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Look into the writing life of a poet / picture book author through the eyes of her dog, Cupcake.
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Today, Mom and I are counting down about a author visits. She’s going to visit a school on Friday, so she can talk about being a writer, and read her book to the kids there.
Why I don’t like author visits.
3. Staying by myself. Mom will go away in the car for a long time. That means, no walking at the park, no jumping through my hula hoop, no treats in my IQ puzzles, and no bowling practice. Boring.
2. Bags. Mom will pack up tons of things to show the kids, and she will also put her laptop and LCD projector into bags. Bags are usually a LOT of fun. My head fits in there perfectly, and sometimes bags have treats in them. Or bacon. Or cake.
 
But school visit bags are off limits. Mom says the word, “Get your bony little head out of there.” No fun.
1. Kids. Mom will talk to tons and tons of kids at her school visit. I love kids. And they love me. Whenever kids see me, they pet me and hug me and say how cute I am. Plus, kids taste delicious, like candy. And sweat. And dirt. Yum.
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What Mom likes about author visits.
3. Driving. Taking a road trip is always fun. Of course it would be more fun if I went along, but….
2. Reading. Mom loves reading stories. Story time was her favorite time of the day when she was a little girl at school, and it was her favorite time of the day when she was a teacher. Of course, I also love story time, but….
1. Kids. Mom has talked to hundreds and hundreds of kids in her careers as a teacher and an author. Thousands, maybe. She predicts that the kids at this school will ask her some of the same things kids at other schools have asked, “Are you rich?” and “Did you draw the pictures?” and “One time my dad got his finger stuck in the car door…” which is not a question, but….
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Renn is a brave, little boy spending some not-so-fun time at the hospital this week. Mom and I are writing a special blog post today just for him. You can read about Renn at The Brain of a Jedi.
Mom’s author friend, Susanna Leonard Hill has links to lots more well wishes for Renn on her blog. Take a look, and while you’re at it, send along some prayers and happy thoughts for a tough, smart little Jedi and his family.
Mom is afraid of Jedi warriors (No, she’s not. I am…). In fact, she’s afraid of warriors of all kinds (No, she’s not. I am…). Light sabers scare her (No, they don’t. They scare me…). And forget about Darth Vader’s voice. She’s terrified of that guy (No, she’s not. I am…).
So, we’ll have to work with what we have. My cuteness!!
Here I am dancing like a cute ballerina.
If you want to see how smart I am, here I am solving a problem while looking cute.
If you’ve never seen a dog eat Cheerios, watch how cute I am using my Cheerios machine.
And if you need a laugh, watch me tame the laughing mechanical dog (still while looking cute).
And when it’s time to sleep, stop by my booth for the cutest kiss you can get for a nickel…
Hang in there, buddy! xoxo
We had an awesome snowstorm, last week. Mom took me for a lot of walks, and each time we went out, it got deeper and deeper. Here I am trudging through the snow.
It was almost up to my my belly, but not quite. That would’ve scared me! It was deep enough to make walking slow and difficult, but FUN!
Mom is working on two new stories at once. She’s in deep, just like I was. Each day she works for a little while on one of the stories and then she works a little while on the other one. It’s slow and it’s difficult, but she’s having fun. That’s because being an author is a blast! It’s just like being a dog in the snow!
By: Genevieve Petrillo,
on 3/3/2013
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Thereâs a crack in everything – thatâs how the light gets in.
~Leonard Cohen~
There seems to be a crack in the head of my laughing dog. Plus his ear is missing.
I think his head accidentally cracked open because Mom turned on the switch and he started laughing too much. I’ve heard of “laughing your head off,” but I’ve never heard of “laughing your head open so the light can get in.”
Mom is always looking for where the light gets in. She says if her story is tight enough, nothing can crack it open. So she checks it and checks it. She says she’s troubleshooting. I don’t like trouble and I don’t like shooting, so I hope she is just kidding. But she reads her story out loud to herself all the time. She says, “Does the ending match the beginning?” and “Is my character believable?” and “How much does the problem really matter?” and “Where is the laughing dog’s ear?!”
