This was almost–almost–a Flash Fraterday post, but here I am and better late than never, right?  It’s been a busy week around the blogosphere for me, with my first post going up on the Mommy Authors group blog I’m participating in.  You’ll find that here, and it’s a discussion of the symbolism of hands and tactile touch in the Disney Pixar movie WALL-E.  Since we’re kind of in a catch-the-movies-you-missed groove around here, I wouldn’t be surprised if I revisit the movie themes for writers thing again.

And I was also guested on J. Kathleen Cheney’s blog this week, in a post featuring a Bump in the Road on the way to the NYT bestseller list.  I talked about the time I approached an agent at a conference, to discuss the book that agent had already rejected.  No, it didn’t end in my going up in flames.  And, yes, it did involve a bump in the road–and that’s all I’m going to say. 😉  Go check it out, and I’ll keep my eye out for comments!

And now, a sweet little family, enjoying their spring break(fast) the way many families do.

 “Daddy,” Timmy Jo, Jr. whined, as he bumped along on his father’s back.  “How much farther is it?  Aren’t we there yet?”

Behind him, Momma Curl huffed out a breath.  “Timmy Jo, we are not going to answer that.  You’re already getting a ride on Daddy Curl and have a whole back to yourself.  Any more fuss from you and we’ll swing by my friend the bandit raccoon king’s house up here and see if he wants a new ‘prentice.”

“Would you really?” Timmy Jo’s siblings squealed, from where they clung to Momma Curl’s back.

“Do it!” Timmy Jo yelled.  “Do it, please?  I wanna go live with the bandit raccoon king!”

“Oh, do you?” Momma Curl asked.  “Even if his last ‘prentice only lasted three days, and the one before that, half a day?  Even if everyone knows he only wants a ‘prentice so he can throw you to the dogs while he raids the farmer’s hen house?”

“And even if,” Pappa Curl added, getting in on the fun.  “He’d make you wash your paws til they shone in the moonlight and no food til they’d passed inspection?”

Timmy Jo was silent for a minute.  “No, not then.  I’m sorry, Momma Curl.  I won’t ask anymore…”  He took a deep breath, and squeaked out the words at the top of his lungs.  “Are we there yet?”

Momma Curl sputtered in fury, but Pappa Curl laughed.  “That’s alright, Timmy Jo, ’cause we’re almost there.  You chilluns climb up high on our backs, and in just a minute you’ll see a sight, for sure.”

The chilluns did as they were told, and stretched their eyes wide.  Pappa and Momma Curl scrabbled up out of the dried stream bed they’d followed, underneath the fence and there, before them, lay a possum paradise.

“The City Dump!” Timmy Jo said in awe.  He and his siblings jumped down from their tired parents, and ran full tilt toward the all out breakfast buffet.

Awww, the City Dump.  Maybe that’s where we’ll go on our next spring break.  Where did you go?

This post was inspired by this week’s spring break themed blog hop.  If you want to see the other links or drop in a link of your own, stop by the Flash Friday page!

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