Mother power

IRA in Atlanta was great--super fast, and I'm still so tired I'm falling asleep at 8 pm. It's always so encouraging to meet the fantastic educators out there--principals, teachers, reading specialists. They love kids, they have so much enthusiasm for learning (and they are just as ready for summer as you guys are, so be kind these last weeks!). And they are done such a disservice (as are the kids) by No Child Left Behind. Argh. I always mean to blog about that, but it feels like such a huge topic I never feel like I have the time. I met one woman who raised ten children and now as a second career is a teacher. I was completely in awe--talk about a superhero. We should put women like her on the coins. How about the nickel? Does Franklin really need to be on a bill and on a coin? I ask you.

One really cool part of IRA was this "Joint Publishers Authors Cocktail Party." I had no idea what it was until I got there, and it was basically a room full of every children's and YA author at the convention, like 60 of them. They read a list at the beginning, and I was such a fan girl, I was dying. I'll try to remember a few--Gail Carson Levine, Pam Munoz Ryan, Jon Scieszka, Michael Buckley, Laura Ruby, Jerry Spinelli, Meg Cabot, Megan Whalen Turner, Eric Rohmann...I'm forgetting a million, forgive me, fabulous authors! Megan and I met (at last!) and we went around the room, trying to read people's name tags. I told Meg Cabot how often I get introduced as "Shannon Hale, author of The Princess Diaries," and she told me how often she gets my fan email. She said, "Sometimes I think I should forward it, but I'm so bitter I just delete." She was killing me, she is such a riot.

Don't forget your mamas this weekend (it's Mother's Day this Sunday in the US). These are women who had to put a diaper on you while you crawled away, who knew how to subtly employ in public the Sniff Test, who walked around all day with spit up on their shirt, who kissed you one thousand times before breakfast.

Hey moms, here are a few simple things I do to make life a little nicer for myself and my family.

• I write a short letter to my kids each month, telling them what they're doing now, recording stories of things they've said and done. I love going back to read them, and I think one day they'll love to have that record. It takes me about twenty minutes each month, and it deals a hard blow to mothering guilt. Okay, so I haven't taught my son how to make his bed, but at least I'm recording the incidents of his life!
• On my regular grocery store trips, I buy two limes and a lemon. I used to think of those fruits as special fruits, only for exotic recipes. Now having them in the house I use them for whatever (squeezed over chicken, on a burrito, on fruit or green salad, into drinks). They are so yummy and make food snazzier. I can't believe now I went years without a lime on hand. It reminds me of when I lived in Paraguay, and we had a lime tree growing right next to our place. We put lime on everything. Mmm...
• This year I started wearing eye shadow. Yes, eye shadow! You're going to laugh at me, but this was a very fun discovery for me. I never knew how to wear it before, then my sister taught me and helped me get some good eye shadow (turns out there's a huge difference between grocery store and Mac). I love feeling all snazzy when I go out now. Mary Kay has a great little tube of shimmery stuff called Eyesicles that I put on my eyelid as a base, and it helps the shadow stay on all day.
• I keep an ipod speaker in the kitchen and play a good mix of music in the morning while I'm getting everyone breakfast and cleaning up. It gives me energy and makes breakfast a party. Max's favorite song? "Stop the Rock."

What are some simple tricks you've learned to snazz up life? Share!

Comments

[heather]

Amen to giving yourself a few little rewards as a mother--it helps to remind you that you are a person, not just a drool covered zombie :)

[Miss Erin]

Loved this post. Happy Mother's Day, Shannon!

[Sycamore]

Do I have to be a mother to make a suggestion?

If not, here's one of my favorite tips -- take time to smell the flowers. Literally. I make it a point to smell the lilacs every day when they bloom. Heavenly.

[Rosalee]

One that Robin McKinley shared on her blog awhile back that was quite a revelation to me--as well as writing "To Do" lists, also write "Have Done" lists. Even if your To Do list is forever long, you feel a little less overwhelmed when you can hold up your Have Done list and say, Look! I HAVE accomplished something!

[Q]

Celebrate the small things. Make molasses cookies one day just because you feel like it.

[Asha]

i wish my parents did a record thing like that, it's really clever, i'd like to know what i did when i was little. C:

[myrna]

We love spending time at the library every week. Even my five-year-old son (and he is all boy!)has said that he wished we could live there. But reading and singing to/with my children throughout the day is the best bonding experience. It just makes us happy.

