So I do this thing where life is going well, I’m rising to the challenges, and then I decide that enough is not enough and I ought to add to it. I can’t be the only one.
Finally managing two kids? Get cats.
Managing two kids and two cats? Add a dog.
Parenting? Add homeschooling.
Homeschooling? Add managing a soccer team. And La Leche League. And running.
This time I blame my brother-in-law. I have been completely content to look on each November as dedicated and passionately crazy people try to write a novel in a month. Despite the fact that I have been an aspiring writer since I was 10, I have been happy to look at NaNoWriMo and think nothing more than, “That’s a really great idea. A great idea for later.” This weekend, though, Kyle invited me to a kick-off party in Winnipeg.
Later became “Maybe”. Maybe become “Why not”? And “why not?” sounds like a dare to me. And ever since I started my life makeover, I usually accept my own dares. I’ve stopped letting fear sit in the driver’s seat. And I kindasortamaybe jumped off the cliff.
It looks like Sandra will join me in the Young Writer’s Program. She gets to pick her own word count target, lucky duck. (Even if you’re not interested in NaNoWriMo, check out the resources for young writers there. The workbooks are phenomenal.)
So now I’m looking at starting a novel in 9 days or so, with no outline. Just the germ of an idea I’ve been kicking around while I run for the past year. And one of the biggest questions I’m asking is: “But what about the Christmas knitting?!”
(Couldn’t this be in January or February? Those are dingy months in need of a challenge.)
Handmade Homeschool 
Good for you! It’s a pretty wild ride in many ways. I did NaNo last year and it was fantastic. I “won”, but did not finish the book. This year, I’m planning to do it again, working on the same novel…I have about 30% left to write and then there’s revision and proofing.
My daughter (10) did the YWP and she LOVED it. I hope you both enjoy it!
Oh — forgot to mention the Christmas knitting definitely suffered, but I did manage to knit my sister a sweater during the same month…it’s only housework that suffers, after all, and who cares about that?
Good luck. Last year a few friends did NaNoWriMo and in years past my son did it. I set a goal of knitting for a half hour every day for the month of November last year and will do so again. More my style as I do not want to write more at this point but to sit and knit! LOL