Summer!

Yay! Summer's here! The kidlets wrap up school this week (yes, I know, it's late. My town has historically let out late for summer. When I was a kid, we swore someday it would be July before they let us out. Nice to know some things never change!) The weather's nice, even if it was a bit sticky yesterday. And our pool will be ready to go before the end of the week, or so I hope. We had to replace the liner and the pool guys were here Saturday to remove the old liner. They're due back sometime today to put in the new one. Right now, my pool is a freakin' huge hole in the ground. I should post pictures, really. It's amazing how huge this thing really is. I keep telling my other half I want to rappel down into the deep end and have him take a picture, for scale. It's enormous and I never really noticed it until the water was drained.

So, summer usually means rest and relaxation. And this year it will mean promos and book releases as well, not to mention the five gazillion other works in progress. But, there will be plenty of time for playing with the kidlets in the pool, cookouts, trips to the shore, and all that other summery-goodness that goes along with the heat and humidity. We have nothing planned aside from going to the shore to visit family. That's it. The Boy will be doing the special summer program again, so that rules out any serious vacations this year, which is fine by me. After all the running of the school year, I'm more than happy to kick back and just laze around. Ahhh... that's the perfect summer to me.


What about you? Any plans this summer, or are you a lazer, like me?

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

Today is the Boy's fourth birthday.

Four.

Impossible to believe my baby's four years old already. **Sniff** where does the time go? It doesn't seem possible four years have gone by so quickly. Remember when Christmas seemed to take forever to get here? Now, time just flies by.

Since he's still in love with the Pixar movie Cars, he asked for a Lightning McQueen birthday cake. And I, little Suzy Homemaker that I am, am going to attempt to make him a Lightning McQueen birthday cake. I found a step-by-step here at this wonderful blog called Kitchen Scrapbook and I'm going to give it a whirl. That's how I'm spending this morning. Making Lightning McQueen. I'll post pictures, no matter how unlike a race car it ends up looking. I'm going to remain optimistic as long as I can...

Labor Day, 2009

Hard to believe, but the summer is thisclose to being over. Good. The last few weeks have reminded me just why I don't really like summer all that much. Hot. Sticky. Blech.

We had a nice time at the shore on vacation last week. I loves me the Jersey shore. No place on earth like it. The Boy got a real haircut, and I'm still kind of adjusting to it, since it transformed him from baby to the nearly 4 year old he is. Shocking, to say the least. He had this beautiful mop of long blond hair that made him look a little like a surfer dude, but he was beginning to look like a little girl, so it was time for a professional to cut it, instead of me. My inlaws took him and he came back looking older and like a boy - so it was a good thing.

We did the back to school shopping thing. Would someone please explain to me how I can pay thousands (yes, thousands) of dollars in property taxes (which NJ claims funds the school districts) and yet I have to provide pencils, tissues, and dry erase markers for the class? Oh, that's right, because the taxes have nothing to do with actually buying classroom supplies for the children, and all to do with the 626 school districts, and the salaries of their dozens of superintendents, principals, assistants, assistants to the assistants, their assistants - that's where the money goes. The kids? Their parents can provide everything else. I'm waiting for the day when I'll have to buy the textbooks as well...

/hops off soapbox

But I'm glad school starts tomorrow - means Mom gets some free time every day. Yay! I'm about halfway through the revisions of Tiger Eyes and Dance with the Devil is next on my to-do list. Free time means time to get those projects off my desk and out the door. Yay!

And now, it's time to go and enjoy this last day of summer - yes, I know there are still two more weeks left, technically, but you know what I mean.

Shoo... enjoy your last day as well!

Catching Up

Wow - I just realized how much time has passed since I last posted. Holy... I didn't realize it had been that long. Sorry 'bout that. Really.

Let's see... I've been writing like crazy. Finished two first drafts and a second draft, and am now in the process of revising them. I will be working on Tiger Eyes when I finish this, akshully. The work - it neveh stops!

It's also summer, and that means kidlets at home. The Boy and the Girl go back to school a week from Tuesday (YAY!), so that will mean a little more free time, which should (in theory) mean more blog posts. I hope.

I'm also knitting two blankets.

And I just got back from almost a week at the Jersey shore with the fam and the husband's fam. It's been busy these last few weeks, and that is why my poor blog has gone so neglected. Ooops. I have no other excuse really. I've just been busy. I can't believe the summer's almost gone, school's right around the corner (YAY!), and it'll soon be time for NaNo instead. Egads...

I'll work on getting more in-depth posts up. Time to go back and revisit my list of blog topics and see what all there is for me to blog about at all.

Keep your fingers crossed.

And this time, I mean it. :D

Do-Nothing Kind of Day

I try to keep myself in a writing routine of sorts because it's very easy to "not have enough time" and not get much done. So, while the kids are in school, I'm at the keyboard from 8AM to roughly noon, when the Boy comes home.

