Monday, January 12, 2009

Delurkers, Unite!

Okay, Littleton, Colorado! Now you're teasing me! Just how many times can you check out this blog in one day? Or maybe I have an entire fan club in that city. Don't y'all know it's Delurking Day today? Don't you think reading 15 pages of my blog demands a little hello?


Here is where I would place the cute Delurker Day Button if only I knew how...

And what about the rest of you? I've got 251 subscribers through Google Reader alone - about 30 of you comment. Wouldn't you like to drop a line today so I know who I've been communing with this past year? Show Littleton how it's done, won't you?

We had a hot competition at Bunko this evening to see who could lose the most games, and I won! I mean, I lost! So I got my 5 dollars back for the evening. Plus all the hors d'oeuvres I could eat.

I had a routine obgyn checkup today (and yes, I do want applause for going - I've put it off for at least 2 years), and the nurse who checked me in mentioned that she has 6 grown kids.

"Any girls?" I queried, still smarting from my totally lousy day with Anna yesterday.

"Yes, 4," she said, and she didn't even startle when I sort of grabbed her arm and begged, "Help me. Please. Mine's fifteen."

"Teen girls?" she said. "It's...it's awful. You just get through it. You survive. But it's awful. I'm sorry."

I tell you, she had tears in her eyes as she said this. She's on great terms with all of them now, she swears. And they gave her grandkids. As one commenter yesterday pointed out, grandchildren are your reward for not strangling your teenagers.

This post is going nowhere. Just delurk, will ya? I need to get to bed.

96 comments:

  1. I would never lurk--I know moms of teen girls need all the comment love they can get!

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  2. Is it delurking if we don't actually lurk?

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  3. Delurking Day! You've shamed me out into the light. I enjoy your blog on my Google Reader.

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  4. I will bite! I am a google reader lurker! I am never original enough to comment. But your posts are definitely part of my sanity strategy. All moms need a reality check with a healthy dose of humor! Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Hi. I'm delurking. I'm a social worker with children, and I love to read your blog, because your humor in the face of every day disasters is pleasantly normal and healthy. On my hard days at work, you make me laugh. I'm grateful. Thanks.

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  6. Oh, man, now I'm tearing up - I'm so emotional today. Thanks, Amy.

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  7. Hi! I am one of your google reader subscribers and this is my first time commenting. I like reading your blog because I can relate...somehow reading that other people are dealing with the same things I am makes me feel a little better. I have 4 kids, 3 sons and one daughter. My oldest 3 are the boys, ages 16, 13 and 10 and my daughter is almost 5. Thanks for the good read!

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  8. I've been lurking around your blog for a couple weeks now and I love it. But I'm not from Colorado.

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  9. I have you on bloglines and I have been reading you for about a year :)
    Sorry about all the lurking and thanks for all the laughing...on my part I mean ;)

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  10. I was going to delurk, but then I posted something to your previous post, so then I wasn't quite a lurker anymore was I?

    Besides, I don't have a blog, and I'm not a mom, so I don't quite fit. I have the world's cutest niece though.

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  11. Your plea for de-lurking made me laugh. I came here from Mormon Mommy Blogs (after noticing someone had gone to my cooking blog from there :) My little sister is 17...and I keep trying to think back and remember everything I should be apologizing to my parents for. I was never that bad...was I?? They won't tell me ;o)

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  12. I am not an actual lurker, but I will comment anyway. That way you can feel like an effective blogger, so your ineffectivness in trying to get a teenaged girl to do something won't sting as much.

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  13. Just a quick note to say hello. I've commented before, usually when your teen girl makes my teen boy look like an angel. :)

    Seriously, I so relate to having teenagers. One of mine is 22 (and living at home again) and the other is 18. I'm still not sure how he lived through the last two years.

    I'm Melissa in FL. :)

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  14. De-lurked yesterday....I no longer lurk. No lurker here!

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  15. why must you always terrify me about having girls. :)

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  16. Giving you a feet-in-the-stirrups ovation for taking care of yourself! All my Colorado relatives are deceased, so it can't be any of them. Unless there are Bloglines in heaven, and it's routed through Littleton?

