Category: Kids

The Geek Girl’s guide to … disaster

So, the trip started out pretty good. No traffic on the way to the airport. Easy check in. Plus, when we reached baggage claim, our one piece of luggage was already on the conveyor belt.

I think we used up our good trip karma for a while.

First, finding the rental car shuttle took a while. You’d think it would be obvious. Eh, not so much. Then, oh, the traffic getting out of Chicago. You’d think everyone was leaving for a long holiday or something.

When we cleared Chicago, naturally we hit some construction. The drive took much longer than expected, but at last we made it. I was checking in at the hotel desk when I asked Andrew to get our luggage.

He returned a moment later with the news:

It wasn’t in the car.

Minus the items in our carry-on bags, that one piece of luggage had everything: swimsuits, clothes for the book signing, underwear.

I’d been so busy getting Kyra’s booster seat situated and checking out the car, that I assumed Andrew (who’d been lugging the suitcase all along) had put it in the back. He thought I had.

So, we drove away without it.

The good news is it’s still at the rental car place. Bad news? We have to go get it if we want it before Monday.

Fortunately, Danville has a Wal-Mart. While I prefer Target, I’m not sure I would’ve ended up with my new wowza six dollar book signing “ensemble” from them. Yes, I picked something that was on the rack outside the store.

Because I’m crazy that way.

Darcy met us at Wal-Mart. She and Kyra bonded while selecting fashions in the girls’ section. Andrew found some nice cargo shorts and shirt to wear. Plus, we got some essentials: toothpaste and underwear, swimsuits and sandals.

So, all in all, it could be worse. Miss B is swimming in her new Sponge Bob swimsuit. Despite the fact I made a special shopping trip to the mall, armed with gift cards, I’m highly amused I’ll be wearing a six dollar Wal-Mart clearance rack special to my book launch signing.

Plus, I got to see Darcy last night, who showered my kids with gifts and attention.

Plus, the kids were pretty good through the whole thing (and Andrew felt so awful about not loading the bag).

And … on the really cool Geek Girl news front, we got an awesome quote from Elizabeth Scott.

She read Geek Girl’s Guide and saw in the acknowledgements that we share an editor. So the other day, she sent our editor this quote:

“Sweet, funny, and heart-warming, The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading truly makes you want to cheer!”

Both Darcy and I were beyond stunned. Every time I think about it, I get a big grin–even with the missing luggage.

The wonderful world of words

I was doing various chores/writing/whatever yesterday and Miss B was playing some quiet game. It was just the two of us at home and we were quite content. Then, I heard a laugh and she called out:

Mommy, come see how high this dude is!

My first reaction to this was: Wha–? since more than one definition for that word ran through my head. It seemed that I really needed to check out this dude.

The dude in questioned turned out to be a little Snoopy doll she had poised at the tip-top of a stuff animal clubhouse made of pillows. So, yeah. He was up there pretty high. You might even say he was high.

Sometimes, context is everything.

While I cleaning/clearing things yesterday, I came across a paper Kyra wrote that illustrates the writing lesson of sometimes it’s the word you leave out that’s important (corrected for spelling):

I wish that I lived in a castle because I am a pirate princess but I live in a nice house. I have a nice bed and nice stuff and a brother.

Poor Andrew. He always gets the short end of things, doesn’t he.

Face. Out.

So, last night after dance class, Miss B and I went on safari to see if we could catch Geek Girl in the wild. According to Barnes and Noble online, Geek Girl was stocked at my local B&N. I didn’t know if that meant, why yes, we have it in the back, or if it meant, it’s on the shelf.

Actually, what it meant was: we have it on the shelf. Face. Out.

shelf

Yes, there we were, face out, on the New for Teens shelf. (Other writers know how important the face out placement is–let me tell you, we’re just a little over the top about it, too.) But not only that, you could also find Geek Girl alphabetically:

shelf2

This is a close up, but the T’s (what we’re filed under) are at just below eye level, so that’s nice. Plus, I think our spine is pretty spiffy and eye-catching.

kyra1

One of the sales clerks was restocking Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in the teen section (no, really, she was), so I asked if they had a policy about signing stock, because my book just came out, there it was, and I was kind of excited. She said that she’d go ask the manager.

