Happy Monday.

Is there anything happy about Monday's? Really?

I'm sort of in a stunned state of disbelief right now. Just before I took the boys to school this morning, I was searching through our DVR to find a cartoon for them to watch. And we had about 30 hours of extra recording space.

Which was odd.

Usually we have about 10 hours of space on the DVR at any given time. So I figured Hubby must have erased some of his shows and started checking to see what was gone.

And my heart stopped dead in my chest.

All my Burn Notice episodes from Season 3 had been erased.

Now, this was obviously not the work of Hubby. He enjoys living. He likes to breathe through his nose, not a tube. So he would never be foolish enough to erase 16 episodes of my favorite show.

This was obviously the work of our crossed-signal perpetrators somewhere in the neighborhood. Somehow they were able to get into our DVR and erase stuff. Which we've had the same thing happen to us. Finding recordings that we certainly didn't program, so we've erased them.

But amazingly enough, I'm not completely losing my mind over this. Hubby's calling the satellite company (AGAIN) today. We're going to see if they can fix the problem.

And I have it on good authority that the Season 3 DVD set will be released about the same time Season 4 begins. So I'll be able to buy them soon. That's probably the only thing keeping me from going crazy. And the fact that I think I might know who the "fiends" are (a couple who just had a baby and who I really, really like). So I'm doing my best to keep my cool.

Wish me luck.

Hope you all have a good week.

Later.

Hey folks.

Running a little late this morning, but the Princess is being a royal pain in my backside. She has figured out how to unlock all the doors in the house, both interior and exterior, and finds nothing wrong with bolting out the door anytime the fancy strikes her.

So I've been paying extra close attention to her whereabouts at all times, because you never know when she'll decide it's time to go outside, whether I'm there or not.

I'm also a little annoyed (actually jealous, as in green as a John Deere tractor) with my family right now. Last weekend I found out they are headed to Texas this weekend to go to an Australian Shepherd dog show.

Which is fine. I wasn't interested in that part of the weekend. I don't have a dog, don't particularly want one at this point in my life, I'm having a hard enough time keeping a husband, 3 kids and 2 fish alive, thank you very much.

They mentioned going to the outlet malls to do some shopping. That tweaked the jealousy monster a little bit. I'm not big on shopping most of the time, but I have a specific fondness for outlet malls. But money is tight for us right now, like it is for a lot of people, so I let that one go, too. No need to put myself in a position to be tempted to spend money we don't have on things we don't need.

They brought up the possibility of going into Dallas to see a museum. Nobody mentioned the specific museum and I didn't ask. The museums I would want to see are definitely NOT the same ones they would want to go to, so I didn't think any more about it.

But the thought has been on my mind for months about going to see the filming of "The Good Guys" a new TV show set in Dallas that is being created by the same guy who created Burn Notice.

Now, if you've had a conversation with me in the last 9 months, you know I have become a complete BN fanatic!!! And I've been eagerly awaiting this new show, too. If it's even half as good as Burn Notice is, I'm gonna be hooked for life!

So I mentioned to mom on the phone this morning (completely joking, in no way serious) if they had a chance, they should stop by Fair Park and see the filming of "The Good Guys."

And she says, "Well, you know, I think that's where the museum is that your sister-in-law wants to see."

WHAT?!!!!

"You're going to Fair Park?!"

"Well, maybe. We haven't really decided yet."

"M-o-m!!!" (Imagine lots of long, drawn out syllables like a cranky teenager.)

"Good grief, we probably won't even see anything."

"The whole freaking area is the studio, Mom. They set it up that way. They're parked under the freaking Ferris Wheel."

Which I have no idea if that's true or not. I know they're shooting all over the city. I know they are using the fairgrounds as their main studio location, and I know they have one of the main characters living in a trailer parked beneath the Ferris Wheel. However, the likelihood of them being there this weekend is slim to none.

So after talking me out of my hyperventilating-hysteria that I was going to miss the opportunity to see them filming the new show, Mom promised to call if they see anything at all.

I insisted on pictures and lots of details, no matter how trivial. I hope they get to see everything, meet all the cast and crew, and can come back and tell me all about it.

In my dreams.

Hope your weekend is wonderful. Have fun.

Later.

Hey everyone.

Busy morning.

We had t-ball practice Monday night and then came home to practice catching some more. It was the twins' idea, not mine. But I stood outside in the wind and dust chasing after misdirected tosses, and am proud to say they were able to catch quite a few throws.

This morning we (the Princess and I) are on our way to a friend's house to work on a gift basket auction for our writer's group. So if I can guilt any of you into ordering one . . .

