March Madness And April Fools

Time for my little end-of-the-month summary (a ritual which is beginning to feel less motivational and more like an exam: Your Month in 1500 Words or Less and by george you better have accomplished something worthwhile or you do not pass go or collect $200).

Unfortunately my Lofty March Expectations (you know, pay off all outstanding student loans, learn to cook, single-handedly bring about world peace, make my hair do that Farrah Fawcett thing, try to understand how on earth Coldplay could be considered an alternative band, and so on), turned out to be just that: lofty.  Thirty-one days is just too stinkin' short to pull off such wondrous things, especially when one is hopelessly ill for about half of it (which I mentioned here and here and here.  Heh.  I certainly came off as a whiner this month, sorry mates).

Seeing as I voluntarily started this blasted tradition, I am determined to stick with it for at least 12 months.  You can read my January (I Have Not Yet Managed to Kill My Plants) and February (Everything I Could Never Tell You) reviews if you'd like, but I'd just as soon you didn't.  Speaking of, the plants died.  They just can't seem to survive me for longer than eight weeks.

So, here goes:

Weather-Related: March brought The First Day of Spring. Which is just that much closer to The First Day of Summer.  Warmth, happiness, and freckles, you know.

Isaac-Related: This month Isaac studied phonics, the ASL alphabet, and basic colors and shapes.  I've also been teaching him House-Work 101 (because why else do you have kids).  He can now dust and vacuum, clean windows, do the laundry, and make his own lunch (he cooks a diverse menu of pbj, pasta, or rice and has subsequently exhausted my cooking abilities).  He also got another buzz-cut because, well, I have no idea how to cut his hair otherwise.  He has since developed some seriously bizarre techno dance moves (no idea), and polished up his rapport with the ladies.  Sad to say, his winking skills aren't much better than mine (facial spasms come to mind), but he did walk into the room the other day and say, "hey baby," to me.  Which I think he must've got from Tim.  In other news, he got into the preschool we wanted (which is right next to our apartment)!  He starts May 1st.

Etsy-Related: The Flowerchild Post-Card Series has been scanned, edited and dispatched to a stateside printer (or at least will be dispatched sometime this week).  The images have been posted (here) I am now accepting pre-orders, although I won't officially be opening my Etsy shop until the end of April.  The illustrations will be available in standard 4x6 post card prints at $2 a card or $20 a set (plus S&H), and I will consider creating further illustrations as based on request.

I've also finished five original pieces for the shop and hope to have at least ten by the time I open, but we'll see how things go.  Speaking of, do you think I should name my Etsy shop Ladaisi (like the blog), or something else?  I'd love to hear your suggestions.  (If you're confused about the "word" ladaisi, you'll find an unsatisfactory explanation here.)

Book-Related: I sent the picture book off to three new agencies, and received The Most Hilarious Rejection Letter of All Time from Writer's House.  You can read about it here.  If I don't manage to snag an agent, I'll consider printing the book via LuLu or Amazon and making it available on Etsy.  We'll see.  Or possibly I should just become a disciple of Miss Snark, what with all her advice concerning how to win an agent and marry George Clooney. 

Blog-Related: I think celebrations are in order as I finally reached my 500th post (the majority of which was written in the past year and a half)!  Sadly there's no trophy for consistently writing sheer nonsense and launching it, willy-nilly-like, into cyberspace, but it does seem to be picking up a bit of free-lance opportunities and making some pocket change.  Which is kind of flattering, to say the least.

Danish-Related: I have not yet managed to fail out of Danish class.  That being said, I think my understanding of the language is getting decidedly worse.  After clumsily wading through Modules 1-3 you'd think I'd be more prone to actually say something in Danish, but no.  I did, however, write up this little exercise for the benefit of my teacher, who found it rather hilarious because Tim is taking her class at Risø.  (Disclaimer: the following text may or may not be  completely wrong.)

Tim and Lauren at a Restaurant:

Tim: Da jeg cyklede 1.3 km i dag, vil jeg kun spise dessert til frokost. Jeg vil gerne spise tærte og kage og cremefraiche og en æbletærte. Jeg vil drikke sukker med lidt the i det.  Since I cycled 1.3 km today, I'm only ordering dessert for lunch.  I will have pie and cake and 'cremefraiche' and an apple tart.  I will drink sugar with some tea in it.

Lauren: Du er så sund, Tim. Jeg vil spise salat med kylling, tak. Jeg vil drikke kaffe.

You are so healthy, Tim.  I will have a salad with chicken, and drink coffee.
Tim: Du vil ikke have dessert?  You are not having dessert?
Lauren: Nej tak. Jeg vil spise noget af din dessert.  No thanks.  I will eat some of yours.
Tim: Tim ikke deler mad!  Tim does not share food!

... Tim didn't find it so funny, but I'm sure you'll be able to read all about it in his guest post (explained here).  Assuming he ever writes it.

Bulletin-Board-Related: It's up and running (here).  I will post a photo of it this week, but first I've got to pin up some flotsam mailed all the way from N.C. (and it was the best manilla envelope I've ever received, and thank you).  By the bye, if you've got any paper scraps you think belong in Denmark, please send them my way and I'll add them to the collage!

Otherwise-Related: Planned out summer travels (check - I will be on a stateside beach in less than seven weeks, wahoo! and then back to explore Denmark, the Channel Islands, and possibly Sweden and Norway.  Not to mention full-time summer visitors.  Couldn't be happier).  Finished up another Sayer's mystery novel (check - and moved onto the next.  I'm going to cry when this series runs out).  Started watching Once Upon A Time as recommended (check - and may I just add ... I hate it when I start watching TV shows before several seasons have been released.  Waiting is for the birds).  Got new running shoes (check - and they feel like paper airplanes.  Which is always a plus).

So ... how did March treat you?

And also: Happy April!