After we were seated, I flipped through the extensive 75-page long wine list and asked Eve what she was having, and then was hit by the “OH HELLO!” moment when I suddenly remembered that she’s due in July and it’s probably not the best move to ask a pregnant woman what kind of wine she wants.

Thankfully, Kathryn rescued me by asking, “What kind of wine does the baby want?”  Eve did not have any wine, of course.  She did have lemonade.  On the rocks!  Wild!

The rest of the night continued in the same hilarious vein.  We discussed our blogging rules, thoughts on watermarking pictures and how one of the restaurant patrons had the biggest breasts I had ever seen (I spearheaded that conversation, naturally).

I was happy to see Carrie, Kathryn, Eve, Carrie, and Jenny again and to finally meet Angie (all 6′2″ of her!) and Stacy, who has a very calming voice (very fitting for someone named Mama Om).  I need to get voice lessons from Stacy because my voice sounds like two goats fighting.

I feel really fortunate to travel the same blogging circles as these intelligent, fascinating women.  It also helps that I’ve been recruited to join the Seattle Mom Blogs Dance Crew with these ladies who will always be super hot and young enough to bust a move, no matter what the So You Think You Dance rules dictate.

You can read Mona’s personal blog Kirida, which means “favorite child” in her native language.  She doesn’t mind explaining this to people because she’s just keeping it real, yo. You can also email her at mona@seattlemomblogs.com, but please, nothing she has to forward to 15 people.  She gets enough of that from her in-laws.

In hesitation she would tell select “locals” that she “keeps a blog”. **crickets chirping** With the exception of a few fellow local mommy bloggers, she felt alone like a dork. When someone would ask, “What do you do?” She would carefully reply “I’m a mom…. andIblog…” **eye twitching**

Why does she admit to blogging in some conversations? Because it is what she does. It is what she loves. She considers it part of who she “is”. And as a blogger from “Little Norway” she can’t wait to write all about about her little town’s obsession with lutefisk, metal hats with horns the Viking Fest that was just this past weekend.

But. It can be lonely blogging on her side of Puget Sound in a horned metal hat.

One day, when she should have been folding laundry (c’mon ladies, we’ve all done it), she stumbled upon Seattle Mom Blogs! She immediately emailed her information to join. She worried she wasn’t Seattle-ish enough, but much to her delight they said, basically, “You fit here!” The mom said, “YAY!” and with feather-light key-strokes, she posted the SMB badge on her site.

The End.

The mom in that story is me, and 2 Saturdays ago, Little ‘ol Kitsap County Jenny had lunch with 6 Seattle Mom Blogs members. I was beside myself with excitement for several reasons.

1. I got to leave all 3 kids at home (yay husband!).
2. I got to head to the “big city” and browse stores we don’t have here on the Kitsap Peninsula.
3. I enjoyed a delicious meal in the company of 6 really great women - who blog too!

This is me, in Seattle, livin’ it up.

To be honest, I was very nervous in the beginning. I think I suffer from a yet to be documented condition called, “What if no one will look at me, like me or want to talk to me”. I know. How high school is that?

I was greeted with a warm welcome and was delighted to meet Denise, Eve, Isabel (with her sweet little Baboo), Janna, Kathleen (with her precious Elanor), and Kathryn. Many of them already knew each other, but brought me right on in. We talked about mom stuff, self-stuff, writing stuff, stuff-stuff… big stuff, small stuff, red, white and blue stuff. So, maybe not the red, white and blue stuff…

And a new world began to open up to me. There was conversation about how to get into writing for anthologies. I talked to Janna who is writing the final few chapters of her book, and it was fascinating to listen to what it is really like to have to write a chapter a week! We talked about our blogs and our identities. We shared about our families and their perspectives on our blog-lives. I was so excited to openly talk about writing and blogging and dreaming without having to guard my words about what I “do”. These gals got it and for once I didn’t feel silly about loving my passion for writing, expressing… blogging.

There was an entertaining circus of conversations happening all around the table - so what I list here is just my small portion of a 2 hour casual lunch at Il Fornaio with 7 members of Seattle Mom Blogs. Fortunately, this lunch was not a one-time thing. If you haven’t been able to make one of these outings, do try to make it happen. You will be so glad you did.

Visit Jenny’s lovely blog Jenny on the Spot!

Before we kick the carnival off, we need to settle on a name.  We have three options that we like… and now we need you to help us pick the winner by voting for your favorite!

If you have thoughts about how often this should run, please leave your suggestions in the comments!  

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And, since it’s hosted at what can only be called a vendor of sex toys, there’s a whole host of interesting shopping possibilities.  Not to mention the free cupcakes, wine, cheese, and massages.

The question is, what do you WEAR to an event like this?  Leather pants?  See-through shirt?  Spiked collar?  Fish-nets and a miniskirt?

I settle on a black shirt and jeans and some sexy sandals.  I plaster on some extra eye shadow, because somehow it just seems right.

