So I ask my students a "question of the day." On Monday they might have to tell me their favorite TV show, Tuesday their least favorite band, etc. When you ask teenagers for their opinion, you better be ready for...well, their opinion.

Here are some recent quotes.

Me: "What animal would you want to be?"
Ninth Grader: "A dolphin."
Me: "Why?"
Ninth Grader: "Because they’ve got good mating calls."

Me: "What animal would you want to be?"
Ninth Grader: "Ninja Butterfly."

Me: "What did you do this weekend?"
Ninth Grader Number One (said in his best Napoleon Dynamite voice): "I pretty much just beat up the neighborhood gangsters."
Ninth Grader Number Two: "I killed some zombies."

And I don't remember what the question was, but I did write down the student's answer. "It’s crap. I mean it is cow patty poop." Somehow it doesn't really matter what the question was. Your challenge is to somehow work that phrase into a conversation within the next 24 hours. And if you put extra emphasis on "patty poop" and spit ensues--extra points.

Also a bit of news that I've been sitting on for a while. I recently got the opportunity to sign with Thomas Nelson publishing. I'll write a three book YA series (which I should be working on right now), then tackle some chick-lit. Should be interesting. Nelson is jumping into the YA waters with everything they've got, so I'm really excited to be a part of that and see what happens. I will miss Katie Parker and Maxine though. I don't hardly know how to write a book without them (as evident by my sad lack of pages...). But I've already got a new character in book one that is a Maxine reincarnate. Why he's as feisty as a...Ninja Butterfly.

Finally, thanks to my good buddy Kelsey for reminding me of a favorite Will Ferrell clip. It's already brightening my weekend.