Well, it has been a few days. We (my sons and I) are feeling a little better. I finally broke down and went to the doctor. I'll be picking up four prescriptions this afternoon. I hope one of them will knock this cold out. I also took the dog (the fat one, not the little red one) to the dentist. She had jaw surgery yesterday. We are trying to assemble a play set for the kids. It has about 14,000 pieces, so it is taking awhile.
I just finished reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. It is a cute story. Somehow, it made me think of The Velveteen Rabbit.
Writing and homeschooling have been difficult recently. I keep realizing something I need for every project I want to do is packed. Hopefully after our move, I'll have a little more to tell you about.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A New Week With New Possibilities
Today is Sunday, the beginning of a new week. I love new beginnings. New years, new months, new weeks, new days. We are still sick which is keeping me from the computer more than trying to get moved.
I have been reading a good bit. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman won the Newbery Medal, so I figured I needed to read it. It was a good book, but a little haunting. Perhaps because I am a mother, I put the book down feeling sad in place of hopeful for the characters. Gaiman has an original plot (very hard to find) and great characters. This book is well written and a more than a little strange. I look forward to reading more of his stories.
I also have been reading chapter books and Sarah Dessen's Lock and Key. Dessen is remarkable as usual.
I have not accomplished as much in my life as a writer as I would like to lately, but this is a new week and perhaps I will get more writing done as well.
As for life in general, we had an interesting occurrence this week. I glanced in the back yard to find it littered with white patches. Being about 65 degrees, snow seemed unlikely. Upon closer inspection, we realized the dog had carried a pile of socks outside and scattered them around the backyard. Fortunately, it was only socks.
Hopefully this week will bring a move, some more great books, successful writing, pleasant homeschooling, and even beading if I'm lucky.
What have you been reading? Was it any good?
I have been reading a good bit. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman won the Newbery Medal, so I figured I needed to read it. It was a good book, but a little haunting. Perhaps because I am a mother, I put the book down feeling sad in place of hopeful for the characters. Gaiman has an original plot (very hard to find) and great characters. This book is well written and a more than a little strange. I look forward to reading more of his stories.
I also have been reading chapter books and Sarah Dessen's Lock and Key. Dessen is remarkable as usual.
I have not accomplished as much in my life as a writer as I would like to lately, but this is a new week and perhaps I will get more writing done as well.
As for life in general, we had an interesting occurrence this week. I glanced in the back yard to find it littered with white patches. Being about 65 degrees, snow seemed unlikely. Upon closer inspection, we realized the dog had carried a pile of socks outside and scattered them around the backyard. Fortunately, it was only socks.
Hopefully this week will bring a move, some more great books, successful writing, pleasant homeschooling, and even beading if I'm lucky.
What have you been reading? Was it any good?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Checking In
I haven't been able to post for the past few days because my sons and I have had the nasty cold that's going around. We aren't well yet, but we are on the way. I can't wait for spring.
We are still having moving issues. The carpet STILL isn't in. The cat in the attic crawl space turned out to be a squriell. I set a humane trap and, I'm hoping I can remove him.
We haven't had school for a few days because we have been sick. We'll have to make them up later, but we started in June so it shouldn't be too hard.
I haven't been able to touch my beads either. They are packed. I can't work with them until after we move, which will be after the carpet comes in :(
I have been doing some writing on a new project, but I don't have a clue where it is going yet. I have also been develping characters. Where so you find your characters? I like to start with a name or a picture and then look for the details. Sometimes I use a form with lots of questions. Other times, I base them on people I'm close to. My oldest son is a great help when I create younger characters. He knows what is really important to kids, like gummy worms.
When you make characters, where do you start? How do you make them real? Do you ever use real people for the models?
We are still having moving issues. The carpet STILL isn't in. The cat in the attic crawl space turned out to be a squriell. I set a humane trap and, I'm hoping I can remove him.
We haven't had school for a few days because we have been sick. We'll have to make them up later, but we started in June so it shouldn't be too hard.
I haven't been able to touch my beads either. They are packed. I can't work with them until after we move, which will be after the carpet comes in :(
I have been doing some writing on a new project, but I don't have a clue where it is going yet. I have also been develping characters. Where so you find your characters? I like to start with a name or a picture and then look for the details. Sometimes I use a form with lots of questions. Other times, I base them on people I'm close to. My oldest son is a great help when I create younger characters. He knows what is really important to kids, like gummy worms.
When you make characters, where do you start? How do you make them real? Do you ever use real people for the models?
