Little Boys and Puppy Dog Tales

What a time the last week of school has been. The other day, four second-grade boys played tag football and then dodgeball in my front yard. It was in the 90s and I sat on the porch in the shade, but it was still hot. One of the boys' grandfathers sat with me, as he often does, but every time the ball went in the street, he had to go get it. Even though I just sat there, I was exhausted when we went in the house after an hour. The soccer ball or whatever it was remained stuck high up in a  youpon where it stayed until today when I showed Jacob and Collin how to poke it down without beating the tree to death. Today I just have the two boys and it's much more peaceful--they threw the ball in the back driveway (securely fenced) where I didn't have to watch them all the time. Maybe it's my age but I don't seem to have the energy for four as I did when I was raising my four--except two of mine were girls.
But Jacob proves my three-stages of Jacob theory: with a friend here he's a bit of a smart-aleck with an attitude. Tonight, when he and I build poor boy sandwiches, I'll bet he'll be fun. And when he sleeps he still looks like an innocent baby.
Not only did I have to worry about boys this week, I worried about Sophie. She ignored her food Monday night and Tuesday night--she'd drink and take tiny bits of cheese from me, but no dog food. And I began to watch her neurotically--was she lethargic or was that normal quiet when nothing was going on? By ten o'clock Tuesday I was planning a vet visit the next morning, when she suddenly ate every bit of food and wanted to go out. She's been lively and energetic ever since, so I guess her stomach was upset or maybe the sudden onset of heat got her.
Today all is well, Sophie is ecstatic to have the boys here, and I am ecstatic that we only have two more days of school. Of course then comes baseball camp--pick him up at three--and then swimming lessons right in the middle of the day. Then, I think, a peaceful spell.. I'm ready.

Austin, family, a triathlon and a birthday party

Oldest and youngest

 Two of my gorgeous granddaughters

These imps were poised for mischief all weekend

Every year, I ride to Austin with Melinda, production manager for TCU Press, for the Texas Book Festival. We'd spend two days owrking the TCU Press booth at this mammoth celebration of  books. This year I rode with Melinda, as always, and we met friends at Z Tejas for late afternoon wine. But I didn't go near the festival. My family was in town, and family comes first. Besides times change, and the festival no longer looms as a mjor event in my life.
I actually spent Friday evening alone at my daughter's while she and her family and the Frisco Alters went off to my grandsons' school carnival. They convinced me I did't want to go, so I had a peaceful evening--for a while. Then they all returned, and the Houston Alters arrived. Three of my four grown couples and six of my seven grandchildren--a treat, and we missed those who couldn't join us. Everyone talked until late in the night.
Saturday my sons were off to a hotel to prepare for the next days half Ironman traithlon, while the rest of us went to Shady Grove for lunch. There's a nice grassy area where the kids got an impromptu soccer game going. Saturday night we fixed fajitas, and Sunday we had a big breakfast of eggs and sausage. Then everyone left about noon to go greet the runners--and convinced me I wanted to stay home. Not hard--I got some work done, had a nap, and didn't have to do all that walking.

 

Both did well on the race or competition or whatever--this was only Colin's second try at a triathlon. I don't know his time but think it's impressive that he finished, especially since his bad knee was bothering him. Jamie had a catastrophe--the seat post on his new bike broke, and he had to walk it in until someone came to get him. There went his time, and he said he was sailing along before. But the kids reported he was in good spirits. I think it's as much in the doing as the competition.
Late Sunday afternoon was Ford's sixth birthday party--a scavenger hunt. This time I tagged along because Megan assured me it was a pretty place, with benches for sitting. I didn't realize that the kids and adults would all go off in the woods, leaving me far behind. Megan was aghast I didn't bring my book--"You always take a book wherever you go!" So I sat soaking up the sun and watching about fourteen peacocks--plus a whole lot of diverse people out enjoying the lovely day. (Note to my brother: I was outdoors, getting fresh air and sunsine.)
Over this long but happy weekend, I read, by fits and starts, a book I've been needing to get to and roughed out a review, which made me feel good. Got home today about 1:00 and picked up where I'd left off, catching up on mail and email and Jacob's homework. Routine is good, but it sure was nice to have that break and see all those wonderful grown kids and grandkids. I've discovered, among other things, I sleep better away from home because I don't have the responsibilities that call me out of bed at home.
Hmm, Megan....how soon can I cme back?