[Christen]

Well, I'm not a mom, but I listen to Disney songs while I wash the dishes. It's great, because slowly my whole family will start humming different parts of the songs (who doesn't love Disney?) and even if we're not all in the same room, it makes something boring and mandatory into something fun! :D

[Dr. Sallie N. Cheinsteen]

I'm not a mom either, but here are two things that make my life better.
My family and I like to watch movies and eat popcorn. But not the popcorn from the microwave. We put oil in the bottom and then popcorn seeds and shake it over the stove. So delicious.
Then, when it's raining, I love to drive in the car. You turn on some music and forget about everything you would be doing, and just let nature amaze you.

[Calliope1of9]

Whenever I come across a fabulous book or song/album, I share it with someone. Or a few people. Or everyone who happens to pass by me that day...

[Alla]

Dear Shannon!
It’s a great pleasure for me to let you know that I’d got a wonderful opportunity to translate your brilliant novel “The Princess Academy” into Russian. I’m not an experienced traslator (it was my first serious work) and I’m only 21, so it was a great school for me and I daresay it was the best work in my life as well.
I’d like to thank you for your book and for the delightful moments it gave to me. I hope your other novels will appear in Russian soon too, ‘cause your books are exactly what modern children and teens need: they’re kind and beautifully written. Besides, they make the young reader think much and deeply and help him to distinguish the good from the bad in our mixed-up world and to be himself in any circumstancies. And I would be really happy if I had another chance to work with your creations.
Thank you once more. Wish you luck and inspiration.

Sincerely yours,
Alla.

P.S. One more detail. I was pregnant while working with “Princess Academy”, so it was my son’s first fairy-tale. Now he’s already here with me and I’m sure one day he’ll read the book himself “once again”.
Best wishes.

[Gretchen]

Alla, that's really cool!
Okay, that author list up there? WOW. Oh, to be a fly on the wall of that party!
Also, a very happy mother's day to Shannon and the rest of you moms out there! I don't think words can express just how incredibly awesome you all are.

[Jean]

Austenland won a Reader's Choice Award for Salt Lake County Library System so they've now got a special sticker on the spine in addition to the usual library stickers. Congrats! (We voted for it of course!)

Love the comments-we buy big bags of limes from Costco-limeade almost all the time-yum!

My mother trick would be spontaneous hugs for your children and spouse and sharing with others-family, neighborhood, friends. Your children will notice and soon want to be involved as you share even if it's as simple as donating to a food drive or running over a chocolate something.

[tracie vaughn zimmer]

I love the ipod to washing dishes....must do!

My mom tricks:

Hide a surprise in a bookbag every now and then- a note, or treat.

Make a recording of your child's voice with some device. I love these as much as pictures

Buying fresh flowers for the table (they are really not all that expensive from the grocery store) esp. in winter. (the tom-boy's equivalent to eye shadow!)

[calandria]

Wow, Alla! I'm glad you posted on Shannon's blog (as opposed to emailing her privately) so I could read and enjoy your comment too. I agree whole-heartedly with all you say about her books.

My mom trick: When I'm driving I sometimes dance at stoplights. I have lots of great moves I think are cool. Seriously. You would think my kids (13, 10, 7, and 6) would be embarrassed by this but they think it's funny. They like to watch other driver's reactions.

[Rachel]

Happy Mother's Day to Shannon and to all of you awesome mothers out there. I just finished 'River Secrets' and it's a wonderful book. My aunt got me Princess Academy for my birthday awhile ago and I read it twice already!

[Olivia T.]

Oh my goodness! You must have been absolutely swooning over all of those wondrous authors, Miss Shannon! But now maybe you can comprehend a little better how I felt when I met you! I hope that I get to see you again soon! Your tips, as well, made me grin...you are so much fun! Oh, and Happy belated Mother's Day to all the beautiful mothers! Even though it's the day after, spoil yourself and have some fun!

[Chelsea]

Totally agree on the no child left behind thing, we call it no child gets ahead at my house.
OMG, i want to meet Megan Whalen turner! The King of Attolia is SO amazing!
Happy Mother's day, mothers!

[Liesolotte]

Reaction to those authors:
!!!!!!!!!!!
Gail Carson Levine and Jerry Spinelli are absolutely fabulous writers(and people, I assume)- nearly as wonderful as you are yourself! Jon Scieszka's books are so funny! I read them to my little brothers all the time! (And to myself sometimes, too ;) ) My, I am going all starry-eyed with wonderment

[bookbutterfly]

Sorry I'm late, but Happy Mother's Day to you and to all mothers out there! I love those tips. So smart and cute! :D

That is so incredibly cool that you met all those neat authors! The Princess Diaries part is a crack-up!

