"She is too fond of books and it has turned her brain." –Louisa May Alcott
My kids and I have an amazing series of books called Little People, Big Dreams, which tells the stories of many inspiring and trailblazing people throughout history. My son has become particularly interested in Jane Goodall, so this week’s quote of the week is:
Continue reading “Quote of the Week”
I think all grown-ups have at least one thing that triggers their inner brat: the voice inside your head that says, “I don’t wanna! You can’t make me! Waaaaaahhhh!.” I’ve got several, actually, but one of my very worst:
The dentist.
See, I had to go to the dentist this morning, and I also had to take my kids to their dentist. And my dentist wants me to buy a very expensive mouth guard that my insurance doesn’t cover, and his argument is cogent but my inner brat is just furious. Of course, even normal things at the dentist’s office get her riled up:
Hygienist: How often are you flossing?
Me: Intermittently.
Inner Brat: Yeah like teeth are so important. I’m going to floss even less now just because you brought it up so nyanyananyanyah. And I’m totally having hot coffee and gummi bears right after you paint on that fluoride stuff, maybe a big bowl of super crunchy chips, just to spite you.
Thankfully, there’s a grown-up person encasing that inner brat but still. The thoughts are there.
Anyhow, while lying back in the dentist’s chair, I realized that I hadn’t posted a writing prompt yet this morning, and that this little, snotty voice inside me would make an excellent narrator. Perhaps a conversation between the rational adult and the inner brat.
Riff on that. See where it takes you.
Whenever I talk to a writer, it seems like the topic of writing time is broached. Granted, I don’t talk to a lot of writers anymore (though I’d like to change that); most of my conversations revolve around preschool and poop. But whether conversing with a writer or a mother, I find that the tone is often the same:
How often do your kids poop? How often do you write? Is once a week enough? Have you tried sleep training? I start an egg timer and I stay at my desk until it buzzes. I’m doing NaNoWriMo this year. I’m taking a parenting class at the Y. They say things happen in their own time. Have you tried probiotics? Have you read Burning Down the House? Charles Baxter is a genius. I hate Dr. Sears. All you need is fresh air and exercise, and things will fall into place. Continue reading “The Resolution to Write (Or, I Give Myself Very Good Advice But I Very Seldom Follow It)”
Did you see that Bob’s Burgers where Teddy and the stationery shop owner made an inspirational poster? She had a million pictures on her phone that she’d been taking, just waiting for the right quote. Then Teddy came along with “Today is Yesterday’s Tomorrow.”
This is kind of like that.
Whenever I’m feeling low, these three videos never fail to lift me at least a little (and my kids like them, too).
The uplifting:
The silly:
The danceable:
The Sensitive, Bookish Type 