Featured Blogger: Laura Saenz – Phrogmom!

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss

Featured Blogger: Laura Saenz - Phrogmom...

If you’ve had the good fortune to read Laura Saenz’s blog, Phrogmom’s Weblog, you’d agree that she has a great sense of humor; tongue in cheek, sometimes self-deprecating funny. And the more I think about it, you know, Laura is … hysterical! Laura is a writer/blogger/artist and busy mom of two cute boys. She is married to Mr. P., and spends what little extra time she has on her T-Shirt design Etsy Shop – PhrogPrincess. Laura describes herself as a sock monster making, illustration drawing, and knitting new mom. She and the adoring Mr. P., have been married for four years and recently celebrated their anniversary on March 9th. If we are to take her zany comments at face value, it is her birthday… I think. 😉 Happy Birthday Laura!

Laura and I met via the WordPress buddy system and when I invited bloggers to be featured, she readily agreed. According to Laura, she shares her home with a jolly cast of characters; Hubby – Mr. Perfect, two sons – the squirm and squirticus, two dogs – Max and Becca, and a cat – snack. I am happy to feature a blogger who epitomizes the word – Mirth. You gotta love her special brand of humor! Please welcome this week’s “Get To Know” blogger and say hello to Laura Saenz. More on her interview below…

Featured Blogger: Laura Saenz - hubby with one of the boys...

How did you meet your hubby (the short version)? 🙂 What has been the most challenging thing this year for you?
How I met Mr. P: I actually met my husband on match.com. I was living out here in the country, and couldn’t really find any compatible men folk to hang with. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I wanted a man folk; I was kind of fed up with them. But I was intrigued by the commercials and signed up.

I immediately felt weird about it. Exposed, rejected, judged, all that stuff that comes part and parcel with…gulp, dating. And I didn’t even meet any of the people in the flesh. By the time I came across Mr. P’s profile, I was pretty much ready to throw in the towel, but something about what he had written gave me pause and I sent him a note. What followed was an amazing week of email correspondence that had me glued to the computer, waiting for the next dispatch.

We decided to meet, although I was leery of it, lest it break the spell. We had originally planned to meet for coffee on a Saturday, but got all excited and moved it up to Friday night. One of my friend’s husband’s band was playing at a local restaurant (they are all retired teachers and principals and the band is called corporal punishment). Now most of the people I know out here are my parent’s age, because most people out here are just that age. A big pack of them had also planned to attend this concert, so I had almost 20 chaperones to keep me safe.

To make a long story less long, Mr. P and I hit it off live. I don’t remember much about the concert, we were so into each other. But I know every time I looked up, 40 pairs of eyes were riveted to my every move. We eloped to Vegas 10 days later. My dad and step-mom, who hadn’t even met Mr. P, were quite surprised, but amazingly supportive of the whole thing, considering they learned about it after the fact. My mom, who I kind of put off telling out of fear, might still be a little mad that she wasn’t the first to know. The story is still highly circulated by the pack of chaperones. We just celebrated our 4 year anniversary on March 9!

My biggest challenge: I think my biggest challenge this year has been trying to balance my roles as mom, wife, and artist. My older son has been diagnosed with characteristics of autism, and isn’t verbal. My younger son has been diagnosed with atypical motor development and now they are saying he shows early signs of autism. Needless to say; it’s nerve-wracking. One could spend all of their time reading, planning, researching….and we have a therapy schedule that keeps me hopping. But one of my goals this year was to try to allow myself to spend time on my artistic pursuits. Of course that means I have to try to let go of the guilt that I am spending time on me, and not the kids or Mr. P., or the laundry or whatever.

Featured Blogger: Laura Saenz - Laura's second son

Where did you grow up and why do you blog?
I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I always labeled myself an urbanite, clomping the sidewalks with doc martens and purple hair. I had to tone it down a little when I graduated from art school and took a job teaching at an all girls catholic school. While I did my best to maintain my individuality while avoiding any major feather ruffling, after 6 years I had had enough of trying not to step on the bishop’s toes. I decided to try something completely different and abandoned the city. I got a job as editor in chief of a small town newspaper, rented a ranch-style house in the world’s most uptight suburban neighborhood, and made a go of it.
I have since moved on from that initial position. I got married in Vegas, had two babies, and bought a new washing machine. Why do I blog? Outside of my hubs and my parents, I am pretty much on my own here. There is no church or masters swim team to help me make connections with potential compatriots. So I use my blog to make the connections that I lack locally.

What is most important to you/about you?
I have two babies under three years old, so right now nurturing those guys is a top priority. As they get older and slightly (emphasis on slightly) more self-sufficient, I am trying to allow myself to spend more time exercising my creative side. I struggle to balance being a wife, a mom, and an artist.

What motivates you to get out of bed?
See above paragraph, not getting out of bed isn’t an option.  🙂 But seriously, I was diagnosed as bipolar fifteen years ago, and there have been times I have struggled to stay the course. I used to tell people it was my dog Max that kept me grounded.  Because he is so neurotic, I knew that if something happened to me, no one else would put up with him. Now I have an amazing hubby and two beautiful sons, plus my loyal canine is still by my side. I still have some bad times, but I love being a part of my family.

How would you like to be remembered?
I guess it depends who is doing the remembering. I’d like my husband to remember that he brought more love and joy into my life than I ever expected. I’d like my sons to remember feeling loved unconditionally and empowered to achieve whatever they set their minds to. I’d like my friends to remember feeling like they always had me in their corner. I guess I don’t worry that much about what anyone else might remember, or not. But it would be great if they came across my work in a gallery somewhere and it jostled their hearts a little.

You may share a laugh with Laura through her humorous blog; Phrogmom’s Weblog, her Esty shop – Phrog Princess, via her Facebook design page, on her Networked Blog and via her Twitter handle @Phrogprincess. Please leave a comment below to welcome our blog friend, Laura; and then click over to visit and support her blog.
What are your thoughts? Do share? If you’d like to be featured, leave a note and let me know how to reach you. Thank You!

Positive Motivation Tip: Laughter is the best medicine. Find moments to share a good laugh.

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PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Featured Photos are courtesy of Laura Saenz

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet