Apparently, I am a big ole wienie! The DH and the kids were watching "HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS". EW! I had to leave the room, and turn the music up so I couldn't hear the gagging/puking parts.

I read the book when I was in 3rd or 4th grade but apparently the years have decreased my ick tolerance factor.

again I must say EW!

Labels: books

The last two nights, I have fallen asleep with a child draped across me (okay—Friday, Mini-Me draped child, last night Spare—nursing a fever—watching Sports Center) and in the morning . . . I wake to snoring and/or kicking child. WTF?

Why the DH let them sleep with me and he stayed on the sofa—NO CLUE! And really Mini-me kicked and kicked ALL night long. His brothers have complained before (weekends and summers the boys all pile in the living room floor—I guess when you have three brothers every night is like a sleep over!) they would moan about him kicking them and I dismissed it as whining! WELL. . . . they were right!

Now don't get me wrong, I love my kiddos, but I don't wanna wake to a small pair of feet shoved up my nose! EW!

So a week or so ago we go to see Harry Potter V. First Potter movie I have ever seen on the big screen, third that I have seen in entirety. It was pretty exciting watching it on the screen despite the fact it was 2 1/2 hours long--and according to DH and Heir, they left a lot out . . . still--it's a pretty thick book so I can see why.

As everyone knows by now, I am sure, book seven--the last in the great line of Potter books, went on sale at midnight Friday (or is that Saturday--dunno). We were at Wally world and they were passing out tickets to get in line to buy the book. I tried to talk the DH into getting one but although he has read all six other books he isn't quite that crazy a fanatic. Fine. Okay.

(did you hear: I read somewhere they had added hundreds of telephone operators to crisis lines in England for when the little ones read the books and find out about the "alleged" two main characters who die--does that seem just a tad off to you?)

Anyhoo--cut to Sunday. I ran up to the bulls-eye store to get the kiddos some dressier (meaning not stained and/or ripped) shirts for the in-laws anniversary (25 years--wow--that's like a billion in Hollywood terms)
and at the end of the register I grabbed one of the many hard-bound copies
of Potter VII--I knew Heir would be uber delighted. So after we get home
from need-for-dressier-shirts I ask the DH to read out loud to us--I
thought it would be a fun family thing to do--WHATEVER. Things 2-4 do their level bests to interrupt and cause noise until they are banished from the room. DH, Heir and I go on until DH's voice runs out of spit.

I read about two more chapters and by now it's late and I am danged tired and go to bed. The next morning the DH asks me to read up to where he
kept going (about 3 chapters) and we will continue
when he gets home from work.

Okay--it's my first Potter read so I figure the read will be good to get out of the way. WELL--300 pages later, I stop only because it is time to prepare dinner, for DH will be home any moment, and he will expect the book back. I have to tell you . . . it was with MUCH constraint that I didn't just commandeer the book and finish that night--that would be rude so it didn't.

Today however--I made it all the way through to the Epilogue: which I will confess only because I know he will call me out on it if I don't--I read that first . . . yeah, I was one of those kids who opened all their presents before Christmas and never told I already had seen everything (kinda blows that morning's excitement)--HOWEVER--it did NOT lessen the surprise for book seven one iota! OMG! It was FABULOUS! Cannot tell you how many, many tissues I went through--and this is from someone who had never read one before--I cannot even imagine theses kiddos who have been following the stories all along! (those phone lines don't seem so silly now!)

Labels: books

As case in point: (I had to laugh) Sunday morning while waiting for the bellcap, bellman, dude with the push cart thingie—whatever the hell he's called—to collect our luggage, Eve says something to me. I look at her and say, "huh?"

She said "I am finishing you sentence." Apparently I was talking and just stopped mid-sentence and started watching TV—DOH!

It drives me crazy when I act like a ditz—it's almost like being drunk and having no control over yourself, but you're not and you see it coming but can't help but look stupid. And then admit to it in public . . . SHEESH!



