Raise your hand if you figured out the theme of today’s funnies!
🙂
I love my daughter more than life, but some days… If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry.
Tell me: What’s your favorite part of being a mama (or daddy or auntie or uncle!)? Or, if you’re not there yet, is there anything about parenthood you look forward to?
My, it’s been a busy few days! Thanks to this final phase of the move, I’ve barely had time to breathe, much less blog. My family and I have been slowly making our way down the coast to our new hometown. We’ve finally arrived! Our furniture and household goods will be delivered tomorrow (yay!), and then we get to unpack. I can’t wait to be settled and back into some semblance of a routine. We’ve had a great time traveling, but I am such a creature of habit. All of these transitions and the constant roaming about is starting to wear me out. Plus, doesn’t it just figure that when I’m feeling truly inspired to write (the people watching! the music! the landscapes! the alone time to think while driving!), I don’t have the time to sit down and ACTUALLY WRITE? Such is life.
Anywho, for today’s Blog Me MAYbe post, I’d love to give you a few of the highlights of our road trip, starting with the song I’ve had on repeat pretty much the entire drive:
It’s a YA story waiting, to happen, right? I adore Lady Antebellum, and ‘Dancin’ Away With My Heart’ is definitely a new favorite.
Admittedly, I haven’t had tons of reading time over the last week, but I have been leisurely working my way through This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (June 19, 2012). Um… It’s awesome.
From Goodreads: It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?
And, lastly, I’d love to share a few photos from our trip (I took dozens; this is merely a sampling!). If you use Instagram, you can view all of the photos I posted under the hashtag #CAHereWeCome, or you can check out my Instagrid.
Heading out… Can you tell how much my husband appreciates the way I commemorate EVERYTHING with a photograph?
My girls and me in front of Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, OR.
Sea star!
My girlie took this photo… Pretty good for a four-year-old, I think!
Gorgeous beach sunset…
Ice cream at the Tillamook Cheese Factory… Yummy!
Post-picnic hiking, mid-Oregon.
Gosh, McDonald’s is fun!
Is it too soon to call ourselves California girls? (Somewhere outside Crescent City, CA)
That, my friends, is one big tree! (He’s called Grandfather Redwood, which totally makes me wonder if he’s married to Grandmother Willow from Disney’s Pocahontas. :))
Big Foot = Scary
And, FINALLY, home sweet home.
Tell me: What’s the best road trip you’ve been on?
In the spirit of Friday Five and Friday Funny, I give you:
Five Funny Things My Four-Year-Old Daughter Said This Week…
5. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I had a Princess Leia tattoo?”
4. In reference to the 1986 film Labyrinth: “Hey, can we watch that movie where David Bowie steals Toby?”
3. “I’m sorry I acted naughty. I’m going through a growth spurt.”
2. When asked if she wanted to call her Nana and Poppy: “Nah. They’re probably still sleeping. Old people need a lot of rest.” (My parents are in their fifties and it was 10:00 a.m.)
1. “Daddy, your beard makes you look like a badass.”
♥ ♥ Cute & Sassy ♥ ♥
So? What’s funny in your world these days?
Ha! Who am I kidding?
Sadly, this post isn’t as x-tra special as I’d hoped. I’ve had movers packing my house into cardboard boxes for the last two days.
We have a lot of books...
Today, they’ll load all of our crap onto a moving van and drive it away. My husband, daughter, dogs, and I will be staying with my hubby’s parents for the next two weeks (that might sound crappy, but my in-laws are pretty awesome), and then we’ll be jumping into our trucks and driving to California.
You’d think I’d be well versed in the fine art of moving by now. This is certainly not my first rodeo, after all. Let me tell you: It does NOT get easier.
When the moving van is gone, when our house is exceptionally clean, when our new tenants have signed for their keys, and when we figure out our living situation in California, the cloud of stress that’s been hovering over my head for the last few months will finally dissipate.
Until then…
Thoughts on moving? Advice to offer? Anecdotes? Stiff drinks?
Don’t freak out but… I haven’t seen Star Wars.
