MLK Day

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

May you be inspired and courageous to live out your dream this year!

And go ignite someone else’s dream.

My New Job As a Thesaurus

It’s funny to think that Westly only has so many words he knows how to say and use to communicate. Last I counted there were around 15 regular words he uses daily, such as “more, ball, phone, car, water, waffle, paci, Daddy, Mama, Papa, Nana…” to name a few. I can see why sometimes he gets frustrated in his communication. He wishes he could say more, but he doesn’t know the words yet.

I sometimes feel like this as a writer. I have a pretty good vocabulary, but it’s nowhere near where I’d like it to be. There are times when I’m describing a scene, or a character’s inner feelings, and get frustrated because I can’t quite find the right word. Thankfully I have a dictionary and thesaurus to consult.

Poor Westly doesn’t . Well, maybe he does. He has me. I definitely need to work on helping him say new words. I don’t always have the patience or focus to work with him on his speech. But I need to. I need to be his thesaurus.

God knows I need mine.

One Adventure After Another

If your life is boring, I know two things that will make it more exciting with unexpected adventures: parenting and/or writing.

The other day I was working on my book and suddenly got this fun idea. I could say it was birthed from those creative juices that were flowing because I had been writing for two hours at that point. But it’s more exciting to say the idea came out of nowhere. Didn’t see that coming!

Last night I put West to bed, and about ten minutes later I hear him crying. And not just “I miss Mama” crying, or “You turned off the hall light!” crying. But real “Mama, come rescue me, something is terribly wrong!” crying. As soon as I entered his bedroom, the pungent odor hit me. My poor boy was sitting in an excessive amount of toxic vomit! Didn’t see that coming!

Whether pleasant or gross, unexpected adventures are part of my daily life being a mom and an author. You never know when a spark of imagination will ignite a fantastic story.

Or when your kid will throw up, for that matter.

Split Personality

I’ve got 2 To-Do Lists going on in my head. One is for FC Shaw the writer, the other is for Farah the Mommy.

Writer                                                                   Mommy

Write each week                                            Teach/play with West each day

Finish first draft by March                            Wean Westly by April

Attend a writer’s workshop in Feb              Take Westly to Disneyland in Feb

Submit something to publishers                  Mail pictures of Westly to family

Proofread what I’ve written so far              Baby-proof kitchen counters

One Potato, Two Potatoes

Michael and I want to eat healthier and drop a little weight. He has bigger goals than I do. Right now, I’d like to lose about 5 pounds. I need to slim my waistline a little, and I’d like to be a few pounds lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight before I get pregnant again. I don’t want to gain on top of extra gain.

Today when I went grocery shopping, I bought vegetables, and not just a potato. When I got home, I washed them all, sliced them up, put them in little ziplock baggies, and put the baggies in a pink basket to set in my frige. I even poured ranch in a little container so it’s ready for dipping. See, I have to take every excuse away, and outsmart my lazy butt. I also wrote a list of healthy snacks on a post-it and stuck it on my frige door. That way I’m reminded of good snacks to eat during the day.

We’ll see if this helps with eating healthier.

I also did not buy any cookies, chocolate, or chips. It was tempting, but I resisted. Then in the check-out aisle I spotted Trader Joe’s caramel popcorn. It was a small bag. It was only $1.49. And it was surprisingly low-fat, low-cal.

Hey, I have to have some reward for all this healthy eating!

Stories in My Head

I get inspired by good writing and great storytelling, whether that be in a book, a movie, or a song. Here are some great stories inspiring me right now:

A Death in the Small Hours A mystery written by Charles Finch, book 5 of his Charles Lenox Detective series. This is my current literary crush.

Downton Abbey Season 3 British mini-series written by Julian Fellowes, about the intermingling lives of an earl and his family and his staff. So. Stinkin’. Good.

RED Newest CD by Taylor Swift, more ballads about falling in love, being in love, and breaking up. Cheesy, maybe, but she’s a good storyteller through her music.

Dear Zoo Westly’s newest board book, a cute story about finding the right pet. Each animal is revealed by opening a flap. So simple, but it delights Westly which in turn melts my Mommy-heart.

Binsey Pet name for a new friend I met, who is sponsoring me to be a part of an online writer’s group. Talking to her and hearing her life stories is refreshing, invigorating, inspiring, and downright fun.

Book Then Baby

The other night Michael and I were talking about this year. We’d like to get pregnant this year. Michael suggested we not try, but also not not try—just see what happens. I got excited about that idea…

…until I remembered my writing. I need to finish Book 5, publish it, and promote it before Baby #2 comes. And before Westly grows out of his long naps. Michael is okay with that.

I am so blessed to have a husband who supports my writing…and who wants to have more kids someday!