Day One Down...

...and I got my quota in. 2875 words. Woo! And I did it all before Hubby came home, so we got to chill on the sofa and watch Bones. We have about 12 taped shows, and we're knocking out about two a night.

Took the kids to lunch yesterday, and then to Half Price Books. I found a great research book: "Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs" and Thing One, who is currently into sharks, got a shark book. Thing Two got a chess book that came with a chess set, and they have been playing chess since yesterday afternoon. (Thing Two keeps winning, so I took him aside and told him if he wanted people to keep playing him, to "lose" every once in a while...)

Thing Three got a big Ben 10 Sticker book, but he's seven, so it's ok. I'm not expecting him to want literary works, just yet. The baby ate about 17 crackers while we were in there, and was happy as a clam. I LOVE bookstores. And HPB is just...fun. Especially if you're on a budget. All my kids' books were $5 or under. Mine was the big splurge, at $9.98. :-)

And we were there for a good hour. Of course, they've completely torn up the main road to get there, and it was NOT fun sitting in displaced traffic on the way home. UGH.

I had a story idea that was just DEMANDING I get it out, so I quickly got onto the computer last night and typed out the details. I'll file them for later. My one focus is this current novel, so I can't let anything else distract me. Although I find it a bit funny that as soon as I committed to finishing this novel exclusively, suddenly I want to write all sorts of other things.

Adult ADD is NOT fun.

I can't believe it's already Thursday! Where did the week go?

20K in Seven Days.

Well, I'm done doinking around with this story. I'm getting SERIOUS. I've written over 40 thousand words in the last two months, but now, I'm on the home stretch. I've gotten the plot fleshed out, it's only a matter now of "writing" the durn thing. Or rather, FINISHING it.

So, I'm going to write 2800 words every day for the next 7 days, and I'm going to finish it. My goal is, by Wednesday next week, to have a finished first draft.

Ambitious? Yes. But I am prepared. I've got Diet Coke to help me, and Hubby will be in New York. The kids are pretty good about my writing time, so I'm set. GO ME!!! Wish me luck! I'll post my daily progress on the status bar, down to the right.

I woke up with a headache this morning, AGAIN. Those always suck. Hubby sat up in bed at 3am, declared himself "too hot to sleep" and went and turned the air waaayyyyy down. When we woke up, there was steam on the outside of our windows, because it's so hot and muggy outside. UGH. I promised I'd take the kids to Half Price Books today (hey, it could be worse--at least it's not Toys R Us) and let them pick a book. Half Price Books IS our version of Toys R Us. And I'm dang proud of it. Then we have to go to Target to get a filter for the pool, and the dry cleaners, and the bank to deposit stuff, and THEN I'll start my writing.

I am going to do this.

Hearing Myself Think?

I think I slept like the dead last night. I don't even remember dreaming. I did a lot of physical stuff yesterday, and mowing the lawn (AND hauling the eight bags to the compost dump) wore me out. I didn't get any writing in (BAD LARA!) and Hubby and I crashed on the sofa and watched "Bones" reruns. It really is quite a good show. We're into "Burn Notice" too. So many shows to watch, so little time...

Okay, yesterday was getting on my nerves. Because I realized something. Every time I get a moment to myself, to collect my thoughts, I hear "Mommy?"

Mommy? Where are you?

Mommy? Can I ask you something?

Mommy? What's for (Breakfast/lunch/Dinner pick one)?

Mommy? Are you busy?

Mommy? Can I sing you a song?

Mommy? Can you come look at this?

Mommy? Can you play with me?

Mommy? Can you (insert pretty much ANY action having to do with games in here) with me?

Of course, my personal favorite, is when I go to the bathroom. AT THE EXACT MOMENT I SIT DOWN, it never fails.

Mommy?

Yeah, I was a little irritated yesterday. Heh heh I was mean and made them all go outside for a while. Don't worry, I kept them hydrated with lemonade and popsicles. I just needed some moments to myself, to THINK and HAVE THOUGHTS without someone needing my attention.

You ever have days like that?

PUT ME DOWN!!!!!!!

Status: Calm and Collected. In other words, NOT NORMAL. Hmmmm....

