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Thursday, May 14

Babe's Bucket List Challenge #5 - Stage Performance

 

Welcome to Babe's Bucket List Challenge, where I'm tackling twelve of the thirty things on my bucket list and writing about the experiences...won't you join me?


Remember my dad (from the Word of the Year post)?  Dad's joie de vivre was unmatched -- he loved life!  Music, surfing, engineering, strong coffee, and family were part of his core.  He loved tinkering with ideas and often worked with his grandsons on projects such as building a siege tower, designing and building a chicken coop, and designing and shooting off rockets...plus going fishing.  He lived life with an engineer's precision, a surfer's spirit, and a drummer's soul.  Even as his health declined, his spirit, sense of humor, and love for ice cream never wavered.

In his honor, this year I have created a bucket list - a compliation of dreams and aspirations - to work from.  My husband (who grew up in our town and interned with him as a teen) has also written down a bucket list, and we're going for it!  You can download your own Bucket List template at the Word of the Year post.

Music has always been a big part of my life.  (If you remember our original blog, Gypsy Road School, every blog post was a classic rock song title.)  Dad was a drummer.  I sing, play guitar and bass, and am now learning the drums.  I've played with a variety of people throughout the years, though always in a garage-style, just-for-fun capacity.  After hearing from a number of people that I should do more, but never quite having the confidence to do so, I promised him in one of our final conversations that I would continue following this dream...

Group Work

I loaded up this drum set and drove it cross-country to a new home...thankfully the neighbors live far enough away that it's not too loud. I do the vocals for our Monday night jam band, but spent some time working with the drummer to learn some basics and beats. Nowhere near as good as dad, but it's a fun place to start and get some energy out!

Monday group has been jamming along each week, too...learning new songs and putting together new arrangements. With our personal life taking a turn, hubby's job keeping us ten hours away more often than not these days, I ended up stepping away a couple of years ago because I just couldn't get there every week. However, that time was redirected into other musical ventures...

Solo Work

A lot of that time was spent on songwriting...taking a lot of these big emotions from all the things that have happened over the past few years and channeling them.  It's something folks don't talk about - all these changes that happen in your early 40's.  From loss of parents to kids growing up and moving on to career changes to those pesky little hormones that create so much havoc...
One fun-filled night out with my friends, they dared me to go up on state for open mic night.  That was an adventure!  See........none of us realized it was a songwriting competition.  Everyone who competed that night, barring myself, had albums for sale and Spotify channels of their recordings.  Some had even been out in Nashville working.  And then there was me.  What was I going to do...back out?  (Not really my style.)  So when the emcee asked where they could find me online, I simply shrugged and said, "nowhere...I thought it was amateur night!"

Here's the FUN news!  I came in second place that night...by one measley vote.  Honestly, if the kids hadn't left early because they wanted some Chick-fil-A (can't fight a teen's stomach), I probably would have had three more votes and won...which is so weird.  The guy who won totally deserved to, and there were several good acts that night, but something much more important happened.  Up to this point, I had always been with a group or at least a duo.  Going up alone, and with words from my own heart, was a different beast to tackle.  This one, while terrifying, turned out to be so much more fun than anticipated.

While I still enjoy performing with others and hope to get back to Mondays, completing this bucket list challenge has inspired me to continue songwriting and working a solo act.  It's a hobby, but one that fills my soul.  "Where words fail, music speaks."  What fills your soul?

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Friday, May 1

Week-Long Robotics Unit Study for High School (FREE PRINTABLE)

Introduction to Robotics: Building, Programming, and Problem Solving

This unit is appropriate for grades 9-12, but can be tailored to fit a family-style learning format.  It is designed to be used in a single week OR in a Fun Friday format, completing one day of the unit each week of the month.  Visit the Subscribers Page for a printable PDF version.

For extra enrichment, use this Robotics Kit in hands-on learning.  To tailor for additional middle or elementary school family members, visit the Crash Course Robotics videos.

