Here and there...

Every time I think about getting rid of this blog (I can't even keep up with the family one of late) I think of something I want to ramble on about. So I guess it's sort of a good thing.

I feel like everything has been crazy and chaotic ever since the school year started. Although my chaotic is probably a lot like most people's calm. I loathe being busy, being gone, having no time to just sit around and do...nothing.

Well, there's no time for nothing anymore. Not with a second grader to teach, a two year old to potty train (and teach as well) and a grad-student husband. Not with my second book (supposedly) coming out in two weeks. Not with tons of work to still do on it. Not with the days seemingly getting shorter and shorter by the minute.

We're now in week TEN of school. That's insane! We've only taken one day off so far, and that was because of the awful plague (aka stomach bug from hell) that we had a week ago. Or was it two weeks ago? See! I don't even remember. It's like Groundhog Week around here. Only we switch out our minor catastrophes  You know. Stomach bug. Hurricane. Hmm, I wonder what will happen next week?

Hopefully nothing. Hopefully I'll finish up with my book. I'd so like to have it done and out of the way before the Holidays.

OH WAIT, the Holidays are coming TOO!?

How come no one told me? I feel super unprepared. Well, I did make the kids' Amazon wishlists for the various grandparents. So that's something. And I just realized our star from last year is still broken. And somehow the little cardboard star from last year seems less quaint and more depressing right now...

Oh wait, that's the weather that's depressing me, isn't it? Yeah they canceled Halloween this year. Or trick or treating, at least until next week. Who's going to want to go trick or treating on November the 7th. Not I. We already "technically" trick or treated at the mall on Sunday, so I suppose I can get out of that one.

Bah humbug!!!

Sophia and I, doing our best crabby faces.

 Anyway, I digress, as usual. On the upside (and if you know me at all, you know there's always an upside!) my parents are coming in....30 days! (And you also know how much I love me a good countdown!) That's going to be pretty awesome.

And my book will get done and be released...eventually. Now let me go proofread!

Proof...

That God has a sense of humor, or a least a pretty firm grasp on irony.

Sophia has been refusing to go the church nursery for about six months now. So it's basically been that long since I've sat in and actually listened to the sermon. Usually she gets too loud and I have to take her to the nursery and play. Okay, so she'll go to the nursery, she just won't let me leave her. Well, yesterday she did. Elijah was down in Children's Chapel and Matthew was at home working hard on his homework and taking advantage of the relative quiet.

Now, I'll admit, sitting in the sermon by myself was super weird. I was actually having trouble with the zero distractions, so I didn't even hear most of the sermon. Oh, and I was waiting with my ears perked for Sophia's crazy wailing from the nursery at any moment. What I did enjoy were the prayers after church. It's not often as a parent you get to spend some time on your knees reflecting on what you'd like to work on yourself. So I prayed for gratefulness, patience, and grace. Often I focus too much on what I don't have, rather than how much I have been given. Patience is obviously necessary, and often in short supply. Grace, to not go absolutely insane on my kids every time they frustrate me.

With those prayers in mind I began my day today. And so far in response I've been given, a flooding, overflowing washing machine, a slow-poke student, a temper tantrum throwing two-year-old, and oh, I've just been informed the toilet is clogged too.

Irony?

And I'm sitting here listening to Jars of Clay "The Valley Song" and burst into laughter at the line, "You have calmed greater waters."

Pretty much the coolest thing ever...

I wish I had time today to do this post justice. Alas, it is a crazy Monday around here and I have about a zillion things to take care of. But I wanted to share my excitement with someone. Okay, did anyone not see the picture on Facebook on Saturday?

Well, this is what I got in the mail, much to my excitement.

 

Happy, happy, happy! I keep telling myself it doesn't really count, I'm only self-published. But still, it's wicked cool! This is my proof copy, which means I've got to proof it before Amazon will start selling it. I've found a few minor formatting errors I need to fix, but other than that, it looks great. Oh and I'm not fooling myself. I'm pretty sure only my mom will be willing to pay for a hard copy, but that's okay! Matthew says he's going to buy a copy and read it (finally) but only if I fix the Latin errors in it. Errr....

Inside cover

Back

Spine

Yes, he was reading it!