Renaissance Girl

Diva started cello lessons this week and here she is practicing...with her soccer gear on.

Diva is in soccer, baseball, horseback, Girl Scouts and cello. It seems too much, doesn't it? I was really concerned she would burn out or something would falter. But it seems like the more she has to do, the happier she is. She loves school, dives into her homework and reads more than ever. There are no arguments over soccer practice, she is eager to go. Not so much with baseball, she likes baseball but she isn't big on practices, however she still goes and has a good attitude. She can't wait for horseback and she is interested in pursuing her badges. Why she picked the cello, I'll never understand, but she is very excited and was on it all afternoon and into the evening. After soccer practice she went back to playing on it.

I was never like this. EVER. I did horseback and baton. I played softball and played the flute. I was a Campfire Girl. But rarely did I do any of these things at the same time. And some of it was just because my mom made me. I much preferred to stay home and read. I still don't like getting involved in stuff because it takes me away from writing. I do it because I have to. Schools need volunteers. My kids need rides. Someone has to do the grocery shopping. I'd be happy living in a cave with an Internet connection.

Diva is the opposite. She thrives on attention. She loves being outdoors. Her circle of friends increases exponentially every week. Everything interests her and she loves to compete. Its funny when we start seeing how our children emerge into their own. My son emerged a long time ago and honestly I don't see him chaning much as an adult. Though he doubts it, I think he will become a writer someday. Diva will not. She is more like a heroine in an "American Girl" novel.

I think the big difference between us is that she grasps the vibrancy of life, plunges headlong into the experiences the world offers while I am content to observe it and translate it onto the page. I admire her self-confidence and her courage. But I wonder where it came from.

What kind of person are you? Do you grasp life by the horns or do you like to watch other people do it?


Pumpkin of the Day: I had two pumpkin muffin tops I made yesterday and pumpkin spice creamer in my coffee.

Doldrums

So I've been working on a post expressing my exuberance of over the emergence of spring. The grayness of winter has left the southland, promising Beach Boy-kinds of days and the kind of sun that forces me to wear sunglasses. We got the convertible out of storage and I'd already driven it once. ONCE. Friday things changed. It started getting downright chilly. Last night it started raining. It's pouring right now. Ugh.

Anyway, the start of spring turns up the level of activities around here. The kindergarten classes at her school did a Medieval Day. Here's my little princess. The teachers cordoned off the kindergarten area from the rest of the school and turned it into a village. They had a stage with a lutest, harpist, bagpipe player and a juggler performing. Parents put on workshops with various crafts and skills like paper making and grinding wheat. At the end the kids had a huge feast. It was really cute if a tad ambitious.

We are knee-deep in baseball. Hubby is coaching a team again this year. Some of you might remember we had a team with 7 girls on it last year. This year he decided it wasn't worth the controversy and drafted only two girls (Diva and one other). Didn't matter. Only 4 girls are playing in their division this year. However, the two girls on our team are two of the best players. When they play together in the infield, the are lethal. We get lots of comments. Usually its "I didn't know girls could play baseball like that." What the hell kind of comment is that? What are they supposed to play like? I better get off that soapbox or my "I am woman hear me roar" persona will flare up like a bad case of heartburn.

Supernerd was gone last week to Outdoor Science School. It was weird having my little boy gone for a whole week. He was cut off from his computer, video games, television, etc. He didn't even have time to read. I was worried. I half expected a meltdown. But he came back happy if a little (okay, a lot) stinky. He took one shower and confessed tonight that he'd forgotten to take his toiletries with him so he didn't use soap. And he only brushed his teeth once since he'd forgotten toothpaste. I mentioned that he could have borrowed a dab of paste from his buddies, but apparently oral hygiene was low on the list of things they were worried about.

Work has been horrible. Hubby had a summary judgement motion one week and a trial this week, ergo I was chained to the copy machine doing exhibits and creating trial notebooks. I can't tell you how much that blows. We need to get through April then it will be time to start interviewing my replacement. I wish his old secretary would come back.

Now the amazing thing is that I've kept up my writing. Unfortunately, that means my blogging shrank. Given 5 minutes to choose between writing and blogging, writing has won out. I've found by writing a little bit everyday, I've made real progress. And when I'm stuck, I make myself quit. Sure enough, the next day when I give myself 5 minutes, I am able to pick back up and continue on.

