-1-

I thought this week would be so easy and I would get so much done. I mean, as of Wednesday I have one less kid during . And it’s the kid who fights with the other walking kid.

I didn’t really factor in the baby having an ear infection. Or my husband working lonnnnnnnng hours. Or exhaustion stemming from both of the above.

-2-

And another thing: I miss her.

I did not expect that. I can keep myself pretty busy with the stuff I need to get done. The half day of kindergarten flew by. What’s another half day on top?

It’s a LOT, I tell ya.

-3-

My office needs an intervention. I’m thinking of scheduling time with the Only Person I Know Who Can Whip It Into Shape.

The problem is, if She comes over, I will HAVE to deal with it.

Go ahead, laugh. I’m going to try it on my own next week. But if I don’t get to it, She will have read this, and She will ask me about it.

(How’s THAT for accountability?)

-4-

Speaking of accountability, I have discovered a great thing. And it is called a writing accountability partner.

Her name is Jennifer Fitz, who blogs at Riparians at the Gate and is the brains behind the Catholic Writers Guild blog. She’s a homeschooling mom of many who writes.

We email each other every day, and she tells me what she’s done and I tell her what I’ve done. I have learned, through these interchanges, a few important lessons:

(1) A sense of humor is not optional in the world of parenting and in the world of writing. When the two worlds collide, it’s EVEN MORE important.

(2) Jen is great. (I suspected this before, but now I have proof. In my inbox. Every single day.)

(3) It is IMMENSELY helpful to have someone who shares your state in life to share your writing hurdles and triumphs with. I have a support system, indeed, and it’s great. Adding Jen to it has filled in a gap I didn’t realize existed.

-5-

Can you tell I’ve been reading a lot of Junie B. Jones in the last week? We’ve read three books in the last two days.

I love that my six-year-old (and even my three-year-old, really) wants me to read to her. I love that she knows how bad Junie is, and that we don’t want to be like Junie. I love that I am gaining insight into the niece I nicknamed Junie long ago.

HOWEVER, there is now a Voice in my head that talks in what I can only call a “Junie B. Jones style of talking.” Once we get through these books, I HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING WITH BETTER GRAMMAR AND EQUAL HILARITY!

Suggestions welcome! (Read as: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SUGGEST GOOD BOOKS!)

-6-

This week, Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body by Kate Wicker arrived in my mailbox. It happened to arrive on the day where I had to hold the ouchy grouchy baby, so I held him and the book.

I couldn’t put it down. (I don’t often say that about nonfiction.)

I’ll be reviewing it at length, but I couldn’t resist saying here: all the positive things everyone else is saying and raving about this book is TRUE. (Not that I thought it was false, mind you.) GO BUY A COPY RIGHT NOW!

-7-

I’m going to be blogging less in the coming months, because otherwise I might never get my book done. This pains me, but it’s the conclusion I’ve come to.

My plan, starting next week, is to post Mary Moment Mondays and 7 Quick Take Fridays, with the possibility a quick linky-to-other-places sort of post thrown in mid-week.

Sob.

Yes, I do love blogging. But…well…you know how it is. Something about priorities.

(My Junie Voice has something to say about that. But it’s not nice and I’m keeping my hand over her mouth.)

Stop by Jen at Conversion Diary for all the fun that is 7 Quick Takes Friday!