I’ve been doing this secret agent character thing for about ten years now and sometimes I forget how fun it is. At times it’s been a thorn in my side because it didn’t always match up with who I am. I’m a mom, I’m a graphic artist/illustrator, what does spying have to do with that? Why didn’t I pick another name for my blog? But that is what I picked way back then and now I’m known for it. It would be a shame to abandon a brand that I’ve by default worked at for so long.

So when my neighbor stopped by with two pairs of “secret agent” glasses that she picked up at the local dollar store, I saw a glimpse of how fun this secret agent gig is for other people. It dawned on me that I really should just get into it already. In fact, now that I’m getting ready to launch a book tour and I going to visit some kindergarten classrooms and possibly a home for children (all while in costume) I should embrace this character more than ever. So I am. I’m buying a trench coat. I’m stocking up on glasses and I’m digging out my spy boots from the back of the closet.

Keep your eyes peeled. You might just spy me spying on you in the near future.

What I’m really thinking is, why did I have to go and ugly-up that super cute picture of some micro-spies?

They’re so into the spy thing. It kills me.

Which brings me to my next book: Numbers! I’m slower than molasses in January but I am actually starting on it.

I think I’m going to need help on it. Are there any techie geeks (and I say that in admiration, not jest) out there who would like to help me with my research? I will include you in my end notes! Email me.

Over and out.

I haven’t blogged in so long you probably thought I died. I bet you thought that big fat Pop-Tart haunted mansion from my last old moldy post fell on me and killed me dead. I can just see my avocado green and black striped witch tights sticking out from underneath the house like the wicked witch of the West.

Nope. I’m still alive. Some days barely.

I have actually been buried in work, which is a good thing because I’ve finally decided to ramp up my freelance business and become an official working mom. I’m not working in an office or anything but I am rocking and rolling on some big freelance jobs. I hope to have my business website up in a week or so. I’ll share that with you when it happens. It’s pretty exciting. Not a mind-blowing design or anything but at least it will be something so my prospective clients can see what I really do. If you know anyone looking for a graphic illustrator, put the word out for me. I’ll love you forever!

In other news, I am still in Texas! As you would expect, I’m picking up the drawl and people are starting to think I’m a local yokel. I love it here. The food, the people, the great expanses of green space…if I weren’t so attached to California, I’d move here in a heartbeat.

Bug has been having a blast. She thinks she’s the OMSH family’s long-lost fourth kid. They play all sorts of crazy complicated games while I work away on my laptop in the schoolroom. I have to admit it tickles my heart to see her sneaking around with the gang, plotting elaborate spy games while armed with a pink hat, a pink puffy skirt and a Nerf gun. It’s a very refreshing sight since I’m about as sick as one can get of playing kitty and being named “Flower.”

“Stick ‘em up! Give me all your money!”

What? The pink skirt and pink hat aren’t intimidating enough? (They are actually pink, not red. Forgive my poor photography.) How about that red laser beam piercing your forehead? Just kidding around. Isn’t her hat cute? Sonja made it for Bug to match mine because now that I have a new red hat Bug thinks her old blue one is just not girly enough. She loves her new hat and even though it hasn’t been a bit cold here she wears it around the house regularly.

I know these pictures are not the best quality. That’s what I get for backlighting people and shooting in low light but I thought they told a good story. I just wanted to let you know we are still alive and kicking. Or at least Bug is. I’m sitting my butt in OMSH’s funky green office chair and cranking on freelance work.

I hope to have more tales for you soon! In the meantime don’t miss my Bowly Bowl post (yes, I wrote an entire post about bowls) for your chance to win $100 before I close up the comments on Monday!

Since I’m here in DC and I know a lot of bloggers and readers who live around here (Hi Shanee and Christine and Carrie!), we decided to organize a meet-up at a local coffee shop in Alexandria. Thanks to the tip from Kris.

Alexandria is such a cute neighborhood. It sort of reminded me of home, with the houses super close to each other and the coffee shops, parks and little delis all in walking distance of each other. The shop owners even give out dog treats to the patrons who have dogs which is TOTALLY just like home.

We stopped at a little cheese store called The Cheesetique. We do not have cheese stores at home, what a shame. It was such a cute little shop. Troy told me to pick out a bottle of wine to take home to their house for dinner but I was so busy chatting with my new friends and making sure Bug didn’t knock over something breakable that I got distracted and before I knew it everyone was moving on to the ice cream store down the street and I forgot about it. My loss! I could have had a thirty dollar souvenir bottle thanks to Troy. Oh well. It probably wouldn’t have packed very well in my suitcase anyway.

They also sold eight dollar candy bars! That’s almost as expensive as back home. Just kidding. I really liked the paper they used to wrap these candy bars. That paper alone probably cost a buck a sheet.

I love discovering little neighborhoods like this and hanging out with web buddies. I know everyone thinks it’s scary to meet people off the internet but I have found that they make the best kind of friends. We so often have the same interests and same sense of humor no matter how far apart we live from each other. I know… you’re rolling your eyes at my sappiness but it really is true. That’s how I met Bethany after all. And now she’s flying me across the country to unpack her house!

Which by the way is 80% done! It only required about five trips to IKEA to get there. Just kidding…only three trips, I think. We probably need to go at least two more times to return stuff that didn’t work out.

One of those trips was to meet Mamalang who couldn’t make it to our blogger meet-up in Alexandria. Ikea is such a great place to meet friends. You can stroll around and talk while your kids live it up in Småland. Bug LOVES Småland these days. I know Toby is going to kill me when I tell him I dropped Bug off at some random playland in the middle of Washington DC to be watched by complete strangers but actually Småland is super safe and you pretty much have to show your passport and a DNA test just to get your kid back.

The next day (I think, I’ve sort of lost count of the days) we went back to Washington DC to visit the Spy Museum that I’ve been wanting to see ever since Bethany told me about it two years ago.

I was really looking forward to taking some super cool spy photos for my collection but guess what? They don’t allow photography in the museum!!!! I was bummed. But I guess it makes sense. They probably couldn’t charge as much admission if bloggers like me revealed all their secrets and there were some documents, like a real letter from George Washington, that could not survive flash photography. It was a disappointment but we still had a pretty good time. It wasn’t the most kid-friendly museum and I probably would have spent a bit more time if I didn’t have a little person exclaiming they were bored every five minutes but I’m glad I went.

The museum was divided up into several parts. Most of the parts were devoted to different times in history and the different kinds of espionage and intelligence that were used. I really liked the stories about female spies. But what stuck with me is that all the stories both fiction and non-fiction pale in comparison to reality. Because a real spy never tells their secrets. Or at least not all of them anyway.

Bethany and I did sneak one stealth photo from Bethany’s camera in her purse. I know, tsk tsk…but it was a spy museum after all. They were practically daring us.

At least we got some cool spy eyes photos outside.

And of course some stealth ninja moves…