Happy Anniversary on Fat Tuesday!

To my parents, Happy Anniversary today! 41 years! THAT is something to celebrate!

Of course, many others are celebrating today--just 'cause it's Tuesday!
Here, we had Paczki (pronounced "punch-key") and king cake for breakfast, so we had our own small Fat Tuesday celebration, here!

The kids also had a half-day at school so each one brought a friend home. They pulled cookies out of the pantry for a snack a little while ago but my daughter would not eat the sugar-free cookies that her friend picked out. Though they are sugar-free, her friend kept calling them "fat-free." My daughter replied, "It's Fat Tuesday, NOT Fat-Free-Tuesday!!"

TGIF

(Basement issues are not fixed.)

Science projects complete--the Science Fair is tomorrow; birthday treats delivered safely to school today and party scheduled for Sunday; finished reading the Twilight saga; washing machine running; baby sleeping.

Dishes to do and many, many words to write.  Of course, when the hubby gets home, I'll tell him  that I couldn't get anything done.  At least I did get a shower early this morning--that never happens!  (The early part--showers do occur, occasionally!)

Enjoy the weekend!

Checklist

The weekend is over (thank goodness)!
The water damage is not yet fixed but we're getting there.
(The carpet damage is limited to a fairly small area but it is in the center of the large part of our finished basement. To avoid seams, they want to rip up a large portion of carpet). At least, we're on track there--just don't want the kids spending too much time in the basement--which means we're on to plan B (or C) for my son's birthday party next weekend. (No sleepovers yet)

One science project is complete!

One more getting closer--his volcano is built; we tested 3 different "recipes" yesterday to see which eruption is the biggest. Now he just needs to paint the volcano/prepare his display.

The father/daughter dance was a success--hubby and daughter enjoyed Saturday night.

Made it to the boy scout banquet with side dish on Sunday and addressed a few birthday invites for his upcoming birthday. We're running late but ought to still be able to get a few kids by next Sunday!

Still behind on laundry--as always. That's on the eternal list!

Now I just have to squeeze in a run, shower and writing before the youngest gets up from his nap! (I usually have great ideas when I do not have time to write them down!)

How's your Monday looking?

Still distracted

And I'm on to book 4.  (Ms. Meyer's, not mine).   I'm still embarrassed but inspired, as well.  Reading a young adult novel inevitably brings back a few teen memories of my own.  Quite a few character traits and/or scenarios pop up when I look back for too long. ;)

I might have to put the books away soon--to keep my daughter from the temptation.  I'm not sure she is ready to read books 3 and 4, yet.  (I'm quite sure she will not be reading book 4, yet, actually.  We recently got through the puberty talk and while I am willing to answer other questions regarding birds, bees and even humans--book 4 has a bit more than a 10-year-old needs to ask about!) ;)

Having said that, I am happy to see that each of these books references--and contains allusions to--classics that I do want my daughter to read:  Wuthering Heights, Romeo and Juliet and Pride and Prejudice.  As I've mentioned before, my daughter is not a big reader but maybe if she sees that these books are good enough for Bella...

New genres?

I'm sure it's the sleep deprivation but I still have this new story spinning around in my head. Mine would not include vampires or any other "monsters" but might have an element of fantasy. I've never tried writing one before and it may never make it to paper but it's an idea.

For my writerly readers--have you ever tried writing in more than one genre?

A little preoccupied

The book came.  I've been distracted--it's not that complex--not hard to see what is coming next and yet--I can't seem to look away.  I'm halfway through so maybe I'll have more interesting posts soon--unless I pick up the third book!

 As I said previously, I was a little unnerved to see how obsessed people were with these books.  Now I'm right there with them.  I look like a vampire myself--dark circles under my eyes as I know better than to stay up too late reading but I do it, anyway!  

 It has inspired yet another story idea for me, as well.  More on that after I sketch it out better--and get some sleep.  No need to share all of my loopy, sleep-deprived epiphanies just yet!

I'm infected--and embarrassed

I may have mentioned that I don't read kids' books. I also have not read a romance in quite a while.

I read Twilight, mostly to make sure it was appropriate for my daughter and to see what the fuss was all about. (I was a little unnerved by just how many people are reading it--though I'm sure Stephenie Meyer is enjoying every minute of it!) ;)

I purchased the second book online but opted for "Super-Saver shipping." I didn't think my daughter would finish the first by this week and I figured I'd need a break before beginning the next one.

I had not planned on staying up past midnight for a few nights last week to finish the book. I haven't done that in years. I find myself looking out the front window, several times a day now, looking for the brown box with the arrows on it. I am embarrassed to admit that I've been sucked in.

