Zoe is wearing Ella's 3T jacket.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Resting
I've been sick the last couple of days and finally called it quits after nap time today. I gave the kids their tablets and went to lay down. . . Luke had other plans.
Karla
Love my sisters!
I have the best sisters in the world. . . no doubt.
My book went live over the weekend on Amazon. I sent the final draft to my sisters and asked them to post a review. . . and since they all helped me with editing and feedback in the writing process they are pretty familiar with it. I was so excited when the book went live. It felt so real. Also, I was not super happy with the first cover from the cookie-cutter template they had and am glad I could create one I wanted. . . mostly. It is hard to find royalty free clip art, that is all I'm saying.
I was just sitting there staring at my book, for sale and all real. It was like seeing the completion of a long goal. I am still working out some bugs. When I downloaded the book to my kindle the Table of Contents link was not working. And there were a couple misspelled words I missed. So this morning I was able to hopefully fix the broken link. I am waiting for the new file to be processed and available before I can check it. I also ordered a hard copy to proof. It should be here by the end of the week. Once I get all the kinks worked out of the kindle and hard copy I will be doing a little self-promotion on social media. But first I need a few reviews, all the glitches worked out and then BAM, done.
Janelle, that total sweetheart, has posted the first review. My first review ever!!!
Even though I was bummed out the traditional publisher did not work out. This has been such a great process. I am glad it ended up this way. I have total control and that's kind of nice for a Bassett girl. When I did the pricing, I listed as low as I could on Kindle, $0.99. For the paperback the price could be set no lower then $6.80, so I listed it at $6.99. This puts my earnings (royalties) at about $0.30 for each ebook and $0.13 for each paperback. I hope this makes it affordable and accessible. But who knows, maybe no one will buy it.
That is kind of the gamble right? You put in all the work and then maybe the market just isn't there. But, I still remember very vividly when I first got the idea. I felt that I needed to write the book and was committed to the idea. I knew I had to write, even though it won't sell a million copies. The basic reason I wrote this book was to be obedient to that prompting.
I learned a lot from this process and do hope it does well. In general if an LDS book sells around 5,000 it is considered successful. And my market is even smaller then general LDS readers. So, I don't even know what type of numbers to hope for or expect. Right now I am casting my bread on the waters and hoping for the best.
My book went live over the weekend on Amazon. I sent the final draft to my sisters and asked them to post a review. . . and since they all helped me with editing and feedback in the writing process they are pretty familiar with it. I was so excited when the book went live. It felt so real. Also, I was not super happy with the first cover from the cookie-cutter template they had and am glad I could create one I wanted. . . mostly. It is hard to find royalty free clip art, that is all I'm saying.
I was just sitting there staring at my book, for sale and all real. It was like seeing the completion of a long goal. I am still working out some bugs. When I downloaded the book to my kindle the Table of Contents link was not working. And there were a couple misspelled words I missed. So this morning I was able to hopefully fix the broken link. I am waiting for the new file to be processed and available before I can check it. I also ordered a hard copy to proof. It should be here by the end of the week. Once I get all the kinks worked out of the kindle and hard copy I will be doing a little self-promotion on social media. But first I need a few reviews, all the glitches worked out and then BAM, done.
Janelle, that total sweetheart, has posted the first review. My first review ever!!!
Even though I was bummed out the traditional publisher did not work out. This has been such a great process. I am glad it ended up this way. I have total control and that's kind of nice for a Bassett girl. When I did the pricing, I listed as low as I could on Kindle, $0.99. For the paperback the price could be set no lower then $6.80, so I listed it at $6.99. This puts my earnings (royalties) at about $0.30 for each ebook and $0.13 for each paperback. I hope this makes it affordable and accessible. But who knows, maybe no one will buy it.
That is kind of the gamble right? You put in all the work and then maybe the market just isn't there. But, I still remember very vividly when I first got the idea. I felt that I needed to write the book and was committed to the idea. I knew I had to write, even though it won't sell a million copies. The basic reason I wrote this book was to be obedient to that prompting.
I learned a lot from this process and do hope it does well. In general if an LDS book sells around 5,000 it is considered successful. And my market is even smaller then general LDS readers. So, I don't even know what type of numbers to hope for or expect. Right now I am casting my bread on the waters and hoping for the best.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Saturday, October 25, 2014
No dice
Well, after 7 months I finally got a reply from Covenant publishing. . .
Of course I am bummed out. Now it means that I will be going the self-publishing route, which is more of a headache for me. It would have been nice to have someone else do all the formatting and getting some really great cover art. But, on the bright side, since it is self-publish I can list it at what ever price I want. So hopefully, it will get into the hands of more missionaries. And that dear friends was the whole point of writing the book.
