I Know, I Know

Get your pitchforks, clubs, and torches. It's totally ok to beat me, because I deserve it. I got a kindly email from my friend last week asking why I've gone MIA on this blog. I have reasons, and none of them are probably acceptable, but here they are:

1. Writing has usurped the little time I had before. For a year, I've been working on a young adult novel (believe it or not, the story isn't about a distraught mother with an insane two-year-old ... fiction is supposed to be about escape, right??). I am currently penning the last chapter, and with my goal within reach, I truly have used all my extra time to work on it. Meaning, when Rain takes her 2-hr nap during the middle of the day, I race to write. Because when she's awake and she sees me on my laptop, she eyes it and says, "Goodnight, computer." Hint, hint.

2. Ever since Rain turned 2, I've had misgivings about blogging about her routines and posting her photos. When she was a baby, she looked like, well, every other chubby baby. Now that her face is actually distinguishable, I've had doubts about posting her pics online as I have done. In a few months, I plan to remove all of her online photos. Parent-noia? Sure, but I recognize we don't live in Mayberry anymore, either. So, I'm on Facebook now. I post stuff about Rain (plus photos) there, because I can screen it better than I can here.

3. Last but not least, there is Rain. Yes, Rain is the reason there is very little blogging about Rain. Some kids are sort of quiet and do-my-own-thing types. Rain, alas, wants to do ALL OUT living 24/hours a day, and I'm sort of treading water. See below.

So how has little Miss Rainbow been these many months? I have always likened our relationship as one a girl might have with a bad high school boyfriend. I find myself thinking, "You're treating my terribly, but if I just love you enough, you'll change!" One moment, she can make me feel so proud and loved (like the other day, when she saw a cut on my hand, she kissed it gently), and the next day, I want to gouge my eye out in frustration (like last week, when she refused to use the potty for two days to show me she doesn't have to potty train until she darn well feels like it).

She has a posse/gang now (her 2 cousins), and I find that her love for books (sigh) is not a match for athletics. I have yet to find a slide, bounce house, or piece of furniture high enough or intimidating enough to frighten her. She cajoles other children much older than her to join her in doing things that would make the average mother bite her nails to the nubs. But, she's already made me jaded. Moms at the playground must think I'm a heartless slug who wants to see my child get hurt because I make halfhearted efforts to stop her from using the tallest slides and steepest jungle gyms. And I just wanted her to love reading Curious George. Sigh.

Rain has also developed a shameless geekiness about her. She hums the Star Wars theme song, works the iPhone likes it's another hand, and prefers the chocolate milk at Starbucks to any other drink. Period.

I digress.

My original point was, I shall try again to update this here blog for the time being, though the entries will have to be much shorter than what I just wrote. :) Thank you for your patience, and please, remember to blow out your torches on the way out.