I've moved!

Managing two blogs became too time consuming for me this year, and I neglected both as a result.

I hate that.

So I made a decision that shouldn't have been too difficult now that I look back on it: I'm only maintaining one blog now. Although I may never live in New Jersey again, I hope to publish more books. We are no longer Okies in Joisey, so it seemed proper to let this one fade away and keep my blog at my website www.brandibarnett.com.

I plan to place more Okies in Joisey-esque entries on the Brandi Barnett blog than in the past, so whatever you enjoyed here I hope you find there--and more. With the extra time, I hope to add pictures again and dress up the page a bit. We'll see how quickly that happens!

Please visit me at http://brandibarnett.blogspot.com.

Hooray!

I completed the detailed outline for my new book. Now all I have to do is write it. And that's one of the fun parts!

Baby Sign Language

I've tried signing with Baby Max since he was...a baby. Now, he's almost one, and he's signing back. He's signed "more" a few times. Recently, Garrett had him at the grocery store during bottle time and Max began insistently signing "milk." Unfortunately, G knew what he wanted but had forgotten to pack it. "Uh-oh" as Max likes to say.

This month we've attended two classes for Baby Sign Language. The instructor must be a saint. She calmly chatters away about signing and assigns homework while toddlers and crawlers steal the show. When things get a little out of hand, she blows bubbles or breaks into a signing song.

I can tell that Max is more receptive to signing since we've attended the class.

But the real reason to attend is the kids are hilarious. For many, this is the first real interaction they have with other little ones. I wonder how much of their personalities and reactions predict how they will be later in life.

During class, Max explores and "visits" momentarily with other children and adults in the room. Usually while missing a shoe or sock. He begins fully dressed, but as the minutes tick by he loses one shoe and one sock at a time. (The instructor actually taught us the sign for "shoe" just because of Max!) I threatened to bring him naked next time. It would save me time and laundry.

G attended this week's class with me, and he thought it was hilarious as I did. He also shared my concern that we may be too relaxed. Is it bad when your kid falls down--yet again--and all of the other parents gasp while you laugh? It's not like Max cries or anything, though. We're so accustomed to him falling into things that it's not something we get worried about anymore. If he cries, we know he's really hurt. Mostly, a tumble doesn't phase him in his journies. And he does journey.

He is incredibly easy-going. One of the little boys took a rattle that Max was playing with. It was in the center of the room, so many of us saw it and wondered what was going to happen. Instead of getting upset, Max laughed at the older boy. He tried to reach the rattle, but the other little boy was bigger and held it over his head. It made me fear the future and a bully taking something from him on the playground. I muttered, "Get him." Garrett reacted similarly. But Max just laughed. Another, smaller, little boy decided he wanted the rattle and rammed into the big kid, knocking him over and taking the rattle. Max laughed at the two boys on the ground and went off to explore some more. The parents of the big kid made the older boy give Max the rattle. Max looked at them all like they were crazy for interrupting his exploration and took off again.

In the end, I actually felt sorry for the bigger kid. He was the only one upset with the whole thing. Plus, he was a sweet little boy. He's the only one I saw going around the room trying to hug other kids and pet their hair. Max thought he was pretty cool. After watching the big boy pet another kid's head, Max imitated him.

Ah, the influence of peers already!

Northeastern Oklahoma AuthorFest

I enjoyed meeting readers and authors today at the Northeastern Oklahoma AuthorFest in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Authors had their tables decorated thematically with their books. I had little fairies, twinkle lights, and candy. People dropped in to visit, which is always my favorite part of any book event.

One of the authors at the event was Nicci Sefton, a charming young woman from Tulsa who has self-published a teen vampire book called Luxuria. What makes Nicci so special? She just graduated high school. She began Luxuria while she was 15, and she finished it on her 16th birthday. Her next novel is set to come out around Halloween. Impressive, huh?

Many of you know I'm not a big fan of self-publishing (I prefer to be paid upfront thankyouverymuch); however, some major successes have begun in the self-publishing industry. Eragon, The Christmas Box, and The Lace Reader are a few success stories of self-published authors who made it big in the end. Many self-published works are done so because no one else wants to spend money on them to make it happen, but these authors had something special that made it happen...$BIG$.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Nicci, her parents, and her best friend (who is Precious in her novel). Although I haven't read Luxuria yet, I plan to. Wearing a suit and Converse with little pandas on them, Nicci showed spunk and motivation. Her table was a marketing masterpiece complete with candle stands, flower petals, and wine goblets. Plus, did I mention she is adorable? I, for one, think this girl is someone to watch in the future. Check out her website at www.thedeadlysinsbooks.com.

Meeting new people

I met a guy today who had been beaten up pretty badly.

"Looks like you've been in a bad fight."

"Yep."

"I guess I can tell who won."

He grinned. "You should've seen the bobcat."

?!

