These videos are a bit of “full circle” moment for us as adults. Mostly my husband as he spent most of his youth skating off rails and trying to make sure that having any children naturally would probably never happen (I’ve seen the videos. The stunts that ended in a crotch fall are numerous. I’m just saying).

The fact that both of them love to go fast is no surprise, I mean … kids like to go fast right? Most of the time? Be thrown into the air? Roller coasters? Fine … we do, they do, it fits. We love it.

I was starting to get anxious about our morning out because we had no real way of keeping the kids near us … they were MOBILE on WHEELS. And the coffee wasn’t kicking in, or maybe it was and that’s why the bitch inside of me came out with 4 heads and crosseyed pointy fingers going “LOOK!! LOOOOOK!!! WE’RE GOING TO LOSE THEM IN THE SEA OF PEOPLE!”

I could feel my heart beat faster and all I could see was me sweating even more while we tried to venture through the Farmers Market without any kind of device with a belt on it to keep them close.

You are right, I have issues. I am kind of insane. And mostly intense.

But then. THEN! We came to this hill and all was right with the world – the kids were laughing, I had ditched my coffee because I realized that being even more jacked up was not the right decision and we stayed there at that hill for a good 15 minutes, riding the hill, watching them laugh and discover and be kids.

Some times things don’t go my way at all … and it always turns out better any way.

Organized? Phfffft. That’s SO EASY for me. No, really.

OK, you win. It is not. It’s a battle … not unlike trying to make a video without a child blaring weird AM stations and hitting me.

Life.

There are mostly buckets other folks would like you to fit in to when explaining your blog/brand/website. Whatever the case may be. For Real Food Bloggers, this is an easy answer. Sure their family life is part of it – but the main focus of their website is Real Food. Their passionate about it, it’s what draws them a crowd.

Advertisers, networks and sponsorships LOVE a crowd.

Other buckets to fill are the Frugal bloggers, Travel bloggers, Fashion, Coupon, DIY, Home Improvement, etc etc etc. It goes on. On the bottom of that list is the Mommy Blogger.

I. Am. Not. A. Mommy. Blogger.

The whole reason I still write here is because I need something OUTSIDE of the life I live as a mother to keep me sane. I write about my life, period. Where’s the bucket for that? Where’s the crowd so an advertiser or sponsor sees value in ME. Because, folks, that’s what this is. Me.

Pitching a website like this is like selling yourself, not unlike a salesperson in a profession. Real Estate, Home based businesses, Consulting of any kind. Your “customer” (in this case a “reader”) has to buy into Me. Like Me, eventually care about Me.

Let’s just take it to the basics.

Mega bloggers have catapulted, mostly by accident, into an audience that already cares about them. The “un-bucket” blogger has to navigate the thick and tricky waters in order to find a footing. And maybe we’ll grab our audience as we stumble through the wires.

There’s probably no room for validation for this kind of blogger, the un-bucket writer who wants to feel value in the form of acceptance from their audience, an advertiser … a sponsor. So how do we define our websites? Do we have to come up with a niche? Even if it’s broad? Do we have to create a community – even if it’s small – that will support the pull of a network?

Where’s the conversation going for a blogger like me? Do I have to decide that I’m doing this just because?

I live out loud. I take photos of it, spend my time writing about it and often times directing friends/readers/traffic to other sites because I can. Because I want to. Because it’s fun. I never did this to make money, but 10 years later … there’s money to be made.

Why the hell do I have to fight so damn hard for it?

If you want a niche – here it is:

I’m a Diabetic, gluten free foodie who makes food for my family according to their blood types. Then I write about it. I’m a How-To junkie. A hobby-photographer. A woman. I’m learning to love fashion and I’ve always loved to decorate. I’m a mother. I’m a wife to a Serial Entrepreneur and we’re business owners. Plural. I’m a gardener and wanna-be bee-keeper. I have a life list and I live out loud. Take it, or leave it. But please … take it.

**I have nothing against a self-proclaimed Mommy Blogger. I read their sites and love them, I just am not one and am super tired of being thrown into that mix. I am a mom, I do blog, but about WAY more than parenting and kids. That’s my disclaimer. I love you all.

We have laptops. They take enough of our time.

And later today I’ll be posting the giveaway on facebook for those of you who might be doing something other than eating wings and watching grown men in tight pants hit each other. Maybe? Are there any other people in my boat?

Until then, here’s a gem of a video of Oliver from our vacation in Florida. I’d rather watch this sport any day.

(if you’re reading this site via an RSS feed or Google Reader or something else, you won’t see the video I’m told … just click through to the site and you’ll be happy … or not, either way, happy reading!)

I call her Debby.

Happy Thanksgiving! from Jodi Schaap on Vimeo.

Had no idea he was missing out so much by not having this A. Sooner and B. More often.

Adding things to my list from Jodi Schaap on Vimeo.