Internet Refugee

I feel like a refugee. I know that’s dramatic, but this feeling of being displaced, shuffled around, trying to assimilate in and ‘pass’ for one of the locals when grieving the loss of a family. I wrote about the OffbeatFamilies shutdown yesterday, and have managed to stay away from the shuttered doors, and have tried to nestle in to Offbeat Home & Life, a place I previously felt comfortable. But then I started reading the comments, which is advice they say NOT to do in most internet communities, because snark+ runs rampant. But the Offbeat Empire has felt so safe…and then…I come across comments like this:

Ooooh… I’m sure this makes me a terrible person, but as a childless-by-choice OBH&L reader I’m glad there’s not going to be birth stories and breastfeeding articles in here…. cuz it would totally ick me out, but I’m sure I’d end up reading it anyways cuz it’d be like a train-wreck, where you don’t want to look but you can’t tear your eyes off it. Then I’d probably just have to stop coming in here, and that would make me sad.

But hooray for Harry Potter!

Ugh. So birth and breastfeeding is icky to you. Awesome. And my parenting choices are like a ‘trainwreck,’ which is also awesome. And makes me feel super comfortable when I’m mourning the loss of a place I loved and content I loved. Imagine if I went there and said “I love reading about colored wedding dresses, but gay dudes kissing is sooooo ick, and a trainwreck and so I’ll probably not come back.” Hurtful, right? (and soooo not my views in reality, FYI).

But I was feeling kinda okay about squatting over there, but now I’m not so sure. So of course I’ve begun spiralling. Where do I fit in? I’ve bounced over to Mutha Magazine, and Mommyish, and Birth Without Fear, and think ‘oh cool, these might feel like home someday,’ but just like expatriating, that day isn’t today and so I feel displaced.

Which calls into question my own feeling at home here, on my own blog. A blog with a name I’ve questioned for awhile and with a handle that I’m not entirely comfortable with. Monk-Monk sometimes feels too…unhuman, if that makes any darn sense at all. So don’t be surprised, if like a post-breakup, I dye my hair to change my identity. The blog equivalent might be a look change/name change/handle change. Still me under the bloggy makeover, but I thought I’d give you a heads up that my mind is swirling about new taglines and titles and how to move forward in internet refugee empowerment.

Seattle Sports Fans

Moms and Sons

If we waited for it to stop raining, we’d never do anything fun. Because this is Seattle. And sometimes it rains. While it actually rains a lot less than other places in the country, we do have this nasty little overcast habit that usually spread from November-March. This year the wet, windy, and otherwise nasty weather has begun, and we’re experiencing record rainfall. Not just record breaking, but record SHATTERING rainfall. Fun times.

two friends. trying to look cool. I’m flashing forward to the teenage years.

With five months of rainy, wet, cold, overcast, and dark days ahead, we have to be creative. And muscle through the discomfort to make memories with our kids. So today we took advantage of it being Boof’s last day working for the Mariners (hallelujah!!!!), and bundled our kiddos up and headed out to the game. Yes, we were crazy. Leaving the warm comfort of our home, watching a winning Seattle team (the Seahawks), to drive in the rain to a stadium, to sit on cold seats to watch a losing team (the Mariners). But we actually had a lot of fun, and the kids made it to the fifth inning, which felt like quite a victory!

visiting daddy Boof

Highlights included watching the kiddos dance to the songs, and eat the free kid sized hotdog and drink the free kid sized soda, and watch the EMT practicing a recorder (yes the instrument) in the corner of guest services. The Mariners were playing miserably, but the kids didn’t care. And we got to catch up on our mom gossip, which is the best. Because when it’s rainy and cold and miserable in life, it’s good to have mom friends to spend time with!

Potamus’s dolly, and his little friend’s Ninja Turtle!

What activities does your family participate in rain or shine?