Pies, Pies, Pies!

Last week I spent some time with the 4th grade at Echo Lake Elementary and it was so much fun. We split it into 2 groups to be a little more time efficient and with each group I went over some basics of writing and creating. We brainstormed and then outlined and I took the ideas that we put together and actually formulated them into stories. The two groups were very different in approach and overall tone surprisingly, but they were very similar in their themes. Each of their main ideas were centered around pies! It was so funny when I started to brainstorm with the second group and they started to shout out nouns and adjectives -they were so similar. They wanted the center of the story to be about a pie, they wanted it to involve a potato and a monkey!! I kind of tweaked the ideas a little so they would lead in different directions. One story was called "Contest on Pie Planet" about friends who attend a pie eating contest on Mars which is hosted by a mutant. They have to eat their way off of the planet after the contest leads to a food fight started by the mutant! They are able to find their way to a clearing to "jump off" of the planet and land back on earth. The other story is called "Oh My Pie!" It is about two friends who do everything together and have a garden together as well. They discover a giant pie growing in their garden one day and decide to water it with hot sauce. The pie is enormous, they dig in and instead of the pie getting smaller -they do! The spicy pie (they soon discover) gives them the ability to breathe fire and melt the remaining pie and they go back to normal size. I added a little twist to the end of each of them when I wrote it for the classes to have -but that will be between the classes and I :)...
It was so much fun to brainstorm with the students - especially the ones who were really into it. It is kind of tough to stay focused (for me anyway) when I would see some students who thought I was the most boring person in the universe - but that was definitely not the norm amongst this group. I'm going back this week to do some one on one editing with the students on their own pieces. I am really looking forward to it. I would post a picture but I need to clear permission first!

Grateful

I love Willow Tree Sculptures - especially because their titles are so short but meaningful. I think my favorite ones are "Peaceful" and "Grateful." I don't have grateful but it's on my list! Gratitude is something I forget about sometimes and get caught up in everything that's annoying me instead of focusing on what truly (at the core) makes me grateful. One of those things I was reminded of last night as my husband repeated our son's prayer for the night to me. When Parker prays with Chip, Chip encourages him to thank God for one specific thing from his day - yesterday he said he was grateful that he gets to see me. I was floored - he said he loves to see me because it makes him feel good. The reason it floored me was because he is an absolute daddy's boy - admires everything Chip! The fact that my boy sees me more than really anyone in his life (maybe a tie with his teacher now) and still gets happy when he sees me - that's what I'm most grateful for!

I am also grateful that I have a book that people are able to read... even people I don't know. That is my favorite thing about writing - I can reach people (if not with this book, hopefully with books and articles to come) that I don't even know. I love it when people talk to me about my words. I'm still a beginner in the grand scheme of things and I'm still so green in so many areas, but I'm very grateful for the occasional editors who take the time to give me feedback and edits rather than just rejections!

I guess I'm trying to focus on the things I can change rather than the things that I can't - (I've never been to an AA meeting, but I can absolutely respect the serenity prayer!). Who knows - hopefully it will help cushion the blow from some of the rejections...

A Great Moment...

This past Saturday, I worked a VCU alumni event with the book and it was so much fun. There was a huge turn-out (I only sold one book, but a huge turnout at any rate). A DJ, prizes, BBQ, and alumni from a huge range of graduating classes and schools. It was so cool to have Parker enjoying the music and Rodney Ram (taking pictures and dancing with alumni) and loving telling people about the book. It was only topped off by the fact that it was Homecoming weekend at VCU. Because VCU doesn't have a football team, their game is basketball. I was able to be hooked up with tickets for the game so we went over after the event.

The game was so packed with excitement - people were lined up around the block (literally) 2 hours before the game. It was sold out pretty early on but black and gold and posters surrounded the outside of the pavillion. The three of us had our VCU garb on also - we fit right in! Parker doesn't usually go crazy at games - in fact, he loves to cheer for the opposite team for fun - I was really crossing my fingers that he would love the game... he did! He was so into it, it made it that much more fun - the Siegel Center was sold out and packed... both teams played well but VCU beat Towson by over 20 in the end. The best part of the whole night was after the game...

Our seats were right on the court and beside the opening to the Rams locker room. We were able to stand right by the opening to cheer on the players at the end of the game. Maynor, Shuler, Anderson ... they all stopped if a kid asked to talk to them or for a signing of a t-shirt. Very sweet with the fans and very humble. Best of all - one of the things I doubt I'll forget anytime soon - was Parker stepping into the opening after the players passed waiting to talk to Coach Grant. I have only met Coach Grant a couple of times and each time he was just as humble and strong of speech and character as you would imagine, but he just blows me away! To watch him on the court with the boys - just commanding everyone and they turned to him for guidance (not fear) throughout the game... and by the way - he wins games! Coach Grant bent over and got on one knee to listen. His team was waiting, some reporters were waiting, the director of athletics was waiting and he stopped to talk to my little 5 (and 1/2) year old so sweetly. He gave Parker a hug when they were finished and a pat on the back. I take pictures of everything - too many really - I had my camera in my pocket and I just couldn't stop watching this moment (that Parker will hopefully remember for a long time) of this amazing coach (saught after by big programs all over the country). I didn't want to run the risk of missing it trying to get my camera right and focused and not getting the picture in time. I was so excited and proud of Parker because that setting is definitely intimidating. That moment will definitely stay in my head for a long time - hopefully Coach Anthony Grant will be here for a long time, too!

