At a recent school visit, I spoke about my journey as an author, and how it started long before I ever knew that I wanted to write. I talked about when I was in school, and how impatiently I'd wait for the book club orders to come in.

How exciting it was when I started writing, and my first publication was in a magazine that I loved as a child, Highlights for Children! Now my own children read that same magazine, and I have to admit - I still do too.

Thank you Joanne, and all the wonderful children at Princeton Elementary. I was so proud that you chose Ocean Hide and Seek for your 50th book, and I loved celebrating with you. To the one little girl who asked for her very own copy of Highlights... it's on its way.

And thank you Highlights, for not only providing the very best for your readers but also for supporting writers and illustrators everywhere. Highlights just resold rights to my story, Dumplings on Sunday, to Riverside Publishing. YAY!

For the 100th day of school, my 5 year old's kindergarten class wrote about what they would be when they were 100 years old. What wonderful answers they all had! Some children had big dreams like being President, a rock star, or a superhero. Others wrote about being a grandpa or a teacher or having their own house with a dog, an iguana, and three hamsters.

My child wrote this... "When I am 100 years old, I will not be bald."

This week has been a whirlwind for me. I've attended five Thanksgiving feasts, one Thanksgiving class play, and one Tuneful Turkey performance. Ummm... do you think Dominos delivers on Thanksgiving?

Actually, I love the holidays. It has three of my favorite things... family, friends and food! Okay, okay, I like the shopping too. It is tough this year because I am trying to get my arms around my new job and find some kind of balance between being a mom, a writer, and a technical writer. It has been a little while since I have been in the corporate world, so it is a pretty big adjustment.

In the meantime, I'm still trying to finish off my school visit presentations and fill up my calendar for the Spring. One of my friends has been sending me letters with coffee/work stickers that have been apropos... e.g. "Drink coffee - do stupid things faster and with more energy!"

In the meantime, the MIL is coming, and I have a pile of laundry that would support a herd of mountain goats. Thank goodness for that laundry room door. As you can imagine, I'm in desperate need of a GNO (gal's night out). Though I love our troop, Girl Scout meetings do NOT qualify.

Sigh.

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My favorite moments of the week:

PJ as Squanto in his class play. He was BRILLIANT! :-)

JR yawning really big TWICE on stage during a rousing rendition of Old Tom Turkey. But he did an excellent Turkey Woogie.

A little girl in PJ's class, who announced at the end of the play that she played the role of the Pilgrim woman, the messenger, and the LOG CABIN.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE.

I am thankful for every one of you!

Older Boy: PJ was blushing in the car line today.
Me: Really?
PJ: I was just hot. I played two hours of soccer today!
Older Boy: No, he was talking with his girlfriend.
Me: His girlfriend? Would that be...
PJ (shaking head vigorously): No. That's not it. She isn't my girlfriend. I mean, she likes me, but I don't like her.
Me: You don't like her?
PJ: Yes, I mean no. I mean, I like her but I don't LIKE her.
Me: Oh, you don't LIKE her.
PJ: You know, like-like her.
Me: Oh yes, like-like. I understand. Sort of like... I like pickles but I don't LIKE pickles.
PJ: M-o-o-o-m!

:-)

Wow. It has been a whirlwind weekend. But my giggle of the week happened yesterday. We had some large pine trees in the back that unfortunately had to be removed. A mighty wood chipper made short work of the branches and trunks, spewing the wood chips into the kid's play area. With hindsight, we could have had them move the wood chipper around a little and saved ourselves a literal mountain of work. Alas, we did not.

So Mount Wood Chip sat there, at the bottom of the slide. A monument of backbreaking work. With heavy sighs we grabbed rakes and shovels, climbed to the top, and began the first of many hours dispersing wood chips as best we could. After awhile my little ones came out to help. My daughter found the rake a little unwieldy, and we found her a little well, dangerous as she swung it around much like a pinata stick - with us as the pinatas. So we sent her back to the house to find something a bit smaller. She came back... with a spoon.

Plastic. Not a tablespoon, but a teaspoon.