Now it's summer, so the Girl is home. The Boy, however, is in a summer program that runs through the middle of August. So, from 8AM to roughly noon, guess where I am.

Then, after the kids are tucked away for the night, guess where you'll find me again?

Well, today was not one of those days.

Now, normally, I don't like when my routine is disrupted. I'm a creature of habit. I like to do things the way I always do them. Boring? Yeah, maybe at times. But effective when it comes to butt in chair, fingers on keyboard (BICFOK for short.)

The Girl and I usually watch a move together on Saturday night. She has pretty good taste (with the occasional kid-lapse that is forgivable) and she usually picks something funny. Two weeks ago, we watched Robots, which is really funny and (in my opinion) kind of underrated as far as CGI movies go.

Somehow, my husband and I got to talking about the movie Clue, that came out in the mid-eighties. I remember watching it with my friends and laughing my ass off at the scene where Col. Mustard (Martin Mull) opens a door and gets whacked in the head with a small ironing board. So, the Girl says she wants to see it. My husband rents it, along with The Pink Panther 2 (there is one scene in this movie, near the end, that made it worth sitting through the other 90 something minutes of crap.)

Now, there are a few movies I remember loving as a kid, and finding them hysterically funny then, only to come across them as an adult and being bitterly disappointed by how badly said movie really does suck. Midnight Madness is one of those movies that was best left in memory. Funny when I was 14, made me want to poke myself in the eye with a fork by my mid-twenties.

But, Clue was not one of the movies. I still think that scene with Col. Mustard and the ironing board is funny - and the rest of the movie was okay as well. Far better than The Pink Panther 2. Trust me.

Now, after seeing it, and knowing it's actually based on the board game, the Girl wants the board game. Being Mom (and having had and loved the game as a kid) I went out and got it.

Aside from the fact that Colonel Mustard is now Jack Mustard (retired profession football player????) and everyone else has been "updated" (read: ruined another childhood memory), and the conservatory's been replaced with an observatory (because all the well-appointed manor houses have their own observatories, I guess) and there are a lot more cards than I remember, and the lead pipe and wrench have been replaced with a bat, a bottle of poison (WTF???), and a trophy...

Well, it's still the same game. My husband won. But the Girl had a great time playing. I got no writing done because we played this morning, after the Boy left for school.

Then I had a few errands to run. The Girl and I went to the pet store for gerbil and dog food. We then went to Burlington Coat Factory, where I bought a few reed diffusers in my favorite scent (cucumber & melon), a backpack for the Girl, socks for the Girl. Then it was on to the grocery store. Then, home.

By then, the Boy was home. The weather was unexpectedly beautiful, so all of us went in the pool. Including my husband - who's finally got the go-ahead to return to work (whew!) - and it was the first time he could actually swim. Until today, he'd been in once, and then, only on a float for about ten minutes.

We did steaks on the grill (my husband truly is the grill-master. These steaks were to die for!) and we ate outside. Then, I cleaned up and gave the Boy a bath while the Girl and my husband walked the dog. Then the Girl and I watched All My Children (thank God for Soapnet - I got hooked on AMC at the gym as the TV across from the ARC trainers is always on ABC, and now I can't miss an episode. Kendall's kind of pissing me off with her "I'm guilty" whine - I almost hope she goes to jail now, but I digress...)

Then it was 9PM and I came down to my office to write this post. Needless to say, I did not get a damn word written or revised today, and you know what?

I don't care.

Yep - that's right. I gave myself an unexpected day off and it's been wonderful.

Tomorrow, the Girl and I are going to see G-Force. I don't really care if I see it, but she really wants to, so we're doing lunch and a movie. Even if the movie sucks, it won't matter. We'll have a good time and it'll be good to spend some Mother-Daughter time together. She's turning out to be a pretty interesting kid (a little weird at times, but I think she gets that from her father.) and it'll be fun.

But I will get some writing done tomorrow. I don't know what I'd do with two do-nothing kind of days in a row...

Busy Weekend...

And how!

It's funny, but aside from the Boy's school program, my summer is completely free. I'll be heading down the shore for a week when he finishes, but that's about it. An entirely free summer.

Except for this past weekend.

Why does that happen? Why does everything happen in the same weekend?

Thanks to the wonder that is Facebook, I reconnected with some old friends from high school - our 20 year (egads!!!) reunion will be sometime next year (and yes, I did just give away my age, didn't I? Oh well.), but a group of us decided to hold a mini-reunion. This weekend. And it was great. They all got together Friday night at a local restaurant, only I couldn't make it because...

My husband's family decided it was time for a family reunion (if you go to the Old Posts' Home, and scroll through July, 2006, you'll find a post written about the last family reunion.)

And what weekend did they pick?