This week should be a bit more mellow. Trials are over and we have a lull before the next begins. Now its time to start focusing on that diet. The end of July will be here before I know it.

Hawaii: Summer Lovin'

First, the remodel is going well. The plumbing is done (including my bitchin' pot filler above my cooktop) and they have placed a bunch of the cans for the lights. We've decided to add a skylight to one area. When I asked the contractor if it would add to the timeline, he said no, I was too far into panic mode as it was. Hopefully they will get to the drywall next week.

Now onto Hawaii.
Hawaii was pretty uneventful and I really didn't take too many pictures since I've been to the exact same places before. But I do have a couple of stories. The first happened the very first day. If you have the soundtrack to "Grease" now would be a good time to play "Summer Lovin'."

My hubby and I took the kids to the beach the first afternoon we were there. Diva started working on a sandcastle straightaway. She loves working in the sand. Perhaps she will be an engineer when she grows up. Anyway, there were a few kids playing as well. One was a cute, blonde boy with a total Hawaiian tan. He and Diva hit it off right away. I watched them talk and dig in the sand. The girl is a natural flirt, not sure where she got it, it wasn't from me and her dad isn't too good at it either. The sun set over the ocean, turning the sand to a blazing pink and it was time to say good bye. In the car going back to our condo, she told me she sure liked that 10 year old boy. She wondered if he liked her too. I asked if she knew his name. Nope. Where does he live? Don't know. So her big summer time romance lasted about an hour. It was pretty funny. Her dad looked rather ill while she talked about the cutie at the beach.

She seems to have recovered. She is on boyfriend number 2 so far this school year. Her criteria for a boyfriend seems to be she has to beat them in arm wrestling. But I do wonder if at lunch she and her friends danced around a picnic table singing "tell me more."

Aggravations

I can't believe its been a week since I blogged. It has been a week of non-stop annoyances and aggravations. This time of the year usually brings its own special brand of irritation. We are seeing the very end of baseball (YESSSS!!!) which has its own ends and rituals. This morning I'm going out on a quest for thank you cards and gift certificates for the coaches and team moms. Also on the agenda is registration for soccer. We don't start until August but registration is now. My son's science fair project is due this week and I've been working with him on that. He didn't do one last year and the principal ripped him a new one, so I put my foot down on it this year.

The rest are things that zap me mentally and emotionally. Mother's Day was a big bag of petty annoyances, none of which I will get into because it gets me spewing fire. Suffice it to say sometimes I wished I married an orphan. The other biggie is my 7 year old. Diva is truly living up to her name right now. I'm so mad at her right now, I don't want her around. She is so self-centered and blind to anything that doesn't have to do with her, it's incredible. I expected this behavior at 12, not 7. And if one more person tells me how sweet she is, I'm going to explode. At school she is the darling. She listens, she helps the teacher, she helps other students. She has a reputation for kindness and is a friend to everyone. At home....*shudder* I don't get it. On the baseball team, skills wise she is one of the better players, but as soon as she hits the field she is either goofing around or whining. At home, she is always dragging her dad out to play ball with her, but once she is with the team, she turns into a brat. Hand me the Tums, please.

All the turmoil has drained me of creativity. The thought of writing exhausts me. Heck, the simple act of blogging is a monumental effort. I think part of it is burn out. The school year is coming to an end and I'm burned out right along with the kids. While they have school, I have the school and sports functions I've been responsible for. Hopefully summer will help, but if my daughter keeps up with her behavior, I'm not too hopeful.

Chapter Two

It finally happened, I ran out of excuses for not writing and sat down and did it. Then is an immeasurable sense of relief when I complete the first chapter although I don't feel the commitment until the third. However, it has been such a long time since I got to chapter two, I've been patting myself on the back. I'm very happy with my writing on this project, I'm comfortable with first person POV and I'm able to challenge myself more.

I think most if not all writers harbor a fear that one day the well is going to dry up and they won't be able to write again. Its usually unfounded, but it swirls around our mind like a malignant fog, creating artificial barriers which lead us astray. I've been doing this long enough to recognize it for the falsity it is. I've had long writing droughts before, longer than this one, but it doesn't matter. It delivers a sucker punch all the same.

There isn't some magic incantation I muttered to get myself back on track. No magical being materialized to bless me with renewed creativity. It was more keeping my butt in the chair and supergluing my fingers to the keyboard. And turning off the Internet. Mentally, I bitched about how rough is was going until I found myself immersed in my story. Next thing I know, I'm at chapter two and I'm still going strong.

