The reason is a realization of my own sensitive nature; I care about others. If you are sad, depressed, lonely, feeling blue, having problems with your marriage, and blogging about it, I feel for you. And the feelings aren't always fun. As I told a friend recently, "reading blogs makes my heart heavy."

So my bloglines account is bursting at the seams with unread posts, but I have managed to figure out that two wonderful women have given birth (and that always makes me happy), and that badgermama had a realization about her child that was so beautiful (as is he) that she just might explode.

First, the births:

Elizabeth of Sandblower gave birth to a little girl on January 11. In her post announcing the birth, she offers a poem by e.e. cummings:

"i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes"

And Kristen of Motherhood Uncensored tells the story of a wonderful, fast labor and delivery of her second child, a baby boy named Drew:

"I was 5cm at 3:00am, fully dilated at 5:01am, Drew made his entrance at 5:11am, and I was sipping mimosas (no lie) by 10am. I'm living proof that all labors (even your own) can be totally different."

I hope both of these women get to one day experience the kind of startling, fierce love for their child that Liz of badgermama recently did as she watched her son walk away from the car at school drop-off:

"I don't know how to describe this, and it was just my state of mind, but his sheer person-hood seemed to shine out of him like a glorious beautiful star on fire.

[...]

I felt a complex tangle of things including the love of whatever he is thinking or might be that I can't see and never will, a concept that needs its own particular word."

I'm betting that they will, and I'm hoping that when they do they blog about it.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.

Image credit: Cadbury Chocolate

In deference to the work that King did we also use this day to honor more than just the man. As his late wife Coretta Scott King wrote, we "commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit." Per Wikipedia, "In Utah, Martin Luther King Day is also known as Human Rights Day; similarly, in Arizona and New Hampshire, Martin Luther King Day is also known as Civil Rights Day."

The Martin Luther King Day holiday is a great opportunity to talk with our children about peace, activism, racism, and what it means to be a hero. Many MLK sites suggest that this be used as "a day ON, not a day OFF." By using this day to enjoy community outreach and service, perhaps we best can appreciate and honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. We also can use the day to recognize or remember that there's much more work to be done, in our communities as well as in ourselves.

Reverend Mommy blogged Bishop Woodie White's annual letter to MLK. In this year's letter to King, Bishop White writes:

We seem to be at a curious juncture in America in the area of race. On the one hand, systemic and institutional racism are giving way to a more racially inclusive society. On the other, individual daily acts of prejudice and racism can still be encountered routinely.

White America, I believe, does not fully appreciate that black Americans live with the uncertainty of where and when these acts will occur. They could show up in the actions or comments of a waitress, taxi driver, supervisor, co-worker, clerk or even a "friend."

So how best to celebrate Martin Luther King Day with your preschool- and elementary school-aged children?

Librarian cloudscome of a wrung sponge reviews two books about MLK: "Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney is the book I am planning to read to Buddy Boy this weekend. He is four years old and just beginning to understand ideas of justice and fairness." She also advises that she and her family are taking part in an MLK day of service with other families of adoption.

One of my readers, Daisy of Compost Happens recommends the book Martin's Big Words. She comments, "Young kids can understand it, and older children and young adults start to interpret and look into the speches from which the short quotes were taken."

For young adults, BlogHer Contributing Editor Kim Pearson recommends MLK: The Journey of a King by Tonya Bolden. Pearson has the audio of an interview she did with Bolden on her personal blog Professor Kim's News Notes. Among other things, she and Bolden discuss "how Dr. and Mrs. King should be remembered, especially by young people."

Zeus of The Zeus Excuse gives us Thirteen Ways to Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, including doing a Martin Luther King Jr. scavenger hunt and a word search.

LoveMyTanker of Education and Homeschool News gives us a great link to Enchanted Learning's page about Martin Luther King, Jr. Enchanted Learning provides a short biography and timeline of his life for free; other materials are available to paid subscribers of the site.

(Side note: It was MLK's son, Martin Luther King III, who said, "The kind of things homeschoolers are doing may be the saving grace of our nation.")

For lots of free Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities and resources for kids, check out FamilyEducation.com.

Kidsblog give links to web-based learning tools and to what parents can do around Springfield, MO.

To discover more Martin Luther King Jr. Day craft projects as well as activities in your area, check out new parenting community site, Maya's Mom, and do a search for "Martin Luther King".
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.

