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302 Friday Blog Roundup

The Wolvog has his own email account, which came after much begging (it is only used for family and fictive kin).  He needed it, you see, to set up his private blog — a space that he picks at every day, calling it his “work.”  He writes music with Garage Band and then takes these crazy-ass pictures and combines them into these stop-action videos (he is very, very into gamelan at the moment).  Sometimes, I don’t even know what I am looking at.  He is entering kindergarten.

What is this?

How the Wolvog conceptualizes our kitchen

This picture made me queasy; as if I was looking at something out of a Margaret Atwood novel … oooh, so apropos.

The computer is set up so I can watch what he’s doing while I’m cooking, and this week, I was peering over his shoulder when I said, “are you in Daddy’s email account?”  You see, down the left sidebar were a series of folders, much like Josh’s account, with all of them neatly titled from “personal” to “car.”

“I’m in my email,” he insisted.

I motioned to the sidebar and said, “what is that?”

“They’re my folders,” he explained.  “‘Car’ is for when I receive an email that mentions a car.  ‘Stories’ is for when someone tells me a good story.  ‘Shoes’ is for when Grandma sends me an email telling me that she is going to make me try on shoes.”

But how did you do that?

The folders, with the first letter neatly capitalized, alphabetized for good measure — that is the child I always wanted to raise.  I mean, creativity is well and good, but organization skills?  Taking the time to capitalize the first letter and keep it consistent?  That is love.

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The Weekly What If: would you rather be super creative, blowing people’s minds with your brilliant ideas, but be terribly disorganized, unable to find your keys or even your pants when you pull them down to pee — OR — would you rather be hyperorganized, always knowing where everything is, but leading a fairly straightforward, rational life?

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IComLeavWe begins this weekend on Saturday.  I will be slow to add new people to the list over the weekend because we are going to be ensconced in some offline activities.  Therefore, be patient.  You will get on the list if you sign up before 11 p.m. EST on Saturday.

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And now, the blogs…

Tales of Rachel has a post called “Choice or Circumstance” that I thought was brilliant.  She asks a tough question: is she infertile if she has a non-functioning uterus (and permanently impaired her fertility with tubal ligation in order to remove the chance of a pregnancy she should not attempt to carry) but never tried to have a child?  She finds herself unable to relate to those who have chosen to be child-free, nor feels she belongs with those who have tried for years to get pregnant and have now resolved their infertility by living child-free.  She writes: “I’m stuck somewhere between choice and circumstance.  And wondering, really wondering, if anyone out there understands that feeling.”

Storm in my Tea Cup has a post about coping skills.  She writes: “I need some coping skills.  Perferably, ones that don’t involve 2 hour naps, lots of salt or anything chocolate covered.”  It is just an honest, simple post.

Attempting to Love Life Without Her has a post about all the things she didn’t know before she lost her daughter.  It is almost poetry, and you are lulled into a sigh by the ending.  It’s really beautiful.

Lastly, HolyMoly Toledo(s) has a post about reaching out to a woman that she suspected had miscarried.  You need to click over to read the whole post in order to understand, but it is about the small clues that only someone infertile would notice.

The roundup to the Roundup: email folders and trippy pictures.  Answer the Weekly What If.  IComLeavWe begins this weekend.  And lots of great posts to read.

31 comments

1 Heather { 08.20.10 at 8:06 am }

I’m so super impressed right now.

I would rather be super creative. I could be a famous artist. Once I was famous enough I could hire an assistant to hold my keys and follow me around and organize my crap…

I have not one artistic bone in my body. I so wish I did.

2 Toni { 08.20.10 at 8:40 am }

Considering I already can’t find anything and am hugely disorganized, I wouldn’t mind adding some super creativity to the mix to make it all seem a little better. Seems like the Wolvog doesn’t have to make a choice, which is awesome.

3 Gail K. { 08.20.10 at 8:42 am }

If I had to choose, I’d rather be super creative and disorganized. That way, everyone could just say that my mind was so busy coming up with awesome ideas that I didn’t have time for the mundane organizational tasks. However, in reality, I hope that I am a little of both. Slightly organized – I can find most things. And, fairly creative – able to come up with some great ideas some of the time.

4 Soosee { 08.20.10 at 9:42 am }

Wow!! In the Roundup! Thanks Mel!

