1. The theme for spring break:

 

 

 

 

 

The kids were not thrilled. The house is NOT ship-shape.

2.  Sold even more cookies. My favorite part was eating barbecue. It was windy and cooooolllllddd.

 

 

 

3. So the next day I had a fever and had to miss a fabulous GNO which involved EATING and bowling. One of which I am much better at than the other. Bet you can’t tell which.

 

 

 

4. Tuesday Bird was home chillin’ cause he’d been up all night at a friends house.

Textual proof:

Me- Are u spinning the night at GPS?

Bird-Yes. The whole night. Spinning in large tea cups.

Don’t you just love how prim he is in his texts?

5. That very same day I took the kids to the park. Well, two of them anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. I wanted to make Bird jealous of the fun we were having, so smarty that I am I didn’t send the pics I took with my phone but texted him instead.

Me-There are kids your age here

Bird-Ok.

Me-They’re having lots of fun

Bird-Ok.

Me-One of them has blue skin and green teeth

Bird-You should take a picture!

Me-I tried. No image. Eerie.

Bird-Weird looking vampire thats immune to sunlight?

Me-I think the blue skin protects him.

Bird-Oh ok.

7. The girl and I went to Girl Scouts and I snapped this flattering pic. That’s pollen on my nose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Wednesday we went to pick up boxes from a food bank when the TRE went screeching by. I wondered later if using my flash was disruptive to the driver. Then I remembered that it’s a train. On rails.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Thursday we went back to the park and had a picnic. It was windy. And expensive. This week we all promised not to eat out and then we’d go to Kincaid’s on Friday. So instead of spending $20-$25 at Subway, we went to Albertson’s and spent $33. But we didn’t eat out!

10. That night we decided to go to Kincaid’s.

11. I found this great recipe for Seasoned Chicken Strips. It was sooooo good and healthy. What a combo. You’ll have to click the link to see the final product. I was so good about my before shots, and completely neglected the after (maybe because the food was ready?) But that’s okay since mine looked just like the pic on the site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. The girl and Max decidedly not enjoying Ship Shape Spring Break:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. My cat:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14. My other cat:

 

 

 

 

15. Both cats!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every school day I drive up and down a street called McCart to pick up the kids. Located in a dazzling half mile–reminiscent of  the Las Vegas strip–the three fellas shown above stand and wave and dance. They are selling inevitability in silly costumes; dressing up to make light of some of the most serious business out there. First I pass Ms. Liberty with her crown around her neck and a ‘do rag on her head dancing with ear buds firmly in place, reminding us that our taxes are due in less than two months. The newest addition on the magnificent mile is Mr. Toothpaste, as a reminder that mouth issues will plague each and every one of us at some point in our lives. Finally, on the way back home we pass the bird–is that a crow?!–(not to be confused with my oldest son). When it’s not tax season he sells us insurance, and unless you’re an irresponsible outlaw you’d better have some of that.

I wonder if sometime soon I’ll see a break dancing undertaker.

*Please excuse the low-res photography. My oldest, aka the bird (no, not that one) was my photographer and I actually think he did a fantastic job considering I was going about 30mph and nagging him not to make it too obvious…I’m a chicken.

The single mom for a weekend edition…

1. Yes, just this one little weekend. Hubs is in L.A. at a nerd convention.

2. Have you ever gone into a store, say, like a Target and started looking at the clothes and one top looks very familiar? You look down and realize you are wearing that top right then. Suddenly, you turn red and leave as fast as you can hoping you don’t get stopped for shoplifting. Yeah, me either.

3. Many people believe that there is a great need for a sarcasm font. I nominate MS Comic Sans. Let’s get this thing rolling, folks.

4. Funny break

5. If you decide to do parent taught driver’s education for your child please be aware that you will be asked to raise your right hand and swear that you will be responsible for your child’s driving until they are 18. They snuck this little ritual in on me after Bird did the eye test, took a picture, and I had paid the sixteen dollars. Yes, PTDE is half the cost of traditional driver’s ed, but I’m not sure I can handle the responsibility.

