The Bouncy Castle in Space

DavidBrett

Alas, poor Yorick, he fed me 'nanas
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That's a brilliant article, Ruth! Bookmarked it, thanks! I wrote nonfiction articles for Neopets AAAAGES ago. Here's a few of my faves!

http://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=96663&week=194

http://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=103106&week=200

http://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=61451&week=181

http://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=22571&week=170

Heh, looking back they were really fun to write! Sadly, I don't think nonfiction for kids is as popular here in the UK as it is in the States. I might make/start a blog with interesting articles, though...

Ruth, would you be interested in being my nonfiction critique partner?

Dave
 

DavidBrett

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Morrell

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LOL... thanks, everybody. Dave, here's what happened: I showed the Invisible! article to Margaret Mincks, editor of Spider, at a conference. We had a vague but excited conversation about, "Oh, wow, wouldn't it be cool to feature some related activity in a sidebar?"

I went home and started looking for stuff kids could do that related to invisibility. Weird, but there is not that much! So I wrote up a few totally unrelated tricks, explained how they worked, and gave them a science-y spin ("science superpowers!"), and sent that off with the article, and they bought that, too. They put one in the print magazine (Freaky Force Field, where you sprinkle pepper on water and then use soap to make it separate into a star shape), and posted the magic tube one on the website.
 

MsJudy

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The revision notes are here and I'm diving in. Proof that I did pick the right agent... I had already started reworking the old second chapter into a prologue, and had an idea for a very different new first chapter that is sort of the opposite of how it originally started. Then the notes arrived and... agent suggested making ch. 2 a prologue and doing exactly what I'd thought of for the first chapter. Isn't that how it's supposed to be, where you have a shared vision for how the story can work?

Some of the other suggestions are good, but at this point I have no idea quite how I'm going to accomplish them, so... I do have moments of feeling slightly overwhelmed by the task in front of me. Fortunately Wonderful Agent said I should take my time, no hurry. Of course, I'll still be putting pressure on myself, 'cause, y'know, nobody makes any money until I get this done.

In other news, I got an email from the job I applied for. Just informing me that starting next year, they would no longer be allowed to hire Educators on Loan. If I get the job, it will mean resigning from the district. Which means no longer contributing to State Teacher's Retirement. And changing health insurance coverage. And if I hate it, not being guaranteed I can get my old job back.

Suddenly it seems like a huge commitment. Not so sure I want to do that. I guess I'll wait and see if they even offer it to me before I worry too much about it. Transfer opportunities within my district haven't been posted yet, so I could still get a new job without having to make such a drastic switch.

Don't want to think about it too much right now... Today's job is to create a chapter that shows a poor, loving, overcrowded family, and then have my MC say good-bye to them. Once that's done, the changes to the next few chapters should flow pretty easily, only minor tweaks and additions.

Oh, and I have to finish report cards, go buy everything we need to start planting seeds, and help my son finish his Newton Scooter. It only took us five different designs over three days to finally get something that would roll a meter and a half...
 

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue
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Hoping you are on to bigger and better things, Judy! I had to google what a Newton scooter was. Sounds fun! They are letting me teach a class on Lego engineering after school next semester--I am plotting a lot of vehicular and projectile engineering projects.

Today I went to the hardware store, and I saw two of my school's goofy sixth grade boys wrestling around on a stack of oriental rugs (in their defense, the store is in liquidation and it's a wreck already...they weren't like trashing a spotless showroom or anything). Anywho, the one kid's mom was right there, but when I spotted them they jumped up and started straightening their clothes and looked guilty. HA! I love to inspire fear. They asked me what I was doing there, and I told them I was pretending I didn't know the two of them. They thought I was hilarious...

Thursday is my birthday and I am turning mumblemumblecough. Friday I am meeting with the principal about having a better job at the school next year--like an actual salaried teacher job. I'm hoping to get a permanent sub position. Meep! Wish me luck!
 

Smish

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Good luck, Kitty!

And I love that you inspire fear in children. Ha!
 

Kitty Pryde

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:snoopy::hooray::hooray::hooray::hooray::hooray:
Got the job!!!!! Full time, salary, benefits, substitute teaching on four campuses that are a 2 or 4 mile bike ride from my apartment. I start this fall. And principal said she wanted to hire me as classroom teacher next fall! I know roughly half the kids I'll be working with. I've been so tense for the last few weeks...but basically the principal decided on this job for me, and was just too busy to check if I wanted it or not. Gah!
 

MsJudy

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Yay, Kitty! That is so the way to be a sub. Stay in one place, or a few, and get to know everybody. Then you can inspire fear...

