NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The goal - write a 50,000 word novel in one month.

Crazy? Yes.

Am I starting mine from word 1? Nope.

I am slightly ashamed to admit that I started to write a novel a few months before I had Garrett. (Not ashamed that I'm writing, but ashamed that I'm still not done with it!) Three years later...I have over 50,000 words but have not completed my first draft. Embarrassing.

So...now that I have 4 kids and unlimited time (please note sarcasm), I have decided to take the challenge. Not to start a novel from word 1, but to finish my first draft in one month. Since technically over 50,000 words should put me near the end it doesn't sound so bad except I'm pretty sure I'm not even half way done. And did I mention it took me three years to write the first half?

As anyone who writes knows, sometimes the first draft can be the most difficult part. At the same time once its done, its only a tiny part of the writing process.

I might look half crazed through the month of November but its time to finish.

Six or a Ladybug Bubble Fairy

Mini cupcakes for Emma's class.

A ladybug cake, no fairies or princess but she still liked it.

We've had a birthday at our house. Our little Emma (Emmalou, Emmybug, Emmy, etc) turned six this month. She wanted a lady princess fairy cake...thats the best I could do. She wants to be a ladybug bubble fairy for Halloween, hence the title of the post.

 Emma is my shadow.

But she is a sweet little shadow. She started kindergarten this year and she's doing great. I'm going to totally and shamelessly brag about her.

Emma could write her name when she was 2. She started sounding out words when she was 3. And now that she's been in kindergarten all of a few weeks she's reading the scriptures out loud with the family. She loves all things girly - pink, ruffles, sparkles, barbies, and dolls - while at the same time she is my scientist.

She is still fascinated with the human body. She got a model of the brain for her birthday and she shouted, "This is perfect for me!" I tried to help her put it together but we had trouble with the bones of the skull once we got all the parts of the brain together. (I'm going to admit that I don't get the appeal but she thought it was great.) The same kit came with a model of the human body that you could take all the parts out and practice putting them back in again. I couldn't figure out why we were having trouble until I realized that we'd put the rib cage in upside down. Thank goodness she's added the solar system to her areas of interest. At least I'm competent in that area.

Love this crazy, quirky girl.

They're sick and I'm tired

Haven't posted for awhile because 3 kids are sick and I'm tired because...well I'm taking care of three sick kids.

In the mean time, I figured out what kind of bird hit the front window. Its the same kind that hit the back window. Apparently it didn't learn its lesson. You can't tell from the picture but its quite large. I've seen little brown woodpeckers before but this is the first time I've seen this kind and they are big. Like the size of a crow.

 There were two flying around the house and this guy hit the window and stayed down long enough that I went out to check on it, at which point it flew away.

Before anyone thinks, 'wow she must have clean windows for all these birds to keep hitting them', no, the windows are dirty but we have a giant picture window in the living room and the kitchen. Consequently, you can see all the way through the house and out the other window. Thus, lots of birds hitting the windows.