Um, things?

Wait a moment? Weren't we just in September? Um ... why are we now half-way through October? How is my baby sister suddenly six years old? (Honest question, because this week is her birthday.)

What happened to this little thing????????

TIME FOR AN UPDATE!

First of all: As all of you know, I was working on school and I was doing really well ... but looking at my writing schedule earlier this month, I realized that, if I'm going to succeed in entering the 5 Magic Spindles contest, I need to have the story written by the end of October at the latest, and if I'm going to have Lady Dragon, Tela Du out by this time next year (I'm looking at maybe September 15th as a release date. Maybe.), I need to have it written by Christmas. And in order to do that, I need to have at least part 1 finished by the start of NaNo.

For both of those goals, I need to write about 6,000 words on Poison Kiss, and maybe a bit more than that for Lady Dragon, Tela Du. By the end of October.

So. I'm pushing School back to the back burner, and will instead be sacrificing January and February to its cause. This is the time I spent on Kingdom's release this year, and it was the time I was considering giving to the collection ... but I'm afraid that that will have to go on hold as well. I'm not sure when that will come off of hold.

I will continue working on school this month, I need to take notes for the research paper while I still have the books out of the library, and I want to have my Chemistry book finished by the end of December. Not sure what I'm going to do with math, The graphs and I aren't talking right now, and I'm not budging until they agree to be nice to me.

I am planning a Rizkaland themed party during the week between Christmas and New Year's, celebrating ten years working on this series. Not sure what all I'm going to do with it, but I do know I'll have character Q&A's and a fanart contest. Feel free to suggest ideas. What would you like to do for the party?

But, yeah, the current word count for Poison Kiss is 6,850, though I'm currently stuck on a scene involving some backstory. Word count for LDTD is 14,005, and Amber is about to give a speech. Also, have I mentioned how much I'm enjoying writing a younger Ritis? In all the previous drafts, I only got to write him after he was old and beaten. I just wrote a scene between him and Amber, and he's such a wise, brave soul.

So that's what I've been doing, and what I will do.  Once more, what would you guys like to do for the party?

Wordless Wednesday - Too Many Shoes

Thankful Thursday - L'il Sisters

I'm thankful for my little sisters - I have two of them. The older one, V. Kathie, is not much younger than me, and enjoys picking my brain for her books (!). I actually don't mind that too much, since I'm constantly picking my mom's brain. (well, often, when I get stuck!). She's much better with music than myself, and loves teasing me about how I never hit notes, and if I do, it's the wrong ones! She has, however, retuned my harp for me, so that I can play in different keys.

The younger of my sisters, Miss Full of It, is much younger, at only two. She's such a sweetheart, and so talkative. She's opinionated. Her chair has to be just so, and everyone has to be just right. Her toes taste good, too, and she's so ticklish. I just love tickling her. She enjoys watching me play games on my computer, especially the ones that go BOOM!!! She's a riot.

New sister

Last Tuesday, Mom went to her midwife appointment. No big deal, that's something she did every Tuesday. What was the big deal, however, was that it was taking a long time for her to get back and the two younger children Vannan, K, and I had been left with were starting to wake up from their naps. Since I was the only one who had Mom's cell phone number memorized, I was the one to call.

Mom told me that things were not looking good and that they were talking about a C-section. (She also told me to give the littles clay to keep them busy.) I sent Vannan to make pudding for snack while I kept an eye on the littles. And started packing my school stuff.

Not long after, Aunt K, who had driven Mom to the appointment, called. We needed to pack fast because Uncle S would be there soon (along with themselves) and would take us to the hospital. I took V off the pudding (thinking K would stay on it) and onto packing. We never got our snack. V wanted to know how I could be so calm, I told her I wasn't. I just knew how to pull myself together.

The two cars soon got there, and we started packing. Then Dad got here so we played fruit basket upset. Then we went to the hospital.

The doctor decided that he would keep Mom over night and attempt a VBAC (since mom had a C-section once) in the morning. Vannan doesn't like hospitals, Dad had some lessons to take for his new job, so guess who got to stay over night at the hospital? (other than Mom)

Me.

The hospital is not the place to get a good night's sleep.

Dad arrived the next morning (Vannan was with Grandma and Grandpa). They got Mom into labor and a bit later, V and Gma showed up.

To make long story short, Mom yelled alot, and I buried myself in the book I am writing. Dad said I ought to become a news reporter. I told him that what I was writting was worlds away and a diversion, not a focus. It did make the yelling abit quieter. (for me any ways)

My new sister was born at 2:19 on October 14. She weighed 7lb. 12oz. and was 19.75 inches long. She is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute!