What I’ve been reading lately:
I have read two really good books lately. What do I mean when I say “really good books”? They are books that engross me so much that I read them within two days even if they are terribly long. Fun fact: I read the last Harry Potter book the same day that I got it at Books a Million (with my preordered Hogwarts Express Ticket) and then reread it slower over the next week! I am not saying these are high literature or that I agree with everything that happened in either books, but the books were highly relatable and the characters were so real that I felt like I knew them by the end of the stories.
Poet X follows a young aspiring poet who is navigating her teen years with as much grace as possible considering she lives with a semi-abusive parent. There were a few sections that were hard to read for me just because they were so raw like how she spit out the Eucharist in defiance of her mother….that was awful to read as a Catholic!! The only reason I read after that part was because there was an amazingly compassionate priest who pops up throughout the book and tries to help her come to grip with her faith. I was afraid it was going to be another book knocking the Catholic faith, but it wasn’t and it did have some redeeming qualities that saved it from being a “Did not finish” book for me. Besides the religious turmoil, I did really enjoy watching her come into her own power and grow confidence in her poetry skills. The cool thing about this book is that it is written in verse, so it would be really cool to hear it on audiobook. One of the most memorable quotes from the book (for me at least) was:
“Freedom seems like such a big word. Something too big; maybe like a skyscraper I’ve glimpsed from the foot of the building but never been invited to climb.”
― Elizabeth Acevedo, The Poet X
The other book, FanGirl, is purely a fun read. It follows another female writer, Cath, as she navigates the confusing world of being a college freshman and being on her own after her twin decides she wants to live with someone else. A neat twist to this book is that Cath writes a popular fan fiction blog and the story follows along with her entries in that world too. Its an easy read and I have been flying through it.
What we have been watching lately:
Ben and I have been watching Psych, The Who Was Show, and old Disney cartoons in the evenings.
Fun things we did this week:
Joe Wheeler State Park 
Northern Slimy Salamander (dead) 
It was freezing!
We had two playdates with friends, played Jeopardy and Go Fish with our Youth Group, went on a hike with an outdoor co-op that we belong to, and dyed eggs with our cousins.
What I am thankful for:
I am so happy that it is Holy Week which just so happens to be the biggest week of the year in the Catholic Church.
I am so thankful that we have escaped the tornadoes that have been hitting the other parts of our state so far this spring.
That we found a replacement battery for our sump pump before the tornado season began. Pumping out hundreds of gallons of water with a wet vac is not fun…ask me how I know…
Something I learned this week:
That elephants are the only land animals that cannot jump.
That kangaroos and emus cannot walk backwards. Weird but true.
That the Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville, Alabama is loaded with geodes and fossils. They were just laying on the ground! We had so much fun finding these treasures.
Geode already split open 
Unopen geodes and the cylindrical ones are fossils called crinoids and they lived in the ancient oceans. Related to the modern day echinoderms.
Things I saw on social media:
Unless you are a kangaroo or an emu in a corner apparently…..
Remembering this alone got me through so much this week!!
Surely we cannot be the only ones who were traumatized by The Giving Tree! It was so nice to have evidence that we were not alone. Now if someone could fix Gertrude McFuzz and The Rainbow Fish that would be nice!
Have a Blessed Week!
The Thrifty Educator 