We're putting them on Ebay in hopes of getting more bids.

And again, if I can guilt-trip anyone into bidding, please remember it's for a good cause . . . helping poor, starving, deprived artists *sniffles and blubbers* who could desperately use the help.

Okay, melodramatic moment over.

We have practice again on Friday and most likely a busy weekend ahead.

And I'm off. Hope the rest of your week goes great.

Later.

Hello all.

Wow, it's been a hectic week. T-ball games (pre-season), T-ball practice, school, Easter weekend, etc.

And it feels like the next week is going to be worse. Practice tonight, practice Friday night, possible games this week (still not sure when exactly), writers group activities (gift basket auction, officer meetings, book signing for a visiting author, planning fundraisers for the next couple of months), and the list seems to go on and on.

Not to mention the NEVER-ENDING pile of laundry that only seems to grow with each passing day. I was joking with my brother and his wife over the weekend that the mythical monster in the dryer who eats all the socks? Well, I think he's been showing up in my dryer and puking up all those extra clothes, leaving me even more laundry than I know what to do with.

But other than that, we're good. It's good to have the kids busy because it keeps them out of trouble. And it keeps me out of trouble, too.

Hope you all have a wonderful week, and I'll check in on Wednesday (if I don't forget again).

Later.

Hello all.

We had a busy weekend, and it seems like we are going to have a busy week as well.

Tonight we have t-ball practice (which has been cancelled twice because of weather), and tomorrow we have 2 games.

I also have 2 Parent/Teacher conferences tomorrow night. So it is going to be interesting to juggle the kids and games, but I think we'll manage.

Then we have a short week, as the kids are out of school on Friday. We will be headed to Mom's house for Easter Weekend, and hopefully the weather will be decent so they can have fun.

But mostly we're just trying to mentally prepare for the onslaught of T-Ball season. It will be interesting to see how the boys play this year. And how the parents handle the tense games. My view is they are little kids and are supposed to be having fun, win or lose. And we've been on both sides of that equation. Their first season, they didn't win a single game, but they had fun.

The next couple of seasons, they've played better and won lots of games, and they also had fun.

But the parents got a LITTLE intense. Myself included. So this year I am determined to stay neutral, no matter what happens. (And all you people who KNOW me, stop laughing!) Trust me, compared to some parents on both sides of a game, I am the picture of calm and serenity.

I'll keep you updated on how the season is going, since it will be taking over our lives as of today.

Have a great week.

Later.

Well, I'm not sure what I want to write about this morning. The boys are off to school and Hubby is off to work. The Princess is being quite patient (so far) and watching cartoons.

I am working on critiquing a manuscript for a friend. Things are relatively calm at the moment, and I gotta say, it's a little unnerving.

I've gotten so used to the screaming, running, fighting, and general chaos in our house that when a peaceful moment descends I find myself scrambling to figure out what to do with myself.

Totally random thought just popped into my head: I absolutely love Netflix. I got to watch "Julie & Julia" last night, and it was very cute. The night before I watched "Lost in Austen" which is about a young woman in London who is completely in love with the book Pride and Prejudice. So when fictional character Elizabeth Bennett appears in her bathroom and sends the girl through a door into the world of Pride and Prejudice, she royally messes up the course of the entire novel.

I have been able to catch-up on a ton of movies I haven't had the time, money, or energy to see in a movie theater or to rent from a store. It's just nice to have a movie mailed to me, or to be able to watch them on my computer.

And that's it. Random thoughts are over. I've gotta get back to editing. Have a great rest of your week.

Later.

Good morning, everyone.

I hope your weekend was wonderful and your Monday is off to a good start.

My Monday is off to a fabulous start. THE TWINS ARE IN SCHOOL TODAY!!!

Spring Break is over!!!

The boys had a fantastic time with Mimi and Papa Max at the start of the break, there were a few questionable days in the middle of the week when I didn't know if we were all going to survive, and the last several days at Grandma Linda's house were terrific!

Grandma has a new puppy, Molly, and the kids just love her! The puppy chased them, they got to chase the puppy, she licked their hands, faces, and toes, and they all had a great time running wild in Grandma's newly fenced-in backyard.

Until the freak blizzard blew in. But of course, my children weren't about to let something as trivial as 50mph winds and stinging snow stop them from frolicking outside. They tromped in and out with the dog, burying themselves in drifts and having an all-around great time.

Before the snow they also got to visit with family, play at the park, visit their uncle at the fire station, and played until they all dropped from exhaustion.

Mommy included.

So that was our week. And now I'm off to catch-up on housework.

Have a great week.

