Emma Weylin

Getting Back Into It

Well, I guess, since I have new readers, I should probably get back to posting weekly.

It’s been forever except for this morning’s micro post. Don’t worry ya’ll. It’s not an internet stalker. Said person is not intelligent enough to pull that off effectively. It’s just someone who picked out the word Diva from a previous post (The one from August – how sad is that?) and used it because this person thought they could bait me with a woman’s menstrual cup. Yeah, I’m still trying to figure that one out too, so go ahead and keep questioning it yourselves if you wish, or not, because really, it’s not worth your time or brain capacity. (Note* I am leaving a link for Cyberstalking information at the end of this post with further explanation.)

So onto the update.

December:
My car finally died. We ended up getting an SUV because it works better for the Hubby’s business. It about drove me insane while the he was looking for the exact right one because he worked himself up into a manic phase, but, the job is done and we can locomotion again! YAY! We don’t have to walk everywhere and the husband went back to being is lovely self!

Pink turned 8! I can’t believe she’s that old already!! It seems like only yesterday that I brought her home from the hospital. Her reading is getting better, but it’s still frustrating for the both of us. Though her math is progressing very well, even the double digits.

Christmas was good. Of course we did Christmas Eve at my mom’s as is Christmas tradition. The girls had a blast with the cousin and they got a Wii System from Nanna, which was way cool. We spent Christmas day with his family. It was an okay day

January:
New year rolled in, and of course I had to deal with idiot cyber school crap. They have this IPACT agreement that says all assignments MUST be turned in on time or you get a point. With a enough points, you get kicked out of school. Well, my kids don’t have points, but that doesn’t stop the school from trying to assign them every chance they get (Like for a faulty programs with no customer support for it.) I won that battle.
The husband spent the first three weeks not being at home because of all the snow we had. Good for the pocket book, maddening for me. Thank God for the internet. I think I would have gone insane without adult conversation for three weeks. Yeah, we still only have the one car, but hey, my kids well being isn’t worth me having to go to work just to afford a second car that wont’ be driven all that much. (I don’t like to drive) but I will as needed or when I need to escape for a hour or so when the husband doesn’t have mounds of snow to shovel.

New Year’s resolutions going slowly, but working on them.

February:
The month of snow. Yes, we got a boat load of it. The first couple days I don’t think we were all that snowy, but I do believe it was the 6th that dumped over two feet on us. Poor Zeke, the snow was taller than him and he was having trouble finding a place to go outside. Our power went out, and me and the girls ended up at my parent’s for the night. They had power, which was great, but even if they didn’t they have this massively wonderful fireplace that keeps the entire new addition warm and toasty when it’s cold outside, so I knew that even if their power went out, the girls and I would at least be warm. The poor Hubby, he worked for days to dig everyone on his client list out, but he did have a really good pocket book week.

Heart day wasn’t anything spectacular (The poor husband, he tried to get out to get me something, but with all the snow we had, he hadn’t been able to get to a store in time) I give him big Kudos for effort and we had a great day anyway. It’s about the love, man, not the stuff, hehe.

More snow, and then finally it started to warm up, and the husband came home – for weeks.

March:
The husband has been home for about two and a half-weeks. Not that I am complaining, too much. Winter and summer we hardly see him because he has so much work, but we get about a month in the spring and a month in the fall where we get to see him all day, every day. Needless to say, we are very happy to have him home, and we are happy when he has work again. Love the man dearly, but there is a reason why one adult who lives in the house should be working outside the house. We make each other nuts after about the two week mark. So, yeah, I am slightly nuts at the moment. Though he did take the girls out this evening so I can have some quiet time. You have to love a man who understands the vital importance for a writer to have quite time.

Writing life:
Started a novel, it turned into a monster 100, 000 words later, so I set it aside to work on what I was hoping would be a smaller project. I am 60,000 works into it and it is actually almost done. Makes me very happy. I will have something to edit in May. BUT, we all know how I write. I can’t seem to tell a full story in less than 150,000 words, so it will be a two book series, but I am almost positive I can work it so I don’t have to write both novels to start editing the first. I should have novel two done by May anyway. Late spring and summer are always writing down time anyway for me, but editing shouldn’t be too much of a problem during that time of the year.

