Let's be honest...

If Sophia manages to take at least one nap, and not run a fever of 102 (like she did this weekend). ..If I manage to not flood the kitchen... If Elijah and I can complete all our schoolwork without driving each other nuts...it will be a decent Monday.

If I can manage to actually do anything else, like work out or write a little, it will be a great Monday.

If I can convince my hypochondriac self that I'm not coming down with whatever Sophia had this weekend, it will be a miracle Monday.

Wish me luck.

Booyah!

So, despite suffering a major, major setback yesterday afternoon. This morning I actually finished my outline for my second book! That's crazy right? Yes it is!

Back to the setback. Well, somehow as I was typing and not saving my work as I went (stupid stupid I know! But I was in the zone!). I manged to hit some random button with my pinkie and the whole word document closed! When I brought it back up it was giving my my previously saved, from the night before, document. I lost all my work for the day. Total loss, three pages. Now, normally this isn't such a big deal. When I type, I'm usually working off my hard copy. Good old paper and pen. But this time, outlining, I was mostly going off memory. See I had written out an outline about a month ago. But lately I've been going over the plot points again and again in my head until I have them just right. I was having a really good moment yesterday where I was totally focused and everything was coming into place. So I was basically outline the culmination of book two. Then zap. GONE! Gone, gone. Completely gone. Yes I tried everything to bring it back. If you ever lose a word document, I am your girl. I know every trick in the book to try and recover it. Nothing helped.

Apparently I'm running some stone-age version of word. 2003 to be exact. Seriously, it's not that old is it? My car is a '98! Oh and my operating system? Hold onto your hats...WINDOWS XP!!! Seriously, if I ever make a dime off writing the firs thing I'm getting is a new laptop with Windows....whatever is the current operating system. I suppose by then it will be Windows 2020. And a new car...and new socks, mine are quite holey...

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah my book outline. So by the time I had recovered from losing my life's work, well, a day's work, I sat down about three hours later when I finally had a free minute and tried to remember everything I had written. Of course, I mostly could. But I couldn't help but feel like I was still missing something. Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. I'll never know.

This morning I managed to finish up the rest and I'm very happy with the end result. Of course I still have a ton of work ahead of me. Book one still needs to be finished, though I'm seriously working on editing the final chapters now. Also, though I'm happy to be finished with the outline, that's seriously like 5% of the work done. BUT, I've learned that the outline is the most important part of writing a book. It's like my map, telling me where to go and helping me stay on the path. Which is why I'm printing it...and laminating it. Just kidding, but hey that's not a bad idea! I'm also big into my timeline. I like to get my days and dates just perfect. I'm weird like that.

So what I have I learned now that I've officially plotted my second novel (yes it is a sequel!). Well, the amazon rainforest is a wicked exciting setting, almost as good as the streets of London. Also, explosions might just be more awesome than car chases. It remains to be seen. Finally, I think just maybe, I was cut out to write this stuff. Who knew? I love me some good clean action/adventure lets see how much trouble they can get into this time, type of stories. I love, love, LOVE my characters, I think they're amazing. AND I can't even explain to you just how much I love writing and just how badly I want to see my words in print.

Lost and found...

Last night, while digging around a bit, I happened upon some old writing. There in the deepest, darkest recesses of my hard drive...well, actually in a folder entitled "Cacey's Book", I found it. My first book. Actually it's technically my second, since I wrote one, also unfinished, my senior year of high school. Anyway, there it was. In all it's unfinished, out of order, choppy glory. Hesitantly I clicked on the document labeled "Chapter 1" and began to read.

And you know what? It didn't exactly suck, per se. But I did cringe quite a bit while reading it. In fact I pretty much had to stop after just a few pages. I clicked open a few other documents and read a little more. While it did leave me feeling quite nostalgic, I certainly don't miss it at all. I can't remember exactly when I started writing that particular book. So dramatically entitled "Shadow of a Memory", but it was a while ago. Certainly back in our Georgia days, possibly as far back as 2007.

At the same time I can't help but feel even more satisfied with the work that I've been doing lately. Not only am I writing faster. I'm way more organized, deliberate, and just plain better. I started writing my recent book literally the first weekend in January. And I'm so close to be finished now, it's crazy. But before now I've just written endlessly and pointlessly for years.

I'm not sure how to explain my sudden surge in writing. Or my sudden talent. Seriously, my old stuff sucked. New stuff=awesome. The only thing I can think of is that I've just managed to find my little niche in the writing world. It's pretty funny because what I'm writing is certainly not what I ever imagined myself writing, but somehow it just works. In fact, before when people would ask what I was writing and what my book was about I wouldn't know how to answer. And my only reaction to people reading my work was embarrassment. Now I'm perfectly happy to own up to writing "Young adult action/adventure YAY!". And if someone wants to read it, I'm totally down for it, though I'm supposed to be keeping it under wraps for the most part. I want everyone to read it someday, I really do. I suppose that's where publishing comes in, huh?

Anyway. Here's to no more sucky writing in the future. And knowing what you're supposed to be doing and doing it. At least in the fictional sense.

I spoke too soon...

