Day one of my writing intesive

Today I start a 14-day writing intensive to kick-start myself back into the habit of daily writing.  I find it hard to make time for my writing.  I guess I figure it is selfish to take personal time and escape to a fantasy world in which I must live to make my story come to life.  How can I balance writing and raising a family of four girls {who I am home schooling} two pets and a hubby in the military thousands of miles away from my family?  All my time should be dedicated to my husband and children, right.

            However, after much encouragement over the past several months I know I have to write for my well-being.  I was feeling discouraged about my progress on the story of my heart because I have been working on it for over 12 years and I’m only 62 pages and 18 chapters into one book, and 14 pages and 5 chapters into the other.  I have three other projects that I have started as well.  However, today I only meant to print out the last 10 pages or so to read so that I can get back into the world of which I am supposed to be writing.  It has been almost a year since I have visited this world, so I have forgotten about the last segment written.  Well my printer in its infinite wisdom printed the entire manuscript.  I must admit it looks much more like a book in a stack of paper that thick. 

 

           

 

            Can this really be true?  Am I really an author?  That seems so far out of reach and like I have no right to claim.  Yet it must be so.  I have a manuscript that contains my words thoughts and ideas.  It is a tad bit overwhelming.  Yes, all those pieces of paper have words on them, 34,534 of them to be exact.

            So today, I jump into this challenge with all of the strength I can muster.  With manuscript in hand, I start a two-week journey into the deep recesses of my mind.  If I seem a little different over the next weeks or months or years it is most likely because I am trying to write about the lives of multiple people that are just a figment of my imagination.  I truly want to get this and its sequel story out.  I want to get the project that God has placed on my heart going.  Nevertheless, in the project God has assigned, much prayer and listening for His voice is required.  I think the discipline of writing every day and finishing these two pieces will get me ready and make me a little more confident in doing such a big project for my God.

            Today I give the proverbial middle finger to imposter syndrome.

According to Wikipedia (yes I know, it is not the best source, sue me) “impostor syndrome, sometimes called impostor phenomenon or fraud syndrome, is a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments.  Despite external evidence of their competence, those with the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved. Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they believe themselves to be.”

Why do I have imposter syndrome? Well, I believe I have this lovely syndrome because I don’t think that I deserve to be called an author. So what is my point in all of this? Today I am going to write. I am going to write like my life depends on it, because it really does. 

 

James 4:17

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do

 and does not do it, it is sin for them.

 

Here I sit, truly believing that I was commanded by God to write.  If I know that He has commanded me to write and I am not doing it then I am sinning. So I will be writing. And praying and waiting on His voice for the guidance I need to write what is truly going to glorify Him.

What are you not doing that you should be doing?  What good are you robbing the world of?  What excuse is the one that keeps you away from your purpose?  I am so ashamed to say that I am just too busy.  So many things have come up over the last few months that just leave me thinking “wow that was meant just for me.”  When God wants you to do something and you won’t bend, He will break you.  I can’t help but wonder if this is why I am being broken litteraly.  Are my legs not working as well, so that I can sit here and write? I know I am overthinking this but, well, it’s okay. My mind is loud and constantly going and sometimes I just have to focus it on one area so that I am not so overwhelmed.  Thankfully I am not the only person to ever overthink something.

Off to fulfill my purpose. What will you do with your time?

 

 

How I approach creative writing.

Generally I will have an idea floating around in my head for a few weeks before I finally write something down. I take the time to imagine the scene, to picture it vividly in my mind. From here I can finally begin to write something down. 

I start with putting the basics to work: The setting, the characters and the plot. After all of these things have been established it is time to start bringing them to life. 

If you think about all the books you have ever read, what was the style that stood out to you most?  Was it the books that had very little description of scenery and characters and focused more on plot and conversation?  Or, was it the books that bring the scenery to life, explaining every detail of the surroundings so that you could literally picture yourself amongst the characters in the book. And if, and when those books were turned into a movie, everything was exactly as you had imagined because the book was so good at describing it.  Or do you prefer something in between these two extremes?

