M.J. Fredrick's Blog, page 90

Goals for Teacher Appreciation Week

I'm promoting Beneath the Surface at Coffee Time this week. Go read an excerpt and comment for a chance to win a gift certificate!

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24 days of school. Last year, Teacher Appreciation week was lots of fun, with activities every day. One of the activities was that an aide would stay with the class while the teachers watched a teacher-inspired movie. (We watched Freedom Writers.) We got popcorn and water while we did, and 2 blissful kid-free hours. Not...

Settings

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I always have story ideas,

1) Kentucky Derby—something about the glamour appeals to me, and I've always loved horses. I know it's been done a lot, and done well, but I'd like to play with the idea. Maybe a wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance

2) Alaska—I'm reading Trish's Winter Longing, and I loved Nora's Northern Lights. I loved Men in Trees and Northern Exposure. I love the idea of the extreme weather and wildlife. Have no plot idea at...

Kitties, Testing and Writing

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On Tuesday, the first morning of testing, the custodian found a box of 6 kittens (too young to leave their mother) that someone had dumped at our school. Can you believe? This is the third batch of kittens since I've been there, one batch being Mama Kitty's brood. Thank goodness they had a PTA program that night because we could only find 2 teachers to take them. See, we get dogs dumped a lot, too, and many of them have taken home dogs/puppies, as well as...

Book Releases, The Losers, TAKS testing

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Yesterday went by REALLY quickly. We did math almost the whole day in preparation for today's TAKS test. Please please please let some of it have stuck! I came home and tried to nap, since I didn't sleep hardly at all the night before, but I couldn't. The dh and I decided to go see The Losers at one of those theaters that serves dinner, so we drove a bit down the road and had hamburgers and hotdogs and a beer while watching the movie, which I loved, but...

Yawn

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I've been awake since 2. I read a chapter of a Susan Mallery book at 3, then tried to go back to sleep. No dice. Got up to write around 4:30. Did 5 pages. I don't think I'll be up to seeing The Losers tonight, mainly because I want to go to the Alamo Drafthouse and have a beer while watching, and a beer will knock me out.
I had to share this great how-to on making your own book trailer. Marianne made mine and I'd love her to do another, but finding time to...

Goals for the Week of TAKS

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Fiesta'd yesterday—King William parade and fair, stopped for a drink at a local patio bar, hiked back to the car. I got a bit of a sunburn and came home so tired! Watched Avatar again when I got home and just vegged.

This will be the week for vegging, with the kids testing. Can't do anything but monitor. Maybe then I can figure out the right ending for this short story—and for Queen. One of these days I'm going to come up with the ending first.

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I Have a Confession

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I stopped reading the latest Jennifer Crusie book. I'm about halfway through but just don't care.She says it's not a romance and she's right. But I'm also not crazy about the workaholic heroineor the setting or the hero (though he doesn't appear the be the heroine's hero). It hurts that I spent $10 for it, though.
Not like Dead to the World, which I'm listening to in the car and cannot WAIT to hear what happens next. What is it about those Sookie Stackhouse books that are...

School

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Today was the last day of tutoring! We were given the option to cancel but I figured, with the test next week....so we stayed and I actually got home before 5. I guess everyone was off for Fiesta. We're off tomorrow for the parade. I'm waiting to Fiesta on Saturday--it's kinda pricey.
I had to share two things my kids said this week that cracked me up. I was talking to Brandon and he was telling me that when he was little, a bee stung him on his nose. He...

Birthday

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I woke up to a bouquet of Gerber daisies from my dh and half a dozen Facebook birthday wishes :) I went to the grocery store on the way to get cupcakes and Capri Sun for my class and plants for the secretaries. I got to school and was bombarded with wishes. Cindi brought me prezzies from her and her kids, including hand drawn cards. The fourth grade teachers had all the kids (and the VP who happened to be passing by) sing to me, and one of the teachers made...

Post-Party Bonus

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We had a get-together for my birthday on Sunday. The dh and I made 5 pizzas, expecting my brother, his wife and her bff. So we have almost 2 leftover pizzas, leftover cake (best cake ever, chocolate cake with TWO kinds of frosting--fudge AND meringue) and sugar cookies (with lots of icing.) Also, the house is still clean. Double benefit.
Yesterday was very nice without Problem Child. We played a game and did art. Today...we'll see.