Book Review: Crumble by Fleur Philips

Interracial relationships are now so common that they barely register on my radar. Several years ago, they may have been pretty scandalous, but nowadays I thought we could all agree that there are more important issues we can worry about rather than obsessing about skin color and personal relationships. Reading Crumble, by Fleur Philips, reminded me that not everyone is as open minded and accepting as the people in my life, and that in some areas of the United States, interracial relationships are still very much a big deal. Where I live, my perception is that most folks don't even look twice when they see a biracial couple. Now that I've read this book, I realize that might not be the case.

Crumble is a story of young, forbidden love. In the mountain tourist town of Kalispell, Montana, Sarah and David are two teenagers who are anxious to start a new life together in Los Angeles. All they need to do is make it through high school without Sarah's father finding out about their relationship. Sarah is sure her father will never accept that she is in love with a black man, but she has no idea just how passionately he would object, and the lengths he would be willing to go to in order to put an end to their love affair. She begins to realize that she doesn't know her father as well as she thought she did, and that his past holds dark secrets she cannot possibly imagine.

Reading about a couple's relationship struggles, due to nothing more than race, is sad and disheartening. Close minded hatred is so difficult to understand, and witnessing it, even at a fictional level, is disturbing and frustrating. Nonetheless, Crumble has an important message that everyone should remember. Struggles exist, whether we see them in our everyday lives or not. Hatred is sometimes deep rooted, and often based on misunderstanding and misplaced emotions. The book is fairly short, at 166 pages, which makes it a very quick read. The story is extremely compelling, so once I got started I was done with the book in no time at all. The characters are realistic, making me feel like I knew them. Although Crumble is a romance, its larger picture involves increased social awareness. I won't promise a light read, but it is a page turner that won't take long to get through.

I received a complimentary copy of Crumble in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thankful Thursday: School's Out For Summer

Wednesday was FINALLY Bethany, Connor, & Lucy's last day of school. Finally. I am so happy I could cry.

Our Summer break is off to a good start already. The 3 big kids each had a friend (or 2) over after school, and played and played and played for hours. Inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs. Bethany and her friends walked to McDonald's for lunch, where they were bombarded by 8th graders and sprayed with shaving cream. This gave them the idea to walk to the store and buy silly string, but when they got there they discovered that shaving cream is cheaper, so they bought that instead. And came back to the house and had a shaving cream fest all over the backyard, including the trampoline. Thankfully it rained most of the night, so with any luck the shaving cream stench will be washed away.

I managed to get to church to sign Lucy up for VBS, which is something I've been meaning to do for weeks. Lucy's best friend will be going too, and I'm happy that she will have a fun activity to do.

Lucy and Mathilda (& Lucy's friend) had dance, and since their recital is coming up next week, they wore their costumes to class. This is the kind of thing I dread, but it went pretty well. Bethany helped get Mattie ready, which was a big help. They looked so adorable in their costumes and barely grumbled about the itchy fabric and the annoying buns in their hair. When I went into Mathilda's class to watch, she asked me to record her, and because she loves an audience she put on quite a little show for me. She was pretty much doing her own thing, but she was happy and enjoying herself, and the faces she was making were cracking me up. I honestly don't care what she does at the recital as long as she gets on the stage and doesn't cry. I have been trying to get myself to accept that she might not, which will stink, but liking her classes is more important. If she won't dance on recital night, so be it. She's four. There are worse things.

I made breakfast for dinner and everyone liked it, cleaned their plates, and had seconds. This is always a relief, especially because it doesn't happen often. I almost always have at least one grumbler. Actually, one of the kids was slightly pouty at first because we weren't getting pizza, but I'm pretty sure CPS would come for me if I fed my kids pizza one more time in a one week period. Once the food was made, everyone was happy with it.

I finished the book I was reading to review. Although I'm not entirely happy with the book, I'm glad to be done with it ahead of schedule for once. The review will be published Saturday.

I hosted a preschool board meeting at our house on Tuesday night, so we are starting out the summer break with a clean house. When I say clean house, I am not counting anybody's bedroom. Even my own. Although we had four extra kids here for the afternoon, it's still pretty clean. Hopefully it can stay that way. Don't laugh too hard.

We have a lot of exciting things planned for the summer, and I can't believe it's finally here! The next couple weeks are actually crazy busy, so it's not too much of an actual break, I suppose. Looking at my calendar, we have the two crazy weeks, one week that's got nothing planned so far, and then another four weeks of craziness, and then the final four weeks with not much planned so far. We have some flexibility to do our own thing, and I think that's what makes me so happy. That and not setting my alarm every day. And seeing my kids more. And not dealing with homework struggles. And the heat, if it ever decides to act like summer around here. Not having to be so rigid, in general. Whatever the reason(s), this is my happiest time of year. I am so thankful for summertime!

What are you thankful for today?

Re-Posting: Confession Time: Field Day Sucks

I originally published this post two years ago, and I'm re-posting it today in honor of Lucy & Connor's field day, which is today. Bethany is now in middle school, where they no longer "celebrate" field day. The truth is, Lucy and Connor do love field day, with no convincing whatsoever needed from me. With face painting and bounce houses, it is a far cry from the torture I endured as a child. Maybe next year I'll volunteer at school for Field Day, and finally make peace with my past.


Today is Field Day at Bethany and Connor's school. You know, that super fun day where all the students in the whole school hang out in the field all day long and play games and do all kinds of physical activities to prove their athletic prowess and let their competitive streaks run wild. I've been all about pumping them up for Field Day. 

"Oh boy guys, Field Day is coming up, aren't you excited?"

"Are you looking forward to Field Day? It's going to be SO FUN!"

"Field Day is gonna be awesome, don't you think?"