I am an in between the two extremes person. I like to focus on the plot and characters and season them with descriptions where I feel it is necessary to bring the reader into the scene. (Like when a character is having a memory or a really intense moment in the plot.)  I have read books that went a bit overboard describing every single detail through out the entire book, and personally I found them hard to read. It was too easy to lose track of what was going on because of the descriptions.  I like to leave my reader a little room to imagine on their own.

For example, I wrote a short narrative about the description of my name.  Brook.  While telling the audience about the scenery beside the brook I said that there were flowers.

“Imagine if you will a spring bubbling up from the ground. Because of this source of water the surrounding hills and valleys are green and teaming with lush vegetation. There are many flowers near by. Butterflies float in the breeze flitting from flower to flower, vine to vine searching for the perfect spot to lay their eggs.”

I did not describe how many, what kind or color.  Here the reader is allowed to use their own imagination.  When it comes to an important part of the story, I will describe them in a little more detail.

“Large shade trees spread their branches out like they are opening their arms to the sky and soaking in the rays of the sun. Their roots hungrily soak up the waters that my source, the spring, offers them. Birds and chipmunks chirp and sing in the branches of the many trees that line the banks.”   

Next I type and type until all that is in my head is out. I don’t worry about grammar, spelling, incomplete thoughts or sentences. That is part of the editing process to be done later. Once it is all out I begin the editing process.  I am the first to admit I am a horrible speller! I think that I may be dyslexic. So I really appreciate the grammar and spell checker. After fixing all one million spelling errors I then re read what I have written.  This is the perfect time to check for flow and coherent thought.  Does the story flow smoothly or are there some rough patches that need to be “ironed” out?  Are there places that could use a little more or less description?

Once you have finished the writing and editing process, if you have a friend willing to read, and be that second set of eyes for you (A writing buddy) let them take a look at your work and catch any mistakes you may have missed.  I always miss something. And if you are brave enough, ask them to show you areas that could use a little more clarification or refinement.  If you don’t have a writing buddy, close your document and give yourself a couple of days away from it. After the story is no longer in your head go back to it and re read it as something that you are reading for enjoyment. You can pretend like someone else wrote it.  Does what you wrote make you laugh or smile? Does it bring you to tears?  Are there things that you missed before? This period of separation from my work has been an invaluable process for me.

I have been working on a novel for 13 years. Every time I sit down to work on it I re read the entire story. I find things that don’t fit or are irrelevant to the story line and edit or delete them.  I find myself laughing out loud at things that I have written so many years ago, or crying along with the main character. 

Let your writing move you. In the end, it is for you. And, if someone else happens to enjoy what you have shared with them that is one of the happy side effects of having the mind of a writer.

I hope this helps you find your creativity. Happy writing!

 

 

What does your name say about you?

Today is the day to shine… to do the proverbial cannonball off the lighthouse.

Today I will finally live up to my name.

Brook

 

What is a brook? What does it mean to brook? Well for the answer to that let us turn to good ol’ Merriam Webster.

brook n. A small, natural stream, smaller than a river or creek, a rivulet.

Synonym ~ stream.

brook v.  To put up with; endure; tolerate: usually with the negative.

Synonym~ endure.

 

To Endure is to suffer without yielding, to bear pain, grief or injury, to withstand, to hold out, to last and continue to be.

 

A Stream is a current or flow of water, continuously flowing, moving or passing by; it has a continuous course or advance; drift; current. It has a source or a ray.

A brook is fed by a spring. It has a shallow rock lined bed. It is easy to cross or to dam up. It provides a constant source of water to the environment around it, bringing refreshment and nourishment. It is close to its source.

 

How does all of this relate to me? Well grab a patch of grass and lay down along my refreshing waters or a big comfy moss covered stone and gaze upon the pools of reflection as I tell you a story, my story, the story of my name.

 

Imagine if you will a spring bubbling up from the ground. Because of this source of water the surrounding hills and valleys are green and teaming with lush vegetation.  There are many flowers near by. Butterflies float in the breeze flitting from flower to flower, vine to vine searching for the perfect spot to lay their eggs.

 Large shade trees spread their branches out like they are opening their arms to the sky and soaking in the rays of the sun. Their roots hungrily soak up the waters that my source, the spring, offers them. Birds and chipmunks chirp and sing in the branches of the many trees that line the banks. 

 

There is much to observe if you sit and look around.