[shannon hale]

Just last night I met a lovely woman who told me, "I love your books! The Princess Diary is my favorite." I always just smile and thank them, but I do wonder how often they're just mixing up the titles and how often they really do think I'm Meg Cabot.

I love all these life snazzer tips. Hi Tracie!

[Shay Shay #1 fan!!!]

Hey shannon, what makes me happy and energetic is I have a dance party with my older sister (who by the way is going on a mission to uraguae.Kind of like Paragua) We dance at like 12:00 at night we both just have the time of are lives. Dance like a mad man!!! Try it, it is super fun!!!

[Shay Shay #1 fan]

P.S I have heard a lot a comments saying that they loved meeting you! I live near salt lake and I am about to die of your books. I want to meet you so I can tell you how much I love your books in person. I am writing a fairy tale as well. You are the author that inspired me to write this book. I am far along with it.

I LOVE YOUR BOOKS! please email me back. It would mean to world to me. No joke I would probably die if you did. You are the best remember that. My email is Froggy7272@gmail.com thank you SOOOOO much!!!! :)

[Brianna]

I love your idea about writing your children a letter every month. That is SO much more fitting for me than keeping a scrapbook (the ones I bought are blank - and my first child is nearly 4!).

My mom tip: At bedtime each night we share our 2 favorite parts of the day. It is a great way to recap the day's events and gives me a glimpse into the mind of my children and what they treasure/how they think! It also gives them a chance to see what makes me tick . . . and that sometimes things OTHER than what I do with them are my favorites (they can hardly believe it could be possible, but it IS sometimes true - and it SHOULD be!).

[Berlinwritergirl]

Loved the tips on bign a mom. Here are a few things I do:
When housework gets overwhelming, we do the clean play system. I clean 1 room and then I have to play whatever the kids want for a set amount of time (Usually dinosaurs or barbies, or both) Then I clean another room and then play time again.

I love to go meet authors and get books signed. I get all the books signed to my kids and they are my books until my kids grow up and leave home then they already have a library started.

[stacy]

Oh, I'm so sad I missed you at IRA! I had no idea you would be there. It was SO busy--I barely had time to run from one place to the other--and I didn't make it to that publisher's reception or I'd have figured it out. We keep missing each other. One of these days we'll catch up again!

[Liz Livingston]

There is always housework, but childhood slips away fast. I tried to do the GBH thing by turning off the TV for the children and picking up a good book. Now I have 7 children, it is still one of my favorite moments of the day. (My newest favorite children's book is While Mama Had Her Quick Little Chat.) Having 7 children in a very short period of time has limited my personal reading time, but now that my baby is 2 1/2, I've just started picking books back up. My oldest daughter, Sarah (13), reads as if her life depended on it. While there is no hope that I can catch up with her, I decided I had to find out more of what she is feeding her mind, so I decided to begin with one of her favorite books-Goose Girl. Frankly, it is your fault for writing such an enjoyable book that my family didn't have much dinner for 3 nights while I read during every possible moment. I've finished Enna and will start River today. (Sarah was trying to sneak River out of my room yesterday--I told her she could re-read it now, but she couldn't take it to school so that I could read it while she is gone.) Looking forward to Bayern number 4. However long it takes is fine, since we know your children deserve your best energy first!

[Worlds Greatest Mommy]

We sing a song on the way to school, that always makes us laugh. It's Paul McCartney's "Great Day", but we change it up and everybody gets to make their own rhyming couplet. We keep repeating until everyone has had a turn and then finish the song with "It won't be long." The couplets are silly, "When you see a frog, tell it to sit on a log." Even when our morning has been chaotic, (think...missing shoes, no milk and tons of cereal, last minute paperwork to sign, etc.) I feel like the kids get out of the van and are ready to combat all that they'll experience at school. They know that "it won't be long" until they're home!

[NerdyEm]

Such savvy mothering tips! I'm also a fan of keeping the fruit bowl stocked with our friends, the lemon and lime.

Have you tried a squeeze of lime and a dash of nutmeg in a roux or Bechamel sauce. In Stroganoff or any creamy pasta dish, the lime and nutmeg make all the difference in the world for me. It's the lime...or maybe it's just that I'm finally splurging and buying Costco's tri-tip steak for the beef instead of Harmon's hamburger). Who knows?