The pain in my back and arms didn't begin to compare to the ache in my sides as we laughed ourselves silly on top of the mountain. Before I had kids I thought being a parent meant teaching your kids. Instead I learn something every day. Like no mountain is too big to tackle... with a spoon. :-)

The Southern Breeze Fall Conference was everything it should be... inspiring, instructive, illuminating. Paul Fleischman's keynote speech had me running home to encourage my kids to start playing more with their food. Thank you so much to the organizers of the conference, the wonderful speakers, and the attendees, who each reminded us what a remarkable journey we are on together.

A special thanks goes to to Alexandra Penfold of Simon & Schuster, who judged this year's Annual Writing Contest. She gave my work-in-progress, a book about the amazing history of our flag, Old Glory -- 3rd place! Congratulations to everyone who entered. If you are a member of Southern Breeze, and didn't enter this year, start polishing your entries for 2009! Larry Rosler of Boyds Mill Press will be one of our judges. His keynote address at last year's conference showed us all what lies at the center of great writing... heart. Speak to the heart of your reader and the rest will follow.

Remember Miss Viola Swamp in the wonderful picture book, Miss Nelson is Missing?

My name this week is no longer simply Mama. It's 'Ummmm Mama'. Because this week is a little crazy and my poor kids are too nice to tell their Mama that she has lost her marbles, so instead they just start every sentence with "Ummmm... Mama?".

Noone is safe from the foibles of Ummmmm Mama, especially at mealtimes.

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JR: Ummmm... Mama? Did you know that when you microwave burritos on paper towels, they stick together? And that paper is not edible?
[Translation: Mama, please, PLEASE watch more Martha Stewart]

MA (oldest boy child): Ummmm... Mama? Did you mean to pack me the Barbie thermos in my lunch box?
[Translation: Did you mean to destroy my 5th grade social life before I have even reached the end of the first nine weeks?]

PJ: Ummmm... Mama? Did you mean to put peanut butter and HAM on my sandwich today?
[Translation: Ewwwwww... gross!]

JA: Ummmm... Mama? Did you forget to open the window for the tooth fairy?
[Translation: Remember that bird who flew into our window and died?]
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Ummmm Mama will be serving take out pizza tonight.

THUD!

Remember that commercial with the kids who make Mikey 'try' the cereal first, while they wait to see whether or not he likes it? And the eventual jaw-drop when Mikey proceeds to eat, and eat, and eat?

Well, that THUD was the sound of my jaw dropping. Because ohmigoodness... THEY LIKED IT! I couldn't be more thrilled with my SCBWI Letter of Merit for my biography of Augusta Savage, an artist whose legacy is not only in her art but in the people she helped and inspired. For me, this story has been both a labor of love and a risk, as it is one of my first attempts at a biography. I am so excited that it was chosen as one of the finalists.

Congratulations to everyone who sent in an entry for the SCBWI Works-in-Progress grants!

Thank you SCBWI!

In honor of Talk Like a Pirate Week, I thought I'd share a pirate story (well, sort of).

Last summer, I read an article that talked about how there were too many rhyming books. Too many pirate books (since Pirates of the Carribean). Oh and by the way, the picture book market was still soft.

DH didn't read the article. So of course, he wrote a rhyming, pirate picture book inspired by our children. A few months later, he got THE CALL. His book is due out with HarperCollins in 2010. His illustrator is the incredible Leslie Lammle.

Write what you love.

And never stop BELIEVING.

DH is in San Francisco at a trade show. He gave the usual admonition to me to 'behave', while telling the kids to 'take good care of me'.

So they have.

So far, we have survived two vomit attacks (one child, one dog), one trip to the principal's office, multiple back seat brawls, and one emergency trip to the store for school supplies in the pouring rain.

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This was my trip to the grocery store (with an accidental trip down the toy aisle)...

Little One: Can I have this monkey, mama?

Me: Not today, sweetie.

Little One: I really need this monkey. I really, really need this monkey.

Me: But you already have a monkey.

Little One: But I don't have THIS monkey. And my monkey is lonely.

Me (attempt to divert): Can you help me find the yogurt?

Little One: No, but the monkey can. Monkeys are very good nag-avators.