For the weary traveler this is the perfect place to sit and rest, to listen to the calming sounds of the water rippling over the exposed stones in my shallow waters.

 

Crystal clear waters show my vulnerabilities, my transparency. I don’t get angry when people throw rocks at me, because it just adds to the stones that already line the basin of my existence. It may sting the surface for a moment, but it will build me up and make me stronger. Some day those stones will be useful to someone else.

 

I endure every twist and turn in the landscape and even the occasional waterfall. These things that look so scary when I am on the precipice of falling over are so beautiful to behold from a distance. Through droughts my spring keeps me going. I never lose hope. I know my hope, my spring, will not; can not ever run dry. In times of flood and abundance my waters bubble over onto the shoreline. The waters become muddied and confused by the mix of the world in the source of the spring. But, when things calm down again, my focus is right back where it needs to be once again.

 

I am a good listener, and I’ll keep things to myself. I have deep pools of reflection and will help you find the answers that you need. I have a wealth of knowledge from all the travelers that have crossed my path before. Some of this knowledge is silly and nonsensical and some of it is quite random, but on the rare occasion you may get the bits that are life changing. I like to think of each stone as a random fact in my arsenal of life.  Some stones are big and some are tiny little pebbles. There are some that are well worn and used quite frequently and yet others that are rarely used and still have the jagged edges. Yet each one of these stones has a purpose.

There is so much more to a name, more than just the babbling Brook that I have tried my entire life not to be. I don’t want to be that person primarily because I will get nervous and start stuttering. If you know me, and know me well, you know my humorous side. You know that I literally visualize everything people say. That I laugh often and talk a lot! I can be a roaring waterfall that endures that twists and turns of this life because I have a Spring of Life that gives me the strength.

 

What does your name say about you?

Beauty in the Pain

Yesterday I took the girls out for a day at the park, but first we went for a walk along the Leon Creek Greenway. I brought the camera along just in case we found water so that I could photograph the girls playing in the creek. Unfortunately the water was dried up and the area it should have been in was quite stinky.  As we were walking back I saw this thistle bush along the path.  It got me thinking, so I turned around and took it's portrait. When I was able to put the picture on the computer and really zoom in on it I was amazed by what I saw.  The flower is so very frail, almost the thickness of a tissue. The outer edges that are exposed to the elements are damaged from the briers that stab at it, turning it a shade of brown, staining it's petals.  The center, the heart of the flower is filled with tiny pollen covered pieces that have covered the inner flower with it's debris.

How does this relate to me? What pokes and nags at me from the outside world? What pain and scars am I causing to my own body?  Is my heart clean and pure or am I letting it taint my mind?  Am I letting the negativity, and doom and gloom of the world get to me and stain who I am? When I, this thistle, look around me do I see the huge tower of pain that I sit at the top of, or can I look around me and see the beauty that surrounds me?  What do you see in your life, the moment, or eternity? Where is your focus?  Could this flower be the person that is always in pain and so they come across as cold and prickly but really they are fragile and beautiful, something God created perfectly?  Or could it be the person that tries to hide behind their beauty but are truly cold and prickly underneath?

Do we notice the beauty in the trials of our every day, or do we focus on the pain of the situation?  We hear people asking "If there is a God why does he let so much bad happen?" But then you see things like this. Beauty in the brambles, a pinpoint of light in the darkness, something bad that had to happen for something amazing to come to be.   God provides us with these little reminders in our day to "Stop and smell the roses."  Although I wouldn't recommend smelling the prickly ones.

An innocent child will notice the beauty and pick the flower so that they can carry it with them and enjoy every minute of it.  As an adult tainted by years of knowledge we know that if we pick that flower it's life will soon be over, so we tend to discourage the picking of flowers. But just this day I said okay.  You may pick all the flowers that you want to pick, enjoy them and make a beautiful bouquet.  Then I looked beside her and saw one that God and already created.

We enjoyed the beauty that was all around us, taking in the smells of the wild flowers.

 This walk showed me that no matter what ugly thing is in my life there is something so much more beautiful beside it.  All I need to do is open my eyes and see it.  I pray you will do the same!




