The Bouncy Castle in Space

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
9,090
Reaction score
2,165
Location
Lost Angeles
He's a boy, right, Kitty? Because girls are "cute" when they still wear little girl stuff like monkeys and kittens. But for boys...yeah.

Everybody talks about how girls pick on each other about clothes, but the boys really are just as harsh, if not harsher. I had a first-grader reduced to tears because the other boys hassled him for wearing a pink shirt. My sons won't even wear a polo shirt or anything with buttons, 'cause those are for dorks...

Oh noes! Fast forward to tenth grade and pink polo shirts are extremely cool. I thought button-down shirts were trendy! Around here flannel shirts in weird colors like turquoise and magenta and purple are quite trendy for little and big kids. Children are so cute, when they aren't busy being savage :)

Yes, it's a boy. The MC and his friends (boys and girls) are trying to navigate the horrors of the sixth grade social scene, and they're feeling cool enough, but babyish t-shirts kid is seriously messing up their game. (I don't know if I'm qualified to write about such subjects...I spent all my free time in 6th grade with either the math club or the chess club!)

No, there's nothing wrong with Spot the Dog. But when you're 11, it's best to hide your Spot fandom, I think.
 

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
9,090
Reaction score
2,165
Location
Lost Angeles
LOL, well, if the other boys aren't going to tease you, I say go for it!
 

jvc

Fearsome Dragon Mod
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
14,639
Reaction score
4,616
Location
Hiding from a teeny tiny spider
I was wondering if anyone here would be up for a special chat session in the chat room sometime to discuss writing for kids?
 

Smish

Reads more than she writes.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
8,636
Reaction score
3,087
Location
in the Bouncy Castle
I was wondering if anyone here would be up for a special chat session in the chat room sometime to discuss writing for kids?

I could probably be available one evening. I've been working insane hours lately, but I sometimes need to take a break. :)
 

jvc

Fearsome Dragon Mod
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
14,639
Reaction score
4,616
Location
Hiding from a teeny tiny spider
I wasn't thinking every week. Perhaps once a month. Or just a one off. We would have to co-ordinate when everyone was available. Perhaps the first one could be sometime in September, perhaps the third or fourth week, to give us plenty of warning. This is at the early stages of being 'just an idea' at the moment.
 

Ivan_B

of Rassilon
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
176
Reaction score
39
Location
London
I think that sounds like a really good idea. JVC, why don't you organise it on a new thread. Might be a really good thing to do. I'm in, as long as I'm around. Only thing is the time difference between Europe and America. It might mean doing it at around 11pm GMT/6pm Eastern, or whatever the correct exchange rate is.
 

Smish

Reads more than she writes.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
8,636
Reaction score
3,087
Location
in the Bouncy Castle
I think that sounds like a really good idea. JVC, why don't you organise it on a new thread. Might be a really good thing to do. I'm in, as long as I'm around. Only thing is the time difference between Europe and America. It might mean doing it at around 11pm GMT/6pm Eastern, or whatever the correct exchange rate is.

6pm Eastern would only be 5pm Central, and I'm usually still at work at that time.

Maybe if we plan it for a weekend?
 

Honeybug

Working my way up!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 22, 2010
Messages
3,146
Reaction score
538
Location
LaLa Land
Oh noes! Fast forward to tenth grade and pink polo shirts are extremely cool. I thought button-down shirts were trendy! Around here flannel shirts in weird colors like turquoise and magenta and purple are quite trendy for little and big kids. Children are so cute, when they aren't busy being savage :)

Yes, it's a boy. The MC and his friends (boys and girls) are trying to navigate the horrors of the sixth grade social scene, and they're feeling cool enough, but babyish t-shirts kid is seriously messing up their game. (I don't know if I'm qualified to write about such subjects...I spent all my free time in 6th grade with either the math club or the chess club!)

No, there's nothing wrong with Spot the Dog. But when you're 11, it's best to hide your Spot fandom, I think.