The manager came out and was so nice. She said, sure, sign our stock. She grabbed all the face out books and we went up to the information counter. She scanned the book to make sure we had all the copies, but then we remembered the one on the other shelf.

“I’ll get it!” Kyra cried out and she flew through the store to get the book and came rushing back. This, by the way, endeared her to the B&N staff. I signed the stock with my special purple pen while Kyra proudly pointed out her name in the dedication.

The manager pulled out the Autographed Copy stickers, which she let Kyra stick on the books:

stickers1

stickers3

stickers2

She even let Kyra keep one of the stickers for herself, which she wore out of the store. The manager said that they’d place the book on a display up front for the weekend, too.

But I’ve pretty much decided I need to take Miss B with me everywhere book related. Guess who was complimented on her lovely hair and big brown eyes? It certainly wasn’t me. Miss B = my secret weapon.

If you want to hear how Darcy’s first sighting went, head on over to the Geek Girl site. (I’ll be recapping this post over there tomorrow.)

In a cat’s eye

So yesterday, we took Oreo (the cat) to the vet. Her eye looked infected. In fact, Andrew woke me from a sound sleep the other night by yelling:

There’s something wrong with Oreo’s eye!

Except, what I heard was:

Somehow Oreo died!

I charged down the hall, wide awake, heart pounding, only to find the cat, just fine, on his bed.

Miss B wanted to come along to the vet since she’s thinking about being a animal doctor. Actually, she has a very detailed career plan. It goes something like this:

  • For two years, rescue injured seals, nurse them back to health, and release them back into the ocean. (She must have seen something on the Discovery channel about this, it’s so precise.)
  • For two years, work at the Animal Humane Society. (Why two years for both? I don’t know.)
  • Then, she’ll work as a veterinarian, taking care of all kinds of animals.

So, I was pleased that the vet tech and the vet herself were women. Plus, a high school girl was there doing job shadowing for a school project.

The vet put stain in kitty’s eye then viewed it with a black light to check for torn cornea. Actually, we all got to view kitty’s freaky glowing eye. A good time was had by all except kitty. Turns out it’s just an infection that we can treat with ointment.

Which, in theory, sounds simple. Have you ever put ointment in a cat’s eye? Sure, they make it look easy at the vet. This morning, it took me and Andrew to do it. And of course, kitty immediately proceeded to wipe it out of her eye.

Tonight, I’m getting the aspiring vet to help me.

Things I’m doing on this rainy Sunday (in no particular order)

  1. Updating the Geek Girl site.
  2. Creating the promotion spreadsheet of doom. I didn’t actually name the file that, but I’m thinking of changing it.
  3. Scanning pictures of my (possibly illegal) trip into East Germany back in the day. Geek girl’s guide to the Eastern Bloc anyone? Anyone?
  4. Convincing Andrew to be a sport and let his sister be president of the glass animals. Apparently all voting takes place when she isn’t in the room.
  5. Writing trying to write avoiding the press release.
  6. Thinking about the Tuscan Trifle Tiramisu gelato in the freezer. It’s made in Italy, so you know it’s got to be good. And it was totally on sale yesterday.

Walk for Animals–the final countdown

walk1 Next Saturday is the Animal Humane Society Walk for Animals. I’ve been checking (somewhat compulsively) the extended forecast. Right now, next Saturday is sandwiched between to rainy days. Let’s hope for sun! Especially since I’m going to be walking with him.

For thirty five years, our local Animal Humane Society has sponsored the Walk for Animals. Since we adopted Oreo from there last September, Andrew thought this would be a neat way to give back.

Andrew’s goal is to raise $500.00. If you’d like to help, click the link below.

Andrew’s donation page at Walk for Animals. (Click the Support Andrew button on the page.)

And thanks!

Or would you rather be a (cat)fish?

Last night, Miss B commandeered my camera and went on a photo safari. Below are a few that she took. Be glad I’m sparing you the blurry one of my running shoes.

catfish

A few days ago, she decided our tank needed another fish. So she made one out of paper and taped it to the glass. I mean, buying another fish. How mundane.

fishtank

We have a mirror in the back of the tank, which is how she got this shot. That’s her big, pink fish floating above her head there. Her homemade “catfish,” as she calls it, is down below.

catfloor

This is one of many cat photos she took last night. One of many. Trust me on this.