Last February I won a mentorship at the kickoff for the 2022 WIFYR Conference. Carol Lynch Williams, my mentor, an author, and the conference director encouraged me to try my hand at middle grade novels and gave me a small list of books to read as homework. I set a goal to read twenty-five middle school books. My intended genre was picture books (and I set a goal to read 100 of those) but Carol said I have a natural voice for middle grade, so I decided to take her challenge. Last month I finished the 25th book. I actually love this genre, so here’s the list, and a review of my favorite middle school books you should read this Spring.
Books in Order Read
Wonder – RJ Pallacio
Auggie & Me – RJ Pallacio
Ungifted – Gordon Korman
Unplugged – Gordon Korman
Unteachable – Gordon Korman
We Dream of Space – Erin Entrada Kelly
The Great Gilly Hopkins – Katherine Paterson
Calvin – Martine Leavitt
The Chosen One – Carol Lynch Williams
The Pinballs – Betsy Byars
Ready Player One – Ernest Cline
Wish – Barbara O’Connor
The Doughnut Fix – Jessie Janowitz
The Doughnut King – Jessie Janowitz
The Mouse and the Motorcycle – Beverly Cleary
The Lost Wonderland Diaries – J. Scott Savage
Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Louis Sachar
Enduring Freedom – Trent Reedy & Jawad Arash
Sal & Gabi Break the Universe – Carolos Hernandez
Hunter’s Choice – Trent Reedy
The Storm Runner – JC Cervantes
Ruby Holler – Sharon Creech
Restart – Gordon Korman
Slacker – Gordon Korman
Big Nate: What’s a Little Nookie Between Friends
I have not been given any of these books by authors, nor did I get any compensation for giving reviews. At the time of writing this, I do not make any commission on purchases you might make when you click on a link. Trying to decide what my favorite middle school books is, is like trying to choose what color is my favorite. I like them all. But here are my picks from several categories.
#1 Unforgettable Pick
When I first started thinking about doing a blog in August, I knew I would include book reviews. At the time, I thought, “The first book I need to review for my favorite middle school books is The Doughnut Fix.” I got the second The Doughnut King and loved it equally. Immediately, I looked for something else by Jessie Janowitz, AND THERE WASN’T ANYTHING! It was so disappointing. I can’t stop thinking about the story, so it’s my first choice.
Tristan lives in New York with his parents and two younger sisters, one who is Gifted and Talented. He might not be the smartest person, but he’s fine with this because he can make the perfect chocolate chip cookies. Life is pretty dang good until his parents move them to a town where there’s one street, no restaurants, and nothing that he’s familiar with. He’s excited when he sees a sign for DOUGHNUTS in a shop window. It’s a lie! They haven’t sold Doughnuts there for years. Tristan decides to get the famous recipe and open up a doughnut stand. The only problem is the owner of the recipe insists he must have a business plan. Chaos ensues as he struggles to make his business successful so he can have his doughnut fix.
This is a wonderful tale about family, community, and entrepreneurship. The characters are engaging. Having moved a lot in my life, I empathized with Tristan. New is hard. I loved how the parents inspire their children to try different things. Winnie, the recipe owner, was especially likable for how she expected a lot out of Tristan. I think adults should expect a lot out of kids. They’ll rise to the challenge! What I admired about this book is that it actually inspires kids to be entrepreneurs. I hope she is writing more.
#2 Favorite Author
I never heard of Gordon Korman before, but he had a couple free stories on Kindle Prime, so I gave him a shot. As you can see from my list, I can’t get enough of him. His characters are fun, quirky, and perfectly imperfect. It is really hard to pick a favorite, but I’m going to recommend you start with The Unteachables. Room 117, the misfits, delinquents, and “dumb” kids are surprised when they meet someone with less desire to be at school than themselves — their teacher. But over the school year they find that their adventures of mayhem and destruction unite them in way that changes everyone’s destiny.
I like kid’s books with adult characters you can love. This story is written from several perspectives. This helps you connect better with both the students and teacher. I found myself rooting for each and every one of them. I highly recommend reading this together as a family and talking about how each student might feel as well as the teacher. It’s important to be able to put ourselves in other’s shoes. And then grab another of his books. There’s an endless supply since he’s written well over 70.
#3 Historical Fiction Fan
I’m a huge fan of historical fiction. A couple of the books I read have historical context. We Dream of Space is set in 1986 during the Challenger mission (when I was a sophomore in high school). I liked it a lot. However, I’m going to recommend Enduring Freedom by Trent Reedy and Jawad Arash as my favorite. Events in this story come from actual experiences the authors had in Afghanistan. Readers get a better understanding of what life was like (and maybe once again is) under the Taliban.
Enduring Freedom is a moving and enlightening novel about how ignorance can tear us apart and how education and understanding can bring us back together.
Baheer is a teen whose family’s life is upended as war rocks their country. As U.S. forces arrive, he meets Joe, a soldier who dreamed of becoming a journalist before being shipped off Afghanistan. They realize they have more in common than they imagine. But is it possible to put their religious and cultural differences aside?