I'll give you two guesses, but you'll only need one.

Well, their reunion was this weekend as well. Only they did a golf outing for the men (chant with me, won't you? "Men, men, men, men, men, men!") on Friday, and my other half didn't get home until nearly 11PM. So, I did not get to go out. Bummer.

But I did make it to the picnic on Saturday and it was awesome. It was like no time at all had passed since we'd last seen each other, and there were people there who I didn't know very well back in high school, but it was great to sit and talk and get to know them now. It's so much easier now that all that high school drama and nonsense is in the past. Now, it was just friends getting together with their husbands and kids, and talking. Perfect.

And then we get to today - a brunch at my in-laws' house down the shore.

Up at a little after seven. Walk the dog half a dozen times because she's never been left alone this long (my mom let her out around 3 this afternoon as well.) Get the kids' stuff packed up. Get the kids packed up. Make three trips inside for stuff we've forgotten. Finally get on the road around 9:45AM.

Sit in traffic at Point Pleasant (why, oh why do I always get stuck behind the guy from New York, who isn't quite sure which street he wants, so he proceeds to stop. at. every. frickin'. street. From Point Pleasant to Ocean Beach. WHY?!?!?

Ahem.

Long story short, we survived the traffic and the kids ("Mom, he's touching me!" "No, I not!") and my goofball husband ("Don't make me get out of the car and choke ya!" sung to the tune of Ricky Martin's Livin' La Vida Loca - remember that???) and arrive in time for brunch. Yay!

It was a great day - beautiful weather, plenty of kids to keep my kids happy, plenty of alcohol to keep me happy. (just kidding. had 1 mimosa and misplaced it before it was half finished. what a boob.) And we got to see relatives we don't see that often, so it was a great day. Sure, the Boy fell asleep on the way home, woke up about twenty minutes before we got home (around 6:30PM), and as a result, didn't fall asleep-asleep until about 10 (he'll be fun in school tomorrow.) And we are all wiped out, but it was so worth it.

So, everything happened in one weekend, but it was definitely a great weekend. I won't complain. Not a bit.

And now, I must go wake the dead - my other half is zonked on the sofa in the family room. Have to chase him off to bed, since it's only about 6 1/2 hours away from the whole Monday morning routine...

Summer....

Well almost summer, anyway. It's close enough - though you'd never know it by the long-sleeved shirt I had on yesterday. It's been cold. And rainy. And I mean like rainy rainy. It used to be that, after a rain storm, my driveway would be littered with worms (ick). But we've had so much rain in the last three+ weeks, that there are no more earthworms. I don't know if they've been washed away or if they've drowned because of all this frickin' rain, but they are gone. I just hope it's only temporary because, though they are icky, they keep the ground healthy. My house (actually the entire development) is built on swampy-type land, so we need to keep it as healthy as possible so nothing sinks. At least, I think we do.

Anyway...

It's almost summer (yay!), and today is the Boy's last day of school. (not so yay, really) Tuesday is the Girl's last day. Then it begins... rest and relaxation.

For three weeks, anyway.

The Boy, as you know (or maybe you don't know, but don't worry, I'll explain) has been in a special preschool for kids with different types of developmental delays from autism to delays of unknown origins (the Boy) and he loves it. He started late (January), so when we found out there is a summer session as well, we jumped on it. He's come so far and benefited so much, it would be foolish to take the chance of him backsliding.

It begins after July 4th, and runs through the middle of August, so I'll go back to getting up way earlier than any human should be allowed to by law (I'm soooo not a morning person!)

Aside from that, summer means relaxing by the pool (if the rain ever stays away for more than a day or two at a clip) and playing with the kids, and maybe a trip or two down the shore. And, of course, my WIPs. Ahh.... life is good.

It really is.

Spring Break

Okay, so technically, spring break is just about over - but I confess, it is the reason why I've not posted since Monday. The Girl's in Florida, the Boy's home and needs to be entertained, and I've been kind of caught up in enjoying the rare block of free time. Not to mention there are certain rooms in my house (**coughcough**the Girl's room**coughcough**) that need serious cleaning.

So with that, I promise I will resume regular blogging on Tuesday, when Spring Break ends and the kidlets are back in school.

Enjoy!

Mondays and Other Funki-tude

And I don't mean funk as in "Whoa... that is funky!"

I mean funk as in, man... that sucks!

It's Monday. That's automatic funkitude right there.

It's a dreary, rainy Monday.

Extra funkitude.

And now, the Girl is on her way to Florida, to spend Spring Break (remember when it was called Easter Break. Political Correctness = Major Funkitude) with her grandparents. She hasn't been home for Easter in three years. I miss her.

I'm one of those people who hates fly. Blech. I do it, but I'm never very happy (or very sober) about it. Well, I absolutely despise the fact the Girl will be on a plane without me. Silly, I know, but still... that's my kid in the air. And since today's weather has been rainy and thunderstormy (which also = funkitude) I just have one more thing to worry about.

