Kick-off Fiesta!
May 05, 2010 
As promised, to kick-off my blog, a writerly give-away. Hurray for free stuff!
To enter, all you have to do is be a follower and leave a comment on THIS blog entry. Easy peasy. If you care to spread it around, you get total brown-noser points. But it won’t earn extra entries in this random drawing of names.
So the prizes:
1st Prize: A copy of Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market
If you already have it, or don’t need it, mention it in the comments, and I’ll make sure you don’t win it.
So this book is what started me on the path. After I finished writing my first book, my husband gave it to me for my birthday, and I’ve been learning ever since. Wow, I was so ignorant back then, but more on that next time. I definitely recommend it for all starting out children’s writers.
2nd Prize: A copy of Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List by Janette Rallison. Here’s the description from Ms. Rallison’s website:
A PC school principal turns West Side Story into a comedy of errors.
Sixteen-year-old Jessica dreams of Hollywood fame, and when Jordan moves into her small town, she dreams of him, too. He’s a movie star’s son, and hey, he’s gorgeous to boot. Jordan has always wanted to get out from the shadow cast by his superstar father, but now that he and his mother have moved so far away from LA, how can he get his divorced parents back together? Jessica convinces Jordan the way to get his father to come for a long visit is to be a part of the school play. And if she’s “discovered” in the process, all the better. Things go wrong when she lets Jordan’s secret identity slip, and grow even more disastrous when the principal tries to change West Side Story into a gang free, violence-free, politically correct production.
Seriously, I was crying from laughing so hard. I confess, I had my doubts when I started it, but I liked her other stuff, and so I tried it. SO glad I did. Fun, hilarious read. Just so you know, it’s paperback, but only because it’s not available in hardback.
3rd Prize: Of course I saved the best for last. CHOCOLATE! And not just any chocolate. This is Willy Wonka chocolate with not just one, but TWO chances to find a Golden Ticket and win a trip around the world!
I know, I know! It’s all I can do not to rip them open right now! Whoever wins will have to report back on whether they found a Golden Ticket or not. 😉
You all have until midnight EDT on Wednesday, May 12th to enter. Happy hunting!
The Split . . .
Since I started this blog, I always knew I wanted to start a second one dedicated to writing. I visited lots of other writing blogs, debated the format with my husband, imagined the design and topics, and finally pushed it off, worried I’d have nothing of import to say. I kept waiting for inspiration . . .
and I finally got it: If I wait until inspiration strikes, I’ll never do it.
Sigh. Not exactly what I’d hoped for, but there we are, nevertheless.
So I’m taking the plunge. Dedicating this blog to writing, and creating a new blog to keep my family and friends updated on my wildly exciting life as a wife and mother. (If I say it enough times, surely it will be true. Right?) You can link to it here.
I know, I can hear the groan . . . why not create a new one for writing, thus sparing many of you the pain of changing bookmarks and blog links, etc. But it’s selfish really. This way, I’ll already have a few followers to build from. 🙂
If you don’t already follow me, feel free to join! And as a heads up, to celebrate the kick-off of my writing blog, I will host a writerly give-away on the next post. Woo hoo! Free stuff!
Thank you to all of my current followers, to all you other bloggers, my family, and all my friends who have been such a support and inspiration in this crazy dream I have of getting published.
You Showed Me!
I can’t remember why Brandt was mad, but here’s the conversation:
Brandt: I’m mad at you mom!
Me: It’s dinner time. Come eat.
Brandt: I’m NOT eating!
Me: Fine. Come watch the rest of us eat, because it’s dinnertime and you will sit with us.
Brandt: [arms crossed, sending daggers my way, stomps to the table] I’m NOT . . .
Then he saw what was on his plate. He threw me a furious look and tried again.
Brandt: I’m ONLY eating my fish, and my broccoli, and drinking my drink. That’s ALL I’m eating!
Me: Okay, Brandt. You win. You just eat that.
A Trip to the ER
“Stop running!”
[I swear that’s my mantra these days–in more ways than one, but I digress.] That’s what I yelled right before the BOOM! Then came the crying.
“London pushed me!” Brandt was on the floor wailing and pointing back toward the room. London was hiding.
I picked up the one and started scolding the other. Then I saw it.
Blood POURING down Brandt’s face. I swooned. A moment of shock. I forced myself to think past the blood dripping on the carpet. And I admit it, I panicked. The word ‘hyperventilate’ comes to mind.
I sent an accusing look at London (I know, I know, bad parenting, but in the moment . . . well, yeah), and rushed Brandt to the bathroom. I pressed a wad of toilet paper on the faucet of blood. “Hold this and don’t move!” I ordered.
I grabbed my phone book and called my good friend: “So, Brandt-split-his-head-open,-and-I-need-to-take-him-to-get-stitched.-Somewhere.-I-don’t-know-where-yet,-but-could-you . . . ” I think I said it all in one breath.
Can I just say, thank goodness for good friends! She helped me find the address for the hospital, and kept the other two so I could keep my sanity.