The realness of this book is touching, and I recommend it for young teens or tweens (as well as their parents). If you want to learn more about the real struggle of Jawad Arash and his family to escape Afghanistan, follow Trent Reedy on Facebook.
#4 Heartwarming Winner
Because I’m a foster parent, Carol suggested I read stories that might inspire me to write about my experiences. She recommended several. Surprisingly, one of my favorites was one I chose based on its writing style — third person omniscient — which I’m writing. Imagine my surprise when Ruby Holler, written by Sharon Creech, was also a story about foster care siblings.
In this story, Dallas and Florida, aka the Terrible Twins, find themselves in the home of an elderly couple, Tiller and Sairy, who are preparing for separate adventures and need the help of the youngsters. After years of being bounced around foster homes, they expect the worst. Tiller has raised a family and doesn’t see the point in starting over. Through love and patience, the characters come to realize that home is the people who are in it.
This story has many surprising twists and turns. The story of foster care and the children’s reactions are very true to my experiences. I smiled when the elderly couple realize how much they miss having children in their home. Likewise, it was heartwarming when Dallas and Florida come to accept that there are adults in the world who care about people. Truly an amazing story. That’s probably why it has won a Carnegie Medal and is one of my favorite middle school books this year.
#5 Fantasy We’re Familiar With
Who doesn’t know Alice in Wonderland? J. Scott Savage brings all the wonder and word-play back in his amazing book, The Lost Wonderland Diaries. This is the first book in his series. Celia and Tyrus find the fabled lost Wonderland Diaries of her great great great granduncle, Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll. Together, they are sucked into a portal that deposits them in what they come to realize is Wonderland. However, things are not as Tyrus remembers from the books. Scary monsters replace characters from earlier. They come to realize that it is up to them to return the creatures who have entered the real world. Their assumed weaknesses become their strengths, but they don’t know if it will be enough to help them escape and save the world.
Savage magically recreates this fantasy world and incorporates the original author’s love of math and words into a gripping adventure. Celia is the daughter of a librarian, and she hates nothing more than reading. But she loves math and puzzles. Tyrus is a bookworm who finds he doesn’t fit in. Although they are different, they combine their talents to find solutions they thought were impossible. If you or a child struggle with dyslexia, this is a great book to read together. Readers are introduced to different facts and tools associated with dyslexia that I found fascinating.
No Haters
If a book isn’t listed in my top five, don’t assume I didn’t love it. I don’t want any hate comments because your favorite didn’t make my top list. Although Wonder isn’t one of the top five, I LOVED IT! So go ahead and read it too. In fact, read them all. You won’t be disappointed.
The last book on my list was a graphic novel. They haven’t been my favorite genre, but I can definitely see how they get kids reading. Maybe I’ll get a few more of those. Regardless, I’ll probably love it because I dratherB reading!!
Your Turn
What favorite middle school books have you read lately? Do you have a favorite author or series from your childhood? How often do you ask your child or grandchild or nephew/niece what they’re reading in school? I challenge you to have them tell you about a favorite book and then read it so you can discuss it together. Happy reading!
April Fools’ Day can bring feelings of both excitement and dread. My mother would say, “If everyone’s not having fun, then no one is having fun.” So most of our April Fools’ traditions were based on good-natured practical jokes. Here are ten pranks you can enjoy with your family no matter what age.
Good Ole Plastic Wrap
There are so many great jokes you can play using cling wrap. Here’s a couple we’ve done.
#1 Toilet Bowl
My earliest memory of April Fools is when I was approximately eight years old. As we all arose and got ready for school, one of my older siblings entered the bathroom before me. There were nine people in a house with two bathrooms, so this wasn’t surprising. Suddenly, loud exclamations filled the house. “Hey! Hey! Aaaaaahhhhh!” I wish I could remember which brother or sister came busting out of the bathroom demanding to know who put the plastic wrap on the toilet. Before everyone awoke, mom lifted both the toilet seat and lid and put the film tight over the bowl, then lowered the lid. I’m sure you can imagine the rest. We got a great laugh out of it
#2 Hallway
Our fourth child is quite the prankster and donated many memories to this post. Her junior year in high school she was the oldest at home with her youngest brother and four foster siblings. She felt it was her duty to take over as leader of all April Fools shenanigans. After everyone had retired to bed, she stretched the clear film across the top two-thirds of the bedroom hallway. Much to her chagrin, the prank backfired. It must have been a weekend, because I didn’t get up to fix breakfast. Her youngest brother noticed and ducked underneath. Knowing she was not the first up, she walked with confidence to the kitchen. Arms flailing and with a face full of plastic, she laughed hysterically at being the April Fool.
Mom and April Fools Food
My mom loved cooking and made delicious food that she included in every holiday. Meals are a great time to prank the family.
#3 What Happened to Breakfast?
Mom used breakfast time to celebrate many holidays. You’d be amazed how many different shapes she formed pancakes into; clovers, hearts, and turtles were her specialty. Why turtles? Not sure, but turtle pancakes were her grandkid’s favorite. On April Fools’ Day you might find too much salt in the muffins or even no breakfast, as she went on strike. (We got a hot breakfast every weekday before school.) My favorite was the time the milk was blue, the scrambled eggs were green, and the pancakes were red. It’s amazing how the color of food determines its appeal. There’s just something wrong with drinking blue milk. Luckily, food coloring is harmless and easy to add to all three of these items in their liquid state.