But, she'll have fun and since these grandparents spend almost the entire winter in Florida, it's good for her to go and visit and spend some time with them. During the warmer months, they are up here, but with the Boy's therapies and all last summer (and the special program he'll probably be enrolled in for this summer) we didn't get down the shore all that often (which is where they live.) So, I miss her, but it's so great for her. My paternal grandparents lived in Texas, so I saw them maybe 5 times in my entire life before they died. My maternal grandmother died when I was 3. I was lucky that my mom's dad lived well into his 70s. We lived with him (or he lived with us, depending on how you look at it) and I have 17 years of memories which I treasure. The Girl's lucky that she spends a great deal of time with 3 of her 4 grandparents (and I'm not about to go into details about grandfather #2.)

But this means that I will now not relax until one of her grandparents calls to let us know the Girl (and her aunt and cousin) are safe on the ground. Then I can relax until next Monday, when they come back North.

On the plus side, I did get a few things done over the weekend, writing-wise. I dug out my NaNo novel and I think it is salvageable. It just needs a middle. Yes, I wrote the beginning and the end. Now I just need to write how Diego and Gabby get to the end from the beginning. I have a few ideas. We'll see what happens.

I'm also deep into the first rewrites for Devil in Disguise, which is the second book in the Montgomery series. It's a major revision, since I'm changing a huge portion of the plot, but it will be worth it. Er, at least, I think it'll be worth it.

I also started the background research on the Western I want to write. I have the skeleton of the plot in place, and names, and that's about all I'll have for a while. I need to get these other two manuscripts finished before I can really think of beginning a first draft for a third. Yikes. That would be too much to juggle even for me. I like to keep busy, but that would border on insanity.

And I just don't have time for insane. Maybe next week.

Kids...

I am soooo not a morning person. I guess I wouldn't mind them if they didn't start so... early... but they do and I hate them.

So, I'm still working on a new list of blog topics - the old one only has one or two items left on it, so it's time to go back to the drawing board. Trouble is, I think I'm running out of stuff to blog about. I hope I can come up with a new list, otherwise things could get real boring, real fast.

The weather's finally getting nicer (and spring is only what? two days away? I have to check the calendar because I always thought it was the 21st, but I have a feeling it's the 20th this year. How can it change?) Today is supposed to be pretty nice and I've already promised the Boy that, when he gets home from school, we will go out and play in the backyard.

That's one of the best things about little kids. Everything is so new to them. One of the greatest pleasures in the Boy's life is to pick up sticks and toss them into the creek behind our house. He will do it all afternoon, if I'd let him. He likes the whoosh a stick makes when it zings through the air, and the sploosh that it makes when it hits the water. And I sit on the swing and just watch, because it truly is one of the most entertaining and adorable things to see.

I wish I could remember what it was like to be so fascinated by the simplest things. That's the wonder of childhood and the sadness of adulthood. We lose that fascination - whether by choice or by the simple act of growing up, I don't know - and that's so sad. I recapture bits of it when the Boy and I go outside, but it isn't the same. It's close, but not quite there.

The saddest thing about it is that it's so fleeting. I watch him now and wish I had some way to simply stop time. Just freeze it. Or even slow it down a little. He doesn't realize it, just as the Girl doesn't realize it, and how I didn't realize it until it was too late - childhood really does fly by. He'll be four in October. The Girl will be nine. And before much longer, that little boy, giggling over the sound of a stick hitting the water, will be a memory.

I think that, if everyone had the chance to just stop, and look at the world through a child's eyes, the world would probably be a better place for it.

Ahhh.... Modern Medicine!

So, it turns out that what I thought was the beginning of the mother of all colds was actually, in fact, strep. Great. I've only ever had strep throat once before and that was nearly 20 years ago.

I went to the doctor, who ran a Rapid Strep test. The poor nurse - twice I backed away from her, the third time, I pushed her away. The fourth attempt was the charm (what can I say? I hate throat cultures. Gack!)

Long story short, the test came back negative (WTF!@#$!???), but my doctor said that it's only 80% accurate to begin with and, judging by how red my throat was, she was fairly certain I fell into the 20% who have it despite the negative. So she prescribed me Zithromax and sent me on my way.

Wonderful stuff, this Zithromax. By Saturday night, my throat was almost 100% better. By last night, I was thisclose to my old self. Yay!

However, what also might have helped was that, for the first time in forever, I actually crawled into bed and got some real rest. I stayed in bed, in my jammies, all day Saturday (once I got home from the doctor's) and all day Sunday. I never do that. Isn't it funny how, when men get sick, they expect the world to just stop for them and they crawl into bed, sleep for two days, and spring up healthy as anything? But women don't get that luxury. For some reason, the world does not stop for us, no matter how lousy we feel.

