Ahh….big sigh. This weekend looks to be pretty quiet. An adult party Saturday night. Hockey practice Sunday night. Can you believe that tomorrow is March already? Wow – time is sure moving along quickly.

We’re in the midst of yet another snow storm. Supposed to get 2-4 inches before it’s all over this afternoon. I’m so ready for winter to be done, it isn’t even funny. How about you?

The Spring (yeah, right) Book Fair set-up is this morning, and then the event runs all next week. This is something that I help out with each year. I enjoy seeing all the kids skim through all of the new books and their faces when their parent buys it for them. There’s nothing like it. Books and kids just go together. Plus, the school makes out pretty well themselves. I love to be a part of something so meaningful for everyone involved.

Stay warm!

Peace,

Kris

My son’s team won the LCAHL Semi-Final Playoffs, Patrick division. The boys will play at Joe Louis Arena on March 18th. We are so excited!!

This upcoming week looks to be busy, but not overly so. That’s good because I need to get some things done around here for me. That’s right – I said me.

How often do mothers put everyone first? No, I’m not up on a soapbox, proclaiming that we mothers need a National holiday – we have that already. What I’m after is making sure that other people realize that most mothers put everyone and everything first, and then they take care of themselves. How twisted is that?

Why do we feel guilty when we spend time on ourselves? Wouldn’t we be happier and healthier people if we put just 10% of the energy we give to everyone else into ourselves? I know I would be.

I finally feel like I’m at a place in my life when it’s ok to take care of me. Both boys are in school full-time, so I should have plenty of time during the day to squeeze something in for myself.  But it’s not just that; if I don’t start now, the next half of my life may not be as healthy as I’d like it to be.

You see, in August I’ll start a new decade. I’m slowly getting used to the idea of leaving my 30’s. I’ve had lots of conversations with older friends who tell me that it’s no big deal. Even my own grandmother used to say that she never felt her age. At her funeral, many were surprised that she was one month shy of 99. She looked like she was in her seventies. Many tell me that I favor her, and I would love to believe that.

So, I’m going to paint my nails, do some meditation, continue with my exercise program, maybe even go for coffee alone and just sit. Sure the laundry, the manuscripts, the other chores will be waiting for me. None of that will ever go away.

Ok all you mothers out there – how do you take care of yourself? I’d really like to know.

Peace,

Kris

Just back from a Plymouth Whalers game. Boy, was that exciting! They won is an overtime shoot-out, 7 to 6. One part, though, I didn’t enjoy. It was the fighting. I guess we were lucky that we only witnessed one fight. But it was so dumb. I mean really dumb. The players were all lined up to take a face-off, and all of sudden two guys are dropping their sticks, gloves, and helmets. They circled around for at least ten seconds before the fists started flying. My oldest son started to chant, “Fight, fight,” but I quickly stopped him. I’m sorry – I know that hockey is full of aggression and testosterone, but come on! Does there really have to be fighting? Oh well. I think of how their mothers must feel to see them fighting like that. If my kid ever gets to that stage, I probably will have to take an Ativan before a game.

This weekend HockeyBoy’s team is in the semi-finals. If you have a moment, say a quick prayer that the Plymouth Killer Sharks win on Sunday. If they do, they’ll play the final at Joe Louis Arena – a treat for any kid.

Have a great weekend.

Peace,

Kris

So…I got the edits back from my agent. Wow. Lots to do. It was as I had expected. This was the very first manuscript I’d ever written so it is laced with novice writer pitfalls. Even after editing it down before sending it to her, I didn’t do enough. For the next week or so, I’ll be spending my “free” time – that’s a joke in itself right there – doing edits on my own wip.

I’m also taking a mini-course on self-promotion with John Foxjohn. Having only read the first two lessons, I’ve determined that this man is amazing. He has brilliant, yet inexpensive, ways for self-promotion. I highly recommend checking out one of this workshops. His website is here.
I’m taking this through Elements of RWA since I’m a member. Check here for upcoming workshops.

I’m also pretty busy at work just getting a new project for a local school district. It’s another children’s book, and I’m really excited to work on it. Nelson Publishing and Marketing is really a wonderful small press that caters to its authors. I’m having a blast being part of people’s dreams.

Peace,
Kris

Yes, I’ll admit it, I like it when the boys go back to school. Please don’t think that I don’t love them. I do. Tremendously. But…

When they’re home, all they do is fight. I’m sure it’s the age and the fact that they are so close in age, but it gets tiring.