Mom keeps deleting and rewriting sections of her story trying to make it perfect before she brings it to show her writing group named DavidLaurieandOtherDavid. She says, “Am I telling too much?” and “Am I showing enough?” and “I guess I’ll have to sew up the rip in his head.”
Mom might be able to make her story perfect, but as you can see, the laughing dog’s head will never be perfect again. I wonder where his ear went…..
Click the video to hear the laughing dog laugh.
Thanks to our writer friend, Chelsea at Jenny Mac Book Blog for giving us the Sunshine Award and to Bubba and Mumma and the gang at Bumpy Road to Bubba for giving us the Why I Love Thee Award. Click here for our Sunshine questions and answers, and here or here for the story of how Mom and I found each other. We love all our sunshiny blogging friends, so feel free to take an award or two and list your own Sunshine answers or Love Story.
Mom has been workin’ at her writing class every day, except on the weekends. So far she is keeping up and doing fine. She is writing a story she likes and talking about it with people she likes and learning things she never thought she would like.
One thing she is learning about is called plannin’. Mom never did plannin’ before. Usually she gets an idea, thinks about it in her head, and then starts writing a story. When she gets to the end, she fixes it up and shows it to her writing group named DavidLaurieandOtherDavid.
I’ve been plannin’, too. Last week, I got my nails cut….
and got a new jacket.
On Saturday, Mom picked out a dress for me and brought me to see my friends at the Veteran’s Home.
I sat on laps, gave kisses, ate treats, danced, and got lots of hugs and cuddles. Whew. That is what I call workin’.
When Mom finishes workin’ she isn’t tired at all. She puts her coffee cup in the sink and then goes shopping and out to lunch and does other fun things.
When I finish workin’ …. Well, see for yourself…..
Mom loves a happy ending. When she writes a story, she makes sure there’s a problem, and then her characters try to solve it, but they always face obstacles trying to get it done. Mom struggles with the conflict in her stories. She says, “I don’t like trouble.” and “Why can’t things just go smoothly?” and “GET DOWN!!”
I LOVE trouble. Sometimes I surf the top of the piano to see if there’s anything for me to play with or eat. Mom said, “You’re going to get a spankin’!” I thought she said, “You’re going to get some bacon.” I ran into the kitchen so fast, I crashed into the cabinet. No bacon. Why does life have to be so difficult?
At the end of Mom’s stories, the conflict is gone, the obstacles are overcome, and the problems are solved. I love a happy ending.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I love love. I could kiss, cuddle, and snuggle 24 hours a day. Mom should’ve named me Valentine.
Even though Mom loves me a lot, she apparently does not have time to kiss, cuddle, and snuggle with me 24 hours a day. She says, “Sorry, Sweetie. I have things to do.” and “Go play with your toys.” and “Why are you staring at me?”
Mom loves her work, so she needs time to do that, too. When she was a teacher, she thought it was the best job in the world. Now that she supervises student teachers, she thinks that’s the best job in the world. She also thinks being an author is the best job in the world.
Somebody (Mom thinks it was Kathy Lee Gifford, but it was actually Confucious) said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I guess Mom has never worked a day in her life! Isn’t she lucky?
Have a super-special Valentine’s Day filled with lots of love, kisses, cuddles, and snuggles. xoxo
By: Genevieve Petrillo,
on 2/10/2013
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We had a blizzard this weekend.
The snow got really high, the wind blew really hard, and it was really cold. Even though I wore my heaviest jacket, I had to run around in a lot of circles to keep warm. And when the snow was deep enough to touch my belly, I wanted to come inside right away!