Lake Retreat

Each year, The Inklings go on a writing retreat to my parents' trabin on Lake Tenkiller. We call it a trabin because I fantasize it's a cozy log cabin, but it's just a trailer. At the end of the day, though, no one cares if it were built of toothpicks and fiberglass because it has views like this one:

This year, Sonia gave a fabulous presentation on websites that helped her get into the business. She'll provide links on her website soon, so you should check it out. Next, Martha (aka Mama) gave writing prompts inspired from a book of essays.
Dee Dee is intent, isn't she? Either I snapped this while we were sharing our journal entries or during the prompt. I like how the trees framed her.After the workshop, we ate. Lisa, Sonia and I tried to eat on the deck, but the flies attempted to steal our food so we joined everyone else inside.
Karuna and Karen arrived wearing the most adorable hats. Don't they look perfect for a day at the lake?After lunch, most of us took a stroll. Kelly and I are always willing to pause for a photo.
Even though my leg is covered in greenish-yellow bruises from an unfortunate Seadoo incident, I had a great time. The Inklings provide invaluable critiques and the retreat workshop inspires me to write something with a fresh perspective. Plus, even though many may disagree, I got a little tan!

Really. I did.

Sonia's Tour

My friend Sonia Gensler and fellow Inklings' member recently acquired a book deal with Knopf. Our writing group is so happy for her we feel like we each received a deal, too.

Sonia writes historical fiction, so we asked her to take us on a tour of her novel. I've been lucky enough to read it and was giddy to see where the story took place and hear Sonia explain hidden details not included in the book.

I've heard of Twilight tours and Harry Potter tours. Maybe we'll have The Revenant tours after the book is released in 2011.

Can anyone guess where we are?


Here is the same location years and years ago.

For some reason, no one came around when we wanted a group picture--maybe a bunch of giggly grown girls scared them away--so Kelly took this photo of the rest of us sitting on the stairs inside.

A Day of Firsts

Definite first steps today. He walked from his dad to me. It was so exciting.

While eating real chicken--not the baby food variety--he said, "More."

He slapped me "five" repeatedly. Since he loves hitting things, this seems socially acceptable.

We play a game where we say, "Blow out the lights." Then we blow and flip the switch. Max thinks it's hilarious and usually blows after the lights are out. Today, I asked him to help me "blow out the lights" while we were standing by the light switch. He grinned at me, leaned over and flipped off the lights.

Girls of '93

Friends are valuable. Especially ones you've known most of your life. Especially ones who know you. I was with Katie when she met her hubby. I guess we need to pick someone out for Ange--not that she'd let us! If not for these girls, Garrett and I may have never dated. It was they who arrived at a New Year's Eve party back in '93, scoped it out, and pointed to Garrett. "Why haven't you dated him?" Good question. And the rest is history.

I was so excited to see my girls on Friday. Katie met Max for the first time. Max adored her. As on previous visits, he proved he adored Ange, too. After visiting Max and my mom and brother, we went to the lake where we had a fun filled day of playing on the jet skis planned.

Fate, on the other hand, had something else in mind.

When we arrived, I'd left my keys to the trabin at the house. After many expletives, I called home. Luckily, Garrett was there for lunch and brought them out to us. After that minor setback, we gals went down to the boat slip where G and I had stowed the jet skis the night before. Of course, we couldn't get them to work. Either of them!

Oh well. We floated around in the lake and snacked and visited, which was so nice. We just didn't have enough time. We never do. I think we should plan a spa visit next time.

Here we are five years ago at a class reunion:

Lots of other pics exist of us together, but I haven't scanned them. Katie and I've been friends since we were three. Ange, Katie and I have been friends since we were eleven. As Ange's niece says, we're definitely "best friends for freakin' life."

First Shoes and First Step...sort of

Since Max has been at the lake he's gathered two splinters on his feet from the deck. He's also standing a little on his own. We figured it was time to get him a pair of shoes.

Felt's shoe store has been in town for decades. It was the first member of the Chamber of Commerce and is still family owned and operated. My mother remembers getting shoes there when she was a little girl. So that's where we went. Drew Felt told us that little Max wears a 5 1/2.

On Thursday, July 2, 2009, we bought Max his first pair of shoes. Well, he's had a couple of pairs from a friend and an aunt & uncle, but these shoes are like big boy shoes. As soon as he had the Nikes on his feet, he stood up without touching anything and stayed that way for the longest we'd seen. Even when we got home and took off his shoes, he kept practicing. Ever since, he's been moving closer and closer to walking.

In fact, today he took what I call his first step. My parents and Garrett and our friend Mike witnessed it, and they didn't think it was a real first step. However, he wasn't holding on to anything, so I think I'll count it.

Max loves people's shoes, and he loves having his own. Here he is playing with the box and shoes in his closet.

Independence Day 2009

We enjoyed our first Fourth of July as a family. Garrett and I have been a couple for 16 years. This picture is evidence of the first time we ever dressed alike on purpose. We did it for Max.

My dad's sister and her family joined us at the lake. Luckily, the weather cooled off a bit that day so we were able to enjoy ourselves outside. My aunt played with the kiddos. It looks like they all had a good time.
Second cousins and all smiles....


