An Update from the Wild West with Bullets:

Get it...wild west...bullets... 1. Adrian almost has a tooth! Yes, his first one is about to break the surface. 2. Adrian has probably walked 2o steps on his own (2-4 at a time...ending with a fall). 3. Because roads were rough today, we played Settlers of Catan ALL DAY. A solid seven rounds. I won one! Love this game!! 4. Checked out the Denver Natural History museum yesterday. Awesome stuff. Dinosaurs and moon rocks and more! 5. So far, we've had an awesome time hanging out with Clay and Krista and their two kids. Later this week, we are planning a ski day, a trip to Rocky Mt. National Park, the Zoo, an adult night out, and gaming galore! Oh, how I love spring break!

Spring Cleaning - Gadgets You Can Get Rid Of - NYTimes.com

Spring Cleaning - Gadgets You Can Get Rid Of - NYTimes.com

What do you think of this list of gadgets to keep and lose?

I still have a desktop - and so does my husband. But I am looking into buying a new ultraportable (think Lenova's Thinkpad...) and an iPad soon. Yes, I am definitely moving in this direction.

We still need Internet at home, as our phones are dumb (get it...not smart...).

Cable TV: haven't had it for years!

Camera and camcorder: still have them and use them and love them.

Thumb drive: I just email files!

I have an iPod Shuffle for working out. Never had an iPod, and now I probably never will!

Alarm clock: Nope, we use our phones!

GPS: Nope. I print directions from mapquest!

Books: Still reading the real deal. Maybe once I get my iPad, that will change...

Just cool to see the products we have now and the way technology has changed our lives in just a few short years. And it keeps getting faster. Crazy. Singularity, here we come!

Two Children on a Plane.

Maybe not quite as exciting or scary as snakes on a plane, but tonight promises to be an adventure! We are taking the kids to visit friends in Denver for spring break. The last time we headed out West, Riley was turning one, and we met Alli and CE in Oregon at a resort there. I can't wait to see some mountains and hang out with our good friends, Clay and Krista. And this vacation is much needed after turning in my thesis on Monday. My plan is to start reading again (thanks, Irene, for the books!!).

I may be able to blog from Denver, but if not, I'll be back in about a week with stories and pictures!

Cheers!

Consignment Stock-up!

Here's what I got for 15 dollars at a mega-consignment sale on Saturday:

7 pairs of shorts for Adrian

1 pair of pants

2 shirts

1 jacket

1 jumper

3 shirts for Riley

I was super pumped! The kids looked really nice all dudded out this morning.

Write a Collection of Short Stories. Check.

Collection Title: The Milk Tree.

Last night, I stayed up until 3:00 to finish my creative thesis. Now I am one step closer to completing my MFA from Sewanee University's School of Letters. I read through the 144 page document in its entirety from 10 until 3, and now it has been sent to my advisor and I am done. For now. Hopefully, this body of work will be in print one day. That's the goal. But for now, I am just so happy it is written. 48,982 words. Over 200,000 characters.

In case you are wondering what a creative thesis is and what goes into it, here's some info:

In our School of Letters Catalogue, this is how the thesis is described:

"All M.F.A. students must complete a thesis. This is a substantial creative

manuscript: a novel or sustained nonfiction narrative, a collection of short stories

or essays, or a collection of poems. Length for the M.F.A. thesis may be anywhere

from 80 to 200 pages of prose or 40 to 50 pages of poetry.

Work on the thesis for either program may begin at any time after required

course work has been completed. The thesis is written under the supervision of an

advisor, chosen by the candidate, who may be any willing member of the School of

Letters faculty. As the project nears completion, a second reader will be appointed

by the Director of the School of Letters. When the thesis has been completed and

conditionally approved, the candidate for the degree will submit to a one-hour oral

examination conducted by the advisor and second reader."

