Who is Mommy the Maid?

Nine years ago I stood in my kitchen and had an argument with my (then) 7 year old daughter that I was her mom and not her maid.  In that instant, Mommy the Maid was born.  I used the handle on message boards and for my crafty wares hocked at craft shows and online.  While using this name, I started a blog.  I blogged about the ups and downs of parenting, fun craft projects, recipes, and so much more.  I wrote sponsored posts for a few companies, and even published articles with Associated Content which later formed into Yahoo! Voices.  I loved the outlet that I had for writing as well as the MANY online and real-life friends I made through blogging.  I shared trials and triumphs with my fellow blogging moms.  I cheered when their kids hit milestones and posted about the mess my son made with flour all over my kitchen floor.  I shared a story of an embarrassing practical joke my husband played on me and stood up for the rights of breastfeeding mothers.  I shared my sewing projects and helped others learn to knit.  I was teased for my love of Febreze and fear of Christopher Walken.  My blog was my life recorded and shared online.

Over the last few months, I have thought deeply about why I stopped blogging and if I wanted to start up again.  The reasons I stopped included burn-out after a Blog-A-Thon (for a GREAT cause), depression, moving, divorce, and school.  I don't want to dwell on those reasons as it is only good for circular thinking.  I have changed a lot since then.  I now have twice as many children, 3 pain in the ass cats, work part-time (6 days a week), and my bedroom is currently in a state of crisis.  Even with all that change in my life, I am still the Mommy the Maid I once was, and I want to share my life with the world - or limited users that are interested in reading about my life.  

So who is Mommy the Maid?

I am 34 years old living with my 23 year old boyfriend...and yes, I have heard all the jokes.  He has taken my 3 beautiful children into his heart and we have recently brought another beautiful soul into the world.  Alexandria, Athena, Troy, and Persephone are my world.  No, I am not Greek...I just love the names and the stories told in Greek Mythology.  Alexandria (Alex) is almost 16 and a recent national champion in equitation and has placed at world levels as well.  She is getting ready to drive and taking college courses to finish her high school diploma.  Athena is 9 and entering the 4th grade.  She is dealing with high levels of anxiety and SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder.) Most days we struggle with daily life and have an IEP in place at school.  Troy is 6 and is entering the 1st grade.  He is currently undergoing the steps for a diagnosis of ADHD which is a handful.  Persephone (Perry) is working on rolling over and has started to giggle.  

The mental challenges that my children deal with stem a lot from me.  I suffer from anxiety, SPD, and two types of uncommon OCD.  I have tried medications and none of them helped.  In fact, one prescription medication made it worse.  I currently take supplements to keep it all under control and am looking into more talk therapy time.  

We live in a house in a quiet  neighborhood that isn't too keen about my large tattoos and the holes in my ears or the fact that we do minimal yard work. We try to live as friendly to the environment as can.  We use cloth diapers, eat local and organic when we can and prefer to buy second hand items or barter for handmade goods with our own.  While I spend my days serving pancakes and bacon in a family-friendly restaurant, my boyfriend spends his in a kitchen cooking for hungry golfers.  We are terrible to take out to a restaurant as we both take our jobs seriously and expect other servers and chefs to do so as well.  I have lots of work-related rants.  Just wait.  

I plan to fill this blog with the daily stories of my life.  The funny jokes Troy make (usually about farts), the awesome apron I made, the cupcakes that tasted like baking powder, and even the trials of maintaining an IEP with the school.  While that may sound like a typical mommy blog, many details of my life would say otherwise.  I love my life (most days) and this is my record of that.  

Mommy the Maid is back...just a little more frazzled and with less perfect vacuum lines in the living room.