NaNoWriMo, and Why I Am Late...Again.

I feel like I'm beginning to fall into a habit of this. 

Before i explain to you why I'm late this week, I also have an announcement to make. 

So, this month, I'm doing Camp NaNoWriMo, which is a program exactly like the regular NaNoWriMo, except for the fact that it's in the summer. I'm writing a book and I'm really liking it, and it's been taking up a lot of my time. 

I wanted to do it in April or whenever the first one was, but I couldn't manage it because I was still in school and I had a bunch of other stuff to do to get ready for the hot summer months. 

But I'm doing it this month. It's super exciting and fun and if any of you are writers, I suggest you check it out. There's a children's/teen's website called The Young Writers' Program at ywp.nanowrimo.org , and there's another program for 13-113 that's just plain-ol' National Novel Writing Month at www.nanowrimo.org . And for summer there's www.campnanowrimo.org .

It's super fun and free and you can participate in it at any age. In YWP and Camp NaNo, you set your word count goal, which is the number of words you aim to write in 30 days, though in the "real" NaNoWriMo, the set goal is 50,000 words. 

It's not nearly as hard or daunting as you think, because if you write a certain amount of words a day, you reach your WCG in no time at all! 

Anyway, if you want to try it out, you can do novels, biographies, screenplays, scripts, poems, songs, or even sentences if you want! All that matters is that you write and have fun. Check it out. It's amazing. 

NOW! To the excuses for why I didn't post and my updates on the 4th! ^-^

In my defense, I did have a very impromptu-ly crazy Thursday/Friday. 

So, as you who live in the Land of the Free, also known as that fat lazy country with those unrefined savages, or The United States of America, know, Thursday just so happened to be Independence Day! It's been that way for, oh, about over two hundred years. 

The Fourth of July is kind of an important day for us rebellious, independent US of A citizens, and hence we do stupid things, like throw big parties with lots of meat and potato chips and yummy drinks. And set off big, explosive, colorful and sometimes terrifying tendrils of flame to show our excitement and joy over our freedom and liberty from other countries. 

The only drawback from these parties and fireworks is when you're sitting there watching the show, and your neighbor, who's joined you for the big, delicious celebratory party, accidentally puts the firework in upside-down. 

And so it explodes about 20 feet away from you, shocking and scaring everyone there, making you scream as you feel the shockwave and see the brilliant burst of color that has exploded all too close to you and your friends and family, and setting off the car alarm of your best friend's brand-spankin'-new bright white Toyota Tundra. 

It was an awesome and exciting experience, and since my boyfriend decided I needed to be comforted, and wrapped his arms around me, it was also sort of cute, too. 

After the party, two of my friends slept over, totally ruined half of my makeup doing blind makeovers, and stayed half of the next day, when I had to clean the house and help prepare food for a get-together we were having with some of our closest friends. 

They stayed until ten, and after a long argument between my friend Brianna and her mother, she was allowed to spend the night. And we watched Les Mis. And we wrote, since we're both aspiring authors. And then fell asleep. 

Yesterday was Saturday, and I don't really have an excuse for not posting, and I was even going to post, but in the morning I had to return canopies and chairs to my neighbors that they had let us borrow for the party, and then I was reading all afternoon. 

I finished my book at 1:30 am this morning, finally went to bed around 2am, and then woke up at 11:28 to discover my family gone to 10 o'clock mass.

So here I am, two days late after a crazy weekend, happy that I broke my record for how late I've slept in ever because I'm not nearly as tired as I have been for the past week. 

I guess a good night's sleep solved all my problems. Anyway, my mom and dad are taking my siblings and I on a surprise outing, so I guess I'll see you all next week. Though I probably won't post until Saturday, since I have a birthday party to attend. 

At least I let you know this week, right?

....Right? 

;)

Keep Calm and Endeavor On,

~Adalyn

Today Was The Craziest Day...

I sing in the choir at my church. I think I've told you that before. 

Today was the beginning of a Catholic homeschooling conference here in my state, and there was going to be a graduation mass for the class of 2013. 

It was my mom's idea and so she had to set it up, which meant finding a pair of priests, altar servers, a Eucharistic minister, and a choir, as well as transporting an altar, crucifix, vestments, and various other things necessary for a Mass. 

So, I had to sing for this mass with my choir, and since our choir director is sick, we had to draft someone from another parish to accompany us. 

Which meant that I had to copy, print, staple, and deliver a dozen copies of the songs we were going to sing, AND help my mom set up the altar, crucifix, hymn books and pamphlets. 

It was a total hassle, but the mass was celebrated by the bishop that confirmed my brothers and I, and it was an absolutely beautiful mass. 

Afterword, we had cake and lemonade at a reception for the graduates. 

My brother is severely allergic to nuts. And you'll never guess what. 

There was almond extract in the cake icing. 

So on the way home, he started swelling up, and he was having trouble breathing, and he had hives all over his body. 

Needless to say, my dad took him to the emergency room. 

So I had to babysit my little siblings until my parents got home. 

(That would have been my Friday post, but I fell asleep while putting my youngest sibling to bed, so I didn't post. This would have been the post from Saturday.) 

My dad woke me up at 12:30am and told me to head up to my own bed, where I promptly collapsed. 

