NaNoWriMo

It might sound like some secret code that you have yet to be filled in on in the world of blogs, but it's not. It stands for National Novel Writing Month and it's a yearly even that has grown exponentially since it's roots in 1999. The goal for its participants is to write a 50,000 word novel (more like a novella) for the month of the November.

And this year, I've decided I'm going to do it.

It's going to be a challenge; not to do, but to schedule because I have so much going on but it's something that I want to do. I wonder what it will feel like to complete a goal of this magnitude? Will I discover something about myself that I never knew?

I won't be doing this alone, however. I have a few friends who are interested in the challenge much like I am. I've added two as my buddies (but hope to add more). Also joining me, will be my nine year old son.

NaNo has a youth division that he'll be joining. We can set his goal for any number of words. Together, we've decided that 3,000 words for the month November for my 4th grader will challenge him without frustrating him. My son typically has the same problem that I do: he wants things perfect the first time around. I've gotten to the point where I'll edit my work, but he's not there yet. When we edit his compositions, he gets frustrated that there are mistakes; there are rewrites.

I recently went to my favorite author's website and read from her notes that it took anywhere from six to twelve edits before her books were published. I read that to my son to show him that even the professionals don't get it right the first time.

Hopefully, by December 1st, both my son and myself will have discovered something about our writing abilities, our perseverance and ourselves.

A big thank you to the unthanked

I'm taking advantage of the sit-down time I have to update. Unfortunately, I'm doing this 'offline' because our DSL is wonky and decides not to work when there is a storm.
I've promised everyone that I would give updates and I stand true on my promise.

Unfortunately, during the week I have some fabulous ideas for blog entries but end up 'losing' them when I get near a computer. (I read in a blog -- I don't remember which one -- that the author would get alerts from Yahoo or Google and then use those as blog entries. That sounds like a grand idea except that my ideas rarely revolve around current events. But...maybe they should? Maybe if I did, I would make more timely entries? Maybe if I did I would give my readers something to read?)

Today's entry will revolve around a current even considering the date. Everyone remembers where they were 'when the world stopped turning.' I remember standing in front of my TV screen, completely at shock at what I was seeing. I always felt pretty safe in my country. The terror that I felt came from within -- the most trivial being the dark; the most horrific being attacked in my bed while I sleep. I thought (stupidly), that the rest of the world posed no kind of threat to us. I suppose I never thought that the US was loved, but I had no idea that we were hated. Even now, when I turn on the news (or lately, boot up the computer) and read about how much we're hated, it hurts. What hurts worse is how often the verbal attack on our country, our government comes from those who live within our walls; who were born here.
I am no so naive to believe that our country and it's government is perfect. I realize anything headed by men is fallible by nature. But what I don't understand is what is gained by constant criticism? The criticism is especially significant with elections coming up.

I suggest everyone listening to the candidates with prayful consideration because the fact of the matter is that no one candidate is going to 'fit the bill' in all areas that are best for our country. If we could combine the strengths of all the candidates, we'd have an ideal president. But since we can't, we need to go with the best choice. I urge everyone to go to the polls in 08 prayfully.
Until then, my prayers are with our service people as well as our policemen and firemen. I think often these three groups of people (as well others) are unthanked heroes.

When you think about it, please send a prayer of thanks (and protection) for those who help and protect behind the scenes, often at a great sacrifice.

Getting back into my groove

So, it's been awhile since I've updated (isn't that always the way?)

Here is the short of it:

We were on summer break.
I took a month off from my personal goals.
Hubby took a week's vacation (we all stayed home).
As a result of all of the above, I gained four pounds, we weren't on a schedule/routine, and we're all ready to get back to business.

Today marks the end of our first week of school for the year. You can read about that over at Life According to Iva as I've decided to separate my personal and my homeschooling blogs (although, really...when we think about it...it's all my life, is it not? Sometimes, separating it makes more sense to my readers than it does to me.) You can read about me getting back on the Spark Train here.

So, if I have you going over to LATI for a home school update and Spark People for a healthy lifestyle update, what in the world do I put here?

It feels good to be back on a schedule/agenda. I was ready for our summer break, but it feels good knowing what to expect each day I wake up. Before school started this week, the kids and I picked up the house. (We didn't have to deep clean or purge because we had done that all summer -- surprisingly). I am very pleased to report that the house has stayed relatively picked up and tidy all week long. In fact, it's only today (our half day/project day) that the house even looks remotely untidy. I think I can get used to this.

8 Totally Random Things About Me

I've been tagged! I've never been tagged before, so this should be interesting. Okay...here we go:

1. When I was 6, I lived in Mexico and could read, write and speak Spanish. I spoke fluent English but could not read or write it and as a result, I was held back when we came back to the States.
2. I write homeschooling articles for a MSN group.
3. South Park is my guilty pleasure.
4. I have no full-blooded siblings. Both of my brothers are half (one on each 'side' -- share a mom with one, share a dad with another) and my sister is a step (actually, she's an ex-step sister) Not that any of that matters -- I love my brother and my sister dearly.
5. I have been homeless.
6. I used to be a telephone psychic.
7. I aspire to be many things, but at the end of the day, I am just me. (And most days, I'm okay with this).
8. I have a addictive personality. Rarely do I do anything half way -- it's all or nothing with me.

Okay...as I said, I've never been tagged before...so I sure hope I did it correctly. I suppose now I have to tag three people? Oh goodness...I don't know who to tag!

Hmmm, okay, I tag Michelle, Kim and Roberta. (Y'all please don't be offended if you didn't want to be tagged! :~S)

School Room Pictures

This is one view of the schoolroom (converted den) in from the hallway off the kitchen looking toward the living room.

