First the giveaway!
Last week I interviewed the lovely and talented Robin Newman, author of the new picture book, Hildie Bitterpickles Needs her Sleep.
Because Robin is as generous as she is lovely and talented, she offered up a copy of Hildie for a giveaway! Wasn’t that nice?
Well, the ballots are in and the winner is…
NANCY TANDON!
Congrats, Nancy! Head on up to the “Hire Me!” menu and drop me an email.
And thanks again, Robin, for being lovely, talented, and generous!
***
Since this post is a bit short, I decided to also offer up a quick, unrelated anecdote:
When my wife, Ellen, was pregnant with our son, she and I signed up for a birthing class at a nearby hospital. There we met another pregnant woman who loved to share very long and uncomfortably personal stories about her life.
As she relayed these stories, her husband would sit beside her and attempt to become invisible. The couple made quite an impression on me.
So, during class, I sketched them as frogs.
Hey, Look! A Writer Fellow! 
Congratulations, Nancy! My email is rnewman504@nyc.rr.com. If you could please email me your address, I’d be thrilled to send you a copy of my book. Mike, the tadpoles are adorable. You sure it wasn’t the husband who was doing all the talking? That’s usually been experience. 🙂
Nope. Mr. Frog was kinda mortified.
Congrats Nancy!
I’m very impressed that you brought pen and paper to the birthing class. I think my hubby carried pillows, saltines, gingerale, Tums and earplugs.
Well, Cathy, I could think of a few ways to better use my time. Well, like doodling frogs, for example.
Awe…what a nice hubby…trying to keep you happy and doing his darndest to keep you from throwing up in the class. 😉 Though the earplugs were completely unnecessary!
Lol….those frogs are perfect.
Thanks, Susan!
Congratulations, Nancy! Cute tadpoles!
Thanks!
My husband and I didn’t make it past the first birthing class – it might have helped had we brought along pen and paper for doodling! Others were taking serious notes…I never thought to do that. All seemed to have worked well anyways!
Both Ellen and I found the classes to be pretty useless. They were mostly a forum to “share,” which really isn’t our thing.
I think the theory is if the women have to do the birthing thing, we may as well make the men suffer through it, too, like going to childbirth classes. Your frogs’ facial expressions and body language are spot on.
Oh, and I’m eating bitterpickles at not being a winner. I think I’ll take my toys and go home.
I am pleased to report that those frogs made my wife snort in the middle of birthing class. It is one of my proudest accomplishments.
Congratulations to the winner. Looks a delightful book. The cover is stunning and says ‘read me.’
Love the frog sketch. I can’t picture the other couple as real people–only as frogs. What are they doing in a birthing class? 😀 😀 😀
It probably would’ve been more fun if they were frogs. Who doesn’t want to take a class with Kermit?
I can’t imagine. I l.o.v.e. Kermit. 😀
At least you made it through birthing class. We dropped out after two sessions. There is only so much an introvert can take.
I hear you. If Ellen didn’t have a completion complex, I would’ve cut out as well.
So Carrie, I guess as a physician, you didn’t need to stick around for the videos, the ones that send most men running for the bar.
Hospitals have bars now?
Guess you were in the delivery room. You missed the flashing neon arrow pointing toward the bar called “The Last Resort, where men take a load off while the little woman sheds ten pounds!”
Are the mixed drinks served in IV bags?
With a dusting of Vicodin
Hmm. Access to a bar like that kinda makes me wanna get injured.
Well, I guess the notes weren’t that important after all, Mike, since Ellen was clearly paying attention. Somewhere, someone has a doodle of a possum at a birthing class doodling a couple of frogs 🙂
You calling me a possum? Hm. I always saw myself as more of a beaver — an industrious homebody in a wood-frame house.
Oh, well the other doodler doesn’t really know you. Of course you are more of the industrious, stick-built, homey beaver sort. 🙂
What a lovely thing to say!
During childbirth, I whispered words of encouragement into my wife’s ear, per the birthing class instructions. She turned to me and said, “WILL! YOU! SHUT! UP!” We skipped birthing classes for #2.
Here’s hoping Mrs. Exile got the spinal tap for #2.
Love the frogs.
T’anks! They like you, too.
Phew! I don’t think I would have made it to class #2…fortunately we decided to skip the class completely…good thing we did or we would have ended up with a chorus of frogs like on the Budweiser commercial!
A chorus of frogs would have made the experience more pleasant. Sadly it was just a room full of people who liked to overshare.
What fun, to doodle out frustration at too-chatty neighboring labor-ers, The frogs are hilarious. Your mission now is to sit through a School Board or Town Council meeting and doodle away the boredom!
You forget that I was a beat reporter for two years. I have seen enough council, BOE and Planning Board meetings to last a hundred lifetimes.
Oh, right!! And do you have pads of doodles stored in your basement boxes? 😉
I do, actually.
Mike, at our first evening at class one bloke asked how soon after birth could he have sex? The air was suddenly sucked from the room. 28 hormonal eyes drilled into the guy, his wife punched him,’Nigel,’ she scolded. 13 other blokes squirmed in their seats trying to make themselves invisible; and instantly I had to urgently leave the room, fearing my huge belly laugh would escape way before the end of the hallway.
Wow. That is definitely a breach of Birthing Class Etiquette.
Congrats!
Fun frogs! 🙂
Frogs are naturally fun, I think.
Darn. Wish I would have found this sooner! Congratulations on your book, Robin! Love the tadpoles, Mike :). And congratulations, Nancy!
A lovely post. I enjoyed reading it and the frogs..well, they sure look endearing. 🙂
Here’s hoping you’ll check out my blog too. 🙂