Apple Music can tell you my top song was “I’m Sill Standing” but it can’t show you my 3-now-4 yr old sitting at the piano saying he needs to be Johnny several times a week.

4 is talking non-stop, filling his solo conversation gaps with random noises while laying in bed. Me, after about 20mins of this: It really is time to go to sleep. 4: I probably could go to sleep IF YOU WOULD SOP TALKING! Sigh.

My turkey thawed out early so I cooked it yesterday which turned out to be an accidental stroke of genius. Thanksgiving without the will-we-won’t-we eat on time (or at all) energy is actually relaxing!

4 was such a chatterbox at bedtime. “Did you know clams live in the ocean? Do you think sharks cry? I wonder how air feels in your ears. Are there little Barbie bones in that digging kit? I really want it even if you think it’s scary.” For the record, it was a fossil dig kit with fake dino bones 😆

4 wakes at his regular time, but with Fall Back it’s an hour earlier. Me: Remember we walked about this? Your body needs to adjust, so do your best to rest. 4: I don’t want to rest! I want to go back to the old time! Same, buddy. Same.

I honestly didn’t think trick-or-treating could get any cuter than last year when my kid said “I love you” instead of thank you at every house. This year? 4 complimented everyone. “I like your pumpkins!” “I like your spooky skeletons!” “Your decorations are amazing!” My heart kept melting ❤️

Oregon Halloween tradition: getting your kids new rain boots to go with their costumes.

4 in the middle of the night: Mommy! Help me! My blankie is unbuckled and I’m cold!

I’ve been getting up at 5:30 to write for a long time. I’ve also been working out nearly every day in the afternoon for several months. But getting up at 5:30 to work out? My body is certain it needs to prepare for the apocalypse. Quick! Get in a million calories then take a huge nap!

One of the small promises I made myself was to start working out in the morning once I finished editing and had my query list under control. Well, friends, here we are. No more rushing around to cram this in or prioritize my body last. Just me sweating in the garage at 5:45 am.

Why is querying such a sweaty business? I just jumped back in and, man, my palms are gross and my heart is beating fast. I keep telling myself I’m just typing my name into an online form, but my body is pretty sure I’m about to step on stage to perform an intricate Italian aria.

Sometimes I feel bad that my kids know next to nothing about pop music. But then they request Danse Macabre on the way to school because they want to hear the skeletons dance and I think, maybe, I’m doing something right.

Ever since my cat died, my dog has been extra concerned about my well-being. Like now. I’m just laying next to my 4yo, trying to get him to sleep. Suddenly, I hear the tap-tap-tappity of doggie paws as he walks up the door, pauses, then tap-tap-taps back to his pillow. The sweetest boy.

4: I know naughty words. Me: You do? Like what? 4 (whispering): Like “I don’t love you” and “that’s dumb”

We’re driving through my old college campus: Me: …And in those buildings they do science and math… 4: Do they build evil robots there? Me: If they’re building evil robots anywhere on campus, that’d be the place. 4: I want to go there.

This is my favorite headline right now. I love Portland!

Something I’m realizing about my writer self is this: when a chapter that isn’t working, it’s almost always because my character lacks agency. Things are happening to her; she’s not making things happen. The best part about these revisions? They’re FUN. Get after it, darlings.

4 and 9 have been discussing what 4’s voice will sound like when it eventually changes. Right now, their money is on him spontaneously developing a British accent.

I’m not saying uninterrupted writing time is nessary, but I am saying I just made major edits on 10k words in two hours because those ideas have been sitting in my brain for weeks, just waiting for school to start.

4: Mommy? It feels like there’s a porcupine in my tummy. Me: Like it hurts? 4: Yeah. Oh no.

I feel like not enough people in this country know basic scientific facts like you can’t fight infectious diseases with guns.

Me: making small talk at a kid’s party with a mom who also coached softball. Other mom: You really need to have a man on your staff if you want to be taken seriously as a coach. Excuse me? I don’t need a man for anything, let alone to legitimize the choices I make or the leaderahip roles I assume.

At 5’10” I rarely feel short around other women. Then 9 started volleyball camp. I honestly didn’t know there were so many tall moms in one small-ish geographic area, let alone a whole bunch of them with several inches on me.

Spent the last several days camping. No internet. No phone service. Just me and my family, some bikes, a campfire, sand and dirt and crows. I’ve been waiting for this for years, waiting for my kids to be ready. Now I can’t wait to get back out there again.