Day 1: Introduction to Robotics

Activities:

  • Reading/Research:

  • Journaling Prompt:

    • "What is a robot? How are robots used in today's world?"

  • Explore:

    • Identify five types of robots (e.g., industrial, service, medical, military, space).

    • Watch videos of each type in action and create a table to write about each in your notebook.

Hands-on (Optional):

  • Unbox and explore your robotics kit.

  • Identify key components: sensors, motors, microcontroller, chassis, etc.

Day 2: The Anatomy of a Robot

Activities:

  • 📖 Mini-Lesson:

  • Experiment:

    • Use your kit or online simulator to:

      • Connect a sensor.

      • Program it to trigger a response (e.g., light turns on when dark).

      • Or, if you want to be like my child, program it to mop the floor rather than doing it yourself!

  • Journaling Prompt:

    • "Which sensor technology do you find most interesting? Why?"

Project Start:

  • Begin a "Build-a-Bot" Project (carry through the week).

    • Goal: Design and program a simple robot to complete a task (line following, obstacle avoidance, etc.).

Day 3: Coding for Robots

Activities:

  • Learn Programming Logic:

    • If using LEGO or VEX: Use block-based coding platforms.

    • If using Arduino: Learn simple C++ syntax.

    • Raspberry Pi: Use Python to control motors or LEDs.

  • Mini Challenges:

    • Make a motor spin.

    • Blink an LED when a sensor is triggered.

    • Use conditional logic (if/else statements).

  • Journaling Prompt:

    • "What was the most challenging part of coding today?"

Project Work:

  • Add basic movement or sensor response to your robot project.

Day 4: Robots in the Real World

Activities:

  • Research and Watch:

  • Discussion/Reflection:

    • Pros and cons of automation.

    • Ethics: Should robots replace human jobs?  Consider AI decision-making, job displacement, and privacy concerns.

  • Journaling Prompt:

    • "Should robots have rights? Why or why not?"

Project Work:

  • Continue building. Add a new function or improve design.

Day 5: Engineering Challenge Day

Challenge Options:

  • Build a robot that:

    • Follows a line

    • Avoids obstacles

    • Picks up and moves an object

    • Navigates a maze

Activities:

  • Design + Test:

    • Set goals, sketch design, test multiple times.

  • Iterate:

    • What didn’t work? Improve it.

  • Journaling Prompt:

    • "What did your robot do well? What would you do differently next time?"

Additional Resources

Kits/Hardware:

Free Learning Platforms:



These units are appropriate for grades 9-12, but can be tailored to fit a family-style learning format.  They are designed to be used in a single week OR in a Fun Friday format, completing one day of the unit each week of the month.  Each day takes 1-2 hours. This bundle includes the basic twelve, tailored to each month of the year, plus EIGHT bonus units!
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Tuesday, April 14

Babe's Bucket List Challenge #4 - Run a Marathon

 

Welcome to Babe's Bucket List Challenge, where I'm tackling twelve of the thirty things on my bucket list and writing about the experiences...won't you join me?


Remember my dad (from the Word of the Year post)?  Dad's joie de vivre was unmatched -- he loved life!  Music, surfing, engineering, strong coffee, and family were part of his core.  He loved tinkering with ideas and often worked with his grandsons on projects such as building a siege tower, designing and building a chicken coop, and designing and shooting off rockets...plus going fishing.  He lived life with an engineer's precision, a surfer's spirit, and a drummer's soul.  Even as his health declined, his spirit, sense of humor, and love for ice cream never wavered.

In his honor, this year I have created a bucket list - a compliation of dreams and aspirations - to work from.  My husband (who grew up in our town and interned with him as a teen) has also written down a bucket list, and we're going for it!  You can download your own Bucket List template at the Word of the Year post.

San Fran - 2010

A few things you'd need to know to fully understand why this one isn't your run-of-the-mill "Run a Marathon" task...