From now on I will try to remember to see the beauty despite my pain.  I will focus more on the beauty than the things that annoy me.  I will focus my attention on the things that are good, and pure and genuine as I am instructed in Philippians 4:8  whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

http://pinterest.com/brook_triscuit/

A book Every parent should read

A couple months ago I was going through my junk mail box for my e-mail account before deleting all the mail that I didn't ask for.  So many people send me e-mails assuming I am a middle aged man in need of a little extra help, and in need of AA RP.  I assure you I am none of those things.  Anyway, on one such occasion of laughing at all the "free offers" I came across an e-mail from Barnes and Noble.  Normally I would just keep going and ignore it, but it said I had a book waiting for me.  I didn't order any books so I was skeptical but clicked on the message anyway.  My dad had purchased me a book for the Nook that he got me for my last birthday.  Good thing I checked it and didn't just delete it! This is what I found

The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary strategies to nurture your child's developing mind.

 By Daniel J. Siegel, MD. and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD.

I admit I am only 86 pages into this 138 page book, but it has been so eye opening.  It gives several real world examples of real parents dealing with real problems that we all have with raising our children.  Using a scientific example of how the brain works and how to most efficiently and effectively communicate with our children.

Understanding the way the brain functions makes a big difference on the way I communicate with my children.  It also helps me to understand why I react the way I do to certain stimuli.  I know why my skin crawls when the house is a mess now. For older children the authors have been kind enough to include mini comic strips to share with your children to help explain the different strategies.

Introduction: Survive and Thrive

Chapter 1: Parenting with the brain in mind.

Chapter 2: Two brains are better than one: Integrating the Left and the Right

Whole-Brain strategy #1 Connect and Redirect: Surfing Emotional Waves.

Whole-Brain strategy #2: Name it to Tame it: Telling stories to calm big emotions.

Chapter 3: Building the staircase of the Mind: Integrating the Upstairs and Downstairs brain

Whole-Brain Strategy #3: Engage, Don't Enrage: Appealing to the Upstairs Brain

Whole-Brain Strategy #4: Use it or Lose it: Exercising the Upstairs Brain

Whole-Brain Strategy #5: Move it or Lose it: Moving the body to avoid losing the mind.

Chapter 4: Kill the Butterflies! Integrating Memory for growth and healing

Whole-Brain Strategy #6 Use the Remote of the Mind: Replaying memories

Whole-Brain Strategy #7: Remember to Remember. Making Recollection a Part of your family's daily life.

Chapter 5: The United States of Me: Integrating the many parts of self

Whole-Brain Strategy #8: Let the clouds of Emotion roll by: teaching that feelings come and go

Whole-Brain Strategy #9: Sift: Paying attention to What's going on inside

Whole-Brain Strategy #10: Exercise Mindsight: getting back to the hub.

Chapter 6: The Me-We connection: Integrating Self and Other

Whole-Brain Strategy #11: Increase the Family fun factor: Making a point to Enjoy each other

Whole-Brain Strategy #12: Connect Through Conflict: Teach kids to argue with a "we" in mind

Conclusion: Bringing it all together

Refrigerator Sheet

Whole-Brain Ages and Stages

Check out this link to see several pages from inside the book

http://www.amazon.com/The-Whole-Brain-Child-Revolutionary-Strategies/dp/0553807919#_

And buy a copy while you're there!

If you want the best for your children and will use what ever tool it takes to be the best parent you can be, I highly recommend this book.

Happy Reading!

http://pinterest.com/brook_triscuit/

Just tell me what to do!

This has been on my mind a lot lately. And by a lot I mean all the time.

When we are growing up we get sick of people always telling us what to do. We are told how to dress, what to think, what to eat, how we are going to spend our days. We can't wait to grow up and make our own decisions.

Well the time has finally arrived. I am a grownup.  I know hard to believe, I still find it hard to believe myself. But, the reason I know I'm a grownup is because I no longer have anyone telling me what to do.  I am the one responsible for telling everyone else what to do.  How did that happen?  I don't want to tell anyone what to do.

Lately I have been feeling like I don't know what it is I'm supposed to be doing with my life.  I know I'm a mom and I'm supposed to be being a mom. I know I home school and that those two things alone are a full time job.  But I also know that I have this feeling in me like I am supposed to be doing something more.  I feel like there is something that I should be doing that I am not. And that my friends, is what I want someone to tell me.  What is it that I'm missing?