Image credit: Amazon.com

As a working mom, would Morrison consider herself a role model? Perhaps not, according to RoleMommy.com:

"No working mother will ever say that she is a role model. How could she be?? Between the job, the kids, the house and the husband...she’s barely keeping it together, let alone helping anyone else with their problems.

But the truth is, she is. Every working mother is a role model for other working mothers. She’s an inspiration, a source of advice, a springboard for ideas, a confidante to laugh with and a reality check to remind us that we are certainly not alone."

Beth Feldman and Yvette Corporon are the two role mommies behind RoleMommy.com. Besides being the brains behind this virtual "coffee klatch for those who just don’t have time to sit and swap stories," Yvette also is a producer for the TV show Extra and Beth is Vice President for the CBS Communications Group. Later this month, they will add author to their long list of accomplishments when their book Peeing in Peace: Tales & Tips for Type A Moms is released.

One section of their RoleMommy.com site is a blog dedicated to highlighting Moms of Reinvention. According to the site, "millions of moms are reinventing themselves and redefining their lives as working moms." These moms often discover that their passions change once they become parents and they are finding--and creating--more family-friendly ways to make a living.

Kimberly of Mom in the City recently attended a Moms of Reinvention panel discussion in NYC. She writes:

"An overriding sentiment was that the corporate world doesn’t always conform to our lives as moms so we need to either (a) attempt to change our corporate cultures and/or (b) branch off and create our own businesses. Ultimately, it came down to choices (doesn’t it always?). We need to think about our priorities and structure our lives, including our careers, accordingly."

Highlighted Moms of Reinvention include Sabrina Weill, founder of Weill Media and Project Angel Mom; Divalysscious Moms founder Lyss Stern; and Alison Singer, Senior Vice President of Autism Speaks.

As working mom and author Mindy Roberts of The Mommy Blog writes of RoleMommies.com and the Moms of Reinvention blog: "Just look at all the amazing moms around us. We are a force to be reckoned with, even if we can't pee in peace."
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.

Image credit: RoleMommy.com

Brian Reid of RebelDad and his Manifesto Project is a perfect example of the kind of writing I find online, writing that offers real advice written by real people.

Reid is challenging readers of the Washington Post parenting blog On Balance to "share [their] universal truths about parenthood." Readers can email Reid a five-hundred word manifesto on any parenting or balance topic they choose. He's posting the replies on either his blog RebelDad, or on the Washington Post blog.

As a start, Reid offers his ten truths about parenting, starting with truth #1:

"All kids are different: What works with your eldest won't automatically work for your youngest, and what worked for your mom or your brother or the dad next door isn't necessarily going to work for you. Be flexible."

He's compiled all of the manifestos he's received to date on his blog. Here are a few samples:

From Cathy White's parenting manifesto:

"90% of the advice we get on child-rearing is pure shit. If you’re a brand new parent, you might want to write this on your hand. I don’t care if the advice comes from your parents, your in-laws, your sweet grandmother, or your best friend. Advice is great when you hear it in large quantities from different sources. It’s a source of ideas for solving your own problems. But believe you me, most of the stuff you hear is either patently untrue or will not work with your particular situation. You can trust your gut when it comes to what’s best for your family and your children. Don’t forget that Aesop’s fable starring the man, the boy, and the donkey."

From Elizabeth of Half Changed World's parenting manifesto:

"Children aren't nearly as fragile as we sometimes think. You don't have to get it right 100 percent of the time, which is a good thing, because none of us will. An abundance of love will make up for most other failings. When you screw up, don't be afraid to admit it and apologize."

Hat tip to Parent Hacks for the link.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.

Image credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Like its sister site Nerve, Babble also will offer video and photography, although what we'll see on Babble is "candid photos of toddler street fashion" rather than the "striking photographs of naked people that capture more than their flesh" featured on Nerve.

With an information database containing must-know information for pregnant moms and parents; message boards; and fashion and product reviews; Babble offers much for those on the cutting edge of child bearing and rearing:

"Babble looks different from other parenting magazines because it is different — for starters, it's for both men and women. Most parenting magazines and websites looks like exploded Easter eggs — oceans of pink and powder blue. Babble is the first parenting magazine designed from the ground up for a new generation of parents — mothers and fathers who increasingly share the work of raising children, live in cities, and use the internet to access information."