Later.

Hello.

Hope you're all surviving your week. I don't know if I'm going to make it through mine. Having all three kids home is a true test of a mother's will not to commit violence against her children.

It's the fighting that's making me crazy. One of the boys starts arguing with the other. The screaming starts. Then the toddler gets involved just because she can. Someone hits someone else. The screaming gets louder. The scratching/biting/pinching comes into play (this is usually from the toddler as well, she's learning early to fight dirty).

Now everyone is screaming for me to do something, so I tell them they are all getting a spanking.

A split-second of stunned silence greets me before the next wave of shouting starts.

"That's not fair."

"He started it."

"She bit me/hit me/scratched me/pinched me." Pick any combination of the four.

"Spank him, not me. It was his fault."

Wah, wah, wah.

To quote Bill Cosby, "I don't care who started it. I'm a parent. I don't care about justice, I just want QUIET!"

So I get them all distracted with a TV show, or a game, or a toy, or a book. Whatever it takes to bring peace back into the equation. And it usually works for 10-15 minutes, until the next fight erupts and we start the cycle all over again.

This has been the last two days. We are headed to Mom's house tomorrow, and I hope the crazy will be somewhat diminished by Grandma's calming, soothing presence. It seemed to work while they were at Mimi's house over the weekend. So maybe it will work with Grandma, too.

Hope the rest of your week goes well.

Later.

Hi everyone.

It is a gray, dreary Monday morning here. Spring Break started about 3:45pm last Friday, and the boys went to Tulsa to spend a few days with Mimi and Papa Max.

YAY!!!!!!

Hubby and I certainly appreciate the peace and quiet, and from what I understand, they are having a fantastic time. It appears we may have two junior golfers on our hands.

The Princess has been . . . challenging . . . but despite her best efforts to control Mommy and Daddy's every move, we've managed to get quite a bit of work done this weekend. And a lot of that work was due to my brother and Mom coming over to give us a hand with a few things like fixing electrical outlets, a broken fluorescent light fixture, and replacing a closet door that somehow managed to get a hole in it.

We never managed to get to the touch-up painting this weekend, but hopefully over the next few weeks our spring cleaning/home revitalization project will be completed.

And that's how our weekend went. I'll be picking up the twins later this afternoon, and in a few days we'll be off to visit Grandma Linda.

Hope you all have a great week.

Later.

Okay, I'm going on a rant today.

Shocking, I know. I NEVER rant about anything, ever. *coughs into hand and averts eyes*

SO anyway . . . as I was saying, I know this really doesn't have a whole lot to do with anything unless you happen to live in Oklahoma, which I do.

What is the deal with all these earthquakes lately?! Yes, I realize the strongest one has been like 4.0000000001 or something like that, but come on! This is Oklahoma, not California (waving to Jan and Nancy, hoping they aren't making plans to strangle me the next time they see me).

WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE EARTHQUAKES HERE!!!

We get tornadoes. We get blizzards & ice storms. We get floods. We get brush fires. We get dust storms. We even had a hurricane, for goodness sake! Okay, so technically it was the reminants of a tropical depression that came up from the Gulf of Mexico, whirled through Texas, and decided to camp out of over Oklahoma, but still! You say potato, I say hurricane.

Now we get earthquakes.

I know they say weather is ever changing in Oklahoma, but good grief. This is carrying it a bit far, don'tcha think?

And what's next? A volcano gonna pop up out of a wheat field or something?!

BOO!!! HISS!!! NO!!! No more potential natural disasters for our state, thank you very much. We'll just take what we've already been soooo generously given, and some other state can keep the rest. I'm fine with that.

So now my ridiculous rant is over. Please have a lovely, natural disaster-free weekend and enjoy yourselves.

Later.

Hello, all.

After months of rewrites, edits, and let's face it, procrastination on my part, I am FINALLY ready to submit my manuscript to Steeple Hill.

YAY!!!

With the help of my critique partner, Lacy, I finished up the synopsis this morning. The manuscript and query letter are done. I just need to find the courage to put everything in the mail.

So for the rest of the day I'm going to channel the Little Engine That Could . . . "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . ."

Of course, nothing moves quickly in publishing so it will be a LONG while before I hear anything back, and even then it might only be a form rejection letter. Or it could be a request for the full manuscript. There's really no way to know for sure.

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that I hear good news.

Hope the rest of your week goes well.

Later.

Good morning, everyone.

Well, I did not make it to Tulsa on Saturday. My ride and I were discussing her new mommy status and her reluctance to leave her baby for so long, not to mention the incredible amount of cleaning we each had to do in our own homes, respectively, so in the end we just met up for lunch and stayed home.

