It has been a sleepless previous 14 nights and a staggeringly busy past 15 days.

Right now I'm in the middle of baking cupcakes for a girl scout Christmas party this evening, doing laundry, and just chilling out... nevermind the fact that I still need a shower and I have to go grocery shopping today before the kids get home.

I guess I do this to myself. I mean.. I could have BOUGHT cupcakes, but where's the satifaction in that?

Matthew and Carole are doing fine. They have only a half a day of school on Friday and aren't doing too much this week. Carole's teacher is still pushing her to slow down and write neater and I certainly can't seem to get her to understand that neatness counts. My lefty daughter is driving me crazy. Matthew's still excelling in his reading. This boy LOVES to read... and it scares me how quickly he caught on. My baby's not a baby anymore. /cry.

Spoke to the ex briefly earlier in the month. The man was civil. He told me he's in Maryland now. I don't know how to take that. Former sister-in-law has emailed me twice this past week asking about kids and presents. Their aunt has already sent her gifts from Florida.

Andrew's doing well. He went back on the first and is due home for good either right before, on, or right after Matt's birtday. Here's hoping it's before.

I'd best go get those cupcakes... they're fixing to beep if my timing is right.
Thanks for listening,
Jessie Lynn

Word count: 50,005
Progress: ~2/3rds.

I've been moving more slowly because my Andrew is home until right after Thanksgiving. I'm going to get a 2500 word cushion and then my goal is too finish the novel completely by 15th of next month. Going to be a busy month with scouts and school, so here's hoping.

Always somewhere,
Me

Work count: 45,015.
Progress novel wise: ~1/2 way?

They haven't found the first flame yet, but they are in the right spot.

I'm fixing to go take a bath and then see if I can finish this scene. Maybe aforementioned bath will help with the silly idea I'm struggling with. How do they find the flame guarded? Who should attack who?

Andrew's due home sometime tomorrow and I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Anyway, out for now.

Word Count: 30,044. Progress... memories are a good thing, right? Especially when it drops clues to the plot of the story, right?

I'm pushing so hard now to get to 50k before the weekend because my mate is due home for his R&R. I might not finish the novel by 50k, but I will get through NaNo. Then I can write at my leisure while he's home and not worry about my word count. There is method to my madness and here's hoping the actions coming up will flow as easily as the chatter that started all this.

P.S. This book is so not PG-13. I'm having more fun with the characters when they get to behave the way they want to, not the way I think others want it. It's my novel. I'll write this one my way. Not based on preset ideals about who will want to read it. If my characters want to swear, then they will. No more censors on ms Muse here.

Anyway, back to the writing screen.

Current word count is 25,083.
I'm only about 1/3rd of the way through the book, so here's hoping the rest of it flows as smoothly as this part has. It is time for their scavenger hunt of sorts.