A Flair for the Dramatic

My big girl, Tootsie Roll, is about to turn 9 later this month, and will begin fourth grade on Wednesday.  TR has always been a dramatic kid, from the first four colicky months of constant day-and-night screamage to the following ten months of ear infections (tubes saved the day at 15 months).  She pulled a tv onto her head at age two, and got stitches above her lip thanks to a smack in the face by a pole at age five (that's what happens when you keep swinging around it, let this be a lesson to you all).

She has since channeled her energies into more productive and artistic venues, from theater camp to tap/jazz/ballet classes to teaching herself basic piano to nonstop singing to upcoming violin lessons this year.  Her Type A side (ohh she's her mom) is coming out in the way she likes to have people follow the rules and her love of lists and schedules.  She is emotional, doesn't understand why people hurt one another, and is a fabulous writer for her ability to see deeply into people's feelings.  The constant physical drama of her younger years has definitely melted into early tween navigation through friendships and the pouring of thoughts onto paper.

But then yesterday, riding her bike as the summer days dwindle, she fell, and in a style befitting a much younger version of herself, got a lovely bike handle (sans streamers) directly in the gut.

Yes, that is the exact impression of the end of her bike handle with the hole in the middle where streamers could go if she weren't a super cool almost 9 year old.

Yeah, her new bike is black and pink with skully things on it.  Love.  Anyway, no worries, we did the responsible thing and took her to the ER, where we did ridiculous amounts of waiting they ultrasounded the bejeezus out of her and the very lovely tech complimented each of her very clear and compliant internal organs.

All is well, and now she has a lovely photo (although it saddened her that I disapproved of the idea of her lifting up her shirt to show her friends her battle scar, like Madeline - even the "Ok, then I'll only do it on the playground" version) to share with her friends... which will probably get top billing in the fourth grade requisite What I Did This Summer journal entry over her month-long theater camp, week long trip to Vermont, and triumph over all things "I can't really swim". 

Here's to a new year - you never know what drama lurks around the corner! ;)



The Winds of Change - To Mine Own Self Being True :)

Hehe that reminds me of that Scorpions song.  Remember?


Well, some of you will... probably not the new first grade teacher just hired for a maternity leave across the hall from me - yeah, that guy, who is so fresh and ready to teach and so BORN IN 1987. Lol... I turned 36 this summer and I'm not feeling old, but I am definitely noticing that the rest of the world is getting younger.

So... hi. :)  It feels a little awkward coming back after a 4 month absence, and I have to say first that I am really really surprised very grateful that my Bloggy Miyagis (followers) have not left me in droves.  Ok, so a bunch of you probably didn't notice and it was probably just too much work for some of you to stop following me or maybe you just didn't know how but regardless THANK YOU for sticking around, it totally makes me smile.

graphic credit

So since I started blogging a few years ago, I realized that I both write and blog in definite cycles - when the last marking period of school gets super busy, I seem to go on hiatus, and then stay there through the summer while I am home with my girls.  It's not exactly ideal for cultivating a "following", though I'm not really the type to ask anyone to drink the Kool-Aid anyway.  (I'm a loner, Dottie.  A rebel.) 

What I have found with this writing blog is that I've tried to be a productive and helpful part of the writing community, and as much as I want to be that, there are times when it begins to feel burdensome, like a bigger responsibility than I can take on with work and family, especially since I am still a novice writer.  I also have a family blog where I try to update (mainly the nanas) the extended family on the kids' doings.  I used to also have a teaching blog where I shared stories, but I stopped that in '08 because although I never used anything identifying about myself or the kids, and tried to keep the stories funny and not vent-y, I always had a nagging worry that I could be putting my teaching job in jeopardy.  What it boils down to is TOO MUCH BLOG, NOT ENOUGH TIME.  Or energy. :)

graphic credit

So the change comes here - Le Dange will no longer be just a writing blog, it will become part family blog, part mommy blog, part teacher blog, part writing blog, part whateverisonmymind blog... sort of everything that is me.  I don't know why I was putting crazy expectations on myself to wow anyone with constant thoughtful posts on writing, because truthfully, as much as I love it, writing encompasses a small fraction of my day.... and many days not even that.  Am I giving up?  No way... I have a brand new story idea TODAY as a matter of fact, and fall is usually when I get back in the writing swing along with school and everything else routine.