I submitted my copy to Amazon Kindle for review and in the next few days it should be live and available on Amazon for the Kindle. I am pretty chuffed about that. I set the price at $0.99. I am still working on formatting my book for print, so that peolpe can order hard copies. It should be ready very soon. My mom has already assured me she will purchase several copies to give to missionaries leaving form her ward. I love it! At least I know I will sell 6 copies. . .
A friend of mine who published a novel said that she was going to take the money she earned and buy an RV. Well, she said she ended up spending the money on a weekend camping trip to Moab. Perhaps I will spend my money on a nice pair of warm socks :)
At any rate, I am happy to have a way to move forward. It has been over a year since my book has been in review from various publishers. Now it is good to just put this project to bed and make it available. It is kind of exciting actually.
Here is the cover art for the book:
Not the most amazing thing, but it works.
I will keep you posted as things move forward. I am kind of excited to see it in hard copy. That will be kind of fun.
Speaking of fun. . . Dave installed a chandelier in our bedroom! I have been eying this bad boy for 6 months. Now my wish has come true. I simply love it. It makes me feel like our room is a French chateau. The tall tray ceiling was just begging for a statement light fixture.
Karla,
I
wish I had better news, but we’ve decided not to publish your
manuscript. It made it all the way to the new product selection
committee, which is impressive—a
very small percentage of submissions make it that far. While the
committee really liked your book, they just didn’t feel it would
resonate with the target audience.
I’m
sorry it didn’t work out this time, but if in the future you write
something you feel is worthy of publication, I encourage you to submit
it to us because
we’d love to hear from you again.
Best wishes,
Aubrey Warner
Submissions Editor
Covenant CommunicationsOf course I am bummed out. Now it means that I will be going the self-publishing route, which is more of a headache for me. It would have been nice to have someone else do all the formatting and getting some really great cover art. But, on the bright side, since it is self-publish I can list it at what ever price I want. So hopefully, it will get into the hands of more missionaries. And that dear friends was the whole point of writing the book.
I submitted my copy to Amazon Kindle for review and in the next few days it should be live and available on Amazon for the Kindle. I am pretty chuffed about that. I set the price at $0.99. I am still working on formatting my book for print, so that peolpe can order hard copies. It should be ready very soon. My mom has already assured me she will purchase several copies to give to missionaries leaving form her ward. I love it! At least I know I will sell 6 copies. . .
A friend of mine who published a novel said that she was going to take the money she earned and buy an RV. Well, she said she ended up spending the money on a weekend camping trip to Moab. Perhaps I will spend my money on a nice pair of warm socks :)
At any rate, I am happy to have a way to move forward. It has been over a year since my book has been in review from various publishers. Now it is good to just put this project to bed and make it available. It is kind of exciting actually.
Here is the cover art for the book:
I will keep you posted as things move forward. I am kind of excited to see it in hard copy. That will be kind of fun.
Speaking of fun. . . Dave installed a chandelier in our bedroom! I have been eying this bad boy for 6 months. Now my wish has come true. I simply love it. It makes me feel like our room is a French chateau. The tall tray ceiling was just begging for a statement light fixture.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Some one likes root beer floats.
I love mom & daughter time. It's just me and Ella and we stopped off for a special treat. Just got the results from Ella's testing. She starts a special preschool on Monday. Her test scores were in the first percentile for communication. . . as in 99% of 4 year olds communicate more effectively. They also said her memory and attention were low (14th percentile.) It is hard to know if this is also because of her communication or if there is an intellectual disability there. Only time will tell.
At any rate, I am thrilled that she will be getting the focus and teaching she needs from a professional who is trained for her needs. She will also have access to a speech therapist in the class room and OT and PT also come to help in the class room. She will go on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:40AM- 1:40PM. And the best part is that she qualifies for busing. They pick her up at our home and drop her off. How cool is that?! I already make 4 trips a day on M & W, so this will be so nice to not make 6! I will be making 6 trips for a little while, until I can get the busing squared away, but I am super happy they offer it.
It feels good to be making progress in treatment for Ella. We are crazy in love with this little girl and think she is amazing. Her Sinemet is just not making any improvement in her movement. I'm just not seeing it at all. It is annoying to shell out $170 a month on a medication that works as well as gummy vitamins. At least now we can focus on some cognitive issues and hopefully see some improvement with early intervention.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
In love!
Totally in love with this little girl. Looks like her helmet will be here this week. It'll be good to get her started on her treatment.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Ungifted
I am reading a great book. . . Ungifted by Scott Barry Kaufman.
