One of the things that happens when you start a blog is that you get obsessive about watching your blog stats. And whatever other information the counter gives you. For instance, I can see when people click to my blog from somewhere else, and I know which posts get the most “hits.” I also know what the “top searches” are.
This is very interesting, actually. Right now, the top search includes the phrase “mild Down syndrome” and “day to day life of child with downs syndrome.” I always enjoy it when I see “The Beggars’ Queen” come up as a search parameter, of course.
The strangest search parameter that ever hooked itself on my blog was…are you ready? “Old lady bras.”
Now, stick that phrase in the search function on the side of the blog, and see what comes up. Talk about one tiny phrase that has nothing to do with the main subject of the post!
Well, anyway.
It’s getting late (which means 7:20p.m.), but I’ve been wanting to share that gem for quite a while. As long as I’m writing about basically nothing, I will share another, a Julianna story. She’s making another forward lunge in cognitive development, as I indicated a few days ago. The latest manifestation of her growth is that she understands several of the most common parental admonitions she hears. For instance: yesterday I passed by her room at naptime and saw her climbing the bars of the crib into standing. “Julianna, lie down now!” I snapped–as sharply as I could manage. And I’ll be darned, that girl plopped face first in her blankets and played “dead.” Or, at least, asleep. No, Mommy, you were seeing things. I wasn’t getting ready to stand up. Uh-uh, not me. I’m an angel! I’m still cracking up about it.
There’s a good Alex story, too. I’m seeing a PT myself now–the 3rd pregnancy hip thing is killing me–and at our second appointment I brought the kids. She started asking me questions like, “So….you have a brother in law who’s a PT? Did he go to SLU? What was his name?” Soon we had established that she and my brother-in-law and his wife all went to school together. She nodded with satisfaction. “Well, the name was pretty uncommon, but when he walked in”–she gestured at Alex–“I figured it had to be. He looks so much like Justin!”
Never gotten THAT one before!
Now I suppose it’s time to go upstairs and get the kids ready for bed.
Kathleen M. Basi 
Thanks for the article. I have started something on hubpages and what you said about watching the blog statistics is correct.
I make it a duty to check the flow of my blog statistics. that gives me the courage to write more and a sound opportunity to evaluate my performance and strengthen my good areas and correct my mistakes.
http://hubpages.com/profile/babarushe
That’s a good way to look at it–evaluating performance. For me, I think it’s topics that drive the statistics. Sometimes it’s a guessing game.