Writing and Walking.

Word Count Yesterday: 2895
Total NaNo Count: 15546

Yeah, I'm pretty proud of that number right now. My goal was 2k words a day, so I would logically have 14000 words by the end of week one. Since I've already surpassed it, I'm patting myself on the back. The story just wants to tell itself. I guess it helps that I've had it boiling in my brain for the last six months, and haven't done anything about it. I'm glad I switched to this story at the last minute. One of my crucial research books was delayed by Amazon. You can't even find it on Ebay, but Amazon happened to have it, and I ordered it October 15th, and they emailed me and asked if I was okay with a delayed delivery date of December-ish. I of course said yes, but I was bummed. And without that book, I would have been up a creek trying to write my sequel.

And I'm still loving my Alphasmart Neo. I took it with me when I waited outside of the school to pick Thing One up from basketball practice, I take it to the dr's office, anytime I have waiting time, I whip it out. It rocks. I am one of those people who hate writing things out in longhand, anyway. Maybe because I'm a lefty, and the way I have to write (to not smudge) makes my hand tired. All I can say is, the Neo is a WONDERFUL tool.

ON THE SUBURBAN FRONT:

Cleaned out the garage yesterday while Thing Four napped. I squished everything up together so I could put the grill and patio furniture away, and swept it out. I was COVERED in filth when I was done, so I had to just toss my clothes and take a shower afterwards. Then I went out and pounded stakes along the driveway, so when the snow plowers come, we will be ready. We were supposed to get some snow this weekend. Not enough to stick to the ground, but that usually means a good sound DUMPING is around the corner. I've already washed all the snowpants and snowcoats and scarves and hats. We are READY.

Thing Four is walking around everywhere, now. He's finally walking when we go outside the house, too. He loves to get his coat and hat on and just walk around on the grass and sidewalk outside. He goes into excited apoplexy whenever he sees someone walking a "doggie!"

When we go out, he will walk, holding my hand, from the car to the inside of the store now, or wherever we're going. I don't have to carry him. Or, rather, I made the conscious decision NOT to carry him. I like to go fast, and get where I'm going, but he won't learn to walk confidently if I don't give him some practice. So, we get out of the car, and it may take two minutes to get inside the store compared to the usual 20 seconds it would take for me to carry him, but he's getting much needed practice. It's actually kind of nice, and less back-breaking. He is a very BIG 18-month old. He's a late walker, but like I've said before, since he was born with dislocated hips and spent four months in a harness, I'm just glad he IS walking. He's so excited. He grins at me and says "Mommy, I walky-walking!!" He's so proud of himself. :-)

Gotta run to the cleaners!

Gearing Up for the Holidays.

Word Count Yesterday: 1279
Total NaNo Count: 12651

So, it's been 70 + degrees here, and my kids have been asking to wear shorts to school, because "all the other kids are." I reluctantly let Thing One wear denim capris to school, only because she wore me down. Kids are funny that way. You tell them no, and they ask again. You say no. They whine and ask again, and plead their case/make excuses/rationalize/all-out LIE just to get their way.

I love my kids, but they can be tedious.

So, Hubby is having his appendix out on the 17th. He will be in the hospital for a week, and then home from work for about a week more. I have my MIL and SIL coming to watch the kids for me so I can be with him at the hospital, and everything will be taken care of. I've decided that we're going to "deck the house" in Christmas stuff while he's gone, so when he gets back, it will be VERY festive. I want to put up all the trees (I have five) garland, lights, you name it. It will be cheerful. Hey, the week of the 17th isn't too early to have a little Christmas cheer.

One of our local radio stations has been playing Christmas music since November first. Hubby and I have been listening to it, because it really does put one in a good mood. It's cheery. It's fun. It's sentimental. I am really glad this station does it.

ON THE WRITING FRONT:

I am embarrassed to admit, I didn't even know how to work my own Alphasmart. I emailed a friend yesterday all excited because I didn't know that you can hook it up to a computer and it downloads the work directly into your existing Word document. WHOO! Of course she knew that, because she isn't "special" like me, but I was excited to discover it. Laptops are so cumbersome. I can take my little 2-pound Alphasmart anywhere. So, I sat at the kitchen table while the kids did their homework yesterday and got 1200 words in. Downloaded it, and it was great! And I don't have the temptation to surf the Web, like I do when I'm on the laptop.

Time to get cracking. Lots to do!

I got a big ole goose-egg for writing yesterday. It was...a bad day. But today is more optimistic. And I did get 2100 words in the day before. So I had enough of a cush to take yesterday off. But today it's back to the page.