One thing I have discovered about myself is that I'm given to daydreams about my novel. But these are just phantoms until I actually do the writing. I can dream up plots and characters until the moon sets, but it only counts when I start writing. Very rarely do those daydreams actually make it to the page. But they do keep me interested. They help me flesh out my characters so that when I do write, I'm more in tune and can figure out how my characters are going to operate with the situations given.

So I'm back to writing. And, sigh, I'm now running out of excuses not to go to the gym. So I guess I'll be doing that too.

Other Stuff...

I have long given up on my kids riding bikes. My son cannot do it. He has a mental block about balance. I have explained to him if he wants to ride a Segway (yes, some kids want a motorcycle, he wants a Segway) he's going to have to learn to balance on two wheels. Diva wasn't much better, but yesterday she grabbed a bike and taught herself how to ride. Now I can't get her of the bike. Its her brother's old bike so we are going to buy her a new one.

Supernerd had his own triumph last week. My folks took the kids to Universal Studios last week. They took the commuter rail then switched to the metroline to get to the park. On the way home, a woman got onto the metro holding a baby. Since it was afterwork, there were no seats available. My son, without prompting, got up and gave her his seat. I think his grandma got misty eyed. He didn't think anything of it. At age 11, I didn't think this level of consideration existed without pressure from parent.

One more thing....

I found this on Amazon. How I found it, I don't know, but it is a crack up. Read the customers' reviews. Too funny.

They Don't Tell You This in "What To Expect When You're Expecting"

I am the first to believe my kids are misbehaving. I have no blinders on when it comes to their behavior because I know what they are capable of. My mindset comes from the fact that I see too many parents who think their kids can do no wrong. They assume their children are angels and will not see or hear anything bad about their kids.

I've always been clear: if there is a problem with my kid, tell me. I'll listen, I want to know. I am more than likely going to believe you. I'm not unfair, but I know my kids aren't perfect and I want them to be likeable and pleasant, so if there is a problem, I want to fix it.

I blogged about a situation back in January about my daughter having problems with another girl and the mother's involvement. While I let the situation go, my manner towards the mother has been rather cool. I don't talk to her beyond a polite greeting. Anyway, damned if this situation hasn't popped up again. Diva never tells me when bad things happen. For her, its like water off a duck's back. She doesn't hold things against people and she has a strong enough ego that the actions of others don't really bother her. However, I do here about things from other mothers whose kids do talk. Apparently the little girl who hosted the pre-Christmas slumber party has been a brat and causing all sorts of drama and my daughter has been the focus of it. The teacher mentioned it to me and has assured me the little girl will be in a different class from the other girls. She and others assure me Diva is the victim in this one.

One of the other little girls hosted a spring break slumber party the other night. When I dropped off Diva, I talked to the mom. The other little girl didn't RSVP (which annoyed the hostess since she planned the party based on the RSVP's) but showed up anyway. When she mentioned this to the mother, the mom said well, since my kid wasn't there, it shouldn't be a problem. When hostess mom said that my daughter would be there, the mom proceeded to tell the hostess how our daughters were sworn enemies and there was going to be problems. Hostess mom, who gets a big high five here, tells her that if there is a problem, she will call her so she can come and pick up her daughter. The other mom was a bit taken aback by that. Hostess mom knows the score and wasn't real thrilled. Diva is one of her daughter's favorite friends and she says Diva is the one child who never says anything bad about anyone else. Anyway, the party went fine, the girls had a good time and there were no problems, no fights and the girls all behaved perfectly.

So here's my dilemna. I feel like the other mother is fomenting trouble. My first inclination is to go on the offensive and have a "chat" with her. I despise this idea that she is spreading trouble for my kid and I'm pissed. My maternal instincts are offended. My rational side says to let it go. We have less than two months left of school. All the other parents who deal with me and my kid (including the teacher) know the score and who is really causing the trouble. To say something to her would be more for my benefit, getting my irritation off my chest. I'm not at my best when I'm emotional.

I really find it hard to believe there is so much drama in elementary school and that parents feel the need to cause more. I expected this kind of stuff in jr. high and high school.