Uncle Ed sent lots more pictures. I'll share more when I get them downloaded.

Pinwheel

Max was pretty impressed with his first pinwheel.

First Pool

Max has cute little swimming trunks, but it was hot, so he just wore his Little Swimmers. He didn't care what he looked like. He had a blast! Here is his dad putting him in the pool for the first time


He liked the little penguin in a boat. It didn't float so well, but he still enjoyed it.
Most of all he enjoyed splashing.

Crawling in and out of the pool became a favorite event of the afternoon. You can see the dirt from the deck on his diaper!

Family Fun

My cousin Mika and his family came over last night. It was so fun. His wife Lisa is hilarious and makes any get together feel like a party. I love being so much closer to them--even if we have lived here six months and this is the first time our families have gotten together since we've been back! Garrett grilled burgers and hot dogs and we ate until we couldn't eat anymore.

I had so much fun that I forgot to take pictures. And I really should take pics because Max and his second cousins are about the cutest bunch of kids you'll ever see.

I attempted to take this photo while B. was giving a phenomenal show with Guitar Hero. That boy can work a stage. He is the most impressive performer we've had so far. As you can see, he was in between sets when I got this shot.

Max loved seeing everyone. The girls are going to be wonderful babysitters and mommies (the latter a looooong time from now). Unfortunately, they're getting older and have extremely busy schedules. I better snag them while I can. I showed all of the kiddos the guest room, so hopefully they'll come play with us.

Although Max enjoyed playing with everyone, he was ready to go to bed when it was time. We were enjoying ourselves so much that we didn't pay attention to the clock. Little Boe Peep is three years old and a big help. Max began fussing, so she and I went in to change his diaper. Max leapt off the table toward her. She cringed and said, "I don't like it when he's naked."

Once I put him on the floor, he crawled over to his little prayer doll they'd given him for Christmas. We hold it every night before reading our bedtime books. A couple of weeks ago, the doll said, "Amen." Then I said, "Amen." Then MAX said, "Amen." So, he knows the doll is part of his bedtime ritual. He only plays with it at bedtime. I was a dunce, though, and didn't realize it was bedtime until I'd dragged him back into the living room. Then I realized what a smart kid I had! He was ready for bed and we weren't listening to him tell us.

For those of you who follow the blog regularly, you may remember Little Bo Peep giving Max a bottle. She expected him to be the same now. She placed the boppy on her waist when it was bedtime and asked if she could feed him. It was an adorable sight and I felt horrible telling her that he didn't lie down on it anymore and that he could actually feed himself. I told her, "They just grow up so fast." She nodded seriously as if she knew exactly what I was saying.

What a week!

This week has been full of sad endings in pop culture.

1. Jon and Kate Gosselin. I cried as I watched Monday night's show where they announced their intention to separate. Later I read a USA Today article that said they'd been separated for two years. What? Does that mean their vow renewal last year in Hawaii was a fraud? Or was Kate being dramatic and meaning they've lived separately metaphorically? I'm so sad for the kids and for them. No one wants to be a statistic. I'm optimistic they will get back together, though. Yes. That's how I am.

2. Ed McMahon. After years of being Johnny Carson's sidekick and hosting his own shows, the man everyone wanted to see on their doorstep holding a big check is no longer with us.

3. Farrah Fawcett. I had a Farrah doll when I was a little girl. Charlie's Angels was totally cool. The Farrah doll beat the high-heeled shoes and tight pants off of Barbie any day.

4. Michael Jackson. When I heard he'd had a heart attack, death never occurred to me. When I learned he died, the news stunned me. I was never a big fan, but I respected his work. I recognize that he changed the face of music. The man was a performer. He was the King of Pop. He never had a childhood and he never lived out of the spotlight. Since he never had it while alive, I hope he finds peace now.

Dearly departed...

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to scrap my novel-in-progress. I've been working on it for a while and am halfway finished. However, with the move, I'd set it aside for a while.

And I lost my rhythm.

I lost the heart of the story.

I didn't care about it anymore.

This, my dears, is not good...for the novel. For me it worked out great.

I'm a Taurus. I'm stubborn. I listen to you, but it might take a while for it to sink in. My friend often expressed that she wished I'd work on a young adult novel again. (The other novel was a high concept humor for adults.) Her argument made sense because I've spent most of my life in high school. It also made sense because I already have one novel published in that genre. (Buy Glamour!) Her words finally sunk in.The one thing I totally loved about the now defunct project was the characters. They were so much fun that I wanted to hang out with them. Well, now I am hanging out with them in every spare moment. They're just younger. I went back in time to when they were in high school. How cool is that?

Now, I have rhythm.

I have heart.

I care.

And this, my dears, is very good.

Nurse Jackie and Twilight

Showtime's new series Nurse Jackie is entertaining in a weird, cable sort of way. I love how their shows are twisted. Give me some Dexter and Weeds and I'm in Netflix heaven.