#4 Mix It Up
In 2020 the schools had been closed for COVID 19. We had five children trying to do school from home. It was chaos since we only had one computer and the fear of the unknown gripped everyone. With everyone’s nerves on edge, the last thing we needed were pranks that made anyone feel foolish. To ease tensions, I decided the night before that April Fools would be a day of fun. Taking my mother’s lead, I went to work.
When I called everyone down for breakfast, to their surprise tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches met them. I declared the day off — no schoolwork allowed. April Fools on you, school! We had a movie marathon in the garage, where we’d recently set up a projector and screen. Lunch was dinner; chicken stir fry. You guessed it, dinner was breakfast; pancakes, sausage patties, scrambled eggs, and milk (white, although I did consider throwing in some green food coloring.) What a great day!! Everyone’s mental health improved, proving that April Fools can be a lot of fun and something to look forward to instead of fear.
Kids Get Kids
The following pranks can be played by anyone, but these were played by kids on other kids.
#5 Cookies Anyone?
Remember that fourth child I told you about? Her sophomore year of high school she was the life of the party. She took “minty fresh” Oreos to share in one of her classes. She bought a package of Oreos — the kind with the peel back opening. Emptying the entire package, she carefully twisted apart the cookies and removed the frosting and replaced it with white toothpaste. The reassembled cookies were neatly inserted back into the package. She nearly tricked her older sister, but #3 child was on to her “kindness”. Her first hour classmates weren’t as lucky. I can only imagine their faces as they tried to process what in the world they were tasting.
#6 Mmmmmayonnaise
For the third April Fools in a row, child #4 used her amazing sense of humor to turn heads at school. I honestly don’t know whether she took a full mayonnaise jar and emptied it, or if we had one that was already empty, but she washed the jar clean and filled it with vanilla pudding. She walked between classes at school eating her “mayonnaise” with a spoon and getting horrified looks. I did not know about it at the time, but I tell you, this girl makes me laugh every day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jzdadheKI8
#7 Short Sheeting
This was a favorite of my siblings, especially since we shared rooms and knew the sleeping and bed-making habits of our roommates. The great thing about this, is it’s the end of the day and everyone thinks they’re safe. Here’s how the prank plays out. The victim, usually tired, climbs into bed but cannot get their feet to insert past the middle of the bed. There’s a roar of frustration and someone might even get pummeled — which is even funnier if it wasn’t their roommate. Most of the time, the too-tired sibling would rip the sheets off their bed and sleep with just their comforter. The trick to pulling this off is making sure you make the bed exactly as it was — unless you’re the kind of person who makes other people’s beds for them on a regular basis. A variation of the sheets prank is to put cornflakes in the sheets at the foot of the bed.
Kids Get Adults
The last three are jokes our kids pulled on either us or other adults.
#8 An Oldie but a Goodie
My mother should know that her trickster ways would come back to get her, even in the next generation. For a while, my mother lived with us in our cabin. Our kids were very familiar with Grandma’s fun sense of humor. It was her bad luck to be at our house on an April Fools’ Day. Our oldest son snuck out of bed and put a rubber band around the kitchen sink sprayer.
This joke has been done for years and any wise mom will check the sprayer first thing April 1st morning. Grandma forgot the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I’m sure child #2 did not care which person he got, but what joy when his teasing grandma got up early. “Ock! Ock!” she hollered and came laughing to find who was the cause of her drenched pajamas. I was glad it wasn’t me who got up first. I’m seeing a central theme here of why I’m not usually the one who gets caught in the joke – don’t be the first up!
#9 Make it Believable
If you’re a parent, one thing you dread is the kids breaking stuff. You’re just waiting for the sound of crashing or a kid to say, “Ummm, Mom. You know that lamp? Well . . . ” We continually warned our kids about throwing the baseball or rocks or any other item that might smash through a window. Knowing this, child #2 was thrilled when he got a fake-rock-in-the-window gag. He told me about it first, so I could help mitigate damages if the joke went poorly against his dad. Again, after dad went to bed, the trickster attached the window cling/rock to the window in a very strategic location. The crack lines were very realistic.
When my husband got up to go to work I held my breath, knowing the explosion that might be coming. From outside, his voice boomed. The door slammed. His footsteps pounded up the stairs. “Child #2’s name! Come with me.” We kept very straight faces as we all marched out to his truck. “What in the heck did you do to my truck?!” The rock was exactly the same as the black cinders in our drive.
“It’s a joke dad. It’s a joke,” our son quickly pointed out.
“A rock in my windshield is not a joke!!”
“No, dad. Look.” Our eleven-year-old son walked to the truck and pulled the trick rock off the windshield. The relief was immediate, and my husband sat on the porch to recover from the adrenaline rush. Everyone laughed and all the kids wanted to see the rock and use it on someone they knew.