The 1st inch…
The 9th inch…
I couldn’t sniff the grass, because it was covered with snow. So I sniffed the snow instead. And guess what I found! An empty potato chip bag. It was hidden under the snow! Mom said the word, “Leave it.” before I could investigate and possibly taste some frozen potato chip crumbs, but it was an exciting find, anyway. In the morning, I tried to find the bag again, But the snow was too deep and I couldn’t even breathe in there.
Sometimes, Mom has a blizzard of ideas. But sometimes, her ideas are hidden. They’re not under the snow, or frozen, but they are buried in the back of her brain. When she studies at her online writing class, the hidden ideas start to pop out of her head. Mom says, “I’ve never tried that before.” and “That’s why this part wasn’t working.” and “Stop barking at the snowblower!”
Today I will ask 5 questions that have had me thinking lately.
1. Why is coffee so magical?
I think coffee makes people smart. Whenever Mom sits down to write, she always puts a cup of coffee next to the computer. I think it magically helps her brain.
2. Is a laundry basket a bed?
Bed is a good place to read books. Mom reads books a lot. A laundry basket is a good place to sleep. At least until Mom says, “OUT!”
3. Can a light chase away monsters in the dark?
When Mom writes about monsters, dragons, dinosaurs, or cats, I am afraid. I am also afraid of the dark. And balloons. And the golf cart. And pumpkins. And street signs. And soccer players. And….
4. Is a dog head good medicine for a sore knee?
This is how I help Mom when her knee hurts. I help her with her writing, too, mostly by staring at her when she’s trying to work.
5. If a chair is not pushed all the way under the table, is it OK to climb up and eat cake out of the box? I love cake.
Speaking of cake and coffee… Thanks to our friends at DogDaz for inviting us to coffee and our friends at Bumpy Road to Bubba and Angels Whisper for including us in their coffee party. Definitely take a visit to their blogs, if you havenât already. Also, we will include ALL our blog buddies in our coffee party, so feel free to take the badge and answer the questions if youâd like to join us.
1) How many cups of coffee per day? Mom has 2 or 3. I have as many slurps as I can beg, borrow, or steal.
2) What is your favorite caffeine delivery system? Mom likes her Keurig. I like when she leaves her cup on the table and doesnât push in her chair.
3) What was your best cup of coffee? Â They are all perfect.
4) What was your worst cup of coffee? No such thing. Even the stale, strong coffee in the teacherâs lounge at Momâs old school, was delicious to her.
5) What does your favorite mug say? Momâs favorite has a c-c-c-cat on it.
6) How do you take your coffee? Cream and sugar – very light and very sweet, just like me!
7) When was your first cup? Mom drank coffee flavored milk when she was little. My first taste was the morning after Mom found me at the rescue event.
8) Have you ever gone on a coffee tea date? Weâre on one right now!
Mmmmm….
By: Genevieve Petrillo,
on 2/4/2013
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Last week, we reached 10,000 views on our blog. I’m not much with the math, but 10,000 seems like a lot, seeing as how Mom only lets me post once or twice a week. I am excited that so many people and pets wanted to see what we were up to.
Of course, about 9,000 of the views were probably Mom, looking for mistakes and reading comments and stuff. She is my biggest fan. I am her biggest fan, too!
A long time ago, Mom got a fan letter from a little girl who read one of her poems in Spider Magazine. The little girl said that Mom’s poem made her laugh.
I’d like to say Mom was excited about the fan letter, but excited doesn’t even begin to express how she felt. That letter was her favorite piece of mail of her life, until she got the contract for her first book years and years later.
Even though Mom’s book had a ton of good reviews and won The Moonbeam Award, she has never received a fan letter from any of her readers. She has lots of thank you letters from the kids at the schools she visited…
 
….but no fan letters.
If I could write, I’d send her one, but paws aren’t much good with a pencil.
Thanks to all my fans for visiting Cupcake Speaks. Every Visit, every Comment, and every Like feels like a fan letter to me!! xoxo
Long ago, when I was littler and naughtier, I used to eat the rent bill. Every single time the man slipped it under the door, I yanked it out of his hand and ate it – the bill, the envelope, the carbon copy and the return envelope.