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  17. I am also in Florida but a non-lurker. I have two teen boys ages 14 & 15. The oldest is the most challenging. It's his personality to be that way-I know his father. My youngest is a 6 year old girl, and my clone. She'll hit puberty about the same time I hit menopause. I'm pretty certain my husband will be taking a job that requires lots of travel at that point. Thankfully there is only one of her and the boys will be on the final edge of the hormonal fog that impedes cognition. I hope.

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  18. De-lurking to say I love your humor. I was a lot like your daughter about 15yr ago. Only I was worse. =( I read your blog and think, MAN have I got it comin to me in a few years! My girl is 11yo.

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  19. I love Bunko! My family played it on Christmas Eve and I won our little tournament! Have you ever played Farkle?

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  20. I RSS your blog. You're almost as funny as my best friend, who also has 6 kids. She has 2 teenage daughters and there are good days and bad days. You make me laugh a lot!

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  21. Consider me de-lurked? But .. im afrais im not in colorado ...

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  22. I'll leave you a comment, but I've been leaving comments for a while now. So, does it still count as lurking???

    Good girl on going to your appointment! I don't blame you for putting it off for two years. I usually need that long to gear up for it!

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  23. Um..Im a PhD student in Britain. I study politics and fairy tales. No, seriously. I'm not British...but Ive moved so many times I don't know what I am.

    You make me laugh and help me procrastinate...as well as helping me engage with different writing styles..

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  24. I'm not in Colorado, and I think I've commented maybe three times, so I guess I'm not a lurker in the truest sense of the word, but um. Hi! I enjoy reading your blog.

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  25. i'm always nervous to call out a lurker...i'm afraid they'll take off running.

    and since i don't have 251 subscribers, if my two lurkers flee i'll be all alone.

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  26. i'm normally a lurker cuz I can never remember my google idenity. a wise lady once told me that the teen years prepares you to send them off on their way when they grow up--and not be completely devestated. my college freshman wants to move back home (i hope she's kidding--the past few years she couldn't have gotten far enough away from us, and now she wants to be home again-- at least for a while. if it doesn't kill us it will be make us stronger, right?
    Diane

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  27. you're not on my google reader, but I don't really use it... You're on my lifera (ubuntu feed reader) so I wonder if you can see me at all if i don't open your posts in browser... hmm interesting, I'm the hidden lurker...
    But I comment quite often (IMO)
    good luck with Anna!

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  28. You know me, but I will comment so you can keep a tally of your fans!

    It scares me mightily that the woman had tears in her eyes talking about her teens.

    Your little girls and mine are going to be teens at the same time. I hope you still blog then.

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  29. De-lurking, here. Love your blog, it's the first one I check over coffee...now that is saying something.

    As far as the daughter thing. I hate to tell you, mine was great during her teens, but her early 20's I would rather remember in a fog. She had some sort of delayed lag, I guess. I thought because we homeschooled I might have missed all that, though I can see it didn't happen to you. Still, in their 20's, they own it. Her brothers and I just sit back and watch in dismay. I don't think it's fun whether they are 13 or 23. I'm hoping she outgrows it soon.

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  30. This is me, delurking... I'm pretty sure I've commented before ~ but always enjoy your blog and can definitely related. I have one teen girl that I've survived (she's 29 and wonderful now) ~ but I now have a 9 y/o who thinks she is 16 and I don't think I'll survive her. I'm hoping for senility soon.

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  31. Okay, I'm not lurking anymore. I read your blog every day but I don't blog myself and I'm totally low-tech plus unoriginal (hence the Anonymous name...) I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!! Thanks for the laughs.

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  32. I'm not technically a lurker, since I comment sporadically as I feel inspired/have time/etc. I comment less since I got google reader, I admit. But what I want to know is, how can you tell how many people have subscribed to you?

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  33. i'm tempted to drive my laptop to littleton and randomly click around for a while from some random wifi spot... lol

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  34. How do you find out how many people are subscribing through Google Reader?

    And can you tell me if I can relax about the unmentionables now?

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  35. I'm come out of the closet--so to speak. Love your blog. Oh, I survived the teenage years with my three daughters. One is 29 and our relationship is still strained, but we're getting there.

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  36. Another delurker (I think. Maybe I've commented before. At least in my head.) -- love your blog and your lists. Keep it up (and good luck with, y'know, teen girls)!