#10 Hollywood
Our youngest son was often called Hollywood because he was such a great little actor — even as a toddler. As you can tell, he had a lot of great examples to make him a pro at April Fools’ Day. At preschool, on March 31st, they had a toilet overflow, which was quite exciting for our four-year-old. The next day during a recess, our actor ran into the director’s office (who also happened to be his aunt). “The toilet! It’s overflowing.” She runs across the building with Hollywood hot on her heals. Inside the bathroom, everything is normal. “April Fools!” rings a tint voice behind her. To this day, that story gets told if you ever bring up April Fools’ Day jokes at a family gathering.
Children are totally believable. They’re innocent, so use them to your advantage — or beware. Whichever the case may be.
Your Turn
I love getting new ideas or hearing good stories that make me laugh. Tell me about a good natured joke you’ve played. Have you ever had a prank go bad? Have you ever had a joke played on you? Did you take it well?
My mother and grandmother . . . and possibly her mother . . . would say, “It’ll feel better when it quits hurting.” Truer words were never spoken. Especially this week when self-care did battle with my schedule.
Wednesday
The energy flowed as I sat in the waiting area of the local Discount tire. The blank daily planner open on my lap smelled of new paper, and visions of all I would accomplish over the next few days invigorated me. I clicked my pen and sketched out my week. Even the bad news that all four wheels of my Charger were bent and needed replacing couldn’t dampen my excitement.
In my pursuit to be a successful blogger, I read advice from other successful bloggers. By Sophia Lee is one of the first that caught my eye. She wrote:
“My blog was a business. I was going to treat it and plan for it as a business which meant that I had to be VERY strategic with how I was scheduling my time. I was so headstrong about getting this blog to be successful because I knew it was one of the only careers that could make me money around my quickly changing college schedule and other jobs.”
Like her, I knew that blogging is one of the only careers that could make me money around my quickly changing . . . mother schedule and ever-changing physical limitations of M.E. (myalgic encephalomyelitis). I never know when I’m going to crash, so I need more flexibility for self-care. If she can do it, so can I.
I scheduled three days’ worth of hour-by-hour, play-by-play success — Pinterest, Facebook, Blogposts— before they called my name that the car was ready. With my bill of $1072.46 in hand, I joyfully headed out the door, ready to work my plan.
Murphy’s Law is Real
My first mistake was the planner. I should have stuck with my standard: writing my schedule in eyeliner pencil on my bathroom mirror. Jotting notes on the same notecard I write my shopping list would have worked, too. Grabbing a random notebook and writing a to-do list may have been acceptable. But once you’re under contract as a mother, getting organized with an actual planner attracts the attention of Murphy. His laws will lay waste to your best intentions. He’s a jerk. He gets on the line with Mother Nature, Jack Frost, the Red Cross, and the Grimm Brothers to plan an interception — if not a total highjack — of everything you plan.
He immediately screwed up the weather in the entire state of Arizona, making the planning of our March getaway difficult. There was no way I was having the third getastay in a row, so my husband and I pushed on. Plan getaway, CHECK!
Thursday
Our foster son’s toddler was visiting for Spring Break, and his slight cold and eczema escalated to urgent care status. “It’ll feel better when it quits hurting, buddy,” I said as we set off for the local facility. But they wouldn’t take his out-of-state insurance. The $150 cost was a no go. Thirty minutes later in the next town over, the recommended office was closed for Spring Break. (Really?) Thirty additional minutes and the next town east, we found an open urgent care that accepted his insurance. If you don’t live in rural America, this might seem strange. The cities and suburbia have urgent cares on every other corner, but we’re not so lucky in Taylor, Arizona. Luckily, we were third in line and got out of there with a prescription and list of OTC medications by lunchtime.
This Banner Urgent Care in Show Low, Arizona was closed several days during Spring Break, sending us on the road again.
The little one needed lunch and a nap. The Terrible Two ruled the world at this point. Let’s just say that by the time every person had been cared for and every errand run, M.E. got the best of me. I collapsed in bed with only one item scratched from my planner: “Feed animals”. The planner, sprawled open on my desk, laughed at me. “Good try. It’ll feel better when it quits hurting.” There are times when self-care doesn’t feel quite as important as the schedule, but you don’t have a choice.
Friday
The next day, Mother Nature turned out to be a giant mother traitor. You’d think with her title, she’d be more nurturing. The cold, wind, and rain cocooned me in a dull ache that prompted a second-day crash. I read and mostly dozed until late afternoon when it was time to leave for our Friday date. Let me tell you, short of death, NOTHING interrupts our weekly date. Marriages need self-care, too. It’s a good thing we love movies because sitting in a dark room, holding still, with my honey’s hand in mine is the only thing I can do when I’m fatigued. At the end of the day, as I lay in bed, a dark gloom settled over me. Another day gone. NOTHING on the blogging list done. Failure. Again. (In spite of resting, self-care isn’t really self-care if you’re beating yourself up.)