This book has been so great for me. At first I was drawn to the book because we have been doing all this testing for Ella, to see if she has developmental delays or if perhaps it is more then simple delays. Also because Spencer is in the gifted program at school, this book really intrigued me. This book has really shared some great ideas and philosophies. The research is so solid. I detest books that just offer fluff and ideas without substantial research or any basis other than personal opinion.
At first I when I picked up this book I was reading it through the lens of Ella and her needs and also Spencer and what it means to be "gifted." But this book quickly made me see myself. The author starts each chapter with a personal experience of when he was labeled as "special education" and "remedial" as a child. It really made me remember when I was in special ed and how having dyslexia shaped my identity.
There was a section about dyslexia where I really saw myself. Dyslexia is a learning disability, but dyslexia also means a person has other skills (like oral communication, organization and spacial understanding). The author noted that dyslexia could also be called "spacially gifted." When peolpe with dyslexia read, they take longer because they get lost in all the words (all the peripheral noise) on the page and take longer to recognize words. This is something I have always dealt with. Even now as an adult, I am not a "fast" reader. I prefer reading on the kindle (less words on the page) and also audio books. It truly is just another way to see things and learn.
This book really focuses on how all the boxes we use to label and sort children can be a detriment. I could see all my kids in this book and my students. I love the focus looking at more then IQ. So much more is can be seen in tenacity, creativity and passion. The book points out that determination and work ethic have a great impact on academic success then IQ does. Ultimately I want my kids to lead a happy and fulfilling life, whether or not they are a "genius."
One thing I love about the book was that it pointed out that some intelligence is seen as gaining and remembering knowledge and some intelligence is seen as producing and applying knowledge. Intelligence does not determine greatness or even happiness.
This book has really redefined how I think about IQ. I loved all the history on how the IQ test was created and what other tests has added to the field. This is such a great holistic approach, without throwing out the baby with the bathwater. I am only about half way through the book, but am enjoying it so much. I hope this book makes me a better mom and advocate for my kids and also a better teacher for my students.
This book has been so great for me. At first I was drawn to the book because we have been doing all this testing for Ella, to see if she has developmental delays or if perhaps it is more then simple delays. Also because Spencer is in the gifted program at school, this book really intrigued me. This book has really shared some great ideas and philosophies. The research is so solid. I detest books that just offer fluff and ideas without substantial research or any basis other than personal opinion.
At first I when I picked up this book I was reading it through the lens of Ella and her needs and also Spencer and what it means to be "gifted." But this book quickly made me see myself. The author starts each chapter with a personal experience of when he was labeled as "special education" and "remedial" as a child. It really made me remember when I was in special ed and how having dyslexia shaped my identity.
There was a section about dyslexia where I really saw myself. Dyslexia is a learning disability, but dyslexia also means a person has other skills (like oral communication, organization and spacial understanding). The author noted that dyslexia could also be called "spacially gifted." When peolpe with dyslexia read, they take longer because they get lost in all the words (all the peripheral noise) on the page and take longer to recognize words. This is something I have always dealt with. Even now as an adult, I am not a "fast" reader. I prefer reading on the kindle (less words on the page) and also audio books. It truly is just another way to see things and learn.
This book really focuses on how all the boxes we use to label and sort children can be a detriment. I could see all my kids in this book and my students. I love the focus looking at more then IQ. So much more is can be seen in tenacity, creativity and passion. The book points out that determination and work ethic have a great impact on academic success then IQ does. Ultimately I want my kids to lead a happy and fulfilling life, whether or not they are a "genius."
One thing I love about the book was that it pointed out that some intelligence is seen as gaining and remembering knowledge and some intelligence is seen as producing and applying knowledge. Intelligence does not determine greatness or even happiness.
This book has really redefined how I think about IQ. I loved all the history on how the IQ test was created and what other tests has added to the field. This is such a great holistic approach, without throwing out the baby with the bathwater. I am only about half way through the book, but am enjoying it so much. I hope this book makes me a better mom and advocate for my kids and also a better teacher for my students.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Pumpkin Patch
We took the kids to the pumpkin patch last weekend and they had a ball. Everyone got to wear their costumes and also choose their pumpkins for carving. Spencer and Jacob both chose the biggest ones they could find. We did the corn maze and got lots of photos.
I love Halloween! It is too fun and I love to see the kids so excited.
I love Halloween! It is too fun and I love to see the kids so excited.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Opera fun!
Madame Butterfly with the Bassett ladies :)
We had so much fun! We saw Madame Butterfly at the Capital Threatre in downtown Salt Lake. We all saw Butterfly in 2008. However that time, we had Sandy and Sara with us. Sandy and Sara were greatly missed this time. Poor Sandy had to work. . . booooo!