My poor children are afraid of heights. It runs in Hubby's family. We're talking DEATHLY afraid of heights. As in, Hubby's Dad, on the one occasion he went up the elevator to the top of the Space Needle in Seattle, he crawled out on his hands and knees when they reached the top, wrapped his arms around a pole and refused to move. My MIL pretended she didn't know him.

So, it trickled down. Hubby is afraid of heights, but he's dignified and quiet about it. My older three kids, though, they are NOT quiet. Thing Two, especially.

Last night I was upstairs tidying up in the kitchen and suddenly I hear these Movie-caliber bloodcurdling screams coming from the basement. I run downstairs, and Hubby has hoisted Thing Two onto his shoulders, and Thing Two is bent in half, clinging to Hubby's head for dear life and screaming that if he starts walking up the stairs he will REALLY die.

Poor thing. Thing Three is nowhere to be found, because he has run and hidden himself. He doesn't want to be next. I tell Hubby to put Thing Two down and stop being so mean. He's literally shaking like a leaf. We're talking Abject Terror of being on his dad's shoulders. THAT is a fear of heights.

The baby is starting, too. Hubby usually does a "Wheeee Move" where he tosses the baby up in the air and catches him, and the baby has always screamed with joy, with a big grin on his face. I have thought maybe he escaped the Fear Of Heights Curse?

Well, maybe not. Lately, he's getting a more developed sense of depth perception. And yesterday, when Hubby tossed him in the air, instead of screaming and laughing, he got THE LOOK on his face. The "I'm-Not-So-Sure-I-Like-This-After-All" look.

My poor kids. We have RAMPANT phobias. Water, bugs, heights...all normal, but pretty inconvenient at Carnivals.

Weekend was good, we relaxed and had fun, and Hubby and I got in Date Night on Saturday. It was nice to get away. We were all set to go to a nice dinner, but we ended up getting Taco Bell and eating it in the car and talking, which was something we did ALL THE TIME when we were dating back in college. I think we haven't done it in 13 years. It was fun to reminisce: we would sit in line for 40 minutes at 1am at the only Taco Bell in Provo, and then we'd sit in the car and eat and talk.

Of course, NOWADAYS, I would A) never be up that late and B) be afraid I'd spill something on the leather. Yep, times have changed!

Well, time to get going. Happy Monday!

R.I.P. POSTUM

NOT MY POSTUM!!!

I never thought it would happen. Since I normally don't stock up on Postum until late fall, I didn't find out until YESTERDAY, that Kraft foods STOPPED MAKING POSTUM IN FALL 2007.

This is a tragedy. Seriously. I grew up on Postum. I got my Hubby into it. My MIL loves it. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!!!

Apparently a few thousand people have written/emailed Kraft, begging them to bring back Postum. Kraft has stubbornly refused. Some people are selling Postum on Ebay. One person wants $150 for THREE jars. I used to buy it at the store for $3.49. Waaaahhhhh!!!!

NOW what am I gonna drink in the cold winter mornings? Herbal tea is thin. Postum is creamy, with creamer and Splenda. All I have left is one half jar, sitting in my Pantry. Hey, maybe I can get a couple hundred dollars for it on Ebay...

(kidding)

In happier news, I've broke the 40K mark in my word count! Check me out! I did it last night. I am very impressed with myself. This is the most I've been excited about a novel since...well, about 2005. I guess when I'm finished I'll find out if it's any good. I'm actually at a very suspensful part in the ancient setting, so it's been fun to write. I have planned out every detail, so really, it's just getting out the story.

I am hoping to have a completed first draft by the end of August. The way I'm going, it might be MID August! Woo!

Okay, I am going to go and lament the demise of Postum, now. Such awful news!

Update: So I am going to try something called PERO. I found this blog entry and apparently it might be a fitting substitute. My dad drinks it and I asked him, and he said he recommended it. So, maybe things will be OK? But with my luck, I'll get hooked on Pero and they'll discontinue THAT...

Pumpkin Hour

So, a good friend and I have been meeting on most nights, and "writing together" online. We'll both work on our novels, and email back and forth with snippets, or just conversation.