Saturday
Waking up, I gave myself some grace. My mother’s voice rang in my ears for the third day in a row. “It will feel better when it quits hurting.” So I slept till noon. Self-care for the win! After thirty-five years of dealing with a chronic illness, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that pain subsides. It may not be the better everyone else feels, but you do what you can do and cut yourself some slack. Take care of yourself. Listen to your body. Really love yourself.
I Am
M.E. might steal my plans, but it can’t rob me of my self-worth. I am a writer. I am a great mom. I am a professional hide-n-go-seek player with my grandkids. I dratherB okay, so I’ll give myself the love I deserve and use a pencil in my planner instead of pen. Maybe a mechanical pencil this time, because I don’t have the energy to sharpen a pencil by hand. I may not be able to do it like others, but I can do it!
I’ve been sitting here in this chair too long. I need to prop myself on a pillow and finish my editing, links, and pictures from there. If you’re dealing with chronic illness, I love you and I understand. Put self-care ahead of the schedule. It’ll feel better when it quits hurting. Promise.
YOUR TURN
Do you or someone you know have a chronic illness? Pain makes it hard to get things done. What do you do for self-care and to get yourself through the discomfort? If you know someone who is struggling with giving themselves grace, how will you help them?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had about enough of winter. It’s Spring Break this week and there’s a forecast for snow on Thursday. Enough already! Shall we run away to Rocky Point, Mexico together? A getaway is not in our plans this year, but how about a getastay?
Getting away is important
My husband and I have a long-held belief that the secret to a long and happy life (marriage, family, self) is to have regular getaways — the chance to reconnect, laugh, and explore. Experts agree. Two or three days away are important for our emotional health. Let’s be honest, not only kids want to run away sometimes. By regular, that depends on your circumstances. Some say you should take several small trips throughout the year, along with a longer vacation or two.
When we had little children, a once-a-month couple getaway was out of the question. Aside from our weekly date night, once a year was about all we could afford. I wish I thought of a getastay sooner. As a family, we’d have a getaway a few times a year (usually camping) and a regular vacation each summer. I’ll talk about vacations (and staycations) in another blog. Regular just means you purposefully plan and execute as often as possible, understanding that the more small breaks you get, the better you feel.
As foster parents, we decided once a month was vital to relieving stress. But this winter has seriously hindered our ability to travel. Every single month, a storm would roll in on our scheduled getaway, and we’d be stranded at home, unable to pull the travel trailer anywhere or take the car to warmer climates safely. And this Spring Break, we have to work. We’ve embraced the getastay like nobody’s business. Here’s how it works:
step one – Farm out the Kids if needed
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just take out our kid’s batteries and put them in the closet? (The kids and the batteries.) You probably already had plans for the kids if your getaway was as a couple. We have someone come stay at our house each month, so we had to make a Plan B, when we stayed home. I have grown children who took the foster kids into their homes. This is allowable for up to 48 hours. After that, foster kids have to go to respite — with licensed caregivers.
If you have relatives with kids, trade them; you watch theirs one weekend and they watch yours on another. Possibly you have a trusted friend who would do you a favor, or you could pay. Plan what time you’ll drop them off and pick them up — if you’re lucky, like me, you can get people to do the delivering.
Step two- Stay Someplace New
Someplace new can still be at home. We have a garage that we transformed into a movie theater. Yes, we love movies that much. There’s a murphy bed on one wall, so we pulled that down and spent the entire weekend in there. We only went in the house to grab food and go to the bathroom.
If the weather is good, pitch a tent in the yard or sleep on the trampoline. Use a travel trailer if you have one or know someone you can borrow from. Make use of the guest room or everyone switch rooms if the getastay is with the entire family. Get out the sleeping bags and stay together in the family room, on the sofas and floor. Pull out air mattresses. Make it feel like a new place.
Stay somewhere nearby. We stayed in a relative’s studio apartment once. It had a kitchenette we used for breakfast, but we went out to eat most of the time. This week our daughter is coming with her two kids from their house, 3 miles away, because she can’t go anywhere for Spring Break either. If you had planned on traveling, you could use the now-available gas funds to go to a local hotel. Our kids were always jazzed to have a pool. Is there an airbnb close by?
Step Three- Make a Plan
Talk it out and decide what you need the most: fun, intimacy, relaxation, sleep. If you’re dealing with kids, get their input. Then plan around that. Whether your weekend trip was with the entire family or as a couple, you’ll need to determine what you’re going to do from home.
Have Fun
If you’re looking for some fun, check out things happening near you. Go to the movies and out to eat. Visit an amusement park or other fun attraction in the area. Look on Facebook or local chamber of commerce websites for events: music festivals, wine tasting, hot air balloons, book fairs, seasonal attractions like tubing or skiing. Being cold is the last thing I want to do. Ick! But, hey, you do you.
Be intimate
As a couple, light candles, enjoy some wine and a romantic dinner, fix breakfast and eat in bed. Shower or take a bath together. Enjoy an empty house.
Relax
What do you consider relaxing? Sitting by a lake? Ice fishing? Whatever your climate is like, work around it. When was the last time you played table games? Sometimes sitting and talking is the perfect remedy for relieving stress. Read a book together, taking turns reading or listening to an audio version. You can get them at your local library.