A good love story does tend to pull me in. That's why I don't read too many; I get too preoccupied and the laundry piles up--not to mention my own writing comes to a screeching halt. I did not think I'd get wrapped up in a teenaged-love story but it gives me a chance to escape my middle-aged life for a short while!

I'm off to fold laundry. And glance out the window, on my way.

Young adult saga

I don't read "kid's" books.

OK--that is not entirely true. I've read Goodnight Moon several times, just this week! Of course, I read to my children. When it's my turn to sit down and pick up a novel however, I'm done with juvenile fiction.

Or so I thought. I didn't read what the kids were reading when I was a kid. By the time I was in middle school, I was reading the paperback versions of The Winds of War, North and South (and the sequels), Gone With the Wind, books on Hiroshima and I threw several mysteries in there, as well.

Partly due to the books that I was reading when I was twelve however, I have always said that as my kids got older, I would know what they were reading and would read those books as well. (My own mom would ask about some of the books that I picked up. She didn't have time to read them and I may have misled her a little as far as how explicit they were. Sorry, Mom!)

I let my daughter go ahead and start reading Twilight, based on another mom's assurances that the first two books would be okay. (This mom is my daughter's best friend's mom, a teacher,and a pretty good judge of age-appropriate material). So I let N start the book, and I am trying to catch up. It's not bad! Who knew? Of course, this book is more young adult--the characters are seventeen. Maybe she thinks she is reading a grown-up book and I can feel like it's not for children.

I have heard that the third and fourth book in the series are not something she should be reading yet so I'll have her wait but I may just check them all out, myself. I'm only in the middle of the first one and read a scene last night in which Bella found herself in a dangerous situation but the way it was written, I'm sure that my daughter had no real idea of the just what the imminent danger entailed.

My daughter is not a big fan of reading and we try to coax her just to read. (They have the Accelerated Reader program at school and this year, it is part of her reading grade, so she has to do a certain amount of reading at home). She was all set to read this book though--because everyone is reading it. While it annoys me that she is at that age where she wants to be just like her friends, I am happy to see her excited about reading. (I just have to get ahead--and stay ahead--of what she decides to pick up!)

Catching up

The "books on my nightstand" list down on the left side of this blog has not been updated in quite a while!  Let's see...

The Audacity of Hope did give me hope, indeed.  I am not going to spend too much time summarizing it here as you've likely heard bits and pieces in various interviews, campaign speeches, etc.  It is an inspiring read.

Wickett's Remedy  was entertaining.  I love the asides in the book--though I'll admit, it took me a chapter or two to come to love them!  Apparently the format presented some issues when it was time for the paperback to come out so it gave her a chance to make some changes.  She uploaded the changes online but I have not read them so I don't know how the paperback differs from the hardcover.  I thought it was cleverly written and her historical details were well done.  

My only criticism would be that the ending seemed hastily done.  The letters between the creator and the beneficiary of Wickett's Remedy were the essence of the book--they tied the years and events together but the ending felt more like loose ends being tied up rather than a satisfying conclusion.  Perhaps that is remedied in the paperback!

I still have not read much of The Gargoyle.

I recently finished The Faith Club.  This non-fiction book chronicles a few years in the life of the three co-authors as they educate each other and struggle with their own faiths at the same time.  It is a story of three women who came together to write a children's book that would explain what common stories the Islamic, Jewish and Christian traditions share.  As they try to put their pieces together, the women learn as much or more about their own faiths as they learn about the other two. I had to rethink a few of my own views along the way.  This is one that I'd recommend reading in small amounts--too much to take in at one time--but well worth the read!

Now I just have to go update my list! ;)

Snow Day II

There are other days when a "snow day" would be welcome! We're at 5 inches (and counting) and most schools around here are closed or on a 2-hour delay. We were scheduled to have only a half-day today, anyway. (It is Catholic Schools Week this week, so they all go to the highschool, have Mass with the bishop, do a craft and they're done. So you can guess which school was open and ready to go, on time, today!)

Memories of the arctic

It's been a few years since I've said, "Hey kids! We're getting snow tomorrow--that means it's warming up!"

(Although in Alaska, my daughter still went out to recess until it was -20 degrees. Here, school is closed because it is currently -14. (The wind chill is -30 and even things in Alaska shut down at -30, so I guess I can't put down the school. The kids, of course, are thrilled!))

Snow day

Those two words are not quite as exciting for parents!  

Pet names

I had not yet logged in this morning so when I commented on my own post below, I had to type in the security letters.  Today's letters spelled "phiedo."

The family has been talking about when to get a dog.  I think, when we do, we should name him Phiedo.

(The rest of the family wants a girl dog but that simply won't do, now!)