Minor catastrophes and a major computer problem

Kids at breakfast

After a make-your own burrito breakfast this morning, my kids and grandkids packed up to leave. Their departure was not without catastrophes, however. Everyone was concentrating on getting Colin 's dog to put his feet inside his space so the hatch door could be closed. Kaibo finally complied, door was closed--on Morgan's hand. Lots of tears, bags of ice, lots of love, chocolate ice cream, and a bit of children's aspirin. At last report, in the car, she was drawing and could bend and wiggle her fingers, though they are swollen and red. By the time they left, we were getting a few smiles out of her.

Maddie had brought her regulation basketball, and she and Christian went to the school playground to shoot baskets. When they came back Christian and Jacob were playing with the ball and somehow Jacob got smushed in the face with that heavy ball. He recovered fairly quickly but was indignant that this had happened to him.

Everyone was finally off, I finished cleaning the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, started a laundry and settled at my desk--only to find that after about an hour my wireless mouse quit. The keyboard still works, but I have to use the mousepad on the laptop--and I prefer an old-fashioned mouse. Spent a lot of time tonight on the Logitech support page, tried to call but they were closed. I'll call in the morning but I have a feeling that I am only postponing the inevitable new keyboard and mouse. That was Brandon's advice, but I swear I haven't had mine long. B. says they need replacement because the letters on my keys have all worn off--doesn't bother me, because I learned touch-typing the old-fashioned way. My kids don't like my keyboard. That doesn't bother me either.

More grandkis, food--and only a bit of writing

Jordan and I had a delightful time in Frisco with Jamie and his family--and Jacob was so loved on, he was exhausted. Both girls were delighted to see him. Edie kept giving him kisses and rubbing his head and cuddling close to him while they watched Spiderman (amazing technical effects--I'd seen the beginning but never that spectacular ending!). But Maddie was the little mother--Jamie told her this morning she was the cousin that all the others would think was like an aunt. At the moment she was busily cleaning a sippie cup and putting chocolate milk in it--a rare treat for Jacob. She's a natural born nurturer and really keyed in to Jacob's every need. When Jordan left the breakfast table to go get him dressed, she found Maddie had already dressed him and taken him to the potty again. He was so besotted with Maddie that any time she asked him if he wanted to potty, he did. Steak dinner, good company, a delightful time. I sat in a chair in the rec room last night with a book, but I kept staring at those three children huddled together. Maddie looked at me once and said, "What?" and I just said "I think you're all pretty wonderful." I am truly blessed with family.
Another lazy day--we were home by noon, and I unpacked my suitcase (it's amazing what it takes to be away even for one night), fed my neglected animals, ate some lunch, caught up on emails, and had a good two-hour nap. We lost an hour last night, of course, and I really didn't sleep well but still managed to doze until 7:45, which was 8:45 by this morning. I plan to go to bed early tonight and tomorrow, no one else will be in my office, so---shhh!--I don't plan to break my neck to get there at 8 a.m.
A food note: yesterday while waiting for Jordan to pick me up for the trip, I watched the food channel, and there were Paula Deen and a guest slathering butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon on dough and rolling it up to make breakfast rolls which they then iced (the icing to too much icing on the cake to my mind). I wanted to say, "Come on, Paula, stop acting like that was just invented--I've done it since I was a child." That's how my mom made coffee cakes, Christmas cakes, and pecan rolls, and if I weren't so lazy about rolling out the dough, I'd still be doing it. My kids clamor for home-made rolls, with Grandmother's recipe, at holidays, but it's a lot of work. Mom had what she called "Everlasting Dough" because you didn't have to bake it all at once--you could keep it in the fridge, though it did tend to rise out of its container. I don't know what kind of dough Paula was using, but you can't beat Everlasting Rolls. The recipe, with all its variations, is in my forthcoming cookbook. (A shameless plug!)
I've been reading a lot this weekend--a proposal for a novel, for one. The author sent the whole thing in some time ago, I sent it back with rewrite suggestions, and he sent back the first 50 pages. I was hooked and asked for the remainder, but he has a capitalization disease--capitalizes every other word, and my red pen itched, but I don't make marks on preliminary copy that will go to readers and the board. I sort of think I'll attach a note to the manuscript's trail for whoever edits. That worries me a bit--it's like I want to control every project (whoever edits will no doubt be perfectly capable of fixing those capitals) and I realize someday I have to retire and let go. It can't always be done my way. More's the pity!
I've also been reading an advances of a mystery. Patricia Batta posted on the Sisters in Crime listserv and asked if anyone would be willing to read galleys. I guess I was thinking in terms of proofs, because I thought she wanted a proof reader. Turns out it was a bound advance galley, and she wanted a blurb. That threw me, because I have no published mystery credits, so who am I to blurb a book? I read it, at first thinking how I would have done this and that, but her plotting is really good and I soon got caught up in the story. So tonight I sent off a blurb. I recommend you look for Why Did You Die in the Park soon at your local bookstore or on the Web. Now if I can only do as well. The book is, by the way, proof that you don't always have to hit the big New York publishers--this will come from Lillimar Publishing in Traverse City, Michigan.