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A Day in the Life…
This morning, the alarm went off a little too early. I wanted to role over and go back to sleep. Of course, my alarm is across the room from the bed to make it more difficult. So I cut off the alarm and went to wake my oldest son. I reminded him I would need his help this morning because I had somewhere I needed to be. Of course, instead of getting dressed, he sat around complaining he was cold. Meanwhile, my youngest screamed to the top of his lungs, “I don’t need to go to school today.” I was getting him ready for the parents’ morning out program at the church. He kicked and screamed while I put his clothes on. Then, I went to check on the other child. My oldest couldn’t find matching sock. Matching socks are a perpetual problem in our house. My have a real, live sock-monster. She is a lovely red dachshund and she likes to steal socks and eat them. While I was tending the elder, the younger undressed. From there, the whole day erupted into one big comedy of errors. Eldest son dropped the juice on the kitchen floor, not a cup of juice, but the whole two liter jug, soaking his socks. We needed to make a sandwich for the lunch box, but the cat climbed on the counter last night and ripped open the new loaf of bread and nibbled across the top. (Really I do feed my pets.) Somehow, we made it out door. And that was my morning (up to 8:45am that is).
So this post won’t run ten pages and get really boring, I am just going to give the highlights of the rest of the day. I went to the new house (I’ve mentioned we’re moving.) to clean up the yard. It contained ten big trash bags full of trash and three years worth of leaves. My hands hurt from raking. There appears to be a cat in the crawl space for the attic. I’d love to know how it got there. We are having a fence put in and there is a pine tree at about a forty-five degree angle right over where the fence needs to be.
The carpet isn’t in the house because the wall isn’t mudded yet. The wall wasn’t mudded because the gas was off so there was no heat. The gas is now on, but the thermostat fell apart. So, we still don’t have carpet and we are supposed to move this weekend.
Other than errands, karate, meals, and writing I have about summed up my day. I hope we can go to bed early tonight.
So this post won’t run ten pages and get really boring, I am just going to give the highlights of the rest of the day. I went to the new house (I’ve mentioned we’re moving.) to clean up the yard. It contained ten big trash bags full of trash and three years worth of leaves. My hands hurt from raking. There appears to be a cat in the crawl space for the attic. I’d love to know how it got there. We are having a fence put in and there is a pine tree at about a forty-five degree angle right over where the fence needs to be.
The carpet isn’t in the house because the wall isn’t mudded yet. The wall wasn’t mudded because the gas was off so there was no heat. The gas is now on, but the thermostat fell apart. So, we still don’t have carpet and we are supposed to move this weekend.
Other than errands, karate, meals, and writing I have about summed up my day. I hope we can go to bed early tonight.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Monday
Why is Monday always so hard? I am a stay-at-home mom. I home school and write. Yet, Monday is always rough. Many of the writers I know don’t really take the weekends off. I never have.
But anyway, today was definitely a Monday. Not just any Monday either, but the one just after we switched to daylight savings time. I drug myself out of bed this morning and found my toddler had eaten my “homework.” We are having a fence installed. I called around town to get quotes and wrote them all on a scrap of paper. Well, my son thought it looked tasty, so before breakfast he chewed it up. Then, my older son gave me the, “Is it a school day?” routine when I gave him his first assignment. Sometimes I think it would be easier to teach him seven days a week and not have to recondition him EVERY Monday. We also had to run errands, get haircuts, and take advantage of the beautiful weather. Then, I had to squeeze in time after dark for writing and housework. I am sure glad Monday only comes once a week.
But anyway, today was definitely a Monday. Not just any Monday either, but the one just after we switched to daylight savings time. I drug myself out of bed this morning and found my toddler had eaten my “homework.” We are having a fence installed. I called around town to get quotes and wrote them all on a scrap of paper. Well, my son thought it looked tasty, so before breakfast he chewed it up. Then, my older son gave me the, “Is it a school day?” routine when I gave him his first assignment. Sometimes I think it would be easier to teach him seven days a week and not have to recondition him EVERY Monday. We also had to run errands, get haircuts, and take advantage of the beautiful weather. Then, I had to squeeze in time after dark for writing and housework. I am sure glad Monday only comes once a week.
