Disregard the last blog...
;-)
Discovered her asleep at naptime with LuLu... thumb in the mouth. She'd found her in the playroom, I guess, when she was finished looking at books and ready to actually go to sleep at naptime. My heart's a little happy. What can I say? She's my baby.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Libby-Lu and LuLu
Today is one for the history books. Okay, maybe just for the Linson scrapbook, but I am honestly sitting at this computer right now, completely stunned.
Many of you may have met my fourth ‘child’, LuLu. If you have not had the privilege, let me tell you a little about LuLu. She is a little stuffed lamb blankie/ lovey (you know the ones that are half blanket/ half animal?! Sounds creepy, but she’s oh-so-cute) that used to be soft and snow-white, with the sweetest little button eyes, and with Libby’s name embroidered on the front. A gift from the Coxes when Libby was first born, LuLu has pretty much been Libby’s constant companion.
LuLu has been well-loved, been dragged through the dirt, been through countless wash cycles, and been forgotten in a cart at HEB, at the playscape at McDonald’s, and various other places. But we always manage to locate LuLu because honestly, Libby has never been able to go to sleep without her. We’ve always said that if she would just give up LuLu, she’d probably give up the thumb-sucking, too, because they seem to go hand in hand.
In the last year or so, we’ve managed to keep LuLu in Libby’s room, to minimize the episodes of misplacing her (LuLu, not Libby!) Last year, though, when it was time for Libby to go to preschool, each day, she would have to put her best pal in the dryer to wait for her until she got home. Don’t ask me about the logic of a preschooler. So even though we can get through the day now without taking LuLu everywhere, she has always been right at Libby’s side in bed.
Until naptime, today.
Libby: “Mommy, you need to wash LuLu. Put her in the washing machine.”
Me: “Okay, don’t you want me to wait until after you have your quiet time?” (note: LuLu was not really dirty, she is just covered in fuzz, and pilled up like a sweater. I have to shave her regularly… yep, that’s a weird sight.)
Libby: “No, wash her and I will get her after I wake up.”
Me (in shock): “Um, okay…”
I closed the door, and waited for a couple of minutes for her to change her mind.
Nope. Nothing. I checked on her about ten minutes ago, and she is laying on her bed, looking at an Eloise book, snuggling with her Daisy Duck that she got in Disneyworld. And maybe it just boils down to the fact that she’s planned on not napping today, so she doesn’t need her sleepin’ buddy, but regardless, it’s a big day. And more than a little bittersweet.
Silly, I know...but if you’re a mommy, you'll understand why right now I’m using LuLu to wipe my tears.
Many of you may have met my fourth ‘child’, LuLu. If you have not had the privilege, let me tell you a little about LuLu. She is a little stuffed lamb blankie/ lovey (you know the ones that are half blanket/ half animal?! Sounds creepy, but she’s oh-so-cute) that used to be soft and snow-white, with the sweetest little button eyes, and with Libby’s name embroidered on the front. A gift from the Coxes when Libby was first born, LuLu has pretty much been Libby’s constant companion.
LuLu has been well-loved, been dragged through the dirt, been through countless wash cycles, and been forgotten in a cart at HEB, at the playscape at McDonald’s, and various other places. But we always manage to locate LuLu because honestly, Libby has never been able to go to sleep without her. We’ve always said that if she would just give up LuLu, she’d probably give up the thumb-sucking, too, because they seem to go hand in hand.
In the last year or so, we’ve managed to keep LuLu in Libby’s room, to minimize the episodes of misplacing her (LuLu, not Libby!) Last year, though, when it was time for Libby to go to preschool, each day, she would have to put her best pal in the dryer to wait for her until she got home. Don’t ask me about the logic of a preschooler. So even though we can get through the day now without taking LuLu everywhere, she has always been right at Libby’s side in bed.
Until naptime, today.
Libby: “Mommy, you need to wash LuLu. Put her in the washing machine.”
Me: “Okay, don’t you want me to wait until after you have your quiet time?” (note: LuLu was not really dirty, she is just covered in fuzz, and pilled up like a sweater. I have to shave her regularly… yep, that’s a weird sight.)
Libby: “No, wash her and I will get her after I wake up.”
Me (in shock): “Um, okay…”
I closed the door, and waited for a couple of minutes for her to change her mind.
Nope. Nothing. I checked on her about ten minutes ago, and she is laying on her bed, looking at an Eloise book, snuggling with her Daisy Duck that she got in Disneyworld. And maybe it just boils down to the fact that she’s planned on not napping today, so she doesn’t need her sleepin’ buddy, but regardless, it’s a big day. And more than a little bittersweet.
