Monday, October 06, 2008

while away...

*I'm going crazy here. I have a story I want to share sooooo badly. It's the story of how the ever-so-incredibly-generous Jean spent an entire day doing something very special for Annie. Want a teaser? Neil Gaiman is involved. But it's really Jean's story to tell, and I hope she'll post about it soon!


*Miss Annie is now carrying around a few thousand dollars of gear in her mouth. She said something like, "There's nothing like announcing to the world what a nerd I am...glasses and braces." Of course, I happen to think she looks adorable. And as her mom, I'm sure I'd find her adorable if she sprouted horns and a giant wart on her nose, too. After just a couple of days, they're finally starting to hurt a little less, but she's having a tough time getting adjusted to them playing her flute.






*Baker and Lucky have become fast friends. Well, maybe friends is a slight overstatement, but they certainly have no problems with one another. Aren't they precious?!!

*Annie's new vocabulary game is starting up, if anyone wants to join in. (Prize is a $15.00 Amazon gift certificate.)

*I didn't get nearly as much accomplished as I'd hoped during my hiatus. But I probably did get as much done as I'd reasonably expected, so it's not all bad news. (Both in terms of our switching rooms around and in terms of school prep.) I have to say that I found the "blog break" a mixed bag. I've learned that blogging is both stress-inducing and stress-relieving. I think the stress-inducing part comes simply with letting it take over so much of my time. So I'm trying to come up with some strategies to help accentuate the "stress-relieving" and squash the "stress-inducing". For one thing, I'm thinking about trying some sort of schedule again to help keep myself organized. I tried, and failed, to do this before...but I'm hoping with some concerted effort on my part, that it might really help. (Unless I end up tweaking things, Mondays shall be set aside for my useless babblings about family and life in general.) I may just have to admit that I need to pare down my reader, too, as sad as that idea makes me.

Hmmm...now I'm off to see how unmanageable that darn reader has become...

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, anything to do with an entire day revolving around Neil Gaiman...I'm already jealous and I don't even know what it is!

The rest of us think the braces are adorable too. How can we not?

I hacked my reader done to almost nothing. Blog Reading feels SO much more productive now.

Jean said...

Does this mean that the very special (in Neil's eyes as well as mine) Annie knows the WHOLE, ENTIRE story of my trip to the National Book Festival? In other words, may I even post a photo of Neil's artwork along with the not-so-gory details? If so, I will definitely post the story though I might not get it done, with photos, until tomorrow. Work this afternoon and kendo tonight make it a busy day.

Ana S. said...

yay, you're back :D

I can't wait to hear Jean's story! And I think Annie still looks adorable with braces too. I wore braces for a few years in my early teens and it does take some getting used to.

The Baker and Lucky picture is so cute :)

I know what you mean about blogging being both stress inducing and stress relieving. Even if it's time-consuming, blogging helps me keep my sanity. I find that having a schedule really helps. Of course, I don't always follow it, but it does help to try to define specific times to write posts, comment, etc.

What I did to tame my reader was divide it into folders...one for the blogs I always visit and comment on, another for those I'll visit if I have the time, etc. I know it might feel weird to "play favourites" like that, but we all do have favourites anyway, and if I didn't organize my reader somehow it was just going to drive me nuts.

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

Annie looks beautiful! Braces and all. I played the flute as well--with braces. :) It just takes time to get used to it.

I have found that blogging relieves and induces stress for me as well. I'm a naturally high strung person as it is, so sometimes I have to remind myself that I can't do it all and read every post like I want to.

Glad you're back anyway--even if we are stressful. ;)

Anonymous said...

If you figure out a great way to tame Google Reader, please share!

chrisa511 said...

Debi!!! You're back :D I'm so glad to "see" you again, lol. Like Nymeth and you, I can totally relate to blogging being stress inducing and calming at the same time! When my reader gets out of control and I haven't posted in a few days, I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack, lol. But at the same time I just enjoy blogging and the community so much that I could never leave it.

Annie looks great in her braces! Very cute :) And look at Baker and Lucky becoming fast friends! Also very cute :)

And to Jean...I'm so jealous that you went to the National Book Festival! lol..

Carl V. Anderson said...

I certainly look forward to the 'whole, entire' story from Jean and even though I am already very excited for Annie just based on the teaser that you've given.

She may not love it now, but Annie will ultimately be really happy with having had braces. We went through the same stuff with our daughter and she is thrilled now, as a 16 year old, to have really nice teeth.

It is great to have you back Debi, it really is. I think a schedule sounds like a really good way to not only help keep you from getting overwhelmed but can also hopefully make blogging something fun that you look forward to rather than a chore.

Jean said...

The whole entire (or at least as much of it as I had time to tell in the midst of finishing two quilts) is now up on my blog complete with pictures. Now, Debi, you owe us one of Annie when or soon after she got her very own inscribed copy of Coraline. I want to see that smile!!!!

Melody said...

I think Annie looks pretty in that pic!!! You know, I think having braces is cool! I didn't go for it then and now I wish I had!!

gail@more than a song said...

Oh, I think she's adorable too! And I betcha you're going to have to watch out because she'll probably be a knockout when she gets older!