You know how I was kinda-sorta-not really-okay maybe just a little- complaining yesterday? Well, I shouldn't have been. Because it got worse. Not a ton worse, but enough.

After lunch (where my post left off yesterday) we had a bit of school to finish up. Greek diphthongs anyone? Yes? No? Also, why does my kid have to be so much like his Daddy? He wants to learn Greek. Seriously? He's FIVE! Oy....anyway. So we're going over our Greek alphabet. I have the door to the kitchen closed because the washing machine was running and it's LOUD. Suddenly I hear this sound, the sound that I've heard far too many times and makes my blood run cold. Okay that might be a teeny bit dramatic. It's the sound of running, rushing water hitting the floor. I scramble out to the kitchen to have my fears confirmed. The washing machine is overflowing every-freaking-where. By the time I reach it and throw open the lid it's already too late. There is standing water in half my kitchen. Seriously? Yes I know I say that a lot, but SERIOUSLY!!! We were very fortunate when hurricane/tropical storm Irene came through we had no flooding. Well, I guess it was payback time then.

About ten minutes later I had the mess cleaned up. I called it quits on our school day. We had pretty much finished everything up at that point anyway. (Oh and my sister-in-law wanted to know why my washing machine is constantly overflowing. To put it mildly, my house is old and the plumbing SUCKS!) Anyway, around that point Sophia was taking her afternoon nap (can you believe she still takes two a day? Totally rocks my world.) Elijah was going to lay down and read for his quiet time. I finally had some peace and quiet. I decided to get in a workout. Lately I've been barely managing 30 minutes a day, but I want to go up to at least 45. Why? Because winter is coming (what?) and my beloved skinny jeans are a little...snug. So there.

Yeah, I guess it wasn't that bad. But I realized with a pang of sorrow (sooo dramatic) that today is Matthew's last day of summer. He goes back to class tomorrow which means I'm losing all the extra help he's been giving me. No more giving the kids baths for me in the evenings, no more occasionally getting up with Sophia when she wakes up early. Those times will all be taken up by homework. So boo! Also he's taking three courses this fall and working part-time. It's going to be cray-cray y'all.

And that's all.

On the upside, it's Tuesday, not Monday. And things are already going minutely better than yesterday. By that I mean Elijah subtracted his subtraction problems and I so far have not managed to flood my kitchen. Yay me.

These kids...

I think we can all agree being a mom is hard, really hard. I know for a fact that being a working mom is really freaking hard, I'm not denying that at all. But let's just say being a stay-at-home mom and being with your kids 24/7 is a special kind of hard. Like an I'm going insane a lot of days hard. Some days are a little harder, and a little more insane than others.

Have you ever heard the phrase "Witching hour"? As in the hour of the day when things get especially crazy? For a lot of parents it's the hour before bedtime. Well, Mondays are a "witching day" for lack of better term. Pure craziness, from start to finish. As a general rule I never make any plans for Mondays, besides the usual routine of school, housework and the like. Today was no different. Though we had no plans, things seemed to be a little crazier than usual. Here are a few crazy/funny things that have happened.

One: Sophia woke up extra early. Like, 6ish. That is wicked early for this lazy mommy! For lack of better ideas I brought her to bed with Matthew and I thinking she might snuggle for at least five seconds. (Also it was cold this morning, I did not want to get out of bed!). Well, I was wrong. Not only did she not want to snuggle, she really only wanted to remove Matthew's beard from his face and get up and go have breakfast. Seriously, she was very persistent. Finally I got up and got her some breakfast. A few minutes later Elijah appeared, very groggy, but equally as hungry. That was the start of our day. (I'm leaving out the part where Sophia had to have a second breakfast because she threw a fit when she saw Elijah eating without her, even though she had already eaten!)

Two: We got off to a rocky start with school. I gave Elijah a sheet of math problem to tackle, and went to start the laundry. About fifteen minutes later he comes into the kitchen where I am and hands me his math worksheet. They are mostly all wrong. He subtracted the first few, like he was supposed to, and added the rest. They were all subtraction. I send him back to re-do them all. This takes him, no lie, around 45 minutes. (It was only like, 15 problems!)I'm going insane... We're on lunch break now, but we've got plenty left to keep us busy...until around midnight.

Three: A conversation between Elijah and I at lunch today.

Elijah, "Mommy, since you love football so much you should become a cheerleader."

Me, "Yeah, well I'm a little too old for that."

Elijah, "Maybe when you're 26, then."
Me, "I am 26 already."

Elijah, "Oh, well maybe when you're 25."

Me, "I'm not going to get any younger, only older." (Thanks for reminding me, kid!)

Elijah, "Oh." thinks hard for a minute, "I guess you already have two jobs anyway."
Me, "Two jobs?"

Elijah, "Yeah, you're our mommy and a writer."

At least someone around here gets it!!

Four: So, probably as a direct result from our crazy day so far, I'm craving something really bad for lunch. Specifically a baked potato loaded with butter, cheese and sour cream. Yes, I will be working out ALL afternoon now. The kids already had their lunch but were watching me attentively as I reached into the oven to pull out my potato. And then I dropped it on the floor...it went splat, all over the place....And they laughed, and laughed and laughed. I didn't laugh.

