(have you tried whipped coffee??

It is so good, but my arms hurt now)

Self Care Assessment

As the semester winds down my Educational Psychology class has the opportunity to earn some extra credit by doing an assessment of our self-care regimen and what we can do to improve it. 

In doing so it has come to my attention that I do absolutely zero self-care... zilch. Nada. Nothing to take care of myself. 

Ok, so that is not exactly true. 

I spend time with the ones I love. However, the stress of the every day doesn't always leave me enjoying this time or being as present as I want to be. So I am going to say I do little to no self-care. 

Reflecting on why it is important to take care of ourselves and how to do that was eye-opening. As parents or teachers, we are consumed by caring for others. Caring for others is my joy and my calling, but no one can pour from an empty cup. 

Self-care is never more important than it is now. With the quarantine came huge life changes for us and for our children and students. Think about how you want to look back on this time. How do you want your children to look back on this time? 

I hope that my children and students look back on this time and know that I was there for them; that transition can be hard and scary but that it can also be an adventure and an opportunity. I also want us all to know that caring for our health (emotional, physical, spiritual, etc.) should be our top priority right now. 

Let us take a closer look at some of the ways I have incorporated self-care in the last few weeks.

I really love to look at smoothie bowls on Instagram. They are so pretty! So I  made smoothie bowls for my family! (Just like Instagram!)They were beautiful, fun to make, and took time to make (so it wasn't just fuel for the body but an artistic experience) making me slow down a bit. 

 Rikki especially liked these. Here is a pic of her downing her smoothie bowl.

We took the time to be silly... These are my two daughters. I think the quarantine had gotten to us by this point lol.

Snuggled Piper the pup...

She gets a lot of snuggles...

and we have walked a LOT during this quarantine. 

So I chose to focus on my emotional self-care for this activity. I have been struggling emotionally. Some of these activities branched off into other areas of self care, but my focus was on finding peace and calm during a hard time. Quarantine is a really hard time to stay connected emotionally to your people. I made sure to face time friends, walk with my children and mom, call my brother, all things I didn't do as much as I should. It really has made me feel better.

Let me just say, life is hard sometimes. I know it is. It is especially hard when we are overwhelmed and our cups are empty. I have been feeling yucky emotionally of late, missing my church, my students, my family. It wears on us all. Committing to taking care of yourself is so important in order to get out of the funk. 

I still have a long way to go in my quest to care for myself, but I see now how important it is. Allow yourself this time. Allow it for your children too! If they need some quiet time in nature instead of working on homework, let it happen. The work will get done. Prioritize well being and teach through example that it is ok and it is not selfish to self-care!

Freak the Mighty

I CANNOT have a reading blog without talking about Freak the Mighty. It is pretty much the best story ever written. 

Spoiler alert... you will be traumatized, but it is SO worth it. I am finding it difficult to put into words just how much this book moves me.

It was also made into a movie; title shortened to just The Mighty.

 One time I talked my oldest daughter into watching it with me, forgetting that I have to be in a certain headspace to watch it. I cried all night. Sobbed is a more accurate word... Sobbed loudly. Aspen, my daughter, was horrified and could not sleep the rest of the night because I was crying so loudly ALL DARN NIGHT.

Man... I am really selling you on this book, aren't I? Traumatization, loud sobbing, never fully recovering... I am doing such a great job.

The movie has since become a favorite of my youngest daughter and as much as I love it, I am a bit dismayed at her love for it because I just cannot go there sometimes.

All that aside, this book is the tale of an unlikely friendship. Max's father is in prison for murder. Max himself is huge for his age. He is a gentle giant, living with his grandparents, and is both bullied and feared at school. He also cannot read. 

Enter Kevin; boy genius with a physical disability and a smart mouth. Kevin, who believes Max was the culprit in knocking him down with a basketball, is not crazy about Max and Max isn't quick to correct him. As Kevin teaches Max to read, the unlikely bond forms.

This is all I am going to tell you, just be prepared for a good cry. I love this book so much. I am in the process of re-reading it.  

If you haven't read this book yet, you really must. You will have all the feels, good and bad. 