I guess I "technically" wrote yesterday. In the morning I went to Tires Plus to get new tires for Hubby's car, and I sat and typed on my alphasmart, so I GUESS that counts, but until I download it I won't know how much I typed. It was just rubbish anyway. I need to start over today and just write it the RIGHT way.

Nothing much else to report, except can I go outside and turn carthweels, now that my taxes will go up next year? Yeah, that is SUPER exciting. Can't wait. Can't wait for abortion to be legalized, either. THAT will be a highlight.

*UPDATE*
It looks like I got 832 words in on my Alphasmart, while I was at the tire place. So, I guess I didn't get the big old zero, after all. I updated my progress bar, on the right.

Small victories.

Sheesh.

Word Count Yesterday: 2813
Total NaNo Count: 8459

Okay, so, apparently my cell phone needed to be "turned off and on" to fall back. Because I set my alarm this morning, and when it woke me up at 6:30, I got up, went and woke up the kids. The baby was still asleep, which was unusual, so I got him up, and carried him around while I told the kids to get up...again. Then I went downstairs and saw the time on the microwave:

5:30

Ooops. I ran upstairs, told them all to go back to bed (my sons were happy to acquiesce) and put the baby back down. Then *I* went downstairs and went right back to bed.

On a normal day, I'd be up at 5am, writing, but not this morning. Today Hubby has his test at the hospital, and he'll be home all day afterwards, so I'll get some writing time in then.

Sheesh. My poor kids. I felt so bad! But they're on the bus now and we're getting ready to vote early. We can vote today, so we're going to. It's just more convenient for us, since Hubby is off today, and NOT tomorrow.

Happy Monday!

November 2nd...

For your viewing enjoyment...our Halloween Cookies!!! Mmmmm....

Well, I am pretty proud of my "first day" word count: 5646 words. I need a significant cush before my family descends for Thanksgiving.

Let's hope the words keep flowing! Happy Sunday!

Happy November 1st!

The NaNo website is down, so I can't post my progress, but look at what I did in the wee hours this morning! 4203 words! You can see my progress bar to the right. It's at the right, right? Not the left? Sorry, I don't know my left from my right, right now. ;-)

Yeah, I'm dead. But elated.

Happy Halloween!

Although it seems a bit strange to this Wisconsin family--who already did Trick-or-treating LAST week...because we had to...why don't I like that whole "scheduling" thing? We don't even have any candy left. My kids ate most of it (the one time of the year I indulge them) and of course, I threw away a handful a day out of each trick or treat bag...sneaky me...so we don't have any candy on one of the most CANDY-est holidays ever. WEIRD.

Anyway, I am going to make about 4 tons of sugar cookies and the kids and I will have fun decorating them. And we'll have a bonfire tonight outside in the fire pit--with hot cider and doughnuts. Mmmm!

And then, at MIDNIGHT...I'll start writing!!! WOO HOO! NaNo will have officially begun.

Yesterday was a weird day--Thing One had a high fever and a sore throat. So, I put her to bed with medicine and she was whiny and impossible, but today, she seems fine?? That is strange. She's currently in the kitchen making scambled eggs and pancakes. I told her to WASH HER HANDS REALLY WELL.

Also, I got a rejection from my dream publisher in the mail. As soon as I saw that large envelope in the mailbox with my handwriting on it, my heart sank.

It happens. I was shooting for the Moon, and really I should be somewhere up in the trees. So, I'll polish up another submission (thank heaven they accept everything electronically--this last publisher did everything by snail mail!) and send it off this weekend. I refuse to let this rejection get me down, because frankly...it was a long shot. But I'm all about long shots. Because there's chance in everything...

ON THE WRITING FRONT:
It's NaNo's Eve! I have outlined and plotted, made up stuff and I woke up this morning at 4am with a headache soooo bad I took one of my prescription painkillers to get rid of it quickly. So, I'm a little woozy. I seriously thought my right eye was going to explode--and the pounding was unbearable. But I'm better now. And I have the first three sentences of my story, playing over and over in my head, so when I actually DO start writing them, it will be effortless.

I have a good support group (it's small but choice) and a great mentor, who has been around the NaNo block many times and will inspire me. I am set!

Finding the Balance. Tightrope? Juggling Act?

So, I've filled a few notebooks up with notes for NaNo...Ya think I'm ready? *wink*

Okay, so I've filled up half a notebook. I'm being a purist about it. I am not writing ONE word, until midnight on Friday night. My friend Michelle and I are going to get online and IM and keep each other awake, as we get our first words in. We're excited to kick start our novels!