Your response is important to me, please be patient and I'll post again, soon

It's Monday!

I'm back up, healthy and back online.  Unfortunately, I was on the telephone line--not internet--most of the morning.

I tried to reschedule an appointment for myself (they have all been on Wednesdays--the boy's library day--and he knows I've missed more of his than his sister's); make one more for me (separate issue but at least that will be on a Thursday); find someone to fix the mailbox (a car slid into it at some point yesterday) and and an assortment of other phone calls this morning meant doing the breakfast dishes with the phone on speaker.  I put the baby down for a nap and listened to a depressing selection of hold music, interspersed with "your call is important to us..." every thirty seconds.

Now that I have spent a full hour on the phone, I need to find a way to fold laundry and type at the same time.

It's time for a headset (and voice recognition software)! ;)

I can't blog, I'm washing my hair

The New Year came in quietly but went well.  We settled back in to start our routines, got back to school and then it hit.  The baby wouldn't eat much Tuesday or Wednesday and started with the runny diapers Wednesday.  Thursday, the hubbie and I were hit hard.  Either our flu shots don't work or they shortened the flu as we were better by Friday but Thursday, we were lying on the floor or crawling up the stairs to bed.  I let J just crawl on top of me while I was on the floor, thinking I caught this from him but Friday, it hit him harder!  He and I both were wiped out again (though not to the same extremes) yesterday.

I went to bed last night at 8:30 and though I got up with J a few times, we went back to bed.  He's sleeping again now so I finally took a shower.  As I sit here typing, I was just thinking how nice another nap would be but it sounds like he's stirring.

I'll get back to the writing life--I hope.

In the meantime, Happy New Year!  I hope you have a happy, healthy and productive 2009!

It's tradition

I am always late.  I am now addressing Christmas cards that were supposed to go out weeks ago.  I'd say I'll start over in 2009 but I wouldn't be fooling anyone!

I hope you all had or are having a wonderful holiday with your families!  Happy New Year!

(Thought I'd try to be a little early on that one!) ;)

Sick and tired of being sick and tired

Sorry I've been MIA. We have been passing viruses around this house for the past few weeks. (See? We do share!) I've been battling sniffles and sore throats while caring for everyone else but this latest one is doing me in! I think I have a combo of the baby's congestion/cold from last week and the sore throat from hell that my daughter had a few days ago.

I'm going to bed--have a great week! Stay healthy!

Indiana kids and the tower of laundry

I say I'll use the baby's naptime to write.  I need that naptime to shower though, too--oh, and clean up the dishes.  Now that he's mobile, naptime is a really good time to load the washer and fold clothes, or eat a peaceful lunch, or try to read something.

We have all taken turns being sick lately so I'm behind on everything--except cleaning the bathrooms.  Nothing like physically ill children to inspire me to follow behind and truly scrub those bathrooms.  When I look back at the week, it seems I can get more done than I thought!  (Although the clean laundry is not only spilling out of the basket, it has surrounded and conquered it.)  

It all works out in the end.  If the kids can't keep up with helping out, they'll just have to hunt for their socks in the Tower of Laundry.  They won't find the Holy Grail but hopefully, they can find some socks without holes.

Another week gone by

Have a great weekend!

I'll try, next week, to get to this more often. Life did not change much from last week with the exception that we've all taken turns passing a cold around--with the exception of my son--who tried to stay home yesterday by claiming a sore throat. It seems he needed a little more attention as everyone else had been getting more but he's healthy otherwise! (I let him stay home for the morning to be sure. He had so much makeup work from missing one morning that he's learned it's much simpler to just go to school!)

The baby is still feeling miserable but hopefully will recover, soon. (I really did move the trash!)

Otherwise, it's a gloomy, rainy day outside but I'm thankful that it's rain in the middle of November and not snow, yet!

(Snow is due tomorrow but I'll think about that later)

TGIF

A week after minor surgery, I can actually sit in my chair and type.

In-laws have come and gone, Halloween whizzed by and the baby is now a year old! (One year and 6 days but who's counting?) ;) He's taking a few steps, climbing in the bottom of the kitchen table and then climbing onto the chairs. (Just when we thought one short fall from his hiding place under the table, he's standing on chairs already. I guess if he's going to fall--he's going to make it as dramatic as possible.)

While I marvel at how quickly the baby is growing, my oldest daughter is asking to begin shaving her legs and, when she notices that I am trying to do 3 other things at once, she tries to get me to sign a blank piece of paper before going to school.
Poor boy--the middle kid is doing great on comprehension quizzes but can't remember to bring home a book or use shampoo in the shower.

I had a new story idea so I thought I'd throw myself into NaNo again this year and get it written but can't quite remember what it was I was going to write...