Kitty--don't know much about you MC or your story line, but perhaps you could throw a friend (girl) in there who thinks he is super kool and together they start a trend. Pretty soon the whole school is wearing Thomas the Toot Toot Train clothes!
Just a thought cuz I have a daug. 6th grade and she loves to wear different color socks just to stand out. She's got everyone joining in! Silly Jilly!! :)

I was wondering if anyone here would be up for a special chat session in the chat room sometime to discuss writing for kids?

Jed--would all be welcome to your chat? Could be an awesome learning tool. Might get me out of that pub for a little while too!! :D I do love that pub! ;)
 

Amarie

carpe libri
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 5, 2008
Messages
2,971
Reaction score
2,913
Location
never in the here and now
I was wondering if anyone here would be up for a special chat session in the chat room sometime to discuss writing for kids?


I would try to make a chat session, as long as I could figure out how to do the chat. Sometimes, I think I will forever be the internet version of the kid with the mismatched knee socks and the glasses held together with tape.
 

Smish

Reads more than she writes.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
8,636
Reaction score
3,087
Location
in the Bouncy Castle
I would try to make a chat session, as long as I could figure out how to do the chat. Sometimes, I think I will forever be the internet version of the kid with the mismatched knee socks and the glasses held together with tape.

Ha! That brought up horrifying memories from highschool chemistry. I'm a petite girl with a smallish head, so the one-size-fits-all safety goggles were too big, and always falling off my face. The chemistry teacher's solution? Duct tape.

Totally embarassing to have your goggles duct taped to your head. Even more embarassing to go to band practice right after chemistry and be the biggest dweeb in the room due to the red mark the tape left on your forehead...
 

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
9,090
Reaction score
2,165
Location
Lost Angeles
ROFL! And I thought the red mark in the shape of goggles around the face was dorky! My chemistry teacher was almost blinded in a chem class accident as a kid, so she was the strictest goggle nut EVAR.
 

Smish

Reads more than she writes.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
8,636
Reaction score
3,087
Location
in the Bouncy Castle
ROFL! And I thought the red mark in the shape of goggles around the face was dorky! My chemistry teacher was almost blinded in a chem class accident as a kid, so she was the strictest goggle nut EVAR.

Glad I wasn't the only teen who suffered the Safety Goggle Curse! :ROFL:
 

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
9,090
Reaction score
2,165
Location
Lost Angeles
I think that chem teacher would fail us if we didn't have our goggles on while we were in the dang lab room.

My dad's chem class stories were already enough to scare me straight tho. He took out a big hunk of potassium which of course burst into flames. So the coach (what, there's nothing wrong with the football coach moonlighting as the chem instructor! :D ) blasted it with the fire extinguisher...leaving dozens of smaller hunks of flaming potassium all over the room. Coach then decided to evacuate the whole K-12 school :D

My other mark of chem shame is that in college chem lab we had to wear long sleeve shirts. All the long sleeve shirts I owned had holes in them from spilling assorted acids over myself.
 

Smish

Reads more than she writes.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
8,636
Reaction score
3,087
Location
in the Bouncy Castle
I think that chem teacher would fail us if we didn't have our goggles on while we were in the dang lab room.

My dad's chem class stories were already enough to scare me straight tho. He took out a big hunk of potassium which of course burst into flames. So the coach (what, there's nothing wrong with the football coach moonlighting as the chem instructor! :D ) blasted it with the fire extinguisher...leaving dozens of smaller hunks of flaming potassium all over the room. Coach then decided to evacuate the whole K-12 school :D

My other mark of chem shame is that in college chem lab we had to wear long sleeve shirts. All the long sleeve shirts I owned had holes in them from spilling assorted acids over myself.

:roll:

My chemistry teacher was nuts about the goggles too, which is why he insisted that mine be duct taped 'to fit properly'. Grrrrr.