The main character is played by Edie Falco who played Carmella on HBO's The Sopranos. In a way, I can imagine Carmella living in a parallel universe where she's not the faithful wife and mother and doles out her own sort of justice.

Aside from the main character, viewers will recognize Peter Facinella who plays Dr. Cooper. Whether or not "Coop" just might be a decent doctor is still up for grabs. The doc himself is one who grabs. His character claims he has a sort of syndrome where he acts out in sexually inappropriate way when he's nervous. He claims he's "uninsurable" as he cups Nurse Jackie during a tense conversation.

Who is this actor? None other than the same man who plays the honorable, vegetarian vampire Dr. Carlisle Cullen in Twilight. One is a possible incompetent and one is a respected, if bloodthirsty, professional. Interesting casting, don't you think?

Hummingbirds will not domesticate me

My father has placed hummingbirds' lives in my hands.

He placed a hummingbird feeder in front of Max's playroom window to amuse him. They do. We adults probably enjoy them as much as Max.

The feeder needed more food this morning. So, I made it. I found the recipe online. 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. Boil the water and then add the sugar. I figured even I can make this concoction without burning it.

And I did.

Three times.

No kidding.

After Garrett got up this morning, I told him how enterprising I'd been. Well, he'd been pretty busy, too.

"Was that the stuff in a pot on the stove?"

Was?

How can I get upset that he poured the stuff out when he cleaned the kitchen?

So I made more.

This time, my friend Colleen helped me pour it in the feeder. She's an organic farmer. She knows what she's doing. Five years ago she worked in corporate America. Now she's slaughtering cattle, milking goats, and growing food. She totally knows how to feed birds, right? Well, with my help, we did something wrong because I looked out this afternoon and it was empty. Somehow it leaked out on the ground.

I've made another batch and am waiting for it to cool before attempting to fill it again. Anyone want to place bets on whether those little hummingbirds will get fed?

Zagat for wildlife is not giving me a good score.

Stormy weather

It stormed today. Enormous clumps of ice dropped into my backyard. Dark clouds swept across the sky like a group of dangerous boys--if I could have crossed the street to avoid them, I would have. The lightning sizzled. The thunder sounded like big potatoes rolling across a wooden floor.

And it rained. And rained.

I hate stormy weather. It makes me want to dig a hole in the ground and hide until tornado season passes. Of course, in Oklahoma, tornado season seems to be at least six months out of the year.

I know people who love it. You probably know them, too. They stand out on their porches and watch tornadoes. They hop in their cars and hunt for them. I would need to inject a whole lot of crazy into my system before I could do either of those without investing in Depends.

First Page

On Saturday, I spoke at Hawk Publishing Group's writing workshop in Tulsa. I enjoyed this because I also had the opportunity to sit in on a few sessions. Each time I've heard K.D. Wentworth speak has been rewarding. She makes me laugh and always teaches me something.

The nugget I'll share with you today is that she said that the first page of a novel or short story should include the character, context (setting), and conflict. The conflict should be the worst problem that character can have.

That's a lot to get on the first page.

And she's totally right.

Wentworth is the coordinating judge, which means she's the first judge, of the science fiction contest Writers of the Future. There is no entry fee and the prizes are big. The contest receives about 4000 entries a year.

Does she feel obligated to read all entries? No way. There's not enough time. She claims that the easiest way to weed through the stories is to look at the first page. If the story has character, context, and conflict on the first page, she'll continue. Otherwise, she'll toss it.

Whether you enter the Writers of the Future contest or are submitting a novel or short story to an agent or magazine, make sure your story doesn't get tossed!

Read this great interview with KD Wentworth to learn more about becoming a successful writer.

1st cousins

Max met his cousin Oban for the first time. In the past, Uncle Brett always made sure Oban was hanging out elsewhere when we'd visit. When they finally met, Oban shook with excitement. At least, I hope it wasn't fear. Max tentatively patted her and eventually grinned.

Max was in awe of this creature that was dog. He watched her scamper all over Brett's enormous yard. Oban dazzled him by grabbing a turtle by its shell and flinging it across the lawn.

Yep. I think those kids could get into lots of trouble together.

Workshops are just ducky

Hanging out with a group of 2nd through 5th graders at Okmulgee Elementary School was a great way to spend my morning. The kiddos signed up for a summer program in which they will write their own books. Based on what they shared today, you might see them on a bestseller list soon.

Having such a wide range of ages concerned me at first, but it worked out well. I don't know what I was worried about. These students wanted to write. After all, they did sign up to spend part of their summer inside... a school... writing a book. How lucky am I to get to meet them?

I was lucky enough to get to introduce to them how "to get their ducks in a row" as far as organizing their thoughts into a story. We sang a song, read a book, and played with the basic story elements--as well as my son's rubber duckies.

Hopefully, I'll get to see some of their completed projects. The school has invited me to return in the fall to introduce the writing process to their fifth graders. Maybe I can read the finished books then.

