My boy turned four
Posted: June 13, 2013 Filed under: On parenting, On writing | Tags: motherhood, Thursdays Children 6 Comments
I missed Thursday’s Children last week because it was my son’s birthday. He just turned four, which is weird because I’m pretty sure it was only a few days ago that I was finally being induced at almost 42 weeks gestation. He didn’t want to come out. (I should have realised then how stubborn he was—turns out he really didn’t want to come out and I ended up having an emergency c-section.)
When he was a tiny baby I was wistful about the fact he’d stop being a tiny baby, and terrified of him being a toddler. But it turns out that wasn’t so bad either—suddenly he was cracking jokes and dancing and smothering me with kisses (as well as tantrums), and that was fun too. And words! Seeing him discover words was a joy! Now he’s a pre-schooler and I can see what an inquiring mind he’s going to have. He already has the best vocabulary of any kid in his room at daycare. And I’m really looking forward to him being able to read books, so that together we can (re)discover all my childhood favourites. It seems like every age has its own type of awesome to give a parent, and I’m enjoying the ride.
As for how he’s inspired me, I’ve got two picture book drafts kicking around that I wrote after he was born. I never would have thought I’d be a picture book writer, but reading all those books to him made me want to write for him too. (As an aside, if I entered all the picture books I read into Goodreads then I’d stomp all over my goal for 2013!)
I realise I’ll probably never see them in print, because the PB market is, I understand, even harder to crack than the market for novels. But that’s not really the point. And occasionally I send my favourite of the two off—it’s called Eric Emu to the Rescue—to another publisher, just in case.
Who knows; maybe as he gets to late primary school I’ll dabble in middle grade fiction too.
He also inspires me to write my YA and adult fiction, although I realise that if he grows to be a typical teenage boy my female protagonists aren’t exactly going to be his cup of tea. But I want him to grow up to see that if he has a dream and he works hard enough, he can make it come true: I wanted to be a published author, and next year that dream will come true for me (squee!).
So this blog post is just to say thank you to my son, because he brings me so much happiness. I love you, stinky face.
Do you have children? Do they inspire you to write?
Aww, baby
From baby to … BATMAN!
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Cassandra Page 
What a cutie! Love the Batman mask! My children also inspire me to write – they’re a lot older (12 and 16) but they read my YA books, help me brainstorm ideas, and lift up my spirits when I’m down from a rejection. I couldn’t have gotten this far on the writing journey without them.
They sound like great kids! I’m not sure my books will suit a teenage boy if I keep writing the stuff I am now, but as long as my boy is a reader I will be happy!
Oh, what a cute son you have. It sounds like you both had fun on his birthday! You asked if my kids inspire me. They do. I can imagine them not being a part of my life and my writing.
http://www.miaceleste.com/?p=376
Aw, so cute. My teen daughter’s obsession with Twilight did in fact inspire me to write!
Love this post! Thank you for sharing such a joyful part of your life, Cassandra. Your son is adorable. I taught high school for many years, and the students I worked with, who have such interest in and anxiety about the future, are my YA inspiration. The novel is still on the drawing/editing board. We’ll see where it goes.
Carole
He’s adorable. Glad to have you back with us. I don’t have kids yet but my 12-year-old niece is almost at the age where my YA fiction might be something she’d like to read and just thinking about her reading it totally inspires me!