My Projects

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

I often think it would be fun to find a project to bridge the gap between raising young children and having all my kids in school some day. I think it will be fun to finally have time to myself, or go out and get a job outside the home. But at the same time, I want to be available to the kids if they need me on a day that they are sick/go on a field trip/volunteer in the classroom. Also, I insist on begin home when they get home from school/attend their sporting events/performances. Where can one find such flexible employment?

Before we found out that we are expecting baby #4 my husband and I were giggling with the kids about writing a book series about all of our family adventures. They thought the titles could be a twist on the little house on the Prairie books, but themed according to our military posts.

The military house in the windy dessert
The military house by the sandy beach
The military house in the big woods
The military house across the ocean
The military house: home at last (I REALLY hope we get to move home to be near family next)

Then one day my husband and I sat down with the kids to make a list of their family memories that would make good book ideas/plot lines. It was so fun to think back on the past and giggle about even the stuff that wasn't funny as it was happening.

Maggie Meowing
Gwen hurting Baby Maggie
Gwen learning to sit up
Jumping on the bed
The long and annoying move to the Philippines/the long trip around the world
Gwen torturing Maggie through their lives
Maggie walking in Mom's blind spot
Going to Masons house
The long road trip to New York
Who did this!?!?!
Visiting Grandma's house
Maggie Drowning
Gwen's bookshelf/nursing
Gwen making messes (DVD's, pantry, clothes in bedroom)
Gwen's b-day/bad guy daddy
parent torture times
pig pile on poppa
Gwen's funny run
hilarious moments of the lee family
Gwen's annoying noises
Gwen squishing Mom while Maggie nursed
Gwen piling toys on baby maggie
Maggie making new friends at school
Gwen's birth
Maggie's birth
The accidental baby
Gwen at the Weinstein's for Thanksgiving

We have SO many story lines to choose from, and our family blog has hundreds more. But the idea of writing chapter stories seems very daunting to someone who's writing experience just consists of journal writing for the past 8 years. So I may explore the idea of picture books or something smaller scale. In an effort to explore the idea of writing a little more I have been looking up some how-to guides on line. Here is what I've found to get my thinker thinking more about where to begin.

The following is on outline explained from Writing children's books for dummies online

Beginning

Plot points
Character Development
Pacing
Character Development
Pacing

Middle

Plot points
Character Development
Pacing
Character Development
Pacing

Plot points
Character Development
Pacing
Character Development
Pacing

And this link has some basic tips on setting up a productive working environment

Stick to a writing schedule
Find a good writing location
stay organized
Prevent distractions (turn off the phone, close out your email notifications)

Eventually, if I'm still interested in writing a book when baby #4 rolls into pre-school, (We should bw moved back to the states by then) I think I will sign up for some writing courses. For now I just want to get our ideas down to make sure they don't get lost over the years.

1 comment:

RatliffsNovember 30, 2014 at 5:38 PM
I would read your books!! :)
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My favorite things: I might not be Oprah or Julie Andrews, but these are some random things I love

Our new house, when I think of all the reasons why I love it, it all boils down to the fact that it is so much like the house I grew up in, which reminds me of my happy childhood, and makes me feel good that I am now passing so many of the same things on to my girls.
My Friends= Thank you for staying in touch with me and not forgetting me despite our transient military life.
Laying in bed with the girls-Almost everymorning some time after 6AM one or both of the girls make their way into my bed. It is so fun to lay there and relax with them. We talk to Sam as he is getting ready for work and try to resist getting out of bed.
My carpet cleaner- I have a bissle spot bot and it makes clean up of small spills so easy. I just put it on the spill, push a button and walk away. But it is only a spot cleaner and doesn't do the whole floor.
My family- I miss you guys everyday and hope we can move back someday soon.
my hubby- He works so hard in order for me to be able to stay home with our girls.
My girls- They are a TON of work, a TON of fun, a TON of blessings, and SO rewarding
Amazon Prime- Free 2 day shipping on TONS of amazon products. I could do a commercial on how much I love amazon!
Amazon wish lists- I can pretend like I am buying stuff, but I never have buyers remorse. Also, It's a nice way to store all my gift ideas and things I want to have someday... And I feel confident in buying a lot of stuff when I am able to go through people's reviews and not buy something in a store on a whim. Also, my girls are content in the store when I tell them we can't get something, but I promise that we will put it on their wish list.
blogging- I like that i have a place where I can organize all my thoughts, memories, and resourses for the future. I'm glad you enjoy visiting my site. But it's mostly for me :)
meat thermomiter- i can now confidently tell Sam that if he's sick it's not my fault
My Mini van. Some might not be mini van people but I am. I love how it is designed for a person like me. Your arms are full of stuff? Push a button and the door will open for you. You're worried about your kids hitting neighboring cars in the parking lot with the car door? Don't worry the van has sliders. You want to transport something big? Just fold down the seats into the floor and you are good to go. What's not to love? Now if you ever see me driving my dear friend around and take a look at the mess inside, don't take that as a sign that I don't love her. The fact that I can leave a ton of stuff in the van is just one more thing that I love about it. There is always an extra coat, pair of shoes, change of clothes, or book/toy to entertain the kids.

Things I HATE

Cleaning the kitchen floor- I feel like it is such a waste of time. Vacuming and sweeping always seem like necessary tasks, but I wish I could skip mopping all together.
Sewing machines-I love to sew, but i hate sewing machines. Sometimes I day dream about being supper rich and having someone on my staff who's sole pourpose is to fix my machine everytime it has trouble.
putting the kids to sleep after a long day- If they do 1 thing that takes 2 seconds longer than it should I snap at them. I know I should be more patient, but on those long days I just feel like I am so close to freedom and they are turning my free time from 5 minutes away to an eternity away.
cleaning the bathrooms- Especially the girls bathroom. It is a constant mess. The girls love to play with the water in the sink, the towels are never on the towel rack and there is toothpaste & hair things everywhere. When we were first married, we discussed cleaning responsibilities. It was determined that Sam would be in charge of the bathroom. Ya, that didn't/doesn't happen. He is good at tidying up, but that generally doesn't include any cleaner, scrubbing, or a mop bucket. Be that as it may, thank you for what you do get done Babe, it's always a good motivator for me.
STATIC-It is so hot in the summer and I want to wear as few layers as possible. So i hate that if I don't wear a slip, a dress that goes past my knees creaps up to midthigh in just a few steps. Not to mention the hair issues surounding static, when my hair is staticy, watch-out. I am misserable and grumpy.
When my husband cleans out my car. I love that he is being helpful, but i'd rather have the whole thing planned ahead so he can watch the kids and just let me do it because I hate the feeling of all my extra stuff being gone. Probably because that means that when I leave the house I have to actually be prepared. I can't rush the kids to the car when we are late and hope for a pair of shoes to be waiting for me there. I also hate it because if he does it he doesn't want to toss out papers or things I might need so he puts everything in a bag or box (that I am grateful for) but then I either am too lazy to sort through it when he tells me about it, or we both forget about the stash of stuff and all my stuff is lost.

TABS

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

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