Invisible Zach

The latest Invisible Zach (created by Real Zach):

I.Z. doin' a dance for you all:

MoMMY's Morning

12 midnight - woken by 6 y/o child on fire, give motrin
3:30 - woken to 6 y/o hallucinating
5:30 - woken by 4 y/o climbing in bed and chatting
6:30 - drag self from bed (child still chatting)
6:35 - set 6 y/o up on couch, give motrin
6:45 - notice it is light enough we no longer need porch light in a.m. - YAY!
6:50 - shove oldest child on bus (child still chatting)
7:00 - return phone call
7:05 - make 3 more phone calls (1 to hubby to run errand, 1 to mother to take child to preschool, 1 to RSVP to child's birthday party)
7:10 - 4 y/o falls from counter while getting cereal bowl - screaming ensues
7:20 - start laundry (child back to chatting)
7:45 - field phone call from friend
8:00 - call dr. to see if 8 y/o should be checked for mono (child still chatting)
8:15 - call mom to ask to watch 6 y/o while I take one to dr. then school and 1 to preschool
8:20 - more laundry (STILL CHATTING)
8:40 - put on SpongeBob DVD for feverish 6 y/o
8:45 - leave for dr. etc.
9:00 - explain to dr. why 4 y/o looks like he's been in a barroom brawl (dark bruise on left ear from collision with piano last night, black eye/cheek from counter incident)
9:35 - drop off preschooler & 3rd grader, explain why late to school
9:50 - home again (need more coffee - much more, possibly nap)

So True

You must read it.

I give you Finslippy.

Vacation OVER!

First day back after vacation and I have a child sick at home. I might not have believed him but he is willing to miss his gymnastics class today to stay home. That NEVER happens. I'm guessing he really is unwell.

So, since today will be spent at home serving a sick child and entertaining Zach I have decided to write my synopsis for the mid-grade novel I wrote. I was not going to enter the W.I.N. contest over at Smartwriters this year but... why not? I have some very good friends who placed last year and they have serious interest in the manuscripts now. (Not that they wouldn't anyway. They are fabulous books!) Anyway, it is a great way to possibly get your manuscript seen by an editor. If any of you write children's books and you have a polished manuscript - enter.

I know I said I was quitting the children's writing game but I figure I'll enter this year's contests with the manuscripts I've got hanging around. Then I can be done with it all when I get no feedback but a list of winners I'm not included in. Ah, the sound of optimism.

Anyway, off to write my synopsis. Anyone know how to write one? I've always written picture books. No need for a synopsis. Now I have this mid-grade and I have to do one. HELP!

Seriously, anyone know how to do it? Want to help me?

UPDATE (1:46 pm): Synopsis written. Entry sent. I know I should have waited a day and reread it. I didn't. The thing is gone. No getting it back. If I wait, I tinker forever and then chicken out. So bye-bye entry. And good luck...

Kid Conversation

Scene: Dad's office last Saturday.

ZACH: "Dad I just made up a popcorn song. Want to hear it?" 

ZACH *singing*: "Popcorn... is good for you...." 

ZACH (yet again): "Dad? Is popcorn good for you?"

Very Excited

I bought my plane ticket to St. Louis yesterday. I'll be spending a week - yes, a WEEK - with my sister-in-law and her husband and their NEW. BABY. the last week of June.

I'm going to be an AUNT. I'm so excited. All the babiness and none of the responsibility and late night feedings. Now if they only lived closer.

The other reasons this is so exciting:

1. It is the first time I will be flying since 1996. Flying without any children - and I like to fly. (I can read and relax with no one demanding things of me.)
2. It is the first week of summer vacation. Also known as a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week in our house. My husband gets to establish the summer routines. He is taking vacation that week. Whoohooo!
3. It is a week with ONE child who is NOT mobile, can NOT talk back and does NOT make more of a mess than what a diaper can contain.
4. I am considered the expert in this area by the soon-to-be parents. So nice to be an expert at something. Even though... I'm really not. Shhh... don't tell them.

Shhhh

The kids are gone for the night. Two at Grammy's. Two at Grandpa's.

Our big plans?

...

Sleep.