Meanwhile Jay is hovering anxiously nearby.  “Are you late?  Shouldn’t you be leaving?  It’s 6:30 already!  You don’t want to be late!”

Hmm, he’s unusually supportive of my night out.

I arrive at the event right on time (thanks, Jay!), grab a glass of wine, and am relieved to find that my fellow bloggers Stacey and Janna are already here.  I am even more relieved as I look around the room and discover that it is packed with a whole lot of normal-looking (if slightly frazzled) women. There isn’t a leather bodice or nipple ring in sight.

I get right to work rekindling my desire for cupcakes and soft cheese (I even embrace my mom body a couple times as I squeeze myself into a metal chair).

The tantra teacher isn’t making it, we learn, due to a sprained ankle or elbow.

Wonder how THAT happened?!

The speakers include a psychologist and a writer. I like them both, but am particularly fond of the psychologist. Truth be told, I’m tempted to pack her in my purse and bring her home. I think she could do wonders for my psyche and relationships.

(What’s the point of a massive purse if you can’t keep your own personal shrink inside it, am I right?)

There’s a whole lot of frank discussion and sharing.  What becomes clear to me almost immediately is that there are a lot of moms out there who are trying to figure out how to be a mom and have a sex life.

We’re so tired.

We have resentment issues.

We’re so busy.

Our bodies feel foreign, and let’s be honest, we’re not proud of how they look.

And, did I mention, we’re so TIRED?!

Sex falls off the radar and we get out of the habit.  It just feels like so much work.  And before we know it we’re sleeping at opposite sides of the bed, barely speaking, and wondering how we ever got here.

Sound familiar?  If not, you are VERY LUCKY, and I’ll be insisting that you do the NEXT post on sex in which you share all your secrets.

The good news is that there’s hope. We can have a good sex life and be a mom.  The trick is to make sex a priority.  There’s a lot of ways to do this, but some ideas include:

1. Schedule it.  Don’t wait for it to happen spontaneously… because the fact is that there is no spontaneity once you become a mother.  Well, unless it’s spontaneous vomiting.  Or weeping.  But the good kind is elbowed out what with all the busyness.
2. Talk about it.  What can each of you do to add some pizazz into your sex life?  Maybe it’s a new toy.  Maybe it’s a new position.  Maybe it’s getting a hotel room for the night. Maybe it’s going to a sex panel at Babeland or reading Janna’s “Moms like sex too” column. Figure out what you can do to add back some spark, and then DO IT. (which leads me right into #3)
3. Just do it.  Seriously, even when you don’t feel like it.  Even when you’re really tired.  Sex is something you have to do in order to enjoy.  And one you start doing it, then you’ll start feeling like doing it.

And so, after much conversation, thought, and laughter, I head home with my bag of goodies and a whole lot of ideas.

Maybe this doesn’t have to be so hard after all.

Here’s hoping…

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Catch more of Jenny Blackburn’s humorous anecdotes on being a mom, a woman, and a whole lot crazy at Absolutely Bananas.

Green has crept up on me. First it was a cliché. Then it was an overpriced fad. Soon it became a curiosity. Next I saw it as an impossible ideal. At this point it’s a goal, or rather a series of little goals that I’m knocking off one by one.

Some people want to save the planet. Others want a healthier lifestyle for their families. Today I want to be a touch healthier and save the earth a bit. I want to pick my battles and go green without stressing or hemorrhaging money. I want to use up my slightly toxic shampoo before moving on to something healthier. I want to compost some stuff without hyperventilating when one of my kids throws a carrot into the garbage can. I like the idea of recycling but I’m not ready to commit to using 100% recycled everything, although I do fancy a flowing skirt made from used grocery sacks when the mood hits me just right.

I’m working. I’m getting better. I’m THINKING about my choices at least 50% of the time. I’m talking with my friends about the changes I’m making and lately I’ve been blogging about them. I want to invite you to blog about the changes in your lives.

For the next week leading up to Earth Day the blogging mothers of Seattle are inviting women across the blogosphere to talk about the great green steps you’re taking in your lives.

Did you switch to aluminum-free deodorant and want to tell everyone how well your memory is holding up and how sweet you smell? Do you want to brag about cutting down the amount of trash you throw away each week? Did you buy an organic apple last night and you can’t wait to tell everyone how eco-chic you are? Did you recently burn your son’s favorite character t-shirt in front of his sobbing eyes because you found out it was made in a sweatshop? Maybe you’re struggling to find the right changes and you want to ask for some direction.

Whatever your position in this wonderful and complex movement towards health and global well-being, we want to hear from you!

Take a minute over the next 7 days to blog about your own greenishness as part of our Countdown to Earth Day. Grab the banner code for your post and tell us your successes and failures so we can all learn together. Then come back to the SMB site and leave a link on that day’s green post so everyone can come read at your site and get excited about what you’re doing.

Over here in Seattle-land we’ll be blogging about some of our favorite green experiences, products and resources with several awesome giveaways. Each commenter on a giveaway post will be entered to win. Each blogger who participates by writing on their own site and adding their link on a giveaway post will be entered twice.