We've been doing it long enough to figure that our "Pumpkin Hour" (or the hour during which we magically turn into a pumpkin and need to go to bed) is 11pm.
It must be psychological or something--because as soon as 10:50 rolls around, suddenly I can't keep my eyes open. If I'm writing, I am typing with one eye closed. If I'm vegging on the sofa with Hubby, I might drift off. (He usually does around 10:30) So, that can only mean one thing:

I'm getting OLD.

Seriously! In college, I never slept. I would stay up studying all night until 3am, then wake up at 6am and study some more, and take a test at 7am. I would write papers until the wee hours of the morning. My roommates and I would giggle all night long and watch movies. And I was fresh as a Spring Morning the next day.

Not any more. Gone are the days when I could stay up all night. When 11pm rolls around, I'm ready for bed. Any later than that, and I start whining. I just can't do it. I'm getting old.

Oh well. Speaking of writing, I got a whopping 4200 words in yesterday! I had a scene I'd been playing in my head for about a month and it just came out effortlessly. And I just kept going after that. I think that's my "cap" for one day. I've only ever written 4k before, and that was a few years ago. There comes a point where my neck aches and I'm fidgety and I've had it. AND I get that "burned out" feeling. So it's time to stop. But look at my word counter! Woo!!!

Well, it's Thursday. The week has gotten away from me again. EEEEK!!!

Dreams vs Reality...*sigh*

First off, the Summer issue of The Scruffy Dog Review is out! Go here to check it out, it will be well worth your time!

So, the other morning, I was having this FABULOUS dream, where I was someone else: twenty-something, single, and vacationing in Italy with my super HOT boyfriend, and suddenly I feel a nudge, and hear a small giggle.

It's 6:02 am, and Hubby is standing beside the bed with the baby, who is grinning at me.

"Hi Mom. We have a poopy diaper."

*sigh*

I got some writing in last night--which will be the norm from now on, I am determined. I actually had to stop and do some research on Mayan war weapons, but then I got back on track. Still having fun, and the words are flowing again like they never stopped. *I* am the one who stopped. I let the craziness of Life get in the way. But sometimes, it happens. I will always write. But I also have an entire household dependent on me. It's a juggling act. I need to brush up on my juggling skills. ;-)

Happy Tuesday Toast Day.

I was a baad girl, and didn't write last night. I finished PRINCESS BEN. It was delightful! I highly recommend it.

Hubby was a little out of sorts because our "nightly routine" didn't happen last night. Usually, after we tuck the kids into bed, I sit in the office and write, and he, next door in the family room, unwinds in front of the TV, and we talk back and forth. But LAST night, I stayed upstairs, reading, and I guess he felt all alone downstairs, because he came up and went to bed. Poor Neglected Hubby.

Oh, and why is it, it takes YEARS to clean your house perfectly, but it only takes about three hours to completely trash it again? WHAT IS UP with that? The kids and I spent a lot of yesterday cleaning up from the weekend. UGH. My kids are under Pain Threats if they make huge messes and don't clean them up.

So, we are having a freaky time--there aren't any SPORTS or LESSONS right now. We aren't zooming off to Tennis lessons, or Swimming Lessons, or Softball games or...well...anything. We're officially "in between sports/classes" right now. And Soccer doesn't start up for two weeks.

It's wonderful.

We get up, have a leisurely breakfast, and the kids can get dressed and do what they want (after they make their beds and tidy their rooms of course ha ha). They can go outside, ride bikes, or veg, or do crafts, whatever.

And I'm not using up a quarter tank of gas every day anymore! WOO! And wouldn't you know it, gas has gone down to $4.04, here.

Go Figure. Ppphhhhhbbbtttt.

Posthumous Oscar.

'Nuff Said.

So, the weekend was good. Thing One had an all-day Softball tournament--her team didn't win, but they played their hearts out. But Saturday was completely taken up. Sunday was a little more relaxing, but Hubby taped the USA marathon showings of "Burn Notice" and we watched ALL of them, in chronological order, late into the night. I rather like the show--it's clever, funny, and the three characters have excellent chemistry together. A fun show!

Started reading PRINCESS BEN. Am loving it. Got a little writing in, but mostly wrote in my head, because I didn't have time to sit in front of a computer.