The Dark Ages of Little League

It is that time. Little League has begun. My husband is managing a farm level team (ages 6-8) and Diva is playing. This year, they had a record number of girls sign up for the division which I think is great. Yes, there is girl's softball, but at this age level, they don't take it seriously. A lot of girls spend their early years in Little League then make the switch around 10. Anyway, hubby drafted a team of six boys and seven girls. He wanted to make it as even as possible. For the most part, kids don't care. My daughter's team had two girls last year and the boys treated them like any other ball player. At this age, they don't care. They just want to play ball.

The dad's aren't quite as thrilled. During the draft, the league president told my husband that one dad said he heard there would be an all girl team and he didn't want his daughter on it. When hubby called his parents last night, a couple of the dads were not thrilled to hear their son was playing with a bunch of girls. Obviously, our team is going to blow chunks with all these girls. Heck, girls can't play baseball, can they?

First off, farm division is a learning league, not competitive. They don't keep score. It's coach-pitched. Second, physically, girls have the advantage in many cases. My daughter is taller than most of her classmates and stronger. She plays as hard as the boys and is just as competitive. These girls want to play baseball, they are going to do their best. Third, it just pisses me off that we are still in this mindset.

It's a bunch of kids playing baseball. It saddens me that people see it as something less or something more. Their kids no matter what gender are going to have fun and learn. Isn't that what it is all about?

BTW, you know what's really cool? When you hit "spellcheck" and there are no mispellings.

Oh yeah, I posted an article I wrote for my chapter newsletter over at Villa In Tuscany about the hero's journey.

I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No

I try to do my part. I volunteer where I can but I wasn't doing as much as I wanted. Now that Thing is getting older and will be going to school next year, I've felt a little freer to participate. Before Christmas, my obligations were pretty nil so I felt confident I could take on more projects. It's not like my writing was going anywhere...sigh.

So I took on the duty of Cookie Manager for Diva's Brownie troop. It isn't too bad right now, but I know it is going to get chaotic once cookies get delivered. I was prepared for that. What I didn't realize at the time was that my writing was actually going to go somewhere. On top of that, my kitchen contractor said he could do my kitchen in mid-February. Yikes.

Now baseball season is coming up. This is hubby's thing, I just show up and watch the games. Well, the man he had planned on having as an assistant coach has decided his kids aren't going to play. So hubby informs me I'm going to be out there coaching (I've coached softball and soccer, so this isn't new to me). Also, there are a ton of girls signed up this year and he would like to get about half the team as girls, therefore he wants a female adult out there at all times. This is a huge time consumer. There are two practices a week before the season starts then two games a week and a practice when the season begins. I'm not pleased, but, I would rather do that then see my dh try to run practice alone. Luckily, I like and understand baseball.

My kids' principal called me up the other day and asked me to sit on a new committee. The school is going to lease computers for Apple and they need to find ways of earning the funds. So he asked me to be on the group finding ways of funding this leasing thing. While I doubt this will take a huge amount of time, it will put my name out there in the volunteer pool and I can imagine I will have a "job" every year until my kids leave the school.

Things are going to slide, definitely. I think it will be the house. But I did make it clear to hubby that writing will have to take priority. Most of these things are staggered when they get over. Cookies will be over when baseball gets into full swing. My contractor assures me I will have a new kitchen before the end of March. So I should be okay.

Are you a person who can't say no?

Part two of the Diva situation

I talked to Diva's teacher yesterday and got a totally different picture of what happened. Apparently, my daughter and her friend came up to the teacher the other day and told her they would be nice to this other little girl but they weren't going to be her friend. I guess the little girl's mother told her that my daughter and her friend were brats and that they she shouldn't play with them anymore. Teacher was shocked. When she saw me outside talking to the mom, she assumed I'd heard the comments. My guess is mom wanted to head me off at the pass before Diva said something. Diva didn't say anything to me about it, I guess it didn't bother her that much. But I talked to her teacher. I'm concerned that I have a budding Evil Sorority sister on my hands, but her teacher assures me that isn't the case. She said the other girl is the one with some real social issues and has brought drama to everything. There is a core group of three girls my daughter belongs to that insulates itself from the drama. Other girls come and go but this group is tight. She doesn't think I have anything to worry about although she is pretty upset that this mother decided to bring this up now, I guess it stirred up a hornet's nest in the classroom.

This other mom has problems. Like all of us, she's made some mistakes, unfortunately, hers had more lasting consequences. She's in a miserable situation and she's emotionally fragile. I'm not upset and I'm going to let it go. I'm not much into drama myself (amazing since that's what I write).