Yarn Projects:
Yeah, I have them, no not organized yet. Working on it.

House:
Still messy, but getting better. (But don’t all writers have messy houses?) Kids are helping a bit more and with the husband home, it’s getting done much faster. He’s good at cleaning up clutter, but the poor man wouldn’t know how to scrub a baseboard to save his life. I guess that’s why he has me.

Cyberstalking:
This is a serious issue. There are behaviors that go along with it and there is one person in my life who has been exhibiting this in a scary and freaky way. This person probably has no idea what they are doing, so if you are reading this (And you know who you are) I suggest this be the last post you ever read. You have purposefully looked up my web blog with the express intent for harassment. I do not know why you find the Diva Cup so offensive, nor do I really care. I just know that it proves, through your own admission in the PM you sent me, that you have been searching for me outside of the web site we both frequent. Since we do not socialize on that site, I am only left with the conclusion that your intent is to harass which is against the law and is prosecutable if it continues.

For more information on Cyberstalking you can go here.

Seroiusly, ****** (Checked to make sure I spelled it correctly so as not to offend), the fact that you looked up my blog and read it freaks me out. I don’t know you. I don’t talk to you, so why, please tell me why, would you read my blog? Why am I that important to you?

Seriously, freaky, get that checked out. It might not be good for you, or me.

Whoosh , and the year is almost over. It seems like 2009 just started and now we’re almost to Christmas. Where does the time go? I still need to get my Christmas shopping done.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my mother’s house. She is slowly learning that some family traditions don’t need to be upheld if no one really enjoys doing them anymore, and that creating, new, well-loved traditions are the way to go. We are slowly getting there, but it’s a slow and painful process, though she seems to be happier the more time that passes. I can’t wait to see what new and wonderful things the family will be doing on holidays in years to come.

Anyway, I think I am going to get a jump on the New Year’s resolutions and all that fun jazz.

1. I will have a clean house. I am the worst housekeeper in the world, but now that I know why my family and I have such issues with it, I know I will be able to fix the problem. Who knew people with Dyslexia had a difficult time containing clutter? Anyway, that is on the top of my list, obviously, because it’s number one.

2. I will get a list of knit and crochet projects I want to do this year and plan them out so I can get them done when I want to, like for holidays and birthdays. It will happen, I swear it. (So maybe this one should be considered better time management?)

3. I will get Phoebe reading at grade level by the time she starts 3rd grade.

4. I will get less irritated with Willow when she just wants to babble at me because she loves to talk.

5. I will fully write, edit and submit a novel by the end of 2010. No if, ands, or buts about it.

I think that’s a pretty good list for this coming year.

Of course this all comes when I am on the injured list. Really, it was the dumbest thing in the world. I went to my writer’s group (Hi Time, Hi Bill) on the 20th and I fell in the parking lot, now, before anyone tells me I should sue them, I tripped over my own two feet like a big old clumsy idiot. I landed on hard on my knees and sprained my ankle badly. I’ve been in a splint (they call it an air cast) for the last week, and I expect to be in it for the next five because I can’t seem to make myself behave and not walk on it. I do have crutches, but they get in the way and make my armpits hurt. That’s probably too much information for some, but it’s the truth. But I will get this started and I will make it all work this coming year. It’s time for me to finish growing up and become an adult. I will take the rest of the year to make my cleaning game plan, and then get it started.

I have a one shot novel in mind for the one I need to submit this year, so, hopefully, I will be able to get that all done. No, scratch that, not hopefully, I will get it done. It needs to be done, and I need to do it so that I am bring some money into this house.
I discovered how Phoebe learns, and she’s been reading little books to me for the last few weeks, so that’s well underway.

I think I need to set aside Willow babble time every day so that she had undecided mommy time to just say whatever strange and bizarre things she needs to say. I think it will be good for both of us and I think for both of them, I will start either a computer or a written diary everyday that we write together so that I know we are keeping up good communications.

As for my craft projects, well, I think that’s part of my creative outlet along with writing, so I really need to get the time management thing underway so that I am getting everything done that I want/need to get done, like house cleaning.

