A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Bar...

I was a first year law student when I found out I was expecting my first child. I chose to go to law school because I thought it was the most prestigious career path for someone with my skill set. Had I known then what I know now, I might have made other education choices.

The initial plan was for me to take a year off in order to care for our new baby with the freedom to breastfeed and catch sleep without worrying about keeping up with reading, preparing for class, or attending lectures. As the year went on, I realized that there was nothing in the law that captivated me so much that I would leave my baby in another's care, and because it was not necessary that I work for our financial security, I decided not to go back when that year ended. Instead, we moved to Ohio and planned to have a second child, which we did, two and a half years after our first. She was the only planned pregnancy we had.

The third, fourth, and fifth followed at two year intervals. I would finish nursing one and be pregnant shortly after. Yes, we had to endure a fair amount of teasing and rude comments. "You sure have your hands full." "You aren't going to have anymore are you?" Or, my favorite, "Don't you know how that happens?" Most of the time, I smiled and gave a non-committal nod. Sometimes, I used a borrowed, "We can't even hold hands or wash our underclothes together." Or on occasion, I would reply, "Oh yes, we SURE do."

I have said, in an attempt to sound witty, that I chose prolific procreation over juris prudence, but now I spend much of my time engaged in alternative dispute resolution, which is true except that to say "I chose prolific procreation" is a bit overstated.

I have been blessed with five children, and this blog will be an outlet for me to write about my experiences as a mother and our adventures as a family. It is not a manifesto on motherhood or parenting. When my oldest was an infant and through her toddler years, I acted as though I had personally invented motherhood, which is why she will need the most therapy. As the years go on, I realize that I have a lot to learn. Now my philosophy is that we should do the very best we can at the time with what we have in terms of time, talent, or treasure.

Rather than offering advice, I simply hope to entertain you or perhaps let you learn from my mistakes or just let you know that there is someone else who has trampled this path before you.

I have a head full of stories that I have been meaning to write and share. Those will have to wait for another day. Until later...