Over the past several years I have developed the pretty distinct impression in conversations with God that I should be writing.  He made me to write, to entertain and to raise some pretty amazing little girls.  My problem is finding the subject matter.  Not knowing what to write about makes sitting down and being productive a little difficult.  So I use my other creative outlets to get over the need to write.  But I still feel like I need to be doing something more.

So if anyone has heard from God for me about this... It would be great if you would share it with me! :)

The number system

For the anononimity (is that a word?) of my children I have decided that rather than coming up with cute nick names for them that I will just call them #1, #2, #3 and #4.  This will be in age order and in no way indicates order of preferance, or it would look more like #1, #2, #3 and #4.... See what I did there? You have no idea who I'm talking about ;)

So to test this out, last night as my hubs and I were tucking them into bed I started with #4, and said "Good night #4, I love you." She of course giggled because #4 is the silliest and cuttest #4 you'll ever see.  My hubs joined in and started calling her #4 as well.  She likes it.  Then we moved on to #3.  I walked in her bedroom and it was clean, and she was in bed with the lights off.  I asked "Are you already asleep #3"  She shook her head yes.  "Ok then, are you going to pray with us #3?" She shook her head yes.  #3 is an excelent sleeper.  She will go take a nap if we tell her to and always goes right to bed when we tell her to.  "She smiled really big every time I called her #3."  So I guess that means she approves too. So lastly we went into #1 and #2's bedroom. #1 &2 share a room because they are about the same size and have almost everything in common so they share everything, so it's much easier for them to share.  I walked into their room saying "it's time for bed #1 and #2" they started laughing immediatly thinking of bodily functions with similar names.   Who said girls aren't grose? So we started our prayers and #4 came running into the room and jumped on top of #2 and gave her a bear hug.  #2 and #4 are really close.  We finished up our prayer and the jokes about # 1-4 started.  We couldn't stop laughing.  But we all agreed that it will be fun calling them #'s.

I wonder if this new system will keep me from getting their names mixed up when I'm calling them.  You know how us parents are, always calling our kids the wrong names.  But I'm pretty sure I can remember their birth order?.?

This morning I came downstairs and the girls were sitting at the island eating their breakfast in # order.... how convenient is that?  So I leaned forward and said "Good morning #4" and tried to give her a kiss, but she was too busy chewing and wouldn't give me one. Weird because usually she can't resist the mommy kissy face.  Then I scooted down and repeated with #3 -1 then came back to #4.  Then after her kiss she yelled "Milky kiss!" because she had a little bit of milk on her lips.

So from now on when I say something about #3 humming all day long, you will know I'm talking about the 3 child.  If I say something about #2 being 8 chapters into a Jane Austen novel you will know it's my second oldest.  And if I say #1 finished another book series in less than a month, then you will know I have an avid reader ;) And #4 is just a cutie pie, that loves her mama more than anything or anyone in the world, well except for maybe her favorite spot blanket. I think I'm a close second to the blanket. Oh wait, I just asked her, she said she likes me better.

Thoughts of a military nature.

Today I saw an image of a young woman visiting the grave of her husband, and the young man in uniform kneeling behind her with his hand upon her shoulder. He is transparent (a ghost) so we get the idea that he is there comforting her and listening to her as she visits him. It says "NEVER FORGOTTEN!! Remember those who have Fallen fighting for ALLof US!"

As a wife of a career military man this is very powerful to me. One, because I know this could easily have been me, or still could be some day. And two, because society so easily dismisses the sacrifices that military members and their families make. We seldom hear about those that lost their lives defending our freedom.

I sob uncontrollably when I see a folded flag handed to a widow. I pray that I will never get one of those handed to me! I told my husband that I didn't care what his plans are, I'm dieing first. I tear up when I see someone in uniform reuniting with his/her family, because I have been there. 