If you or someone you know is interested in having a writing workshop, please contact me. Although I enjoy the giggles and hugs from the little ones, I also love working with teens and adults. Let me know if you have a specific area of interest, and I'll create a workshop for your need.

Itsy bitsy spider and its evil twin

The other night I nestled into a chair with my favorite blanket. My muscles loosened from a long day. Relaxation was about to be realized.

Then I felt something strange.

It was a tickling sensation in my chest. Was I feeling guilty? Was this my body's way of telling me something?

No.

The tickling sensation moved and I realized it was not in my chest, but on my chest.

Strange, I thought. It feels just like a spider might feel.

I peeked down my shirt and saw that, yes, a spider was indeed creeping across my skin.

Crawling under my shirt.

Crawling under my bra.

One spindly leg at a time.

I leapt off the chair. A crack-whore couldn't have removed her blouse and bra faster. All the while I was wiggling and chanting. "There's a spider on me! There's a spider on me! There's a spider on me!" Silence broke my rant for only a moment while I held my breath to prevent the creepy-crawly from going into my mouth.

I couldn't find the spider in my clothes or on the floor, so I decided it must be in my hair. The chanting and dancing continued. It was like a National Geographic special right in my living room.

Garrett laughed really hard until I curled up in a ball and cried. Then he killed the spider after I found it crawling on the rug.

The other night I'd drowned an identical spider in the bathtub. Garrett walked in while I was chanting "Diediediediediedie."

I think that spider either returned up the water spout or its evil twin got even.

You know you're in eastern Oklahoma when...

...strangers wave at you.

...you can pass cars on your bicycle.

...the "s" in Illinois River is not silent.

...billboards portray Jesus as a Caucasian man with blue or green eyes.

...you can dine out for less than $25--with tip!

...a haircut and blow dry costs $10.

...automobiles are spray painted with designs such as orange and primer camouflage or neon crosses.

... your allergies make you wish you were dead.

...you find an arrowhead in your backyard.

...the view of the lake takes your breath away.

...people say "howdy" and mean it.

Namaste

I haven't exercised since February of 2008.

Seriously.

The last time I attempted to exercise was a yoga class. The next day I ended up in the emergency room and the doctors told me to stop exercising--and pretty much everything else--to preserve my pregnancy.

So I did.

I followed the doctors' advice so well that Max is almost 9 months old, and I still hadn't exercised...until last night.

I arrived early and freaked out a bit. Svelte bodies in fashionable yoga attire stretched, chatted, and basically looked fit.The instructor said, "Tonight is hard."

"Okay."

She eyed me. "I have a beginner's class on Thursday."

Panic crept into my sleep deprived mommy-body. Did I look that out of shape? "Do I need to come back then?"

"Have you done yoga before?"

Let's just say she was right. About the hard part. Super-instructor Libby was not being mean. It was the most difficult class I've ever attended. And it would have been even if I'd not been out of practice. A few times I was comforted with the knowledge that Libby is a nurse during the day.

Do you know what pregnancy and no exercise do to your core muscles and balance? I do. And I don't like it. Of the three positions that required me to stand on my hands or head, I succeeded with one. I tried another but fell. I didn't even attempt the third. Legs and arms were everywhere.

Oh, but I will return. The instructor and class are amazing. Maybe one day I can look svelte in a cute little yoga outfit.

I can dream, can't I?

Play date

Max and I met up with some friends and 10 new babies.

Beforehand, I was concerned about Max's first big play date. How would he interact with the other children? Would he be a bully? Would he be a wimp? Would he share? Would he be an outsider?

Upon arrival, I set him down and he plowed past adult legs and baby accouterments to arrive on a play mat covered in toys. Sitting on the mat was Libby, an adorable little girl just a couple of weeks older than Max. Eying each other, they played side by side for a while. Thank goodness she has an older brother, though. Because when things got physical she knew how to take care of herself. Max is new at kissing and likes to try to kiss the top of our heads. (He also likes to pull hair, but none of the older children had enough to endanger them and the teeny-tinies were usually protected by carriers or mother's arms.) He tried kissing her, and climbed over her to get to her head. He left slobber all over her and made her cry.

Actually, he left slobber a lot of places. I think he's teething again. I hope he wasn't trying to use her cute little head as a teething biscuit.

Nonetheless, he tried making up to her later. Extending his dimpled arm, he offered her a ball. She looked at it and crawled away. He stared after her. I swear he shrugged before looking at the ball and cramming it in his mouth with his pudgy hand. I was happy to see that he took rejection in stride.

Allison, the oldest little girl was our hostess. Toddling around in her pink dress, she greeted everyone and offered her toys. I was handed a puzzle piece of the soft mat, which I don't think I'm smart enough to piece together. She looked genuinely happy to have so many children playing with her things. Of course, the most gleeful expression I saw was when one of the cats appeared and she tore off after it. Those cats knew just how to move to avoid her...and later to avoid Max who found patting their noses a new favorite pasttime.