    ~Autumn

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  37. Ok, I'll delurk! I'm another of those mysterious Google Reader subscribers! Mystery solved!

    My daughters are 7 and 5, so I'm just reading along to prepare myself for the dreaded day when they turn (and occasionally cringing when something you say reminds me of some horrible thing I did to my mother back in the day).

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  38. Hi - I'm a lurker in the UK, reading your blog through Google Reader - consider me delurked ... when my two were teenagers, I felt I was the only person in that situation. Now I am really glad to hear about yours - not glad that you're living it, you understand, just that you're writing about it and that maybe I was normal after all.

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  39. I think I've commented before but not often. I'm afraid my 12 yo son is headed in Anna's direction. He's not there yet, but he has some bad streaks and he'll be 13 in March. "They" (whoever they are) say that boys aren't as bad as girls as teens. I surely hope so for my sake as I'm having enough trouble already.

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  40. And you're getting applause!
    My appointment is tomorrow and I will go even though it is too cold here to think about metal stirrups.

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  41. I lurk. Sorry! :) But I do comment occasionally. It's just that I read with a bowl of cereal in one hand and that makes typing a challenge. :)

    I completely enjoy your blog! Even though all the names and places and such are fake, it's so REAL. :) Okay, you know what I mean.

    Have a great day!!!

    (My soon-to-be-a-teen daughter is sleeping on the couch (she has the flu)).

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  42. I've been reading through GR for many many months now. I'm Ang and I live in Amarillo, TX

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  43. Hi! I'm one of the anonymous reader that uses google reader and is too lazy to comment... sorry! Not that I usually have smart comments to give away, any way... just thought there were too many posts about readers not commenting for me to ignore, so: I'm a portuguese computer engineer, I don't have kids (I'm only 24) and I really don't remember how I came to read your blog... but I found it somehow and have been reading it since... I even shared some of your posts with funny remarks to the american elections with my boyfriend (he was up all night on your election night, so you can see how he is kind of an election fanatic...)... geez, this is a huge comment... ok, I'll keep on reading you! All the way from Portugal!

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  44. Happy Delurking Day! I guess I'd have to call myself a mostly lurker, and yes, a Google Reader one at that.
    I hope it helps that someday, when you remind teenage daughters of their awful teenage years, they feel very very guilty. Just ask my mom.

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  45. I comment occasionally, but am not a mom, so I don't always feel I have anything relevant to say.

    I came here originally because you leave funny comments on the Yarn Harlot blog, and stayed to enjoy your writing.

    And? Totally love you taking back the Target card. I think the real meaning of your quote on parenting is, if you let them live through their teenage years, you're a good parent.

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  46. I am a lurker... but not from Colorado! Sorry! I'm not even sure how I found your blog, but I have been reading for a while, and it is one of my favorites! You always make me laugh, and sometimes cringe.

    I have 3 kids. My dd was 15 months when twin ds were born. They are 3 and 4 now. I am still hoping that each year they get older gets easier and easier, so I just plug my ears and hum when you talk about teenagers. I am in total denial that I will have 3 at once! On the upside, at least we will get the teen years over all at once.

    Thanks for this blog- it is great!

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  47. The nurse is right - they DO grow up. But the hanging in there is tough!

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  48. This is me, delurking. My kids are still young... 6, almost 5 and almost 5. All boys though. I am hoping I have it easier one day.

    http://blogs.timesunion.com/austinbenconnor

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  49. Keep the faith, honey. She'll grow up and become a nice person again.

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  50. I suppose I'm a lurker.
    The last couple years before I went to college were the worst between my mom and I but as soon as I was away I called her all the time and now (I'm 23) we're really good friends.

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  51. I occassionally comment, so I'm definitely not a lurker, and not in CO either! Anywho, I love your blog, and relate to it in many ways even though I only have 3 kids and the oldest is six... However, I do dread the teen years.

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  52. Delurking from Philadelphia.
    Linda

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  53. De-lurking here. The first post of yours that I read was the first fridge "fess-up" and subsequent cleanout.
    Thanks for some good laughs!
    Have a great day :)

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  54. 251 subscribers. Show off.

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  55. Hi I love your blog...I read it all the time and as the food turns gives me hope that I am not alone. I also have a daughter...just the one...who is 14 1/2. I feel your pain. Keep up the great work!

