Like Apollo 13, But With More Duct Tape

You take this:

And one each, of these:

You send this guy to the office, for boxes:

And you can make this: a cat condo, with 3 storeys, a big-screen TV, and a gift shop in the lobby.

Touche!

Daughter, across dinner table, during ice storm: I have the power... of ICE!
Son, in riposte: Oh yeah? I have the power of FIRE.
Mom, kidding: I have the power of chicka chickaaah!
Daughter: I have the power of love. That's the best.
Son: I have the power of Donald Duck. You can't defeat that, because I'm fictional.

He has a point, you know.

No Fooling Her

Daughter (5): Can I be excused?
Me, to daughter: Eat a bite of your omelette first.
Daughter: Well, I'm making it into shapes.
Me: Yeah, well eat a shape.
Daughter: Okay. But I'll only eat the trapezoid.

***

Son (8) swinging a Christmas ornament in front of his sister: You are getting sleepy. When I click my fingers, you will do whatever I tell you to, for the rest of the day. Got it? [click] Okay, hang this ornament.
Daughter, ignores him.
Son: I said you have to hang this ornament.
Daughter, ignores him.
Son: You are getting sleepy. When I click my fingers, you will do whatever I tell you to, for the next HOUR. Got it?
Daughter, ignores him.

Unburied Bodies

OK, so it's a bizarre analogy, but when teaching the poetry of WW1 I mention the number of unburied bodies on the fields of war at any given time. I never really understood the notion of scrapping a story idea (here's the inappropriate analogy) and moving on. After all, I finish things. I'm logical, and tenacious, so why would I ever just ditch a story? I'm starting to get it. I've tried three shots at stories that have either lain down in the nice warm snow to go to sleep, or wandered off the path and been 'jacked by young adult style. The best path to getting it right(er) seems to be to try again. And I mean all new: new character, new voice, new story.

Cue the reason I can be so jaunty and enlightened about this: attempt number four. Now this one is working very well. I read it last night to a savvy friend (she was knitting at the time, hence the performance) and got great feedback. It helps that she likes it, of course, but the revision ideas all made sense and it was so helpful to have a conversation about where it will all go. I couldn't walk away from this one if I tried.