Babies abounded. Two sets of twins arrived. Each set was a boy and a girl. Two baby singlets were there, too. Max was enthralled. All the babies were dressed so cute. Max definitely has a thing for shoes, which is strange since I can't even seem to keep a pair of socks on the kid. At least two times I caught him nibbling on baby shoes. Luckily, the babies were too young to fear for their toes. A few times I caught him peering into the face of a sleeping baby. His face was close enough to kiss them...but he didn't. Whew! One of the times, little Haley wasn't sleeping, but she didn't seem to mind. She just stared right back at him.

One of the teeny-tinies began to cry. (Max had nothing to do with it.) A chorus of babies joined that single cry. At this point, Max had crawled under the high chair like he does at home. When they cried, he looked up at me and blinked. He looked confused like he wasn't sure if he should join or not. However, the high chair distracted him so tears were avoided.

At another point, all the babies needed changing at the same time--except one. Avery's mom teased that she only changes her diaper once a day. I need to learn that trick. Avery is a few months older than Max. He was enamoured with her. They took off crawling after each other. I was concerned that he was too aggressive, but like Libby, Avery knew how to take care of herself. Max likes the spunky girls.

I look forward to another playdate. Hopefully, some of our other friends will be able to join us. Since Toral is moving her twins all the way to Florida, it might be a while before we get to see them. But I'm hopeful.

After all, we know miracles happen.

Say it Ain't So

Jon and Kate Gosselin,

I don't know why I care about your marriage so much. Is it because I watched your show in anticipation as my due date loomed? Is it because I watched taped segments as I pumped milk in the wee hours of the night after feeding my little one? Is it because I understand the desire that drove you to fertility treatments? Is it because I can be an overtalkative so-and-so and my husband was once a happy computer nerd?

I dont' know why I feel so invested.

But I do.

And by letting me inside your life, you allowed me to be this way.

The most important people you owe your marriage to is, of course, your children. But you also owe it to me and the gajillions of others like me who watch the show.

Everyone experiences adversity in life. You guys did and capitalized on it in the most American way possible--with a reality tv show of your family. I applaud your ingenuity.

And I've applauded your triumphs along the way. Because you seemed normal. You seemed like ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, which is what we all are at times in our lives.

But what now? You're not normal anymore. This tabloid brouhaha is pure Hollywood. Sure, most tabloid regulars are regular people placed in extraordinary circumstances, too, but you're different. With stars, they act or sing or dance or something. You guys simply let us watch you live. You allow us that little thrill one achieves from reading someone's diary or email. You're like us.

Aren't you?

For the sake of your children and the love that has been evident in certain episodes, please work it out. Also, continue to provide viewers a model of how couples can make it through parenthood--and crises--in love.

4 generations

Here is a picture of four generations. Max, me, my dad, and his mom on Mother's Day.

Max proved what a helpful member of the family he is. When Grandma opened her card, Max aided her by opening her gift bag.
Here's Grandma waiting to see what she received from her son and daughter-in-law.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you fabulous women out there. I have a better understanding of the true meaning of this holiday.

My day began with Max waking me up at twenty minutes past midnight to wish me a Happy Mother's Day. He was so excited that he cried for me again just as my head hit the pillow around 12:40. He was so darned enthusiastic about getting the day started that he woke me up again at 4:00 and never let me go back to bed. Of course, I could have shared his enthusiasm if I'd not gone to bed myself shortly before midnight. Poor planning on my part, right?

The rest of the day was lovely. I started the day by feeding Max cereal. As I grew sentimental and thanked Max for helping make me a mommy for this holiday, he grinned. Then, he responded by spitting his food all over me. That activity is his favorite right now, and he must have wanted to share it with me.

Later, my dad marinated sirloin, and Garrett skewered vegetables that were so beautiful they could have been a flower arrangement. We didn't need any more flora, though, because bouquets from my birthday still fill the house with color and sweetness. My mother and grandmother were here and Max offered entertainment. We wish Mary, G's mom, could have been here, too. I could tell he missed her.

I ended the day by reading to Max. He was so excited about his book that he bounced. He bounced so hard, in fact, that he slammed his head right into my mouth. My tooth sliced my lip and I bled. Max turned to me and grinned.

And you know what? That made it all worth it.

So, let me get this straight: Motherhood is tears and giggles, blood and flowers, spit and cuddles, exhaustion and contentment. Yeah, I'm glad Max made me part of the club.

Don't call child services.

I understand I have a little boy.

However, how bad is it going to get?

Just this week he has fallen on a bookshelf (I think he was trying to climb it) and bruised the side of his face. It looks awful. I felt horrible as I held him and he howled. (He trills his tongue as he cries. When he first started the trilling, we thought it was his fake cry. Oh no. It's real.)

Today, he was crawling along and then... BAM! He face planted right on our tile floor. The crying started. The trilling joined in. He reached a crescendo and tears flowed. Garrett held him this time while I tried to kiss his face and make it better. That's when I noticed the blood.

That's right. His nose was bleeding! I don't know if my nose has ever bled, yet my 8 month old had a bloody nose.

