Happy New Year!

I forgot to mention, my latest Dot Moms post went up on the 28th.

Today I sat down and organized my goals for 2006. Here they are, for anyone interested:

1. Complete and submit 6 proposals (4 new, 2 revamped).
2. Upon receiving a request from one of the proposals, outline the book loosely and write it in less than six months.
3. Build my vocabulary by learning at least 13 new words a month that I will use in my manuscript.
4. Exercise twice a week. :rotfl:
5. Read 12 new books.
6. Send in an application to be on “Survivor.” (What? You don’t think I could win? Me, who has never been camping?) :help:

There are others, but those are the basics.

Overall, looking back, I have a great deal to be thankful for. Mills & Boon Historicals gave me a much-needed boost in my confidence. Regardless of the outcome of His Chosen Bride, it’s been a thrill just to work with an editor on revisions. Here’s hoping that January brings a call for me! Thinking positively, I bought a bottle of champagne (yes, the real French stuff) :woot: in the hopes that January or February might bring a special phone call. We’ll see!

In the meantime, here’s wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year! :drunk:

Mulling over the upcoming New Year

I’m back! :waving2: We dragged the family down to Raleigh to visit in-laws and Grandpa. The kids were spoiled rotten, they cried on the way back, and were promptly consoled with the Rice Krispie treats that my sister-in-law (aka goddess of the universe) stashed in our car. :popcorn:

Speaking of my sister-in-law, I am in awe of her. She is one of those people who can find the perfect gifts for kids. My children drool at the thought of a gift from her because they KNOW it’s gonna be good. My son received stomp rockets. for Christmas. He and the rest of the kids had a blast launching foam rockets into the backyard. My daughter received a baby doll that was spawned by Hannibal Lecter. Yes, really. The doll makes a weird gurgling noise that clearly demonstrates demonic possession. :shocked:

Now this is all part of an elaborate revenge scenario, you realize. All because I bought her infant daughter a doll that says, “Boogers” when you press its tummy. Okay, none of us know what the doll was really supposed to say, but we’re pretty sure it was something close to that. She swore she’d get even by buying a doll that cussed like a sailor or made noises that would give my children nightmares (or something like that. It’s been a few years and I blocked it out of my consciousness). Anyway, instead of a Boogers Doll, my darling daughter got Demon Doll. I just hope it doesn’t decide to join a horror movie cast.

But as the end of the year draws to a close, I am working on my plans to conquer the world New Year’s resolutions. Especially the writing ones. My goal this year is to speed up my writing process by finding something that works for my style. I’d like to write two new books in 2006 and farm out several proposals.

What New Year’s Resolutions are you thinking about?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone!:streamer:

My husband woke up at the crack of dawn and scuttled in front of our son’s room with sleigh bells. My son staggered into the hall, rubbing his eyes and muttering, “I thought I heard something.” After that, Christmas began at our household.

Once my daughter learned that there was candy in her stocking, there was great rejoicing in the land. :shimmy: She ate her body weight in chocolate, I believe. :hungry:

My son’s favorite gifts were a Darth Vader cape (now I no longer have to tie blankets around his neck), and Woody from Toy Story. My daughter enjoyed a little kitchenette (I’m so bad. I picked one up at a thrift store for $5. I couldn’t bring myself to pay $50 on something she’d only use a year or so) and some toy pots and pans. She freaked out with her new doll. She still thinks I’m giving her a corpse. The dolls look so real nowadays, I guess I can see her point. She ran screaming the other way when I showed her the doll in her toy stroller. Oh well. Maybe she’ll get used to it later. :hissyfit:

I bought my husband the Die Hard collection on DVD. He gave me an alcoholic Christmas. I received a bottle of Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, a bartender’s book, and one of those rabbit corkscrews that are just amazing. We won’t discuss his ulterior motives for getting his wife toasted. :drunk: I also received First Draft in Thirty Days! Can’t wait to try that out. My revision process needs work. Last, and one of my favorites was a gift certificate to a spa for a massage and pedicure. Ahhhh…:love:

All in all, a nice Christmas in the household. We ate a fantastic Christmas dinner (though I nearly burned the pie and the turkey through all the distractions) and gorged ourselves on pumpkin pie and lemon meringue. Mmmm…

And just for fun, here are some pictures of yesterday and today:
This is the kids before church on Christmas Eve.
And this is me and the kids before we left for Mass.
This is the children before they dove into their presents.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

And the glory, the glory of the toilet!

I have not changed a diaper in 48 hours. :dancingfool:

Can you hear the angels singing in their resounding glory in the heavens? Or is it just me? :woot:

There are so many milestones of parenting, so many moments of joy and sorrow. We removed the childproof gate from the stairs the other day (our youngest had figured out how to unlock it, so what was the point?). The highchair is in the attic, along with the crib. In time, we’ll take down the bedrails.

But nothing compares to this.