  • I used to be a marathon runner.  Like, a good one.  Like, qualified for Boston on the first go-round. I ran all through high school and college, ran six miles the day my son was born (before I had him), and have always loved it.
  • The combination of a family predisposition to a degenerative disease, plus an accident, plus about twelve surgeries to try and mitigate the issues, led to my being unable to even walk for a while.
  • It's been about ten years and a long row to hoe, both mentally and physically.  I've had to learn to reframe some things....like looking at my handicapped parking pass as a 'ticket to a parking spot at Christmas!'  (Spoiler -- it actually isn't always...sometimes those spots are full, too.)

Given all of the above, I realized, going into this challenge, that if I could pull it off, it would be the last time I ran a marathon in my life.  Degenerative diseases are nothing to sneeze at, and while I feel way too young to be dealing with one, I also know that there are plenty of people who have been dealt a much worse hand in life.  However, I was realistic enough to know that pushing my body beyond what it's new self-imposed limits were was probably going to have some consequences.

I also knew that running, particularly distance running, is more of a mental game than a physical one.  True, you have to have the ability to put one foot in front of the other -- preferably without falling, as I am prone to do with ever-increasing frequency -- but you have to have the mentality and the ability to psych yourself up, and psych yourself out, when needed, to finish a marathon.

An opportunity presented itself for a family affair - my dad, sister, niece, and aunt were all going to be at the same event - meaning there was a built-in support system.  And someone to pick my butt up, safely get me some assistance, and drive me home, should the need arise.  (Hey, a girl's got to be practical!)

I had a difficult time training - meaning, I didn't.  I would try to go out for a run and continuously trip over my feet.  My brain was willing but the nerves were not.  Even still, I drove out there the day before the race and stayed with the family.  I also changed my goal from marathon to half-marathon.  #BecauseRealistic

I'm going to give my dad some personal props here.  The next morning at the starting line we sent my niece (little Miss Wins-Them-All) up ahead and he and I started out together.  He knew I had completely psyched myself out by this point and just had me jog alongside him in the crowd for the first mile or so, at which point he said he needed to stop for a second and for me to go ahead and he'd catch up quickly......mmm, ok.

In the back of my mind, I was very aware of the mind games that had just been pulled, but it didn't matter.  It was what I needed to get started, and we both knew it.  I plodded along, with my map-app monitoring my pace and distance, telling myself if I could just get to mile six that I'd be happy with managing half-the distance and would limp along to the finish line.

Somewhere along the way I accidentally turned off the map-app.  I kept jogging along thinking, "This is the longest mile ever!"  But the race director hadn't denoted every mile section along the route, and when I hit the marker for mile nine and realized that "the longest mile" was actually four miles long, I just kept going for it.  After all, I was 2/3 of the way through at this point!

That lasted less than a mile.  My brain had used every bit of mental willpower it had to keep going.  My feet had already tripped over themselves a few time (and there's nothing like repeatedly falling in front of a bunch of runners...half who look with some combination of pity and disdain as they skirt around you and the other half who sacrifice their own race to help you out...that starts to grate on you.  Especially when you still FEEL like a runner, but it's painfully aware you are not.

I spent the last part of the race alternatively jogging and limping until the final 100 meters.  After all, I am still a runner at heart.  💓  In probably the last running-sprint of my life, I gave it my all, finding random people in front of me and picking them off one by one until I crossed the line.

Was it my best time?  Not even close.  Compared to pre-accident me, it was a shameful time.  But was it the best I could give?  Absolutely.  And I finished.  In less than two and a half hours, which isn't terrible either.  And I got a shiny medal to hang on the wall.  Out of all the medals up there, it's the one I'm most proud of, and it was the hardest to achieve.

I might sign up to walk that 5K next year.....after all, why should I let some stupid nerve disease dictate my future?  Can I do things exactly the way I want to?  No.  But I'm not giving up either!