Before you judge me too harshly, I should tell you that I know the plot of the saga in its entirety. I know the characters and twists and turns and arcs. I’ve even caught bits and pieces of the action while my husband (a Star Wars enthusiast) watched over the years.
Oh, and speaking of my husband? In the three short months since he returned home from his last deployment, he’s somehow managed to turn our daughter into a massive Star Wars fan . Don’t get me wrong… She still loves Rapunzel and Barbie and Tinkerbell, but now she owns an Ewok shirt and a Yoda shirt, and a Darth Vader action figure. She wants to be Princess Leia for Halloween. She also wants my husband to be Anakin and me to be Padme, because (spoiler alert!) they’re Leia’s parents. Makes, perfect sense, right?
To me? Not really.
Star Wars fans, don’t hate me, but I just don’t get it. Sure, I haven’t sat down and become absorbed in the franchise, but the thing is: I don’t really want to. I see value in the story and the entertainment it lends — I really do — but it just doesn’t appeal to me.
At all.
Tell me: Is there a super popular movie (or series of movies) that holds no interest for you? Does your disinterest make you feel like a crazy person?
Remember how my family and I are moving out of state in a few weeks? Well, tonight my husband and I are having one last hurrah with our fantastic neighbors. It’s a bittersweet event, for sure. Dinner and dancing and drinks will be a blast (thank you so, SO much, Theresa, for organizing! ♥), but I’m so sad to be moving away from these awesome people who’ve been all kinds of supportive and kind and fun. They’ll be sorely missed.
Fortunately, we’ve got lots of Sparkling Almond to ease the pain.
Switching gears completely: I’m an introvert at heart. I value quiet time, and in most cases, I’d rather be at home watching movies with my husband and daughter than out on the town. That’s not to say I don’t go out. I do, occasionally (see above!). And once I’m out, I throw down with the best of them, but still… I like my yoga pants. A lot. I like my books. I like my laptop and my DVR and my comfy couch. I like to make my own rules and spend time in own head, where it’s peaceful and quiet and serene.
And I think that’s just fine.
In other news, last weekend my husband, daughter, and I tried out a new restaurant, The Buttered Biscuit, which prides itself on “authentic gramma food.” (Hungry yet?) We didn’t think twice about our girlie ordering a cinnamon roll with a side of bacon because we were halfway through a twenty-five mile bike ride and were ready to treat ourselves. Imagine our shock when the waitress presented our four-year-old with a cinnamon roll the size of (quite literally) a dinner plate:
She did a number on it, I have to say. But in the end (after inhaling my veggie omelette with ravenous enthusiasm), I was forced to help my girlie put a dent in her breakfast confection. Let me tell you: It was AMAZING.
Two questions: Are you an introvert or an extrovert? And, what’s your favorite breakfast food?
Oh, life. How did you get so busy?
I’ve finished another round of revisions on Poppies. It’s amazing what a few months away will do for your perspective on a story. This particular revision proved to be one of the most challenging and most satisfying I’ve worked on. In case you’re wondering, I focused on amping up the tension to make the story feel more thriller-esque, and I also took a main character from creepy to super-extra-über creepy, which is always fun.
My life has been consumed by this revision over the last several weeks. My DVR is chock-full of ANTM and Project Runway All Stars, and I’m pretty sure my husband is sick to death of hearing me talk about any and everything related to Poppies. Now that I’m done with this round, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I also feel like I have all kinds of time on my hands, which is why I’m (finally) blogging.
In other news, my hubby and I visited Vancouver, BC over the weekend. I had my doubts about the idea of a getaway (see above paragraphs), but we ended up having an incredible time. Also, thanks to some ridiculous wait times at the border, I was able to get quite a bit of revising done in the car. If you haven’t visited Vancouver, I recommend it. It’s a much bigger, more diverse city than I’d realized. It’s also very clean and the food is amazing. Plus, there’s tons to do:
We went to a kickass country bar where my husband rode a bull, and subsequently banned me from posting the pictures online. Boo! (Oh, and there’s nothing like a nineteen-year-old drinking age to make you feel ancient!).
We visited–and walked across!–the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Awesome.
Okay, I admit it: I was a little scared. The bridge spanned an insane ravine and was, quite literally, suspended. It swayed a lot and by the time we made it across, I was experiencing a bit of motion sickness. Still, totally worth it!
