July 4, 2009
I hope you take a minute to thank all of the service people who spend their lives keeping us Americans safe.
Last night, we spent a wonderful evening with family and friends talking, munching, drinking, and watching our local fireworks display. We had such a great time.
Today, we are spending time with our family and working around the house.
Hope you have a lovely day.
Kris
June 17, 2009
I realized several years ago that I parent my children, in many ways, the opposite than how my parents parented me. Example: I was always told I had to try any new foods that were cooked, or I could sit at the table all evening long. I am very lenient with my children about new foods. This is probably very bad, but I’m the one who has to deal with it. Another example: My parents worked and/or where not home a lot. I chose to stay home with my children, rather than continue working.
Good or bad, I think that’s it’s normally to do the opposite of what our parents did. I’ve found, however, that some people do this to the extreme and thus end up resenting the decisions they’ve made, thinking that it would be better. Sometimes, parents aren’t wrong. Sometimes, they have really good habits.
Realizing, though, that we unconsciously do what our parents didn’t do can be eye-opening.
~Kris
June 16, 2009
Sometimes when I see myself in the mirror, I have to stop and realize that it’s actually me looking back. I have such a strange self-image, that I’m often times surprised at my reflection.
I’m not really as old as I think I am.
Strange.
June 13, 2009
I’m not sure if it’s because our son plays hockey and we know that feeling oh so well – final game of a tournament or championship, and then the team doesn’t show up. I mean, they are there physically, but mentally…no way. We weren’t upset last night when the Wings lost. Okay, that’s not entirely true; we were upset, but we let it go. Today, however, non-hockey families have emailed or called, wanting to commiserate with us and we’re like, whatever.
Each game is different, no matter what the team is playing for. Yes, of course, our son has never played in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but ask if him two years ago, playing down at Joe Louis for the division championship game, how he felt after he lost that game? He was so close to getting the “big” trophy and his team didn’t show up. Again, I’m not discounting the Wings, the Stanley Cup, or the Holy Grail. What I’m saying is that there is a lesson to learn, and it’s very simple: the Penguins wanted this more than the Wings. It totally showed in their play, and in our lack of play.
Sure, we’re disappointed. That’s a given. After the clock wound down and it was evident that the Wings were not going to be able to pull this off, we all sighed. As soon as the clock was 0, we turned the tv off – unable to see the Penguins raise Lord Stanley – and we all stood up, said good-bye to our guests, and went to bed.
Oh well. There’s always next year.
June 12, 2009
My writing time has been spent on either quick updates on Facebook or actually sitting down and writing the middle-grade novel I’m working on at the moment. My writing comes in spurts, but when it does it just flows out. It’s such a strange feeling when that happens. You know what I mean – you sit down, write, get up, leave. you open it up a few days later, read what you wrote to catch up and continue, and then realize you don’t remember writing those words at all. Freaky.
But I also feel like I’m writing in unknown territory, and I keep wanting to ask someone – am I doing this right? Should I be joining some sort of new writer’s organization, one that has middle-grade authors in their community? But I’m getting ahead of myself. I need to get the book finished, and then I’ll worry about those things.
It’s also a fantasy, which is weird and wild and crazy for me to be writing. I’m so women’s fiction, and here I am writing fantasy. Ack! But I’ve had a beta reader look over it and she loved it. My agent likes the idea too, so that’s a plus. Still, though, it’s easy for me to lack self-confidence, so I’ve been basically telling myself to shut the F up and write. I can write this story. I can write middle grade, and I can write fantasy.
Maybe I’ll post a chapter once I’ve done a final edit and see what you all think. We’ll see.
~Peace, Kris
May 6, 2009
Life in the Yankee household has been crazy, crazy these last few months. My oldest turned 10, and it’s gone downhill ever since.
No, just joking.
But seriously, I have been very busy. I’m working with 11 authors at the moment, while still trying to carve out time to work on my own ideas. My YA hockey story died for the moment. Not because it’s not a good idea – but because I sure as heck don’t know how a 15yr old male speaks, thinks, acts, you name it! No matter how many books I’ve read or how many tv/movies I’ve watched. I’ll wait until the older one is closer to 15 and revisit that idea.
I am working on a story that I came up with a few years ago about a 10yr old, but stopped working on it because – you guessed it – I didn’t know how a 10yr old spoke, ate, acted like – you get my drift. BUT with my very own 10yr old, I sure know A LOT about how they act, speak, and especially how they treat their younger brother.
So….when I’m not working, I’m trying very hard to get this story written. It’s a middle-grade fantasy. Yikes! Did I say fantasy?!?!?!? Something completely new for me, but I’m having fun with it.
Peace,
Kris
April 3, 2009
Tomorrow will mark the 41st anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assasination.
Since I am a member of iStock, I received an interesting email. It seems that Life and Getty images have created LIFE.com where thousands of images are available for view – even some that have never been publicized.
Follow this link and you’ll be able to see photos from the night MLK was shot. They are somber and a good way to remember what the world lost.
Peace,
Kris
March 26, 2009
These past few months, I feel like I’ve been living on pure adrenaline. Author meetings, manuscript deadlines (not my own, though), orthodontist appointments, Cub Scouts, hockey games, PTO meetings, on and on and on. Last week the bulb in our tv went out and my husband and I got sick – again. With these two things, I was forced to slow down. Now, I know, not having a tv made me slow sounds strange. But I think it was the lack of noise in our house that made me realize that I have to stop rushing through life. Even when I shower, I rush. At the grocery store, the library, back and forth from work – rush, rush, rush. It has got to stop. Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I’m surprised to see what stares back at me; I expect to see some hunched over OLD lady, when in fact it’s a young(er) face with few wrinkles. I certainly don’t feel as young as I look.
I’ve decided that in this rush of a life, I need to stop, relax, smell the flowers, listen to the birds chirps, walk the dog slower, go 5 mph less, stop rushing!
Maybe, just maybe if I slow down, my health will get back to normal and I’ll stop getting sick.
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
~Peace, Kris
March 9, 2009
Okay, so I’ve updated my Facebook page – I’m still so addicted to that site – and my husband asked why didn’t I update my blog.
Fire 99, the team that my son plays for out of Farmington Hills, won their division Championship game down at Joe Louis Arena yesterday. It was a pretty good game; our team dominated most of the play and won, 4 – 1.
The best part was when the director of LCAHL (Little Caesar’s Amatuer Hockey League) asked for our team captain and assistant captain to come get the trophy. Our team captain, Tyler, waved to the entire team to join him, rather just getting the trophy alone. We don’t have any assisants. The boys converged on the trophy and then skated as one, holding the trophy above their heads, toward us parents with their index fingers raised. It was as if they’d won the Stanley Cup.
These were great memories for all involved.
Now that this season is almost over, we’ll head into a fast and furious spring season. N will have one month off and then will start training again in June. Never a break for a serious hockey player!
~Peace, Kris
March 2, 2009
I wouldn’t be a true hockey mom if I didn’t post that my son’s team made it through the Little Caesar’s playoffs and are now heading down to the Joe next Sunday to play in the finals.
Here’s N just about to jump after scoring a goal. He was so excited!
Here’s my son (the back of him) right after he scored. He’d been a little dry in that department lately, so this was a big one for him. He’s high-fiving our captain.
This was one of the most intense games we’ve had with this team. N scored the 2nd goal – and garnered two assists – in the 4-3 win. The team is elated that they’ll be playing at the Joe. We, the parents, couldn’t be prouder.
With more hockey on my brain, I should have no problem working on the new novel….
~Peace, Kris