Go Rams!

My Birthday Wish...

So my birthday is tomorrow and I've got mixed feelings. I'm not one of those folks who gets all depressed about birthdays (I may feel differently some day - but my mom doesn't either - so I don't think so) but I don't really know how to feel about it. Every year I feel a little wiser (whether I am or not - I feel it) because I try to learn more about myself all the time and from my mistakes and relationships. That's what life is about to me - I don't want to ever stop that - that's when people become stagnant and stop evolving. Being a person who is averse to change, this isn't an easy thing for me - but absolutely necessary.

Here's what I'm looking at right now... (1) waiting to find out (next week) if a publisher is interested in a picture book submission that I teamed with an illustrator to do - keep your fingers crossed for me (2) waiting for my All About Kids article to come out at the end of next week/beginning of the following week -hope people learn something from it (3) trying to follow the advice of my own article and get my work life back on track in the new year (26 days in!) ... I have so many ideas floating around in my head. I really need to get some outlines going and get back into the market. I'm way out of the loop on what's new with what publishing companies and what submissions are hot right now.

Here's my birthday wish ~ acceptance... every variation of the word. I want to accept people for how/who they are; I want for others to accept me just the way I am; and I wish for others to also accept each other for the way they are. Totally hokey, but differences are good... great actually. Accept them!

It's not you, it's me...

I've thought for a long time that friendships are like romantic relationships in a lot of ways - only harder. You invest time and emotional deposits into a relationship with a friend who may or may not pan out for the long haul. The reason friendships can be more difficult is that you can't break up with a friend - there aren't conversations about you just not being compatible... it's not you it's me. It's also harder because you can't just be a friend who plays the "friend field." When you run into a friend and you are with another friend - it's awkward; let's be honest. The whole - 'why didn't she invite me for coffee,' or 'we went here for lunch last week together' is so hilarious to me. Are you truly expected to call every single friend you have every time you want to do something? I'm not even touching on the disconcerting nature of families doing something together and running into a third family while doing so - are we expected to get a table for 25 every time my family wants to do something with another family? At least when you have a romantic partner (boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife - whatever) - you don't feel bad when you run into someone when you are on a lunch date with them or having coffee or shopping.

The funny thing is that men don't have that problem - my husband has different degrees of friends - almost seasonal friends if you will. Friends that he talks to much more during certain sport seasons. Most men could care less if one of their buddies includes someone else and not them on activities. If they do, 9 times out of 10 it's because the woman in their life pushed them into being bothered by it (which they probably still aren't bothered but say they are to get the woman off of their back). Women who try to arrange their husband/boyfriend's social life is very annoying - ex: 'Oh -so and so is just going to be hanging around the house on Saturday, why don't you have Bob call him to do something.' Ugghh ... that's a whole other topic all together.

My trouble is that I give way too much personal info too quickly when I'm building friendships - this gives leverage in the friend transition stage. I end up trying to prove that I can open up and in doing so go way overboard in that department. Let's just cut each other some slack... like I always say about my son - there are much worse things in life than having too many people enjoy your company. Put yourself in other people's shoes when it comes to friendships - don't act like the stalker friend who spies to see who went where with whom and when... I've seen it done - trust me; it's not pretty.

Here's to friends who pan out - you know who you are

So far so good...

So far, 2008 is pretty good. I have a good feeling of professional things to come this year as well. I just submitted my "real mom" article for February - All About Kids Magazine. It turned out to be what I was hoping for and with the patient editing back and forth with the managing editor, I think we reached a nice consensus. I also submitted (at the buzzer of 2007) a picture book with storyboards for illustrations and 2 final illustrations - I should find out about that by February 1st as well - so I guess I should say February is looking good so far!

I went and spoke with a 1st grade class earlier in the week and the class was adorable! They were so attentive and asked really good questions about the book, writing, VCU, and me. One of my nephews was in the class and his classmates made him feel lucky because he can look at the book any time he wanted to - very sweet. They wrote me the cutest "Thank you book" wherein each of them took a page to write a note and draw a picture - some were of me reading and some were of basketball and some were of them with me. Very creative and thoughtful of the teacher.

There are a few fresh ideas floating in my head, but I feel like I should sharpen some old manuscripts first. Sometimes it's good to let a 1st draft breathe for a little bit to get fresh ideas in and old ones that seemed fun at first out. It does frustrate me that there are some stories that I've submitted over the years that are technically still in limbo. You never know - I had an e-story published after the company called about a submission from a year and half prior. I'm absolutely not complaining, but I am so impatient - that's tough for me.

Hope everyone else's '08 is "so far so good" as well!~

Technology...

Christmas has passed (a couple of days anyway) - my house is still crazy with stuff every where, but it was a great holiday. My son had "the best Christmas in the world" which I love. He was so grateful even over the smallest gifts... that meant a lot. Santa brought him a Nintendo DS and I am all for him playing it and enjoying himself since he just got it - but at lunch or dinner with just me; not so much! We went to do some after Christmas shopping yesterday and then got some tacos - I purposely did not let him bring his DS because he needed a break and I wanted to enjoy him. At the table beside us, this boy and his father were sitting together. The boy played his DS the whole time and his father played with his blackberry the whole time. We were there a good 45 minutes and neither one of them looked up for a second. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there will be a time that I meet a friend for lunch and want for Parker to occupy himself - I'll be honest - I'm not above it! :) But that definitely got to me a little - I want to be able to enjoy my boy while he still has time for me!!

Happy New Year!