To sum up, Brandt got seven stitches . . . and I’m sure a scar to match his other one. He was a brave little boy who didn’t wiggle, and didn’t cry at all while the doctor worked. The doctor was in awe: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a child sit so still for stitches before.”
Yup, this is my child who I had to carry screaming out of the store because he COULDN’T get a flu shot.
And now, I have finally joined the rank and file of true parents, having dealt with my first trip to the emergency room.
P.S. Dana, I didn’t think about taking a ‘Before’ picture till it was too late. Rats.
A Visit from Friends
When I first moved to KC, I went for walks all the time because I didn’t know anyone, and didn’t have much else to do (I know! Imagine that! Boy, 1 kid sure seems easy now . . . but I digress). That is how I met my amazingly wonderful friend Dana and her little boy, Nate, who was just London’s age (they were 9-months old at the time). She had just moved to KC, too
Five years later, we both ended up moving. You can imagine the heartbreak . . . life-long friends, separated pre-maturely. Okay, a tad dramatic, but you get the idea. I was just as sad.
Fast-forward a year, and YAY! Dana and Nate came for a weekend visit. It was just like old times! Nate and London gave each other a HUGE hug at the airport and never stopped talking over each other.
Nate got right back into being annoyed by his surrogate little brother, and Brandt was right there, tagging after the big boys.
We took a trip downtown (via the metro)
to see the famed Cherry Blossoms. And wouldn’t you know it, they’d bloomed and gone. (So these are the regular old blossoms from the trees on our street).
We took a quick look-see in the American History Museum, caught a snippet of the Cherry Blossom parade,
and meandered past the White House (Everyone was all agog because Bo–the first dog–was running around). Yeah, yeah, this isn’t the White House, but it was too crowded to take a picture.
We ate street vendor hot dogs. Can I just mention that my bun crunched? I’m quite certain, that it was NOT toasted. But if it were anything less, it wouldn’t be the full experience, would it?
When we got home, my darling husband watched the kids, and Dana and I escaped to the Lego store and B&N. And we HAD to make a visit to Dunkin’ Donuts. Neither of us has ever had them. Word of advice: 8:00 PM is the wrong time of day to get donuts. My donut crunched, too. Seriously, twice in a day? The cosmos must be trying to tell me something.
Anyway, it was a FABULOSO visit! We miss them terribly already (London hasn’t stopped asking when we’re going to visit them). There’s nothing like spending time with a good friend. Thank you for coming, Dana and Nate!
My Happy News!
So I entered the Eleventy-one Celebration Writing Contest over at Laurel’s Leaves (I’m a sucker for a good contest), and can you believe it? I won Grand Prize!
Woo hoo!!
I’m seriously honored (and humbled) to have won the Grand Prize, especially after reading the runner-up entries. The contest asked for a dialogue-driven scene or story which showed an instance of negotiation and persuasion, “like the post-party scene in Fellowship of the Ring in which Gandalf convinces Bilbo to leave the ring of power in the Shire.”
Laurel is posting my excerpt on her site, along with her comments. She is excellent at what she does and her comments have been extremely insightful —well worth the time to check it out. I’ve been learning a lot from her. Thank you, Laurel, for holding such a fun contest and for giving my writer’s ego a gi-normous boost!
Without further ado, here’s my winning excerpt from “The Other Prince”:
Road Trip!
We’ve been meaning to go since Rob and Tiff moved there nearly 4 years ago, but with crazy schedules, newborn children, etc. and all that, it hasn’t happened. I kept waiting till I could go with my dear husband (since it is his brother after all), but Rob and Tiff move next month, and the realization hit me it would never happen.
So with London’s Spring Break last week, I braved the roads alone. 11.5 hours of driving with me and three kids. Yes, I am brave. 😉
We had a blast! This picture really captures it. Brandt with his boundless energy and refusal to be contained.
We got to try award-winning Chicago-style pizza. Can I say, yum? YUMMM! (And alas, I took no pictures) The crust is a little like pie crust, and the toppings and cheese go in next with the sauce, and a sprinkling of parmesan on top. So talk about cheese! Thick, gooey, yummy, fattening layers of it. If your mouth isn’t watering, it should be. Seriously, don’t miss this if you go to Chicago.
Speaking of cheese . . . London found and conquered the moon. Chicago is certainly a city of possibilities.
We also went to the Aquarium (thanks Jason and Diana!). The boys (and I) loved it. I’d never seen a shark up close. Or dolphins. While I’d seen penguins, it was still fun to watch them up close. Actually, in both the dolphin and penguin habitats, there were people working (cleaning windows for the penguins, and who-knows-what scuba diving for the dolphins). So of course, London and Brandt, instead of saying, “Wow! look at those dolphins/penguins.” They were saying “Mom look! I saw a person!” Too funny.
When Brandt noticed the snake, he backed away. It was HUGE.
The boys had a blast climbing on and attacking Uncle Rob, and he was great to put up with it. Brandt cried when it was time to go home. Poor kid. Khyah, too, loved Aunt Tiff and Uncle Rob. And I must say, it was nice to have people to pass her off to (not that I don’t LOVE holding her, of course, but breaks are nice).