Sleep
The plan can be no plan if what you really need is no stress whatsoever. Our first getastay, we spent the entire two days binge watching a favorite show. We watched tv, fixed quick and easy meals, and slept.
*spoken in a whisper behind my hand * We unintentionally slept a LOT! We must have needed it, but it’s embarrassing to admit.
After each episode (or whenever we woke up), we asked, “Do you want to do something else? Go to the theater so we can have popcorn and soda? Go out to eat?” Each time, it was a big no. Too much effort!
Be Spontaneous
Maybe one day is filled with fun and another is total relaxation. You can make your own theater with a sheet and projector. Move the tv outside if the weather permits. Whatever you do, make sure the stress takes a backseat to pleasure. The first time our plans were detoured, I was super stressed and, honestly, mad. I’d been looking forward to traveling somewhere new and I needed the time away. It nearly ruined the entire weekend. Find a way to put that aside by changing your mindset and reinvent your trip. Which brings me to . . .
step Four – Do It Differently
When you have to stay home, it’s hard to feel like you’re getting a break. You’re tempted to do everything the same. Don’t! Give your home or location a fun name if that helps remind you you’ve “traveled” someplace else. Camp Whatchadoin’. The Love Shack. Hotel Faraway. Isla Distancia. Make a sign that tells neighbors and visitors you’re not home in spite of all appearances. “Not home. Having a Getastay. We are a figment of your imagination. See you on Monday.” My husband told our grown kids, if you want to see us naked, come on over.
Pack a suitcase and only use what’s inside. We literally had our bags packed when we realized the road over the rim was closed. We didn’t unpack them, and it was a great reminder that we were “away”. This also works well if you’re swapping rooms.
Don’t do the dishes – use paper plates and plastic utensils instead. It’s only two days, so you can clean up on Monday. Get fast food if you don’t usually do that. Eat somewhere else, like a picnic at the park or set up a table in another room of the house for meals. If you usually go to church on Sunday, visit a different church. No matter what, don’t do chores or ask your kids to. Turn a blind eye to every project you think you need to do because you’re at home. Remember, you’re not! You have to act like you’re away.
Step 5 Unplug
The one thing that should stay the same is disconnecting. When you go on a quick weekend trip, hopefully you put down that phone. Disconnect from social media and the stresses of life. Connect with the person or people you’re with. This is REALLY REALLY HARD! Do it anyway. Do it differently than you do every other day. Happy travels!
your turn
Have you ever had a getastay? How did you make it fun? What were your obstacles? If you’ve never had one before, do you think you will? What ideas do you have that I haven’t thought of.
Do you have wheat kernels and don’t know what to do with them? Try the whole wheat pancakes recipe I fixed this morning. These nutty, filling flapjacks are a huge hit with adults and kids alike. Before I had a flour mill (grinder), this blender recipe is about the only thing my wheat kernels got used for.
I’d love to tell you a story about how I grew up eating these fabulous griddle cakes. Mom fixed whole wheat pancakes, but they weren’t this good. She used cracked wheat, and I wasn’t a fan of the crunch. I got this recipe out of a lady’s auxiliary cookbook. You know, the kind that are filled with good ole homecooked recipes that get passed down for generations.
Click here to jump straight to the recipe if you don’t want to read the directions with tips and tricks.
Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes
Pull out your blender and heat your griddle to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
1 c wheat, 1 c milk, 2 eggs, 1/4 c oil, 2 Tbs brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking soda
Measure out one cup of wheat kernels (berries, seeds, or whatever). Honestly, I’ve never learned the difference between the varieties. You can click here for more information about wheat. I use whatever is the best price and available when I want to buy it. I moved into a house that the owner left about one hundred #10 cans from her mother-in-law’s 1980s supply. Some cans are red wheat, others are white. It lasts forever!!
Blend it
Add a cup of milk, put on the lid and turn your blender on high while you get the other ingredients together – 3 to 4 minutes. If your blender is an inexpensive variety, you’ll need to run it a little longer. I think the trick to making these pancakes wonderful is to be patient and let the blender do its job. In fact, I posed the ingredient picture while I let my blender run. Remember, you’re grinding the wheat.
You’ll need 2 eggs and 1/4 cup oil. Make sure you don’t have any kernels that have jumped up on the side of the blender in a desperate attempt to escape. Ruthlessly push them in to be ground to smithereens. I put all my dry ingredients in a tiny bowl (even though I took a picture of the brown sugar separate for aesthetics).
Reduce blender to medium and add the wet ingredients. (If you add your dry first, the baking soda and powder thicken the mixture too much before you can get the wet in.) Add your dry ingredients and make sure they get mixed in well. Run for approximately another minute.
Make it
If you’re really good at pouring even amounts straight from your blender onto your griddle, go for it. I’m not. I pour my batter into a bowl and use 1/4 cup to measure.
Wait for your bubbles to pop before turning the cakes over. Peek and see if the underside is brown and they’re done!