The most exciting thing that happened in my college chemistry class was that my lab partner was a hunky guy who was a competitive weight lifter. One day, he pulled a book from his backpack and threw his weight lifting undies across the room... and said they were mine!

As if I'd wear a tacky teal thong... :D
 

Honeybug

Working my way up!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 22, 2010
Messages
3,146
Reaction score
538
Location
LaLa Land
:roll:

My chemistry teacher was nuts about the goggles too, which is why he insisted that mine be duct taped 'to fit properly'. Grrrrr.

The most exciting thing that happened in my college chemistry class was that my lab partner was a hunky guy who was a competitive weight lifter. One day, he pulled a book from his backpack and threw his weight lifting undies across the room... and said they were mine!

As if I'd wear a tacky teal thong... :D

C'mon Smish, own it!! I preferred the leopard variety myself. :) Horror stories! Absolute horror stories. LOL
 

MsJudy

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Messages
5,673
Reaction score
1,440
Location
california
Oh, goody, my son is taking chem this year. And weightlifting. I can't wait to see what embarrassing things happen!!!
 

MsJudy

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Messages
5,673
Reaction score
1,440
Location
california
Yay, me!!! *boing, boing, boing*

School starts on Monday, and I've been going a wee bit nuts trying to wrap my head around all the changes I'm facing: 10 more students, a new grade level, a new classroom, etc. So I gave myself permission not to write for two weeks while I got the school year started.

But this morning I woke up with words in my head! Yippee!! Only a couple hundred, but that's enough. I figured out the little plot point I was stuck on, I know how to forge ahead with the next few steps, I'm not overwhelmed after all.

Yay!!! *boing, boing, boing*

Now I just have to eat breakfast, exercise, clean the house, do the laundry, go for groceries and make two batches of playdough for the kindergartners.
 
Last edited:

Smish

Reads more than she writes.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
8,636
Reaction score
3,087
Location
in the Bouncy Castle
Yay, me!!! *boing, boing, boing*

School starts on Monday, and I've been going a wee bit nuts trying to wrap my head around all the changes I'm facing: 10 more students, a new grade level, a new classroom, etc. So I gave myself permission not to write for two weeks while I got the school year started.

But this morning I woke up with words in my head! Yippee!! Only a couple hundred, but that's enough. I figured out the little plot point I was stuck on, I know how to forge ahead with the next few steps, I'm not overwhelmed after all.

Yay!!! *boing, boing, boing*

Now I just have to eat breakfast, exercise, clean the house, do the laundry, go for groceries and make two batches of playdough for the kindergartners.

Yayy! Can't wait to read it. :D

And do you get to play with the playdough? I'm totally jealous...
 

MsJudy

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Messages
5,673
Reaction score
1,440
Location
california
Google Kool-aid playdough recipes. Very easy and it smells delicious. (and nobody tried to eat it!!!)
 

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
9,090
Reaction score
2,165
Location
Lost Angeles
When I was little, I liked eating regular Playdoh, and it was all salty and stuff! If it was fruit flavored, I'm pretty sure I would chow down on my entire portion o' dough :D
 

Smish

Reads more than she writes.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
8,636
Reaction score
3,087
Location
in the Bouncy Castle
I have strep throat, and have had a fever all day. :(

I now have antibiotics, but there's no way I can take any time off from work. So, just popping in to pout a minute. And to beg for ice cream...

Pretty please?
 

Honeybug

Working my way up!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 22, 2010
Messages
3,146
Reaction score
538
Location
LaLa Land
I have strep throat, and have had a fever all day. :(

I now have antibiotics, but there's no way I can take any time off from work. So, just popping in to pout a minute. And to beg for ice cream...

Pretty please?

Looking for any particular flavor?? Have french vanilla, chocolate brownie, and cookies & cream in the freezer! Have toppings for that too! *Graps large bowl & scooper* Pout no more Smish! ;)