Yep, it's that time of the month.

I know it’s November. And not only should I be giving a NaNo update, but I should be posting about what I’m thankful for. And let me state for the record that there is much for which I am thankful. However, as it happened, Thanksgiving and Black Friday also landed right smack dab on the wrong days of the month for me this year. You know those two emotionally charged days where you're not sure you're going crazy or if you have PMS? Yeah. That made for a fabulous Thanksgiving experience this year, let me tell you.

Sometimes it’s awesome to be female. There are days when my job as a mom is so fantastically awesome, there are no words to describe it. My friends, my family, my experiences, my joys, my kids, my husband, all of these things can combine into a perfect whole once in a while that make life worth it. And then… well… then there are other times where it’s really not so awesome to be female. And by not awesome, I mean NOT awesome.

NaNo Update!

I have spent the last 13 days writing, writing, writing!

In the mornings I work on the prequel to the novel I started back in April. In the evenings, I work on the novel I started back in April. That makes total sense, right? Two books, one month. Wheee!

Writing, NaNoWriMo, Etc

I have been working like mad to finish my novel. It's not done yet. But I'm over halfway done. Starting Thursday, I will be participating in NaNoWriMo - my plan is to work on my current novel in the mornings and work on the prequel in the afternoons. I will only be tracking my word count for the prequel, but I'm pretty sure this will be do-able. It's my first year ever trying, so we'll see what happens.

Bacon and Jabba the Hutt

I leant my camera to a friend to take on a hiking trip. Due to some computer glitches, he left the pics on my camera so I could download them and then transfer them to him.

While looking through the 500+ photo's he took, I couldn't help the thoughts that were popping into my head. I begged and begged for permission to use his pics, and he went ahead and let me. (yay!)

BICHOK!

Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard - (Thank you Howard Taylor for that acronym!) Although today it was Hands On Wacom Tablet.

Let me just say that I am absolutely superfantabulous at over-exposing and under-exposing pictures. Hand me a DSLR and I will manage to mess up the picture. I have a serious talent here, people!

Linkfest for Writing Tips

I have been wrapped up in writing a novel. It's not anything that's going to change lives or become a literary classical staple a hundred years from now. Nope, it's a soft sci-fi action/romance because that's what I enjoy reading best of all. And darnit, I got tired of waiting for another author to write it. My ESP wasn't broadcasting well enough, I guess.

Sisters

 

I'm probably going to regret not watermarking these, but oh well. 

These are my last two baby girls. As different as it's possible to get, and yet the bestest of friends ever. They fight, they laugh, they giggle, they have secret jokes and stories, they want to show each other the cool stuff they've done every day, they wrestle, they scream at each other; in short, they are sisters.

We were at a Girl Scout activity on Saturday, and they had been rolling down a hill and then trying to roll each other back up the hill. When they sat down for a breather, this is what it looked like, and I had to sneak some shots of them sharing secrets and enjoying each others company. 

I can't decide if I like it better in color or Black and White, but I love it all the same. To me, it represents the epitome of sisterhood.

Kid Tips

This is true because my daughter said so. And if she can put on her favorite dress, her matching sunglasses and find a way to be happy even when her sisters or her mom or her dad is grumpy, well, then anything is possible, right?

So doll yourself up, -- especially if you're having a bad day -- find a matching accessory that makes you just feel awesome, and face the world. You know, that project you've been avoiding, or people who make you crazy, or that overwhelming pile of laundry waiting to be folded and put away, and something fabulous will happen.

Guidelines

Teenagers, hormones, dating, and different parenting styles of said teenagers is on my mind right now. I have two teenagers, almost three. And like any mom, I worry for my girls. (I'll worry for my son when he's older, but for now it's my girls and their friends.) Now, I am taking a personal risk here by taking a stand, stating my stand, and sticking by it, but this is how I feel about things: Boys and girls are going to be attracted to each other. It's nature. It's part of life. They were designed that way. It's how the species propagates. And I personally feel when parenting is either too lax or too strict, it can affect how teens react to rules and/or forbiddances.

Happy Birthday!