Happy Blogiversary to me!

It seems fitting to do a blogging meme, stolen from Huckdoll, who stole it from someone else:

How long have you been blogging:

Two years today.

Why did you start blogging:

I had stuff to say. Stuff that I knew didn't fit with majority thinking for the most part, which was all the more reason for me to say it. I had no idea how the blogosphere would change my life, and certainly no clue just how it would do so.

What have you found to be the benefits of blogging:

So many things. The people, the support, the free therapy, and lately, the chances for opportunities that I otherwise would not have had: from becoming the LA Single Parenting Examiner, to the fun stuff.

How many times a week do you post an entry:

I think Google Reader says I average 3.4 posts a week.

How many different blogs do you read on a regular basis:

Take a look at my list over there. You'll notice that it changes all the time because it shows the last 25 in my Reader to have posted. But I confess, I no longer read every single entry of every single person I follow. And I don't comment anymore on all the ones I do read anymore, either. Still, there are very few I've actually deleted because I do like to check in with all of them from time to time.

Do you comment on other people’s blogs:

Guess I should've read ahead. See above.

Do you keep track of how many visitors you’ve had:

I used to keep track more regularly. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised, and sometimes I get depressed that the numbers haven't grown. So I've decided the best thing for me to do is to stop paying attention.

Do you ever regret a post that you wrote:

I have a few posts written late at night that I wake up the next morning and think, OMG, did I actually post that? But then I see some great supportive comments, and I no longer feel any twinge of regret. I had one post on Examiner that got me in a lot of hot water with some fathers' groups but I never regretted it. I was just taken aback by some of the response. Okay, taken aback is not nearly strong enough. Still, I don't regret it.

Do you think your audience has a true sense of who you are based on your blog:

I have great IRL friends, I really do. But I also have some people in my life that have known me for years, and I'm surprised by how they don't know me as well as some of my readers do. Still, I'll admit, I don't think my readers know just what a bitch I can be.

Do you blog under your real name:

Yes. As my X would say, the truth is easier to remember.

Are there topics you would never blog about:

Yes. I've talked about some of it here already, that there are some things about my children that I won't share here. And, sure, there are things about me that I'd rather not tell the world wide web, thank you!

What is the theme/topic of your blog:

I've progressed lately from talking about surviving to talking about thriving.

Do you have more than one blog. If so, why?

You all know that I contribute to LA Moms, Parentella, and Examiner. I do so because each offers me a challenge and other opportunities. I love the women I've met at LA Moms, and you all know that I love to blog about education, which is the opportunity that Parentella affords me. Also, Examiner is a great challenge because it's not actually a blog, but a chance to write more as a journalist than a blogger.

Have you ever deleted a comment from your blog?

Yes, but mostly those advertising something. And one particular commenter at their request.

So it's been two years. Two years of challenges, triumphs, and moments of thinking, "I have to blog about this!" I used to not share with people the fact that I blog. I didn't know what it said about me. Just a few weeks ago, someone asked how we got a special opportunity, and I looked him straight in the eye and said without shame, "I'm a mommy blogger." It is one among many labels that I proudly wear. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your community.