Well this time, I made it stop. I stayed in bed and did nothing but read. For two days. I can't remember the last time I did that where childbirth wasn't involved. It was probably at least 8 years ago - BK (Before Kids.)

My husband's birthday was Friday, so earlier that week, I was in B&N to get part of his gift when I remembered I hadn't bought Janet Evanovich's most recent Stephanie Plum novel. They usually come out in May/June, so I was waaaaay behind with this one. Truth be told, I wasn't all that thrilled with the last few Plum novels, so I just never got around to buying the Fearless Fourteen. Just kind of forgot about it.

So I bought it as well. And read it in about six hours. It was hysterically funny in parts. Despite feeling so lousy on Friday, when I started it, I burst out in such laughter at one point, that my husband actually came to see what was so damn funny.

Since Friday was his birthday, I'd invited a whole mess of family for dinner. I didn't want to cancel it on account of a silly sore throat (it wasn't until later Friday night, when I really started feeling awful, that it dawned on me that I probably had strep) so I made dinner for ten people despite wanting only to crawl into a hole and die. I kept my distance from everyone, though, so all should be well. I hope.

When I got back from the doctor's on Saturday, I curled up in bed with Fearless Fourteen and blazed through it. The earlier Stephanie Plum novels were (and still are) some of the funniest books I've ever read, and Fourteen seemed to recapture it. When I finished it, I went back and dug out Lean, Mean Thirteen and re-read that. Same thing - funny as hell.

Since I was feeling better, I went and pawed through my books to find the other twelve Plums. So far, Hot Six and Twelve Sharp are still missing, which kind of sucks because Twelve is a hardback. They're probably in a box in the attic. I hope.

I figure by the time I finish re-reading them, book fifteen will be out. And hopefully I won't be disappointed.

So even though I felt like hell until last night, it wasn't really a bad weekend at all. In some ways, it was nice to just enjoy the peace and quiet. And I actually had peace and quiet. Even the kids seemed to understand that Mommy was sick and my husband kept them fairly occupied so I could rest. I think it was my going to the doctor that had him thinking I was thisclose to death, since I never go to the doctor when I'm sick.

Anyway, now it's Monday and, for the first time in a loooong time, I'm feeling pretty good. Of course, I think the Boy is coming down with something again (I can NOT wait for spring!!!) so by tomorrow I may be sleep deprived and cranky again. We'll see.

Playing Catch-Up

That's the only problem with this time of the year. Okay, well, it's not the only problem, I guess, but it's a pretty big one. For me, anyway.

Things get so crazy around this time of the year and there just isn't enough time for everything. Then, when there is time for things like blogging, I'm all out of sync. Sigh.

And it isn't just blogging, either. It's reading blogs, staying on top of emails, writing. Everything gets pushed aside for Real Life (unless, of course, I'm under deadline, which I wasn't this year. Sad)

So, I'm trying to get back into the swing of everything from getting up early to get the Girl to school, to tackling the ever-growing mountain of WIPs I seem to be collecting. Oh, and on top of that, my web guy's gone MIA again - and yes, I am totally surprised by that. I'm done with him. I'm sick of chasing him down and hounding him for answers to simple questions (two weeks on the latest. I was nice, considering the holidays, but now, he'll get an email a day this week and then one every hour next week if I don't hear from him.) I've got a few requests for web site quotes out there, but this is really waaaay down at the bottom of to-do list for now, unfortunately.

On a happier note, the WIPs are going well - and I should have several manuscripts going out to my editor(s) within the next few weeks, so that's a positive. And what I thought was going to be a major rewrite is turning into a new book in itself, so that's a good thing.

Next week, my husband and I have a meeting with the preschool people for the Boy. Our caseworker called before Christmas to tell us the Boy had gotten into the program and she would be sending out the paperwork we needed. Well, we're still waiting for it, and hopefully we'll have it before this meeting. So we get that settled and the Boy will start school. And that means a little more free time for me. Which means more writing time.

So, the new year's beginning with a crunch of everything. And with any luck, I'll be caught up with most of it in a week or so. I guess I'll go through my blog post list and see if there are any topics there that I want to do, and I know that list was getting a little short, so maybe it's time to write up a new one. New year, new topics. Eh, why not?

Goodbye, 2008!

It's so hard to believe but the end of the year is here already. Yikes - the time went by fast, didn't it?

I hope it was a good year for you - I really can't complain. As I look back, I find it really wasn't so bad, despite some of my ranting at the time.