I know I can do this, and I will do it. I just have to do it as obsessively as I can write a first draft novel.
Sorry, no pictures today, and I think that’s all I have to say, anyway, I hope everyone had a happy turkey day, and I’ll try to update more with this thing next year.

Where the Wild Things Are

A story published in 1963 as a children’s picture book by American writer Maurice Sendak. On October 16, 2009, the motion picture was released featuring Max, his wolf suit and the Wild Things. At first glance, this is a story of a child who goes on an adventure to Where the Wild Things Are after a rather disturbing fight with his mother, where Max bites her on the shoulder. Hence, the reviews that this movie teaches youngsters that children are rewarded for rebellion.

It brings to mind a conversation I once had with a fellow writer. We were sitting in a local Panara Bread, discussing story archs and he flat out told me that not all characters have to have one. To which I agrees, expect in the instance of the main character. No matter how great or small the main identifying character must have an arch for the readers to attach themselves. He disagreed, but I think this move proves my point expertly as does the children’s book.

If one takes the time to look deeper into the story itself and the film, one discovered a truly amazing journey. Max is an upset child from a broken home. His sister is dealing with in her way and so is his mother. Max is angry and full of broiling emotions and fears. It all erupts when Max makes a huge scene one night before dinner. During the ensuing altercation, Max bites his mother and takes off out of the house. A departure from the book, Max doesn’t get sent to bed before dinner, but I’ll let that go. He runs for a while where he comes to small boat. He sails the boat to the island Where the Wild Things Are. Through each of the monsters, Max must face his feelings and his own actions to those feelings. In an inexplicably small change in Max, he decides to go home to the safety and comfort of his mother, where he gets dinner-still hot-and with a piece of chocolate cake!

What makes this story so incredible isn’t the wondrous Wild Things or the physical adventure, but Max’s emotional journey from angry little boy, to someone who is beginning to see the world doesn’t revolve around him. Max grows up a smidge during the move. At the end of the movie, I know he will still have issues with his mother and his sister-and probably still have a few tantrums- but I am left with the hope that Max is beginning to see the world in a different light. Not that his anger and other emotions are wrong, just that there are better, and dare I say, wiser ways of dealing with the chaos in his life.

It was a wonderful movie and I am glad I had the chance to see a movie adaption the original author had a hand in making. I think it lead to a more authentic rendering of the story in a different medium. I enjoyed myself at the movies for the first time in years! Of course, the move was littered with special effects, but for once, they didn’t become the story.

I saw it with my family. Both of my parents, my husband and myself loved it. My 7-year-old was bored, my five-year-old loved the Wild Things, and I think, my 3-year-old nephew had the most unique perspective on the movie. When asked if he enjoyed the movie, he just gave a knowing little smirk, giggled and ran off to play. My sister, on the other hand, only saw the movie as teaching little boys to misbehave. Methinks she needs to take a deeper look into the workings of a little boy’s mind to prevent her own little ones from becoming Wild Things.

Okay, if you’re a guy and anything about the female menstrual cycle eeks you out, don’t read the post. This is all about my new “Green” Period.

So, at the beginning of the month, I decided I wanted to get a Diva Cup. It’s this silicon cup shaped like a bell that is inserted to catch menstrual flow. Of course, I talked to the husband about it. The look on his face was priceless as I told him everything. You gotta love him, thought, because that night he was looking it up on the internet. I think mostly he was doing research because he takes a personal interest in anything inserted up there, but I’ll let that go because he was doing it for me. He decided it was something worth a try. I have a heavy, seven day, flow and the cost of pads and tampons can get high. We also have two girls and he’s thinking ahead, since, with proper care, a menstrual cup can last for something crazy like ten years (though the Diva Cup site recommends replacing it yearly to cover their asses and for a larger profit.)

The husband and I talked about it for a week and last Sunday, on the way up to my parent’s house for dinner, he pulled into the Whole Foods Store, and handed me fifty dollars and said, “Go get your cup.”
I was so excited, it was funny.

I get in the store and I can’t find them. I’ve seen them there before, but for the life of me, I couldn’t find it. So I asked the girl restocking shelves where it was. Her face totally lit up and she goes, “OH! The Diva Cup! I LOVE my Diva Cup!” And she practically pulls me through the aisles to get to where they are. A woman was standing in front of them for like ten minutes looking at who knows what, anyway, I get my size 2 Diva Cup because I am over 30 and have given birth. I stare down at the Diva Wash and decide I should get that too.