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Saturday, March 14

Babe's Bucket List Challenge #3 - Zipline through the Rainforest

 

Welcome to Babe's Bucket List Challenge, where I'm tackling twelve of the thirty things on my bucket list and writing about the experiences...won't you join me?


Remember my dad (from the Word of the Year post)?  Dad's joie de vivre was unmatched -- he loved life!  Music, surfing, engineering, strong coffee, and family were part of his core.  He loved tinkering with ideas and often worked with his grandsons on projects such as building a siege tower, designing and building a chicken coop, and designing and shooting off rockets...plus going fishing.  He lived life with an engineer's precision, a surfer's spirit, and a drummer's soul.  Even as his health declined, his spirit, sense of humor, and love for ice cream never wavered.

In his honor, this year I have created a bucket list - a compliation of dreams and aspirations - to work from.  My husband (who grew up in our town and interned with him as a teen) has also written down a bucket list, and we're going for it!  You can download your own Bucket List template at the Word of the Year post.

Growing up, we spent a lot of time in Puerto Rico, and El Yunque was always one of my favorite places to visit.  While I couldn't do the Rainforest Zipline in El Yunque (and you totally should, given the chance) - largely due to weather and the greater economic climate - we did find a place that was second best down in Florida!  

We started the day behind this guy, who really looked like a lot of fun.  My bestie and I did this one together, along with her daughter.  None of us had ever ziplined, but we were on a roll checking things off our bucket lists, and this one was on mine.  Said daughter strapped in and jumped right off like she'd been doing it her whole life.  Bestie was...a little more hesitant, but we were so proud of her!  Finally I got to bring up the rear, laughing the whole way.  

We got to zip through multiple lines, between trees, over the canopy level of trees, and see the stunning rainforest-ish scenery below...including gators!  No worries, though.  The gators were, if not tame, then supervised, since this zipline was at a wildlife refuge.  While there, we saw a number of exotic animals, including ostriches (and if you've ever been to the Arbuckles in Oklahoma, you'll understand why we all quickly backed away from them!) and parrots.

Personally, though, my favorite animal was the one-armed monkey at the animal rehab center.  This little guy felt like my spirit animal.  Partly because he's a spider monkey (an affectionate name hubby uses for me) and partly because you could tell that he just was not going to accept that he only had one arm now, and he was persistent and resilient, continuing to work on movement and having a normal monkey life.  I really felt that to my core....  Why?  Learn more in next month's Bucket List Challenge!


Here we GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

So what are you doing for your bucket list challenges this year??


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Saturday, March 7

Giveaway + Timeless Life Lessons for Moms of All Types

  


About The Book

Have you ever whispered to yourself, I’ll be a better mom tomorrow…but tomorrow never comes? Maybe you’re comparing yourself to other moms and feel you aren’t measuring up. But don’t lose hope. Just as moms in Scripture learned from life’s ups and downs, with God’s help, you can become the mom you long to be.

Moms of the Bible explores timeless life lessons from Bible moms of all types, revealing how their stories of failure, faith, and hope can help you fulfill your own calling with confidence. From the redeemed Rehab to the horrible Herodias, each story unveils eye-opening insights and powerful applications that can help you as you seek to raise up children who impact their generation with fearless faith.

Author Rhonda Stoppe engages you with the warmth and wisdom of a trusted friend who’s been there herself. For mothers of all ages and stages—including step, adoptive, foster, and grandmothers raising their grandkids—this uplifting look at the moms of Scripture will empower you to influence the culture in profound ways through your sacred ministry of motherhood.


What'd I Think?

Divided into three parts - fearless moms, flawed moms, and faithful moms - this is an open and honest discourse on how God has used moms throughout history to change the world.  It is a deep dive into motherhood that uses scripture and examples of the Bible, but couples each with the author's personal stories to bring these Biblical stories into the more modern age and make them more relatable.

This is a quick read and each chapter links to a more audio-based version, which is a nice addition to the book for those of us on the go. The chapters end with “Life Lessons” and add practical insight for the reader.