Silly, I know...but if you’re a mommy, you'll understand why right now I’m using LuLu to wipe my tears.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Over the halfway mark...
Yay! Yay! Yay! I'm over the halfway point, both in words and days. Not yet into the 'home stretch', but getting there.
My current count is: 26,589 words. I SOOO TOTALLY ROCK! I am kickin' ass and takin' names...
Okay, sorry 'bout that. Just wanted to get that out of my system because I know it's gonna be a busy week, and it will be a challenge to keep up with my daily word count. It might be my last chance to be a shameless self-promoter (um, or 'braggart', if you prefer.)
Have a fab Monday, my friends.
My current count is: 26,589 words. I SOOO TOTALLY ROCK! I am kickin' ass and takin' names...
Okay, sorry 'bout that. Just wanted to get that out of my system because I know it's gonna be a busy week, and it will be a challenge to keep up with my daily word count. It might be my last chance to be a shameless self-promoter (um, or 'braggart', if you prefer.)
Have a fab Monday, my friends.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wintry Weather?
Current Word Count: 24,595 words
This morning I am sitting at the computer wrapped in my robe, and wearing fuzzy slippers. Why? Because that’s what all the hot suburban moms are sporting these days (yeah riiight!) And because baby, it’s COOOOOOOLD outside! We woke up this morning with the temperature in the low 40’s, and I have to say, it’s about damn time. I am ready for a little bit cooler weather… ready for jeans and long sleeve shirts… ready for chili in the crockpot…ready to watch t.v. snuggled under a blanket on the couch with my hubby (and usually all 3 kids...sigh!). Still not ready for the holidays, but that’s a whole other blog.
Winter in Central Texas is just my speed. Not crazy cold, and the few times it does actually get crazy cold or ices or (oh my God!) actually snows, most of us can pinpoint the exact date. “Oh yeah, remember the ice storm of ’93?!… we were housebound for two days!” Having been born and raised in Central Texas (and yes, we DO capitalize the ‘C’, thank you very much!), these are the kinds of winters I grew up with, so I was in no way prepared for our move to Colorado in the winter of 1998.
The day after Phil and I moved into our (3rd floor!) apartment in Denver, it snowed. I was almost in a panic…we were unpacking, were knee-deep in moving boxes, and we still had not had a chance to shop for groceries. I just knew we would starve before the snow could melt and we would get out.
My darling husband ,who spent his formative years in Indiana, KNOWS what real winter looks like. He still tells stories about walking to school in the snow. Uphill. Both ways. ;-) He just looked at me in disbelief, and said, “Stace, people actually DRIVE in the snow here.” Well, THEY might, but I sure didn’t, and it took me a couple of years to feel comfortable driving while it was snowing. It was after one particularly disastrous commute during a snowstorm that I pulled over to the side of the road, sobbing and practically hyperventilating because my windows kept fogging up and I couldn’t see. In my panic attack, I’d forgotten about that nifty little ‘Defrost’ button on my dashboard (hey! It’s a lot of pressure driving in the snow!).
As it turns out, that first day it only snowed about 2 inches, but I remember that despite Phil’s reassurances, I still felt completely like a fish out of water. Or more like a homesick Texas girl who wondered what in the heck she’d gotten herself into.
I did finally get used to winter in Colorado and actually began to love those early season snow storms. But even after six years of living there, there were times when I would wake up, see the snow coming down and coating our yard in a blanket of white, and I still could not shake the feeling that it would be a good idea for everybody to just stay home in their robe and fuzzy slippers.
This morning I am sitting at the computer wrapped in my robe, and wearing fuzzy slippers. Why? Because that’s what all the hot suburban moms are sporting these days (yeah riiight!) And because baby, it’s COOOOOOOLD outside! We woke up this morning with the temperature in the low 40’s, and I have to say, it’s about damn time. I am ready for a little bit cooler weather… ready for jeans and long sleeve shirts… ready for chili in the crockpot…ready to watch t.v. snuggled under a blanket on the couch with my hubby (and usually all 3 kids...sigh!). Still not ready for the holidays, but that’s a whole other blog.
Winter in Central Texas is just my speed. Not crazy cold, and the few times it does actually get crazy cold or ices or (oh my God!) actually snows, most of us can pinpoint the exact date. “Oh yeah, remember the ice storm of ’93?!… we were housebound for two days!” Having been born and raised in Central Texas (and yes, we DO capitalize the ‘C’, thank you very much!), these are the kinds of winters I grew up with, so I was in no way prepared for our move to Colorado in the winter of 1998.
