A Little Bit Naughty & A Little Bit Nice

Yesterday I was a little bit naughty. I did write (the little bit nice part for the day). For about an hour. I finished another chapter's chop and block and reset and cut.

Then I went out for lunch with two girlfriends and we chatted for two hours. Wow. What a luxury. I was so happy to just "be." When I got home, I picked up the house, and I made a lovely meal for the family. Not a hastily cobbled together one, but a full on gourmet favorite. Yummy!

I skipped my blog altogether just to hang out on the sofa and watch TV with my daughter. It was so much fun. No computers on our laps (we're huge MACbook fans -- each have one) and no status checks on Facebook, either. No blogging. No responding to people on their blogs.

We watched Glee. My all time favorite show of the year. We also watched Criminal Minds. My other all time favorite show. What can I say? We're an eclectic and diverse family.

Today I had to take my DD to the Driver's License place to get her Learner's Permit. Sorry folks. She passed. We are talking about a girl who has broken two, no, make that three, bones by literally tripping over her feet. We are talking about a girl who almost suffocated herself in the changing room at the mall while trying on a dress (now and forever known as "the demon dress"). We are talking about a girl who tripped in the same changing booth and bumped her head.

Shopping with her is always great fodder for future YA ideas. She will be immortalized (disguised, but...).

Yes. That girl is learning how to drive.

So here's where I was a bit more nice than naughty. We got to the DMV and DD had all the paperwork according to the manual she'd studied. Unfortunately, the rules changed since September and we had to have an additional piece of paper from her school proving she was in school. Now the DMV (Dept. of Motor Vehicles) is about 30 minutes from door to door. Darling Me asked if she could take the test while I hurried back (of course driving the speed limit *wink*) to get the silly slip of paper. They said yes.

Thus time I would have spent writing/reading at the DMV was spent cruising to and from her school to bring a piece of paper signed by a clerical aide stating that she was, indeed, a student (apparently her most recent, all A progress report wasn't adequate enough). DH knew I was upset about the time lost, but offered to meet me later (to shop for same girl's Christmas), and offered to come get me an hour later so I could squeeze in some writing time (I love it when they show their belief in me by supporting my need to write).

DD passed the test. I was so happy for her (despite my concerns for all the innocent drivers who are blissfully driving unaware of this newbie's future reign of terror), and we celebrated by shopping a bit and being happy (plus she got to miss most of her honors chemistry--double bonus). DD had a great day. She's happy.

I am, too. For during the time I was driving back to her school, I thought how lucky am I? I can pursue my own passion and dreams, but I don't have to take away my time from being the mom she needs me to be when things like this happen. And she's growing up. Soon I won't be chasing down roads driving her forgotten articles to school, hauling teens to malls and dance and school. Soon she'll be chasing down the roads and I'll be a worrying wave goodbye.

So I treasured today's bit of nice.

And I was nice again. I managed to squeeze in a bit more writing (chop and block/move and paste), meet my DH to shop for our DD, and feel like I had accomplished quite a bit after all.

Slow and steady through these times. But even a little moves us forward. Tomorrow, I'll have one less scene to visit as I trudge toward the finish line. Not the first time across. Nor the last. But at least it is one less time to do it once I get there.

Whew.... onward ho! Countdown begins: 14 sleeps till Christmas Morning!!!