The Highlights -

1. We learned that the Boy is most likely not autistic. This is a biggie. This time last year, he wasn't speaking at all. He had horrible temper tantrums and screaming fits. We had him evaluated by NJ's Early Intervention Program, and he qualified for therapy. He began in March and I am beyond overjoyed to announce that the Boy who wouldn't even babble a year ago is now not only speaking, but speaking clearly (for the most part) and speaks in complete sentences. His therapy ended in October, and autism has been 99% ruled out. They don't know what caused his delay, but all are in agreement that, by the time he finishes the special preschool program he was recently accepted into, it will be almost impossible to tell he ever had any sort of developmental delays. Hearing him say "Mommy" for the first time was THE high point of 2008. And hearing him wish everyone a "Merry Christmas" is the second. Since this time last year, I've learned so much about autism and so much about my son and myself, it's been a rollercoaster ride for us, but so worth it. And it would have been worth it if the result had been different. I learned that no matter what, I wouldn't trade my son for anything in the world and I learned that I wouldn't change him for anything, either. He's my Boy and that's all there is to it.

2. I had two releases this year, with two different publishers. Each book did rather well, and I'm pretty proud of them. Hopefully, next year will hold more of the same!

3. I quit smoking - and this time, I think I can say I'm officially an ex-smoker. I quit back in June and haven't had so much as puff since. It's been tempting at times to chuck it all, but I think this time, I just might make it. Whew.

So even though these aren't the only ups, they were the best of the best. It's been a busy year, a productive year, and all around a pretty good year. I look forward to 2009 and all that it will hold for me and my family, and for everyone out there. Hopefully it will be even better than 2008!

Happy New Year and see you in '09!

Popping In

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and that Santa was good to you. Mine was good, except for Christmas night at the in laws, when the Boy decided to climb out of his crib (I lost count after the fifth escape) and chose not to go to sleep until nearly midnight. Other than that, it was a great holiday all around.

I'll probably be back in a day or two for the last post of the year - but I just wanted to take a moment to wonder over the fact that the Girl turns eight at 1:27PM this afternoon. It's hard to believe eight years could go by so fast, and that my tiny little baby girl (well, maybe not so tiny - she was 8lbs 3/4 oz) is now almost a tween. It's no longer Blue's Clues but Drake & Josh and iCarly (which is actually a pretty good show, I have to admit. I like it.)

It's amazing how fast that went by, and it's been pretty cool watching the Girl grow into the person she is today. I look forward to seeing how she continues to grow and change...

The Time Has Come...

To buy the Boy a bed.

Rats.

Unfortunately for my husband and I, the Boy has learned that he can scale pretty much any surface now. He regularly climbs the entertainment center, and of course - those damn Lazy Susans. But now, he has figured out the Big Climb.

How to get out of his crib.

It all started a week ago. He did something that earned him a timeout (And I don't remember what because he is the KING of the time-out, so it could have been anything.) Well, I put him in his crib - you know, so he could sit and think about what he did.

And so he sat.

And he thought.

And he came up with a plan.

He fell out of the crib.

Bam!

I get to the top of the stairs just as he's coming out of his room with this proud smile on his face. "I out, Mommy!" he announced, as pleased with himself as if he'd just discovered the cure for cancer.

**facepalm**

I should have known. Should have seen it coming. But no, I was blissfully, blindly unawares that last night was coming. Surely he wouldn't want to fall out of his crib again, right?

Well, yes.

To a point.

The fall got the little wheels in his head turning and, at the delightful hour of 3:45AM (AM!!!) my husband and I wake to the blindingly bright light of the hallway lamp.

And the sound of my son's toy iPod thingy fading into the distance.

My husband gets up, finds the Boy in my office (thankfully he hadn't quite made it to the computer...) and puts him back to bed.

Yeah. Right.

Not thirty seconds after my husband comes back to bed, the Boy's bedroom door opens and the light in the hallway is burning once more.

**facepalm**facepalm**

Now, the one baby gate we still have is outside. We use it to block off the deck steps leading to the pool deck. It's covered in 3+ inches of snow and ice. It's now 4:00 AM and the Boy is wide awake.

Fortunately for us, the door to the Boy's room locks. And the people we bought the house from were relatively smart people. They put the handle on (the door handles are French door handles - very elegant) backwards (er, reversed, maybe??) so the lock is on the outside of the door. We can lock him in and he can't lock us out.

I'll admit, I hate the thought of locking him in his room, but it was four in the morning and the last thing I wanted was for him to get into the knives, or the refrigerator, or anything else. So there was little choice, really.

But if I thought I hated the idea of locking him in his room, he absolutely despised the notion. And was none too shy about letting me know it, as well. So I tried to explain it was for his own safety (yes, I know he's only 3, but I really felt terrible about it.) I told him I didn't care if he sat on the floor and played with his toys all night (there's nothing in his room that can hurt him), but the door had to be locked.

So back into the crib he went. Back to bed I went. By then, my husband (who was going to sit up all night with the Boy) was sound asleep (yes, I know). The boy yelled for a few minutes. Then got quiet.