This would be a good book for a mom’s Bible study.  From the first chapter on the story of the prostitute, Rahab, to the last chapter about unnamed women in the Bible, you will be seen, encouraged, and strengthened.

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through FrontGate Blogger Network in exchange for my honest thoughts.




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Saturday, February 14

Babe's Bucket List Challenge #2 - Attend Concert with Son

 

Welcome to Babe's Bucket List Challenge, where I'm tackling twelve of the thirty things on my bucket list and writing about the experiences...won't you join me?


Remember my dad (from the Word of the Year post)?  Dad's joie de vivre was unmatched -- he loved life!  Music, surfing, engineering, strong coffee, and family were part of his core.  He loved tinkering with ideas and often worked with his grandsons on projects such as building a siege tower, designing and building a chicken coop, and designing and shooting off rockets...plus going fishing.  He lived life with an engineer's precision, a surfer's spirit, and a drummer's soul.  Even as his health declined, his spirit, sense of humor, and love for ice cream never wavered.

In his honor, this year I have created a bucket list - a compliation of dreams and aspirations - to work from.  My husband (who grew up in our town and interned with him as a teen) has also written down a bucket list, and we're going for it!  You can download your own Bucket List template at the Word of the Year post.

This kid is my music baby.  He loves listening to music, making music, and pretty much all genres of music.  I just love it!  

Typically, concerts are a 'him and his dad' thing.  They go to a lot of big hair and heavy metal bands.  It's their special time, but I wanted to share this with him at least once!  When he expressed an interest in an OKC Tyler Childers' show, I said that this one was mine.  Time to enjoy a little one-on-one time with...well...a few thousand other people.


We had so much fun that we've already got another show planned for April 2026!

To be fair, this wasn't the first music event we'd been to...lots of fun things in Branson and music festivals in NC...but it was our first real stadium/arena concert together....   If you love live music, be sure to follow the Sparks Academy youtube page for monthly videos!  There's even a fifteen-minute montage of the concert we went to for this challenge....if you're so inclined.  😉

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Thursday, January 29

Explore Literature with MultiCultural Book Day 2026

Read Your World 2026 (1/29/26) is in its 14th year! Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen founded this non-profit children’s literacy initiative; they are two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural diverse books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.


Read Your World’s mission is to raise awareness of the need to include kids’ books celebrating diversity in homes and school bookshelves. Read about our Mission and history HERE.


Mazel Tov, Baby! (Dara Henry)

In this adorable novelty format perfect for tiny hands, readers will have fun celebrating all of the wonderful―and sometimes hidden―things that make each baby special and unique. With seven full-sized flaps that lift up, down, and sideways, and surprise mirror at the end, this sweet book is an ideal gift for baby showers!

It’s a wonderful way to welcome a new baby while introducing a little bit of Jewish joy and tradition. The book feels both personal and universal—great for parents, grandparents, or anyone looking for a meaningful (and adorable!) baby gift. Mazel Tov, Baby! Is an adorable board book that celebrates that milestones in a baby’s life — from tummy time, to crawling to walking. A congratulatory refrain of “Mazel, Tov Baby! will delight readers as will the mirror included at the end where they get to check out their own reflection and see how they have grown. It’s especially nice to see a book that uses “Mazel tov” in such an inclusive, joyful way — it feels rooted in Jewish tradition but welcoming to everyone.

Passing the Mic (Young Poets DC SCORES)

Passing the Mic: Building a Poet-Athlete City represents thirty years of poetry from the poet-athletes of DC SCORES. For the last three decades, through soccer, poetry, and service, these young people have made their marks on history, claimed their power, and brought to bear their visions for improving this city’s future. This book honors their pain, celebrates their joy, and crystallizes the many ways in which they grew, both on the field and on the page.

