Touring Toddlerville

Well howdy! You're here for the tour, right?!  Excellent. I'm always glad to have folks come around and visit my corner of the Blogosphere I call "Toddlerville". 

Serendipity: Queen of Silver Linings
& Leader of Ninja Pirate Fairies

I guess I should lay down the ground rules. I live in New York City and anonymity is sort of a cornerstone of being a New Yorker. So why don't you just call me "Serendipity" - a nickname I've had since junior high school. 

So naturally, while I talk about my life & my family, I maintain an air of mystery about their identities as well. Nope, there won't be any photos of their gorgeous faces. Trust me, they are hella cute. Don't worry, you'll still get to see their antics, I just pull their hats down or cut off their heads (photographically speaking, of course).

Hubs, Summer Boy & Winter Girl hanging out in Central Park 

So why "Toddlerville"? This kingdom was so named for my two children, more often referred to as the Rebel-spawn toddlers. The Rebels are Summer Boy (now 4) & Winter Girl (now 2.5). Since I have one of each, it's easier just to call them by their gender. When talking to my Hubs this is often how I refer to them anyway. Summer & Winter are the seasons when they were born, but their personalities somehow seem a reflection of that fact. (One day I will finish writing the post about this observation.) 

Also noteworthy, I suppose, is that the Hubs is an English/Irish hybrid. He has lived in the US for better than half his life now & while a naturalized citizen, he's not Americanized. 

As for me, I'm a military brat who came back to the place that was favorite of all the places I lived as a kid. In addition to the blog, you can catch up with me daily at FB/MotherOfSerendipity. 

Summer fun with the whitest family on the beach!
Look how they glow! Irish genetics at work, kids.

So here's the deal: I know the fantabulous Thriller Mom from that book of faces place, and she also has a wonderful blog by the same name. Be sure to stop in and give her hugs! 

Anyway, she tapped me for this blogland tour & challenged me to pull back the curtain and explain the madness that is my life and how that translates into writing. 

Don't mind the hair. Fire away - I'm ready to talk.

What am I working on?

Is maintaining my sanity an ok answer? It would be the most honest. No, you want a more creative answer? Boo... alright. 

• I am always working on de-cluttering. 
• I am always working on decorating the house. I have this tub of frames & tons of family photos I'd like to get hung all down our hall. 
• I am working on getting all the electronic photos organized. There are 3000 on my phone alone. 
• We won't even talk about the email situation.
• Yeah, I have some issues. I'm working on that too

How does my work differ from those in my genre?

Okay, listen - I'm not sure what my genre is. I'm not a humorist, although sometimes I guess I'm funny. I would consider myself an optimist, but not in a sunshine up your ass kind of way. I'm certainly not trying to provide anyone with a path to follow. I try to bring some perspective, mostly for my own sake. Life's too short to take anything too seriously, right?

I suppose I'm a "journalist", in that this space is my journal and a record of my journey. 

Why do I write/create what I do?

I write, particularly on the blog, when I feel like there is too much inside my brain to keep it locked up. I decide to post a piece when I feel like my experience can benefit someone else. Whether that is to inspire or merely to feel less alone is really up to the reader. 

I earned an art degree in college & maybe that's why I also enjoy taking photos or quotes & making them into memes. I think the quick visual can speak volumes, often more elegantly than a long essay.

How does my writing creative process work?

If I had to give a one word answer: piecemeal. 

I am usually thinking about what to write at nitenite time, or when I'm doing yoga, or walking (usually with the kids in the stroller). When I have a coherent thought, a fully formed sentence or (gadzooks!) a whole paragraph then I try to jot it down. 

Preferably I would write straight into this space, but more often it is on the Notes app in my phone. Sometimes I just text myself. Whatever I can do to lock it down electronically, because my children scribble on and/or eat all the paper. Eventually I copy and paste all those random bits into one post about a larger theme. 

Sometimes ALL of that work is still just a launching point. Other times I can piece a full post together. 

Of course, all of this explains why, contrary to my intention, I am terribly inconsistent in my posting. 
At the moment I also have a broken hand, which has slowed me down quite a lot. I prefer to write the blog typing on a computer & typing is pretty much hunt & peck with only one hand. It's hard for my brain to work on composing and be actively thinking about how to type at the same time.

Well - How's that for a peek at the ol' writing process?! Hope you've enjoyed poking around behind the scenes. I look forward to seeing you around!

Now that we're past all this me, me, me business, I am super pleased to introduce you to two of my favorite ladies not just in Blogland, but all the interwebs. Do yourself a favor and stalk them. Once you're ready to introduce yourself, make sure you tell them Serendipity sent you!

Chasity of Dammit Jim, I'm a Mom, not a Doctor

Facebook www.facebook.com/dammitjimimamom

Twitter @dammitjimimamom

Blogger http://dammitjimimamom.blogspot.com/

Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/DammitJimImAMom

Three fun facts about me:

*I love crafting and do a craft every day of the week with my daughter.

*I am a published author and I also illustrate my own books.

*I enjoy knitting and reading. (and Star Trek - I don't know how she left that off)

Gretchen of How My Brain Works

Blog:  http://howmybrainworks.weebly.com/

Facebook:  How My Brain Works www.facebook.com

She is a mom of 4 boys ranging in age from 11 to only 10 months, who also runs the local Cub Scout Pack! 

As she says: "Boy Scouts of America is a program I truly believe in and believe a boy needs a youth program such as this. In fact I believe all children should be able to be a part of youth programs. I am a child advocate. I believe in no child left behind. That every child should have a chance to explore, grow and learn!"