When we did a reader survey back in July, I was hoping for 100 responses and we received almost 1,500! Ninety percent of the responses were really thoughtful and I’ve spent the last two months going through every one of them, compiling questions and fixing suggestions and glitches (for example, there should NOT be pop-up ads or ads with sound, so if you see one, PLEASE let me know so I can remove it!).  It was fascinating to see how many of you are into (and not into) social media, and where you’re located in the world. There were a lot of questions that were asked several times, so I thought I’d answer some of those today.

Q: What do you mean you’re a “freelancer?”

A: It’s my simple catch-all phrase for what I do for a living. A better term would be Writer-For-Hire. I write articles, website copy, the words on infographics, packaging, and most recently, ghostwriting. Freelancing can be stressful when you’re starting out because sometimes there’s a lot of work, and sometimes there’s nothing. Even now, there are weeks where I’ll have ten things due, and weeks with only a few deadlines. The good thing is I’ve been at this long enough that I have contracts now, so while the workload can sometimes be hefty, I have regular, reliable income.

Q: Did you and Mike meet in college?

A: Nope. We had one year of overlapping attendance at USC, but we didn’t meet until after we’d both graduated. I wrote about meeting him here.

Q: Will you stop writing about your kids as they get older?

A: Yes. I’ve already stopped writing about many aspects of Annabel’s life, and I’ve been much more selective with what I write about James. I’ve always tried to be respectful with what I share about all of my kids, but looking back I think I over-shared at times with Madeline and Annabel. I can’t unring that bell (although, I’ve edited several posts), but I am much more mindful now as I write about how the kids impact my life, as opposed to simply writing about theirs.

Q: Will Mike ever write here again?

A: Yes, he definitely wants to! His time is tight, obviously, but he misses writing on the blog and hopes to write here more often.

Q: Why do you do recipe/DIY/party posts? There are other bloggers who do it so much better.

A: There definitely are! But those posts let me be creative and I have fun with them. I’m not trying to be better than anyone, I’m just trying to be the best me. That means exploring my interests and enjoying myself.

Q: If I saw you out and about, could I say hi?

A: YES! I love meeting people who read this blog. The connections I’ve made are, hands down, the best part of blogging. So, please say hi so I can give you a hug (unless you’re not into hugging, then we can fist bump or something).

Q: Will you make anymore Amazing Annabel videos?

A: Not in the foreseeable future. The videos take a lot of effort and time that we just don’t have anymore. Most importantly, Annie isn’t interested. She likes making up skits (mostly with her dolls), doing “cooking shows,” and unboxing videos. We keep those videos on our home network and we stream them on our TV for the kids. But we haven’t made a “scripted” video in quite a while and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Q: Are you sure you’re done having kids?

A: YEP! The shop is closed, the baby stuff is donated, and I can’t wait to change my last diaper.

Q: Will you do a “While You Were At Pre-K” photo series?

A: Nope! It was a fun thing to do last year but James is a mover and shaker now. While Annie is at school we run errands, go to the park or play place, or attend Parent & Me classes. He’s got a fun little album of photos that I’m sure his future prom dates will find very interesting, should he choose to show them.

Q: Who is your favorite Muppet?

A: Animal. He just wants to bang the drums, man. I respect that.

animal

I can answer more survey questions in the coming weeks, but if you have any others questions, let me know!