The longest deployment kept us apart for four months while I was home (in Japan) with my two babies and no family to help me out. When he came home the girls didn't know him! I stood there with one girl in each arm holding them close wiping my eyes on them because my husband wouldn't get off the stinking plane! A local reporter snuck up and snapped a picture of us because we looked so pitiful. But then was there when he finally got off the plane and came quickly up to us. You can see the love in our eyes. Or... looks say everything.

for the love of children

Most people know me as a calm, level headed, soft spoken mom. But my family knows different. They see the me that is rigid and always in need to be in control of things.  I do not like it when my house is a mess and the children are not doing their work. When there are toys all over the floor and the carpet is covered in dirt, scraps of paper and pencil erasures, muddy dog footprints on the tile, beds unmade and laundry not done I feel like the house is in shambles and that we should be on an episode of hoarders!  My skin crawls and I feel my stress level rising.

On a good day I will do a quick clean up and be just fine. On a bad day I will clean while complaining to the kids that if they would just do their chores every day they wouldn't have to hear me yelling at them and calling them little piggies.

I do know that I need to be somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. The girls do need to learn responsibility and clean up after themselves. Getting dressed, and brushing their teeth in the morning should be automatic. I do not believe I should have to tell them every day.

It drives me crazy when they are singing and laughing instead of doing their math, or splashing water all over the counter top and mirror instead of brushing their teeth and washing their sweet little faces.

I fight anger on a daily basis, trying to ignore the little things that get under my skin. I'm usually unsuccessful and I end up telling them to be quite and to do their work. I feel like I need to control every aspect of their life. I wonder where that came from?

I only get this way (controlling and demanding) about things that are my responsibility. If it is my job to make something into a finish product, I will do my very best to make it the best that it can be. But, with children, there are so many uncontrollable variables. How irritating! It is my job that they learn the materials that they need to know for each grade level. Some day they will be going back into public school and I don't want them to be behind in any way.  I don't know, maybe that is my pride speaking and not love. Love wants them to grow and mature and to improve themselves, pride wants to turn them into little robots that do not have their own thoughts and imaginations.

God gave me free will, and I have to admit that He also gave it to my children. They love me even when i am mad at them, just as God loves us even when we mess up. Don't get me wrong, I do love my children no matter what! love never comes into question, but the way I'm loving them does.

I love my darling baby girl (who is now 4) when she is dancing around and singing sweetly or cuddling up in my lap much more than when I'm unclogging the toilet from the roll of toilet paper that she decided she needed to use to clean the poo out of her pants. And when I'm cleaning that same poo off the toilet, carpet and out of her underwear, and off her little hinny. I get frustrated by her lack of self control, or her outright rebellion in refusing to go to the bathroom in the toilet, and the mess she makes all over herself and the floor and the toilet and her clothes when trying to clean the mess up herself.

Many times after yelling at the kids for one act of disobedience or another I walk away and reflect. It seams like I always regret yelling or raising my voice at them, and sometimes saying things that I shouldn't. I think about my own mistakes and how I must be giving God the same frustrations my children are giving me. Why can't I just behave and do what God created me to do?

Because, I am human and I am not capable of doing His will on my own. How can I expect more from my children than I do from myself?  The fact that I know these things does not change my behavior, and it does not change theirs. All we can do is love each other

World traveler...kind of...part 1

Lake Quinalt, Washington (the rainy part)

I am a native resident of Washington State. Where everything is green and beautiful. A lot of people would say that's because it rains all the time, but I don't think so.  Although it has been over 12 years since I have called it home, so my memory may be a bit shady.
Washington has so much variety and that is what I love about it.

Lake Chelan, Washington (The hot side of the state)

The Pacific Ocean, Ocean Shores, Washington

I don't know if you noticed the theme or not,
but there is a lot of water there! I miss the crystal clear water.

And smack dab in the middle of the state is the Cascade Mountain range, it sepertates the "wet" side from the "dry" side. So many wonderful things to see and do in Washington! 




Mt. Rainer

I lived in Washington for 21 years of my life before I began a life of a military wife. I met my husband while out with a friend. Six months later we were married. Three months after that we were packing up and headed to Misawa, Japan.

Blogging from my phone

Technology is truly amazing. I have been using the excuse that I can not blog because my computer likes to turn pink and restart itself every time I turn it on. But apparently like almost everything else there is "an app for that." So the little blogger icon on my phone next to my to do list will be a friendly reminder to Swype away on my phone, unless I get UN lazy any time soon and carry the laptop downstairs so that I can "work"and "school"at the same time instead of putting off the work. So this will be the beginning of my attempt at daily posts. Keep me accountable! Please:)