Distraction, Procrastination, and Writing Habits

A big distraction! This is how I'm spending the weekend. Megan and Brandon came from Austin for her 20th high school reunion--who can believe?--and I babysat Sawyer, 4, and Ford, not quite 2. Jacob is the one in the middle. I owe Jordan a fancy lunch, dinner, whatever, because she came over and helped get everyone fed, diapered and pajamed, and all tonight. I know--I used to do it all myself with four, not two, and others would come into my house amazed at the pandemonium amidst which I was, so they tell me, fairly quiet as I explained that 5:30 was the "fussing hour." Hungry, tired babies. But that was almost 40 years ago, and I'm a tad older, a tad less resilient. Still, I did the cooking, Jordan marshalled the kids, and we had an almost sane dinner hour--one biting incident, much jumping on beds which is a no-no in my house. But then we settled down to read and all was well.

The boys are fun, but they are exhausting--and the Austin boys are not as used to being here as Jacob, so Ford cried long and hard before he went to sleep tonight. But I'm loving it, because I haven't known these boys as well as the others, and this has been a great weekend for "bonding." Now they not only know "Gaga" but they know my house, the toys I keep (including the train set I thought was going back to Austin), the animals--"yes, you may give the dog a bone, no, don't touch the cat!" I hope they'll come more often now.

One of the Sisters in Crime listservs has been full of discussions of distractions, and how you prevent them from keeping you from your writing. With all those comments about writing habits, naturally I examined my own. I have, as readers of this blog know, not been writing for over a week--a "big" birthday weekend, recovery from that--cleaning up the details at home, writing thank-yous, generally getting my feet back under me--kept me from writing as did anticipation of this weekend when I would again be distacted. And I've written about the Julia Spencer-Fleming novels that have me so engrossed that I'm neglecting my own writing--like I can't live in two extra worlds at once. But I think there's even something else going on. I think I tend to put my writing on the back burner when I'm not sure where it's going. Yes, I have some notes, but I'm uncertain about what happens between here and there, when it is time to introduce yet another element, am I making the people real enough. The latter is a question the Spencer-Fleming novels make me ask, because her characters are so real to me. I know the cure for this--and it's hard work. Start on page one, read the whole thing over again, make notes, and move on. Even if you move on in the wrong direction, at least its movement. Maybe I'll think about that Monday.

Meantime, I have the last of a novel to finish reading, I think maybe both Sawyer and Ford have gone to sleep--Ford screamed for probably half an hour. I rubbed his back, gave him more milk, told him Mama would be home soon, but he was pretty much inconsolable.