Saturday, November 25

And how does he manage to do it?

I want to know how does a kid manage to spit up* on every piece of my clothing--pajama pants (behind the knee), long sleeve tee under a short sleeve one (on one arm and down the front), AND on BOTH socks? I have no clue.

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*PS I should add that Logan is OK! He is just a wee bit lactose intolerant and spit-up is common for him; I just don't understand how he manages to get it all over every item of my clothing!

NaNoWriMo: Days 23, 24, & 25 / Giving up my word counter

So days 23 and 24 of NaNoWriMo have passed and here I am on day 25 when I've given up my word counter. I am going to stop checking how many words I have, and just type and type and pour and type some more (so my word count updater will stay quite stagnant for those of you who are curious about where I am). I know I've been rather silent about my novel/memoir, but that's because a lot of it--quite frankly--sucks and I'm embarrassed by it, but other portions of it are so intimate and scary that I feel scared to share it in such an open forum. Scared of who will see it and read it and judge me. There is anonymity in the Web, but there is an openness about, too (as all bloggers know), and there are people who may be reading this (this particular person is an avid Googler), and so I've been silent here, but not there.

But as this last week of NaNo closes out, I'm not sure I will even make it to my original goal, but I don't really mind because I'm going to keep on writing until what I've started is done. And as for this blog, I'm gunna keep going with it, too, because I've been liking talking to myself and getting my thoughts out even if they are rambling and nonsensicle at times.

Friday, November 24

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree....

Yup, yup, our Christmas tree is already up. From the young age of 12 until when I moved out of my parent's home into my own, all holidays, with the exception of awkward Thanksgiving and strained birthday parties, were banned. And so as soon as the Thanksgiving clock turns to Black Friday, I skip out of the madness and spend the day putting up my tree.I bought this one online nearly two months ago from Fingerhut ($20 low monthly payments! [but I paid cash]) for a mere $99 + FREE shipping. It's 7.5 feet tall and prelit. It even came with two boxes of what I thought at first were HIDEOUS ornaments, but now that they are all up with the last few year's worth's of ornaments, I love the funky retro, vintage look. Kind of like I have Grandma's heirlooms, but of course they are just cheap-ass replicas doused with too much glitter. But I like it, and I love my lovely presents who are already under the tree.

I know it's 3 AM in the morning, Momma, but cuteness like this just doesn't sleep.

cute cute cute!
When a face like this looks up at your in 3 o'clock in the morning, sleep just doesn't seem to matter all that much. Oh, Logan, Mommy loves you sooo sooo soo much!

Thursday, November 23

Wednesday, November 22

NaNoWriMo: Day 22 / Recapturing Memories



When I set out this month to do NaNoWriMo, my only goal was to reach 30,000 words. That, and to recapture some of my so forgotten memories. While I am still quite a ways away from reaching 30,000 words, I did accomplish my second task of recapturing memories. When Chris and I went to John K. King Books a while back, a lone tattered copy of one of the Wizard of OZ books made me weep right there among the dusty shelves as it jostled a lodged memory from the back of my head--as a child I owned the entire set. In my memories it was a complete set of some 40+ first editions given to me by my Russian grandmother (on my biological father's side)--I'm not sure if there were really first editions, but I was taken back to when I held those books in my four-year-old hands in awe of the sketches held inside its covers. But inside the pages there were lands that I could be transported off to while my mother read to me until I fell asleep or whenever I wanted when the yelling started and the doors began to slam.


I don't know what ever came of those books--we left rather abruptly from our home on Oliver Street in Hamtramck to live in random motel rooms with a man I barely knew who I would come to know as Daddy. And not only did we (my mother and I) leave without my beloved books, we also left without shoes on our feet--which is an entirely different story in itself (the one I am writing for NaNo), but I say all this because when I look back to that time in my life those books mean the most to me. Somehow in those pages I feel connected back to that street I grew up on.. to the grandmother I barely knew, and the father I never met.



And so here I am holding two treasured copies--recreating memories if you will--and I swear by whomever or whatever deity that I am going to pass them onto my own daughter who will never be forced to leave all she ever had or knew behind.

Tuesday, November 21

NaNoWriMo: What is it? Day 20? 21?

Tonight is the write-in here in lovely Davison, Michigan. I may have to be rude tonight and pop on my headphones and drown out all the fun conversations humming around my head. It's the one [of many] curse[s] of being behind and ADD--I get terribly distracted by everything anything that goes around me (which is why working from home suits me better than a 'real' office because I have a feeling at a 'real' office, I'd get nothing done and my ass would get fired). But anyways, my goal for tonight is....

2,500 WORDS!!!

Wish me well my fellow NaNoWri'mers who may be reading this. And if you are a NaNo'er, wish me luck just the same.

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Edit: Okay, so I didn't make it to 2,500 words. I'm a looooooozer.

Monday, November 20

A lesson in sharing.


ME: Molly, wanna go to VGs later?

MOLLY: Nope.

ME: We can get you a treat...

MOLLY: Okay!!

ME: Whatcha want?

MOLLY (Putting pointer finger to chin): Hmmmm. Hmmmm. How 'bout princess fruit snacks.

ME: Okay...

MOLLY: I share them.

ME (Smiling because she is figuring out how to share): Oh? You'll share them with Momma and Daddy?

MOLLY: Nope.

ME (Puzzled): Well, who are you going to share them with?

MOLLY: Me is gunna share them with Molly.

ME (Laughingly): You're going to share them with you?

MOLLY: Yup. Me is gunna share 'em with me.

Sunday, November 19

NaNoWriMo: Days 17, 18, & 19

I really don't want to talk about it. I really wish I never started this, but damnit, I'm gunna finish it, and that's all I gotta say about it.