Mom kept a few xeroxed copies on hand so she’d have something to mail back with her check.
I have learned that the rent bill isn’t delicious because it isn’t food. I stayed home alone with the bill on the floor all morning, and I didn’t even taste it. I learned.Â
Outside
Inside – See how I’m not eating it?
Today, Mom will start learning at Susanna Hill’s class called Making Picture Book Magic.
MAGIC! That might be what’s been missing around here! Mom has all her supplies ready, like it said in the introduction email. She got some picture books from the library, made computer folders, bought index cards (in case her iPad index cards aren’t allowed), and she is getting her brain geared up to get started. Mom likes learning.
I don’t really like learning, but when there are Cheerios involved, I can learn. I am finally learning to fetch, just like Mom planned in her New Year’s resolution.
MAGIC!
Mom finished her January story for 12×12. Whew! That was the closest she ever came to the end of the month. Her story is a first, first, FIRST draft, and it will need a LOT of editing before it sees the light of day. Mom said, “You have to start somewhere.” and “Writing it is the first step.” and “Do NOT eat the hat!”
Soon (Eventually), Mom will look closely at her January story and fix it up till it’s ready to show her writing group named DavidLaurieandOtherDavid. She said, “I’ll probably have to cut about 100 words.” and “I’ll streamline the dialog.” and “The ending needs lots of work.”
Bob said my picture didn’t need too much work. I guess that’s because of my extreme cuteness. Â Check here to see Bob’s comments about what he did to it. Also look here to see more of Bob’s work, or here to enter his Sunday Frameable Keepers Challenge.
Mom said the new picture is brighter and sharper and my fur and the teddy bear’s fur look fluffier. Thanks, Bob!Â
Here I am enhanced!
The original is on the left and the enhanced version is on the right. Cute and even CUTER!
I guess because of my super cuteness, my friends at DogDaz gave me the Super Sweet Blogging Award this week. I’ll keep it displayed on my Awards page. Thanks, DogDaz!
By: Genevieve Petrillo,
on 1/24/2013
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Mom’s friend Bob at Northwest Photographer is an artist. He is crazy-skilled at taking pictures, and goes around to a lot of places getting amazing shots of animals and scenery and all sorts of wonderful things….including a cat named Jack! Bob is having a challenge called Frameable Keepers every Sunday at his blog. He wants to see photos that you’d love to see framed, and then he will fix them up so they look perfect.
I have begged and begged Mom to submit a picture of me. She says I can’t compete with all that beauty. That’s a good thing, ….right? I think it means I’m ….um…extra-pretty….??? And she should give me bacon….???
Anyway, I finally talked her into it, so here I am.
I hope Bob will work on my picture and make me look even cuter. (Can I GET any cuter??) He’ll fix and figure and change and correct and enhance and elevate.
Each time Mom finishes a story, she ALWAYS works on it some more, like Bob does with his pictures. I think she’s trying to make her stories even cuter, like me. She rephrases and revises and cuts and clips and elaborates and embellishes. When mom thinks her picture is frameable, then she’ll talk about it at her writing group and maybe submit it.
I wonder what she’ll do when my picture is frameable…. She framed this one, so I guess anything can happen!
By the way, check my Awards Page to see my newest bling. It’s the Shine On Award from our friends at Angels Whisper. Thanks, A.W.!
Mom and I are counting down to the end of the month.
My January Countdown
3. Snow! We need more snow before January is finished! I love snow… As long as it isn’t deep enough to touch my belly. That scares me. Mom digs it with the shovel so I won’t be afraid.
2. Learning. Mom teaches me and teaches me every day. I am getting better with fetching, as long as there are Cheerios. I am still confused about bowling, though.