Take that, Pampers! :sword: Ha, I am no longer a slave to you. My daughter’s newfound independence and her ability to strip herself naked within twenty seconds are paying off. (I am hoping she’ll outgrow her desire to moon the world at least before her sixteenth birthday). There are no sweeter words in the English language than, “Mommy, potty?” :wave:

Excuse me while I go revel in this. 20 months old, people! I am so loving this. Maybe I’ll go set the remaining Pampers on fire :angry: and do a ritual dance. With a big bottle of champagne, of course. :drunk: No diapers!!!! Wahoo!

New windows, a dead car, and strep throat for all!

Today was quite the day, let me tell you. It began with my daughter refusing at the top of her lungs to use the toilet. :hissyfit: Not gonna happen, no way, no how. We had a little power struggle, which she won. I finally said, “Fine! Wet your pants! See if I care!!” (a very mature Mommy reaction) :ick:

Then she refused to eat. Now this wouldn’t be a big deal normally, except my children wolf down breakfast as if I’m planning to snatch the plates from under their hands. You don’t dare touch their food unless you want to come away with bloody nubbins as fingers. Little cannibals. :dance:

Anyhoo, my beloved daughter decided she wanted to be Mischa Barton (or Mary Kate Olsen, pick your anorexic Hollywood woman–you have plenty to chose from) …for the day. She also did not eat lunch or dinner the previous day. Goldfish crackers and chocolate were fine, but nothing resembling regular food. I finally scrounged through my pantry and found 1/4 cup of Quaker’s Oatmeal. No, I do not know how old it was. Chances are, it dates back to the pre-children age. But enough about my lack of organization. She turned up her nose, and then ate it finally.

I cleaned up in preparation for the window-installers and informed the children that we were going to the grocery store, as I did not think a stick of butter and frozen bagels would make for a very good supper. I gave my daughter the steely eye and said, “You need to go to the bathroom or we’re not going to the store.” She emitted a chirpy, “Okay!” and sat down and did her business. Man, I should have thought of that one earlier.

So, I load the children into the car and hear a weird clicking noise instead of a roaring engine. Uh oh. I turn off the ignition and try it again. Click, click, click. This is bad. Dead car battery. And I have a 12:20 appointment with the pediatrician to find out why my daughter is trying to lose one-fifth of her body weight by refusing meals. Darling husband to the rescue! (Oh, come on. We all know he really wanted to watch the contractors install the windows. How many men will stay at work when someone is ripping twenty-six windows out of their house?)

Amazingly, the windows went in without too many problems (they saved the Naked Window for last). The Naked Window is the large window in our two-story foyer where the entire outside world can see you scuttling upstairs in search of a towel. I have visions of crashing windows and glass everywhere. But that’s for tomorrow.

At the pediatricians, I found out that my daughter had strep throat. Could have told you that a few days ago when she had a fever and wasn’t eating. To make matters even better, she gave it to my son, too. Both will be guzzling Amoxicillin for the next ten days. They are both medicine addicts, so the merest shake of the bottle will send them both flying toward me, their little tongues hanging out with glee. And we won’t discuss the time I had to call Poison Control because I caught my youngest guzzling Children’s Tylenol like it was Kool-Aid. (There was actually more on her and on the counter than in her, but it was pretty scary that the childproof bottles were not so childproof.).

So, as we enter this joyous holiday season, I have new windows, a broken car, and two children with strep. But life is good because the kiddos will be well and truly drugged. :flying:

Do You Know What I Know?

Another update from Harlequin today….they’re still swamped and haven’t had time to read my book yet. That’s okay. I love the editor I’m working with because she is wonderful at keeping me posted. :worthy: In any case, I won’t hear until after New Year’s, it sounds like. Hey, we’ll celebrate not having a holiday rejection! :wave: :drunk:

The baby was sick for four days, during which time I got the bright idea that, “Hey! Let’s get rid of all diapers!” Yes, who do we think was the REAL sick one?? :loser: But we did accomplish a few things. The baby now hates being wet or soiled in any form. She dances when she has to go, which is very handy. BUT…she will not use public toilets. :ick: Can’t say as I blame her. Those things are terrifying enough to those of us who use toilets on a regular basis.

Other news in the family…we have lost our minds! Yes, we are having our windows replaced. All of them. Tomorrow a crew will rip gaping holes in our house in the middle of December! :woot: I have a sickening knot in my stomach, because as we all know, construction never goes without problems. I have visions of men with drooping waistlines, scratching their noggins and saying, “Yup. You got moisture damage. We’re going to have to reframe the house and rip it down.”:shock: Pray for me.

Almost Free at Last…

Sorry I’ve been away for a bit. My daughter got sick this morning and hasn’t really bounced back yet. Sometimes children have a fever in the morning and by evening, they’re doing better. Not so this time. She was sobbing throughout her bath and after I got her into pajamas, she fell asleep in my arms in the rocking chair. I think there’s something wonderful about a rocking chair. I can’t imagine being a mom without one.