The day after Phil and I moved into our (3rd floor!) apartment in Denver, it snowed. I was almost in a panic…we were unpacking, were knee-deep in moving boxes, and we still had not had a chance to shop for groceries. I just knew we would starve before the snow could melt and we would get out.
My darling husband ,who spent his formative years in Indiana, KNOWS what real winter looks like. He still tells stories about walking to school in the snow. Uphill. Both ways. ;-) He just looked at me in disbelief, and said, “Stace, people actually DRIVE in the snow here.” Well, THEY might, but I sure didn’t, and it took me a couple of years to feel comfortable driving while it was snowing. It was after one particularly disastrous commute during a snowstorm that I pulled over to the side of the road, sobbing and practically hyperventilating because my windows kept fogging up and I couldn’t see. In my panic attack, I’d forgotten about that nifty little ‘Defrost’ button on my dashboard (hey! It’s a lot of pressure driving in the snow!).
As it turns out, that first day it only snowed about 2 inches, but I remember that despite Phil’s reassurances, I still felt completely like a fish out of water. Or more like a homesick Texas girl who wondered what in the heck she’d gotten herself into.
I did finally get used to winter in Colorado and actually began to love those early season snow storms. But even after six years of living there, there were times when I would wake up, see the snow coming down and coating our yard in a blanket of white, and I still could not shake the feeling that it would be a good idea for everybody to just stay home in their robe and fuzzy slippers.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Counting words... and counting... and counting...
Current Word Count: 18,345 words....... whew!
That officially means that I am about 37% of the way toward my goal of 50,000 words. Yep. Had to get the calculator out for that one. (I think that's right... math has never been my strongest subject! Correct me if I'm wrong, oh 'Great Learned Mathematicians'.)
Not sure if the book will actually be finished at 50,000 words, but the guidelines didn't say it had to be finished, just that it should be at least 50,000 words by midnight on November 30th. And then I can take my sweet time finishing it, I guess.
We'll have to play it by ear. My characters, much like willful children, keep saying and doing things I don't quite expect, and the story takes me off in a direction I had not anticipated.
Have I mentioned that I'm loving this? :-)
p.s. Several of you have asked me how I go about counting my words. It's pretty tedious and time consuming, and occasionally I'll lose my place and have to start over. That sucks. You know I'm kidding, right?!
That officially means that I am about 37% of the way toward my goal of 50,000 words. Yep. Had to get the calculator out for that one. (I think that's right... math has never been my strongest subject! Correct me if I'm wrong, oh 'Great Learned Mathematicians'.)
Not sure if the book will actually be finished at 50,000 words, but the guidelines didn't say it had to be finished, just that it should be at least 50,000 words by midnight on November 30th. And then I can take my sweet time finishing it, I guess.
We'll have to play it by ear. My characters, much like willful children, keep saying and doing things I don't quite expect, and the story takes me off in a direction I had not anticipated.
Have I mentioned that I'm loving this? :-)
p.s. Several of you have asked me how I go about counting my words. It's pretty tedious and time consuming, and occasionally I'll lose my place and have to start over. That sucks. You know I'm kidding, right?!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Birthday Baloney
Current Word Count: 16642 words
Libby has hit on the perfect way to drive her brother and sister crazy. I mean, besides her well honed method of going into their rooms while they are at school, and moving things ever so slightly to make them wonder, “Was someone in my room today?” Yep, she’s a bit devious.
So, every night at the dinner table, we each go around and tell about the best part of our day, and one thing we would change (I know… it’s so very ‘Walton’s Mountain’ of us). Davis’ best part usually consists of something that occurred on the playground, like making it all the way across the monkey bars, and Josie’s is usually something along the lines of, “I wrote a new story today!” Not sure what’s up with that kid and her love of writing ;-)
Well, it just so happens that a couple of weeks ago, Libby’s favorite part of her day was going to lunch with Mommy and her girlfriends for another friend’s birthday. Davis and Josie heard ‘birthday’, and said, “You went to a birthday party?!” And that was all it took:
Libby (thinking): Um… yes… it was a birthday party! It was fun. And…um… we went swimming.
J & D (simultaneously): Noooo! That’s not fair!
Libby: And we had cupcakes.
J & D: Cupcakes?!!