In real life, that looks like this:

• 1-2 marathon writing sessions every weekend at Panera (literally, 4 hours!) from October to March.
• Writing after school most days (1-2 hours). I gave up working out this year.
• Writing before school (wake up - 5am) when I could wake up.
• Writing at night (after the kids when to bed) when I could stay awake.
• Writing A LOT on holidays (mini-break, Christmas break, Thanksgiving break). Panera was empty with out the UF students, and I would spend 5-7 hours writing there or at school.
• Lots of coffee (at Panera and at school)!
• Endless preoccupation with characters, their problems, their struggles, their successes, their conversations, and story titles.
• Editing, revising, and cutting. I literally halved a story from its first submission to now.

And somehow, I got it done despite my adorable children, 80 students and a full workday, SGA events, family, friends, and GOLD. Family and friends, thank you for your support. Thank you, readers! Actually, writing a book is a lot like raising a child. It takes a village. It drained me. It exhilarated me. And even sleep-deprived, I loved every. single. second.

Say What?

Last night -

Riley: I don't like to take baths.
Me: What about a shower?
Riley: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, nope.
Me: Then how are you going to get clean?
Riley: I can use a wipey!

The other night -

Riley picked up a stick on our walk. Then she proceeded to announce in her best announcer voice:

"Ladies and Genitals!"

This she repeated all the way home. Shawn and I could not stop laughing!

Bill on teacher pay, tenure goes to Gov. Scott

Florida House lawmakers passed an overhaul of the way teachers are evaluated and paid | Gainesville.com

Will someone please explain this to me? Merit pay based on standardized test scores? Are you kidding me? Yes, our country needs more great teachers. Yes, the education system we have is flawed and falling behind.

This is not the fix.

I do think districts should have a way to get ineffective teachers out (or at least require them to work on their skills, lessons, etc.). But to base it on standardized tests is ridiculous. Test scores should not be the only measure. That puts too much weight on a test. Education is about so much more than that.

I am happy I teach at an independent school.

Birthday Plans and Baby Talk

Robert Lane Greene on Language Sticklers

I'll admit it, I'm kind of obsessed with language. This is a really interesting article about the decline of language and the simultaneous rise of writing and literacy. As an English teacher, I struggle with teaching a generation of texters to speak and write well - and understand grammar and the mechanics of writing. It's not easy sometimes.

I am curious to see how technology will continue to influence and change our language. Even already, Google has morphed into a verb. iPod is like Band-aid, and represents all mini music playing devices. And don't even get me started on all of the abbreviations we have now as a result of online chatting and texting.

And while it can be frustrating, I do like that more people are reading and writing. I just hope they learn to write well because the connection between idea expression and thought is critical. Without language, how does an idea exist? How can you even think it? Ah, my mind is spinning...

Faces

This weekend, Riley received a new backpack from some family friends, complete with a sleeping bag. It was the perfect present for her right now. She really wanted pictures with her new gear, so I asked her to show off her different faces. The next Zoolander.

Also this weekend, Adrian received his first battle scar. That is, he pulled himself up on Riley's baby stroller and poked himself in the eye with one handle. What a tough little man. He makes some funny faces, too.

Me and My Babies

And a couple of quick stats, a story, and some pictures:

1. At his nine month appointment, Adrian weighed 18.5 pounds and measured 27 inches long. That means he is in the 16th percentile for weight and the 9th percentile for height. Yeah, he's a little guy.

2. Still, the boy has no teeth!

3. In one sitting, he can eat a whole banana and a handful of beans.

4. After I ran into our bed last night (literally), Riley comforted me. She said, "It's okay, Mommy. I have Band-aids for you. Come lay down, and I will read to you." Then she read me the story Go, Dog, Go. She probably had over half of the pages right. It was so exciting to see her think about what was happening on the pages and try to "read."

Enjoy the following pictures. Riley wanted to wear a dress to the park the other day when my mom was visiting. Here are her Marilyn Monroe shots! Oh, and a few from our muffin-baking adventure the other day.

Ten Days...