The Politics of Childhood

Yesterday while I was waiting for my son to get out of school, I was chatting with one of my daughter's friend's mom. We usually talk in the afternoons but yesterday she said she needed to talk to me about a situation.

We went outside and she told me that my daughter and another little girl were being bratty at her daughter's birtday party. I have no illusions about my child and believe her, particularly when Diva is around this other girl.

Problem is, this party happened well before Christmas. So she's been stewing for over a month about it. She said she guess she should have said something sooner (Ya THINK?)but she wasn't sure what to do.

I told her she should have handled it at the party. Or mentioned it when I picked up my kid. I'm not sure what she thinks I should do, but its a little late now. Kids are like dogs, they need to be called to the carpet as soon as the act is discovered. I can talk to my daughter about it, but she is going to look at me blankly. Something that happened over a month ago is going to make no impression on her.

I understand the mom didn't want to make any ripples, but she knows I'm the harshest judge of my kids and I would have believed her. She's nice and has that kind of ummm...hearts and flowers outlook about her kids. I mentioned that my kids' behavior had improved radically since the holidays were over and she agreed, her kids were better too but she attributed it to the fact she got to spend more time with them. She is a mom who has guilt for leaving her kids. I feel bad for her, she is going to be riddled with guilt for a very long time. And her kids know it. Kids know how to manipulate, its in their genetic make up.

I'm not looking forward to the next ten years with Diva. This is going to happen again. I'll talk to her before she goes to her next party, but as she gets older, my influence is going to drop. I never had these problems as a kid. I was always one of the outcast kids, one of the ones the others picked on. Diva is a different kid entirely. She knows everyone at school. She's outgoing and for the most part, friendly. But I can already see the peer pressure kicking in. If I can get her to adulthood without tearing my hair out, I will consider it a triumph.

Supernerd is being kind of a pill too. I don't remember the last time he did homework. I used to pitch a fit and threaten, but I stopped. It wasn't doing any good. The worse part of it is that his teacher seems to have no consequences. He does fine on tests and projects, but he had no interest in doing the weekly homework. The teacher doesn't seem to care. If there are no consequences at school, I'm not sure how I can be make him do it at home. I've done 5th grade before, I have two other kids, a house, a husband and my writing. He's 11, old enough to manage his own homework. If the teacher is just assigning it as busy work,fine, but I don't think she is. Eventually, he is going to learn this lesson, but it is going to hurt like hell when he does.

A Little Snow

I woke up to snow this morning. Didn't stick to the ground or anything, but it was snow. To put this in perspective, I live about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles. HELLO??? Dude, snow is so uncool, at least in these neck of the woods. It isn't unheard of, though. Tonight we are set to have record-breaking temperatures. We could reach into the 20's. It is going to be a chilly day, the kind Melissa would say was perfect for writing. Also a good day to sit and read a book or play on the Playstation.

I got my Internet fixed all by myself. So that's back to normal. I think my agent and I decided on a title yesterday so my ms will go out next week into the wide world of editors. I'm pretty excited, but I also know I could be looking at a long haul. Submitting is grueling and every submission is different. My last book I submitted to at least 30 agents and a couple of publishers. The process took about two years and after that time, I retired the MS. With this latest book I submitted to maybe five agents and had representation within a couple of months. I'm glad I had the former experience, although it was emotionally draining, it prepared me for the ups and downs ahead.

Took my daughter to the dentist yesterday. She has the worst teeth. I'm one of those people who has near-perfect teeth. Never needed braces and I finally got my first cavity at 38 and I probably won't get another one. My son and my youngest have the same. But the middle one.... Yesterday they drilled on Diva's teeth. They gave her a shot of novacain. Didn't phase her. She's a tough cookie. She better be because she has two more. I did squawk about the fees so they lowered it, deciding maybe she didn't need quite the pulp cap (whatever that is, I just know it was $200). These were on her baby teeth, so I really didn't want her having Cadillac treatment on them.

Cookie Monster

The time is coming, as inevitable as the sunrise, bringing its own warmth and goodness. Yes, it is time for Girl Scout cookies. Sales start next week. I am the designated cookie monster (manager) for my daughter's troop. No one else volunteered and at the time I waved my hand in the air, I didn't know I was going to be starting a major remodel at home or that I would actually have a writing career that showed some promise. But I took on the obligation so I will see it through. To be honest, a decent Excel spreadsheet will solve much of the issues. Hopefully the parents will help out with the girls. The Girl Scouts take this cookie sale seriously. They get big money from it. Troops themselves get money out of it as well. So I will be doing my best. Plus, I knew in my snobby heart of hearts, I could do it better than some of the other moms. I've got experience in this arena so I didn't think it would be too tough.