1. Work. Mom is working hard to finish her January story for 12×12. Tick. Tick. Tick. She’s really cutting it close.
Mom’s January Countdown
3. No snow! Mom doesn’t want snow because it is too much mess and trouble. But if it snows, she will have to stay home and work on her stories (and play with me). C’mon snow!
2. Learning. Mom will study at an online writing class in February. Tick. Tick. Tick. Soon, I will not be the only one learning.
1. Work. Mom will work with her writing group named DavidLaurieandOtherDavid next week. They will talk about stories and eat cookies and drink coffee. How does that count as work??
Â
By: Genevieve Petrillo,
on 1/9/2013
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It’s 2013. So today’s brand new 5 words are about the brand new things Mom and I will be doing in this brand new year.
1. I will learn to bowl. I knew how to bowl last year, but now that I have a set of bowling pins, I forgot what to do with them. Mom is teaching me all over again from square one.
2. Mom is participating in the 12×12Â writing challenge. She participated in it last year, too, but now it’s not called 12x12in’12. It’s called 12×12. This means Mom will write 12 new stories again this year. She started in January at square one.Â
3. Mom will enter The Highlights Annual Fiction Contest. She entered last year, too, but she didn’t win. She wanted to win – or to lose and have them buy her story anyway. But nothing. She’s back to square one.
4. Mom will work with her writing group named DavidLaurieAndOtherDavid. She worked with them last year, but her stories always need help, so she’ll be talking about her stories and their stories all over again from square one.
5. I will be a perfectly good girl.
This will help Mom to do her writing work so she can get Book #2 accepted in lucky 2013. Being a good girl will be brand new for me. Book #2 will be brand new for her.
Brand new things for a brand new year.
By: Genevieve Petrillo,
on 12/30/2012
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Today, we’re counting down Our Year in Review.
My Highlights in 2012
3. My picture was in a book! Chuck Sambuchino wrote a political humor book called Red Dog / Blue Dog, and he used my picture to illustrate one of the pages! I looked adorable.
2. I learned how to dance. Mom taught me to twirl around on my hind feet for a cookie.
1. I forgot how to bowl! I learned bowling using empty water bottles…..
 But then Santa brought me a bowling set, and I have no idea how to bowl. So I just take a pin and bring it on the couch.
16. I found some bread that the birds dropped in front of my house. It was delicious!
Mom’s Highlights in 2012
3. Mom’s story Fly Fishing was in the final issue of Stories for Children Magazine in November. There was no dog in the story, but there was a trout.
2. Mom’s story Waiting for Petey was in the November/December issue of Turtle Magazine. there was no dog in the story, but there was a teddy bear (I love teddy bears).
1. NWEA bought Mom’s poem Talking Goldfish to use in their online test prep program. There was no dog in the poem, but there was a fish.
42. Humpty Dumpty Magazine is holding Mom’s story Show and Tell Surprise for possible publication in the May/June 2013 issue. There was no dog in the story, but there was a hermit crab.
67. Mom completed 3 challenges this year – 12x12in’12 (3 of her 12 stories featured a dog), PiBoIdMo (9 of her 30 ideas are about dogs), and Goodreads. (about 30 of the 214 books she read had a dog in them).
2012 is in the rear view mirror. Bring on 2013. Happy New Year!
âIf you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.â
~Stephen King~Â
I’m pretty sure this guy Stephen King knows a thing or two about writing. Mom believes him and takes his advice. She also forgives him for Cujo. I am not sure I do, though. *shiver*
Mom reads a lot and writes a lot every day. Well, maybe not a LOT…. But some every day. Well, maybe not EVERY day, but most days.
Mom reads children’s books, young adult books, grown-up books, blogs, magazines, websites, email, reviews, and books about being a writer. She takes some time to play bowling with me, take me for walks around the neighborhood, throw my toys, clean up piles and piles of dog hair from around the house, and dress me up.
She also works on new stories, old stories, stories about dogs, kids,and animals, stories from her November idea list, and poems. She takes some time out to cuddle with me, brush my teeth, give me treats, teach me tricks, and take me to Petco to have my nails cut.
