A 2:00 a.m. Ephiany

I've followed a myriad of blogs during the last couple of years for their entertainment and educational value, but joining the blogging world really didn't appeal to me. I never managed to keep a diary going for more than a few days at a stretch, and though I'm a writer by trade, my abilities have always leaned in a decidedly corporate direction. The great American novel has yet to flow from my brain, but give me a bag of potato chips that needs some descriptive copy and the muses strike, creativity pouring forth from my fingertips! Yep, the life of a marketing copywriter can certainly be a glamorous one. :-)

But when my 18-month-old daughter, Camie--half of the Evie and Camie duo--started crying at 1:30 this morning thanks to the mouth-full of molars tearing through her poor little gums, I decided I knew where I fit in this blog-happy world.

Motherhood has been the realization of my purpose in life. I know, that phrase is one of the most trite, overused clichés ever uttered--ranking up there with "thinking outside the box" and "throwing someone under the bus." But for me, it's the absolute truth. I've been forcibly mothering everyone around me since my brother was born in 1980--that's nearly 30 years of preparation (sorry, Dave!). So when my sweet little peanuts were born a year-and-a-half ago, it was a huge relief to finally understand exactly why I was put on this Earth. I've always loved to cook, so now I make Fig Newtons and can tomato sauce for my girls. My obsessive nature has been a weighty burden I've struggled with for most of my life, but now that I'm a mom, I put my neurotic tendencies to work creating packing checklists for when we travel with the girls and figuring out which diaper sale will get me the best per-diaper cost! And I've always had a strange love of doing laundry, which strikes many people as odd, but now it all makes sense, given that I live with two full-time, expert dribbler/piddler/spillers.

Before we go any further, I should probably I mention my tendency to be a bit long-winded. :-)

Anyway, what I realized at 2 o'clock this morning while freezing bananas for my teethers to gnaw on the next time the molars strike (more on that to come), was that I really like figuring out "Mom Stuff"--the tricks of the trade that make my life easier and, most importantly, make my daughters' lives better. So here begins the weblog of the Tricky Peanut. As I come across awesome tips, recipes and Web sites--and yes, they will be AWESOME!--that make mommying easier and life happier for my kiddos, I'll post the info here, rather than spamming my friends and posting items on facebook that 95% of my connections could care less about.

If you're among the 5% who are interested in such info, I really hope my blogging experiment benefits you and your little one(s). I am a firm believer that as moms, we should share our knowledge with each other so we are not left to stumble our way through this greatest responsibility of life alone. I'll do my best to eliminate any hint of preachiness or judgement-passing in my postings and I hope you'll do the same for me. I'm no professional and the information I'll share is just what I think will work for my girls and might work for your kiddos. If you disagree--unless I've completely taken leave of my senses and begin advocating toddler knife juggling--I really don't want to hear about it. Hmmm... was that too harsh? Well, even if it was, it stays. :-)

So, as I prepare to sign off and stumble back to bed, please to enjoy, Tricky Peanut!