The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!

This is an especially fun week around the Devers house, because both Halloween & Wurstfest (two of my favorites) take place. Personally, I am pretty big on traditions. I’m not sure why I care about it since we didn’t have very many when I was a kid, but the few we had really did it for me. Little things – like the fact that my Mom would always make a big spread of random unrelated snack food items on Superbowl Sunday. I didn’t even like football, but I loved the Superbowl. It was something I could always count on. I also enjoyed celebrating Christmas with my Dad on Christmas Eve and even though we didn’t do anything too extraordinary, I came to count on it and it made it all that more fun (for me – the person who NEEDS a plan).

We have many traditions in our household. For instance on the week of Halloween, the kids and I always take time after school one day to make a “scary” treat to enjoy the rest of the week. This week we make skull cupcakes. I had big fun with my little monsters. On the Wednesday (which is “Family Night” – another Devers tradition of making sure we do something together each week) before Halloween we always carve pumpkins. I really enjoy going back through my pictures of when the big kids were little and Emily thought it was sooo gross to scoop the pumpkin guts.

Attending opening night of Wurstfest is a grown up tradition for us. We decided it would be our one thing (well - there is also Vegas) that we will never take the kids to. And even though there is always fun stuff for kids to do, we thought that drunkfest could be just for us. We rarely drink (Especially MWD), but on this is one night that we cut loose and drink a ton of beer and eat a bunch of crap. No kids allowed. Overnight babysitter is a must. Michael calls it our “No Apologies” night. Which means if we see you and we make asses of ourselves – oh well. We always have a blast and we usually remember it (thanks to my camera). This year MWD’s brother, TJ and his wife, Elzora, are coming. I hope we don’t scare them off for good. But if we do – there are no apologies.

We have more traditions than I could even name. And I like it that way. My kids may even carry some of those on to their families, but even if they don’t I think it will create fun and secure environment for them. But, mostly it’s all for me. Remember – the world revolves around me.

Cupcakes!

This year turned out well!

Emily & Daddy 2003

Wurstfest 2003

It's a new life for me . . . and I'm feelin' good

I don't think I'll even try to cover all the changes that have happened since I last blogged. Amazing. My life and the life of my family is so different now. The really short version is that we sold the business and moved to a new house (same town). I am no longer employed. Taking care of the new house and my family is for sure something that could occupy every minute of my day, but I have another venture in mind . . .

On the morning of Friday July 24th, I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea. It was kind of an idea for a young reader book. Something my pre-teen kids would read, but they would call it a “chapter book.” Basically it was based on a dream I had. I got up and put the first chapter in a document and lay awake in bed continuing to write in my head. By the time morning came I was sure it was just silly. I had MWD read the chapter as soon as he was up and he went crazy for it. He was way more excited than I was and he insisted I had to finish the story.

Later that day we went to look at houses with our realtor. We had looked at quite a few houses and nothing really hit us. I pulled one out of the pile that had never been convenient timing for us to look at (per the owners) and asked her to try again.

The outside of the house was nothing exciting, but I had a feeling that we needed to go inside. Even though the décor was not anything like my taste (very French cottage), almost immediately I was attached to this house. As I looked through the kitchen and opened the pantry, my jaw dropped. I had written about this exact pantry and it was a crucial part of my story. I told MWD – “this is James’ pantry”. Not sure he believed me. But I was so pumped. When we got to the last room the owner was in there working. The room had torn out carpet with paint all over the subfloor and the lady was hunched over a giant art desk. When I realized what she was doing, it was kismet. She was a children’s book illustrator. No Way.

We live in this house now. And I am writing my book. My husband is the real writer of our house, but he is incredibly supportive of this project that he keeps trying to spend my first advance check before I even get through the first 10 chapters. He proofs and discusses and remains interested in the story. I’m a lucky gal.

I am going to try to write something here every day that I can manage. It will be my warm up time. My practice so to speak. Staying home is busier than I thought. I have a big house to keep clean and a family to care for. But I hope to write at least 5 days a week.

Here I go new life. Wish me luck.