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  56. Alright! I am coming out of lurking closet. It is hard enough for me to lurk, feed my kids, lurk, clean up the home, lurk, change my kids diapers, ... you get the idea. ;-)

    I just have to say I love your blog and they just crack me up. I even enjoy reading comments too! Keep blogging and commenting. Yeah, I will try to keep delurking if my kids ever let me.

    One more thing, I thought I was the only one in Littleton, CO (well, it is not like I am the only one on this planet.) It seems that you have more than one fan in Littleton, CO. Kewl!

    Cheers!

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  57. Um, hi. I'm one of your google reader peoples.... that's all.

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  58. I'm not so much a lurker, but happy to out myself as a happy reader! :)

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  59. I am so loving your blog right now! I feel for you, because I am dealing with a teenager for the first time. (2 more to go after him) My priest recommended a book- "Yes, Your Teen is Crazy", I raced home and ordered it! :)

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  60. I like the term "sporadic commenter". I'm also a Sporadic Blogger, but that's another story.

    So, I'm sort of delurked, unlurked, lurked out...whatever. :) And a day late, too.

    Add me to the list of people who want to know how you find that you have Google Reader subscribers. I can see my Sitemeter people, but I don't know if the reader thingy is showing up there.

    Sorry for the lack of coherency. Migraine.

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  61. ...I'm so jealous: You have more than ten times as many subscribers as I do [cry].

    I must not be very interesting [laughing]. I've been running one blog with very interesting content for over a year, and about eight people read it. I'm doing something wrong [smile].

    Keep up the good work!

    ~Luke

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  62. Last week I had someone from Portland Maine read the last 7 months of my blog.
    And they didn't comment.

    Whenever our 10 year old daughter has some emotional outburst about some 10 year old girl emotional crisis, my husband asks me "What is she going to be like as a teenager?"
    He has no clue what we're in for.

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  63. Christy from Cleveland delurks

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  64. I think "Little Fan" might have just answered your mystery... if she lurks off and on all day and doesn't leave your site during the kid times --or if she leaves and returns multiple times-- would that show up?

    I have no idea where my readers are from or who is visiting, unless they 'fess up by commenting. And apparently I have no lurkers... even though we have a few things in common, I'm just not funny like you!

    Waiting on those grandkids (although I hope it takes 10-15 years)!

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  65. Winning at losing rocks, esp. when it's Bunko!

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  66. I'm afraid to not comment, I am not from Littleton, Colorado but in the Utah area so if you happen to see me perusing your archives its cause I think you are an interesting read (and I'm just nosy like that). But really this is only my first time here, so please be gentle. :)

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  67. Okay then... Suzanne, mother of a 7 yr old and a 3 yr old all the way over in the Netherlands - nice to meet you! Thanks for giving us all such a great blog to read!

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  68. I'm not really a lurker, but I comment sometimes. I'm in the same hormonal hell that you are in, with girls 14 (today!) and 16. I feel your pain, but I just keep telling myself that it's a process they have to go through and someday we will like each other again. Hopefully.

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  69. I'm back!! Two days of commenting - a delurker makes.
    Honestly, I am all for giving you an award just for getting put of bed in the morning with all those kids to deal with AND a faulty shower, let alone be hilariously funny about it and cheer all of us up.
    Yippee, tomorrow's old food day - my favorite.

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  70. Yes, I'll be happy to comment. I am an avid Knitter and saw your wit on Yarn Harlot comments. Clicked on over and sure liked your stuff. Lurker, appreciater, now commenter.

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  71. I'm no lurker - but while I even go so far as to link to your posts, I have to confess that I sometimes read without leaving a comment.

    If you ever wonder what I'm thinking it's usually 'what does she do with all that salsa? is it fajitas every night?'

    Also - you inspired me to take up knitting.

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  72. a semi-lurker. delurking.

    cuz i can.

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  73. Hi, I'm the anonymous commenter from yesterday. I found you several months ago from the Yarn Harlot and I usually find you hilarious. I comment occasionally (I did yesterday because I really heard a person in need of support and reassurance.) but I don't really trust the internet, so I think I'll remain anonymous for now. And really, I don't usually have much to say.

    Signed: remaining anonymous for now!