This recipe makes about ten to eleven 1/4 c. whole wheat blender pancakes – if you want twelve, you have to be skimpy with the 1/4 cup. I heat my oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit to keep everything warm, including the family’s breakfast plates, while I cook. My mom’s tradition is to serve them on the table covered with a tea towel to keep them warm, but she was cooking for ten to twelve people at a time, so it took a while to get everyone served. She kept flipping pancakes and refilling the plate while people filled their tummies before heading to school. Maybe that’s why she didn’t make this recipe. She’d have to make it four times. I tried to double it in the blender once. It does not work, unfortunately.
Without a doubt, I’m grateful for the tradition of cooking healthy, homemade meals for my crew. To make it even more healthy, you can substitute honey for the sugar and plain yogurt for the oil. I hope this recipe makes it as one of your go-to breakfasts.
Ingredients
1 c. wheat berries
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1/4 c. oil
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
Directions
Pour wheat and milk into blender. Grind on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce to medium speed and add the rest of the ingredients. Scrape the sides of the blender and continue blending for 2 minutes for any stray kernels. Pour 1/4 c. batter for each pancake onto preheated griddle. (300 degrees F) Turn when bubbles form and break in the middle of the pancake. Makes about 12 six-inch pancakes.
Your turn
Do you have a favorite recipe using wheat kernels? What are your favorite toppings for pancakes — traditional maple syrup, berry syrup, powdered sugar, peanut butter, applesauce, or something else? When you’ve tried this recipe, let me know how you liked it.
I’ve been writing since before I can even remember. My mom kept a file folder for each child with keepsakes in it. I discovered mine when I was probably between ten and twelve years old. I loved going through my baby book (do they even make baby books anymore?) and reading about what I was like. In this file folder, I came across a piece of paper that had been folded into a little, odd-shaped square. I pried apart each fold until I had a full-size notebook page. Every single line was filled with loops. I took the paper to my mom and asked, “What’s this?”
She was sitting at our dining table, and she smiled at the sight of the paper. Lovingly, she took the paper and told me the following story. (Not verbatim.)
When you were very small, I wrote regular letters to my mother and other family members. One day you wanted to draw, so I gave you a piece of paper and pencil. After a while, you came back and handed me this paper folded up all crooked and tiny. I opened it and smiled at your writing. When I asked you what it said, you burst into tears. “What’s wrong?” I asked, and you said, “You know I can’t read.”
I don’t remember what my mom said her response was. I suspect she took me on her lap and “read” me some wonderful thing about flowers or puppies or something cute I’d done.
always writing
As you can see, I loved writing way before I could read what I wrote. That love was fostered in school. Growing up, the best part of starting another schoolyear was getting new notebooks and pencils. To this day I love a clean notebook. And pencils? There’s nothing like a #2 pencil sharpened to nearly a point. Mechanical pencils break too easily, and I don’t get the same feel as pressing on that sturdy lead. I know. My age is showing. I’ll admit it’s nice to not have to sharpen a mechanical. It’s an interesting debate.
In sixth grade I won first place in a poetry contest and received the book Nitter Pitter as a prize, and I still have it. Somewhere. Any book about horses is a go for me. I wrote for the Junior High yearbook and stories for advanced English class. I wrote an essay about my brother’s suicide for a competition – but didn’t win anything. College was filled with writing, but not for fun. Then I became a mother. Writing took a backseat but wasn’t far from my thoughts.
someday
I created children’s book concepts in my mind and couldn’t wait for the day I would actually write them. For teacher appreciation days I’d write poetry and attach it to a present. I helped the kids write assignments for school. I edited my husband’s papers when he went back to college. I ended up freelance editing and co-authoring a book for someone I’d been editing for. Words! Words were wonderful friends. And those children’s books kept whispering to me.
Someday. Someday I would go back to school and get a degree in writing. Then I would be able to write well. When the kids were grown, and I had time to focus on it. When I felt better and had more energy. THEN I would write my children’s books.
For my mother’s 80th birthday in 2016, her children decided to each create something for her. I decided it was time to (casually) write a fictional story based on a true-life event from her childhood. My daughter created the illustrations, and I printed and spiral bound it for her, thinking that someday I would possibly make it into a real picture book. It sat on a shelf until I turned 50.
reality check
Turning 50 did something to me. I realized that my somedays were on the decline and I better start making time for me because nobody else could. I rewrote Good for Pigs Bad for People, paid for better illustrations, and worked on finding an agent. My other stories started jumping up and down for attention. I found WIFYR and wrote two more picture books for their 2022 writing conference in Utah. An agent asked me to send her my manuscript. I WAS FINALLY WRITING!
Now . . . I have not been published yet. At the conference they suggested getting more writing platforms to show agents we’re serious about our craft. And my idea for a blog took shape. So here I am. Writing and creating and sharing the wonder of words with others.
I’ll be posting my ideas and writing progress with you soon: The poems I wrote for my homograph series. The Point of You books that originally captured my imagination. How my picture book Good for Pigs Bad for People has morphed into three: a picture book, a early reader, and a middle grade novel/ series. If I don’t find a publisher, I’ll publish myself. But someday is coming now!!
