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It's a dirty job, but every mama's gotta do it

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I was at a little social gathering last night where the conversation turned to blogs, and so I joined the fray and mentioned that I'm a blogger. In no time at all a new acquaintance and I were comparing notes on who we read and love. And when another woman joined the conversation, the first woman responded to the "What sorts of blogs do you read?" question with "Well, I know it's awful to put it this way and people hate being called this, but what I really love are the mommyblogs."

I've talked about this label before and won't belabor the issue, but suffice it to say that I assured these women that I, personally, have no problems with claiming the title of mommyblogger. I went on to talk (probably at great length) (shut up) about the serious issues I've seen mommybloggers tackle, and how most great mommyblogs are about so much more than diapers and soccer games.

What I didn't say -- and now sort of wish I had -- is that I wasn't trying to explain away the more mundane and "mommified" kinds of writing. Yes, some moms are activists and dreamers and planners and involved in greatness apart from the business of raising little humans, and I love reading about that, but let's face it: Sometimes you just go to your favorite mom's blog for a little dose of "I'm okay, you're okay." Sometimes you just want a bit of solidarity when it comes to being somewhat at the mercy of terrorists who insist on calling you Mommy.

Yes, sometimes mommyblogs are deep and profound and touch on the very core of the human condition.

And sometimes mommyblogs are about poop. I submit that that has its place, as well. (For me, that place is somewhere in either the "better you than me" or "I'm so glad that part of my life is over" category, but why split hairs?)

This is the part where the squeamish should stop reading and go have a snack. Those of you who can appreciate a scatological chuckle from moms telling it like it is, keep reading.

So. Potty training. Every mom has to do it at some point, and every mom I know has had someone greet the "we're potty training" news with a story about their kid (or their neighbor's kid, or their cousin's step-mother's friend's kid) who potty trained overnight and never had a single accident. Do you want to hear the story of the perfect child, or do you want to hear the stories of real kids who perhaps did not get the memo that they should not only be willing but infallible?

That's what I thought.

Over at Manic Mommies, Kristin girded herself to fight to good fight just this morning:

It's 8:30 am on Saturday, September 15th. Potty training is on.

Whoops. Sophie just pooped in her first pair of training pants.

It's going to be a very long weekend.

(Sometimes you don't have to say much to say it all, you know? Good luck, Kristin! We're rooting for you! Er, we're rooting for Sophie!)

Sometimes the defining moment is the one where we're able to laugh at ourselves. Even those of us who talk incessantly about our kids can recognize that maybe the world isn't quite as invested in each moment as we might be. And that moment of realization is, in and of itself, a very mommy moment.

The I'mPerfect Mom is dryly acknowledging the potty importance at her house:

I've been potty training Skyler. And so far, she's done pretty well in the "tell Mommy when you wanna make a poo" department.

In fact, she's volunteered to do more, such as clean herself with 50-feet of toilet paper (and STILL managing to get poop everywhere else but). Plus Sky wants to sit on the Big Girl toilet and not the $20 glorified bucket we'd gotten her.

[...]

She's still having problems feeling the need to tell me before she wees but I expect that to take more time. Just a few days ago, she did say, "Mommy, wee wee coming!" and of course I was so pleased I had to put that on my Facebook. This mother thing is just non-stop, isn't it?

(You have to love a woman who puts potty progress on Facebook and then makes fun of herself for doing so on her blog. I'm just sayin'.)

Rarely Home Mom says she's starting over at the beginning with her potty-resistant son, complete with whatever bribery it takes. She walks her

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randomactsofb 5 pts

I mean, mommyblogs make the world go 'round, right?

I have no qualms in calling myself such. I mean, we are what we are...admit it, we rock.

Random Acts of Motherhood

A Elliot 5 pts

I"m still laughing from reading your post! I actually like being called a mommy blogger. I love how you just never know what you're going to read on a mommy blogger's blog. It could be a dynamite political piece or like Kristen wrote, a post on a turd in the sink.
A. Elliot, Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting ( http://www.flexibleparenting.com )

Lauren Caldwell 5 pts

I can't say I'm a mommy blogger because my kids are teenagers and I haven't been called mommy or discussed potty training in a loong time, thank God.
What I'm trying to find are the mothers of grown children- how are you doing it? My kids are only getting older- and so am I- and the relationship is constantly changing.

Enough of poop in a diaper- let's talk about moms of unmarried 50 yr olds, and moms who've taken in their grandchildren, and moms who've launched kids off to college and lived to tell about it!!
Where are all those moms?!

-Lauren at Faith Fuel

motherofmischief 5 pts

Thank you for your extremely funny take on mommy blogs. I think that blogging is a great outlet for mommies to be able to share their adventures and misadventures. I haven't started potty training my little monkey yet and from the looks of things maybe I'll wait even longer.

Once again, thanks for sticking up for mommy bloggers everywhere!

Angie

http://motherofmischief.blogspot.com

abswyg 5 pts

...but am having a hard time writing this comment with the tears streaming down my face from laughing hysterically at (er...WITH?) Kristen's post and all the potty training moms! Put me down under the category of "So glad I'm past all of that." But I SO feel for all of the potty training moms. I have BEEN THERE, done that!!!! Best of luck to all of you.

Thanks for sharing. It was like a walk down memory lane.

Amy S.
Up With Moms (http://upwithmoms.blogspot.com/)

Lovebabz 5 pts

I love calling myself a mommyblogger. It is an honor and priviledge to be a mom. And you are right, training kids to potty, is tantamount to training children to be world leaders. It is all good, the big stuff and the small stuff. It makes my life worth living. As mother of 4 adopted children every day is sacred and ordinary and magical. Don't apologize, hold it down and represent where ever you go! Mommas Rules!

Love,
Babz
www.lovebabz.blogspot.com ( http://www.lovebabz.blogspot.com )
my life. my journey.