... thus, my need for a blogging break.

I am currently in the process of going private. However, because Blogspot only allows you to invite 100 readers, I have been spending lots of time cutting the list of invites I believe my private blog of my day to day happenings will be read by my family, closest friends and the best commenters... But I hate to lose contact with everyone else-- so I have decided to transfer this blog over to a more professional site. It's not going to be updated as frequently, but it will be open to the public and will probably be some type of commercial, advertised blog. It is currently up and running, but I have lots of editing before sending out the link to everyone. I am taking my 500 + posts and narrowing it down to the best 200 (or so) posts. And hopefully over the next few years, I will be able to have a successful, up-and-running blog with millions of readers and money coming out my ears (this is sarcasm for all you critical knitters.) One of the hardest parts of going "commercial" is dealing with ads and coming up with a marketable name. It's a Wonderful Life is no longer my thing.. and every other suggestion doesn't seem to fit. For now, it will be titled "that's what janet said" Is that lame or what?... Seriously, can you come up with anything better?

I must sign off because my kids are screaming from the bathtub, "I am ready to get OOOOOUUUTTTT!" and "My fingers are WRINKLY" so stay tuned in the following weeks for a link to my other blog. Changing my address again is SUCH A PAIN, but it's high time I make the switch. Thanks for being so understanding... and know that I do read your emails and feel the love.

Have a wonderful weekend. Happy March!

Janet

ps. I have to say that when Brooke White performed yesterday on American Idol and gave the current competitors advise, I had to smile. Out of all things, she told them to "Be true to yourself and NEVER Google your name." I think that is such great advice. Obviously, none of us are rich and famous, but I believe it can apply to us all. We must remember that we're all doing our best. We cannot worry about what others think of us. We cannot compare ourselves or stress about pleasing everyone. Our best IS good enough.. Success is a relative term, but happiness and contentment is completely independent of what others think, say and do. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you." He was one smart fella.

pps. if you missed the tidbit about watching the new version of Sense and Sensibility, hear me now. It's SO good. I might even say it's up there with the British version of Pride and Prejudice without the delicious Colin Firth, of course. Have a girls night and watch it!

Ladies Man....

Ben and Luke were hysterically laughing this morning. When I asked them what was so funny, Zack threw a mini tantrum and stomped, "NOTHING is funny!"

I figured the older boys were teasing him but they denied in unison, "We weren't! We just thought he said something awesome."

Then Ben explains that while they were playing HOT WHEELS, Zack grabbed the convertible car and said,

"See ya later, dudes. I'm off to get ALL the Ladies."

When I asked where they think Zack learned to say something like that, everyone agreed: DADDY.

we have a SWIMMER!

Because it's been "COLD" lately (only 70 degrees yesterday) we are spending many an afternoon at the indoor swimming pool. This pool isn't exactly close to our house (a good 30 minute drive) but it's our favorite because our kids think the water is "warm like a bathtub." It hope it's not warm because of all the pee in the pool... Ben and Luke are inseparable in the water and have become excellent swimmers. Aaron and I have spent the last few weeks teaching Zack to swim.


Zack won't get out of the pool until he's completely exhausted and he wants his goggles so tight that he gets hickies around his poor eyes. But he has become quite the little fishy... he quickly pops his head up for air and then he's back under the water. We are all so proud! Of course, we're not throwing him in deep end to swim laps or anything, but I have a feeling he will be swimming on his own before the summer is over. Here's a 30 second clip of him taken a couple of weeks ago. And for the Grandparents, there is another one of him jumping into the pool on our video blog.

sexy feet

this is the 6th picture in my 6th folder.. who in the world came up with this "tag" in the first place? for whatever reason... I get to show off a disgusting picture of my husband's foot (at the gargantuan size 13. can I get a whut?)

If this picture doesn't TURN YOU ON, I don't know what will...

In 2004, Aaron was playing an intense game of volleyball with a couple of Tongans who weighed 3X as much as him. He went up to spike the ball and came down with an extra Tongan on top of him. This purple foot was his fate. He elevated it for a day or two and then went about his buziness like it was no wahala. I think he still has issues with it, but he shrugs it off like a thug.

Enrich as a Secong Wanridge

My little bro is living in China for a couple of months. He emailed our family these pictures and I just thought I would share the love. enjoy!