It's looking like rain, and I'm not thrilled. I have to mow the lawn first. It's starting to look...well...a tad high. And we can't have that! Well, time to get the garbage out and mow the lawn and go to the store and tidy the house and well...all that stuff. :-)

Happy Monday!

It's Friday? It's FRIDAY!!!

Where did this week go? Oh yeah, I was cleaning for TWO days of it. Can you say Time Suckage?

Hubby is back from the All-Star Game in New York. Of COURSE he was rooting for the Yankees, and don't worry, he had seats rightnextto the Bleacher Creatures. How cool is that?

It's raining right now. Hubby called after he left for work, because he heard on the radio we're supposed to get flash flooding starting at noon until about four today. FUN. I really don't mind storms, it just kinda sucks when the power goes out. I've pulled in the potted plants, covered the pool, and now I'm sort of wishing we hadn't watered last night, but oh well.

I got some WORDS in last night! Not anything to write Mom about, but I also finished my "rough" drawing of the dig site in Mexico. Most of the action takes place there, and my characters go from place to place, so I had to sketch it out so I could keep it consistent. Now I know where everything is.

I broke down and ordered a new hard drive on Ebay for my old laptop. It's a Sony Viao laptop, and its only five years old, so I could totally use it. It was my first ever--a Mother's Day gift in 2003. So I'm sorta attached to it. And I had wiped the hard drive and only reinstalled a few things on it when it went kaplooey. (Yes, I still say Kaplooey.) So I'll put the new hard drive in, and install word, and have it for my bedroom when I need it. I am relying pretty heavily on my thumb drive now, because I am writing every day, and sometimes it isn't on the same computer, depending on where my kids are.

We are mostly hunkering down in the basement today. All my errands are run, my house is still clean, and we've got lots to keep us occupied. I need a rest after the craziness of this week! Especially since tomorrow we have an ALL DAY Softball Tournament...

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

FINISHED!!!

My house is officially sparkling clean, from top to bottom. It only took TWO FULL DAYS.

YUCK. And my shoulder is killing me again.

I have family here, but they're still asleep. I am excited because I take them to the airport later today, and I get to WRITE TONIGHT.

Although I am tempted to do other things--a good friend of mine sent me the book "PRINCESS BEN" yesterday, and it looks like a read that is right up my alley--but I am determined to get that word count up a little. This weekend will be reading time!

Happy Thursday, all!

*SNIFF*

Looks like no writing today, either. Waaah!!!!!

...And I'm Not Very Good at Yardwork, Either...

Status: Tired. I stayed up late and THEN, Thing One had a nightmare at 3am and wanted to sleep with me. She said coyotes were after the baby, in her dream. Yuck. And she proceeded to kick me all through the night...

I am somewhat of a "yardwork joke" to hubby's family. So, I've had a few mishaps. What can I do? Like the time Hubby and I were fertilizing the lawn, and I lost control of the spreader (in my defense it hit a small "hill" in the sod) and dumped a bunch of fertilizer on the grass.

Hubby was nowhere in sight, he was doing the front yard, so I quickly scooped up the fertilizer and put it back in the spreader and spread the rest around, thinking he'd never know.

HEH HEH.

A large patch of the grass was dead by morning. Ooops.

Case Number Two: I was mowing the lawn and figured the maneuvering wrong and sheared off the top of this pipe sticking out of the ground at the back of the backyard. There was some sort of cap on it, and the cap was now in the grass.
Hubby was at work, and I didn't need him giving me grief about it, so I went and SUPERGLUED the cap back on.

Yes, I really did.

Suddenly, our lawn started dying. Hubby couldn't figure it out. It was going dead in places, yet other places were green and lush. He fertilized it, and treated it for bugs, and lo and behold...

I had broken the water pressure pump for the sprinklers. Remember the little cap I superglued on? Yeah, that one. Apparently the sprinklers (which we have on overnight so we never see them) were only the strength of squirt guns for two weeks.

We had the sprinkler guys come out, and they laughed and shook their heads at me, but they fixed it, and replaced the pipe and cap, and now our lawn is all pretty again.