There was a cliff walk, too, which was equally thrilling.
We got to watch the Canucks play, and win! I’ve never been to an NHL game, and I have to admit, it was surprisingly entertaining. My husband was all about teaching me the rules of the game, and we ended up sitting in a section full of very enthusiastic (read: drunk) Canadians, which made the sporting event all the more authentic.
Now that we’re home from Canada, we’re getting focused on our pending move. We’ll be leaving our beloved Pacific Northwest for the beautiful Monterey Bay sometime in May, and I’m pretty excited. The actual act of moving sucks, though, and I’m not so pumped about its finer points (packing, cleaning, driving, unpacking, settling, blah, blah, blah…). But, the Army wife in me knows it’ll be an adventure, and moving means my husband won’t be deploying for a good 18 months. I’d do pretty much anything to make that happen!
Changing gears a bit… I’ve decided to participate in April’s Blogging from A to Z Challenge (because I obviously don’t have enough going on). I feel like I’ve neglected my blog lately, and this seems like a fun way to reinvigorate it. If you’re interested in playing along (you totally should!), you can sign up HERE.
And a few more links worth checking out: This article about The Hunger Games movie. According to Hollywood vet Nina Jacobson (who acquired the rights to the trilogy), “Young people are actually really savvy about what they consume, and the success of this book is a reflection of their sophistication…” Thanks, Nina. We totally already knew that. 🙂 And this post by the brilliant Kate Hart, detailing 2011-2012 YA book deals, with infographics!
So, what’s new in your world? Will you blog A-Z in April? Are you counting down the hours till The Hunger Games?!
It’s been so long since I’ve done a Friday Five,
I couldn’t help myself…
1. Writing Update – I’ve been deep in the throes of revising one manuscript and rewriting another. Sheesh… The writing process is HARD! And, it’s mostly the reason for the relative quiet here on my blog–revising and rewriting have sucked up all my creative energy. Plus, my husband’s been home for about a month now (yay!) and we’re still in that happy place of wanting to spend tons of family time together. So, when I’m not squinting at my computer screen and eating my weight in Ghiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, I’m hanging with my two favorite people.
2. #MarchPhotoADay – I’ve recently fallen in love with Instagram, a photography iPhone app that lets you edit your photos with all kinds of cool filters and then share them with your friends on a feed. This month I’m participating in one of Instagram’s many photo challenges: #MarchPhotoADay. I’m thinking of it as another way to stretch my creativity, and it’s super fun to see how other people interpret the prompts. Here they are:
And here’s my submission for Day 2, FRUIT:
You should definitely join in if you’re an Instagram-er! Oh, and if you want to find me there, I’m katyupperman.
3. Flawed – I was lucky enough to read this stunning contemporary YA novel by debut author Kate Avelynn early (it’s being released this July by Entangled Teen) and let me tell you, it is absolutely heart-wrenching. Like, you won’t be able to put it down because you’ll be THAT stressed about the future of the characters. If you’re a fan of books like Elizabeth Scott’s Living Dead Girl and Tabitha Suzuma’s Forbidden, you should definitely check out Flawed. (Click the cover and you’ll be redirected to Flawed‘s Goodreads page.)
Sarah O’Brien is alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago—James will protect her from their violent father if she promises to never leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely. Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give. Sam Donavon has been James’s best friend—and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on—for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realize James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact…
4. Homeland – I know I’m a little late jumping on this bandwagon, but have you seen Showtime’s Homeland? Holy hell… The first season was AMAZING. My husband and I don’t agree on many TV shows, but we flew through this one and are already itching for more. Homeland is fast-paced, powerful, and densely layered. No character goes without garnering at least a bit of sympathy (seriously–even the terrorists have clear motivations for acting the way they do), and every single episode is a game-changer. Plus, Claire Danes is freaking fantastic. Recommend!
5. Military Ball – Last weekend my husband and I lived it up at his unit’s Military Ball. Have I mentioned how happy I am to have him home? 🙂
So… What’s on your plate for the weekend?