It reminds me of those dark, sleepy nights when I first brought her home from the hospital. I’d cuddle her close and she would fall asleep, her warm snuggly body against mine. There’s something beautiful about the way a newborn baby rolls up like a little bug, their heartbeat against yours, their soft heads nuzzled beneath your chin.

One of my friends gave birth to a son yesterday, her first child. I remember the amazement of those first few days. Nobody can ever explain how much a child completely takes your world apart. I know I write a lot about my children, because they’re part of who I am now. I love being a mom.

Am I crazy to want a third child?

Christmas Cards and Holiday Resolutions

Last night, my husband and I finally got through the Christmas cards. It amused me because he decided we’d do it together at the kitchen table while sipping hot cocoa. :coffee: “You write it, and I’ll tell you what to say,” he suggested.

Uh, no. :fryingpan: “How about you write out the cards for your side and I’ll write out the cards for my side,” I countered.

He protested, at which point I gave him the hairy eyeball. He contemplated what to say on the first card while I started in on my stack. After it took him 3-4 minutes to decide what to say on card #1, rephrasing and adjusting, I pointed to the stack. “Honey, we have 54 cards to do. If you spend that long, we’ll be here all night.” Finally, we got into a rhythm, and he DID do his stack which helped tremendously. It amused me because by the end, he was writing, “Happy Holidays” and “Best wishes in 2006.” We stuffed them with our annual Christmas letter and I’m sure our postal lady will just love us when she sees our mailbox today. :flying:
I must remember to get her something. You just have to buy a gift for a woman named Reesey Cup.

Anyway, I’ve learned a bit about myself this week. One, if you’re working full time, you cannot also be Suzy Homemaker, baking cookies, cleaning the house, and wrapping gifts, without having a nervous breakdown and becoming a grinch among your family. Next year, I either take a day off from working to do the holiday stuff or I cut WAY back on what I do. I think the day off sounds like a good plan. :wave:

I do think it’s next to impossible to write during the holidays, though, when you only have an hour and a half at night. My time is just sucked up into a vacuum. I’m resolving to either take a week or two off from writing during the Christmas season, or somehow find ways to write during the day time. Nights just aren’t happening.

So what holiday stresses do you put yourself through?:drunk:

Cooking with the Minions

Today I decided to have a BAKING EXTRAVAGANZA! After baking, oh, I dunno..seven mini-loaves of fruitcake and bourbon balls, I decided to have the children help me in baking the rest of the holiday stuff. I like to give the teachers food (and being a teacher myself, food is the best present–everybody can use it, and it doesn’t cost a lot to give). Anyway, I started the morning with banana bread and progressed through date nut balls, gingerbread men, and sugar cookies. Mmm…

Here’s a picture of my helpers:
Notice the way my daughter is eyeing her brother with a “Hands off my cookies, pal!”

Last night my son survived the annual holiday performance. They sang a song about American kids and waved flags. All in all, he did great. He sang a few times, waved the flag, and didn’t break down sobbing like last year. :woot: Hey, works for me. At one point he put his hand in his pocket. Clearly relaxed about the whole thing. :beer:

And tonight is the office Christmas party. :drunk: I’m taking macaroni salad and Christmas cookies. The hubby is staying home with the kids, which should be fun for him. :shark: :rotfl: I’m considering bringing a decent bottle of wine. Last year it was wine in a box….yikes.:ick:

On the writing front, I’m alternating between revising two different books. Happily, I’m making forward progress on both; on the down side, I feel unfocused. This is when I need an editor to tell me, “Michelle, I want you to finish XYZ book and have it to me by March.” I need a deadline, big time.

And we ALL know what Michelle wants for Christmas. And it sure the heck isn’t my two front teeth.

P.S.–My Dot Moms column is up.

Naked Girl

The toilet training has commenced. :woot: I started this past weekend, very gradually, and I am proud to say that my darling daughter has learned to pee on command. Man, what a moment. :rotfl: The things we mothers love. Now there are, of course, times when she chooses to baptize her underwear rather than the toilet, but hey, it’s a start. She seems to like the power trip.

She has also mastered another skill, one which horrified my husband. I was out chaperoning the band concert at the time. My husband informed the children that they could watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special and gathered them in the living room. He remarked that he was going to use the bathroom and when he returned, he found my daughter naked in the hallway. Apparently she decided that she wanted to go, too, and managed to strip herself. Which, I’ll admit, is pretty impressive for a 19-month-old, considering it was a zip-up pajama set with footies. She even removed the diaper. When he asked if she needed to go, she bobbed her head in agreement furiously. Did she go? Nope. But by golly, she learned how to take her clothes off. :shimmy:

Now stripping isn’t, of itself, a bad thing. It leads to them being able to dress themselves and be more independent. The problem is that my children like to PRACTICE. You turn your back and WHAMMO! Naked children. We used to tuck our son into bed at night and whisper as we kissed him, “Keep your clothes on.”

Guess there’s someone else in the household who will need that little reminder. :dance: Just as long as she doesn’t see it as a future career, I think we’re okay.