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  74. I've only been a google reader lurker for about a week. . . . but wanted to say hi! Funny that you know who and where and what just by us reading on google reader! Thanks for your blog. I'm curious: is it rude to read a person's blog and not comment (lurk) , or are you just wanting us to speak up?

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  75. My daughter 13 months and that's what my parents tell me she's for!!!

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  76. I was a HORRIBLE teenager. I'm almost 27 now and I feel like I'm still trying to make up for it to my parents! But I promise (and so does my mom) that it gets better eventually!

    Delurking from Beverly Hills/Santa Monica, California!

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  77. Delurking from SLC :) I'm one of your reader readers. If that makes sense.

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  78. Not a lurker but not a frequent commentor either. Just enjoy reading.

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  79. But, but, but, everyone else has already come up with the good comments!

    It's funny, I'm never lacking in pithy witticisms in real life.

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  80. I don't lurk. I could stop commenting for a year, and then next year, I could delurk.

    Y'know, kinda like those people who quit having s*x for a year and then consider themselves virgins?

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  81. Not a lurker! But I would like to hear more about your homeschooling efforts. (I'm soooo sure Anna's doing her level best on all that work you're shoveling out...)

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  82. I don't lurk! I'm just ... shy.

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  83. I'm delurking from Pennsylvania! I love your blog, I can't even remember how I found you. Thanks for all the laughs.

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  84. Delurking from Illinois where everything's available for a price. Just talk to the Gov. He'll hook you up!

    I'm a Google Reader subscriber and way too lazy to make that extra click. Or I don't have anything meaningful/witty/interesting to say. Will work on it! Love the blog though!

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  85. Hello! I don't usually comment because I don't have teenage girls, so I can't always relate. In fact, I have three young boys, but I like your sense of humor so I stick around. :)

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  86. I'm a Google Reader lurker as well. I never comment because (this being a great example), I usually read everything after everyone else and am way late to the comment party.

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  87. Is it really delurk day?! Gack, I always miss it.

    You're on my google reader but I don't use that reader anymore. I do come by once a week or so and read through but... well, I've got a lot of blogs to read.

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  88. Delurking a day late. I have younger kids--10, 8 and 6--and I found you through the knitting blogs, probably Yarn Harlot. My daughter is 6 and she already acts this way (eye-rolls are her specialty). Will she get past it sooner or should I expect 15 years of it? Sob!
    I think my favorite ever of your blog entries was the one about how Sarah Palin, or any mom of kids, would solve the Mideast crisis.

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  89. Now I remember where I found your blog! From Home Education Magazine in the library other day. *grin*

    Now back to lurking...

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  90. Seriously? 88 comments? Wow - careful, I might start confusing your blog with Sue's...

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  91. So I am, sort of, de-lurking, but since i think I have already de-lurked, it feels weird. I try to comment when the IT nazi's allow it, which is rare. However, I do have a forgetful mind - six kids, as you know can do this to you - so I usually forget to comment later when I get home. I'm actually surprised that I am able to write this now, I must be on some hidden camera show, or I'm like Blago and the Feds are just waiting for the right opportunity. I'll be leaving now. :)

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  92. You are great! I am trying to adjust to being home with my five children while my husband lives and works 300 miles away. The past ten days or so have been a challenge. Sick kids, leaky roof, sinus infection, etc. I've enjoyed reading about you and yours...and I am amazed that there are so many other families as large ar larger than my own. The way people look at us in the grocery store and then ask if the children "can all possibly" be mine...I was starting to wonder. Thanks for making me laugh.

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  93. Hi - Jules from Australia here - not sure if I've commented before but I do love your blog - thanks for writing! I have two girls - 17 and 9 yrs and one boy - 16 yrs. I'm hanging in there - just! Teenagers are hard work and my youngest is learning all the tricks to make mum and dad crazy. Although our eldest was away for five weeks recently on exchange O.S. and we missed her so much!

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  94. Delurk Alert....I read your blog off and on all the time. You make me want to apologize to my mother for all of the hard times I gave her when I was a teenager!!!

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  95. I'm late to the game, but I'm here, hehe. I read your blog through Google Reader, but rarely comment.....mostly because I get behind on reading, so often times, I might not read a post until it's a couple weeks old. I'm still reading, though!

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