Max isn't even walking yet. What on earth will I do when he can run?

Is my son a vampire?

When I returned last weekend, Max had two teeth. When I left on Friday he had the beginnings of one. Over the weekend both bottom teeth sprouted.

And they can do damage.

We were in his playroom last night, and he crawled over to me. I love it when he does this because he either plows right into me or he stands up and hugs me. This time it was to hug me. I nuzzled him and he moved to nuzzle back--his face in my neck.

Then, he bit me.

How can one cause so much pain with only two bottom teeth?

I'm not sure, but I think he may be a vampire.

Home from OWFI

This year, the Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc. conference was held in Norman, OK. Marcia Preston was president for 2008-2009. She and the other board members did an outstanding job. Not only was the hotel beautiful, but also the sessions were good. I enjoyed meeting new friends and seeing those that I haven't seen for a year. I was thrilled that Amy Shojai was honored as a Lifetime Member.

The Inklings, my writing group, has a great time at this conference. As I've mentioned before, we shake the jingle bells in our hallelujah basket when a friend wins and whip out a tiara each time one of our names is announced. Let's just say we wore the tiaras a lot. It's always fun to take home a certificate. It's even more fun taking home a check. And when your friends do, too, well, that's a party.

This year was the first time I had the opportunity to join the autograph party on Saturday afternoon. Sonia Gensler organized it so well. As always, Best of Books did a great job having the books available. Thanks to all of those who purchased Glamour. I hope you like it!

Swine Flu?

So, the World Health Organization upgraded the pandemic to a level 5. Plus, they think Americans aren't taking it seriously enough. Really?

I'm a little freaked out.Garrett thinks I'm reactionary. Of course, I think it's a good time to be so. I keep thinking of this book my book club read about the Bubonic plague. It was gross and terrifying. Plus, I love Stephen King's book The Stand. It, too, is terrifying because most of the planet is wiped out by a horrible illness.

Would it scare away customers in the office if we wore masks and gloves? Should we post a sign that asks people not to enter if they feel unwell?

I don't know. Maybe I'm a bit "reactionary."

Garrett and I have nearly been wiped out by Oklahoma allergies this year. Can you imagine what a little swine flu could do?

They say to stay home if you're not feeling well. How does one do that in Oklahoma? Tulsa is ranked the #1 worst place to live for allergies. If you're affected by allergens, how can you tell if you have the flu or just the seasonal gunk? So far there haven't been any cases of swine flu in Oklahoma. It's probably here. People probably think the pollen is extra high or something.

Go Bulldogs!

I had a wonderful time today with the fifth graders at Okmulgee Elementary. Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Mitchell! They were great kids.

Since Okmulgee was where I attended school, I was excited to return. It showed in my clothes. I was so full of "bulldog spirit" that I dressed in the school colors of red and black. I told the kids the tiny bits of truth that were in my novel so that they could look around town and recognize the inspiration for an idea. For example, the town square in Forrester is based on the town square in Okmulgee. In most classes, we had the opportunity to do a brief writing activity. It's so much more enjoyable for me to encourage kids to write than to talk about myself.

Mrs. Dove, the media specialist, invited me to return this summer and fall. I'm looking forward to giving writing workshops. One of the workshops will be on journaling and the other is yet to be determined. I'm certain a good time will be had, though!

Baby birds

On our patio tucked under an eave is a nest of robins. The mama and daddy birds bring worms to the four babies. Garrett thinks one of the little ones is a little deficient in brain capacity. Even when the parents aren't around and a worm is nowhere in sight, this little one has his head sticking out of the nest with his beak open. He could be the smart one, though. The parents bring him worms. Maybe they think he's the hungriest.

Is this the early bird getting the worm?

Cousins

One thing I love about being here is being so close to family. I've scheduled lunch dates with my friend/cousin's wife and have thoroughly enjoyed them. Even Max's cousin joins in by taking care of him. I don't know if she'd ever fed a baby a bottle before, but I was impessed with her prowess at three years of age. He took the whole bottle!

Below Max is being cuddled by Lisa.

Happy Easter!

Good morning!
Max is crawling all over the place and loving every minute of it.
Plus, he really seems to like hats. This fact thrills me because I think he looks adorable in them. His dad insisted on putting his hat on backwards. I guess Max preferred it that way, because when I turned it around, he did this:
Yep. As you can guess, the hat went back around immediately...after I snapped the picture, of course.

Later, we changed his clothes. His second outfit was courtesy of our sweet friend Sonia. Below, he found what the Easter Bunny left him.
The green duck seemed to be a big hit.

He immediately stuck it in his mouth.After Easter dinner, I set out a plastic tablecloth and the contents of the egg decorating kits.
While we decorated, we gave Max some plastic ones to play with. Here's what he had to say.

"An egg?"

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Oh! Bang them together. Good times."

