Journal: neighbors

Journal: Write about a neighbor.

DFW, here I come!

It's official. I'm registered.

Last year, several of my Inklings discussed attending the DFW Writing Conference, but, for reasons I can't recall right now, we didn't. However, three of us look forward to attending this year. The line up of speakers looks great, and I'm really excited about meeting some of the agents.

I need to polish my novel until it sparkles.

Journal: on the road again

I've been zipping along highways a lot lately. Since moving to a small town, I don't have much of a commute anymore. I'd forgotten how calming it can be. The time a commute allows to get my mind in order and relax is something I miss.

Journal: What do you think about when you're on the road?

Confession

There was a time when I flung books--good books--across the room while reading them.
I admit hurling
and
and even
and if I could have broken away from reading it, I may have thrown
And then I see an upcoming book like
and there's nothing to get my hands on.

Why am I bothered? Because elements of these books remind me of my own work. And these books are good. These books have sequels. And movie deals. Why would anyone want to read mine?

Then, one day, I stopped getting in a tizzy. If I have similarities with all of these books, then that means I'm tapped into a market that's ready for them, right?

Oh, yeah.

Journal: shoes

I tried and tried to get the little man to wear Sesame Street shoes for a family pic last month. No such luck.

However, the next morning he woke up and wanted to wear them to school.

Journal: Write about shoes.

Sesame Street Birthday Party

On the morning of Max's rescheduled birthday party, we worked to put the final touches on the party. Many details had already been completed last weekend. Max was so excited. Here he is finding the paper lanterns before they were hung on the pergola.And discovering the streamers we'd set up for pictures.
The Sesame Street party was "sponsored" by the letter M and the number 2, so two choices were available in most cases. Below are shots of the table before it was filled with food. In the polka dotted bowl are packages of goldfish in honor of Elmo's pet fish Dorothy.We made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white bread and wheat.We set out vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.
Max supervised and made necessary adjustments.We prepared the games.


Then the phone rang. The bug we'd had the week before had spread. So, due to illness and scheduling conflicts, we had 12 in attendance, instead of 27. But Max didn't know any better. Although Garrett and I missed all of the loved ones who couldn't attend the second scheduled party, we had a great time.

The guests arrived wearing colors representing their favorite Sesame Street characters. You can imagine how thrilled Max was when he saw my parents!
My grandmother still knows how to party.
Ange and I have been friends for 24 years. I'm so glad we're both back in Oklahoma so that we can spend days like this together. I hadn't seen her mom in several years, and it was a fun reunion with all the munchkins.
The little ones played a game where they found a duck with an M or a 2 on it.
The kids--old and young--made monsters. The cans once contained Gerber snacks, but my friend Coleen and I covered them in felt. She also gave me extra fiber (that she'd dyed with Kool-Aid!) from the supply she sells. Check her out.

I was impressed with their creativity. Kailee immediately grabbed some "fur" and placed eyeballs on it. Then she decided she was going to have a monster inside of a monster and stuffed it inside the container where she made another monster. She was very hard at work.

Here's Papa helping Max with his.


The kids proudly showed off their monsters.
Here is Max's monster.

We opened presents.
Max received many thoughtful gifts--what gift isn't?--and he loved them all. From us, he received his first tricycle, but he called it his "bike." His father was so proud.
Max had been practicing for the big candle ceremony and blew it out by himself.
Unlike last year, he dug right into his cake, leaving it a wasteland of ooey goodness.
I loved watching the kids play,
and run,
and run,
and blow (fight over) bubbles,
and hide in the castle,
and drink Elmo juice,
and eat ice cream,
and have fun.

It was exhausting.Everyone went home with something. The adults had cookies from Cookie's Monster's stash and M&Ms. The kids had Sesame Street books, coloring books, monster stickers, and silly bandz (numbers). The little ones received balls instead of silly bandz. (Max chewed on one, so I figured it was probably a bad idea.)

I loved that the kids had a great time. Max talked about his "fwenz" for days. Plus, I knew it was a success when Ange told me her niece Errin had said that even though Max is "a little kid, he sure knows how to throw a party."

Journal: kindness

Journal: Write about depending upon the kindness of strangers.