Your Mother's Always Write

To all the moms I've read before... I'm responding to Her Bad Mother's Mother's Day Love-It-Up Challenge. For those who need background... (the nutshell version, for the whole story, see her site). HBM put up a personal and painful post about depression, losing a job, and office politics for the pregnant woman. As her online friends, a lot of us responded supportively, as friends do. And one person who read it decided this amounted to cultish, slavish devotion to a party line, and labeled us mindless, koolaid-drinking, Stepford mombloggers. This loser has so little going on in her life that she in fact went off and started a blog specifically designed for mocking moms online (surely, it means you're getting up there in your stardom when someone feels the need to tear you down), and announced a contest to choose the high prophetess of the mommycult. HBM, with her typical class and intelligence, didn't pick up the gauntlet as this weirdo might have expected, but instead made something to call our own - a lovefest celebrating each other. A group hug for mom's day.

And this is just the start of why HBM is one of the firt blogs I read when I sit down at the computer. She is thoughtful and thought-provoking. She writes posts that make me say, "I should post about that. But she's already said it, so what could I really add anyway?" Long live the long-winded, long-worded posts of HBM. With plenty of gorgeous pics - WonderBaby is surely one of the most adorable babies going.

The first to give up some linky love in my direction, Izzy is a fun, cool, and real mom, and she really puts herself out there. Her fears, her shopping traumas, her deep thoughts, even her voice, are there for us to hear. Add to this that she is incredibly generous with her expertise. She has helped me with a couple of questions via email, and even maintains a second blog on which she offers great banners for shockingly little money. Check them out - they're lovely, too. One of the bloggers who feels like if she were closer, she could be a great friend.

I felt like I'd found a kindred spirit when I started reading Sunshine - another one of the first blogs I check out for new material. I so often find myself nodding or laughing as I read her , beginning with her confession as to the slight discomfort her name causes her. One of my favourite features is Flashback Fridays, an ongoing series of memories and insights. She tells us so much, sharing both the painful and the sweet, in wonderfully written reveries. She adds a little, well, you can see where I am going with this...

Fee like a laugh? I recommend Mrs. Fortune. This lady is hilarious, and does random thoughts like nobody else. She's sweet, too, leaving great comments and compliments (Jacob is beautiful too, honey!) And? Not only did she make pregnancy and the waiting game fun and giggle-worthy, but she was up and blogging in no time after the arrival of her little cookie. We're not worthy!

Some people you like from their comments alone. Although I didn't really need more reading material, I couldn't resist checking out Mrs. Chicky. And now I'm hooked on yet another blog. But she's funny, sweet, and real, just like I like my bloggers, so I've brought her into the fold too.

Bashfully, I early on posted one about my profession. I don't always reveal it, but I decided this was going to be my attempt at being open and putting me out there. And I got some lovin's from Vancouver's terrific mother-woman. And she hasn't stopped. Relentlessly supportive and sometimes sweeter than I expect from someone generally unsaccharine, she is interesting, funny (god, the baby name suggestions are killing me! Classical labels?!), and has great book recommendations (purrr). May your new baby be easy and sweet!

Perhaps the hippest of the bloggers I read, {This} Girl's Gone Child had me at her profile line alone. New version of a "titty-flashing" all-night drinking party?! This takes one seriously skewed look at the world, and I love it. Her incredibly, insanely cute son has the coolest of threads, her rapz crack me up and get me chair-dancing at the computer, and just when you think it's all too cool, she breaks out a piece of beautiful, tender, wistful writing that makes you realize that while she's fun... girl's got some substance too.

Want to get your funny on for real? If you like it served up with a bit of tartness, you must check out Lucinda. The blog design alone lets you know this is no ordinary soccer mom, and she follows through with ridiculous dialogues, and milk-snorting riffs on the trials of being the stepmom to teenaged girls as well as the mom of a potty-resistant toddler. It's always a riot in Suburban Turmoil.

Another librarian-lover surfaced in Nancy, of Mom/Ma'am/Me fame. And early on, she got me with her concern for the house that burned down in her neighbourhood. Then came the sesame street video, the prom night flashback, the beautiful tribute to her grandma, and many more. Smart and real, I like this lady too.

Not so much a mombloggers as a satirical photo essay artist... Marla at Hello Josephine and her, um , spunky cat Boo Boo make me laugh aloud daily. I even tell misterpie snipppets of these, and I try to keep him out of my little blog world. She's just too fun not to share.

And oh god, there are so many more - please feel free to stripmine my blogroll, but these are the very top of my heap of moms to read. BUT - I have to add one more honourable mention.

Mary P. is in fact a mom, but it's her role as daycare provider that she blogs about. And blog she does, with hilarious windows into the daily life and minds of her young charges. And not only does she provide entertainment value for your click, this fabulous blogger dishes out sage and professional advice both on her own blog and in comments across the blogosphere. My first visitor and commenter, she is fun and sensible and irreverent, a combination you just can't beat, and if she lived here, I would so hunt her down and put pumpkinpie in her capable hands.

Of course, I might seem remiss in not mentioning some dads I read, but hey - this is moms day - I'll talk about you guys next month! Thanks to all of you who joined in on this - I need more blog reading like I need pumpkinpie to wake up at 3 a.m. with a stomach flu, but a few of you have been awfully convincing, so this week's challenge to myself is to check out three new ones: The Believing Soul, Kvetch, and Bite My Cookie. Since I tend to mention moms in my posts, you may be hearing about them too, soon enough. Love you all, and thanks for letting me into your party! I'm too shy in real life to pop into an established circle, but you ladies have been warm, welcoming, and wonderful. *Big Smacking Air Kiss*