Creating a life I love

In March of 2008, I wrote this introductory post called, Who Am I?
I was coming out of a really dark place when I started this blog…I was often depressed and in despair. Prior to blogging I felt hopeless and completely lost and some days could barely get out of bed because I just couldn’t face the day. Every morning I’d wake up and it wouldn’t be long before my intense middle daughter would wake and start her series of meltdowns over seemingly inconsequential things (like when I opened her granola bar package the wrong way).

Here I sit, 16 months later and I’m very happy for many reasons. I recently read a post from A Mouse in France called Moonwalking. The last sentence is a quote that has echoed in my ears the last few days:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
~Mary Oliver

I had an epiphany. I am doing something pretty special with my wild and precious life with my children and through my blogs. I’m thrilled to be reaching out to people online and getting feedback that what we are doing is inspiring others.

I’m participating in an online learning cooperative for young children with my other blog, The Wonder Years. I also participated in a Carnival of Play, and contributed three posts to the carnival and I won a book called Play, by Stuart Brown, MD.

Not too long ago, my Exploration Station blog was featured on Wired: Geekdad’s 6 Great and Geeky Homeschooling Websites.

Just last week, I was contacted by an online reviewer for the opportunity to have that science blog featured in a series of interviews she is going to write for an online publication about interesting children’s activity blogs. My interview is going to be the first in a series. Needless to say, I’m tickled and I can’t wait to post about it.

My oldest daughter (7.5) is the most thrilled with the experiments we do, but all of them enjoy participating. My personal favorites:

Growing crystals – Rock Candy

Forensic Chemistry – identifying the mystery substance

Coffee Filter Chromatography

Jello Fiber Optics

Cabbage chemistry – ph indicator out of red cabbage

I’ve had a blast doing these experiments and I’m really excited about the things we can do with common household items.

I’m reaching out to people with the Raising Smart Girls blog. I’m deeply honored to have made online friends and have given cyber-support to others. I think my most favorite of all is when I hear from people who have felt like they have gotten commiseration or helpful suggestions to cope with their highly sensitive, highly gifted children or their own sensitivities and giftedness. It’s this huge relief to know someone understands what it’s like to live with intensity (either their own or that of their children’s). And it goes both ways – I have felt less alone and more encouraged in my efforts to work with my intense middle child because others face similar struggles and because I get some really good encouragement to keep working at it.

Many others have benefited from the Kids’ Problem Solving Binder for my intense, explosive, highly sensitive, selectively mute daughter I put together to help with emotion coaching. It really has helped spark an number of discussions with my daughter and help her understand her intense emotions and deal with them in more constructive ways. She has come a long way and can articulate her emotions now so much better than she used to.

It wasn’t too long ago, that I was lamenting that staying at home wasn’t really achieving much that was tangible. Or that I’d have to wait many years to see the fruits of my labors. But I see how my two oldest daughters are really doing well in school and their teachers have many good things to say about them.

I realize now that I have achieved a lot in the last 16 months by sharing what we do at home, and what I’ve learned about the intensity and complexity of the gifted individual.

A wise friend told me this a few months ago when I lamented I was doing things as a stay at home mom that I couldn’t quite put on my curriculum vitae.

The phrase (in Latin) means “the course of life.” There is a HUGE difference between a CV that I would prepare and present to a potential employer and my biographical CV. [“Biography” is basically the Greek equivalent of the L. “curriculum vitae.”]
…
I have to protest your assertion that you are “not achieving a whole lot right now…to add to a pretty extensive CV.”

He’s right, you know (but then again he’s right about most things 🙂 ).

All the above, which might not amount to a hill of beans in the professional sense, means quite a bit in the course of my life. I may not be achieving professional goals, but I certainly am achieving a tremendous amount of personal goals. I’m creating a life I love right now and even though I’m reaching out to others only online, one day I hope to create something where I can bring my expertise to others in real life again.