If you are a teacher or parent, I highly recommend this book as a read-aloud. My youngest (who is a huge fan of this story) is only seven, many schools read this in middle school, really any age would benefit from reading this book. It encourages empathy, brings about dialogue about disabilities and different family structures and also trauma and grief. 

Now, I know this is a book blog, but I ALSO highly recommend you watch the movie as well. The actors really do an excellent job of bringing these characters and their emotions to life. 

You will never be the same.

Freak the Mighty really is life-changing. 

A Light In the Attic

Ahhh memories... Was there any child in the late 80's early 90's who didn't read every Shel Silverstein book? The poems are equally whimsical and grotesque with just a dash of inappropriate... every kid's dream book!

Reading this book again took me back to my youth. I can remember my friends and I reading this book together during our reading time or recess. Most of the poems were slightly disturbing and those illustrations...

am I right???

So I have to wonder, while the poems and illustrations are a little creepy but not in a horror or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark kind of way, why are they STILL so popular? What does Shel Silverstein know that we don't? As a writer, how did Silverstein know that this style would appeal to children?

There is something to the unexpected that appeals to readers. So many children's books and tween aged poetry is fluffy or there is a push for it to be remarkable and deep and life changing. Sometimes kids just want something light hearted and unexpected, and yes with a twist of ick. 

Some of the poems leave you with a cringy feeling and an "is it ok for this to be funny?" feeling and I  think that is part of what appeals to fans of Shel Silverstein.... that and those weird as heck illustrations.

....Example above.

What in the world is this??? 

Apparently it is genius... that's what it is, 

and children of all ages eat it up.

Now don't get me wrong, many of the poems are not disturbing, most are just fine, but there are always a few sprinkled in that just make you think, what the heck is going on here? 

That being said, I do love these books. While I cannot quite place my finger on WHY anyone would enjoy them, I do. And I think it is just that. They are so unexpected and just a smidge off, just enough to be interesting and not enough to be completely inappropriate or offensive or cross a line. 

AND most importantly... they get kids to read. They get kids to read POETRY! That is a successful book in my opinion. 

Trapped In A Video Game

"I did the thing you're supposed to do when a man-eating praying mantis starts charging at you: I screamed like a girl."

I am breaking out of my comfort zone with this week's book! Granted, I love sci-fi and fantasy, I have never been into video games. 

I grew up in the mid 80's- early 90's with two brothers. Video games were life in our household. My brothers were major gamers. They were not sports fans. All video games; all the time! I wanted to play, but would lose interest in waiting my turn and therefore never developed a love of them.

Anyway, I decided I needed to read something that could appeal to my gamer students (and daughter!) and went searching for the perfect book/ series. 

Trapped In A Video game reminds me of the new Jumanji movie where the players get sucked into the video game and have to complete the game to get out. 

This book takes off quick! In the first few pages the adventure begins. I love this and as a parent of a choosy reader, I know that sometimes those books that take longer to get started can cause a student to loose interest pretty quickly. Therefore, I appreciate how this book sort of hits the ground running. 

Jesse is a lot like me in how he feels about video games. They just aren't his thing. Upon getting an ominous text message from his best friend Eric, he goes to Eric's house to investigate. When he arrives no one is there, but the video game Eric had apparently been in the middle of awaited asking the question "Would you like to enter Reality Mode?". Curiosity wins and Jesse clicks "Yes" and is immediately transported to the world of the video game where he finds Eric and they have to win the battle against an alien species. 

While I have not finished the entire novel yet, so far it is very promising. It is well written and so engaging that even video game scoffers like myself will be entertained. I think this series will atttract any young gamer. I highly reccomend this book for any student, especially those who are a little reluctant to spend time reading. Enjoy!

I'm 12 Years Old and I Saved the World

"I'm Adam-Adam Shannon Dakota Carr. Yeah, it's a terrible name. But it gets worse. I've got a super lame cell phone and Mom won't let me cut my hair. As if things aren't bad enough, Dad loses his job and Mom and Dad's marriage is on the rocks. Now it's up to me to fix everything. That's right-I'm 12 years old, and I'm about to save the world."

Adam has the weight of the world on his smaller than average shoulders. This relatable story is brought to life by the main character, Adam. Adam is relatably awkward and has a sharp wit that will make readers love him. He is at a new school, a new home (sharing a bedroom with his grandfather), and new friends with a lovable tough guy next door. Something is wrong with Big Mike as he is called but we do not get much information as to what it is. It is saved for the next book in the series so it would seem. 