Now, I don't know when he did it, but he climbed back out of the crib. I assume he conked out on the carpet, but he was quiet and that was a good thing.

So now we have to go and buy him a Big Boy bed.

And a gate.

Probably two gates. The Boy is part monkey.

He gets that from his dad.

Website Woes, Lazy Susans, and Red Food Coloring (yes, it's THAT kind of post!)

So, as my website woes continue, I am becoming a computer geek. I went out and bought myself an HTML for Dummies book and, little by little, I am learning how to write lines of code to produce one line on a web page. It's been fun, a little frustrating, but I'm muddling through. Of course, I wouldn't have to be doing this is my computer/web guy didn't suck so much. I sent him an email two days ago, basically asking him how I re-register my domain name so I don't lose it. Two days ago. A simple question and yet he hasn't bothered to reply. Now, I know my little website isn't important to him, he has other clients (though if he treats them all this way, I have to wonder how that's even possible.) But, it IS important to me and it's pissing me off that I have yet another supposed professional that I have to hunt down.

I will learn how to do this and someday, I will look back and laugh.

Yeah right.

And so we segue into the lazy Susans.

My kitchen has two. And the Boy likes to climb. He's discovered that he can climb the lazy Susans.

Great.

I've caught him "cleaning" the counters with dishwashing detergent. "Washing" his hands with hand lotion. He sprayed his hair with Pam (which is fun to wash out, let me tell you). There's pepper all over the place. And I think he's now addicted to vanilla extract.*

But wait, the fun only gets better.

The Girl and I made Christmas cookies over the weekend.

Candy cane cookies.

Well, sort-of Candy cane cookies. They're more like candy-cane-on-steroids-cookies. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Anyway, candy canes are red and white, right? So, guess what makes them red? If you said red food coloring, you are right! If you said anything else - WTF are you cooking with???

So, the Boy likes to climb. He likes to climb the Lazy Susans. And he likes the cabinets.

And it turns out, he is utterly fascinated by the red food coloring.

**sigh**

I scrubbed red off me. Off him. Off the counter. Off the cabinets.

I just hope I got it all.

Yes, yesterday was tons of fun. The red food coloring makes the pain in the ass, can't be bothered to reply computer guy seem like a stroll through the park.

And today? Back to the code. And I'll be getting the Boy a new pair of shoes. Oh, and it snowed last night, so the neighborhood looks pretty. And when is all said and done?

I will have a website. Oh yes. I will.



*I'm only kidding about the vanilla thing. Really. =)

The Post in Which I Admit Failure...

I couldn't think of a better title, so there it is. And it's true.

Most of you know I've been working on this blanket to give as a Christmas gift. Well, it became painfully apparent to me over the weekend that it just. ain't. gonna. happen.

Not for Christmas anyway.

Rats.

Instead, I will surprise the recipient sometime early in the new year, with a gift they totally weren't expecting. That's nice, right? I mean, who doesn't like getting a present 'just cuz'?

But, even though the pressure's off (which is a bit of relief, I'll admit) I hate the thought of falling short of my own goal. Gah, I really hate it. I don't like failure. I never have. That's why I don't play golf (aside from the fact that I HATE golf, that is). I suck at it. I'm so awful at it that I don't even like miniature golf. How's that for hatred of a non-sport sport. (And no one will ever convince me golf is a sport, so don't even argue that point, mmkay???)

Ahem

So, it's bothering me that I don't have another 6 weeks to work on this blanket - it'd probably get done if I did. But, real life, NaNo, a chatterbox freakin' muse, and a several manuscript drafts have completely and totally clobbered me this year. Too much to do and not nearly enough time. Throw in the the Girl's CCD and Girl Scouts, the Boy's therapies and rounds upon rounds of school evaluations, and a husband who, while 100% supportive of this crazy career I've chosen, would still like to see me every once in a while (and that's something you never take for granted!) and it all adds up to one big where the hell did the last three months go???

But, on the other hand, the blanket will get done. As will the other projects that are threatening to drive me completely freakin' looney. And one day (God willing), I will look back at this last year and laugh about it.

Or so I hope.

And The Wait Goes On...

So, we had the Boy's preschool evaluation today. It looks like he will qualify (though we won't have official confirmation until early January, at the earliest.) My husband and I brought him in to meet with the program's child psychologist and speech therapist, whilst I sat down with the social worker. My husband stayed with the Boy (who wasn't extremely cooperative, but that wasn't exactly unexpected.)

It wasn't too bad - the Boy was in his portion for about an hour, while I sat with the social worker and answered a bunch of pretty detailed questions. My husband stayed with the Boy so things didn't get too out of hand.

And now, we wait. It's pretty much a given that he will qualify, and that's good, even if it isn't official yet. It does take a while, since there are so many other kids in need of these kinds of services as well.

