Writing Rants

There is a popular series that I have a funny mix of love and loathing for. I love the fantasy elements, the author's vivid imagination, and the spunky main characters. What I don't like is the fact that in every single book, the author gets the young main characters to a point where it's hopeless, which is great, but then he always brings in some random magical being or adult to save the day, rather than letting his awesome main characters be strong enough to do it themselves. It's always a big disappointment for me.

My new big frustration with the book was a poorly done twist at the ending. I thought I loved big twists of plot near the end. That's one of the reason that I love Harry Potter, especially books 3 and 4 in that series. But this book I just finished last night taught me that there are a few things that I do not love in a twist ending. A good guy ended up being a bad guy, which I could handle, but this good/bad guy also happened to be the love interest, and there just weren't enough hints to lead up to the fact that this romance was doomed. So disappointing. It felt like one big huge "Gotcha," and I don't really like to feel tricked as a reader. It just changed gears so fast, without enough subtle hints to lead up to it.

In all fairness, the author is good enough at what he does right that I've bought every book in this series, and I'll probably buy the last one too. I suppose that's what I'll have to analyze next. What makes a book good enough that even if it's flawed, you can't wait to read more?

Little Miracles

I've been trying this year to learn frugality. So instead of buying the dresser that I've been feeling like I need since we added one new person to the house, so I don't have to keep her clothes and things sitting in messy piles, I've been holding in the urge to spend that money. We haven't really figured furniture into the budget at this point. I've been looking at the thrift store in town, but they charge a lot for falling-apart dressers. My next plan was to browse garage sales this summer, but still, I wasn't sure if I should justify the expense, unless I could find it really, really cheap.

Well, this Saturday, I happened to be driving down the street with my husband on our weekly date, and we passed what looked like a garage sale. I noticed they had a dresser and a few other things that caught my eye, so we stopped. To my delight, the dresser was in good working order--and it was free. Yeah! They also gave us a cute little table and a couple solid wood doors that looked like they might make a nice fake headboard.

I know it's a small thing, but it will be such a blessing to have that dresser. It was a miracle to me that I was able to find it for free, that we happened to drive by shortly after they set out the free items, and that we happened to be out without the kids so we could fit the items in our van. I feel so blessed, and I'm grateful the Lord is mindful of me.

The Girl Who Cried Diva

Earlier this week, I felt like the crummiest mother on earth. My daughter had a broken arm for almost a full day before I realized we really needed an xray. In my defense, who does an air guitar, enthusiastically and with joyful gusto, with a broken arm? And every time she complained about her arm hurting, it was connected wanting to make sure that she could wear a pretty silk scarf as a sling to school the next day, or wanting to get out of buckling her own seat belt, a fit that she throws almost every day. Also she was making a bigger deal out of the scraped knee she got at the same time, because she could see blood. The Diva puts the same amount of emotional energy into complaining about papercuts or having to get herself dressed for school. So really, I ask you, what's a mother to do?

Before the Last Day of School

Last night Diva Girl said to me, "Ha! Now you have to take care of four kids instead of just two!" (Her tone of voice was full of nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!)

I told her I was looking forward to having two more slaves.

She told me that I'd be the one to be a slave.

We'll see. Considering they've been home for less than an hour, and they're already babysitting Baby Amazing for me, I think I may be winning.

Oh My Diva

Diva Girl was in a class play this week. As much as I love to hear that girl sing, I've been dreading it since I heard that in what was probably an attempt to make parents' lives easier, the only required costume item was a pair of jeans.

Diva Girl doesn't do jeans.

As I knew would happen, Diva woke up the morning of the play with a serious scowl going on. The scowl progressed to tears as she cried, "Nothing matches with jeans!" The crying only got louder as I heartlessly told her that "Everything matches with jeans."

And then she started the banshee howl as I reminded her that the bus was going to be here in a few minutes and like it or not she better get her little rear in some jeans.

The howl continued and intensified as I called upstairs counting down till bus time. Three minutes. Two minutes. One minute . . . and she stomped down the stairs with her cute little face scrunched up in fury, finally wearing some adorable jeans with a very matching shirt.

I handed her her breakfast on her way out the door, and she turned and said to me, "They tell you that school plays will be fun, but they're not!"

This girl is going to be such a fun teenager.

I've Been Found Out

Last night my son asked me to make him a cake. To put him off, I said, "We'll see." He walked off crying (he needed a nap and was giving me a perfectly good reason to not feel guilty about giving him sugar), and he said, "Mommy isn't going to make me a cake." I guess he's learned Mommy speak.

On the Last Night Before I'm Old

My sister thought my plans for the last night of my twenties weren't that exciting. Maybe she was right. But she got me reflecting on the last decade and all that happened in my twenties. It was an awesome decade.

It started off meeting the most amazing man on the planet who became my best friend, my first boyfriend, the first boy who held my hand, gave me my first kiss, and became my husband. I've spent the last almost ten years loving him more and more every day.

I brought four of the most beautiful, amazing children into this world and started on my journey of learning how to be a mom that I figure will take at least the rest of my life to really figure out. I've even started to get the hang of a few things. Each one of them brought me so many firsts.

I became an aunt.

I learned that I love writing, wrote several bad picture books, the beginnings of a few novels, and then completed my first novel, wrote it again, and started it all over again. I'm even starting a new one.

I dropped out of Utah State University when my first baby was born.

I graduated from Brigham Young University just a month before my third baby was born.

I learned how to speak Spanish.

I forgot how to speak Spanish.

I learned how to drive.

I bought my first two cars.

I bought my first home.

It's been a pretty great decade, so I figure I can relax on this last night of my twenties knowing that I put the years to good use. Yeah, I could have done more, I guess, but might as well leave something for the next decade, right?