As a writer, I'm most excited about reading the contributions from Walter Kirn, AM Homes, Erin Cressida Wilson, Marjorie Ingall, Kevin Keck, Shalom Auslander and Steven Johnson. And I'm pleased to see they've included several familiar bloggers on their team, including Greg Allen of DaddyTypes, Rebecca Woolf of Girls Gone Child, Pierre Kim of MetroDad, Jay Andrew Allen of Parents Behaving Badly, and our own BlogHer CE Stefania Pomponi Butler of CityMama.

With its promise of an efficient, AJAX-powered site, Nerve Media is preparing to give existing, old-school parenting websites a run for their money with its launch of Babble.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.

Image credit: Mary Tsao.

Which is why I have a special affinity for women who have given birth to multiples. Before I got pregnant myself, I fantasized about having twins. The multi-tasker in me thought twins would be the most efficient way to bring life into this world.

As soon as I gave birth I realized how glad I was that my children came as singletons. I can't imagine surviving the early days of babyhood breastfeeding, rocking, and staying up all night with not one but two bundles of joy.

But many women do it and they do it well. And when they blog, the reveal the daily joys--and jobs--of mothering two. Here are just a couple mom-to-twins blogs. For what I imagine is a fairly comprehensive list, check out BlogHer Contributing Editor Sarah of Sarah and the Goon Squad. She's put together a list of twin and triplet blogs that will shock, amaze, and delight you.

And if you're a mom to a singleton, make you heave a gigantic sigh of relief. Life just seemed a little easier, didn't it?

Lagiulia of BlogPicchiPacchi writes about her adventures on the subway:

"In more adventurous news, Picchi, Pacchi, and I have been riding the NYC subway lately. I put one of them in a framed back-carrier, which has a little backpack that clips onto it for diapers, etc. I put the other one in a single stroller. I put my cell phone and money, etc., in my pockets, and off we go! To get down the stairs, I take the boy who is in the stroller out, and I carry him and the folded-up stroller down. I go through the turnstile and down the steps to the platform, where I put the boy back in the stroller. On the subway itself, it's hard to sit because of the back carrier, but I manage to do so, and it works out... not comfortably, but it's bearable."

Crystal of A Peek Into My Insanity writes about getting the daylights scared out of her:

"I came home today to find my DishNetwork is not working. Uh, this means no local channels, no satellite channels, NO DORA, NO DIEGO, NO FREAKING BACKYARDIGANS!!! The SOONEST they can come out to fix it is Monday, yes NEXT Monday. I may just die. Not to mention I have Desperate Housewives and Entourage to DVR, and I can't do that without service. I can't even WATCH DH without service. I think I'll go cry now."

Hey, you don't have to be a mom to twins to understand the horror of a day without the "Backyardigans"!

Margalit of What was I Thinking explains about the joy of having two kids sick at the same time:

"As the Girl is sick and permanently ensconced on the sofa, this morning I had the very dubious honor of waking up the Boy. This is never an easy or pleasant job, for you never know what you're going to get from day to day. The one promise is that you will get a taste of hormones gone awry. That never changes.

So I wake him up and he groans and turns back over for another few minutes of snoozing. I keep haranguing reminding him that it's time to get up, which he finally does with a groan and a bloop. He comes in for his obligatory morning head butt on my stomach, which he says is a 'hug'. I think otherwise. Then he notices the Girl is home and sleeping so he starts the "I don't feel good either" whinge, which I ignore. He feels fine."

If you've got twins, triplets, or (gasp!) more, let us know!
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.

Image credit: Mary Tsao.

Stuntmother of I do all my own stunts recently heard a radio show discussion of the importance of unscheduled play time:

"The very nice, well spoken doctor (discussing his recent report for the APA on how crucial play is) discussed how play helps children unwind, practice social skills, negotiate interactions with their peers and how current trends in parenting has us all wildly scheduling our children into this or that activity and how children aren't playing enough, that they do what we think they should do rather than driving their own play."

The doctor's premise irked her because--as she writes--"If we schedule our children, it is partly to FIND other children, to take the children to safe places to play. If our children are overscheduled it is partly because we as a society are overscheduled -- our jobs take up way more than the 38hrs over five days thing and we are supposed to go the gym, the supermarket, this meeting and that. We're also supposed to still be young! Pretty! And interested in music! If our children are stressed and anxious, then they're just doing what children always have done -- they're in training for their adulthood."