This is the view of the schoolroom from the living room toward the dining room. We've since added lots of 'stuff' to our schoolroom. I'll be going through it this weekend and get it cleaned up and organized for our next school year (this will make our third). Back to school countdown: 26 more days!

Summer Movie Reviews Weeks 2 & 3

Our local movie theatre (like many of yours, I'm sure), offers free summer movies on Tuesdays and Thursdays for children. (Each week, two movies are run -- you go see one on Tuesdays and the other on Thursday) We missed the first week because I forgot about the program. We missed the second week due to VBS. We missed the third week's movie because of a punishment I doled out to my son and had to stick to (I hate that! The two movies showing last week were Monster House and Akeelah & the Bee. I was outvoted two-to-one, so we saw Monster House). This week, we saw Dreamer and Happy Feet.



I will be reviewing all three movies. Next week, I'll post a review on Tuesday and Thursday.

***

MONSTER HOUSE (PG) CGA -- DJ spends all of his free time staring out his bedroom window at the house across the street, home of grouchy Mr. Nubbercracker. Nubbercracker is so grouchy (how grouchy is he?) that he fusses at children who dare step on his lawn. As punishment, he confiscates their toys. When DJ goes across the street to retrieve his friend's basketball, Nubbercracker comes out, grabs DJ by the shirt and gives him a good what-for. Unfortunately, Nubbercracker dies and then things get really freaky. DJ, along with his friend, Chowder, and brainiac Jenny, believe that there is more the house than meets the eye.



I certainly don't want to give the whole movie away, but the plot was pretty transparent to a mom like me. (Hint: Misunderstood hero) The story kept the kids' attention, although there was quite a bit of adult-type humor that, luckily, went over the children's head. (There is reference to the uvula being a female body part as well as brief references to infidelity -- but you have to look closely.)



To the adult viewer, the story is one of true love and letting someone go. To the children, it's a funny movie with a happy/sad ending.



Mommy Review -- Thumbs up but I'd probably only sit through this once.

DJ/Lynne Review -- Thumbs up. They both said they would watch it regularly if we had the movie at home.

***

DREAMER (PG) Non-animated -- Stars Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell, Kris Kristofferson and Elisabeth Shue. Fanning, Russell and Kristofferson play three generations of horse lovers. Russell is a horse trainer who makes other men rich. He and his father don't get along so well and Fanning is the loving link between them. When Russell advises his boss that the prize horse, Sonya, not race, his boss ignores his pleas and commands him to get the horse ready. Sonya takes a terrible fall and breaks her leg. When the boss (played by David Morse) tells Russell to put the animal down, he refuses. He gets fired and makes a deal with the boss to take Sonya off his hands. What follows in this simple decision is a lesson about believing in those you love and making dreams come true.

The movie wasn't exactly action packed (save for the horse racing -- that's very exciting). Dreamer could best be described as a family drama -- but not so over-the-top that the littlest ones don't get it. (Fanning, for example, sneaks out of her room at night to feed Sonya Popsicles. All the kids in the theatre giggled as they saw the Popsicle sticks lined up.)

The movie, in my opinion, was excellent and not actually one I would have gotten at the movie store. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to see it. It was very good and I would recommend it to anyone. With the exception of a few mild curse words, there was nothing offensive in this movie to me. If you get the chance, I highly recommend seeing it.

***

HAPPY FEET (PG) CGA -- Mumble is a penguin who (literally) marches to the beat of his own drummer. In his world, the Emperor Penguins sing to one another to find a mate. Those who are compatible, start singing their 'heart song' together, in perfect harmony. Well, poor Mumble. He was dropped when he was just an egg and as a result, he can't sing -- at all! But, he can dance up a storm. His mother embraces his uniqueness and his father wants him to conform to the rest of the group. What's worse, the fish population is disappearing and the elder penguins are convinced that it's Mumble's fault. They are convinced that his dancing has upset the Great Guin. Mumble sets out to prove them wrong, convinced it is the work of the Aliens.

The movie is full of songs -- both newer and older. Several of the songs are suggestive but most of them are just plain fun. I didn't notice any cursing or any mock cursing. (ie in Hercules when Pain and Panic say "Oh my gods." Or in Madagascar when Marty says 'sugar, honey, iced tea"). Also, there is no death in the movie. The only questionable thing I would caution parents about is the group of rag-tag penguins (Adelie penguins) Mumble hangs out with once he's banished from the land (oh...I guess that was a spoiler, huh?) The Adelie penguins are portrayed as Hispanic and there is brief reference made by one of the elders about their character. Again, you have to really look to catch the various references.

I have to admit that I was very excited about seeing this movie -- especially after I had read a very unsavory review about it on a message board. There is no denying the global impact that the Aliens have on the penguins land. The mentor, Lovelace (a Rockhopper penguin), has a soda ring around his neck and through the whole movie, huge glaciers are constantly breaking into the water. They even come right out and talk about it toward the end of the movie when the Aliens (btw, the Aliens are humans) are discussing what should be done about the various projects destroying the penguins' food supply.

All in all, it was a fun movie. The music was great and it was fun to figure out which songs were being sung. It's definitely not a movie I would watch again unless forced (although, to be fair, I feel that way about most movies). DJ said he would watch it again while Lynne asked to go home in the middle of it.

***

Next week, I'll review Charlotte's Web and Zathura. I realize many of you have probably seen these a million times, but for those who are like me and don't get to the movies very often, I hope my reviews are helpful.

The Four Unrecoverable Things