Life Changing Books (continued from Saturday)
I have to go back to my blog from Saturday long enough to mention my favorite book on home schooling. The Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer is a must read for parents considering home schooling their children. My approach to teaching my son is eclectic and not classical, but this book has so much wonderful information it could help any parent. It describes the way children think and learn at different ages. It suggests various curriculums to use with your child and how to schedule your time. Everything is presented as a series of suggestions, not the way it has to be done. Regardless of the method you choose, this book is filled with great ideas. The final part of the book talks about why to home school, how to handle arguments from loved ones, how to make sure your child is socialized, planning, record keeping, testing, and even how to prepare you child for college and put together an application. The book ends with resources. I have never read this book cover to cover and probably never will, but it lives on my bed stand. I refer to it at least two or three times a month. If you are considering teaching your child at home, you should find a copy of this book and spend some time looking through it.
Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt
Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia VoigtMy review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book should be required reading for every high school student. Izzy is a normal fifteen year old girl. When a popular senior ask her out, she is thrilled. Who wouldn’t be? Most people want to impress others, whether they admit it or not. Middle school and high school are the hardest times to stand up for yourself. Besides, it couldn’t happen to you, could it? So Izzy goes out on a date with this senior and has an okay time, but he drinks too much. She knows he is drunk and gets in his car anyway. When he slams into a tree, he walks away with a few scratches. Izzy lives through the accident too, but she loses one of her legs.
Voigt is a very talented writer. She creates dynamic characters to fill her stories. You care about them from the minute they are introduced. Everyone is so real. She paints scenes in such a way they unfold as though you are there. However, her most exceptional quality as a writer is her willingness to tackle difficult topics. I read this book in middle school and several times since. It will make you think twice about who you ride with.
As a side note, it is really funny to look at the different covers this novel has gone through. My copy is yellow and Izzy has 80’s hair. This cover is much more contemporary. Some of the ones in between had a totally different look.
View all my reviews.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Life Changing Books (Nonfiction Today)
What books changed you life? Right now, I’m thinking about a practical everyday sense. After reading a good book, you never see the world in quite the same way, but which books (Other than the Bible, Koran, Torah, etc) have changed the way you raise your kids or write or wash your dishes? I have two in mind. One changed my writing forever and the other revolutionized my home schooling methods.
If you write and have never read On Writing by Stephen King, stop reading this and run to the store right now. I have been writing all of my life, but I never tried to write anything for publication until I had my first son. I have to admit, my first attempts were bad. I couldn’t get my ideas to go on the paper the way they were in my head. After some frustration, I took one of my sister’s books off of the shelf. It was On Writing. I didn’t read much Stephen King because I don’t like to be scared. My sister read almost everything he wrote.
The first part of the book is inspirational. It describes Stephen King’s life. He didn’t have all of the advantages you think of when you want to be a writer. (If I could just quit my job and write all day… If I had a nice orderly office… If I had a better computer…) Then, you find out he worked for sixteen years before he had his big break. I didn’t know whether to cheer or cry. It gave me hope since I had been working for over a year but fear as well. I hope it won’t take me sixteen years to get my work out there.
The second part of the books is a little more practical. Stephen King reveals the “secrets” of how to write. Many other books teach these as well, but King has a way of explaining things that makes sense. I will never think of adverbs in the same way again. He also talks about how to write a book. Instead of saying you have to write a certain way, King gives many different examples and allows writers the freedom of doing it their own way. So much of his book helped me and changed the way I feel every time I sit at the keyboard.
I’ll save my home schooling book for another day. My oldest son just fell off the kitchen table and is begging for a Band-Aid. What book(s) have changed your life?
If you write and have never read On Writing by Stephen King, stop reading this and run to the store right now. I have been writing all of my life, but I never tried to write anything for publication until I had my first son. I have to admit, my first attempts were bad. I couldn’t get my ideas to go on the paper the way they were in my head. After some frustration, I took one of my sister’s books off of the shelf. It was On Writing. I didn’t read much Stephen King because I don’t like to be scared. My sister read almost everything he wrote.
The first part of the book is inspirational. It describes Stephen King’s life. He didn’t have all of the advantages you think of when you want to be a writer. (If I could just quit my job and write all day… If I had a nice orderly office… If I had a better computer…) Then, you find out he worked for sixteen years before he had his big break. I didn’t know whether to cheer or cry. It gave me hope since I had been working for over a year but fear as well. I hope it won’t take me sixteen years to get my work out there.
The second part of the books is a little more practical. Stephen King reveals the “secrets” of how to write. Many other books teach these as well, but King has a way of explaining things that makes sense. I will never think of adverbs in the same way again. He also talks about how to write a book. Instead of saying you have to write a certain way, King gives many different examples and allows writers the freedom of doing it their own way. So much of his book helped me and changed the way I feel every time I sit at the keyboard.