On the way home, we took a detour through Decatur, IN to see Aunt Claudia and Uncle Ed (even if it was only for a couple of hours). The boys thought their house was the bomb! (And it is, too). So much fun. I think the lego room still calls to them in their dreams. Some day.
Yes, we were all a little wiped out by the time we got home. Thanks everyone for letting us invade and share a little of our craziness. 🙂
Answers
Okay, I realize the license plates blog deserves a response (just in case anyone couldn’t figure them all out). I know, I know, it wasn’t you. But for those other people . . .
1. NANAVAN3: Nana Van (and the 3 could be a lot of things). What a devoted grandma.
2. OLD BATS: Yes, rather obvious. This person obviously had a good sense of humor.
3. SG1GRL: My husband tells me this is “Star Gate 1 Girl”. This was his favorite. Initially he told me he saw a license plate that said SCIFIGRL, which would have been much more interesting in my opinion, but hey, to each their own. Star Gate was never my thing, but we happen to own the movie. Enough explanation.
4. SNOMNKY: Snow Monkey. It was on a 4-wheel drive vehicle with a ski rack.
5. ADHDx5: ADHD times 5. Poor them. It was on the back of a mini-van and the license plate was one dedicated to Autism. Not that the 2 are necessarily related, of course, but it is interesting.
6. WSHPNIN: Rick thought it was Worshiping, at first, but I corrected him: What’s Happenin’? I think this is my favorite of the ones I listed.
7. SVLIVS: This took me a minute, but duh, then it hit. Save Lives. Maybe a doctor? Or an EMT? Or a fireman? So many options.
8. SPRTOY: At first I thought it was Sports Toy, but I now think it’s Spare Toy. But I could be wrong. It was on the back of a sporty little car. I can only imagine what their first car was. 🙂
9. VCLST: Vocalist. Let me guess . . . you sing?
10. GUDTGO: Good to Go. I like that. Simple. Upbeat. Makes me smile.
10.2 GWPROF: So we are in the DC area. George Washington Professor. He must be pretty proud of his job.
Bonus: STRNMY: Astronomy. My dad loves that stuff. I don’t even know how many telescopes he owns. It is pretty cool having your own personal tour guide to the universe.
I saw a few more that I enjoyed. Many I couldn’t figure out. A lot of people use their names or a nickname. It gives just a glimpse into their lives: TXN4LYF (guess where they’re from); OCN SEA (think they like large bodies of water?); UCANBME (a healthy dose of self-confidence there); LVHATS (they had a bunch of hats sitting in the back window); LV CHOC (this is my friend, but I think it’s great); 85ROLLS (And yes, it was on a Rolls Royce). Innocent little tid-bits about strangers. I still haven’t come up with one for me. If I think of it, I’ll share.
The Circus!
We splurged and took the kids to the circus tonight: Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus. Overpriced junk toys, overpriced food, lots of elephants, and magic galore. We had a blast!
London loved the Boom! of the human canons. Brandt was excited about the horseys and zebras. Rick liked the clowns. Khyah enjoyed watching the people behind us. And I loved watching my boys get so excited about everything. I wasn’t sure how they’d do, if they’d make it through the show, but they did. And they’re already asking to go back. Actually, Brandt didn’t want to leave. Cried the whole way home: “Turn around daddy! Go back!” (Seriously.)
I confess though, I spent a good portion of the show wondering what would inspire a person to join the circus. I mean, sure, it’s exciting, and everybody loves the circus, but how do you even go about joining? I bet for some, it’s a family thing, but they can’t all have inherited the circus gene, right?
If I were to join, I’d want to be the person who got to ride the elephants. It was really cool, they trained the elephants to lift up the rider with their front leg to help them mount. Awesome blossom.
So, would you ever join the circus? And what would you do there? Clown? Sheet-gymnasticker? Tiger trainer? Dancer? An invisible handler (the ones who wear all black as they bring stuff on stage)? Swing acrobat? A pooper scooper? So many options!
Personalized Plates?
In Virginia, it doesn’t cost much to personalize your plates, so we see quite a few. Here are the top 10 (as chosen by my husband and I), for you to figure out:
1. NANAVAN3
2. OLD BATS
3. SG1GRL
4. SNOMNKY
5. ADHDx5
6. WSHPNIN
7. SVLIVS
8. SPRTOY
9. VOCLST
10. GUDTGO
10.2 GW PROF (I know, I know! I just liked too many)
Can you figure them all out?
I grew up in a family of personalized plates:
My dad: STRNMY (know what it says?)
My mom: JANET’S
Me: SUMNER (it was my dad’s idea so I’d remember who I was wherever I went. Thanks, dad.)
The whole personalized thing is pretty fascinating. It’s like micro-communication with a bunch of random strangers. Even having grown up with that, I’m still not sure why people choose to do it. What do you think?
And just for the fun of it: You have a max of 8 letters to say something about yourself that you’re willing to share with the world. What do you say?