What's next? Maybe I'll inadvertenly introduce some fungus into the Spirea. Who knows. I am BAD LUCK when it comes to yard upkeep!

Today is CLEAN THE HOUSE day. My kids are going to hate me. But I don't care. Deep down I know they love me. Besides, they also love their pool privileges, Wii privileges, and computer priveleges. They'll clean for me.

:-)

I'm a Terrible Mother.

Status: Resigned to the fact that I'm a terrible mother. OR that I need to start WRITING THINGS DOWN!!!

Okay, so, I'm one of those people who, if I don't write it down, I won't remember it. It will be gone gone gone, like the wind. I'll never think on it again, unless magically, some random image or visual triggers a memory and I gasp and think "Wait a minute...wasn't I supposed to...?"

Yeah, that's me. Sad, isn't it?

So, Thing One's volleyball camp was starting this week. She was so excited. I signed her up for it months ago, and this morning, I got on the computer, to check the time and verify the location, and...

IT WAS LAST WEEK.

We completely missed it. Or rather, I completely spaced it. Now, normally, I wouldn't miss something this big. This is HUGE. I broke the news to her this morning, and she took it quite well, but she's very disappointed. And I'm re-evaluating my time management skills. Or rather, my inability to WRITE THINGS DOWN.

Hubby is on to me. Every morning, he'll say "Okay, remember, today you need to call so-and-so, and mail such-and-such" and I'll roll my eyes at him and tell him to shut up and he says "But honey, you won't remember."

And he's right. (He doesn't read this blog so I guess I can confess that.) I won't remember, because I get BUSY during the day. I'm running here and there. I'm refereeing between two boys who, for some reason, are just fine one moment and the next they want to rip each other's hearts out. And I have a 14-month old. And a ten year old daughter who is my shadow and is constantly asking me questions and wanting to "chat" and asking me if I'll do such-and-such with her.

You see how a person can forget certain things.

Well, I have a Franklin, I should just USE it. I have it here in front of me, and I need to WRITE THINGS DOWN. That's my new mantra: Write it down, write it down...

My Husband Rocks! So Do I!!

Yeah, I'm soooo humble...

This afternoon, my hubby took the kids to see "Journey To the Center of the Earth" and told me "Happy Writing" as he left.

I got 3300 words in while he was away, and the baby was down. Do you see my word meter? Do you see that I'm at the halfway point?

Go me!!! WOO!!

ps--Hubby recommends NOT seeing the movie in 3D if you can help it. Apparently it was a major distraction...

Just Stuff.

Funny Headline of the Day: "Man Robs Gas Station with Cheese Grater"

...what, did he happen to have a cheese grater in his car? Was he a chef? Or was the gas station selling cheese graters and it was a crime of opportunity? I wonder what he said? Give me all your money or I'll grate your face?

Yup, I'd hand it over.

So I'm realizing every time I complain about gas, people out there have it much worse. We're all in this together. Those scientists just need to get to work and make gas out of trash or roaches or something...so we can end this. One can hope.

Yesterday was a lucky day. As in "Crisis Avoided" day. I was supposed to mow the lawn, and I checked the weather, and it said "Thunderstorms" at 3 o'clock. So I piddlyfarted around until about ten, and decided to just do it. Well, at the STROKE of noon, when I finished, it started pouring. Lucky. I mean, the weather people were WRONG!

Guess I should have known better. :-)

On the writing front, I got 1500 words in last night. I am totally pantsing this current part--writing by the "seat of my pants" and seeing what happens. I actually got a really good scene out of it (if I say so myself.) I am on fire to get this finished. But I'm enjoying the characters, and the world I've created--even if I've had to do extensive research.

And I've decided I don't have the patience to be an archaeologist. BOOOOOORING!!! I would go nuts if I had to mathematically grid a square of dirt and s-l-o-w-l-y excavate it, and meticulously record every little broken piece of whatever I find over the course of two years. I mean SERIOUSLY. That's nothing to get excited about.
That's why I'd rather be a historian. Because you can dabble in everything--and the research is FUN! Or maybe that's why I like to write Historical Fiction. Yeah. Probably.

I'm rambling but it's pouring outside and I don't have anywhere to go today except the Cleaners and Blockbuster. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

The State of Things...