Yesterday was filled with busyness. I had an unexpected call from my mom about her car and ended up having to take her to work. That trip put a crunch on my time in the morning, and I wasn’t able to get anything done before having to go into my youngest son’s class to help. Then it was a lunch meeting at work, followed by a PTO meeting, back home for a few hours and then off to a hockey association meeting – where, I raised my hand to be elected Secretary for the association – am I nuts, or what?

Today will be quieter. I’ve much to do, especially on my own manuscript. My agent sent back her edit, and I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me. I’m at this moment printing it out (I’m great at multi-tasking!), and I’ll start looking at what she’d like me to change. I’ve also got a manuscript that a friend gave me to review for her, as well as a manuscript back from layout for Nelson that needs to be looked at.

So today is paper day! I swear I’m going to kill at least one tree today with all of my printing.

Hope yours is a good one.

Peace,

Kris

ps. My son’s hockey team made it to the semi-finals of playoffs. Wish them luck on Sunday! If they win, they’ll go to the finals and play at the Joe!

Today is technically the last day of vacation for my boys. Yes, I know it’s Friday, and we still have Saturday and Sunday to go. But no matter what, the weekends are always the weekends to me. Vacation days don’t ever happen on the weekends unless the family is actually away from the house on vacation.

On Monday, I’ll be back to “normal”, or as normal as I get. The boys will be back in school, and I’ll be back to my routine of classroom helper, lunch with the boss, PTO prep meeting, and PCHA (that’s our hockey association) meeting. Meeting, meeting, meeting. God, I feel like I’m back in my mortgage career days. Yuck! Actually, I don’t.

My wonderful agent will be in NYC this week pitching the various works that us Book Cents writers have created. She tells me that she’ll be pitching my manuscript, although she didn’t mention to whom. She had told me about two weeks ago that she knew of an editor that may be interested in my story at a certain publishing house. I don’t think she’s going there this time so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

Our weekend is filled with hockey. What a surprise! Really, I love it and am sad that the season is almost over. We have a wonderful team filled with a variety of levels of players and some really great parents. HockeyBoy goes up to the next level in spring, so we won’t have the opportunity to play with half of these kids until the season after next. I’m sure we’ll see them around the rink as the hockey world is very small.

I hope you’re staying warm. Today we’ll be in the mid-20’s. I hear that on Sunday we’re going to have  a heat wave – 40 degrees! But then we go back down to the teens on Monday. Gotta love Michigan weather!

Peace,

Kris

Thirteen Things I wouldn’t want to live without – and not in any particular order! 1. My laptop is a given. 2. Tivo! Yes, E, you were right! 3. My iPod, except mine is pretty old and not in color. 4. Colored pens. Especially these. 5. My cell phone. 6. I will never eat another type of chocolate ice cream again. This is the best! 7. Hockey and the Red Wings. 8. My family! 9. My minivan. Not my first choice of vehicle, but it’s paid off and runs well. 10. Dr. Wayne Dyer. I love this man. His words inspire me daily. 11. I really enjoy a Starbucks decaf latte now and again. 12. I love my Romance Diva buddies! 13. The importance of grandparents in the lives of their grandchildren.

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Back row: Michal Jordan (Defense, eligible for NHL 2008), Taylor Carnevale (Center, eligible for NHL 2009), and Matt Hackett (Goalie, eligible for NHL 2008).

Front row: HockeyBoy’s teammate (Forward, eligible for NHL ??), AJ Jenks (Left Winger, eligible for NHL 2008), and HockeyBoy (Center, eligible for NHL ??).

For the last two days, HockeyBoy has been at a Plymouth Whaler’s hockey clinic with several of his teammates. HB has done this clinic before, but it’s always fun since the kids get to play with some of the Whaler players. Just being on the ice with these pros gives the younger kids a buzz. Yesterday’s session was all on-ice instruction drills. There were four of the Whaler players on the ice with kids along with two other coaches – I think they were Whaler coaches, but I’m not positive. Today’s session had more drills, and then the kids played a game with two of the Whaler goalies in net and several of the Whaler players (more than yesterday) on the ice. HockeyBoy scored two goals, although I’m sure the goalie wasn’t trying to stop them!

After today’s session, the boys had a pizza party with the Whaler players that were on the ice with them. HB was mad at me because I forgot a Sharpie for the Whaler players to use to sign his jersey. Luckily, another boy had one that HB borrowed, and he was so happy to get two Whaler’s to sign his stick. I was able to snap the above photo right before those Whaler players left. HB was estatic.

Who knows, maybe someday these Whaler players will be in the NHL. And you never know, HB and his teammates may be there as well.

Peace,

Kris