In the comments of Stuntmother's post, Venessa of Radical Mama points out, "And of course by parents overscheduling their kids, they mean mothers." She continues with her thoughts about the children of yesterday vs. the children of today:

"Whenever I hear these sorts of stories about "kids today" I would like to know what point in history they are referencing. Didn't kids use to work in garment factories? Didn't they use to cook and clean and help raise their siblings? There was never a point in history that children just played all day without any worries or responsibilies."

Those who think that today's children are overscheduled advise that keeping that kind of hectic pace when you're young can lead to burnout at an early age. It also can cause burnout for the parents, too. Kimberly Chastain of Christian Work at Home Moms gives Ten Suggestions for The Overscheduled Child. She asks parents, "Do you feel like a professional scheduler and taxi driver? Are you finding yourself increasingly irritable as you go from one activity to the next?" And comments, "Maybe you and your children are overscheduled." Her suggestions include limiting children to one outside activity each and designating one night a week as "family night."

But is this idea that our children are overscheduled and therefore stressed out and headed for nervous breakdowns at the tender age of eighteen a reality? Or is it a myth, as suggested by a recent Yale study:

"In a nationwide random survey of 2,125 5- to 18-year-olds, the study found that the more time children spend in organized activities, the better their grades, self-esteem, and relationship with parents and the lower the incidence of substance abuse. Even high school students with more than 20 hours of activities a week don't suffer for it, he says. The study defines organized activities as adult-led and having a purpose. It includes community service and after-school programs, as well as music, religious education, and sports."

Trish of Gone to get a coffee gives her opinion on the idea of the over-scheduled child:

"There's a lot of literature on the phenomenon of the over-scheduled child. [snip] I know a kid who does piano, football, cricket, martial arts and swimming (not all at the same time, but there is some overlap) and some people might say to him "how can you do so much?" to which he would no doubt reply, "dude, how can you do so little?"

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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.

Image credit: Mary Tsao.

Or as Cristina writes, "There are funny bloggers and then there are f*cking funny bloggers, kwim? The kind of bloggers who write stuff that makes you laugh hard like 95% of the time." Yep, we know what you mean, Cristina!

Here's a sampling of the blog posts that bloggers thought warranted a ROFL Award in October. If you come across a blog post in November and you want to award the blogger a ROFL Award, check out the instructions on Mommy of the Record.

MOMBAT awarded CrankMama for her post Call Me Hallmark & Die:

"When I'm having a difficult day with my children, I always feel completely maternally inferior when I read another woman's love post of adoration or declaration of "wonder" about her children. I usually roll my eyes and think "Of course she loves her kid, she's on tons of DRUGS!" But then I calm down, mist up, and realize I too am on tons of drugs (mostly legal).

Slackermommy awarded Momish for her post I Don't Do Months:

Here’s me surrounded by moms before I had a kid:

Mom #1: He is adorable!

Me: So cute! I love his shoes!

Mom #1: How old is he now?

Mom #2: 28 months.

Me: 28 months…damnit…division…12 goes into 28 how many times? 12 goes into 28…

Mom #1: God bless him, he’s so big.

Me: 12 goes into 28…okay, 12 doubled is 24… 24… 24…

Mom #2: Yeah, he’s tall for his age.

Me: 28 is bigger than 24!

Me: Oh! So, he’s like twoish?

A complete list of all of the October winners can be found on IzzyMom and Mommy of the Record. See you in the funny papers, moms! As Cristina writes, "Thanks to all of YOU for being so funny. Keep us laughing. We depend on it for our therapy!"
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.

Image credit: Mommy off the Record and Izzy of IzzyMom.

I’m just about ready to leave for KC for the weekend! I have all the dishes cleaned, Gavin’s clothes are all washed and put away and there is tons of food in the fridge waiting to be heated in the microwave. Now for the next three days the wife will know what its like to run a house! …er, wait, maybe not.

He's not a slacker, he's just a guy "who didn't outsource parenting," and he was one of a handful of daddybloggers who gathered in Kansas city, Missouri last week for the 11th Annual At-Home Dads Convention.