Not only do we have cookie seaon approaching, we also have baseball. We had sign ups in December and last night hubby took a team. Diva plays and this will be her third year. Her division is non-competitive, they don't keep score and is geared for 7 & 8 year olds. It is coach pitch with a 4 man outfield. I really enjoy the games and my hubby is totally in his element out there. He loves working with the kids. It also means our spring ramps up to constant activity. Little League has two games a week plus practice. Diva is still doing horseback riding and, of course, brownies. I'm definitely going to be a chaffuer for awhile.

My laptop is still unconnected from the network. I've called in the calvary but they haven't called back. Boy, I forgot how much I loved my desktop.

But I Wanted The Barbie Dream House!

The wrapping paper is gone, the tons of carboard packaging went off with the recyclers today and my tree is de-decorated. Christmas is quickly disappearing from my house. After being subjected to Christmas stuff for months, I'm ready to see it go and return to normal.

The kids are still wound up and showing what ungrateful little wretches they are. Diva got a Polly Pocket Too Hip Cruise Ship. Its very cool and she loved it yesterday. But then she remembered she really wanted the Barbie Dream House. First, she rarely plays with barbies, her sister does. Second, she didn't mention it until last week and third, it is apparently on the same aisle as the Nintendo Wii in the toy store because you can't find them. Ergo, the cruise ship. She couldn't understand why the elves couldn't make one for her. I told her the elves had to make too many and she couldn't get one. She didn't buy it. Then I gave her the tried and true mom arguement saying a lot of other kids didn't get anything. Why not? Doesn't Santa bring the toys? Why would it be a problem? I didn't know what to say, so I told her the less fortunate kids asked for things to help their families rather than toys. Being a self-centered Diva, she didn't get it. The boy was a little disappointed too. He didn't get that much. But usually he gets the most expensive presents, this year was an anamoly. Thing made out pretty good. She got lots of Power Rangers stuff.

By the way, the cruise ship has already been put up because Thing got it out and wouldn't clean it up. Diva almost lost all her toys today because I made her do a major room cleaning (I helped her). The boy sulks a lot, but then, he is eleven.

How was your Christmas? Are my kids the only ones acting like brats? I do wonder if they will live until they go back to school

How Was Your Weekend?

I had one of those mixed bag weekends.

I finished my revisions on my ms. I started going through it a third time and noticed I was skipping through it and I knew what the next line was. I figured if I looked at it again, I'd start screwing it up. Sometimes in our need to polish, we polish out that which makes it unique. So I stopped. I'm pleased with it. I don't think it is my best writing because it is contemporary and I think my voice shines in historical. But what do I know?

I yelled at my kids a lot. Actually, I yelled at Diva the most. She isn't human right now. She spent the night at a friend's house on Saturday. The other two kids were so well behaved without her. She really knows how to stir things up. She's going to make a great lawyer. When she came home Sunday she was such a brat and so obnoxious, I made her stay upstairs and out of my sight. She ended up taking a nap.

I made cookie dough for Christmas cookies. Got the sugar cookie dough made without incident but when I started on the gingerbread, I discovered I had no more cinnamon. Diva has gone through a cinnamon toast phase, so I'm sure she used it up. Had to run to the store and get more. I hate interruptions of that nature.

Went appliance shopping on Saturday. I bought a new cook top, two dishwashers, a trash compactor, a warming drawer, a range hood, a microwave, a wine chiller and an outdoor set of burners. We are getting ready to remodel the kitchen so the contractor wanted the appliances planned so the cabinets could be designed around them. It was pretty fun. The stuff won't be delivered until March, but we are now committed to the remodel.

I found a missing book. I was really eager to read Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas but when I went to pull it off my shelf, it was gone. I found it yesterday in a suitcase. I guess I packed it when I went to Hawaii.

We got a Christmas tree. It's still in the box. We decided to go artificial this year. It's pre-lit so we are going to miss out on the yearly husband-wife light fight. I did get the shivers when he told the kids that next year we will have the artificial tree and a real tree. Now he decides to be Mr. Christmas.