B/c I’m already on the creative side w/ music and the whole photography AND I’m already on the unorganized side – even though I try desperately to fix that and stick to it, I’d stay the way I am. For the most part, someone’s unorganization is organized to THEM in some manner.. sometimes.. somedays.

And sounds like the Wolvog has mad skillz! So awesome to be able to find that at such a young age, and that you’re helping him to express it and be open with it w/ you. I love that.

5 jen { 08.20.10 at 10:03 am }

i’d rather be creative!!!

6 Lori Lavender Luz { 08.20.10 at 10:25 am }

Envious of the Wolvog. What a fabulous gene to pass on.

7 luna { 08.20.10 at 10:45 am }

I don’t even capitalize my first letters.
that is one creative and fabulously organized child you’ve got there.
so when will he get that twitter account?

8 Kir { 08.20.10 at 10:47 am }

I think Wolvog is awsome, look at those specuatculary CREATIVE pictures and folders and an email account. MY, MY, sooo cool.

I would rather be creative but flighty….maybe because I am not…maybe because I could live in my head and have fantastic ideas…I think I am organized and rational and it’s rather boring no??? 🙂

9 Somewhat Ordinary { 08.20.10 at 10:59 am }

Wow, I’m just a little blown away by the Wolvog right now!

10 PaleMother { 08.20.10 at 12:44 pm }

The Wolvog is amazing. I know you know that, but … at his age to be doing the creative stuff like that is really remarkable. I know they come to us that way, but you are obviously doing a great job of nurturing his talents. Not that I am surprised. Bless you all.

As for the question …

Being creative ~and~ having some talent for organization, like you and Wolvog? JMO that type of person has real power. Organization without imagination can be stifling, stagnating. But imagination with a dash of practical can take you where you want to go. Before I had to leave my first dream job to move with my husband, I was getting calls to come and work in NYC because I’d built a reputation as a creative who could stay grounded enough to please clients and the account people who managed them. Only Cinderalla had a fairygodmother. The rest of us have to make do with an ipad and a crackberry.

That said, when I think of the people in my life who are ~all~ Left Brain, no sense of humor, beat every deadline by three weeks or consider themselves a disorganzied failure, very concerned about appearances and material things and security, very concerned about “winning” (their definition, not mine) … one person in partcular leaps to mind … that style has rewards and many admire it. But I can honestly say that I would never in a million years wish to be like her (she would probably say the same thing about me). I would much rather be the person who isn’t afraid to persue a wild, impractical, grand idea and risk arriving five minutes late & spending $50 over and having to deal with unanticipated hurdles than be the passionless person who never has a hair out of place and thinks adrenaline is for losers.

For me the creativity isn’t so much about the attention … as it is about what makes life worthwhile. But you can’t be so insanely dysfunctional that you can’t button your own pants. That doesn’t work either.

Not sure I answered the question.

11 Rachel { 08.20.10 at 1:13 pm }

Rather be creative, absolutely. You should see my home office…

(Thanks for the mention!)

12 Kristin { 08.20.10 at 1:59 pm }

Wolvog is awesome!

And, I would rather be super creative be totally disorganized.

13 Sharon { 08.20.10 at 2:16 pm }

Seems I am in the minority, but I’d rather be hyper-organized, leading a straight-forward, rational life.

I am not creative at all (aside from having some slight musical talent), so the idea of being super creative is totally foreign to me. And disorganization drives me nuts!

14 jill { 08.20.10 at 3:18 pm }

Wow those pics are so interesting! What is the first one of and/or how did he take it? It’s really cool looking.

I think I’d rather be super creative and disorganized. Though being just as I am now but with awesome organizational skills is very appealing.

15 Carrie { 08.20.10 at 3:41 pm }

Those pictures are so neat! Looks like he is going to be creative and organized.

I would choose both.

I’m already overly organized, and I don’t think I could handle not being that way.

16 Baby Smiling In Back Seat { 08.20.10 at 4:14 pm }

Sounds like Wolvog is already both super creative and hyper organized. Quite advanced in his organizational skills for his age, really.

I’d have to choose organized for myself, because it comes along with a lot of other good traits that I highly value. The naturally creative types often seem so tortured. Anyway, I’m not actually all that creative, I just try hard at things like pottery.