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Labels: me myself and I

. . . and back to reality.

I had an uber-great time at Nationals—came home to a 90+ degree house as the A/C broke while I was away. Poor little dudes were in it for 5 days—I only had to deal with two.

I totally forgot my camera so the only pics I had were on my cell phone and were of Reunion Tower so no biggie at all.

Got lots to tell; you can read one story at SFC today—more will come later.

I can feel it already and I haven't even left for Nationals yet. Blogger withdrawal--well not JUST blogger but all things computer. I decided not to take the laptop with me all the way to Dallas--I know, so far! One, since the dh thinks it'll be around $20 a day for internet use and two, when will I have the time to sit at the computer.

But my new phone has internet access (and an MP3 player and all sorts of gadgets I haven't figured out yet). Again, I don't see myself having the time to take a breather, much less play Solitaire, er ah, I mean write.

I haven't started packing yet, despite my imminent departure in two days--but I do have piles. . . all over the house! And as I am quite the procrastinator, I still have to finish the galley edits on my September release before I go--I am on page 35 . . . of 300-ish--nothing like a deadline to get your arse in gear. And I need to prepare my "pitch" for my editor/agent appointments. I did finish all my contest entries though that's gotta count for something!

I so CANNOT wait for conference. I get so energized afterwards and have actually finished two books within a month of returning home from the other ones I have attended--go me!

AND--if you're going to conference too, Ames and I have a contest going. If you can find us (and don't already know us--that's cheating!) I have some special goodie-bags for Chica-fans!

Labels: conference

So . . . back when Narnia came out, I was UBER-excited. It was a movie of books I devoured in childhood (as well as a cartoon movie I had cried over MANY times)—and it turned out to be everything I had hoped. So when I learned of the Transformers movie, I was actually more excited than my kiddos.

I can admit, I watched the cartoon often (it helped I had a younger brother. HE got the toys for it, but I got to play too) it was a staple of my pre-teen days. When the movie's opening came closer, the DH and I discussed whether directors and actors could make a childhood nostalgia great or if it would fall the the way of the Fat Albert movie—silly, but still gave you giggles and brief reminders of Kool-Aid and skinned knees.

Well let me tell you . . . TRANSFORMERS so totally ROCKED!!!

It was fantastic! The sound alone of alien robots morphing from unassuming vehicle to ulta-cool ass kicker was enough alone to make me all but clap aloud in the theater. And hearing the original voice of Optimus Prime—YEE —I loved this movie!!

And the humor—I am ALL about the humor—it was so funny. You often worry when you see commercials they have pretty much used up the funny (Sam: "It's a robot. Probably from Japan."). Not so in this movie. There was one scene in particular tears streamed down my face I was laughing so hard—as much for the fact I was thinking about the conversation I would have to have with my older boys after the movie (Sam: "Master. . . mom, please" ) 'nuff said.

It's a very intense rock 'em sock 'em movie (which I like). Of course me being me. . . I had moments of not being able to suspend my disbelief—like when . . . I don't want to give the movie away (and frankly, at 8:30 this AM I can't remember—so it must not have been so bad!).

Shia LaBeouf was perfect for the wise-cracking teen and the total ensemble was great together—even Jon Voight—which surprised me!

I'd even pay full-price to see it again rather than wat for it to come to the dollar movie!

Labels: movies

RWA Nationals is NEXT WEEK! I am so excited, I can hardly wait.

I know it is probably wrong to be SO TERRIBLY excited to get away from the DH and kiddos (and I did go get my hair done today so I had a nice quiet three hours with the Lovely Tomasina) but after the DH was gone most of June, I NEED A BREAK!!!!!!

I also got a new phone, and of course the dern thing isn't working right so I will get another new phone in a couple of days and have to send the first new phone back--JOY!

Gotta go trolling through my closet to figure out exactly how much clothing I can stuff into one suitcase--and I am going for maximum density since I am not flying this year--so the other is free for all the books I will bring home :-)

Labels: me