This was one of THE BEST opera productions I have ever seen. It was simply outstanding. The talents were amazing, the set design and directing were simply unrivaled. I was in tears. . . the "ugly-cry-face" was pretty much a given 15 minutes into the performance. A perfect blend of tenderness, naivete, selfish charismatic charm and crushing regret. Only one thing the production was lacking. . .
leg room
This is probably the worst venue I have ever been to for leg room and seating comfort (that includes high school auditoriums peolpe.) When there was about 45 minutes left I had this crazy intense pain in my right knee. It was so intense I was holding my breath trying to control my panting. I was wondering if I had a blood clot or something. I am sitting there elbowing Tiffani on one side and some stranger on the other as I was trying to hold my knee or get the pain under control some how. There was literally no room in front of me, my knees were touching the chair in front of me. On either side of me 4-6 inches. We were in the middle of the row so it was impossible to stick my leg anywhere. It was a total nightmare. I have restless leg syndrome, but have always been able to walk, or stand, or at the very least wiggle my legs. . . I can not remember being in more pain. Wow. How does Dave (my 6' 5" husband) do it! I will never. . . repeat never. . . go to The Capital again unless I have an aisle seat or if Dave has the aisle seat we will share his space with me.
The leg room issue almost spoiled the opera. . . almost. At the end, let's just say I was one of the first to stand for the standing ovation. I was motivated by the tender and emotional performance. .. as well as my knee on fire.
I loved the performance!
I hated my seat almost as much as I hated Pinkerton. . . the scoundrel.
This was one of THE BEST opera productions I have ever seen. It was simply outstanding. The talents were amazing, the set design and directing were simply unrivaled. I was in tears. . . the "ugly-cry-face" was pretty much a given 15 minutes into the performance. A perfect blend of tenderness, naivete, selfish charismatic charm and crushing regret. Only one thing the production was lacking. . .
leg room
This is probably the worst venue I have ever been to for leg room and seating comfort (that includes high school auditoriums peolpe.) When there was about 45 minutes left I had this crazy intense pain in my right knee. It was so intense I was holding my breath trying to control my panting. I was wondering if I had a blood clot or something. I am sitting there elbowing Tiffani on one side and some stranger on the other as I was trying to hold my knee or get the pain under control some how. There was literally no room in front of me, my knees were touching the chair in front of me. On either side of me 4-6 inches. We were in the middle of the row so it was impossible to stick my leg anywhere. It was a total nightmare. I have restless leg syndrome, but have always been able to walk, or stand, or at the very least wiggle my legs. . . I can not remember being in more pain. Wow. How does Dave (my 6' 5" husband) do it! I will never. . . repeat never. . . go to The Capital again unless I have an aisle seat or if Dave has the aisle seat we will share his space with me.
The leg room issue almost spoiled the opera. . . almost. At the end, let's just say I was one of the first to stand for the standing ovation. I was motivated by the tender and emotional performance. .. as well as my knee on fire.
I loved the performance!
I hated my seat almost as much as I hated Pinkerton. . . the scoundrel.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Birthday Recap
It was a great day for Ella and our family.
Ella 4th birthday from Karla S on Vimeo.
It started out with an early but cheerful morning. Ella wore her "birthday girl" t-shirt (that she has worn for the last three days.. . . never hurts to be prepared I guess.) We all headed off the store to get strawberries and whipping cream, for our waffle dinner.
Unfortunately, our cake baking artist was in Canada, so I ended up making Ella's cake. It was kind of fun, but I totally cheated. I bought the Hello Kitty toy for a cake topper. Ella asked for a "Meow-meow" cake . . . AKA Hello Kitty. I looked online for some ideas and there was no way I was going to make a Hello Kitty shaped cake, so I thought the toy on top would make it. . it ended up cute.
All the grandparents, including Great Grandma Veselka, got to be there. It was such a special day. It is hard to think that her last birthday was spent in China and we celebrated without her. Now just one short year later here we are. Enjoy some photos:
We are just so grateful for our Ella. She is such a special girl. At 4 years old, she is still behind on her language skills and it looks like she will be going to an early intervention preschool. She went in for testing on Monday and next week we get to meet the preschool teacher and go over some of her needs. On the medical side, Ella is taking medication to help treat symptoms of Dystonia. Unfortunately, we have not seen any improvement since taking the medication. Also, the medication is a compound (she needs a liquid version since she can't swallow pills) and compounds are not covered by our insurance (*sigh*). The medication is pretty pricey, and it seems even pricier without any improvements.