17 a { 08.20.10 at 6:27 pm }

I’d rather be organized and lead a straightforward rational life. But that’s only because I’m already very practical and being disorganized but super-creative would not be practical. It would be annoying.

The Wolvog’s photos are pretty awesome! And his organizational skills surpass anyone I know (although, I have a mean paper filing system – just not in email). That’s saying something since I work with some seriously anal retentive people!

18 Anla { 08.20.10 at 6:34 pm }

I think you are raising a boy genius 😉

19 Vee { 08.20.10 at 7:30 pm }

The Wolvog is just awesome, I love his pics!!

I am creative but I am not organised at all. I would love to be both though. Maybe I just need to work on the organising a bit, when I get organised I might give it a go 😉

20 Jackie { 08.20.10 at 11:39 pm }

That’s impressive… he really has the best of both worlds, doesn’t he? Creativity and organization all in one? Rare combo (at least in my experience) and downright amazing in a 5 year old.
I’ve never been creative at all. Not a single creative bone in my body. And though I’m not the most organized person in the world, the need for some sort of order is too strong to ignore, and will be much tolerable to my even-more-disorganized-than-me husband. Easy choice. I’ll be super-organized and overly rational.
And I wasn’t going to admit it, but this organized/rational/straightforward life is made even more tempting by its advantage during arguments.

21 gingerandlime { 08.21.10 at 3:08 am }

Yay for GarageBand! I thought of Oryx and Crake too when I saw that picture; I’m sure “wolvog” put it into my head, but it’s got that sort of queasy feeling to it.

I would definitely rather be the creative. I sort of am, but in my job I have to be the organized one who follows the creative people around picking up after them and keeping them in line. I can do it but I hate it.

22 Waiting Lisa { 08.21.10 at 8:42 am }

I am honestly amazed by your son. I work with children that age so I know. He is awesome.

I am VERY organizationally impaired. It’s a real problem for me. Whenever I see one of those big super organized closets, I almost die of envy. I wish I could be like that. My bedroom looks the same as it did when I was a teenager. Sometimes my mom still comes over and yells at me about it.

23 Rachell (Barrenista) { 08.21.10 at 9:30 am }

Love this! Happy ICLW! #18

24 Kristen { 08.21.10 at 10:27 am }

Gosh, I’m so bad at these types of “either/or” questions! I definitely see everything in shade of gray.

If I had to choose, I’d say creative, but that may just be b/c I’m in a phase of my life where I’m more focused on the organized side of myself.

25 Journeywoman { 08.21.10 at 12:11 pm }

Super creative.

I’ve actually been told that I am…well creative not mind-blowing.

26 Serene { 08.21.10 at 1:34 pm }

I’m SO impressed with the Wolvog!

27 christine { 08.21.10 at 3:38 pm }

Your Wolvog is impressive! Such creativity at such a young age, you should be proud :).

Oh, and happy ICLW!

28 Bea { 08.21.10 at 6:50 pm }

The Wolvog… actually it’s just amazing to see children take to technology that didn’t even exist when we were their age. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been capitalising like that, though. That’s pretty ordered for anyone below about thirty.

Bea

29 Pixie { 08.21.10 at 9:14 pm }

OMG. So happy to see your son’s vision, and hope he’ll continue to explore his world and share it with us in such a super creative way!

30 Lynn { 08.22.10 at 2:05 pm }

Your kids are so awesome! I love the fact that they are both so creative and the Wolvog seems well on his way to earning his Masters by age 12.

If I had to choose between extreme creativism or extreme organizationalism, I would have to choose creativism. I’m actually kind of a combination of both things….I have some creativity and some organization skills, but I’m not highly adept at either. Probably more creative than organized though. The Hubs tells me I’m a dreamer. He, however, is already more in the creative category, having even been known to trip over his pants because he forgot he had them on!

So happy ICLW has come around again! Now off to visit some fabulous blogs 😀

31 Orodemniades { 08.22.10 at 11:07 pm }

The Chieftain, at 2 1/2, loves to type (as you may have seen on the Facebook), complete with pauses and carriage returns, and vocal ‘hmm’s as he ponders what to type next. Sometimes he backspaces until he ‘fixes’ whatever is ‘wrong’. Hee!

He also finds stuff and changes things that we have no clue about. And Mr Oro is a computer programmer by profession. Which is a little scary.

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