But we did take the twins to their first t-ball practice of the spring season, and they are very excited to be playing again. And the coach is excited to be playing again, too. He's already making plans for practices and tournaments and game strategies, etc. As long as it keeps the kids occupied, I'm happy.

Then we headed for Mom's house and had a fun day hanging out. The kids were exhausted all the way home, and today the boys are off to school and the Princess is lost in the world of Nickelodeon and playing with her toys.

And I'm going to be tackling house work again, in addition to book stuff.

So that's about it for us. Nothing major or exciting happening at the moment. Hope you all have a fantastic week.

Later.

Hello everyone.

Sorry I'm late. I keep saying that a lot, but I just haven't been focused lately. The laundry thing is really getting to me. I mean seriously, are people coming over to my house in the middle of the night and dropping off all their extra clothes?

When I say there are PILES of laundry around my house, it's not an exaggeration. Clean and dirty piles everywhere, in EVERY SINGLE ROOM OF THE HOUSE! It seems like the more I wash and dry and fold, the more piles pop up in their place.

But really, who wants to read about my laundry every week? Nobody.

So we have a busy weekend planned. What else is new?

I may be headed to a writer's meeting in Tulsa on Saturday, the twins have t-ball practice, and then we are off to my mom's house to spend the night.

And I have lots to do before then, so I'm off. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Later.

Hello all.

Sorry there was no post on Monday. I kept thinking about it, and then I'd forget again. Mostly because I was up to my eyeballs in dirty laundry, courtesy of the Princess who caught some sort of stomach bug and has been puking every night since last Friday.

And it only happens AT NIGHT!!!

What's up with that?

She's fine during the day, playing and carrying on. Then it's time for bed. Again, she's doing fine. Falls asleep. Wakes up after a couple of hours with a burst of coughing and whoosh!

Puke City.

Thank goodness last night it was only the blanket and sheet. It didn't actually soak through to the mattress like a few nights ago.

But to say I'm ready for this little virus to go away would be an understatement. I'm very happy there has been no fever or any other symptoms with this illness, but the throwing up is getting very old.

Anyway, I hope you're all having a fantastic week. I'm off to switch the laundry yet again.

Later.

Happy Friday, everyone.

Okay, I know I've ranted about this before, but I'm gonna go off again because this really ticked me off.

As you all know by now, I have a pretty serious Burn Notice addiction. Love the show. Can't get enough of it.

Last night was the second to last episode of the season. Very exciting. Action packed. Chases, explosions, kidnappings, great lines . . . something for everyone.

So after the episode aired, naturally I went back to watch it again. And all I have to say is THANK YOU to the person who invented DVR. While I'm watching, my satellite signal gets hijacked by some clown-shoes in our neighborhood. This has happened before, but we can't seem to figure out how to fix the problem.

I'm fast-forwarding through commercials, the signal stealer is rewinding. I'm watching a scene, they start fast-forwarding. I try to go back, but they try to change the channel. This goes back and forth for about 15 minutes or so, off and on.

Then the next thing I know, THEY ERASED THE EPISODE FROM MY DVR!!!!!!!

I almost had a heart attack. The recording guide came up, they flicked through the menu, I was screaming and punching the cancel button as fast as I could, but to no avail.

It was gone. (add sad, weepy music here)

I ran from the bedroom, and met my startled husband in the hallway. After explaining the tragedy that had just occurred (and getting an impatient eye-roll from Hubby), he went into our recordings and tried to fix the problem. But I don't think the problem will be truly fixed until we get someone from the satellite company out here.

But to add a happy ending to this sad, distraught tale, the episode came on again at midnight and I got that one recorded. I watched all the way through this morning, and am delighted with my show once again.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Later.

Hi.

Well, I wish I had lots to say, but not so much today. My obsession with Burn Notice has gone to new heights, as I spent the morning waiting for an interview with Jeffrey Donovan on Live w/Regis & Kelly.

And it was a good interview.

I have laundry that needs to be folded and the entire house needs to be cleaned from top to bottom, but there I was, ooooing and aaaaahing over a TV star.

So sad.

Anyway, the show is over, so now I'm off to work on the house. Hope the rest of your week is wonderful.

Later.

Hey, y'all.

Sorry, but I'm feeling whiny today.

Does anyone else think the economy sucks? I do. I'm so ready to see an upswing.

Okay. Rank over.

I know, you're all lucky today. I could have gone on WAY longer than that.

As for the rest of our lives, things are okay. The twins are off to school, the Princess has discovered Disney movies, and I'm forever working on laundry and my revisions. I don't think either one will ever be done.