So, happy happy birthday to our sweet Ella. How we adore her!
Ella 4th birthday from Karla S on Vimeo.
It started out with an early but cheerful morning. Ella wore her "birthday girl" t-shirt (that she has worn for the last three days.. . . never hurts to be prepared I guess.) We all headed off the store to get strawberries and whipping cream, for our waffle dinner.
Unfortunately, our cake baking artist was in Canada, so I ended up making Ella's cake. It was kind of fun, but I totally cheated. I bought the Hello Kitty toy for a cake topper. Ella asked for a "Meow-meow" cake . . . AKA Hello Kitty. I looked online for some ideas and there was no way I was going to make a Hello Kitty shaped cake, so I thought the toy on top would make it. . it ended up cute.
We are just so grateful for our Ella. She is such a special girl. At 4 years old, she is still behind on her language skills and it looks like she will be going to an early intervention preschool. She went in for testing on Monday and next week we get to meet the preschool teacher and go over some of her needs. On the medical side, Ella is taking medication to help treat symptoms of Dystonia. Unfortunately, we have not seen any improvement since taking the medication. Also, the medication is a compound (she needs a liquid version since she can't swallow pills) and compounds are not covered by our insurance (*sigh*). The medication is pretty pricey, and it seems even pricier without any improvements.
So, happy happy birthday to our sweet Ella. How we adore her!
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Sad girl
Ella can't understand why she can't go to the store and pick out birthday presents for her birthday too.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Reflections
Every year our school (and many in America) does a program/contest called "Reflections." Students are given a theme and asked to create art based on the theme. Categories include; literature, dance, music, visual art and film. Spencer made a film and was chosen as a winner from his school!
We are so proud of him. He worked hard and did all the ideas, filming and editing. I thought I would share the finished film with you.
Spencer S Reflections 2014 from Karla S on Vimeo.
Today at school Spencer got an award and a certificate. Dave and I got to be there and so was Grandma Bassett. Fun day to celebrate his hard work.
We are so proud of him. He worked hard and did all the ideas, filming and editing. I thought I would share the finished film with you.
Spencer S Reflections 2014 from Karla S on Vimeo.
Today at school Spencer got an award and a certificate. Dave and I got to be there and so was Grandma Bassett. Fun day to celebrate his hard work.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Jenet
My best buddy and partner in crime in high school was Jenet Johnson.
On Sunday night I got to talk on the phone with her for about 2 hours. How I adore Jenet!!!! She is just so sweet, kind and filled with an unassuming power (that comes from her genuine spirit.) When I went to bed after talking with her I just had this silly smile on my face. Oh Jenet I love you. You are like a sister.
It is such a great feeling to talk with your best friend in high school. We were just so close as teenagers and our first year of college we were room mates. Talking about our kids and life and the gospel was just great. I miss her . . . I wish we were neighbors and not living in separate states.
It was great talking to another mother of 5 (although her youngest is a year older then my oldest.) She is like a mentor and a peer and just such a special person. It makes me feel so blessed to have so many great peolpe in my life. Even if it has been years since we chatted on the phone. Thank goodness for email and blogs :)
When I get bogged down in life and laundry. . . I can just think of these great friends and blessings.
My kids also bless my life. . . like crazy. We are getting geared up for Halloween. Everyone has their costume picked out and the kids keep asking when we are going to pick out pumpkins.
Luke preparing for the days of wearing a suit and tie.
Jacob at the fire station field trip for preschool. He wore his Halloween costume.
On Sunday night I got to talk on the phone with her for about 2 hours. How I adore Jenet!!!! She is just so sweet, kind and filled with an unassuming power (that comes from her genuine spirit.) When I went to bed after talking with her I just had this silly smile on my face. Oh Jenet I love you. You are like a sister.
It is such a great feeling to talk with your best friend in high school. We were just so close as teenagers and our first year of college we were room mates. Talking about our kids and life and the gospel was just great. I miss her . . . I wish we were neighbors and not living in separate states.
It was great talking to another mother of 5 (although her youngest is a year older then my oldest.) She is like a mentor and a peer and just such a special person. It makes me feel so blessed to have so many great peolpe in my life. Even if it has been years since we chatted on the phone. Thank goodness for email and blogs :)
When I get bogged down in life and laundry. . . I can just think of these great friends and blessings.
My kids also bless my life. . . like crazy. We are getting geared up for Halloween. Everyone has their costume picked out and the kids keep asking when we are going to pick out pumpkins.
Luke preparing for the days of wearing a suit and tie.
Jacob at the fire station field trip for preschool. He wore his Halloween costume.
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