Writing News
I got a lot of writing done this week. Sure sure, I didn’t actually get all the way through the book I’m using in my research (The Mayans). But What I mean to say is that I worked at it longer and harder than before and I got more reading and note taking accomplished this week than normal. This is due to my new aggressive backing of the whole early to bed…philosophy. Now I’m a night person so it is very difficult to reign myself in and toss myself into bed at the ridiculous hour of 9:30pm. But This week I decided that if I don’t get serious about carving out some more writing time, dum dum dum dum, I’m never going to finish this next project. And so I changed my goal chart. Instead of getting to highlight my goal chart if I get 5 hrs. of writing done and getting a star sticker (yes you heard me right) on the chart if I accomplish 7 hrs. Now it is 7 hrs. for a highlighted week and 10 hrs. for a much coveted star. And you know what? I, Kristen Joy Wilks, got a star this week! Over 10 hrs. of writing, just think how long reading “The Mayans” would take if I’d been going at my former pace. So now it’s up at 5:00am every day with two whole actual hours (barring early rising children) to write. And because of my newfound fanaticism, I composed a 2 yr. plan yesterday for this manuscript. Two years to write a novel length ms. It seems ridiculous considering that it took me over 5 to finish the last one. But I wrote out my plan, stuffed it into 2 teeny little years and I actually think that I can do it! I think the main difference is that I planned 2 whole months for outlining the story before I start to write. I noticed that the planned chapters required much much less editing than the “organic” chapters of Overturned. I hope to finish planning and writing the rough draft this year, and do feedback, revisions, and self-editing in 2010. So, more planning and hopefully a little less editing and viola (is this a french exclamation or some sort of stringed instrument?), 2 yr. Book!
Breaking News
The hunky hubby is a Camp Director. Which at our little camp means that unless he can round up someone else to do it, he must do whatever urgent task presents itself before something starts smelling, or leaking, or starving. So despite the fact that a good many Camp Directors don’t do the grocery shopping the day before a camp arrives, the hunky hubby does. But today was a little different. Today he set of on his epic journey to Costco with not zero, and not even one skilled helper. The hunky hubby had two exceptionally eager assistants clinging to his hands as he crossed the scary parking lot and into the Mecca of bulk shopping. Indeed you guessed it. Sweet boy #1 (5yrs.) and sweet boy #2 (3 yrs.) went camp shopping with him this week. They pushed the shopping pallet together through the gleaming concrete isles and loaded groceries onto the conveyer belt thingy at the checkout stand. They snorked down Costco hotdogs and sweet boy #1 even organized the different meats into the massive silver fridge for our camp cook! It was astounding, especially considering the shrieking tantrums they granted us front row seats for immediately prior to this brave escapade. I guess they just needed to get out of the house. And what do you ask did sweet boy #3 and I accomplish while the big boys were out conquering the world of produce and pastrami? Well, sweet boy #3 had a nap and played “little people.” But I, me, Kristen the Momma…got to read! I spent over 3 straight hours reading a good book. It was so incredibly glorious. I ate a quiet. Did you hear me! QUIET! Lunch alone. ALONE! While sweet boy #3 napped and I read a book!!! The hunky hubby is most assuredly my hero. Ahhhh, the sweet bliss of the written word taken in calm, quiet sips while nibbling a delicious and solitary lunch. It was glorious.
Harrowing/Heartwarming
Parent Moment of the Week
We had much eventfulness this week. From overhearing several fights between the big boys (5 and 3) “Dag-nab-it to you!” “No, dag-nab-it to you!” and “Stop being so nice” in screaming voice, which was answered at a similar volume with “I won’t stop being so nice!”, to real life physical messes. Like when sweet boy #2 had an accident, but for one reason or another he was up on the counter top sifting through the contents of our snack cupboard at the time. They never tell you about urine on the counter tops in those childbirth classes. And of course when the boys decided to “clean” the bathroom mirror as I cleared the table after lunch. Who knew that an entire foamy soap dispenser could be emptied in such a short amount of time! But this week I am choosing a cute moment. It was 6:30am and I was writing. Sweet boy #2 stumbled out of bed and wandered into the kitchen. Now for you to understand, you must realize that in our house you can’t have gum until you turn 5. The boy in question is 3. Sweet boy #2 staggers, eyes squinted to sleepy slits, to the Jell-o drawer where his brother keeps a stash of gum. He reaches in and pulls out a piece, he unwraps it, he licks it, he freezes like a deer sniffing the meadow for cougar, he looks both ways, and pops the piece into his mouth. Then he looks up and sees me watching him. Blah! Out comes the gum into his hand. Immediately an irresistible smile is applied to the situation. “Mama, I got a piece of gum for brother.” Cuteness and unquestionable honesty ensues. “Oh good,” I say. “Put it on the bookshelf for when he wakes up.” He places the slightly mushed piece in the afore mentioned location. I looked down at him. You know how there are times that you just need something special. A moment with your mom, when its not about rules and bedtime and the five food groups. A time that’s just about you and someone you love, a moment. I took his little hand and we snuck back into the kitchen. I picked up the spatula and carved off a chocolate chip cookie from the pizza stone (we’d made cookies the night before), I got him a little cup of lactose free chocolate milk. Set him down at our little coffee table and gave him a hug. He ate his cookie, he drank some of his milk, and then I took him back to bed and tucked him in with his daddy. Sometimes they just need to know that you love them. So sue me.
Glory
I saw glory this week. You know, God’s glory. Divine workings within the potty clean up and mad scrambling with massive piles of snow clothing. The hunky hubby has camps every weekend until the end of March and so if I want to go to church it is me and the three cyclones all alone. We had freezing rain Saturday night and so come Sunday morning I could barely make it to the car. We arrived at church ok, can you say studded snow tires, but the parking lot had accumulated a treacherous coating of lightning slick ice and I was wearing really dumb shoes. I had three small children and three big bags and I could barely stand up, much less hobble into service. I sent out a desperate prayer and right then our neighbor drove up. She stopped, the door opened, and one of our guy counselors hopped out. She drove away and he stood in front of us for a moment, “Can I have a ride back to camp?” “Sure, here take three bags and 1/2 a child.” He helped us scramble into the service and that was when I found out that my mom had been praying for us right then. Praying that we would make it over the ice. Hmmmmm.
And yet again I am stuck by His glory. For this week I was gifted by a long coveted friendship. A friendship that I have been praying about for a year and a half. It wasn’t in my timing and it didn’t happen before I’d wasted a good amount of time whining about it. But God has just blessed me with a good friend, and I am awestruck and so very very grateful.