I've been planning and figuring out how I am going to write an entire 50+K novel in one month, AND be a mom to four kids and keep a house clean and run around like I do. And I've got the answer:

Determination.

I am determined, to get my word count in every day. And, actually, I am going to attempt to finish up a week early, because, as fate would have it, I have family coming for Thanksgiving, and they are flying in the 24th and leaving on the LAST day of NaNo: the 30th. So, if I don't get a large chunk of my writing in before that last week, I'm in serious trouble. So, I just WILL.

Simple as that.

It will be a juggling/balancing/tightrope act, but I've got each day plotted out, and I will take advantage of "stolen moments" to jot things down and type out later. It takes me around 1 hour to get 1000 words out, so I figure if I just write two hours a day, it will be enough.

Excited? Yes. Nervous? Yes. I was asking my sister last night if she would consider NaNo and she said she wasn't ready. I've been saying that for a few years now, and you know what? I don't think anyone is ever truly "ready." You just need to plug your nose, take a deep breath, and jump in. I know getting pushed out of my "comfort zone" will be beneficial for me as a writer.

My only worry is my body wearing out. I get shoulder/neck pain when I sit in this *#!@!^&!! computer chair for too long. And it's a nice chair. Lumbar support, you name it. I will have to stretch before my marathon writing sessions.

Hubby is supportive, my kids promised to leave me alone (granted, I will be writing when they're either asleep or at school) and I'm pretty much set. Tomorrow night at Midnight.

I am so ready. Bring it ON!!!

Last Day of School...

...until Monday, that is. The kids have Thursday and Friday off. Normally we would go somewhere sunny/fun/close to water--but the price of five plane tickets (and probably six, because we'd need Thing Four to have a seat because a "lap" wouldn't suffice) is just too pricey nowadays.

I read an article recently that claimed airports were on the path of becoming "ghost towns." With all the nickel-and-diming to death the airlines do these days, it's no wonder. Unless you have money to burn, it's not practical to lug a big family on a pricey getaway any more.

So, the kids will be home with me for two days. It will be just like summer--only we won't go outside because we'll all freeze our whateveryoucallits off. For some reason this week, there has been a strong, bitterly cold wind out, and it makes things pretty miserable.

We'll probably make a trip to Half Price Books, and watch a few movies, and of COURSE go to Target, because it's like going to Disneyland, and that's about it. I finally got the coupon for Thing Four's crib (that got recalled) so I need to go to Babies R Us and select another one. I am taking a spindle from the one we broke down so we get an exact color match. HIGHLY ANNOYING.

ON THE WRITING FRONT:

Halleluliah!!! Eureka! Whoopee! I finally have a plot for my story! Yeah, I know, it's cutting it pretty close since NaNo is in THREE days, but I got one. Last night after we put the kids to bed, I told Hubby I was heading to bed. I was tired. (I have a nasty head cold so I've been sleeping in the Guest Room--it's where Hubby or I camp out when we're sick so we don't pass it to each other.) I went into the Guest Room, sat on the bed and started writing notes. Plot notes. THEN the vital middle portion of the story came to me. I knew exactly how I was going to have things progress--and END. Now I just need to map out the details. That's the tedious part. I have pages and pages of names and made up creatures and "rules" of the world I've created. It's a pain to keep track of them all. But it's great fun, because I'm "making it all up" not spending my time in front of a computer googling or buying lots of research books just to ensure I get the details right.

This story will definitely be VERY NaNo friendly. Hooray!

--I'm also getting ansty about my submission. The publisher told me eight to ten weeks, and it's been SEVEN weeks. They must have one heck of a slush pile! I am really antsy to submit to another publisher, before the "holiday slump" happens, so I hope I hear from them soon. Granted, I would LOVE for it to be good news, but I am thinking since it's been so long I will be getting a form rejection any day...dang it...

Oh well. Expect the worst but hope for the best. That's my motto on submissions.

Cinnabon and Harry Potter

We have a new love at our house: Cinnabon Toast. It comes in the blue package, and can be found in the bread section, of course. But oh my goodness is it YUMMY. Today is Tuesday Toast day, and the kids were freaking out over how good it was. Although it's a little light on nutrients, so I made them have a small bowl of cereal with it. ;-)

And here, for your viewing enjoyment, is the new international trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It sorta makes me wish it was July already:



ON THE WRITING FRONT:
I can't believe it's only THREE days! I'm starting to freak! I am getting EVERYTHING ready. I have a plan. I just need to DO IT. EEEEK!

:-)