Me: And do they cook too? Because we could really use a good cook in the house.

Little One: Mom, get real.

Little One (a short while later): You can be a good cook, Mom. You just have to watch Martha Stewart.


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Then, somewhere between the yogurt aisle and the soup section, Monkey finds his way into the cart...

Little One: I think he jumped in there. Monkeys do that, you know.

Me: Is that so?

Little One (nods vigorously): Awww... isn't that cute. Monkey loves you. Look, he's giving you a kiss.

Me (spitting out monkey fur): I love him too, and we will visit him often. But he is happy here. Just think. All the bananas he can eat!

Little One: But I'll give him lots of snuggles. And he'd rather have snuggles than bananas.

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Then, at the checkout lane, as I am still trying to figure out how to get out of the store without the monkey, my little helper empties out the grocery cart. He very helpfully passes me each item in turn, which I scan and bag. Unbeknownst to me, when he runs out of items in the cart, he runs over to the ALREADY SCANNED AND BAGGED groceries, and passes them to me again. Because who wouldn't want to pay for the same groceries TWO and THREE times?

Meanwhile, I am late to pick up the kids from school. In our hurry, we left two bags of groceries there and ran over one can of Chef Boyardee with the shopping cart. I imagine the 'monkey' was laughing his furry, stuffed head off.

I have a friend, Lisa, who says she would rather have a colonoscopy than take her three little ones to the grocery store. She may have a point.

I'm on Facebook AND I have an addiction... to word games. I'm also bragging shamelessly about having climbed from the word vocabulary of a pro-wrestler to that of a CEO. I love poking people as well. Now, if there were just a way to send a margarita to all my friends, I think it would be just about perfect.

Come join me!

School is about to begin. Sigh.

On the agenda for today...

1. Two doctor visits.
2. Two chickenpox booster shots.
3. Five dentist visits.

Calgon, take me away!

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Have Pen Will Travel

On the writing front (well, sort of)... yesterday, a mom on my son's gymnastics team brought in an album of the most GORGEOUS cakes you've ever seen - for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, vacation bible school, her church's 20th anniversary, her son's class each year. Each one was wildly creative and totally unique. She even had one at the beach, with palm trees, graham cracker/brown sugar sand, fish, lifeguard stands, the works! I think I've got her convinced to make one for my book launch party. If it tastes as good as it looks... let the drooling begin! I'll put out the Slippery When Wet signs. :-)

It has been awhile since my last post, so here are a few happenings here at the Monkey House...

1. We had a fabulous trip down to the beach for the 4th.

JR caught his first fish,
PJ cartwheeled across the sand,
MA dug big holes and met a girl named Lavender, and
JA helped me build a castle fit for a princess.

We visited a sea bird rehabilitation facility and climbed to the top of a lighthouse. The dolphins and the egrets and the pelicans stayed awhile, and my DH even got a rare visit from a manatee and a family of rays!

2. Despite a few weeks away from the pool, last night the kids jumped right in. JR made it all the way across the pool by himself for the first time. No floats! And my daughter went down to two floats. If this keeps up, we may just become the Fish House instead.

3. JR lost his first tooth. And his second. And boy is he an open-toothed wonder. But of course then come the questions... 'why does the fairy want my tooth?'

4. We learned continents and oceans this week...

Me: So, can you name some continents for me?
JR: Asia, Africa, Europe
Me: And which one do we live on?
JR: North America! And there's South America and East America and West America.
Me: Ummm. I don't think there is an East America or a West America.
JR: Yes there is. The sun rises over East America and sets over West America.

Okay, works for me. At five, he's better at geography than I am anyway. :-)

5. PJ & M are learning Chinese online. Sadly, their mom does not know how to say much more than 'thank you' and 'goodbye' and 'how are you'. But thanks to a visit from Grandma, and a practice session with a few M&Ms, both boys are now using CHOPSTICKS!

6. Thanks to a wonderful friend, we got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Tennessee Aquarium. The people there were so nice when I was fact-checking my ocean book. I can't wait to go back again. And again. And again. :-)

7. My background has been checked. I got official word that once I finish my New Leader Training, I have been approved as Girl Scout Troop Co-Leader. Gulp.