That's all the time that remains until my thesis is due. Those nine days cannot pass quickly enough because I need my head to stop swarming with all these characters and their stories. Those nine days will pass entirely too quickly because I don't know if it will be ready. I mean, of course it will. I know I will put in the time to get my collection of eight stories to the best place I can get them. And I suppose after that, I just have to trust in my readers and my writing. Still, it scares me to be so close to finishing. I want this book to be publishable. I want these stories to be good. Meaningfully good. Beyond my children and the relationships in my life, this is the best thing I have ever created. And I am proud. And tired.

I don't really talk a lot about writing, and what writing means to me. For me, it just is. It's what I do for long hours on the weekend and at five o'clock in the morning and on nights when I can keep my eyes open past nine and after school when I used to work out or run errands. This year of writing and working on my collection of short stories has taught me so much about myself and writing and the world. It excites me and pains me. I see things differently because I write. I read differently. I teach differently. I probably love differently. I think it makes me a better friend, a better parent, a better teacher, and a better wife. Writing often feels like a confrontation, and every time I sit down to write and work through a word, a passage, a page, or a story, I think I grow a little.

I hope one day, my children will have the opportunity to follow their passions and their dreams. I hope they will learn to work hard and go after the success they desire. I hope they will learn to think creatively and deeply. And I hope they will know that success is not achieved in isolation. Without my thesis advisor, my writing teachers, my workshop peers, my readers (especially Shawn, my Dad, Brendan, and Jamie), all the authors I have read and admired, and support from my family and friends, I wouldn't be on the verge of finishing my collection. I completely understand why authors need a full page for acknowledgements. Throughout this whole process (working towards my MFA and writing my thesis), Shawn has been so supportive. He encourages me when I become self-conscious of my work. He watches the kids so I can work. I couldn't do this without him. Thanks, Babe.

When I was a kid, I dreamed about writing a book. Now I'm ten days away. The homestretch.

Yes, I Stalk Blogs

I recently read an article in the New York Times online about Heather Armstrong, Queen Mommy Blogger. Wow. I didn't realize the blogging world was so affluent! I didn't realize it was so dramatic. I mistakenly assumed moms blogged the way I did - to keep in touch with friends and family and document the adventures of your little ones and your life.

That being said, the phenomenon of mommy blogs fascinates me. So much so that it is the topic of one of my stories for my thesis. I consider my blog stalking research. At the same time, I enjoy looking into the lives of others for reasons beyond my writing. I love reading about women finding out they are pregnant. I am overjoyed when I find out their babies are born and everyone is home, happy and healthy. I am devastated when I hear about an unexpected diagnosis of disease. I am sad when I read about women experiencing broken bones or broken spirits. My heart is lifted when birthdays are celebrated or babies take their first steps. I am curious about the time saving tips they have to share. I enjoy following other women follow their passions. I would like to be friends with some of them. Online, it's like a perpetual multimedia girls night. I'm happy and proud to be part of that party.

If you are stalking or lurking here, welcome!

Adrian Goes Mobile

What we're up to...

1. Shawn is in DC with his students this week. That means I'm tired. I have managed to get to school early every day, which is something. I eat dinner standing up and usually holding Adrian. Friday, please get here soon! Shawn, we miss you!
2. Strawberry shortcake with Caroline yesterday!
3. Park with Irene and Natasha today!
4. Thesis deadline (aka a complete, publishable draft of my collections of eight stories - March 21st. Yup. I'm a bit stressed. But it is coming along. I am getting better at self-editing and thinking through my stories. I cannot wait to have it finished, but I cannot imagine getting to that point either. So exciting.
5. End of the third nine weeks at school. Grading, grading, grading.
6. Riley reminded me that we couldn't buy blueberries because they weren't on sale.
7. Adrian started walking around the house with a walker.
8. I am almost two full weeks into Jillian Michael's thirty-day shred. I worked out six days last week, and already five this week. It feels so good to sweat a bit. Usually, my workout involves laundry and dishes. But I need more workouts. I feel better even after just 11 days. Now if only I could have Jillian's body...