I learned a long time ago that any writing done when I am rushed and/or not inspired to write is writing that is not worth reading.  Which is why you may have noticed things have been a little quieter around here of late.  The arrival of Baby Z, combined with summer (meaning no preschool mornings for Big C…) has put a giant dent in the time I have available to write.  In fact, over the past few weeks I’ve seen the small windows of time that I previously had for myself shrinking away to practically nothing.  

While Baby Z is a CONSISTENT napper, the majority of her daytime shut-eye still happens in 35 minute bursts.  That leaves very little baby-free moments during the day, and by the time I share some one on one time with my 4 year old, eat, do laundry, and if I’m lucky, go to the bathroom by myself, that time is up.  Once the kiddos are in bed I may write for a few minutes here and there, but I want the larger chunk of my evening to be spent hanging out with the hubby (or for two nights of the week, my friends at the climbing gym…) 

I truly love writing, in particular for this blog, and it’s a therapeutic outlet for me in many ways.  However, I’ve had to prioritize a lot recently, and it’s one of the luxuries that’s had to go on the backburner.  I’ve also taken a step back (but not completely away from) many of the companies that have supported me along my journey climbing through motherhood.  

These are my people.

The past few months have been a little bittersweet, and it’s been hard passing up on several opportunities that have come my way.  But I must say it’s also been freeing.  I’ve turned my focus completely inward rather than outward, and in so doing, have felt a lot less (self-imposed) pressure to always be “out there” and talking (writing) about it.  We’ve had a lot of fun just doing our own thing, and discovering the best ways for our family of four to play together.  

Rest assured, Cragmama as a website (and a person 😉 ) is still alive and well.  This is certainly not intended to be a farewell post of any sort.  And once school starts back up again, I’m hoping to be able to free up a few more moments in the nooks and crannies of my day.  But for the time being, I’m just going to let it go.  (Cue Frozen soundtrack…)  I’m going against all social media and blogging rules about posting “X” number of times per day/week/etc.  Some weeks you may still hear from me a lot, and others I might be silent.  If I have something to write AND THE TIME TO WRITE ABOUT IT, I will certainly do so with pleasure.  If not, I refuse to sacrifice time spent with family.  

In the mean time, we’re still going to be climbing, hiking, camping, and exploring as much as we can, so don’t forget about us! Please check back often for the latest tips and tricks about outdoor adventuring with kiddos (and the gear that makes it easier!)