Clear as free-range organic hand-woven mud? Great! Now let’s GO! FIGHT! WIN! And give the blogosphere an Earth Day party it’ll never forget.

Banner Code:

<a href=”http://www.seattlemomblogs.com/2008/04/15/earth-day-countdown/” mce_href=”http://www.seattlemomblogs.com/2008/04/15/earth-day-countdown/” ><img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2090/2417080676_194e55f857_o.gif” mce_src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2090/2417080676_194e55f857_o.gif” border=”0″ align=”left” style=”margin-right:10px” mce_style=”margin-right:10px” /></a>

***
Kathryn, Eve, Isabel and myself are going to opening night of Mamma Mia at the Paramount Theatre.

Want to join us?  We’ve been able to procure an exclusive discounted rate for Seattle Mom Blogs members!  Full details are below. 

This Broadway hit with music by Abba is a smash hit and NOT to be missed.  We hope you can join us!

If you’re interested, email me at jenny(@)seattlemomblogs(.)com so we can organize a meet-up!

*** 
Seattle Mom Blogs members have the opportunity to purchase priority discounted seats to the Broadway musical MAMMA MIA for the March 18th 7:30pm performance.
 
This special offer is available Now through Monday, March 14 at the end of the day.
Ordering tickets is simple. Just follow the instructions below.

To Order Tickets:
1. Visit the website: http://www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/groupsales
2. Enter the exclusive password: momstix
3. Follow the instructions on the order page

There are no refunds and all sales are final. Tickets will be mailed to your address prior to the date of your selected performance.

For questions please call toll free at 1-888-214-6856 or email to onlinegroups@livenation.com

Method (the green cleaning people) have rented a green house in West Seattle for a month to throw parties and teach people about green living, and hopefully get us all hooked on their biodgradeable non-toxic cleaning products. The program is called Detox Seattle. They smell delish (the Method marketing people and the products), their packaging is gorgeous and their formulas are not supposed to be harmful to the environment. I’ve already been cleaning my walls, floors and countertops with them today and I’m seriously hooked.

They invited Seattle Mom Blogs members to join them last Friday night for a cocktail party and product swap and we had a great time!

People trickled in all evening, chatting, nibbling on hors d‘oeuvres and sampling various drinks created by professional mixologist and reporter Natalie Bovis-Nelson of The Liquid Muse. I don’t even drink and I was totally swept up in her passion for the history of cocktails and her creativity in the kitchen. She seemed to look at cocktails the way I look at food, a way to be creative and bring people together. She was awesome. The drinks were gorgeous and even the virgin varieties I sampled were delicious.

Carrie, Linda and I kept eyeing her fabulous lime squeezer although I’m pretty sure none of us walked out with any new kitchen utensils stashed in our purses. Carrie? Linda? We did however walk out with several new yummy cleaning products and these super cute, if somewhat tight t-shirts. Ah well, I’ve been thinking for a while that I want to look hotter when I clean. Tight = attractive, no?

Jenny did some short speechifying to welcome everyone and talk about some of the goals we have for the SMB site. We hope that everyone will feel more and more like this is their site and that you all will give your feedback and suggestions. As much as we like listening to ourselves talk, it’s more fun hearing from you. We’re launching several regular features by Seattle-Area moms in the next couple of weeks and we’re really excited. Shortly after our columnists begin posting, we’ll be opening up the site to our members for more regular posting. We plan to have more activities coming up and begin doing outreach to help other moms get online.


The gabbing at the party was non-stop and fascinating. Several times I found myself straddling two conversations, listening to both and jumping in with comments that may or may not have made any sense. This event really has me pumped to get back into blogging again, reading and meeting new people. I don’t know how else I would have gotten the chance to meet so many diverse and amazing women all in one night.

You are a beautiful group, a talented group, a welcoming and inclusive group and I’m so glad to know so many of you now and get to know others. My only regret is that I didn’t get the chance to talk to everyone as long as I would have liked. Thanks for making my Friday night so much fun!

While we were holed up in the nerdery with the laptops, the kids went off to play in the living room. Soon Laylee ran up to me with her arm dripping wet. “Mom, mom. We’re being SO nice to the fish! We’re petting him and playing with him!”

So there was some running and in the living room I found Jenny’s son CJ with his arms in the fishbowl up to his elbows, water splashing everywhere. We keep the fish on top of the piano because we are a collective moron and Magoo was kneeling on top of it grinning, his pants soaked with the scummy water that was cascading off the back and down the front of the piano. Does anyone know how to get those milky-white water spots out of wood?

I think I may need to get back to a little bit of housekeeping around here and a lot more cuddling and regulating with the kids. WeDoNotManhandleFish! Now gimme a squidge!

And I’m totally procrastinating my paying gigs to work on this site… and watch So You Think You Can Dance. This is just way more fun and you guys rock! Thanks for the great response. I’ll get your bios up as soon as possible. Keep em coming.

Visit Kathryn’s personal blog!