And I would go on, but the dryer just buzzed and the toddler needs her diaper changed. Hope you have a great week.

Later.

Hello, all.

Sorry I missed Wednesday's post. I had to take a sick kid (who is actually fine now) to the doctor, and kept him home from school all day, so I didn't get the chance to post.

And this morning was pretty crazy, too. I had to get the kids to school, and then I came home and colored my hair because Mother Nature was not kind and gave me LOTS of premature gray hair. She also gave me cellulite and an abhorrence for exercise, so all around I've got issues.

But at least I was able to take care of the gray hair problem, and my color is now a light brown.

I am off in a few hours to pick up the twins, and then Hubby has agreed to watch the kids while I go to a HUGE book sale with my critique partner. This is like my version of Black Friday shopping after Thanksgiving. All the books are supposed to be $1.00 to $0.50, so I am majorly pumped.

And now I am off to make lunch for myself and the Princess. Hope you all have a great weekend and have fun.

Later.

Hey, everyone.

Today I'm just leaving a quick note to say we're still here. The twins are out of school today, Hubby's home from work, and we're trying to get some cleaning done.

I'm off to the grocery store in a little while, and then it will be back to cleaning.

Sadly, that's it. We had no major plans for Valentine's Day, we hung out at home all weekend, and I'll be ready for the twins to be in school again tomorrow.

I wish I had some funny story or cute anecdote to share, but mostly we've been trying to keep the kids from killing themselves or us. Not a lot of fun involved.

Catch you again on Wednesday.

Later.

Hello, all.

Okay, loved Burn Notice again last night. Totally awesome. So sad there are only three episodes left in the season until June. Don't know how I'll survive, but somehow I will pull through.

As for the rest of our lives, things are pretty much normal.

Shocking, I know.

Usually we have some sort of ridiculous or pain-in-the-tushy issue going on, but things are actually pretty calm around here for now. The boys are at school and will be having their Valentine's party this afternoon. (On a side note: Twin A informed me girls are gross and he DOES NOT like them. Wonder how long that will last.) The Princess is watching cartoons, eating cereal, and spilling the pieces on the floor. She still has a cough, but seems to be feeling a little better. And Hubby is at work.

So I'll be trying to work on a manuscript while I can.

And I'm off. Have a good weekend, and Happy Valentine's Day (in a couple of days).

Later.

Good morning, all.

I'm getting a late start today because the Princess has a cold (cough, runny nose, low-grade fever) that's been keeping her up at night, which of course is keeping me up at night.

Hubby was kind enough this morning to get the twins up, dressed, and off to school so the Princess and I could sleep in after a very long, fitful night. We've been pushing fluids and trying to keep her down to get some rest, but a 2 year old who doesn't want to stay in bed is almost impossible to keep there without the use of restraints.

(And don't think I haven't been tempted to break out the duct tape to strap her down!)

So the rest of today is going to be about getting her better, and keeping me sane. We'll see how that goes.

And that's it for now. Hope your week is going well. Have fun. Stay safe.

Later.

P.S. I wanted to give a late shout-out to my brother "Uncle Gick" and tell him HAPPY BIRTHDAY a day late. (And actually, I did call him yesterday, and was informed I am supposed to be making him a pie for his birthday, as it is my sister-ly duty to comply. So the pie is on the way . . . sometime around Thanksgiving.)

P.P.S. Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister-in-law "Aunt Mishie" tomorrow. No more cokes or candy for the children as your present. No, no, no.

Well, it's Monday morning, and there are HUGE snowflakes falling in our area.

The school did not call and cancel so Hubby took the boys on his way to work. I'm actually sort of surprised they didn't cancel school today, but then again I understand why they didn't. Usually, the district is very good about not taking chances with so many children riding the bus and cars on the road everywhere, not to mention all the kids that walk.

But they've already missed 4 days of school because of the last winter storm, and I think as long as the roads were considered somewhat passable, the administrators didn't want to take the chance of more days they have to make up at the end of the year.

So I will be waiting for a call that school is letting out early, or just being prepared to get them after school at the regular time. Either way, I'm guaranteed to be driving in a snowy mess.

Not my idea of a good time.

I like to imagine myself pretty confident and able to handle most things thrown my way, but here's my big confession . . . I suck at driving in winter weather. (And I'm probably nowhere near as cool under pressure as I like to think I am.)

The few times I've done it, I've fishtailed all over the road - several times - and it scares the ba-jeebies out of me.