Better luck than the lady who was subbing for PE at my son's school last week when a huge fight broke out in the girls' locker room. Apparently she was so scared she ran out, leaving the girls on their own... And of course the girls who weren't involved all whipped out their cell phones, so the fight got posted on YouTube, complete with girls in their unders.

Can you say, Not happy parents?

Not much news on my end. 3 chapters revised so far, and I only had to get up at 4:30 a.m. one morning this week in order to do it.

On the job search front, none of the in-district/transfer jobs are going to be posted until May 10th, apparently. So I'm in limbo, but meanwhile my principal is going on the assumption that I will be leaving and has already more-or-less offered my job to someone.

Don't let the door hit you on the butt on your way out, Judy.

Darling son got a B+ on the Newton scooter, so there goes his 100% in physics. Oh, well. It lasted almost the whole quarter, so now he's torn. Should he major in chemistry or physics? Blow up the world or rebuild it?
 

Smish

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Yay, Kitty! :e2woo:

Good luck with the job hunt, Judy. Limbo is the worst.
 

JoyMC

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Woo-hoo, Kitty! That is definitely the way to sub, instead of wondering whether or not the phone was going to ring early each morning, like I used to. I hope it's a great fit for you!

Sorry things aren't as awesome with your job hunt, Judy. That's terrible about the locker room fight! Yikes!
 

sissybaby

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Congratulations, Kitty! Great news for you.

Judy - jeez, what a tough world it's gotten to be out there. I hope things work out well in your favor when it's all finished.
 

killdeer

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I don't bounce often enough, I should give it a try.

*bounce*

Hey, fun!

Congratulations Britwriter, Congratulations Ruth, Congratulations Kitty!

Sympathies for your jobhunting frustrations, and contratulations on how far your book has come!

DavidBrett, I hope your ribs are progressing!

*Bounce*
 

SheilaJG

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:snoopy::hooray::hooray::hooray::hooray::hooray:
Got the job!!!!! Full time, salary, benefits, substitute teaching on four campuses that are a 2 or 4 mile bike ride from my apartment. I start this fall. And principal said she wanted to hire me as classroom teacher next fall! I know roughly half the kids I'll be working with. I've been so tense for the last few weeks...but basically the principal decided on this job for me, and was just too busy to check if I wanted it or not. Gah!

Awesome news Kitty!! Congratulations!

:snoopy:
 

Kitty Pryde

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Thanks guys! Aside from the usual annoyances, work is going really well. Knowing what I'm doing next year makes the less fun parts of work seem not so bad. And I found an unused bike rack at school and they let me move it over so we can use it to lock up our bikes. Hurray! I am the most frequent bike commuter, but a few other kids and staff ride sometimes.

Also: TWO MORE DAYS OF WORK UNTIL SPRING BREAK!
 

Smish

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So jealous. You guys enjoy your Spring Break! And get some writing time in! :Jump:
 

sissybaby

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Catching a cold or something nasty so I'm not bouncing, but I can't wait to share the pics of the little one bouncing on the trampoline the other day. It's so dry here, and the static electricity did a job on her hair.

Two days of temps. in high 70s and low 80s, and we're supposed to get up to 4 inches of snow over the weekend. Yuck! (Although I actually do love snow.)

But my oldest is at a State basketball competition for special olympics and they're supposed to come home in the middle of the storm, and it's a long trip.
 

sissybaby

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OH WAIT! WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! How could I forget?

I AM bouncing after all!!!!! (I feel like a horrible mother).

My PDD son has been taking piano lessons for about three years now, but we've never convinced him to participate in a recital. I absolutely LOVE his instructor, and have known her since her boys were in school with my daughter. She is so patient with him, but she's never been able to get him to do a recital, either.

Last Saturday there was a multi-piano recital that only happens every three years. All the local piano teachers do it together, so there's about 65 kids.

The kids perform with a conductor, which is something they've never done if this is their first time - and speakers, which is new, too. Also, they play in groups of from four to eight at a time.

Well, the teacher had told him she knew he could do it, and surprisingly he had been agreeing, although he was very skeptical of it all. He even got to practice once at lessons with the kid he was sharing a piano with. (There were six playing in his group).

Saturday afternoon he had rehearsal, and it was too much for him. He couldn't hear the other boys' part because of the feedback from the speakers, and he came home and had a meltdown and said he'd never, ever do it and wasn't going back.

Two hours later, he announced that he was going to do it anyway. He wrote "I Can Do This" on the back of his hand in black marker, but I let him keep it there.

He did great! Got lost a couple of times but managed to find his place and start again, and even went up and thanked the conductor afterwards. (he was the only one I saw do this so I was a very proud momma.)

I thought for sure it was going to be a total train wreck, but he pulled it off. Now he should be able to handle a regular recital without any sweat. Although he assured me he was sweating plenty during the performance.