I'm Back, and This Time I Mean It

This morning, I checked in with Delikat, a blog I'd been enjoying last fall, but hadn't seen activity on since January. Lo and behold, there was a new post in which we learn that Crafty Fox hasn't been posting because she's five months pregnant and has been feeling lousy. Now there's an excuse for falling behind on your blogging.

In a way, I feel like I've been an expectant mom all spring, too. Now I'm proud to report that the baby has arrived--the new book is done! Well, at least a cruddy first draft of the new book is done, but, honey, that's all I was shooting for. Never aim for perfection on a first draft. It will make you crazy.

Usually I take a big break between books, catch up with my life, scrub the tub, that sort of thing. But after I'd finished the final draft of The Kind of Friends We Used to Be (out in 2009) in January, I had a lot of momentum going. I'd done a little work on Book No. 2 already ... AND I wanted to have the summer off. So I kept writing and writing and writing.

Now I'm done writing. I am officially on vacation. As officially on vacation as a mom with two boys and a puppy at home can be, anyway.

For me, the beginning of summer is like New Year's. There's the temptation to come up with a long list of resolutions, mostly involving doing lots of educational and edifying activity with the boys. But this summer, I'm trying to be realistic. Here's what my summer looks like: One week at the beach, two weeks of camp for Jack, and day after sunscreened day at the pool.

I'm not going to try to fight it. I'm not going to invest in books about Amazing Activities to Improve Your Children in Three Short Months. I'm going with the flow.

I do plan to sew some curtains and knit some socks. And write a poem or two. And post about my trials and tribulations on this Blog in a regular fashion as well as get inspired by other blogs, which I've been neglecting to do as of late.

But that's it. I'm on vacation. You heard it here first.