It’s times like this that I wish she’d concentrate on her work…..
Move over Rudolph! I’m Santa’s new right hand man.
Mom saw this at her friend, John’s blog called Native Michigander. It’s the most adorable Christmas Story ever!
Merry Christmas, everybody!
A couple of days ago it snowed. Snow! Right after the hurricane! There was wind that made my ears stick out like wings,
cold that went right through my pink parka,
and about four inches of the white stuff that made my feet freeze.Â
Guess what else is frozen. Mom’s brain. It’s been two days since she wrote an idea in her PiBoIdMo list. The numbers are still there, but there’s nothing next to the newest ones. Â
After the snow, I got a surprise. It was a package in the mail from my friend, Rumpy.
He had a contest-giveaway, and I won! I won some Frosty Paws dog ice creams, and the Frosty Paws stuffed animal! I love ice cream! And I LOVE stuffed animals! Thanks, Rumpy! What a wonderful surprise.Â
Maybe Mom will get a surprise inside her head – some surprise ideas so she can catch up in her PiBo challenge. She needs 30 ideas by the end of the month. Come on, ideas!
By: Genevieve Petrillo,
on 11/20/2012
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It’s almost Thanksgiving, and there’s SO much to be thankful for. Mom and I have many blessings in our lives. We’re super grateful that we were fine through the storms, and we continue to say prayers for our friends and family members who are still dealing with the sadness and nightmares of what the storm left behind.Â
I have a lot of friends to thank today. A ton of awards came our way last week. And I even won a Thanksgiving contest!
Oh and Mom is kind of a winner, too. Her story came out in Turtle Magazine.
It looks really cute with all the fancy illustrations, and she is proud and excited and Blah. Blah. Blah…
But seriously – back to me and my awards.Â
Thank you to Chelsea for sending us The Very Inspiring Blogger Award. She inspires us, too. To see some Inspiring facts about me, click here. If you’re inspiring, feel free to take the badge and tell 7 Inspiring things about yourself.
Thank you to AngelsWhisper for another Super Sweet Award. Mom says there’s no such thing as too sweet. To see my Super Sweet questions and answers, click here. If you are Super Sweet, feel free to take the badge and answer the questions on your blog.
Thank you to Chuck and the Collies for giving us The Champion of the Heart Award. Such a special award from the brave and beautiful Trevor.
Thank you to Misaki for the Blog of the Year 2012 Award. It has stars and everything. Plus a ton of rules!
1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the âBlog of the Year 2012â Award
2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen â thereâs no minimum or maximum number of blogs required â and âpresentâ them with their award.
3 Please include a link back to this page âBlog of the Year 2012â Award â http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ and include these ârulesâ in your post (please donât alter the rules or the badges!)
4 Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ârulesâ with them
5 You can now also join our Facebook group â click âlikeâ on this page âBlog of the Year 2012â Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience
6 As a winner of the award â please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award â and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar ⌠and start collecting starsâŚ
Yes â thatâs right â there are stars to collect!
Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once â this award is different!
When you begin you will receive the â1 starâ award â and every time you are given the award by another blog â you can add another star!
There are a total of 6 stars to collect.
Which means that you can check out your favourite blogs â and even if they have already been given the award by someone else â you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!
For more information check the FAQ on The Thought Palette.
Whew! That’s a lot of rules (to break), but I can handle it! Feel free to take this badge and follow the rules, if you like stars (and rules).Â
Mom sent in my picture for a What Am I Thankful For contest at Pawsitively Pets and I won third place! Yay me! Here’s what I know about numbers – 3 is bigger than 1 and 2. That makes me the biggest winner of all! Thanks Lily and Ann! Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
By: Genevieve Petrillo,
on 11/14/2012
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Since Mom is working on an idea challenge, today weâre counting down ways to get ideas.