*sigh*

Also, we did the hokey pokey and it made Sophia cry. What's up with that?

Oh and another thing. After lunch Sophia tossed her plate and cup. Not a big deal right? Well, she threw it across the room, I think at about 90 miles an hour. At least we now know she has a definite career ahead of her as a fast-pitch softball player. She broke the plate! And it was plastic!

There was a hurricane, and I slept through it...

So by now everyone on the planet has heard of Hurricane Irene. I first became aware of it when I was talking on the phone with my mom right after we felt the earthquake (very little) here. Earthquakes? Hurricanes? Seriously. I live in Connecticut!!!

Admittedly I wasn't panicking until Thursday night when I saw the projected path of the storm would be heading right for us. All day Friday I remained absolutely glued to the Weather Channel. I mean who wouldn't panic if they saw that ginormous storm headed straight toward you. And I mean straight toward you! Every projected path had the eye going right between us and NYC. I felt a little better when I realized that my fellow New Haveners were not panicking at all. Then I realized it was because none of them lived on the Coast! We, however, live literally four blocks, 500 yards from the shoreline. Over and over we were being told that the shoreline would evacuate. On Friday I spoke with our landlord who assured us that in the past 28 years they have never evacuated our street.

Saturday came, we went to Elijah's first football game. We had already stocked up on groceries, so we came straight home to obsessively watch the Weather channel some more. That afternoon we found out they were evacuating part of our area. The evacuations stopped just one street from our house. Our upstairs neighbors came down to tell us they were leaving to stay with family. At this point, I have to admit, I might have started to worry just a little bit. But my gut reaction was to simply stay put. We were well supplied, had all our storm windows in, and the main concern for our area was flooding. I could have really care less if my basement flooded. I had already spent Friday afternoon putting everything up higher so nothing would be ruined.

Saturday night it was raining lightly, with hardly any wind. We went to bed not knowing what to expect from the night. At that point Irene was still a Cat 1 and still heading toward CT and NYC. I think we woke up at 3:30 because something crashed down. I'm pretty sure it was a branch falling in the neighbors yard. We looked out the windows and it really didn't look that bad, so we went back to sleep. Around 8:14 my phone buzzed and woke me up. It was my dad asking, "Are you guys doing okay?" My first reaction was, "What why wouldn't we be?". It was then I realized that there was a hurricane outside. Actually at that point it was a tropical storm. The kids still sleeping Matthew and I got up and turned on the TV. To be honest, it really wasn't bad at all. I then got on Facebook to update everyone. We still had power. And hours later, we still had power. The storm came and went. That was pretty much it.

I can't help but feel disappointed. And relieved of course!

Looking up more information online I found out that West Haven did sustain a lot of damage. A restaurant down by the water, not too far from here, apparently was completely wiped out!

Later this afternoon when the weather had cleared out and the sun was shining we walked down to the beach. You could easily see just how far the water had come up. It had receded a lot but the waves were still insane!

Our neighbor's backyard got pretty trashed.

A restaurant across the street from the ocean, you can see how high the water came up.


The water here is Long Island Sound, so it's usually really calm, hardly any waves at all. This is what it looked like around 2 pm today.

We had to take a picture here. Right behind us is our "spot" where the kids and I have spent many a summer afternoon.

This should be fun...

*said with a tone of sarcasm of course*

So by now every one's heard of the earthquake we had the other day. What was it Tuesday? I can't even remember. We felt it here, all the way in Southern CT. And guess what? Apparently now we have a hurricane barreling our way! Well, our way and everyone elses. This is fun. Really it is. My parents live in Florida so they're giving me tons of advice and I can't help but think frantically "this isn't supposed to be happening!"

It wasn't bothering us for a little while, but then Irene got closer and closer. And yes, I started to panic. What person with half a brain (who lives three blocks from the coast) wouldn't? Well, I did. Errr and am continuing to panic. While friends and family are taking turns trying to assuage my fears and at the same time make sure we are all prepared.

So yes, we're ready. Flashlights, bottled water, a full tank of gas. Thankfully we have a gas stove so we will be able to cook a little, should we lose power. Surprisingly, though we've had many snow storms, we've never lost power at this house. So I don't know what to expect.

As far as evacuations, we do live close to the water so it's entirely possible that we might have a mandatory evacuation around tomorrow afternoon. We'll just have to wait and see. Of course I don't want to have to evacuate, I'm not entirely sure where we would even go!

The funny thing is, Matthew and I were talking about the possibility of evacuating the other night and talking about which things we wouldn't want to leave behind. It was a surprisingly short list. All our pictures, the external hard drive, his laptop, some of my writing, some of his books that would be hard to replace, my great grandma's quilts, my jewelry box my grandpa made me. And that's about it. I kind of wondered to myself if this was a bad thing, that we had so few valuable possessions. But then I reconsidered. It's actually a good feeling to know you aren't tied down to stuff.

I couldn't help but be reminded of some Bible verses I memorized when I was a kid.

"Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be."

(Matthew 6: 19 and 21)

So please keep everyone (including us!) in the path of this hurricane in your thoughts and prayers!