In honor of the Day of Love, I’m jumping in on YA Highway‘s Valentine’s Day Blog Lovefest. The parameters are as follows: The Valentine blog posts can be a love note to anything–another blogger, a book, an author, a character, a bookstore, your beta readers…anything and anyone! Since I’m sort of terrible at following directions and at narrowing things down, and since it’s February 14th, I’m going to list…
FOURTEEN (TOTALLY RANDOM) THINGS I LOVE…
1. My husband. Because he’s selfless and patient and funny and kind and the very best kind of daddy to our little girl. Plus, he’s super cute.
2. My daughter. Because she’s sweet and precocious and thoughtful and adorable and she makes me smile every day.
3. My blog, and my blog readers, and YOUR blogs. Because your visits and your comments and your posts give me the greatest sense of community.
4. Inspiration. Because it’s everywhere. On TV. In nature. In art. In the kitchen. In window shopping and people watching and daydreaming. In the support of those who love me, and in the success of those before me.
5. Yoga. Because not only is it fantastic exercise, but it makes me feel more centered and grounded and peaceful.
6. Agent Vickie. Because she’s encouraging and savvy and writes some of the most hilarious emails and editorial notes ever. And because she loves my “people” like I do.
7. The lovelies who’ve read and commented so helpfully on my writing. Heather, Jus, Ann, Christa, Amie, Alison, and Kari — What would I do without you girls?!
8. Twitter. Because every day I learn something new, and every day I interact with brilliant people, and every day I feel less alone in my writing crazies.
9. Ghiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate. Because it’s my writing fuel.
10. Books. Because they teach and entertain and transport and delight. A few of my favorites from this year so far? A Million Suns. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. The Disenchantments.
11. My writing/blogging friends and regular commenters. Especially Tracey, Jessica, Erin, Katharine, Alicia, Kris, Carol, Sophia, Kirsten, Caroline, Jaime, Elodie, Erin, and Rebecca (who I met through YA Highway’s Valentine’s Day blogfest last year!).
12. My family and (real-life) friends. Because they’re wildly supportive even though they don’t entirely understand this nutso writing dream of mine.
13. The Bookanista. Because they’re new friends with a mutual love for promoting amazing kidlit.
14. Pinterest. Because… I just can’t help myself. It’s simply awesome.
Who are you showing Valentine Love for today?
Lots of people do wrap-ups at the end of the year, but lovely posts by Jessica Love and Erin Bowman in particular have inspired me to do one of my own. Fair warning: This is a LONG post. It’s also full of pictures, many of which include my daughter. If you’re getting bored with those, please accept my apologies. She’s just so darn cute!
All in all, 2011 was a strange year, full of very high highs and some super low lows. Here’s what sticks out…
JANUARY
High – Revised and started querying my manuscript, Where Poppies Bloom, in hopes of snagging a fantastic literary agent.
High – Cheered on the Seahawks, a sort of last hurrah with my husband before he headed out to Ranger School.
Low AND High – Said a sad goodbye my hubby and began a year of serious bonding with my favorite girl.
February
High – Sent more Poppies queries, received some requests, then some encouraging rejections, revised, queried some more.
Low – Turned thirty… Eep! I’m old! (Though the Ben and Jerry’s was a high.)
High – Took serious inventory of my eating and lifestyle habits and decided to make some major changes. I’ve since become a healthy eater and happy runner and yoga-er. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight and feel amazing.
March
Becoming a Low – Had a few close calls with Poppies, revised, queried some more. (Are we beginning to see a pattern here?)
High – Welcomed Spring with open arms.
Low – My girlie lost her first tooth. (Okay, it was knocked out. She cried. I did too.)
High – I acquired a niece! I’d already been blessed with three nephews, so this was a VERY exciting event! Isn’t she sweet?
High – While Poppies was in the hands of several agents, I decided to give it a mental rest in favor of something shiny and new. This idea (creatively entitled Bus WiP) resulted in a detailed outline that’s still awaiting a first draft.
April
High – Celebrated Easter with my Sweet Pea.
High – Trekked across the country to watch my husband graduate from Ranger School in Georgia. So proud of him! (Also, he’s not normally this thin. Ranger School is grueling.)