This preschool is designed to pick up where the Early Intervention Program left off - to work with him on his speech and his remaining sensory problems, so that by the time he's ready for kindergarten, he'll make a smooth transition and (hopefully) we'll never know he had any problems.

Back in February, when we first explored the option of Early Intervention, I was terrified that his therapists were going to tell me he is autistic. When I mentioned it, not one corrected me and told me I had nothing to worry about. All said it was entirely possible. And I have to admit, it scared me.

When you find out you're pregnant, you begin those grandiose plans. You have hopes and dreams and intentions (and it's moot whether the child will even be remotely interested in those hopes and dreams and intentions - you have them and that's that.) And you don't really think about the bad things that can happen, you focus on the Kodak-moment-type things.

But sometimes the Kodak-moment-type things just aren't meant to be. And in the months we've spent working with the Boy - teaching him sign language first, then words, helping him work through his sensory issues - I've learned a lot not only about him, but about me. This was not what I saw when I first laid eyes upon him. Not one bit. I didn't see the impatience and the frustration and the two steps backward for each step forward. And I found that I can be infinitely patient sometimes, and not so much other times.

When he was initially evaluated last February, one of the therapists asked me what my goal was, what I wanted him to do. Well, that was simple enough. All I wanted was to hear him call me Mommy. That was it.

I got that wish this summer. And the little boy who wouldn't talk a year ago is now a bright little chatterbox who never stops talking. The experts have pretty much ruled out autism. But even if they hadn't, we all learned we could deal with his problems. They weren't the end of the world. Not even close.

So now, as I wait (impatiently, really) for the official results, I find I don't really mind the waiting so much. The end result will be completely worth it.

A Loooong Day....

Mondays pretty much suck.

I think most would agree with me on that, right?

And some suck more than others.

Well, okay, today didn't actually suck, per se, but it was definitely a Monday.

I couldn't sleep last night. I don't know why. Actually, I think I do. I had family over yesterday and drank a wee bit too much wine. And there was some family drama as well. And more wine.

Which added up to a night where I was up and down for most of my sleep time. Ugh.

Then the Boy got up two hours before his usual arrival time. And he doesn't nap, mind you (and the 15 minute powernap he took when he got time out for climbing up onto the cabinet Lazy Susan for the fifteenth time in two hours? Did nothing. Nothing I tell you) so it was a loooong day for him. I'd never been so happy to see a bedtime. Never.

I worked a little on my blanket this weekend, amidst the drama, and learned not to knit when I am tired. I did two rows. Then I promptly undid the second row and redid it because I miscounted. Blech. So that was the end of that. And now? Too tired to even think about it.

I did, however, get some revising done on the category-length contemporary I'm hoping to get out either at the end of this year or the beginning of next. It doesn't really matter because this time of year is one where publishing re-e-a-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w-s down. Between holidays and parties and the like, it's like August, when everyone goes on vacation. Which reminds me that I have to get my Christmas shopping done. Sigh. I can't believe it's almost Christmas. But on the bright side, that means it's almost New Year's and that means time for Sci-Fi Channel's Twilight Zone Marathon. They better have it on this year or else. Or else what, I don't exactly know, but I won't be happy.

Okay, this is short, but I need to go watch Get Smart with Jersey Guy. We've been trying to watch this movie since Friday...

Real Life Intrudes

I knew it was going to happen. Real life got me.

I started out my NaNo-ing (am I the only one who thinks of Mork from Ork with that word??? Or am I just a total dork?) going like mad. And I've hit a couple of snags, but managed to get around them, especially with the encouragement of some really good writer friends - you know who you are! =)

I've been fortunate in that my husband and kids think it's kind of cool that I'm writing a novel in 30 days. The Girl takes a huge interest in most of my projects, and it's kind of scary to think that she's only a few years away from not only wanting to read romance novels, but that she'll probably be stealing mine. Karma's a bitch, ain't it?

But I digress...

Well, as wonderful as NaNo (Nanu, nanu) started, life snuck up on me in the form of two sick kids (well, three if you count the oldest - you know, the one who supports me?). I had a mild case of whatever cold thing is going around now, which is good since Mom doesn't get sick days. But it's really dragging in the other three. My husband (the third kid - you know, the one who supports me - yuk yuk) started with it tonight, so you know he'll be on his deathbed in about 24 hours.

But on the plus side, I think I've got the rest of my year planned out. Doesn't that just blow your mind? We're almost at the end of the year. But that's another post for another day. But yes, I've got the rest of my year planned and it really doesn't include starting any new projects. Nope, I've got two full manuscripts waiting for a final polish, my NaNo novel that will (hopefully) be well within polishing limits, and Devil in Disguise, which is thisclose to being finished as well. I also have two blankets and a baby shower to help pull off.

Ah well... it's good to keep busy, right?