I’ve spent a lot of time these past few years learning about dyslexia. And let me tell you—nothing made me step off my grammar/spelling soapbox faster. We’re all out here doing the best we can with what we’ve got. I see you, not your writing mistakes ❤️

Mom milestone: My youngest is now old enough that I can read physical books again without worrying he will A) tear it to shreds, B) smash snacks between the pages, C) color in it. We’re still working on not removing bookmarks, but hey, this is major progress!

You know that whole she “released a breath she didn’t know she was holding” thing? My body’s version of this is releasing the tension I didn’t realize I was carrying in my shoulders.

I’m a firm believer that good advice never expires. Take, for example, sleeping when your baby sleeps. Mine is now 3yrs old. He sleeps a solid 11 hours. And sometimes I still go to bed when he does.

Conventional wisdom says I should keep working on the draft I finished in March, but it’s darker than what I normally write and I’m having a hard time sitting with it. I think I need to pivot to something more quirky and fun, something with a touch of magic. That’s more my brand anyway.

You know it’s past time to see your chiropractor when you’re staring at your kids’ mess on the floor and wondering if picking up the toys is worth the risk of throwing your back out.

Things I did not have on my summer bingo card: Having to leave a park because a group of kids were calling my 9yo and 3yo names. But, hey, it’s a good opportunity to talk about how walking away is a win because people who treat you like garbage don’t get to jeopardize your time or your energy.

Totally forgot that the first few days of summer aren’t full of fun, independent play and that sudden freedom often means massive meltdowns from both 9 and 3. This week, we hit the ground running with PLANS because transitions are hard and my kids flourish with routines and expectations.

As part of being shortlisted by one of the #revpit editors, I was offered a query and first pages critique in exchange for an honest review. I am still humbled and overjoyed by my selection and am excited I finally get to submit this package today! Query trenches, watch out. I’m jumping in soon!

I had my first real sick day in…years? I felt so bad missing out on a jam-packed day with my family, but also I napped and played video games and did absolutely nothing which is exactly what I needed.

My parents were married in a Catholic church in the fall of 1977. At the end of the ceremony the priest added, “May the Force be with you.” I’m not Catholic and don’t know much about this whole pope thing, but I’m really rooting for a world leader whose vibe is more Jedi than Empire.

Sometimes I want to be the mom in the cute summer dress at the park. But I am a human sport utility vehicle, rolling up in my all-terrain footwear, cargo shorts full of snacks, hands full of water bottles and whatever rocks my kids found along the way.

Right before I fell asleep I had a sudden brain wave, a narrative choice I could make from the beginning of my WIP that would simplify everything. The drafting process is pure magic.

My car was in the shop for six weeks. After one week of driving my “fixed” vehicle, the same thing happened again and now it’s back in the shop for who knows how long. BUT, I won this cake in an actual cake walk today, so the universe is definitely recalibrating :)

I will never understand the shopping when bored thing. I always crave adventure. And, yes, sometimes that lands me at a thrift store or a nursery, but I live in the Oregon and we do have to factor in the rain.

I love my chiropractor for a million reasons, but especially because he is an ancient man who sometimes scrunches up his face and looks at me as if I am the biggest conundrum he’s ever encountered before saying, “looks like we’ve got a mystery on our hands,” and then fixes me right up.

I’m over the moon to know this was my query! Chef’s kiss?? 😭😭 We all know how hard it is to write a query that works, let alone one that gets such high praise. Thank you for all of your feedback @nicolefrailedits.bsky.social and to the entire #Revpit community for the encouragement!

Devastated by the news today. AmeriCorps neither lacks efficiency, efficacy, nor accountability. Every single hour or my two years of service was logged and vetted. Getting to serve my country through volunteering had a profound impact on my life and inspired me to become a teacher.

Just found out my submission was also shortlisted by @demimschwartz.bsky.social! I am absolutely floored by the recognition and so grateful for her kind words and gentle suggestions. Thank you #revpit! What a ride!

I was right! This one IS mine! 😁😭 Thank you for your kind words @carolinemtell.bsky.social and to the #revpit organizers for putting on such an uplifting event. This fuzzy feeling of being recognized for my work is going to carry me through querying and then some!

It’s hours after dinner. I just ran a hand though my hair and discovered a glob of teriyaki sauce.

My post spring break world can be summed up thusly: Toddler quit napping, no writing time. Hello 5am, my old friend.

Eeeeeee! I think I just spied my submission in an editor’s #10queries So much #RevPit fun!

We knew 8 had outgrown her bike. We didn’t realize we’d be buying her an adult size 😳

I found two spelling mistakes in my posts today. Words I read through more than once, words that passed my English teacher eye. I used to be horrified by this, but someone I love has dyslexia I’m learning to see these mistakes for what they are—imperfect words that still communicate meaning ❤️

This is such an Oregon thing and I love it so much 💚