High – Received an offer of representation from an amazing agent while on vacation! Notified others who were reading. Waited…
High – Visited Disney World with my parents, my husband and our girl, and my in-laws. Such a wonderful trip!
High – Visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Hogsmeade! Butterbeer! Rollercoasters! Dream come true. 🙂
May
High – Received a second offer of representation. Contemplated. Made a challenging but thrilling decision. Signed with Agent Vickie. Celebration ensued!
Low – Watched and worried as my dad’s health mysteriously deteriorated, culminating in TWO brain surgeries and a discouraging diagnoses. I can’t really describe what this was like, except to say that watching a man who’s appeared invincible your entire life rapidly decline is absolutely heartbreaking.
Low – Waved a tearful goodbye to my husband as he deployed to Afghanistan. Again, it’s hard to express how horrible a feeling it is to say farewell to the person you love most, especially knowing there’s a possibility he could be hurt or killed while away. It’s the very best part of yourself, ripped away.
June
High – Happily welcomed Summer!
High – Got down and dirty with the Poppies revision ideas Agent Vickie suggested. Fleshed out characters. Upped the mystery. Added detail to the setting and backstory.
High – Watched the world’s hammiest little hula girl dance the Hukilau.
High – Fell in love with my small town all over again.
July
High – Successfully completed my first 5K, and my first round of revisions.
High – Celebrated the Fourth of July with family and friends.
Low – Dealt with this hideous creature cock-a-doodle-dooing all day and night for weeks. (I found out later that my neighbor shot him. Yikes.)
High – Dove into another round of revisions. (Yes. I am freakishly pragmatic.)
Low – Said goodbye to Harry Potter. The end of an era, I tell ya!
High – My girlie and I visited my parents in Phoenix. My dad was weak but beginning to recover, thank goodness.
August
High – Celebrated my girl’s fourth birthday…
…with a very Tangled Birthday Bash!
High – Completed a second 5K, and submitted another revised version of Poppies to Agent Vickie. Getting close!
Low – Rushed my Sweet Pea to the ER after she fell face-first on the pavement. Tears all around. A terrifying night, but luckily there was no lasting damage.
High – Discovered yoga and became a total junkie.
High – Contemplated and planned for a rewrite of a previously “finished” manuscript. This one’s still in the works, and it’s one I’m really excited about.
September
High – My girlie began another year of preschool. Where has the time gone?!
High – Got our country on and traveled to the Tacoma Dome to see…
Taylor Swift!
October
Low – Begrudgingly accepted that Fall was on its way. We’re sunshine girls… What can I say?
High – Our annual trip to the local Pumpkin Patch.
High – Halloween with Rapunzel. (I was Hermione Granger, obviously.)
High – I was invited to join the Bookanistas, a group of writers who review exceptional picture, middle grade, and young adult literature.
November
High – Finished revising Poppies! Embraced my next project.
High – Lots of bonding with fantastic friends, especially this girl, who I adore!
Low – Realized that I’m a compulsive book buyer. Yeah…
High (sort of) – Had all kinds of fun with my family, cheering my beloved Cougs on to an Apple Cup… LOSS. *sigh*
High – Got all dolled up to see Cinderella at the Fifth Avenue Theater in Seattle. (Loved.)
December
Low – Accepted Winter for its frigid days and early nights. Boo. Still, with sunrises like this one, it’s not all bad. (How cool is the shadow of Mt. Rainier on the clouds?)
High – Rediscovered my love of baking. Now I just need my husband to return so he can eat all my confections!
Low – Speaking of my husband, I came to terms with the fact that my daughter and I will be spending another holiday season without him. Painful, but I’m so thankful this deployment is winding down.
High – Reconnected with old friends. I’ve known these girls since I was sixteen (one since I was ten!).
There you have it… My 2011. The highs, the lows, and everything in between. This post (while incredibly time consuming to put together!) was a fun trip down memory lane. It’s reminded me how lucky I am, how much I’ve grown in twelve months, and, most importantly, that the highs always outnumber the lows.
Tell me, what was your highest high of 2011? Your lowest low?
Katy Upperman ~ Author 