Libby: with sprinkles. And presents, and there was a Ferris wheel and a rollercoaster, and we went swimming. (yes, Libby, you mentioned that part!) In a pink swimming pool.
J & D: Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!
Libby: What else, Mommy?
Me (sarcastically): Don’t forget the pony rides.
Libby: Oh yeah… we had pony rides!
J & D (wailing): I hate school! I want to stay home and go to a birthday party!
Libby: Oh, and Indiana Jones.
J & D (& Me): Huh?! Indiana Jones?
Drove them absolutely crazy. After a couple of nights, though, they wised up to the fact that we didn’t actually go to birthday parties every day while they are toiling away in school. And truth be told, I think Libby has run out of outlandish things to tease them with (she is, after all, not quite 4 years old… her experiences are fairly limited).
Just the other night, when we asked her about her favorite part of her day, she said, in a bored and nonchalant way, “Oh, you know… ponies, cupcakes, and Indiana Jones.”
Ho-hum… such is the life. ;-)
Libby has hit on the perfect way to drive her brother and sister crazy. I mean, besides her well honed method of going into their rooms while they are at school, and moving things ever so slightly to make them wonder, “Was someone in my room today?” Yep, she’s a bit devious.
So, every night at the dinner table, we each go around and tell about the best part of our day, and one thing we would change (I know… it’s so very ‘Walton’s Mountain’ of us). Davis’ best part usually consists of something that occurred on the playground, like making it all the way across the monkey bars, and Josie’s is usually something along the lines of, “I wrote a new story today!” Not sure what’s up with that kid and her love of writing ;-)
Well, it just so happens that a couple of weeks ago, Libby’s favorite part of her day was going to lunch with Mommy and her girlfriends for another friend’s birthday. Davis and Josie heard ‘birthday’, and said, “You went to a birthday party?!” And that was all it took:
Libby (thinking): Um… yes… it was a birthday party! It was fun. And…um… we went swimming.
J & D (simultaneously): Noooo! That’s not fair!
Libby: And we had cupcakes.
J & D: Cupcakes?!!
Libby: with sprinkles. And presents, and there was a Ferris wheel and a rollercoaster, and we went swimming. (yes, Libby, you mentioned that part!) In a pink swimming pool.
J & D: Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!
Libby: What else, Mommy?
Me (sarcastically): Don’t forget the pony rides.
Libby: Oh yeah… we had pony rides!
J & D (wailing): I hate school! I want to stay home and go to a birthday party!
Libby: Oh, and Indiana Jones.
J & D (& Me): Huh?! Indiana Jones?
Drove them absolutely crazy. After a couple of nights, though, they wised up to the fact that we didn’t actually go to birthday parties every day while they are toiling away in school. And truth be told, I think Libby has run out of outlandish things to tease them with (she is, after all, not quite 4 years old… her experiences are fairly limited).
Just the other night, when we asked her about her favorite part of her day, she said, in a bored and nonchalant way, “Oh, you know… ponies, cupcakes, and Indiana Jones.”
Ho-hum… such is the life. ;-)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Another booooring update! Sorry, folks, I'm tapped out...
Current Word Count: 15042 (yay!)
Busy, busy weekend around here... I'll post more later. The peppermint tea, the bubble gum, and the pulse throbbing 80's music (Motley Crue, anyone?!) are only going to keep me going for so long.
Fortunately, I'm still on track with my daily word goals, and have managed not to fall behind... even though there are days when I don't know how I'm going to eke out another 100 words, much less 1667 (daily allotment). Then I get to a part that I'm super excited about, and before I know it, I'm there.
Now that they've re-enabled the author search on the NaNo website, I might post an excerpt later this week. Um, I MIGHT... ;) I'll check with my two editors to see what they think!
Have a lovely Monday! (Oh, and I posted the new weekly menu on my other blog!)
Busy, busy weekend around here... I'll post more later. The peppermint tea, the bubble gum, and the pulse throbbing 80's music (Motley Crue, anyone?!) are only going to keep me going for so long.
Fortunately, I'm still on track with my daily word goals, and have managed not to fall behind... even though there are days when I don't know how I'm going to eke out another 100 words, much less 1667 (daily allotment). Then I get to a part that I'm super excited about, and before I know it, I'm there.
Now that they've re-enabled the author search on the NaNo website, I might post an excerpt later this week. Um, I MIGHT... ;) I'll check with my two editors to see what they think!
Have a lovely Monday! (Oh, and I posted the new weekly menu on my other blog!)
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