6. Reading time:

7. Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore: I will read Rosemary until the day she stops writing. I am proud to say that I have read all of her published books to date. I love her style and how she sucks you right in to her stories as though you’re walking right along with her characters. Amy Goodnight carries a solid Texas name but her branch of the family turns out to be quite a bit less than traditional. And, omk, love interest Ben is swoon-worthy.

8. Connected by Jolyn Palliata: Jolyn is one of my writer friends from wayyyyy back to 2009. I know, forever, right? Anyway, she is really getting her stuff out there. Connected is a novella about two souls, one with a living body and one without which are by some twist of fate, interconnected. Rhys’ (my fave male name ever, btw) conscious is stuck inside Addison and at first it is a very uncomfortable situation. Fast, and fun Jolyn will pull you in to their story and won’t let you go even after the twisty ending. Disclaimer: This is not, I repeat NOT for a young adult audience.

9. Next I’m reading Amber Eyes by Jolyn as well. I read this a few years ago when it was in it’s primitive form and loved it, loved it, loved it then. Jolyn has edited it and sent it out into the world. Check it out. And last time I read it, it was for young adults.

10: For writers:

11. Check WeBook out and tell me what you think. I think it’s a very clever idea. I wonder if it will be successful in finding agents, etc.

12. Randomness:

13. So it’s mid January and the high today should be 77 degrees. I really love Texas in the winter.

14. The Sims 3 is coming out with a new expansion pack and Katy Perry is in on it.

15. Check ya later!

Hawaiian Haystack edition…

1. If the above picture looks good to you, here’s the recipe. For the love of refrigerator space, please halve the recipe. I did, and I still have mucho mucho leftovers. That’s okay though cause it’s Y-U-M.

2. Debated using half or halve on number one. By the time I post it I will be semi-sure though. English majors, speak up.

3. A week of Pete says:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. I think Pete needs a vacation. He wasn’t very informative/funny/creative this week.

5. So, if you love free stuff…go here. This is my fave site for the week. Thanks for the tip Sara!

6. I signed on for Google+ and I keep forgetting to actually go there. I also forget to tweet. I never forget to Facebook. *sigh*

7. Lala had to have her tooth (molar) pulled on Tuesday. It was rough. But it makes for really cute Dear Toothfairy letters.

8. Let me translate.

Dear Toothfairy,

I can’t put it [tooth] under my pillow because the dentist took it and [pulled] it out hard!!!!!!! Please still give me a quarter.

9. For the record, our fairy gives out a dollar. And she was going to give more than one this time, but when she saw she could get away with a quarter she reconsidered.

10. No new books this week. *double sigh*

11. Only ten days till school starts! And I’ve done absolutely no school shopping yet. Please tell me I’m not the only one.

12. The streak was broken yesterday. There will only be 40 days of 100 degree or over heat in a row this year for north Texas. My oldest was really pulling for us to break the record. Yes, he’s a teen.

13. I can’t wait to try it!!!!

14. I’m really glad no one showed up for my garage sale, cause it so didn’t happen.

15. Glad that I find out about Rockin’ the River at the end of summer vacay. not.

1. This is for you sis! Sorry it’s so late in the day.

2. I love that I got to spend two hours in the kitchen making dinner. No rushing, no Hamburger-Helper-tossed-together meal. It’s nice to finally spend family time and relax.

3. 17 days till school starts!

4. Yeah, we went there. The egg didn’t so much fry as dry out.

5. My son’s decor. I don’t think we need an intervention…yet.

6. Pete sometimes gives great advice, but other times he’s really off his game. (Every family should have a white board in the kitchen!)

7. Took four kids on a four hour errand trip today. So many tantrums, I had to apologize and ply them with Popsicles before they would forgive me.

8. So excited to get back to crocheting and the blanket I started over two years ago.

9. It’s hot.

10. We’re having a garage sale next week, so everyone show up and buy all my used stuff, k? K.

11. Haven’t seen Harry Potter yet. So sad.

12. There’s a new Sarah Dessen out! It’s called What Happened to Goodbye and I can’t wait to crack it open and visit adolescence once again.

