All Apologies (Or Not)

I always get annoyed when every time someone posts on their blog they start by apologizing that they don't post more. It's YOUR blog, you don't have to answer to anyone but yourself! With this in mind I realized I haven't blogged a lot lately and that makes me sad. I just feel like there isn't much to talk about. Then I stop and think about it and there is TONS to talk about.

I still can't find my camera cord so this will, once again, be a picture-less post.

• Dane is walking and talking and becoming the definition of toddler. He seems SO small to me to be doing all of these things. I keep telling him to stay a baby. "Mama loves her Baby Dane and wants him to stay her Baby Dane."
• Dutch has been talking up a storm lately. He's so much more verbal than he was even six months ago. Speech therapy and early-intervention pre-school have been the best things for him. I worry about him a lot. I'm afraid that because he'll be the biggest kid in his class when he starts "real" school people with think he's dumb. I don't want him to have any of that kind of negativity put in his head. I don't want him to wonder if they're right. I want him to be happy and healthy and confident.
• Dane loves the sound of his name. He repeats it over and over again. I'm glad he has such an easy name to say!
• Dutch has been trying so hard lately. To be a good big brother; to poop on the potty (no accidents yet!); to do things that make Mama happy. The other day he was yelling at me and being kind of mean and I told him it made me sad. He immediately came over and gave me a hug and told me "'S'okay, Mama. Ohhh. Don't be sad."
• Dane's new favorite game is Touch the Dog. He will watch Bo from across the room and wait for him to fall asleep. Then he crawls/walks over to him and tries to pet him before Bo wakes up and moves. When Dutch was a baby Bo had eternal patience at being crawled all over. Now that he's a crotchety old man Dane is lucky to even pet him!
• Dutch started his summer pre-school this week. He'll go three more weeks after this one. Two in July and one in August. It's fun for him and nice for Dane and I to have some time alone together. It's an all around good time for everyone!

A List for Tuesday

5 Awesome Things About the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers (WIFYR) Conference
(in no particular order)

1. It's a great opportunity to meet other writers and learn from them.
2. I get to spend every afternoon with my friend (and critique partner) Jenel.
3. Every once in a while I need additional writing motivation and this definitely offers that.
4. Who knows what will come from the networking I'm doing! Maybe I'll meet someone who will introduce me to someone who will help me get my book published.
5. It's fun to be away from the boys doing my own thing for 3 hours every day!

Happy Father's Day to my Dad

I probably should have ENDED this series of posts today, but instead I am starting them. This week I will write a post to the 3 most important Dad's in my life in honor of Father's Day. Today I will start with my own Daddy.

Probably one of my favorite pictures ever.

My dad is awesome. When I was a kid my dad was constantly coming up with fun things for us to do. Not to mention he made us lunches for school and breakfast every day (cinnamon toast was my favorite). My dad is a lefty and he's amazingly artistic. Every different kind of art he tries he excels in. My dad is the king of cheesy puns and jokes. He has ones that he's used for years, but people always laugh at them (even though I tell them to stop encouraging him).

My dad has always been super-supportive of my writing. He continued to buy me notebooks when I was a kid, even though I had about 50 of them. When Chris started applying to PA schools my dad asked the magic question, "But what are YOU going to do?" that led me to apply to Seton Hill's Writing Popular Fiction program. A decision that definitely changed my life.  

Daddy and I didn't always have the great relationship we have now. For a long time we were sort of stuck in the same relationship we'd had since I was 16. I don't know what changed or exactly when, but now we're very close. I try to call my parents at least once a week and I always love talking to my dad. I miss him when he's not around and I'm glad when he is.

Happy Father's Day to the best dad I could have asked for. I love you!

Some Stolen Pictures

So I have pictures from Dutch's graduation that I need to upload. Unfortunately I can't remember where I put my cord. In the meantime I will offer you some pictures I swiped from my sister Heather. They were all taken by her.

 Dane at Roy's in Ephraim 

eating my sunglasses instead of pizza

 Dane with his cousin Bella

(she taught him how to clap)

 Dane and Bella

 The face Dane gives anyone he's not sure about

(he has yet to stop giving it to his Uncle Zaque)

 Dutch in desperate need of a haircut

He's so handsome

(even with a scratch on his face)

A List for Tuesday

Five Reasons Dutch's Pre-School "Graduation" Was Awesome
(in no particular order)

1. All the kids had little crowns that looked like graduation caps.
2. Dutch was so excited that we were there he kept yelling, "Teacher! Teacher! Look!" and pointing at Chris or Greg.
3. When they played a video of pictures from the school year the little girl behind us was giving a running commentary about what she thought of all the kids. Example: "That's [So-and-so], she sits by me sometimes. I don't like her at all."
4. I got to meet all of Dutch's friends. Including Sam who he apparently caused a lot of trouble with.
5. All of Dutch's teachers told me how much they loved having him in class and how cute he was.