The scariest words the parent of a gifted child can hear…

Mom!  I’m bored.

Oh sure, all parents hear this, especially during the summer.  But in our house, it takes on a new and horrifying twist.  They are smart.  They are resourceful.  They are creative. They can use the air compressor.

Ponder that.

The upstairs of my home is really nothing more than a mad scientist’s laboratory.  The area is strewn with half completed projects, plans for more projects, books, legos, models and the general detritus of the creative process.  I love it, but it drives me crazy.

The summer will be over soon, and they’ll go back to school, and it will be a little quieter and a little neater.  And in a shorter amount of time than I ever thought possible, they will be gone and it will be clean and quiet from then on.

And I will miss it with every fiber of my being.

So the next time they say “I’m bored” I will stop what I am doing and join them in their next crazy endeavor.  If for no other reason than to make sure the air compressor doesn’t explode.

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Day three of the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog asks you to promote a post.  So this is the one I will be promoting.  Even thought you are supposed to go beyond FB and Twitter, I’ll stick with those since I’ve never really even done that before.

And yes, I know I did two today.  I’m trying to catch up.  Give me a break!

List-o-matic!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

The list of things I have decided not to blog about

1.  My mother.

2.  My mother-in-law.

3.  Negative things at work or in groups I am involved in.  Although I see a lot of funny at work and orchestra and church and I will gladly share that with you with all the pertinent details changed.

4.  Knee jerk political discussions.  Well thought out discussions are more than acceptable.

5.  Memes.  This is now a meme free zone.  Unless it’s a really good writing exercise type meme, then I may reconsider.

All of these, except the memes, have gotten me in into majormajormajor trouble in the past.  No more.  Memes are generally pretty lazy.  There are some good ones out there, so I do reserve the right to do one if it is worth it, but I’m not going to make it a regular thing.  Of course if I really have to vent, I do reserve the right to a password protected post.

Things I will blog about:

1.  DIY projects that I do.

2.  What it’s like having my amazing kids under my roof.  Both the good and the bad.

3.  My cello.

4.  Starting a career at almostforty.

5.  Growing in this life with my best friend and husband.  Who, fortunately for me, happen to be the same person.

6.  How current events/politics are affecting the decisions I make in my life.

7.  Anything else that isn’t excluded by the first list.

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Today’s post is a response to “31 Days to Build a Better Blog”.

Today’s task is to write a list post. The purpose of a list post is to provide your readers with information that is easy to read and spread.

Key Concepts:

• Lists are popular for bloggers who want the message to go viral.
• There are a variety of ways of incorporating lists into your blog.
• Lists break down the complicated.
• Lists are easy to read.

Question 1: Have you considered list posts as a way to create meaningful content in the past?

Yes, although they usually end up being silly.  Today, I’m using it to build on yesterday’s elevator pitch idea.  By stating what I will and will not write about, I think that I can stay focused and keep things going a little better.

Question 2: What do you like about reading and writing list posts?

They are short and sweet and to the point.  And sometimes they even make me think.