13. Best website this week is Passive Agressive Notes.com.

14. I forgot to do 14.

15. Old school Doritos…nom nom nom.

…was a new air conditioner!!!

My 13 year-old niece R.A. came to visit us for a week and left a bunch of awesome artwork. She did this free-mouse in PAINT! No really, we watched her. Amazing!

I’ve started a new job. It makes for interesting people watching, interacting, etc. People are strange, btw.

We swam at the Y a bunch, with our friends a little and visited the library not nearly enough.

My big summer read was The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (after I finished Lonesome Dove for the second time), not really what you would call a beach read, but satisfying nonetheless. And I wasn’t on any beaches anyway. So, The Fountainhead. What do I say? It was interesting to say the least. But what I can’t say is that I’ve ever met anyone like the people found in its pages. But I’ve also never lived in 1930′s New York either. It is hard for me to believe that there was seemingly no positive growth in any of the characters, save one. The others who “learned” from their mistakes took the lessons and twisted them into unhappiness for themselves and others. The one character who never changes, always stays the same (supposedly stands by his principles) is our protagonist and winner in the end, the person we should admire and try to be more like.

The writing was phenomenal. I can definitely see why this is a classic. The story is good. The characters are as believable as caricatures…reminding me of the people minded animals of Animal Farm. I’m certainly no expert. Just calling it as I see it.

Now that the kids are back at school I hope to have more time to WRITE!!!! Here as well as the many many unfinished projects floating on notebook paper, in word docs and in my gray matter.

record breaking snow edition:

1. I realize that this may not look like record breaking snow to a lot of the country. But I have never in my life seen so many healthy white snowmen. Usually they are streaked with dirt and full of dead leaves and grass.

2. Personally I wouldn’t mind never ever making a snowman.

3. I dislike cold immensely.

4. My bushes don’t like it either.

5. Do cats have armpits? If they do, that’s what my cat was up to in the snow last night. He must’ve liked it though, cause I couldn’t get him to come in.

6. Hard to believe that only a month ago it was in the 70′s. That’s Texas for you though.

7. This list is boring. I’m talking about the weather for goodness sakes.

8. Just finished reading Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen. Lots of useful stuff in there for actors. And I guess for compulsive liars too, if that’s your cup of tea.

9. Some people have too much money.

10. Why are Hoarders, Intervention and Celebrity Rehab so entertaining? Trying to figure out if it’s the train wreck aspect, but for the grace of God, or “Whew, dodged that one”!

11. What I’m going to read when I decide to leave the house (or when the snow melts or ten degrees are added to the temperature, whichever comes first):

12. The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan – Came highly recommended by a real life school librarian.

13. Bloodroot by Amy Greene (no, haven’t found it yet)…and why did the local librarian look at me like I was crazy when I asked for it? You’d think, being a librarian that you’d be used to hearing all kinds of strange titles, and I don’t think Bloodroot is the weirdest ever. Maybe that’s just Fort Worth.

14. Fort Worth can be backwards sometimes. Can you tell I’m a Dallas girl? I mean, the closest bagel shop is like five miles away…FIVE MILES!

15. Sarah’s Quilt by Nancy E. Turner – The second book to in the Sarah Prine series. Loved These is My Words, and I’m ready to take on some more of the old west.

PS – Writing writing, always writing. Will tell more when I have something worthwhile on the subject.

PS#2 – Today is this blog’s one year anniversary!! Yay Writer’s Cramp woo hoo!!!!

Some things you only hear or see once a year. Some things you only hear or see once ever. Some things you don’t start hearing or seeing until you listen and open your eyes.

You know that sound you hear when the wind is rustling the leaves in a tree? The swishy, slow but constant sound? Well I found out yesterday that it sounds different when the leaves aren’t fat and green and graciously slap against each other.

It was cold. And windy, which made the cold feel even bone-chillingly colder. But I stopped, steps from entering my car outside the library to look at the up at the tree that stood in the little strip of land between the parking lot and the street. The tree held branches full of dried brown leaves, still clinging. The constant wind was making an altogether unfamiliar but entirely enchanting music from the branches with their leaves. Each leaf could be heard fanning the one next to it. Instead of the light swishing of healthy leaves, there was a slight sharpness to the sound. Like thousands of hands clapping in a far off place.