But for now, I'm off to supervise Movie Day at my house. Playing on the big screen will be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Sigh.

As Father's Day approaches, I realize that it is time to start my usual What-am-I-Going-to-Do Panic Attack. But this year, I'm on the ball.

Because [drum roll, please], I've got my Father's Day gifts picked out FOUR DAYS in ADVANCE! And I have the inside scoop too, mind you. So this time, there is a faint but very real hope that my presents will not end up in the ever growing Father's Day Box of Unused Presents.

It was in the grocery store (one of my favorite places of inspiration) that the conversation began.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Dad: "Let's do some jalapenos. Have you ever had mozzarella stuffed jalapenos?"

Me: "Jalapenos and cheese. How could it be bad?"

Dad: "I watched someone making them on The Food Network. They had this cool tool for coring out the jalapenos. I wish I knew where to buy one of those things. Sigh."

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I was just able to stop myself from doing a Happy Dance in the vegetable aisle. Yes, it is true. My dad has a serious case of JTE, aka Jalapeno Tool Envy. And I think this may just be the first year that he will get a present and actually be surprised. And ummmm, I will get some tasty food as well.

http://www.irondesert.com/Chile-Grills-orderby0-p-1-c-1.html

What are you doing for Father's Day? What is the strangest gift you've ever given your dad?

A tough week in Publisher Land... two manuscripts in the final round at one publisher were ultimately not chosen. The words 'very, very close' can be bittersweet!

Today, after two sets of requested revisions for an editor who really liked the latest version, the committee decided that want to focus on a younger audience. My manuscript, which was a good fit for what they have published in the past, no longer fits the bill. Sigh.

It was one of my favorites too.

Anyone for a DOUBLE SCOOP?

Gary Phillips is BRILLIANT, I tell you. Simply BRILLIANT!

Check out his work at http://garyphillipsstudio.com/.

As I get ready to BRAVE an entire two months of kids, kids, and more kids, I am trying valiantly to get all my other ducks in a row. Everywhere I go, I hear the QUACK, QUACK, QUACK of jobs I need to do.

An author in one of my writer support groups has an awesome book on Animal Groups and Babies (In My Own Backyard, by Valarie Giogas). So I began pondering names for my little groups as well... because yes, they tend to be fruitful and multiply.

Here are some standards:
Pile of Paperwork
Load of Laundry

And here are are a few new ones:
Giggle of Girl Scouts
Clutter of Closets
Development of Dust Bunnies
Clutch of Cover Letters

But I couldn't come up with one for writing.

A Worry of Writing?
A Mantra of Manuscripts?

Okay, those are pretty bad. Anyone have any ideas? Anyone...?

I'm getting ready to send out a status query. Because I believe in a logical and rational approach to things, I naturally checked out my daily horoscope on www.astrology.com. Today's horoscope is promising but here's the one for tomorrow.

Daily Overview: May 23, 2008
CAPRICORN
December 22-January 19

Good news comes your way early today and you may find that your recent hard work is paying off in a big way. Somehow, you're responsible for good times, so revel and share your good energy.

Lisa Schroeder has a call out to the universe for GOOD NEWS on her blog at http://lisa-schroeder.livejournal.com/. DITTO THAT!

Wow. I've gone back and forth between David A and David C pretty much the whole season. So how cool was it to have both of them in the finals?

David C has blown me away in the past -- he is an amazing talent with a range and style that make me want to close my eyes and just savor the notes.

But last night definitely belonged to David A. We listened to Imagine three times, and my kids kept saying, "...again, again, again!"

Both of them are superstars and what I love the most is that both finalists seem so REAL. Writing and singing have so much in common when it comes to the magic that happens when you put your heart on the line. When you do, it transcends the notes or the words and becomes something indescribably beautiful.

I have to say this was one of my favorite Idol finals ever.

On another note, I think I just agreed to be a Girl Scount Brownie Troop Co-Leader. GULP! Wish me luck!

My daughter went to her first official Brownie meeting yesterday. Today, she is at her first official Brownie sleepover. She's having a blast.

Sigh.