When I have kids in the car, all my concentration is on going slow and keeping them safe, but I always get distracted by other drivers who think they're NASCAR qualifiers, and then I have a little slip myself, and it rattles me for the rest of the drive.

Hopefully today will be a slow, uneventful drive.

Have a great week and keep warm.

Later.

Good Morning, all.

Burn Notice ROCKED!!!

Okay, got that out of the way. Sorry, I can't help myself. I just love the show.

And the sad thing is that watching Burn Notice is pretty much the highlight of my week. The twins are at school (YAY!!!), and they were so excited because today is Pajama Day. For a dollar, all the kids get to wear their jammies to school. And as far as fundraisers go, its a fairly clever one.

The Princess is ruling her kingdom with an iron fist this morning, bossing her put-upon servants (mommy & daddy) around and demanding we give her all that her heart desires the moment she wants it.

She's been a very frustrated girl because Mommy's not playing that game.

I still have three areas I'm focusing my time and energy on; the house, my writing, and other writing related issues. And I'll be working on them for the rest of the weekend.

Hope your weekend goes great. Have fun and stay safe.

Later.

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The twins are back in school!!!!!!!!!!!

I honestly didn't know if I was going to make it. Not that I don't love spending time with my kids, but 6 days of nonstop running, screaming, jumping, fighting, whining, and insanity have me a little on edge.

In fact, yesterday when the Princess finally took her first nap in those 6 days, I sat down on the couch and cried tears of joy and thanksgiving.

I was really beginning to think I had done something terribly, horribly wrong to anger God: spit in a church, commit an act of terrorism, kick an injured puppy . . . something to incur the wrath of the Almighty.

The children simply would not calm down and rest. And I desperately needed the reprieve.

But now I am happy to say that the boys are in school, and the Princess is happily playing with her toys and watching cartoons.

YAY!!!!!!!

So I will be trying to catch up on just about everything I've gotten behind on: laundry, picking up, sweeping, mopping, book revisions, critiquing a friend's manuscript, and duties I've neglected as the new VP of our OKC writer's group.

Lots to do, so I'm off. Hope the rest of your week goes well.

Later.

Good morning.

Well, I wish it was good.

The boys are home from school again today, and as much as I appreciate the school's commitment to keeping our children safe and not risking travel on still-icy roads, I'm ready to risk life and limb to get them out of this house!

This is the 5th day trapped with the kiddos.

And yes, I used the word TRAPPED!!!

I'm ready to tunnel my way through the snow and let the little critters fend for themselves.

Hubby went to work for a few hours yesterday, and he went in again today.

Lucky dog.

The children are literally climbing anything they can . . . dressers, cabinets, the entertainment center, tables, the walls (not a figure of speech, they are climbing up the walls in the hallway), on door frames, everything!!!

Rooms that were once clean are now filthy, and no amount of Mommy trailing behind them with a vacuum, or picking up in their wake, has made a difference.

Quiet activities like coloring, watching movies, or playing video games have become full-on death-cage matches.

I need some peace. I need to be able to hear myself think. I need to not hear the sounds of disaster when I leave them alone for longer than a minute to use the bathroom.

No more pulling all the clothes out of the drawers and closets.

No more emptying their toy boxes and having to pick up every teeny-tiny toy they've ever received.

No more grabbing a package of crackers from the kitchen, taking off with it, and I find it 10 minutes later crushed into the carpet.

Okay. *deep breath*

I think I'm done with my little rant. I just want the boys back in school, and only one child in the house so I can attempt to clean-up the destruction of this long snow-bound experience.

I hope everyone has a good week and stays warm.

Later.

Hello, all.

Well, I'm going to try to keep Friday's from becoming "all about Burn Notice" posts, so I'll only say, I really loved this episode.

Moving on . . .

We are fortunate to still have power, but after only a day of being couped up, the kids are getting a little antsy. My completely clean living room now looks like a tornado hit it. I can hear them in their bedroom climbing the walls.

We've already had one bloody nose, and a bloody lip. I'm hoping we make it through the rest of the weekend with no broken bones or other reasons to head for the ER.

I'll be working on repairing the damage to the house and finding quiet, calm games to keep them out of trouble.

Hubby's been very helpful, but for as patient as he can be, yelling/screaming kids bring out his angry side. Imagine that. He's had a few "I'm so frustrated with these little monsters I need to go stand out in the freezing cold for a couple of minutes to cool down" moments, but overall he's handled it well.

So now I am off to get some work done.

Have a great weekend.

Later.

Well, Hubby and I have been getting ready for the "Big Winter Storm" headed our way.

