Monday, January 18, 2010

Who I am, Why I'm here, and other fascinating information

Hello there nonexistent blog readers. I'm Leslie. And right now, I am listening to my 2.5 year old son scream in his crib because I refused to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star again. The very same child I intend to move to a big boy bed in the next few weeks. This should establish for you that I am, in fact, completely out of my mind.

With that out of the way, let's cover the basics of who I am. I am a 32 year old mother of two boys. Nolan is 2.5 and Aaron is 17 months. Yes, you read that right. My kids are 13 months apart, which officially qualifies them for the title "Irish Twins". It wasn't planned that way, but we'll get to that. I live in a small house in a unincorporated area of the suburbs outside of Portland, Oregon. Also residents of this small - very small - house are my husband of nearly ten years, Shaun; a flatulent but endlessly patient lab mix named Kona; and two cats name Aragorn and Stitch. It's a full house. I am a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but have lived in the US for the past ten years. I've also lived briefly in Seattle and for four years in Southern California. Having very briefly been a resident of British Columbia as a child, that only leaves Alaska to cover every state and province on the West Coast. It's not in the plans, but with us, you just never know.

And on to why I'm here.

When I was little, and I do mean pretty little, think seven or eight years old, I decided I was going to be a writer. It was fully my intent to go pursue a degree in journalism and one day write for a major paper while publishing bestselling novels on the side. As with most such plans, I somehow got off track, and wound up with a Bachelor's Degree with a triple major in Psychology, Sociology and Justice and Law Enforcement instead. I got married shortly after I graduated and never went back to school. And on the story goes until I find myself where I am today - a stay at home mom beginning an attempted career as a freelance writer. With a few small jobs under my belt, you could say I am feeling overconfident. So I've decided to write a book.

About what? About the past three or so years of my life - the surprising conceptions of my kids, Nolan's birth with a cleft lip and palate and the journey through his surgeries, Aaron's premature birth and seven weeks in the NICU. And about life with two kids under two, both miracles in their own way, both causing me endless laughs, frustration, tears and chaos.

Who cares? I don't know. But writing is my dream, and I think I have a story to tell. A pretty good one, and if I am half as good a writer as I hope, one that just might be readable, publishable...who knows.

So I am here to document the insane process of attempting to write a book while caring for two toddlers, pursuing freelance writing to help pay the bills, and of course all the other things that a wife and mother has to do. Somehow, on top of it all, I will try to find time to write both the book and this blog. It's almost laughable. No wait, it is entirely and completely ridiculous and laughable, so please, get your chuckles out. I'll wait.

All right, so that's it. The basics. This is me and this is my life: dirty diapers and blank pages. Here we go.

4 comments:

  1. O.k...seriously, I just put a comment on here, but do you think it's here? No! Onr more time..I think you would make an awesome writer. I have told Mark on numerous occasions tht the things you come up with on FB are hilarious! Your personality screams " writer". Your's is a book I would buy and I'm sure thoroughly enjoy. Can't wait o come back tomorrow to see whjat you've written. Good luck to you...I'm sure if you're doing what makes you happy, it will be successful.

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  2. You've achieved "dream lift off"! Might take a little while before you soar, but I know you will!! Looking forward to following the blog, reading the book and going to Hawaii! Love ya! -Brea

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  3. This non-existent blog reader is glad to be along for the ride. Your humour and whit will keep me coming back for more.....oh and yes Hawaii looming in the distance does too!

    Love ya girl!
    JennK

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  4. So proud of you! You are gpnna rock it girl!

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