In a celebration of diversity (eg, "Our skin is like a box full of crayons..."), this book features the voices of young students living in Washington DC.  They discuss their challenges, resiliency, and experiences as young black adults growing up in the city.  The poets are part of a community-building program featuring soccer and service-learning, and this book is a testament to the growth and success of the program in fostering self-worth among the community members.

Barbed Wire Between Us (Mia Wenjen)

Barbed Wire Between Us is a powerful reverso poem that tells two deeply resonant stories across time. It begins with a Japanese American girl sent to an internment camp in Oklahoma during World War II. Read in reverse, it reveals the journey of a Latina girl detained in the very same camp decades later, during the U.S. policy of migrant family separation. Harrowing and emotionally charged, this poetic narrative compels us to confront a haunting question: What have we truly learned in the past 80 years about how we treat the most vulnerable among us? With haunting symmetry and striking parallels, Barbed Wire Between Us is a moving meditation on justice, memory, and the echoes of history that still shape our present.

A reverso poem tells a story and then uses the same words, but in reverse, to tell a completely different story.  In this book, Wenjen tells the stories of Japanese immigrants who were detained during World War 2 in the first part.  In the second part, it also tells the story of a modern day immigrant girl being detained.  Both of these groups were detained in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  The book takes some very heavy issues and couples them with illustrations and age-appropriate context to share their stories with a younger audience.  It is also worth noting that the author is Japanese American and the illustrator is Latina (Cuban) American to further reflect the backgrounds of the girls portrayed in the book.


 --> Snag the FREE Read Around the World booklist below <--



Pick up eight unit studies for your tween/teen readers in the Diversity Literature Unit Study Bundle!


Bring modern history to life with living literature that represents several different groups!  Includes eight unit studies covering cultural stories from around the world. Each unit addresses a historic era from a new perspective, and these are told in living history format.  Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.

Product sample:   The Button Box

Includes:

  • The Year of the Panda
  • The Button Box
  • Men of the 65th: Borinqueneers of the Korean War
  • Killers of the Flower Moon
    • Indigenous People insert
  • Genius Under the Table
  • Anna Strong & the Culper Spies
  • Inoyo of the Congo Forest
  • The Forgotten Finca



Read Your World is honored to be Supported by these Medallion:

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Pragmaticmom) and Valarie Budayr (Audreypress.com)

🏅 Super Platinum Sponsor: Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media

🏅 Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 60 Languages and Jeanne Walker Harvey 

🏅 Gold Sponsors: Publisher Spotlight 

🏅 Silver Sponsors: Red Comet Press 

🏅 Silver Corporate Sponsor:  

🏅 Bronze Sponsors: Fabled Films Press

🏅 Corporate Sponsor: Crayola Education 


Read Your World is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Authors: Audrey Barbakoff, Federico Erebia, Stephanie M. Wildman, Maritza M. Mejia, Authors J.C. Kato and J.C.², Eugenia Chu, Dorktales Storytime Podcast, Josh Funk, Frances Díaz Evans, Gaia Cornwall, Maria Wen Adcock, Diana Huang, Gwen Jackson, Gea Meijering, Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett, Karin Fisher-Golton, Kathleen Burkinshaw, Tami Lehman-Wilzig,  Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, Nancy Tupper Ling, Teresa Robeson, Crystal Z. Lee, Karen Leggett Abouraya, Elly Swartz, Shifa Safadi, Lisa Stringfellow, Sylvia Liu, Kimberly Biddle, Robbin Miller, Eric Clock, Tonya Ellis, and Lisa Chong.


Read Your World is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts and by our Partner Organizations! 


Check out RYW’s Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!

📌 FREE RESOURCES from Read Your World Day


📌 Register for the Read Your World Virtual Party:  https://readyourworld.org/virtualparty 


Join us on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 8 pm EST celebrating 14 years of  Read Your World Day Virtual Party! Register here.   


This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.


We will be giving away a 10-Book Bundle during the virtual party plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants are welcome. **


Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, and connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. We look forward to seeing you all on January 29, 2026, at our virtual party!


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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