We went to Lowe's yesterday and got the gas logs we've been meaning to buy for 2 years (thank you, Mom). We also picked up a few groceries since our cupboards were getting pretty bare, and we aren't sure if we'll be snowed in or not.

Someone will be coming this afternoon to do a proper install, and I've been doing the usual 'take all our junk that's scattered in the living room, and throw it into a closet/spare bedroom to hide it'.

I'm also making some progress on the laundry, which is kind of nice.

If we're snowed in for a couple of days, I'm going to have everyone on a major cleaning spree. Hubby said he was willing to help. The kids . . . not so much.

Their reaction was to throw their heads back and wail at the top of their lungs, "But WHY?!!! We don't want to clean!!!! Wahhhh!!!"

So their job may be more along the lines of not making a mess after we've cleaned an area up.

Of course, if the storm isn't nearly as bad as everyone thinks, then we'll just have to worry about our normal routine, which usually involves disaster of one kind or another. So, no big deal.

Hope everyone stays warm and safe the rest of the week.

Later.

Hello.

We are coming off a busy weekend where we were supposed to be cleaning the house, but in reality, I don't think we got all that much accomplished.

Some things got picked up, swept, mopped, etc. But it seemed like the more we put away, the more the kids pulled out.

Cleaned the floors only to have milk dumped all over them again.

Worked on the laundry, but had running kids who knocked the stacks of folded clothes onto the floor.

Just the usual stuff that amounted to a lot of energy expended with little payoff.

I have to admit, I'm getting a little testy about the cleaning Hubby and I are doing, and the destruction the kids are doing. We could be more on top of the problem, literally standing over them and threatening them with spankings, grounding, etc. to get them to help pick up, but then I'd never do anything else all day except bully my children around.

And who wants to do that?

Not me or my husband.

I just don't want them messing up what I've already cleaned.

But this will be the battle until they leave for college, so I might as well figure out a way to make it work. I know there's a balance there somewhere, I just have to find it.

Hope you all have a great week.

Later.

Okay, not that anyone who reads my blog actually cares, but upon the third viewing of last night's Burn Notice episode, I have decided I like it more than I thought.

It's kind of grown on me.

I still thought The Client portion of the episode was off (for the reasons I stated earlier), and I was a little grossed out by the cover id (dude, seriously, use a spit cup! I've known plenty of guys who dip, and unless you're in a field, USE A SPIT CUP!) but overall, I did like the episode. A lot.

Good morning.

Well, I'm tired today. I have this sad obession with the TV show Burn Notice, and the mid-season premier was last night.

So I watched the episode, and then I watched it again, and then I stayed up half the night trying to sleep but unable to rest because I kept picking the storyline apart in my head.

I'm hoping this gave me the "Ah-ha!" moment I've been missing in my own writing.

While the episode was "good" as far as Burn Notice standards go (incredible, top-notch writing and acting most of the time) it wasn't "great." It didn't leave me with the euphoric feeling I usually get after watching the show.

I felt let down.

Which disturbed me. So I had to dissect the episode until I figured out why.

And my conclusion was something novelists are pounded with on a daily basis (which is probably why I was actually able to recognize the problem); the episode failed in the area of "Show, Don't Tell."

Each episode has three components:

A. The Burn Notice: Michael (the main character) is a US spy whose been 'burned' (fired) by the government because of a falsified dossier, and he's trying to clear his name and get back in.

B. The Relationships: Michael's on-again, off-again relationship with Fiona (do they love each other, yes; can they be together, maybe; will it last, who knows), Michael's relationship with his mother, Madeline (complicated to say the least), his brother, Nate (always the screw-up who's trying to straighten his life out), and his buddy, Sam (good-time guy who always has Mike's back).

C. The Clients: While trying to clear his name, Michael needs to make money somehow so he helps those who have nowhere else to turn, usually because they've gotten involved with a criminal element through no fault of their own and can't get out of it. And he hardly ever takes their money because he's a very decent guy who hates to take advantage of other's.

And in the latest episode The Client storyline was weak. We (the audience) were "told" about the young widow caught up in an insurance scam that got her husband killed. We were "told" about the bad guys coming to her house, threatening her and her kids. We were "told" about the bad guys coming back, roughing her up, and forcing her to fill out paperwork to scam the city and the bad guys were going to come back and collect any money she received.

All of these events happened off-stage. The Client told Michael and his team about these events after they happened, although they were happening within the time frame of the episode.

I could have cared less about this arc in the story. Because they didn't show me the young mom being shoved around by bad guys while her kids cowered in the corner. And I wanted to see that, not for sadistic pleasure reasons, but because nothing brings out sympathy faster than seeing the weak being manipulated by the powerful.