They were perhaps marginally looking forward to a day of no school work, but they weren't exactly jumping up and down in anticipation when I dropped them off at school this morning. And I have no idea why I've been feigning excitement about Field Day because the truth is I absolutely hated Field Day when I was a kid. No really, hated it. If ever there was a day that I prayed for sickness, even within a week or so of Field Day in the hopes of at least scoring a doctor's note excusing me from the "festivities", that was it. I was perhaps the most un-athletic kid ever.

Maybe because I dreaded Field Day every year, for some reason I really want my kids to love it. But I can't blame them if they don't. I can't undo the shame of my childhood by living vicariously through my offspring. Oh well, doesn't mean I won't keep trying.

What about you? Was Field Day your favorite day of the year, or did you hate it too?

2.5 Days To Go: We Can Do This

We are on the final stretch of the 2012-13 school year. It feels a little impossible to get through full days Monday and Tuesday, and a half day Wednesday. I'm not even the one going to school. The last few days are for field day and cleaning out lockers and desks, the learning portion of the year is done. Theoretically, it shouldn't be that hard. Nonetheless, we've reached the the point when I wish I could just snap my fingers and be done with it.

I'll still be driving all the time, considering the stuff we've scheduled so far for the summer. The girls still have dance for two more weeks, Bethany will be going to basketball camp the week after school gets out, Lucy will be going to Vacation Bible School the week after that, Connor still has Cub Scout meetings, and Bethany and Connor will be going to a day camp Monday-Friday for three weeks. Plus all the other stuff we'll be doing, so I'll actually be driving more most days. But being on Summer break is freeing and wonderful, no matter how much we have planned, and I relish this time of year more than any other.

Besides our definitive plans that I listed above, we are heading to Port Austin for a week in July, and hosting two Chinese foreign exchange students for three weeks. They will stay in dorms for one week, and with us for the other two weeks. During the three weeks they are here, Bethany and Connor will be going to that day camp I mentioned with them everyday. They will be doing all kinds of fun activities and going on awesome field trips. I will have to be on my best game to make sure Mattie and Lucy have as much fun with me during that time.

I mentioned on Facebook that the kids and I started brainstorming summer fun ideas. In case you missed that post, here is what they came up with so far:

• Go camping
• Make giant bubbles
• Have a bon fire
• Water balloon fight
• Silly string fight
• Play with the new sprinkler Mattie got for her birthday
• Go to the zoo (Bethany & Connor will be doing this as a day camp field trip)
• Trace each other with chalk
• Go to George George Park

To their ideas, I added:

• Lakeport State Park
• Belle Isle
• Detroit Historical Museum
• Detroit Riverwalk

I'm hoping that Mother Nature steps it up because this cool weather we've been having is just not all that conducive to my kind of summer fun.

There are so many other things I'd like to do this summer too, and I hope we get to do lots of it! I know that life tends to get in the way, and I'm always up for spontaneous fun, so whatever we do, it will be all good.

So far the day camp itinerary with the exchange students does not include anytime in Detroit, so I'm hoping to knock a few things off our list on one of the weekends they are with us.

I also signed the kids up for the library's summer reading club, and I'm kicking around the idea of making a weekly schedule with various activities. We got a book of gross science experiments, and maybe I can come up with some other fun learning activities. I'm also considering purchasing a pass for our city pool, and getting Bethany and Connor to start running with me. I just want the kids to have  great time, and I really don't want to listen to anyone fighting about Netflix, iPads, Mindcraft, or anything like that. 

I do want to keep in mind that I need to remember to be flexible and to not try to plan or do TOO much, because I don't want to set anyone up for disappointment (me), I don't want to put undue pressure on anyone (me), and I want to make sure we have time to lay around and be lazy too, and let the kids pick what they want to do sometimes too.

As I get our summer mapped out a little more thoroughly, I'll try to post about it some more. 

I'd love to know what you guys have planned for summer! Vacations? Camps? Three months of lazy pj days? Tell me!

Giveaway: The Wiggles Live in Detroit!

Can you believe The Wiggles have been around for 21 years?! Now that makes me feel old! They are kicking off a new "Taking Off" world tour, a new album by the same name (released May 7 on Razor & Tie), a new DVD to be released later this summer, and a new television series debuting on Sprout this fall.

The Wiggles Live concerts are always a bit hit, and this year's tour is even more exciting because there are three new members! Simon Pryce is the new red Wiggle, Emma Watkins is the new yellow Wiggle, and Lachlan Gillespie is the new purple Wiggle. That's right, did you catch that there is now a GIRL Wiggle! Finally!

The North American Wiggles "Taking Off" tour is coming to Detroit's Fox Theatre on Sunday, September 22, 2013! Kids go crazy over this educational and entertaining quartet. The show will feature 21 brand new songs, as well as old favorites!

Are your kids already clamoring for a seat in the audience? Tickets are on sale NOW, starting at just $18, and can be purchased:

• Online at OlympiaEntertainment.com
• Fox Theatre & Joe Louis Arena box offices, and Hockeytown Authentics in Troy -without a service charge
• All Ticketmaster locations, and Ticketmaster.com
• By phone at 800-745-3000
• Groups of 8 or more, get a discount on select seats by calling 313-471-3099

For additional information, please call 313-471-6611.

In partnership with Olympia Entertainment, MichiGal is excited to offer one reader four tickets to see The Wiggles Live at the Fox Theatre on Sunday, September 22 at 2:30 p.m.!

Use the Rafflecopter form to enter. Please note that this giveaway is local to the Metro Detroit area, so please do not enter unless you live in the area or are willing to travel. The tickets are not transferable to any other venues.

Disclosure: I am receiving tickets to this event in exchange for posting and promoting. All opinions are my own.

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