Grandma has decorated eggs more recently than the rest of us since she's hung out with my cousin's twin girls. She knew the tricks. It's only been twenty-something years since I've done this, but I think those kits have changed a bit. For example, I don't remember the dyes coloring my fingers.

Here's Max and Garrett and me. Max is examining one of the many eggs that had his name on it.
Here he is with the Tahlequah grands.
And after a long day of fun, here he is napping on his Papa.

Paparazzi on St. Patrick's Day

A baby can't even drink a cold one on his first St. Patrick's Day anymore. Here's a lucky shot the paparazzi took of our little leprechaun.

Inkling Critique

Every January my writing group gathers for our big critique session. We have a contest deadline in February for Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. So, in January, we review our entries, drink a little wine, eat some food, and enjoy the company.

This year, they traveled to our new home and warmed it with friendship. The fact that boxes filled our dining room and all of our furniture wasn't here didn't seem to matter. After a year away from my Inklings it was great to get together.

Hopefully, we'll do well in the contest this year, too!

7 months and crawling!

I was told yesterday that Barbie's birthday post has been up long enough that everyone know she's 50.

Sorry.

I 've been distracted lately and have even considered stopping this blog completely since I'm not doing it regularly. I've REALLY neglected my blog on my brandibarnett.com site.

So, I'm giving a try at updating while I'm waiting for Max to either stay asleep or start crying again. Poor guy. He's teething. For a while we thought he was having separation anxiety. Or he was training us. Nope. He was in pain. I finally gave in and followed my mom's suggestion to give him Tylenol. I'm so grateful we did because we've actually had more sleep this week. Whew!

The real news, though, is that two days ago, while he was still six months old, he crawled. For weeks, he'd been crawling backwards. We didn't count that. He'd take a few steps forward and then get confused and go backwards again. We didn't count that, either. However, two days ago he took off.

And the kid can move.

I've gotten into the habit of putting him in the hallway in the doorway while I do laundry. I looked up and saw him crawling toward me. Then I saw him knocking over laundry baskets. Then he was moving all over the laundry room and I was trying to beat him to the lint that had fallen on the floor. Some part of me thought that he couldn't really be crawling. Later that night, when Garrett and I were in the playroom, Max took off and knocked down a tower of blocks Garrett built. Since someone else shared the experience with me, I knew it was real.

As my dad said the next morning, our lives will never be the same again.

Happy Birthday, Barbie!

Barbie is looking great at fifty, don't you think?

Long after my friends had "outgrown" her, I adored her. My friend Katie had an older sister. Together they had created quite a collection of Barbies, clothes, and accessories. When Katie decided she was too big to play with Barbies, I was overjoyed when she passed them along to me. It meant even MORE clothes and glamor!

Check out the history and fun facts about Barbie here.

Paparazzi in space

Whew! I'm relieved.

I'm a closet fan (well, not anymore) of Battlestar Galactica. Like many people, I was hugely perturbed in the first season to see they'd cast Starbuck as a female. (Fans of the original show know that Starbuck was definitely a male.) However, now that we're in the final season, the casting is beginning to make sense. I'm thinking the writers may have done it to be really obvious. After all, if she turns out to be a Cylon (read: MACHINE/arch enemy of humans), it would make a lot of people thwack their heads and say, "Duh, I should have seen that coming."

However, the most important thing to know today is that Max is not a fracking Cyclon. ("Frack" is a popular word on BG.) He is a human. How do I know this? My trusty iPhone has an application designed just for the purpose of identifying human and machine. One simply takes a photo and the app tells you whether the person is a human or not.

Now, that's a handy use of technology that everyone really needs, don't you think?

Happy Square Root Day!

This reason to celebrate only happens a few times in a century. 3-3-09 is today. 3 is the square root of 9. The last time it happened was 2-2-04. The next time will be 4-4-16.

Ah, the joy that is nerdom.

updated

It's been hectic trying to get settled in our new home and at the office. I've spent a while this morning updating the blog. I placed events in February where they belong, so don't be surprised if you see something new where you didn't before!

Paparazzi strikes again

It's been a while, but the photogs have snapped Max doing one of his new hobbies. My brother Brett has a knack for intercepting these pictures before they make it to the magazines you see at the grocery store.

Max's first daffodil

Uncle James and Aunt Martha gave Max his first flower. It's a good thing the daffodils growing outside the office were hardy; otherwise, it wouldn't have lasted for the pictures. Max really studied his new toy in all the ways a baby does...he mauled it, chewed it and beat it...and the flower still looked happy.
My mom encouraged Max to smell it. The flower fit nicely around his nose. Being a first time mother, I expressed concern about pollen and allergies.

This was the wrong thing to say in front of my aunt and uncle who promptly started teasing me.

They started offering Max the suckers we have in the office for customers. I said my little bit about how I don't want him having sugar until his first birthday. I was serious, of course. Everyone else just laughed.

Uncle James asked if I've fed him mashed potatoes or gravy.

No. He's only received jarred baby food--organic mostly.

He said, "Flour gravy has saved more lives than the Red Cross."

Well, who can argue with that?