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Tuesday 30 October 2012

Hurray for NaNoWriMo!

October 31 has never been quite so significant.

Firstly my four and a half year old has discovered the spirit of Halloween in a big way. Which I find quite extraordinary as we have never early mentioned it, she hasn't yet started school and she doesn't have an older sibling to pass on the news. But it seems to be unavoidable these days so we have prepared a costume - this year she will be a ghost - and put up scary cobwebs and we are about to cook some spooky cupcakes.

Luckily for me, she has now planned her costumes for the next few years  - at least until she is 9yrs old. Next year she is going to be a vampire, the year after a fairy, then a princess, then a builder! (obviously doesn't like any of the builders who have come over lately to give quotes) and then finally a superhero. So I have plenty of time to prepare.

However luckily Halloween has fallen on the last day of October because tomorrow is November which now means only one thing:

NaNoWriMo!!!!

check it out www.nanowrimo.org

On monday night I was interested but thought that it was absolutely impossible, no way could I do that, when would I write etc etc...

Then I was (quite easily) talked into it by author and experienced nanowrimo writer Lisa Heidke who said, "Think about it," and so I did and signed up immediately. It didn't take much persuading because in fact I think it's a great idea.

Well when I say great - it's scary, daunting and quite possibly incredibly frustrating and annoying.

Yet even if it gets 10,000 words out of me, then that will be a great month! Even if the house is dirty (nothing new there) and my family have to fend for themselves (also not unheard of).

And I have to say the thought of it has helped me through Halloween and its massive build-up so its timing is perfect - this year and those years to come!



Friday 19 October 2012

Hello Twitter!

I have finally done it.

Last night when my husband was out at a work function, I opened up a Twitter account.

Not that it's a secret, I told him when he got home. It's just we're so backward when it comes to social media, I almost felt like I was embarking on another secret life!

I started following a couple of people I admire - I then emailed one, the very talented Lisa Heidke, just to let her know that I was following her on Twitter. (I could have tweeted her but one thing at a time)

But then she tweeted me!

So I tweeted back!!!

It took me approximately 3 hours to put a sentence together at a time when I should have been writing a magazine article due next week. It probably would have been quicker to write a letter and pop it in the post!

I know that half the world (not an exact statistic) has been tweeting for hundreds of years (again not exact), it's just all a bit new and exciting for me. But I have to say that although it's only day two, already I am in love! Again my husband knows and is fine with it.

So I'm on Twitter.

I have sent two tweets but now I need more fabulous and exciting things to say to my new twitter friends. I'm starting to feel the pressure of impressing a new group, being cool enough to hang out with - not too mention living with the guilt of tweeting when I should be writing to pay the mortgage.

I'm sure I'll get more efficient at it, let's just hope I find something to interesting to say!






Wednesday 10 October 2012

Musical Beds

Nearly a fortnight has passed and I'm still not on Twitter and no closer to Facebook. But I have contacted a couple of builders to get quotes for our renovations! Which means my kitchen is one step closer. At this rate I will have a dishwasher by the time the girls leave home.

Speaking of my daughters, they've both decided that they really need to be in our bed every night at different times just to be that much closer to mum. Nice thought but I'm completely exhausted and need to visit my acupuncturist as I can hardly move my neck.

The girls share a room and even though the baby can't yet talk with proper words, I'm sure she and my four-year-old are in cahoots and have organised the night between them. I imagine their conversation goes something like this:

Four-year-old:      Ok, I'll go in about 11.30pm just when they've gone to sleep and say that I'm scared. Dad will let me sleep there for a bit until Mum gets cross and makes him take me back to my bed. Then that's your cue to start crying.

Baby                   Right. And I'll be really unsettled so that very time Mum thinks I have gone back to sleep, I'll start up again and she will eventually take me back to their bed because she can't be bothered sitting up all night doing controlled crying.

Four-year-old      Perfect! Then at about 3am, Mum will wake up and take you back to your cot and then just as she has gone back to sleep, say 4.30/5am, I will go in and say that I can't find Teddy. So she will have to come and help me find him. I'll ask her to stay in my bed, then we'll fall asleep and she'll wake up an hour later and go back to her bed.

Baby                   Yep, then I'll wake up at 5.30am ready to start the day.

Four-year-old     Great!

Baby                    Except won't Mum be really tired and extra cross and scream at us even more?

Four-year-old      Yeah but by dinner time, she'll be so worn down that when I ask if we can have dinner in front of TV, she won't have the strength to say no!

Baby                     Brilliant.


The other night at about 3am I told my husband crossly that we'd have to get a king size bed if this continues. I know we can't because we don't have the space plus I really do love our wrought iron bed, even if it's a mere queen size. And if we did give in and get a bigger bed, we would have absolutely no chance in ever getting them out of it. But at least I could get some sleep. I'll just have to look forward to that day, which will probably be when they've left home. Probably the same day the renovations are completed and the dishwasher is installed!


Tuesday 2 October 2012

Socially Disorganised

I have just been pushed out of bed at 5am. Well let's just say with my husband and two children in there, little room is left for me. I'm not so good with children in my bed. I'm not a good sleeper at the best of times and an extra two little people in a queen-size bed doesn't do me any favours.

So a good opportunity to get up early and get organised.

I love being organised, writing lists and crossing things off. But last night I went to a great function put on by the Sydney Writers' Centre, where the lovely Valerie Khoo talked of the value of social media in terms of building a profile and making contacts and I quickly realised that I am completely disorganised.

I'm not yet on Facebook. Tweeting is something I do to make my baby laugh when she sees a pigeon. And the other day one of my mum's group was going on about 'Pinterest' like it was her new best friend. I didn't know what she was talking about.

My four-year-old has just got up to join me in the kitchen and has demanded cornflakes and craft.

Social media will have to wait for the moment. But like a dishwasher - I will get on top of it!