Status: Mortified. Gas is $4.25 a gallon, here! WTH???

I seriously used an entire quarter tank of gas yesterday, driving the kids to all their lessons and sports, and running errands. It was CRAZY.

I am reading about people who abandon their houses and go live in their cars. I'm also reading about people who don't travel much anymore because driving costs as much as flying.

Well, that's not true. Because the airlines have decided to nickel and dime us to death on our luggage. DON'T get me started on the luggage charges. When you have a family of six and you have eight pieces of luggage, and they want to charge you $15-25 for EACH PIECE, EACH WAY, you're looking at double the fare, people.

Sad times, sad times.

I honestly can't think of one funny thing to write about today. Sorry, folks.

Like Diapering an Octopus...

Status: A tad frazzled. We are getting two ceiling fans and puck lighting installed today, not to mention the dentist, tennis lessons, and softball. I just got back from Home Depot and the cleaners and I'm on my second Diet Coke. I'm a bit "run out."

So the baby has decided that he doesn't want to sit still for ANYTHING. He wants to be a wiggle worm. That includes diaper time. As soon as I get that bad boy off he wants to turn over and crawl away. This is especially hazardous when he has a poopy diaper. You can imagine why. I won't bother explaining. Let's just say, I've had a few "interesting" and "craptastic" experiences. Thing One has to help me now, whether it's keeping him still, or holding his chubby little thighs so he can't turn over and smear poop all over whatever I'm changing him on. I've learned that my silk duvet on the master bed, and any cream-colored carpet in the house is OFF LIMITS for diaper changing. Again, I won't explain why. And yes, I put a towel down, but it really doesn't matter if he gets away from me and crawls as fast as he can.

UGH.

Hubby is flying to New York next week to go to the Yankee Stadium All-Star game, and I am highly jealous. But I intend to get a lot of writing done those nights. For some reason, when he travels, I get a TON more writing in at night. Maybe it's the "My Hubby Is Gone Insomnia" or something.

But I'm pretty happy with my word count lately, I'm averaging about 1000 words a night. That means if I log about 3k per weekend, this book should be finished by August. Then I can submit it. Woo! I'm writing LDS fiction (which is something I've never tried) so there's only a handful of publishers I can submit to, but we'll see where it goes from here. I'm writing a story that *I* would want to read, with archaeology and adventure and lost cities...and a hint of romance...and I'm having lots of fun with it.

Hopefully the general public will like to read what I like to read. :-) We'll see!

Well, my daughter just told me she hopes the computer blows up so I won't be on it anymore. Maybe I need to pay some attention to her...hmmm....

Murphy's Law #6957

I should just call this blog "Murphy's Law" because the absolutely PERFECT crib we picked out for the baby's nursery, complete with changing table is being RECALLED because apparently the slats break and kill babies.

Niiice.

We've put in our paperwork, and we are getting a new crib. But they are taking their dang time of course and he'll probably be OUT of the crib before we get a replacement. And the new one better match, because I'm anal and I like things to MATCH.

So, yesterday was interesting. We had a really strong storm blow through about 8:40, and the power promptly went out. It was a fantastic lightning storm, and it was very dark, because the sun was compltely obscured--but my kids, being the ninnies they are, were "scared" and had to have blankets and snacks and flashlights as he "hung out" on the first floor. (The basement was too dark with the power out, even though we have wall-to-wall windows, go figure)

I call ed the power company, and they said my power would be on by 10:30. I could handle that. So we hunkered in.

The first couple of hours were OK--we played board games, UNO, etc. But by NOON, when the power was still OFF, they were OVER IT, and bored out of their minds. No TV, no Wii, couldn't go outside because of the storm, they've already read all their books, yadda yadda yadda etc. etc. etc. UGH UGH UGH.

I was ready to tear my hair out when about 1:00--lo and behold--the power snapped back on. Of course after that we didn't know what to do with ourselves, and the day had been wasted, so we had lunch and had to go to Tennis lessons, which weren't cancelled. But Thing One's softball game did get cancelled.

