Because, I'm the Mom!

I usually try to keep things on this blog writing-related, but since I consider my most important job title to be "Mom" first and "Writer" second, I just had to post this hilarious video from You Tube. And I guess I'm feeling rather nostalgic and particularly "mom-ish" tonight because my "baby" just turned 8 years old! He was born around 10:20 p.m. -- 1 hour and 40 minutes shy of being a Leap Day baby, which would have been both strange and cool at the same time. I know I wouldn't mind only having a birthday every 4 years! So in honor of Trey's birthday -- here's "The Mom Song." Enjoy!

In other news... I have now finally joined the ranks of high-speed Internet users, hallelujah! Which means I spend way more time surfing the Web than I should. All in the name of "research," of course!

Ever Feel Like This?

This hilarious comic from Debbie Ridpath Ohi at inkygirl is right on the money. With three kids 11 and under, this is exactly the way I feel 99.9% of the time. As a matter of fact, as soon as I get over this cold (yep, I'm still sick), I'll be outside, building my igloo.

Sick as a ?

Now that my most pressing deadlines are over (hallelujah!), I have to come up with a really good excuse for not blogging. So how about this? I'm sick as a dog. Not sure where this phrase came from, because my dog, Coda, (above) rarely -- if ever -- gets sick. Except when he got hit by a car, which is another story in itself. I'll have to do some research on where this phrase originated -- maybe later when I don't have a fever. So, why am I blogging at my computer instead of lounging in bed, you ask? Well, right now, my fever is artificially lowered due to the 3 Advil I took, and my head, although still feeling suspiciously like a bowling ball, is light enough to hold erect for a few minutes. Also, I'm afraid I may be addicted to the Internet. Is there a rehab clinic for that? More later when I'm feeling like a human being again...

Rise to the Occasion

Three weeks into the New Year, and this is only my second post. Shame on me. Well, actually, I've recently been blessed with two new freelance jobs and a speaking engagement, so blogging has to take a back seat. Not like it's ever been in the front seat, or even riding shotgun for that matter, but there have been a few months where I've been a bit more prolific blogger. I'm in the middle of preparing for a workshop on greeting card writing, writing a children's activity book for one company, and composing some poetry for an inspirational gift product line. Yippee! I love it! I've had quite a dry spell on freelance stuff, so bring it on!

Russ and I took the kids to see Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium at our local bargain theater last weekend. I know, I know, it got terrible reviews, but I thought it was a sweet and imaginative movie. So did the kids. And I absolutely love this quote by Mr. Magorium (played by Dustin Hoffman):

Your life is an occasion. Rise to it.

Happy New Year -- Already?

Since I completely skipped blogging during the month of December, I thought it would be nice to offer a late Christmas present to all you writers out there. Starting out the New Year with a little humor is always a good thing in my book. Hey, we have the rest of the year to be pessimistic and whine and complain! So, without further ado, here's the writer's version of The Twelve Days of Christmas, originally posted on the Disco Mermaids blog:


THE TWELVE FORM REJECTIONS
(inspired by The Twelve Days of Christmas)
In my twelfth form rejection, the letter said to me:
Dear Author/Illustrator,
regarding (CAPS & BOLDFACE TITLE),
thanks for your submission,
we're so glad you thought of our house,
we're proud of ev'ry book we publish,
see Writer's Market for our guidelines,
due to the number of submissions,
we can't give personal suggestions,
though we strive for quick responses,
after careful consideration,
good luck in the future,
but this story doesn't fit our current needs.
So I cried for just a minute, and then
(surging with ambition)
tucked a self-addressed-stamped-envelope
into my next submission.

Cute, huh? Well, it seems to be the story of my life lately. But who knows what lies ahead in 2008? A book contract would be nice. To be continued...

Writing Prompts

I'm not sure what's wrong with me these days. I just don't feel like writing. Shopping? Sure. Going out to eat? I'm there. Browsing other people's blogs? Definitely. Reading? Oh, yeah. But mention writing, and I get this glazed over, pathetic, please-don't-make-me look in my eyes. I think the agony of waiting for word from my agent about Chicken Scratch is giving me writer's block (or maybe it was all that cheese I ate). Whatever it is, I now know what it's like to be a DVD on "pause." Not fun.

This week, I stumbled upon Kay Pluta's blog (she's an editor at Blooming Tree Press) and found some great little writing prompts. They're supposed to be for kids, but hey, I'm willing to try anything at this point.

Pilgrim Trivia Answers

Well, I've made you wait long enough. So without further ado (drumroll, please), here are the answers to the Thanksgiving trivia questions:

1. 12 years (Finally a question that stumped Stephanie!)

2. Jonathan, Patience and Fear

3. the Speedwell

4. Oceanus Hopkins and Peregrine White

5. John Carver (not William Bradford as many would think)

6. Samoset (who then introduced the Pilgrims to Squanto)

7. 1621