I wanted to see the bad guys being bad so that when Michael and the team brought them down, it would be that much more poignant and meaningful.

But that didn't happen, and as a result, the rest of the episode fell flat. Parts A & B were fine, but not as strong as they could have been.

So I'll be going back over my manuscript during the revision process, and looking for the areas where I would be better off "Showing" rather than "Telling."

Hope you all have a good weekend.

Later.

Okay, getting back into the blogging thing is going to take me some time.

And this morning I am on a major tear. We've lost the remote in the living room. Searched high and low. Can't find it. I'm sure it will turn up in the most unlikely place, but we've searched all the weird places we can think of, but still no remote.

The other problem is that someway, somehow, our satellite signal has been crossed with someone else's in the neighborhood. I'm not sure who.

Essentially, we're battling over what channel to watch, pausing the TV show I'm watching, fast-forwarding and rewinding while I'm watching . . . it's incredibly annoying.

Technology definitely has its advantages, but sometimes I wish it weren't quite so complicated. We can't figure out how to isolate our own signal (meaning my husband can't, I wouldn't even know where to start), and calling our provider hasn't helped.

"We'll look into it," has been the standard answer.

Or, "I don't understand," said in heavily accented English. Not that I'm trying to be politically incorrect, but come on. If the call center in whatever country can't understand me, how are they supposed to fix the problem. Oh, that's right . . . they CAN'T!!!

"It shouldn't do that." And we explain, "Well, it is."

Followed by, "We'll look into it."

Yeah, right.

So this problem has been going on for a while, and it doesn't look to be resolved anytime soon. Most of the time I just ignore it, or work around it, but today it just set me off while my daughter was trying to watch a show and being so peaceful about it (for once), and then the TV started going crazy, which meant she started going crazy, which meant my peace and quiet was ruined.

And nothing gets me ticked off faster than forces beyond my control (and in my neighborhood) wrecking the fragile attention span of my toddler.

When she's distracted, my world is a happy place of lollipops and rainbows.

When she's clingy and only wants, "Hold you, Hold you!!!" the person responsible better watch their back . . . cause I'll be tearing their spine out just as soon as I get my hands on them.

Whew!!! That feels better.

Later.

Hello.

Trying to get back in the habit of blogging on a regular basis. Please be patient with me as I get back in the groove.

SO . . .

Hubby's twin from California is visiting family this week. We are driving out to Texas later this afternoon to join the rest of the crew.

Last night we told the boys that we would be going to visit family and staying at a hotel where they have an indoor swimming pool.

They were pumped.

At one point they disappeared into their room and emerged in their swim trunks.

Refused to take them off.

Slept in them.

So everyone went to sleep, and I got up this morning after Hubby took his shower. One of the boys was already up and dressed.

I was very impressed by this. We got everyone around, ready for school, and I drove the kids while Hubby headed for work.

In the car, Twin A and Twin B were discussing our impending trip this afternoon. Mostly, they were talking about all the swimming they planned to do. Twin A paused and said, worriedly, "Oh, no. Mom, we forgot to pack this morning."

I smiled at him in the rearview mirror. "Don't worry, honey. I'm going to pack for everyone today."

"But what about my swim trunks? Don't forget my swim trunks. I left them on the floor in my room."

"I'll get them, sweetheart."

Then Twin B piped up. "You should have just worn them under your clothes like me."

I paused, and tried not to swerve off the road. "You're wearing your swim trunks?"

"Yep."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"Under your clothes?"

"Yeah."

I rolled my eyes, grinned, and concentrated on staying on the road. I should have known one of my sons getting up early and getting dressed immediately was too good to be true.

And in the back seat, the boys were still discussing the pros and cons of wearing their swim trunks to school so they could be prepared for the trip later in the day.

We'll be headed out later in the afternoon. I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay safe.

Later.

Hello, all.

Sorry for the long silence. December was a LOOONNNGGG month around here, and I never seemed to remember to blog with all the screaming and yelling, and running and jumping, and crying and wailing . . . you get the idea.

But we had a good Christmas and a fun New Year.

The boys are back in school and the Princess is doing her thing around the house, which means I spend a lot of time following her around the house cleaning up messes.

I finished my manuscript, I cut and slashed it down to 60,000 words, and sent it to a very accomplished author who was gracious enough to read my story and offer feedback. So I'm waiting for those revisions and I started the next book in that series.

It's not quite what I thought it would be, but I think I like where its going so far.

Hubby is working and that's about it. Not much more to say.

Hopefully I'll remember to post for the rest of the week.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Later.