Speaking Too Soon...

...or rather, writing too soon.  Or too little, in this specific case.

While I managed to average 1200+ words per day for the entire month of November, and over 2k per day for almost a week, it wasn't enough to reach 50k by the end of the month.  Well, technically I have a few more hours... but it still ain't gonna happen.

But!  I have over 36,000 words on a new novel.  Given that my last few novels have wound up somewhere between 65-80k words, that's about halfway done.  I think this one is going to run a bit shorter, probably around the 60k mark.

I went into NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) thinking there was no way I could pull it off.  A week in, my opinion changed.  I found time to scribble down passages at C's playgroup, over a cup of tea at a cafe while she played with crayons and paper, during her naptime, after the kids went to bed.  500 words per day seems easy peasy now.  1k is a bit more of a stretch, but I proved I can do it.  So I may not have "won" NaNoWriMo, but I've come away with renewed confidence.  Now if only these editors would get back to me about my submissions....!

This month started off slow, then rapidly became very busy.  There was chickenpox times two in the kids (jury's still out on whether B gets it), a vomiting bug that hit the day after I wrote the last blog post (needless to say, we didn't get ready for school the next day, we sat around the house recuperating - or rather E did, he was the one who got hit).  Then two days ago I came down with a muted version of the cold the children have.  So it's been an interesting few days.

Still, through it all, we dance.

November, Mostly in Pictures

I've been lax about posting pictures... mostly because we've been so busy.  E went through a round of chicken pox and was off school for nearly a week.  That was two weeks ago, and now C has it.  She developed her first spots yesterday and so far it seems like a worse case than E's.

So... what did we do in November?

Well, there was Bonfire Night, where we braved the crowds at an official firework event and stood in squelchy mud while more and more people jostled in (at 20 quid a family they were making money hand over fist).  Still, the kids loved it....

There was a big bonfire (pictured) and fireworks set to music, which they also enjoyed.

Larking about in the nearby green after school.

This weekend we went up to Suffolk to visit friends in the countryside.  Bracing late November walks on the beach....

...led to tea, hot chocolate and checkers (the Brits call it draughts, but I'm sticking to my Yankee ways) in the beachside cafe.

In case you're wondering, E lost the game.  But our friend was very patient teaching him the basics of the game.  We had to use chess pieces in place of actual checkers, but that worked fine.

When we got back to the house, C sat on the tractor as the older kids chopped wood in preparation for hauling it to the woodshed.

Of course, then it was back inside to sit by a roaring fire (cats included), movie and popcorn, building a gigantic wooden train track with bridges, loops and two railway stations in the playroom, and listening to the wind and rain that rolled around mid-afternoon.  On Sunday the three older children did 2 hours of rugby while C and I stayed behind to pack and putter around.  E did pretty well with the ball so we might be looking at getting him into rugby next term.

The next few hours will be spent creaming up the not-quite-two year old who is very poxy indeed, and prepping for school tomorrow.  I've been doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and have 34k words or thereabouts... not quite sure I'll make the 50k mark by next week given how many curve balls November has thrown, but it's the fastest I've ever written, and it's not trash, so there's a small victory.

And that's all for now! 

Dumbphone, Part 5

Scroll down for Part 4.  And maybe get a cup of tea.  Lots of photos here.

C in her brother's rainboots.

Play.

Writing, tea, scones.  Rare, nice afternoon break.  Scuse my finger in front of the lens.

Driving the... uh, contraption... at a local playgroup, just before E started school.

Dancing inside the "disco room" at a local soft play center.

Climbing trees at Wandsworth Common just near the fence separating the park from the train tracks.

Sharing a frozen yogurt during a rare restaurant outing.

Stalking pigeons.

Climbing the wooden pirate ship during her first day at playgroup.

Watching something on the ipad.

"I'm swiiiinging in the rain...."

Inside the gorgeous wooden playhouse at C's playgroup.  Lots of things to do in there.

Off to school with lunchbox and bookbag...

...while C and I become the ladies who lunch.  Or at least have tea and a babyccino (frothy warm milk)

Visiting the London Transport Museum - E posing in front of an old train carriage.

Driving a bus at the museum.

He really wanted to try this fizzy drink but didn't much like it in the end.

This chocolate shake at Hamley's was far more to his taste.

Her Lego Maj.

Reading "The Tiger Who Came to Tea"

Swinging together at the local park.

Building a house with Duplo.

C's first painting.

"New" marble run from the thrift shop, has most of its parts and works fine until one of them dismantles it (which is too often).

E's school project robot.

Running through the leaves past E's school on the way to the park.

The baby "wanted" to climb on the ropes, so C was helping her.

Recent picnic by the duck pond on the Common, they're inspecting their cookies before eating.

Little Red Riding Hood on the round'n'round.

Glittery rocket project.

Today's photo... we made "leaf masks" on our way home from school.  Cuz why  not?

And that's all until next time!

Dumbphone, Part 4

As I posted nearly a year ago: I have what I fondly refer to as a dumbphone. I should clarify that it has one or two bells and whistles, namely the camera (which is all I use it for apart from the odd text or call), but it's certainly no top of the range thing. Still, it enables me to point and shoot, capturing the moment here and there without fuss.

Here's the fourth installment of Dumbphone pics.  They start at around June-ish and continue until November.

Homemade waterslide in the back garden.

Riding in the classic Austin Joy cars on a warm day at Southbank.

Watching the boats float down the Thames past the Houses of Parliament.

Colored sand at Southbank.

Every few mins they would run down the street, stop, and give each other a big hug.

Driving the 2mph car at Legoland.

Around the track.

Funny Lego panning-for-gold guy.

Went to the park during the "summer" holidays and got stuck in a downpour.  Too late to get inside the nearby shopping center so we ducked underneath the pirate ship in the playground and waited 20 minutes while the kids served me pretend hot chocolate and giggled.  We stayed dry!

Rainy birthday trial of his new "stomp rocket" - an air propelled foam rocket that goes quite high depending on how hard the child jumps on the attached pump.

I have fond memories of going through a rotating barrel with my godsister in Hawaii.  Here's E going through his first one at a summer funfair.

Late July/early August it finally got warm enough to eat ice cream.

Multitasking toddler.

Artwork teamwork.  There were googly eyes to glue on, and feathers.

Driving a plane, with added passengers.

I guess she picked up some things from me.

Moving bricks with a wheelbarrow, at the 1 o'clock club.

More cuddles.

Firefighters rolled up to the 1 o'clock club during late summer with their fire engine and hoses.  The kids could sit inside and also try out the hosepipe.

E decorating a cookie at the 1 o'clock club.  Yes.  It IS partially eaten.

Blackberry-stained toddler.

Putting cheese and sauce on our pizza before baking it.  Yeah, I know that's a white shirt.  I like to live on the wild side, what can I say?

Round'n'round at a park in Clapham.

Catching up over a cup of tea/hot chocolate.

Neat swing setup at a park in Clapham.

Off on the scooter to go meet a friend.

Will update more next post, because this is getting looonnng.