I really enjoyed reading this story. I felt like I was reading the thoughts of my younger brother and it was just so relatable. However, the story ended rather abruptly with no real warning and without any resolution. I wish D.K. Brantley had gone further and dug deeper into the story. I wanted to know more about what happens with Big Mike, but the story didn't reel me in enough that I just have to read the next one. Sorry, Adam. I enjoyed your thoughts, but the real star of the show here is Big Mike. 

This coming of age story vaguely reminds me of Freak the Mighty but without as much heart. It just didn't grab me the way that story did. It was still enjoyable though, and an easy read if you need something quick and not gut-wrenching to read. I see some foreshadowing though that bad things may be on the way for poor Mike. 

Hatchet

I'm going on a trip... on an airplane, and at the same time thought to my self, "Self, you know what book you should read next? HATCHET!"

In case you don't know, Hatchet is about a plane crash... (What in the world was I thinking?!)

However, Hatchet is also a classic. I am about a fourth of the way through this book, which was recommended to me by my mother who had read it with my younger brother when he was in middle school. She has raved about it for years and I thought I had better read it.

This book is what I would think of as a "guy's book" and I really try not to gender stereotype. The survivalist theme and plane crash in the wilderness never appealed to me.

I was wrong.

This book is a classic for a reason and although I am nowhere near finished with it, I can already see why it is a favorite of teachers and students everywhere.

Brian is a young man who is struggling with the knowledge that his mother is being unfaithful to his father and that his parents are divorcing. He is harboring terrible feelings. He takes a trip to visit his father and on the way, the pilot has a heart attack and the plane goes down. Brian must do all he can to survive in the Canadian wilderness.

I cannot wait to see how this book ends. It is part of a series so I can only assume Brian survives. However, thus far, the book is very well written (by Gary Paulsen so duh it is amazing) and I cannot wait to get into the thick of it.

If you are the parent or teacher of a reluctant reader, particularly those interested in adventure and realistic fiction, I would recommend any Gary Paulsen book, but this one is a great place to start.

How I Became a Ghost

“You cannot keep your eyes on the bloody footprints you have left behind you. You must keep your eyes on where you are going.”

This week's book is one of those books that really gets you right in the gut. It leaves you with something we, in my home, call the book hangover. (Can I say that on here? Can I say hangover?) The book hangover is when you read a book that is so amazing, but so amazing in a way that leaves you unable to read anything else for awhile and unable to move on from what you just experienced. My longest book hangover lasted over a year and it was A Fault In Our Stars. A YEAR.... I read nothing for a year after I read it. 

This book has that same gut wrenching feeling; that same impression of how can life just move forward when my world has been shattered? 

I also cannot stop reading for a year, as one of my classes requires me to read 20 books this semester. So I am doing what I usually do after a book hangover and that is to speed date some books. I have about 6 I am reading off and on and just waiting on one to catch. 

Anyway... This book was incredible. How I Became a Ghost is the story of a young boy's journey on the Trail of Tears. The reader follows him through his view of the treaty talk and the fear it stirs in his parents; then the burning of their homes by the white community; then being given the smallpox infested blankets (insert feelings of white hot anger here. This was so disturbing to me even though I knew it had happened). The reader sees the deaths and pain and suffering through the eyes of this young man as he makes his journey and his time of death draws nearer.  

I really loved this book. It is part of a series and I would love to read more. My only criticism would be that his death felt a little skimmed over. I felt like it could have been more of a result of the circumstances than it appeared to be (that will make more sense if you read the book!). I don't want to spoil it for you should you choose to read this book, so I am not going to go into much detail here. I just felt like there should have been more as it was the turning point of the book. 

I hope you read this book. It is probably the best I have read so far this year. I think it is very important for our young people to know the ugly history of America and the injustices that happened here. This would be a great book for upper elementary who are learning about United States history or even state history as it will be on the same timeline. The main character will also be near the age of the reader if they are 4th-6th grade and that will likely make a huge impact on the reader as they see the bravery and suffering of someone their age. 

I highly reccomend this book!