What a day. I did get my 1000 words in on my story last night, though. I've put only the counter for that story up, because right now, it's my sole writing focus until I get it finished. One thing at a time seems to work the best for me, I've found. It goes against my ADD nature, but I'm trying.

Today we have the sprinkler people coming because I "accidentally" knocked the nozzle off the top of the air pump with the lawn mower (hey, it's STICKING A FOOT OUT OF THE GROUND!) and now we have no water pressure and our sprinklers look like they're peeing. I've already run to the cleaners and turned in 14 shirts and 15 pairs of pants (I joked with her and told her I needed them tomorrow and for a moment she thought I was serious--heh heh I loved the look on her face!) and I have to still run to the grocery store because I'm down to two diapers, and Thing Four is making grunting sounds as I'm typing.

*Sigh*

INSECURITY.

Funny T-Shirt Saying of the Day: "Welcome to Wisconsin. Smell the Dairy Air."


Status: Glad to be "back" even though I didn't really go anywhere. It was more a state of "busi-ness" than anything...

Okay, I bought a FUN toy at Boston Store Saturday for the baby: It is the CUTEST thing ever--it's "Barnyard Basics Bowling" and it has these sturdy plastic milk bottles, and a cow "bowling ball" that emits fun banjo music with a long "moo" at the end when you roll the ball. The baby LOVES it. Of course, we're trying to get him to understand the whole "bowling" concept--he loves to crawl over and knock the pins down himself, but he's getting it. ADORABLE. He's really into farm animals right now, so that was a bonus.


So, we went to the Zoo last week, and the Cheetahs were interesting. One of them kept pacing back and forth in front of the viewing window, staring us all down...

I walked right up to the glass and his face was right there--it would NOT be fun to have one of those things chewing on you. I'm sure he thought we all looked like tasty snacks...*shudder*


I got GREAT shots of the lions, tigers, and elephants, my personal favorites. Normally I find Zoo pictures boring, because you're usually getting the backside of an animal or a faraway shot. Not this time around. Up close and beautiful. It was a blast!

Now for the title of the post--I bought myself some clothes Saturday, and a few of the shirts were in the fashionable style--fitted at the top and flared at the bottom. Basically, everyone looks like they're running around in Maternity tops these days. Or is it me?

ANYWAY, I wore one to church yesterday with a skirt, and while I was talking to one of the ladies she congratulated me on my PREGNANCY. She was so excited and everything. I thought to myself: I don't look pregnant do I? In this top? But after I set her straight, she didn't seem all that embarrassed. Turns out, Thing Two had announced to his primary class (she happens to be the teacher) that I WAS PREGNANT. The stinker. We had a long talk (again) about telling lies for attention. He's told a few. Let's just leave it at that. At least he's creative. His lies are WHOPPERS, not just regular lies...

So it's off to the races--back to normal and my TO DO list is nearing the "two foot" mark. I guess I'd better hack away at it...

But hey, I've been writing! The word count is going up!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!

I feel so lucky to be an American. Sure, we've got our problems, but I can worship, blog, raise my family and "BE" without tyranny or oppression. What a great country.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth. Eat lots of potato salad!

ps--my word count is growing on my story! Go me!!!

Thank Heaven for Blockbuster...

Well, I was able to rent Mariokart for Wii--even if I couldn't buy it anywhere. So my kids are happy. We're supposed to get strong scattered thunderstorms today--(woo hoo), so we figured they'd need some "indoor" entertainment.

We can't decide whether it's going to be bowling, or movies. Frankly, I could just sleep. Hubby and I have been baaaad and staying up late. He watches the taped Olympic trials, I write. I've logged in several thousand words in the last few days. The muse is IN THE HOUSE. The story has been coming along effortlessly. (Well, the plot anyway--I have to stop and research stuff every five minutes!) That's what I get for having it set in Mexico--a place I've never been.

That seems to be a habit of mine. Setting my stories in places I've never been to. Thank heaven for Google. That's all I can say!

Have a good day, all!

Off to the ZOO...

Looks like it's going to be "Blogger Lite" this week--as I'm on vacation! We're packing up the kids to head to the zoo--it should be fun.

And I'm sad--I can't find MARIOKART for Wii ANYWHERE!!! What is the deal with that???

Hmmmph.