How the name of my blog came to me: While helping my three-year-old to wash her hands prior to dinner on a recent June evening, and feeling a mix of positive emotions, I said simply to her “I love you.” She responded in kind and then some: “I love you more than ice cream!” It was one of those incredible moments with your child that you want to make tangible, to bottle or to press in a scrapbook. So, it becomes a fond memory that you play over and over (and I know I’ll continue to play over and over in all the years to come). Knowing that I had full intent to start a blog soon and would be in need of a title, something with meaning and connection to its content, I thought, that’s it. That’s the title. Since that evening, it has become our new thing as mother and daughter to name a sweet treat at the end of these exclamations of love: “I love you more than chocolate!” “I love you more than cake!” And since she is her mother’s daughter, she is really good at this.
Why I wanted..no, needed to start a blog: To get back to practicing one of my passions, writing in order to develop a discipline toward the act for larger goals, such as writing a book someday. To connect with other parents, as well as individuals who may have similar experiences or thoughts. To gain more of a sense of place in the world and a solidarity. To not feel alone and lost at the times that I do.
What to expect me to write about on iloveyoumorethanicecream: Since I am a stay-at-home mom, I am constantly immersed in thoughts on parenthood, so much of my content will be on all related topics and thoughts. But, I was of course already a version of a person before I gave birth to my daughter who will hopefully always be one of my best friends. I had many interests then, and have acquired several since. They include but are not limited to (and I have no idea which order I will write about them in): art, photography, film, books, fitness, history, and life at large — experiences, relationships, hopes, fears, dreams.
When to expect me to write: My first post just happened to come out of me on a Tuesday. I am aiming for a weekly press. Life happens though, so let’s agree right now that we will forgive me on the occasion that I run late with my own deadline.
iloveyoumorethanicecream 
This is so lovely! And brought a delighted smile to my face Julia 🙂
Thank you! Your sweet comment is bringing one to my face. 😀 (Though, she isn’t three anymore..4 and a half. I only remember that I need to update that whenever someone reads and comments on that page!)
Hey, Julia, I accidentally unfollowed you. (I don’t know how that happened at all!) I have nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award. You don’t have to feel obligated to accept but if you do, you can check out the rules at my blog.
I didn’t even notice that that happened, Kat. But I am glad that you did and followed again.
I just saw that! I am tickled! I need to get writing! Tuesday is fast upon me. As I said in my comment directly on the post for One Lovely Blog, I may be combining my post on it with the Versatile Blogger Award, which my friend Joe, at bigjoessoapbox.com (another MondayBlogger…you may have run across him) nominated me for this past Monday. I’m already trying to think of seven facts about myself…harder than it first seems.
I found it really hard to come up with 7 facts and I actually lost the first post I wrote so I had to come up with the 7 facts twice.
Oh no! I actually have to be really careful with hand and wrist placement on my keyboard while blogging, as my laptop is erase-happy.
While doing some after-dinner vacuuming, I came up with the 7 facts. (Must have managed to enter a quiet place in my head, or the white noise of the activity helped.) I hope they are each interesting in their own right.
I nominated you for an award- please don’t feel obligated to do anything at all except be acknowledged. I really do enjoy your blog! You can read the full post at the link below.
Kat
Hi Kat,
First, I’m sorry that we haven’t talked in awhile. Life forced me to take a step back from my blog — I’ve always struggled to find time to write around raising my little one, and it finally caught up to me a few weeks back. I have a return post composed and nearly ready, but find that now that I’ve been on a break for several weeks, I don’t feel like returning: writing then promoting, especially when i am not a natural promoter, is a lot of work that doesn’t seem to return as much as i put into it; it takes me away from my kid (not fair); and as several people commented on your awards post, I’ve noticed the new WordPress format and don’t care for it at all. Plus, I am running out of space — currently hovering at 83% used.
Sigh. I am not giving up writing. I’ve been a writer my entire life, even the times I didn’t have the nerve to define myself that way, or the best I could do was say I was an aspiring writer. As long as I am alive, anything is possible.
Still, I just don’t want to do a comeback post, then find that I need to go right back on break.
This being said, it’s lovely that you nominated me. It means a lot, and makes me feel that even though we haven’t traded messages in weeks, we must have struck a real connection with each other. I want that to continue. Even so, I probably won’t do a response post. I’m just not in the right place for blogging right now. I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I just find myself not wanting to blog in general right now. I think the tedium of motherhood has been getting the best of my time, energy, motivation…
Thank you for the compliment. It makes me feel good whenever someone tells me that they enjoy my blog, and I know that they truly mean it. I hope you know that I also enjoy yours.
Hopefully we can get back to our ongoing conversation, no matter how long I remain a bit back from things.
Julia
Hey, I understand. Writing takes up time. Although i wrote little bits and pieces for years, I didn’t really reuturn to writing regularly until about 5 years ago, when my kids were 19, 16, and 13. Then it took a bit of work and I took many steps back the first few years.
That’s the cool thing about writing. You can leave it sitting there and if yu decide to return, it is right where you left it!
I am always ooen to chatting whether or not you are blogging. Parenting can be so incredibly draining as well as tedious but it is worth it. 🙂 This too shall pass.