And now that the weather has finished its fit of blasting us with cold air and rain, there can be nothing better than watching little distended-looking two and three year-old toddler tummies under bathing suits jumping up and down and heaving in and out with giggles of pleasure at the sight of a pitcher of freshly-squeezed lemonade/orangeade as it's brought outside on a sunny day to cool down the rivulets of sweat on busy little heads.

One secret (since you asked us to share our own mothering tips...) I've found for keeping myself awake during our afternoon storytime session, is to eat my afternoon snack while I'm preparing the kids'. (However, maybe this is weird of me to admit, as possibly no one else has this narcoleptic problem of falling asleep while reading to their kids?) Anyway, if I finish a bite or two of a snack while I"m reading aloud at the kitchen table or on a picnic blanket outside, I can read aloud our new library books and actually stay awake! Novel idea, stay awake while reading. (Not that I don't adore picture books, because when I hit the 30 book maximum limit each week in our county library system, it's not because the kids are begging for the books, it's because I want to enjoy my fetish along with my kids.)

On the days when I don't prepare our snacks at the same time as our reading sessions, we sit on the couch at two in the afternoon and read through several books while the afternoon sun is glowing through the windows, and my head begins to droop and my 5 year-old elbows me in the ribs as my 3 year-old snaps "READ!"
I remember my mom falling asleep while reading to my sisters and me before bed. Now I know why. (But she probably wasn't staying up to e-mail Shannon Hale at 1:00 in the morning, she was doing the dishes that I'm ignoring at the moment.)

Shannon, this is a tad off-track, but have you read a charming little picture book entitled "Jody's Beans"? It's Irish, written and illustrated by two Irish talents, and it thrilled my gardener's heart so much, I decided it would make the birthday gift list of books for my kids. So, I just received it in the mail from Alibris.com this month (do you just eat up the arrival of books and packages in the mail or what?!) for my one year-old who turns two this summer. Anyway, the book's about a little girl whose "Grand-ah" (really spelled "G-r-a-n-d-a", but it makes the Irish accent so much more edible spelling it phonetically) pays a visit and brings 12 scarlet runner bean seeds. Grand-ah shows Jody how to make a pole bean teepee and the illustrations cover all four seasons as the tendrils wind and curl up the poles.

Being an illustrator (albeit a has-been, as I haven't taken on a commission since my oldest was one), I was disgusted and green with envy--but thoroughly impressed--to find out that the stunning pen and ink watercolors were done by a first time illustrator. Go Judith Allibone! So, if you haven't yet come across this little ruby of a book, put it on hold at the library, and you'll beg your kids to let you read it to them every night. (Or you can just shut yourself in the bathroom and pour over it lovingly by yourself; not that I've done that, of course...)

So one last mothering tip, which was introduced to me by my good husband (so it's really a fathering tip then) is using wireless earphones. I used to walk around preparing dinner each night (my sacredly selfish but sanity saving book-on-tape time) unplugging my head set from my tape/CD player as I stepped away from the counter to get something from the fridge or pantry. As a side note: I just recently downloaded my first e-book online, but usually I check out books-on-tape and CD from the library. So I still, in my antediluvian ways, use a cassette/CD player. Anyway, my husband gave me a wireless headset for Christmas, and it's wonderful! I can go downstairs to do a load of laundry, go outside (within 30 feet) to take out the compost, and not worry about unplugging or disconnecting a thing. AND, principally, my Dandelion Wine continues to pull me back in time, totally undisturbed.

Until, of course, my one year old toddles in with a stinky diaper, and then I turn off the robot mommy earphones, and become a flesh and blood mommy for three minutes so that I can understand the onslaught of imperatives my daughter whimpers to me as I hold her down for a wrestling match of wipes and fresh nappies. But then I return to the no-longer-chore-but-pleasure of making dinner with a good story in my ear. That's how I read/heard Goose Girl--and what a good job those actors did with the voices!

So, Hooray for techo husbands who keep us in the 21st century!

I've long overspent my typing welcome, so I'll sign off and go to bed before my head splits too much as I hear "Maaamuh, Mommeee!" calling me from the crib at the crack of dawn.

Thanks for giving me such fun blogs to read occasionally when I need a late-night recharge to keep me going mentally.

Enjoy the sun and 70s this week!