Your turn
Do you like to write? When did that love develop? Which do you prefer – mechanical or wooden pencils? Do you have anything you’re waiting for someday to come? If so, what’s holding you back? What advice could you give me and others who struggle to put their drather b first?
Many people love reading. Many people don’t. But did you know a love of reading can affect not just you, but generations after you?
A love of reading isn’t about lying in a hammock and disappearing into a good book, although that is a lot of fun. Reading affects your entire life: schooling, career, and even getting loans.
In this post we will talk about why a love of reading is a habit that will strengthen you, your children, and even their children.
Earliest Memories
Before I could read, I had a love of reading. My earliest memories include my mother or an older sibling reading to me. The rhythm, the images, the ideas. They surrounded me and made me feel bigger than I was. Sharing that love with me as a child, affected the rest of my life. I began school and took to reading naturally. I suppose my love of Dick and Jane readers dates me, but the artwork and simple stories hold a sweet place in my heart.
In first grade I got chickenpox. Consequently, so did the sisters on each side of me – “the three little girls” as we were referred to. Can you say chickenpox party? Despite itching, it was wonderful to lay in my parent’s big, soft bed with a sister on each side and a pile of books – Dick and Jane, Archie comics, Dr. Seuss books, and The Little Brute Family. They were my companions. I loved the pictures and the magic of letters creating words, creating stories. As I slid my little finger along the words, my older sister complained, “You’re not reading. Mom! Irene’s pretending to read and she’s not.” My six-year-old self was completely offended.
My Utah friend, Kathy Schroder, and I share a love of reading . . . in trees.
Throughout my elementary years, you could find me high in our grapefruit tree beside our home in Mesa, Arizona. The branches formed a perfect cradle — especially in one particular spot — for me to recline and immerse myself in a story. It was quiet and shady, and no one disturbed me there. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Misty of Chincoteague, Black Beauty, The Magic Garden . . . hours upon hours.
Why love reading?
Into adulthood, my love of reading never failed, and I passed that love onto my children. So what’s your point, you might be asking? “You love to read. Great.” Throughout my years of mothering, I found that the kids (people) who say, “I hate reading,” struggle to read. And so begins a cycle of: reading is hard, so they don’t want to read, so they don’t learn to read better, so they hate reading because reading is hard, so they don’t want to read . . . and they fall further and further behind. Over 85% of a child’s curriculum is taught through reading. It is a crucial skill for every aspect of life — health, career, life skills — so it’s important to break that cycle. But how?
I had a piano teacher, Mr. Nielson, for one summer when I was about nine. He was a very elderly man who supposedly played with Liberace. He told my mother, “Teach your children to love the piano, and they will teach themselves to play.” I have always remembered that and recognize that it applies to many areas. If you want your child to be good readers, teach them to love stories and books. The more they read, the better they will be at it. They will teach themselves to read if they love a story.
Discovery
A fifteen-year-old foster child came into my home. He was in 8th grade and read at a 2nd grade level. Needless to say, he hated reading. I took him to the reading tutor I’d used for my youngest son who had a reading disability. In the evenings, I pulled out my two copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. He held one, and I held the other. I read and he followed along as best he could. In the first chapter he stopped me numerous times.
“That’s not in the movie!” he’d exclaim.
“I know! That’s what so great about books. You get more details than they can put in the movie. Let’s keep going.” And he was hooked. He eventually read every single Harry Potter book. His reading level quickly grew. A kid who had doubts he’d graduate from 8th grade excelled and graduated from high school. I’m forever grateful to a wonderful friend who taught me (and many many children) the Spalding Method of reading. There are many resources for tutoring, at all price ranges. Talk to your child’s teacher about IXL, an online program many schools use.
Read . . . Read . . . Read
Read to your children. Let them see you reading. Read out loud — at home, in the car, on vacation. Read the cereal box, the billboards, from your phone or computer. Read everything.
If you struggle to read, your reading will improve as you continually “practice”. Don’t feel embarrassed to read out loud to your children. It is a great way to improve your reading and theirs. Take turns reading out loud to each other. You take a sentence or paragraph, and they take a sentence or paragraph.
Libraries have options now to check out audiobooks online. One great way for adults and kids alike to practice reading is to read along with an audiobook. You can learn pronunciation as well as expression. Once you’ve fostered your own love of reading, you can pass it on for generations.
I love reading to my grandchildren and giving them books for Christmas. My four-year-old grandson goes to the library with me every chance we get. We make an afternoon of it. Library, ice cream cone, and sometimes the park. You can’t buy those memories.
Not only will reading together create fun memories, but it will create a love of reading that will serve them (and you) in every aspect of their lives.
You might also like
The Importance of Reading to Your Children by all4kids.org
10 Staggering Truths About Struggling Readers and Reading Growth weareteachers.com
Ten top tips for reading to your children and how to engage them as they get older thegaurdian.com
Your Turn
Do you love reading? Why or why not? Do you have a favorite place to read? Are you reading to your kids or grandchildren now? Do you have any fun traditions you have with reading. There’s no doubt that I drather b reading more than anything else.
The energy flowed as I sat in the waiting area of the local Discount tire. The blank daily planner open on my lap 