 How I Get IdeasÂ
3. The window – I get ideas from looking out the window. Mostly, the things I see out there scare me, but sometimes, I just need a closer look.
2. My toybox â I see lots of fun things to play with in there, but I havenât figured out that I can stick my head in and pull out any toy I like. I always wait for Mom to pick them up one by one and say, âWhat about this one?â  and âWhat about this one?!â and âWhat about THIS ONE???!!!â
1. Smells â When I smell treats or my dinner or Momâs dinner, I get ideas about putting on my good girl face and sitting and giving my paw and dancing if necessary. Iâll do pretty much anything for food.Â
How Mom Gets Ideas
3. The park and the neighborhood  â I love kids. We watch kids at the playground and in the field. How they play (or donât play) gives Mom ideas.
2. School â Whenever Mom visits a school to talk about being a writer or to visit one of her student teachers, she gets ideas. Sometimes, she also gets a head cold when too many kids cough and sneeze on her.
1. Blogs â Mom reads a lot of blogs. Some are about dogs and cats and hamsters and guinea pigs and families and art and photography. But some are about being a writer. She gets lots of ideas when she reads tips and talk from other writers.
Ideas are fun, unless they scare you.
Today I picked a toy out of my toy box for the very first time. All by myself. I stuck my head in and pulled out …. none other than the dreaded mechanical hamster.  I wasn’t confused by the toy box , and I wasnât afraid of the hamster. Mom said, “Look at you!” and “What a smart, brave girl!” and “Now what?”Â
Nothing. That’s what. I didn’t actually DO anything with the hamster. I just sat with it. But it’s a start.
Mom is a first timer, too. This month, she joined a bunch of other writers in PiBoIdMo. That means she got a story idea every single day in November. It’s her first time ever doing that and she did great at it, except for writing down the same idea twice. Luckily she caught the double yesterday, and got a final idea just in time. She didn’t DO anything with her ideas. She just sat there with them. But it’s a start.Â
Someday soon, I will pick another toy out of the toy box. Maybe I’ll even play with it. We’ll see….
Someday soon, Mom will pick out one of her new story ideas (probably the one she wrote down twice) and make it into a story. Maybe it’ll be Book #2. We’ll see….
This is my new bandana which Mom picked out at Mollie’s blog. I think I look adorable and Christmas-sy in it.Â
I also have a couple of awards to say thank you for today.Â
Thanks to Easy for the Super Sweet Award. He definitely got it right. I AM super sweet… except when I’m not…. See my super sweet answers here and help yourself to the award if you’re sweet most of the time.
Thanks to AngelsWhisper for the Seven Things About Me Award.Â
For this award, I need to tell 7 things about myself, which I love to do. I will also invite anyone who likes telling about themselves to take this award and tell us about yourself.
1. I am part Jack Russell and part something else. Mom thinks I might be part monkey because of my long monkey tail.
2. I love treats. My new favorite is called Gooberlicious. It’s not what you think. They look and taste like peanuts. Yum.
3. I love stuffed animals, but not the mechanical ones. I think mechanical toys are evil, and I’m pretty sure they’re trying to kill me.
4. I help Mom with her writing a lot. I take her to the park and for rides in the car so she can get ideas. I bring toys to her while she’s working, so she can get up and play with me and not sit still too long.
5. I want Mom to write a book about me so I can go to school visits with her. I know how to behave… except when I don’t…
6. After I eat my food every day, I try to eat my bowl. That’s just how delicious my food is!!
7. I love to wear dresses.
Today is 12/12. Such a happy day. It’s my Gotcha Day! That’s the day three years ago that Mom picked me out and adopted me and said, “I gotcha. You’re coming home with me!”
I was in a cage, with overgrown nails, bad breath, scabs on my ears, and parasites in my tummy. I was smaller than she wanted and older than she hoped I’d be. But even though I seemed all wrong, Mom saw something in me that would turn out to be just right.