Greg Barbera of hopeless cases does a good job writing up his notes from the event. He blogs about waking up "too early" considering he's sans kids, and tells about meeting a female reporter from Japan on the shuttle ride to the convention:

The Japanese woman Renge Jibu is on assignment for some business magazine in her home country. “Japanese men do nothing at home,” she says with head tilt that is customary in her country.

Barbera writes about how he got the most out of the last session, which was about depression and isolation. Other panels and sessions included Keeping Track Of Your Kids On The Internet, Growing Your At-Home Dad Group, Informational Resources For At-Home Dads, Kids, Nutrition, and Behavior, Investing For The Future, Digital Photography Archiving, Child Safety, "Is it just my kid?" An Age-Group Based open Forum, and How to Create and Publish a Blog.

Bill Ekhardt of On Fresno Dome writes about the community and camaraderie he experienced at the convention:

"Between raunchy jokes and barrels of laughter we learned about each others kids and laughed about the crazy situations we'd been in. We were normal guys out in a bar buying each other drinks and talking about diapers and stupid things other people had said to us.

So you got stuck babysitting, eh?
Giving the wife a day off?
Hope your wife gets back in town soon!

One of the guys put the power of the convention this way: This is one of the only places new at-home dads can go and feel comfortable in their own skin."

Al of KC Home Dad writes up his final thoughts on the convention, including his thoughts on media and charity:

"THE MEDIA. When 10% of the participants are media, you know you are doing something unique and interesting that will land you more great sponsors. This will make the convention grow considerably and be even better.

CHARITY. Donating $200 to UMKC Women's Center. That has to be one the classiest things a group of men has ever done. I hope we can do more next year."

Rebel Dad couldn't make it to the convention this year, but he did a great job compiling a list of bloggers who went, as well as a del.ici.us feed and flickr feed, too. You can get links to both feeds on rebeldad.com.

I just want to say kudos to the organizers and attendees of this convention. Dads--especially at-home dads--need support and encouragement just as much as moms. And not just from their partners, but from other dads, too.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.

Image credit: Mary Tsao.

Usually, these second (or third or fourth) blogs are less personal and more business-related. In many cases, they offer a platform for the blogger to discuss her passions outside of her kids and family life. They also create new opportunities for blog-based advertising or simply for exposure. They're started for many reasons, but they prove that mommybloggers are often mompreneurs, using their blogging, writing, and creative skills to create opportunities for themselves in the blogosphere.

Here are some of the latest offerings from the mom-centric blogosphere:

Christina of A Mommy Story brings us Mommy's Must Haves, a "home for product reviews, new product news, and helpful hints for moms."

Amy of Amalah and Tracey of Sweetney have launched MamaPop, a site that "contains the drug-addled, sleep-deprived, semi-coherent pop-culture-related musings of two smartass stay-at-home mothers." Rock it, mamas.

Karen Rani of Troll Baby is the proud mama of a new blog experiment, Parenting Debates, and she says, "Bring it." She writes about the latest and hottest parenting topics, and you give her your thoughts. What better place to let your opinion be known?

Irene Nam of Momster and Karen Walrond of Chookooloonks have started a new site in response to the popularity of their Love Thursday meme. Love is All Around "is a site that proves that love is, indeed, all around us":

"From personal stories and photographs submitted by readers, to anecdotes of love that make the front page news, you can find it all here. Because let's face it: you can never have too many reminders of love."

Via Bloggy Gossip, I found out that Jen of Mamaritaville has a new blog she's calling A Comfortable Home. Her new blog gives readers "ideas for organizing, decorating and cooking." How nice of her!

Izzy of IzzyMom has started her own product review site she's aptly named Props and Pans. How clever is that?! "Handing out opinions like they're candy," Izzy has been joined in her new endeavor by fellow bloggers Margalit of What was I thinking?, Erin (Fidget) of Finding yourself despite yourself, Devra of Parentopia, Wendy Boucher of Fire on the Poop Deck, Sue of Red Stapler, Monica of Lady M at Nupboard Central, Stephanie of Mean Girl to the Rescue, and M&Co of My Own Circle of Confusion.

Explaining what they do on the About page, Izzy writes:

"Basically, if something is great, we’ll totally give it props. And if it sucks, we’re telling the whole world. And if your establishment or customer service reps treats us poorly, you can bet your bagels we’re going to post about it here.

Check back often because we’re pretty sure we’ll never run out of things to write about."

And I'm pretty sure she's right!

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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.

Image credit: MamaPop.