What do you have on *your* plate?

I received no less than three emails today from unrelated people saying more or less the same thing:

"You know the [fill in the name of project here] we discussed?  We need to move forward on that soon.  Hello?"

Look people, in case you haven't caught on, yet, I will say "yes" to anything.  Want me to write for your site?  Sure, send me the access code!  Want me to help you redesign your blog even though I have no design skills?  Absolutely, let's brainstorm!  Want me to give birth to your baby?  No problem, I shoot 'em out like a bazooka.

Okay, I'm actually a little more picky than that, but you get the idea.

Inevitably, however, some things slip through the cracks.  Conference calls, for instance.  Um, could you all just call me?  Yeah, the entire conference.  You call me as a group.  No?  That's not the way it works?  Humpf.

Wait, you wanted that contract signed?  I still haven't unpacked my printer.  Could you just sort of forge my signature?  This email can serve as my permission for you to do so.  What?  Legal who?  Grrrrr.

Who is supposed to pay taxes again?  I think I paid those last year.  What?  Every year?  Um, let me get back to you on that one.

What do you mean you haven't eaten lunch today?  Didn't your 20 month old brother prepare a nutritious meal for you from the one cabinet he can reach?  What?  It only had an empty box of cereal in it and an old cereal bar wrapper?  Didn't you go grocery shopping, my dear sweet 3 year old?  What exactly do you think that tricycle is for, kid?

Maybe I am exaggerating a bit.  But that's how it feels sometimes.

...Good God... (rereading this post so far...)

I think I've just written a textbook mommyblog post.

I am Mommyblogger.  Hear me snore!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A post about overextending myself.  Huh.  That's original.

Did I mention I've only been sleeping three hours a night?  Not for lack of trying, either.  And I was actually entertaining the idea of having a third child.  I am one cah-ray-zee lady.

So, consider this my open letter to all of you to whom I have made promises since signing back online in March.  I have received your emails.  I have received your calls.  I have received your contracts.  I have received your psychic messages wishing me focus and drive and the ability to follow-through.  I hear you.

I'm on it.  And I really do mean that.  I meant it when I said I wanted to [fill in whatever it is that I said I wanted to do].  I've just gotten a little distracted. 

But now?  I'm on it.

Right after I take a nap.
Love,
Megan

PS-- This whole over-extending ourselves thing?  That is precisely why I have begun the launch of Blog Nosh Magazine.  I want to reward all of us for keeping something of value on our own blogs.   Even if that means writing something brilliant that only your audience of 20 will read.

That's where Blog Nosh Magazine will come in.  Make it good.  Make it solid.  Make it for yourself.  We'll help you find the audience.  Just do it for you, first and foremost.

That's why I overextend myself.  At the end of the day, I get something of great value out of every single project to which I commit, even if that something is helping others. 

It is just that today was one of those really long days.

And I could have sworn it was Friday.

...........................

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Comments

[Sleeping Mommy]

You asked for an amen and I'm here to give it. I'm the queen of overextension. I have three children spaced 19 months apart and under the age of seven--and I'm back in graduate school. And I try to keep up with my blog and everyone on my feedreader and twitter and gardening and household projects.

Oh and did I mention we have fourty gajillion pets? Yeah. We do.

Megan, you can't claim crazy. I own it.

[To Think Is To Create]

A to the men. I'm such an insomniac that it seems weird if I go to bed before it's light outside (as in...the next day). I wonder if it's because I can't turn my brain off or if I actually have insomnia.

I am collecting things on my plate like they're going out of style. It's creating a frenzy, but at the same time I LOVE being busy writing and having people actually ask me to do it for them. Seriously? For realz?

You make me smile every.single.post, but just one gripe...NOTHING you write is ever textbook!

[To Think Is To Create]

P.S. Just followed BlogNosh on Twitter, what a cool idea! I'd love to participate, just let me know what you need.

`A

[Michele]

::blush:: **wishing that the Twitter DM function had a recall option.

[Christina]

A-freakin'-men.

If you're the queen of overextending yourself, I'm somewhere in the upper nobility at least. I suffer from helium hand - if someone needs something, my hand goes up to volunteer.

Which, BTW, if you want any help with BlogNosh, please let me know. I'd love to help out. Seriously. Not helium-hand on this one. Sign me up.

[girlymom]

It may be typical to blog about overextending yourself, but it's something we all do. It's reassuring in a "Hey, maybe I'm not the loser I thought I was" kind of way.
It's comforting to know that someone else, no matter how "together" they appear, falls into the same traps as every other woman. I suppose it binds us, even with people we don't know that well. And that's kinda nice, especially when most days the only validation we get is from the smile of our grateful toddler who just got her juice.
Thanks for the post!

[Queen of Shake Shake]

Megan, you're almost making me paranoid. Mommybloggers are boring? I guess only when they take the mundane and make it still sound oh so mundane. The ability to turn it into something funny and meaningful takes talent, girlfriend. And that's what you just did.

[Crunchy Domestic Goddess]

amen, mama! i've been considering writing a very similar post myself (if i can ever find the time!) cuz i can't seem to say no to anything either and if i do, i feel bad about it. i'm rethinking it all though because i honestly think it's starting to affect my health (panic attacks) and i know it's affecting my kids too. oy.
it's sooooo hard when you want to be everything to everyone.
keep on fighting the good fight, sistah! :)

amy

[rjlight]

I absolutely love your header. Even if we aren't "mommybloggers" if we blog and we are parents, well, then the mommy sneaks in.

[Sarah]

You are great. I have to come back more often. -- but right now life is colliding a little. I knew once I stopped working full-time and started saying "Yes" to everything else and everyone else it would eventually collide a little. I have been blogging daily since January just to say I was "writer." I am now a volunteer counselor on Tuesdays for a crisis pregnancy center, last Friday I signed on as a Pampered Chef consultant, Friday night I went to a conference about saying "Yes" to God, Saturday after another day at the conference I left to audition for a leading lady in a student film, Sunday I walked the streets as a politician trying to win an election for Republican Committee person, Sunday I got the part, Tuesday I won the election. Wednesday I blogged about sheer exhaustion and Thursday I cried and got over it. Friday I sang songs with little children about Jesus and today I am going to go be an actress for the first time in my grown up life. I can relate. Life is too fun to say "No" but all those "Yes"'s add up. Pray for me today and I'll pray for you!

[Annie]

You could try doing what I've done a lot of lately - sweet nothing! I don't recommend it though.

[Her Bad Mother]

I'm one of those half-brain-dead mom-blogger-whores who agrees to everything and remembers nothing. I need a brain sherpa, is what I need; someone to keep notes on all the things that I file away in my brain for future action and then immediately forget. Wait, is that what an intern does? I NEED AN INTERN.

[Dorothy Stahlnecker]

Today, I'm finishing this and crashing. I have to remember I'm 61 and still on Chemo for three months...and already I'm making commitments I wonder if I'll be able to make. So thanks for the warning...and I'm telling you even when your my age...you'll be doing the same thing..its who we are...

Good luck, and when you really need too...just don't turn off the computer..yea right that'll never happen either...we're our own worst enemies...

hugs Dorothy from grammology
remember to call gram