The Cup was only 32.99 and the wash was another 9.99. I know my husband. He’d get pissy if I told him about the wash and hadn’t actually bought it. I grabbed a bottle and handed to the check out. Once again, the woman working the cash register gets the look of total awe and amazement on her face. “Ooo, the Diva Cup. I keep meaning to get one of those.”
And so, I left the store with my new bag of treasures, with a new, slightly disturbing awareness that I was looking forward to getting that horribly retched thing called my period. I go through the rest of my day and when we get home from my mother’s that night, I had to pack everything needed for the next day’s big amusement park outing to Idlewild park and Soak Zone. While getting everything ready (And after everyone had gone to bed) I noticed I was spotting. Yes, my big chance to use my new cup!

I get it out and make sure it’s thoroughly sanitized and washed before rereading the instructions for the eighteenth time. It goes in without a hitch and everything seems to be working as it should. I finish my packing, and then get a chapter I was working on finished up before going to bed. I didn’t even notice I had anything in there. It was fantastic.

The next morning I get up and clean everything out and put it back in because the last thing I wanted was for the huge gush of my flow to happen while at a water park. I was so happy all day. It was in, and I didn’t even notice it through roller coasters and water rides and things that spun around and all the other fun things at an amusement park. I didn’t have to empty it until I got home that night. How great is that? No worries for an entire day at an amusement park? I was seriously in love. But when I got home, some of the awesomeness wore off when I realized, it was no big deal; I was spotting most of the day because there was hardly anything in it. I washed it out, and put it back in. When I spot like that, I know Aunt Flow is almost here, and I was starting to get rather bitchy. She was coming, it was just a matter of when, and I so did not what to have to use pads or tampons. Pads cause a rash and tampons make my cramps worse. I know, that’s probably too much information, but I really hate suffering one week every month just because I happen to be female.

Anyway, flow decided to show up for real on Thursday. I am a convert. I will NEVER go back to disposable pads and tampons. My period isn’t even close to being over yet, and I have to say, my cramping is much less (though I do still need my new best friend, the Midol bottle, close to my side for other issues I have during this time), and I just feel better in general. I slept with it in last night, and I didn’t have any leaks.
I’ve heard insertion and getting a proper seal can be a huge learning curve, but I haven’t had any issues with it so far, but then my female parts and all the naturally occurring processes of the body have never really grossed me out. I just wish I’d have found this sooner. I love the menstrual cup. I have no idea if I will switch brands or anything like that. Right now, my plan is to get another cup so I have a back up one and one to make having to change things in a public restroom easier, and since the Diva Cup is working for me, I don’t think I am going fix what isn’t broken.

My new kick is cloth pads. Homemade, probably. There are just times when something inserted won’t work, and since my girls are still little, I’m not sure how something like a Diva Cup will work for them when they start their menstrual cycle. My plan (and this is an ambitious plan, but I have a few years to get it all done and have enough money for it all) is to make myself and for each girl, a period survival pack. It will include two cups, pouches for the cups, the wash with a travel size, 30 homemade cloth pads, something called a Wet Bag to carry everything needed for a day away from home, a large storage bag to hold everything when not in use, and a soaking bucket for the pads. I have all the patterns I need, and have my supplies lined up for the fabrics I want to make the pads. I just have to have the money and the time to do it. I figured I’ll start with mine that way I can design the most awesome Wet Bag and Storage Bag ever, and have everything in order for when my girls get their periods.

It’s strange, but since I got onto the “Green” period kick, that dreaded time of the month doesn’t seem so dreaded anymore. I can’t wait for my girls to learn how to take care of themselves in an all natural, eco friendly and sensitive bits friendly way. Suddenly, being a girl isn’t such a burden. Yes, I know, I am going to end up making about 90 pads to cover all three of us, but my girls are 7 and 5, I have plenty of time to make them, and with proper care, everything should last until the girls are old enough to make their own.

Anyway, that’s my experience right now with the Diva Cup and making that time of the month a “green” time of the month.