I’ll save my home schooling book for another day. My oldest son just fell off the kitchen table and is begging for a Band-Aid. What book(s) have changed your life?
Friday, March 6, 2009
A Friend For Dragon by Dav Pilkey
A Friend For Dragon by Dav PilkeyMy review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
Writing books for children who can't read is hard. I've tried. When my son was learning to read, these books (I think there are four.) were life changing. He hated to read the plot-free stories at school. He hated reading. It was boring. Honestly, when I looked at what he was having to read, I had to agree. The beginner books were boring. We went on search for interesting books with very low reading levels. He was never going to make it to the higher levels until he read some on the lower ones. Unfortunately, there were very few easy books for boys. The Dragon books by Pilkey are fun, colorful, and exciting. They are easy to read and funny. My book-hating son started sneaking off to read. Almost overnight his confidence improved, and he grew to love books. This is one amazing book.
View all my reviews.
Where and What Do You Write?
I write wherever there is a clean spot to sit my laptop. Since we are in the process of moving, my computer has migrated from the desk to the kitchen table to the coffee table. We seem to have an allergy to open horizontal space around here, even on the floor. If I manage to clean off a spot on the desk, bed, floor, or most anywhere, something explodes right in that spot. This morning, I took a break from cleaning the bathroom. While I ran down to grab a drink (just tea, nothing exciting), my trashcan jumped into the floor and spit all of its contents across the room. The toddler and cat had NOTHING to do with it. When we get moved, I will have an office and I plan to lock the kids and pets out (probably the husband too). Then, perhaps my writing will be a little less disjointed.
What I write is a little more simple. I started with picture books thinking it had to be pretty easy. I was wrong. I am not good at picture books, not at all. So I moved to mid-grade. I found my voice in chapter books, mid-grade, and young adult. At this point, my best work is my chapter books. Soon, I hope to have a finished mid-grade people would actually enjoy reading.
Okay, I have been turned into a jungle gym. That must be my cue to do something else. So, where and what do YOU write?
What I write is a little more simple. I started with picture books thinking it had to be pretty easy. I was wrong. I am not good at picture books, not at all. So I moved to mid-grade. I found my voice in chapter books, mid-grade, and young adult. At this point, my best work is my chapter books. Soon, I hope to have a finished mid-grade people would actually enjoy reading.
Okay, I have been turned into a jungle gym. That must be my cue to do something else. So, where and what do YOU write?
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Clementine by Sara PennypackerMy review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
I checked this book out from the library and went back to purchase it. It is a really cute chapter book about a girl who is trying to do the right thing, but it doesn't always work out. I loved this book for the "realness." Clementine doesn't live in a mansion with servants and two doting parents. She lives in the real world with real problems, but she works hard and is rewarded for her efforts. I also like the fact I don't mind my child reading this book. Many books have subject matter I am not comfortable with my seven-year-old exploring. Clementine is just a sweet story. Her behavior while not perfect is what you might expect from a child. Pennypacker has a real gift with words. I can't wait to get my hands on more of her work.
View all my reviews.
Airhead by Meg Cabot
Airhead by Meg CabotMy review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
Who but Meg Cabot could take a premise as lame as pretty girls being brain-dead and turn it into a book you can't put down? I picked this book up one night as light reading before bed. It looked like some silly high school story about pretty girls being stupid. It turned out to be an out-of-body experience so to speak. It was incredible the way Meg Cabot took a normal girl, put her into a super model body and just let the character react. The main character is so strong, and the plot is fun too. This was a fantastic book. I can't wait for the sequel.
View all my reviews.
Changes
I have put off starting a website and a blog for too long, so here I sit with my living room piled in boxes leaning like the the Tower of Pisa (not because I stacked them that way, but I have a toddler who loves to climb) starting a blog. I must be crazy, but anyone who knows me would tell you I should have figured that out a long time ago.
You know, I have a manuscript out called Changes. It is a chapter book about a boy who is going to have a little sister. He is less than thrilled about the whole idea, but he has a lot of growing up to do himself.
Well, I hate to cut this short, but my toddler is trying to escape out of the window. I'll be back soon to share the chaos and joys of life, motherhood, writing, and home-school. I can't wait to hear from you too.
You know, I have a manuscript out called Changes. It is a chapter book about a boy who is going to have a little sister. He is less than thrilled about the whole idea, but he has a lot of growing up to do himself.
Well, I hate to cut this short, but my toddler is trying to escape out of the window. I'll be back soon to share the chaos and joys of life, motherhood, writing, and home-school. I can't wait to hear from you too.
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