And, because my body likes to torture me, I woke up a little before 6am. For some stupid reason, whenever I wake up in the middle of the night, my body decides I need less than eight hours of sleep to function. Genius, right?

My brother was fine. He'd had an IV in and they'd pumped Benadryl into his bloodstream, so he was out of there relatively quickly. I found him sleeping on the couch in the Living Room that morning. 

So I got my chores out of the way and got dressed, and then waited around for a couple hours until we left for the second day of the conference. 

It was actually pretty good. They had a speaker talk about what to expect in and about college, and then after a half-hour break, they had several religious of varying stages come in and talk about vocations. 

Then we had pizza for lunch and after that, I had a gig watching the elementary school-age kids for three hours. 

So I basically calmed down a few rowdy kids, watched Veggie Tales, helped a few kids tracing and coloring their hands, watched more Veggie Tales, and got paid $15 for it! :D

And then...after the day was done I bought some jewelry and headed home to freshen up a bit for my very first high school dance! 

It was held at a dance hall a little ways out of my city, and I went with my older brothers and a few friends. 

We were taught a bunch of line dances, and then we basically just did whatever to a specific playlist until the last song. 

It was really fun, and I can't wait for next month when there will be another one! 

I went swimming at a friend's house today, and we spent an hour and a half in the pool before drying off and getting dressed for mass. 

And that was basically my day. 

Oh, and I had three chocolate-chip cookies. 

Now that you've caught up...yay! 

I'm sorry if it's ridiculously long. And I'm sorry I posted two days late. But, you know, my brother was kind of in the hospital, so...

I promise next Friday, you'll have a post. As long as nobody I know is mauled by a monkey or run over by a trigonometry book, I swear on my favorite hat, I'll post on Friday. 

Keep Calm and Endeaovr On, 

~Adalyn

My Fridayyyy.

This week was kind of boring, really.

I mean, basically I was sick and did school all week. The only variation I can think is worth mentioning is last night.

Yesterday, since I didn't have as much school as usual, I pretty much lazed around in bed all day watching YouTube videos of Say Yes to the Dress and the X Factor.

But at about 6pm, my beloved brother barged into my room without knocking.

I hadn't bothered to put on any "real clothes" because I thought we weren't doing anything that night. Hence, I was wearing a too-small tank top that showed my stomach underneath a crappy but comfy gray hoodie, along with my favorite pair of jeans.

So, when Josh, my brother, barreled into my room without knocking, I probably looked like heck, lying there half asleep on my bed watching an episode about one of those brides who knows exactly what she wants, and her entourage hates all the dresses she loves and makes her try on something she hates. So then the bride starts saying she likes the dresses she really doesn't.

And you're lying there screaming to yourself, "Just do what YOU want, woman! It's your wedding, not theirs!"

But ANYWAY...

Josh told me to come on, we were leaving. And I was like WHAT?!

He explained to me quickly that we were going to the monthly thing we do with two other families every month, and I screamed, WHAT?! I HAVE TO RE-DRESS!

And despite his protests, ran into my closet, changed my shirt, and practically shanked myself with my hairbrush trying to get all the knots out.

But the evening was fun.

We swung on this huge tire swing they have in the middle of their yard, we ate a ton of food, and basically just hung out. It was great.

And then I woke up at eight this morning, because my dad was yelling at one of our dogs, and then I guess I fell back asleep again, because I woke up at 10:45 to the surprisingly loud text tone of my friend Xavier, saying he'd gotten a jagged, dragon-claw style scar when his chihuahua had scratched his face.

So, yeah, that was my Friday. I hope y'all weren't totally bored out of your minds.

Keep Calm and Endeavor On,
~~Adalyn

So I Was Totally Gonna Post on Friday...

But, unfortunately, my beloved blogger app decided to crash and burn and die.

And then on Saturday I went to my good friend Marie's house for a sleepover and stayed there all day the next day too.

So now it's Monday and I'm finally posting.

And guess what.

.....I have a COLD!

I've been sneezing and coughing all day, and it's been absolutely horrible.

I NEVER get colds. I have an immune system made of iron.

And steel.

And stuff like that.

Yet, I still have managed to contract the virus my family has had for TWO WEEKS!

I hate being sick. It makes me feel all helpless and weak and want to listen to Catching Fire all day while I crochet a big blanket for myself and don't worry about math because my mom said not to.

Which is exactly what I did. Although now I wish I'd had the sense to take a nap.

On top of all that, I'm losing my voice from coughing so much, so singing for church yesterday nearly killed me.

And I have voice lessons on Wednesday, and somehow I don't think I'll be feeling much better.

I did have a brilliant book idea today, so yay for that, but I'm still feeling a little down. The fact that my brothers have been ribbing me all day hasn't helped either.

But anyway, I think I'll stop complaining about my life now and text people who've actually seen my face in person, not just over the Internet.

Like my best friends Xavier and Brianna and Christine. They'll hopefully have some sympathy for me, and maybe I can even sleep in a little before the crazy hassle that is every Tuesday decides to shake its frenzied head and say, "Oh, Adalyn, you're sick, sleep deprived, and lonely today? I think I'll abuse you even MORE than usual. MWAHAHAHAHAAAA!!"

So anyway, wish me luck! And good health. And sleep.

Lots of sleep.

Keep Calm and Endeavor On,
~Adalyn