I blogged today over in Maria’s new space. I felt like being sneaky.

Check it out!

Okay, I have another child related story.

As you all have probably figured out, my children are special. (that’s southern for troublemakers) They are good kids at heart, but they are also boys. And those of you who have boys can feel my pain.

But this post is more about the school system than it is about my kids. Apparently, the youngest got written up on the bus for throwing rocks out of his shoe. This doesn’t surprise me, as the youngest’s life consists of waking, eating, peeing, pooping, farting, throwing things, eating some more and going back to sleep. That is how he spends every 24 hours in every day. So, because he was throwing rocks on the bus, he got suspended.

Fine. I really don’t have a problem with the suspension. When you’re a punk-ass and you get caught, you get the punk-ass punishment. I did tell the Asst. Principal that I hadn’t seen the other write ups (apparently this was #3 or #4) and that I would like to see those copies to verify his suspension.

Youngest rides the bus home yesterday and both he and his brother tell me that the driver said he wasn’t suspended because he had been suspended on his 3rd write up (news to me) and that he wouldn’t get suspsended again until his 5th write up.

Okay. Fine. I tell youngest that if he gets on the bus in the morning and the driver says, “But you’re suspended!” that he should promptly get off the bus and come back inside.

He got to school just fine.

GREAT! I think. He’s not suspended! (I mean, why would the driver let him on the bus if he was really suspended, right?)

Um. Wrong.

I get a call from the ASSt. Principal again. I’m chastised and treated like a 12 year old. “Mrs. Francis. I noted in our call yesterday that I told you that your son was suspended from the bus. Do you not remember that?”

Um. Yeah. I can remember as far back as yesterday.

“Mrs. ASSt. Principal, I do remember that. (I go on to explain what the boys had told me) Plus, if he were suspended, why did she let him on the bus??? I don’t understand.”

“That’s not the point.”

“It’s my point.”

The rest of the conversation is just as hard-headed and irritating. I know what a handful my kid is and I have no issue with him being suspended for his behavior. I do have issue with the incompetence of the school and honestly, am I the only one confused as to how a “suspended” child was allowed on the bus?????

Happy weekend everyone!

Okay, I have another child related story.

As you all have probably figured out, my children are special. (that’s southern for troublemakers) They are good kids at heart, but they are also boys. And those of you who have boys can feel my pain.

But this post is more about the school system than it is about my kids. Apparently, the youngest got written up on the bus for throwing rocks out of his shoe. This doesn’t surprise me, as the youngest’s life consists of waking, eating, peeing, pooping, farting, throwing things, eating some more and going back to sleep. That is how he spends every 24 hours in every day. So, because he was throwing rocks on the bus, he got suspended.

Fine. I really don’t have a problem with the suspension. When you’re a punk-ass and you get caught, you get the punk-ass punishment. I did tell the Asst. Principal that I hadn’t seen the other write ups (apparently this was #3 or #4) and that I would like to see those copies to verify his suspension.

Youngest rides the bus home yesterday and both he and his brother tell me that the driver said he wasn’t suspended because he had been suspended on his 3rd write up (news to me) and that he wouldn’t get suspsended again until his 5th write up.

Okay. Fine. I tell youngest that if he gets on the bus in the morning and the driver says, “But you’re suspended!” that he should promptly get off the bus and come back inside.

He got to school just fine.

GREAT! I think. He’s not suspended! (I mean, why would the driver let him on the bus if he was really suspended, right?)

Um. Wrong.

I get a call from the ASSt. Principal again. I’m chastised and treated like a 12 year old. “Mrs. Francis. I noted in our call yesterday that I told you that your son was suspended from the bus. Do you not remember that?”

Um. Yeah. I can remember as far back as yesterday.

“Mrs. ASSt. Principal, I do remember that. (I go on to explain what the boys had told me) Plus, if he were suspended, why did she let him on the bus??? I don’t understand.”

“That’s not the point.”

“It’s my point.”

The rest of the conversation is just as hard-headed and irritating. I know what a handful my kid is and I have no issue with him being suspended for his behavior. I do have issue with the incompetence of the school and honestly, am I the only one confused as to how a “suspended” child was allowed on the bus?????

Happy weekend everyone!

I’m thinking this pin-up of young Spock would convert anyone to the ways of Star Trek… Yowza!

Maria has a new blog look! Go check it out!

Maria has a new blog look! Go check it out!

So it may as well be me.

I was talking with my other CP, Louisa, yesterday. (I would love to link you to her blog, but–achem–she doesn’t have one. YET. I’m considering setting one up for her…) Anyway, Louisa and I were chatting about personality types and I made a comment that people either really like me or really don’t because I have such a strong personality.

She didn’t agree with that. She thinks I’m a very well liked person…of course, she doesn’t blog so what does she know…

Anyway, our conversation led us down the path of how we fit into friendships…I decided I’m the best kinda friend to have, because if we all were in a plane crash, I don’t panic easily and there’s plenty of meat on my bones to feed a small country. Plus, my liver is probably pretty close to a pickle after my recent hot tub and wine incident (to be shared at some later date)…so I’m the perfect condiment in a friendship.

She chose to be ketchup. She really likes ketchup. If she had a blog, she’d probably tell you about it.

Condiments are important in food and relationships. They add a different flavor, a different spice and they complement the exisisting dish.

What condiment do you want to be?

So it may as well be me.

I was talking with my other CP, Louisa, yesterday. (I would love to link you to her blog, but–achem–she doesn’t have one. YET. I’m considering setting one up for her…) Anyway, Louisa and I were chatting about personality types and I made a comment that people either really like me or really don’t because I have such a strong personality.

She didn’t agree with that. She thinks I’m a very well liked person…of course, she doesn’t blog so what does she know…

Anyway, our conversation led us down the path of how we fit into friendships…I decided I’m the best kinda friend to have, because if we all were in a plane crash, I don’t panic easily and there’s plenty of meat on my bones to feed a small country. Plus, my liver is probably pretty close to a pickle after my recent hot tub and wine incident (to be shared at some later date)…so I’m the perfect condiment in a friendship.

She chose to be ketchup. She really likes ketchup. If she had a blog, she’d probably tell you about it.

Condiments are important in food and relationships. They add a different flavor, a different spice and they complement the exisisting dish.

What condiment do you want to be?

I’m constantly amazed by kids. They trust and forgive so easily. And if you think about it, as adults, we don’t. As a matter of fact, it’s very hard for adults to make friends at all. And once we do, if we are let down or betrayed, that friendship never recovers.

I wonder at what point in our lives do we lose that ability to forgive and forget? High school? College? After marriage? Is it an age thing? Once we can vote we can no longer trust? (Heh. There’s probably a lot of truth in that question.)

But, isn’t it a shame that we can’t let go like we used to?

I dunno. The reality is, if we did readily forgive and forget nowadays, we’d all be doormats.

As a writer, my goal is to create realistic characters. The problem is, how realistic does the reader really want? If I write a Happily Ever After story, then the characters have to show growth and overcome their conflicts. So, if a character is betrayed by a friend or a lover in a story and that betrayal is eating the Main Character up inside, technically the story can’t end until that character confronts the issue and everyone kisses and makes up.

But is that really realistic?

How do you balance the real world with the fiction world but still create 3D/believable characters?