NaNoWriMo 2018 and Publishing?!

Hello everyone!

It’s been a long time since I’ve actually posted here, but life and my two little girls have kept me very busy. I’m still writing, taking photos, and knitting! I’ve taken on knitting, which is my current addiction, but I’ve set that aside to…

…yes, that’s right. You guessed it! I’m doing NaNoWriMo again this year!

This is my tenth year in a row of participating in NaNoWriMo. (National Novel Writing Month) The goal is to write a whole novel 50,000 words or more in 30 days during the month of November. The goal isn’t to come up with some perfect book, but to actually get a really rough first draft OUT. It’s a lot of fun and a lot of chaos.

This year I chose to do a complete redo of a novel I already wrote with some new characters, a new plot, and a new vibe. It’s one I wrote 10 years ago. I thought it was fitting for my 10th year of NaNo-ing.

While I’ve been gone I have been writing a lot of poems and sending them out. I got five poems published this year! Woohoo! Well, they’ll be published in December.

I hope you are all well. I will try to be keeping up here more often than I have been now that my littlest one is almost a year old.

Blessings and love,

Al ❤

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Little Photographer

Sometimes throughout the day

you tell me you want a picture.

I know you don’t want one

taken of yourself, though sometimes

when you say you’re looking cute

you’d like for me to snap one of your outfit.

No, you want to capture that leaf,

that piece of sun coming in through

the blinds, or your favorite stuffed toy.

Maybe one of your sister, or the trucks

that zoom by our front window.

I wish I could see the world as you do

through your two year old viewfinder

and take it all in once more.

A. M. Yeager

Sometimes Not So Sweet

Even Bunny, my sweet, loving two year old is overcome by original sin. 😉

Bunny: (Angry that Bear and I sat with her.) I need to bite you, Momma.

Me: Why?

Bunny: Because I no like sit with Bear.

Me: And you want to bite me because of that?

Bunny: Okay.

Me: I love you.

Bunny: Okay. I don’t want to bite you, Momma.

Me: Good because I don’t want to be bitten today.

Bunny: Tomorrow.

Me: 😳

Bunny: 😈

This

This is my life. It is beautiful. They are beautiful. 💕

Interview with a Two Year Old

Me: How are you today?

Bunny: I am well, thank you!

Me: What’s your favorite color?

Bunny: Blue!

Me: It is? I thought it was pink.

B: Yeah! I like blue. The sky is blue. Momma shirt blue! I looooovvvvve blue!

Me: What’s your favorite food?

B: Food! That’s my favorite food.

Me: You like all food?

B: Yep! Cake. Cake is yummy good!

Me: Who is your favorite person?

B: Me! An’ Dada.

Me: Not sissy or momma?

B: (Thinks for a while.) Yeah, ok.

Me: What’s your favorite song?

B: Edelweiss. Mama sing that! (Starts singing.)

Me: Do you like to read?

B: Yeah, too much.

Me: What’s your favorite book?

B: Goodnight Moon! (Proceeds to recite the whole book from memory.)

Me: Who do you love?

B: Sissy! I love sissy soooooo much! An’ Mommy. Dada love sooo much too! I love sissy! Sissy has hair! Sissy has lots of hair.

Me: Anything else you want to say?

B: Hi, peoples!

Painting?

My almost two year old absolutely loves arts and crafts. She loves coloring with crayons, markers, pencils. She loves painting with finger paints and watercolors. She’s highly intelligent and creative. She’s actually really good for a toddler.

I’ve never been one for painting or drawing. The most I’ve done was in my art classes in high school, which is probably one painting…but Bunny got me curious. What about painting makes me daughter’s eyes light up with excitement and delight? The mess for sure, but there must be something more.

With my daughter’s Crayola child’s watercolor palette and a cheap brush, I sat down, and created these. Note: these actually look a lot better in person. Phone cameras in crumby light don’t take great photos.

I love galaxies and I thought painting those first would get me used to how the colors blend together and with the paper. I quickly ventured into forests.

I’ll admit, painting is relaxing and fun. Is it for me? Maybe. With some practice I might be able to get the hang of it. I think I’ll let Bunny stick to it for now.

A. M. Yeager

Mother’s Day

I wouldn’t trade the

stretch marks

spit up stained clothes

messy unwashed hair

sleepless nights

all the tears

fingerprints on the walls

half drunk cold coffee

milk filled freezer

house stuffed with toys

sore back and muscles

paint and crayons scattered all over

books shoved under the beds

because you’re my two blessings

worth more than anything

and I would give up my life for you.

A. M. Yeager