So anyway... if you have stuck with me this far, thanks for sticking. :)  I'll be back more regularly, posting who knows what, and you know what?  I kinda like it that way.  Hope you come back.

I Was Playing Dead. Did I Fool Ya?

Ooh, it's been a looong time since I posted. :)  That was sickness, report cards, and writer's block, for the most part.  I got really frustrated with the WiP I'd been working on for over a year and needed a break, so I plotted out another one.  I was/am excited about it, but it's dark... and between that and the also rather serious first WiP... I was kinda losing the fun of writing.  And you know how when your writing is meh, you run out of stuff to blog about?  Yeah.  It was all starting to feel like a job, and my full time job is pretty jobby enough. ;)  So I knew I needed a break.

In the meantime, we've gotten well, stuff is getting done, and another new idea crept its way in... a MG.  MG!  Zero trouble with the beginning, which is usually the part I a-g-o-n-i-z-e over.  It's FUN!  And I'm having fun writing it and sharing it with my 8 yr old.  It's still but a babe as far as books go, but it definitely is bringing back some of the joy I needed to recover in writing.

So... not sure how much I'll be blogging in the next few weeks, but my hiatus won't be forever.  Just one of those rebalancing, need time for other things times.  Hopefully I'll be back bopping around all of your blogs soon!  I miss reading you! :D

Midweek Madness

Hello!  What's shakin' in your world this week?  I am knee deep in report cards and completely entranced by The Book Thief, which I just started yesterday (yeah, I'm a little late to that party but it's definitely worth the wait).

Without further ado, a few quick somethings for your hump day enjoyment.  Happy Wednesday!

Unreality's Gallery of Pictogram Movie Posters

My writing lately (photo credit)

photo

Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts - Love. This. Song.  Amazing video. :)


Sand Art - Russian Love :  If you have never seen this beautiful, amazing, heartbreaking story told completely with music and sand... go.  Watch.  Immediately.  Trust me, it's worth the 8 1/2 minutes.  (Not for kids).

Hunger Games Casting News

So we already knew that Jennifer Lawrence from Winter's Bone will be playing Katniss in the upcoming Hunger Games move.

The actors playing Gale and Peeta have been announced, too.  Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song) as Gale:

Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right) as Peeta:

Interesting they went for the blonder guy as Gale and the dark haired guy as Peeta.  Not that they can't make them look like whatever they want - obviously Katniss isn't blonde. :)  I haven't seen any of their recent movies listed above so I don't really have an opinion, I'm just excited that it's moving forward. :) 

Thoughts?  Team Gale or Team Peeta?

Midweek Madness

Well, I'm just at the very beginning stages of getting my new WiP off the ground, so I don't have much to say there just yet.  So I'm thinking about making Midweek Madness a totally random feature here at Le Dange, where I just post something fun and probably not writing related.  Yeah, if I can stick to it.  Since I have no particular blogging schedule or anything. :)  (That's right - you are at my mercy!  Oh wait, actually no.  I can't really make you come here...)

Here's a Hump Day giggle.  Enjoy!


Ooh... this new template shows video way better than my old one!

Dark Playlist Suggestions?

I'm starting a new WiP.  It's dark.  And I'm interested in your suggestions for dark, sort of intense music for a playlist (whiny emo is not invited, lol).

The WiP I've been working on has me somewhat flummoxed.  As in... it is plotted and I have rewritten the beginning 85 times.  Ok, not 85, but it feels like 85.  And ya know what?  I need a break.  I've been tinkering with this one since January 2010 and as much as I feel like there is a really good story there, I don't know.  Something just isn't working.  Part of me knows that I don't have enough time to devote to any WiP and that's probably a big part of my problem.  Time is a big struggle for me - I work full time and also bring work home, I have a preschooler and an 8 yr old that I want to spend time with, and a hubby I'm pretty fond of. :)  Lately we've been hit with illnesses and major amounts of play rehearsals.  Next up is report cards.  It never really ends. :)

But I'm not really here to complain about time - time is a struggle we all have.  I guess I'm getting tired of struggling with the same story for over a year.  So I'm trying something new.  And my new story has a darker voice.  Which is where YOUR music suggestions come in!

If interested in photo credit, please contact me - I Googled my story topic and found this
pic but the site is kind of gory for general consumption.

What do you listen to when you are in a dark, intense mood?  Or to put you there for your writing?