I didn’t move for a minute, which for me, in the bitter cold (especially sans coat) never happens. What should I do about this new sound? I could tell others with my limited power of verbalization, “Omk! I totally heard these leaves today…they were so freakin’ rad. Ugh! I can’t explain it, I wish you’d been there!”. I could record the sound on my phone and replay it for my kids. “Listen to this guys!”

“What is it Mom?” (as they listen intently–silently–and I dream on…)

“It’s the sound of a tree full of leaves in the wind.”

“Okayyyyy….” (that’s the 13 year-old)

“No seriously, it sounds different than a tree with green leaves. See, all the leaves are dying but almost all of them have hung on to the tree. And they continue to hang on, even in the wind, and they sound like hands clapping!”

“I’ll clap for you Mom.”

“Nevermind…”

But I still had to share. So I share here.

1. In case you didn’t already know it, I LOVE alliteration. In fact, I would be okay with this as my epitaph:

Jennifer Leigh Weadon Parker * November 18,1975 – November 18, 2075

Mommy, Grandmommy, Great-grandmommy and Astonishing Advocate of Abominable use of Alliteration

I know it’s a lot of letters and that will probably cost a lot of moolah, but for goodness’ sake I lived a hundred years and died on my birthday, aren’t I worth it?

2. kids…. ahh… just kids.

3. Writing sarcasm is easier than it sounds. (See what I mean, you couldn’t tell I was being sarcastic could you?)

4. Finished Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda last night. I really liked it! You should read it. I wrote Devil’s Kill first and took a minute to notice the mistake. Hmmm…

5. Mexican food rocks. Not sure I would feel right eating tamales on Christmas though.

6. My son read a book I recommended! SCORE!

7. Me likey Chucky.

8. Totally, completely, utterly frustrated with Joomla! (I did not add the !)

9. My ultimate Christmas wish: A maid once a week for a year. Must do windows.

10. Who came up with FIFTEEN? That’s way too many random ideas to come up with in one sitting.

11. Yeah, yeah, I know I did.

12. It was because I was afraid that five just wouldn’t be enough. I guess fourteen didn’t seem round enough.

13. Which is weird because fourteen is an even number and fifteen is not.

14. I’ve always thought that even=round. But now that I think about it, that’s not necessarily the case.

15. Rambling OUT. (Like Seacrest out…wow, that’s old. Oh well.)

Not a fan of the slate gray day and other grumps…

I swear I did nothing to en-grayify this photo. I cut out the grass out of this pic of my backyard because of it’s pitiful condition.

Next…

Is this how your mother taught you to hang up your coat? Apparently it’s how I taught my 13 year old to hang his. At first I found the coat on the floor of the closet. Called him on it, and he complained that there weren’t any coat hangers (even though I keep an AMPLE supply in the linen closet in a convenient coat hanger basket). So I handed the child a coat hanger…and above is a picture of the state of my closet a couple of hours later. I wonder what he did with the hanger I gave him?

I’ve been in a book slump for a bit now. After I finished The Splendor Falls (a great book–READ Rosemary Clement-Moore. Now. Thanks.) I’ve been reading The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld which I was really super dooper excited to start. I read the whole trilogy and I know this will sound nuts to a lot of people, but it really left me wanting. Something was missing here…only I can’t seem to articulate what that might be. I suppose I couldn’t relate to Tally Youngblood (the protag) who was pretty much a completely different person in each book due to the different surgeries that alter the mind as well as the body. And I really disliked the manifesto at the ending…it seemed to come from an unauthentic place. *SPOILER* I know Tally was always concerned about the environment, but she never really tried to educate herself beyond remembering what she was taught growing up at school…but she was also taught in school that all “random” people (those who are pre-surgery) are ugly. Brainwashing. So she’s okay with some brainwashing or mind altering, but not all?

This in no way means I am anti-environment. Just saying.

Please chime in if you have differing views on this (or backup would be nice too). I’m always happy to talk books.