That’s how it works sometimes in life…. And in writing. Mom wrote a nonfiction story for the first time in a long time. It troubled her because she didn’t love it as much as she usually loves her stories. It just didnât sound the way she had hoped.
She brought it to her writing group named DavidLaurieandOtherDavid. They said her story had overgrown nails, bad breath, scabs on its ears, and parasites in its tummy. …not really, but they made a LOT of suggestions so Mom is practically starting over with it. She’s hoping that even if it seems all wrong , it’ll turn out to be just right.
I think the story will be fine and maybe even amazing when Mom works with it for a while. I mean, look how I turned out!
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Don’ t these gingerbread men look yummy? I waited nicely with them, so Mom could take my picture. I expected she’d toss a nice big one to me after the photo shoot. But she didn’t. She ate a couple of them herself and gave me one little gingerbread head. I ate it so fast, I barely tasted it. I checked the floor to see if it fell.Â
It didn’t.
Mom and her friends ate gingerbread men day after day, and all I ever got was an occasional leg or arm, except in my dreams when I got to eat tons of them.
And now they’re FINISHED. I’m sure more Christmas cookies are around here someplace, but the gingerbread men are finished.Â
Besides the gingerbread, Mom also finished her Goodreads Challenge. In January, she challenged herself to read 212 picture books in 2012. She actually read and rated 214. Some of her favorites were: Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake, I am the Dog, Kindergarten Rocks, Dinosaur vs Santa, Playing War, and Stuck. She liked a whole bunch more, too. They made her say, “Awesome!” and “Hilarious!” and “Why can’t I write like this?”
Some of the books she read made her say, “Wait. What?” and “THIS is published?” and “I want that ten minutes of my life back!”
I want the gingerbread men back.
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Today, Mom and I are counting down about a author visits. She’s going to visit a school on Friday, so she can talk about being a writer, and read her book to the kids there.
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Love your new coat . Have a wonderful day xx00xx
3
I understand the “left alone”part, Cupcake, but you look like a teacher yourself, so why can’t you come with her. I’m sure you’ll be very brave… or do you eat kids
Bawaahhaawa you do look like a skool teacher in those glasses.. I’m not so keen on kids, they scare me.. xx00xx
Mollie and Alfie
I think you should go too cuppycake!
Gosh Cupcake….too bad you can’t go along with your Mom on that school visit – I bet you LOVE being around those kiddies and “feeling the luv”……Just remember that all of US love you – maybe you can “feel the luv” from afar????
Kitty Hugs, Sammy
I am sure your mom’s school visits would be even more fun if you got to go, Cupcake. I think you should discuss that with her. Where’s the story about Cupcake that will allow you to go along as a prop? I hope she has a great visit and you get some bacon and some cake!
It’s a shame you can’t go with her, Cupcake! It seems a bit mean to tell you to get your head out of those bags – we all know that bags always need checking.
Wow, what fun. We bet the kids will go nuts for you – and your name!
Oink oink,
Katie and Coccolino the mini pig
Poor cupcake. Hahaha.
Have a great timeGenevieve!
I am so sure mom will have fun at her school visit. If you want you can come stay with Rocky. I can’t guarantee that he won’t think your a tasty treat, though, so maybe not such a good idea. :-p
Speaking of tasty treats, tell mom not to forget we are going out to munch muffins
Take the opportunity to gaze out the window and relax.
Wow. Cupcake- you look very sophisticated with those glasses!
I like your glasses Cupcake ;o) I agree, a day without mom is a wasted day …
Thanks, AW. I don’t eat kids, I just taste them a little bit…
Love and licks,
C
Thanks, M. If only Mom would get a story about me published, I’d be there with bells on. Or a dress….
Love and licks,
C
Thanks, Mollie. Sometimes, kids CAN be scary. Their delicious flavor makes up for it.
Love and licks,
C
Thanks, Sammy. You are so cuddly. I luv your luv.
Luv and licks,
C