Coming at you from my hospital bed and I’ve enlisted some help from AI as having coherent thoughts is a bit challenging right now. The next few days our focus is on books, both for the adults here and also those to share with the kids in our lives. Day 1: Have Books, Will Travel Well, this wasn’t exactly on my October bingo card. Apparently, breaking both ankles is one way to get out of doing the laundry. A bit extreme, perhaps, but here we are. Since my grand adventures are temporarily limited to wherever someone is willing to wheel me, I’ve decided it’s time for a different kind of adventure. The kind that doesn’t require shoes, a suitcase, or even leaving the couch. Books! For the next five days, we’re going to explore books for grown-ups. Because Connected Through Play isn’t just about what we do with the kids. Curiosity, imagination, and a little adventure belong to us, too. Today’s theme: Take Me Somewhere Else Some books transport us to another century. Others drop us into someone else’s life. And a few make us forget that we’ve been sitting in the same chair for three hours. Three fiction picks: 📖 The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Two sisters, occupied France, and extraordinary courage during World War II. Bring tissues. 📖 The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Four retirees, a cold case, and the delightful discovery that growing older doesn’t mean behaving yourself. 📖 The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune A wonderfully unusual orphanage, magical children, and a story about finding where you belong. Three nonfiction picks: 📖 The Wager by David Grann Shipwreck, mutiny, survival, and a true story so outrageous it could pass for fiction. 📖 The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown Nine young men, one rowing team, and an extraordinary journey to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. 📖 The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker A fascinating look at why bringing people together matters and how we can make those moments more meaningful. A Little Book-Picking Wisdom

So, with our fearless leader in the hospital, I was thinking maybe we would could offer a little play as we are all connected here. What's your favorite Dad joke? It can be seasonal. I'll start us off: Tums is missing out on selling pumpkin spice flavored antacid and calling it Autums.

I have the best news afterall for the week despite it started on such a bad note. Sweetie, let me know that Mary is out of surgery last night and her doctor is pleased with her results. She was having a late dinner of chicken soup and jello. I am so happy she is able to eat to regain her strength again.❤️💞💖 Praise the good Lord and Hallelujah all went well and was a success. Please all continue praying for her for a smooth and for a pain-free transition that she will be back on her feet again in no time. I am praying for a miracle for her. Have a great and blessed day. 🙏🤗❤️🪲

You know that moment when you open the oven and there's somehow flour on the ceiling? Yeah, I'm talking about those moments. Cooking alongside kids is rarely Pinterest-worthy, and honestly, that's exactly what makes it beautiful. There's something irreplaceable about the controlled chaos of a kitchen where small hands are involved, the ingredient measurements that become creative interpretations, the "helpful" taste-testing that happens three minutes in, the discovery that chocolate chips are apparently edible at every stage of the process. The burnt edges, the flour explosions, the time someone thought "extra vanilla" meant the whole bottle, these aren't kitchen fails. They're the real stuff of family cooking. They're the moments that stick with people. Kids learn confidence, mess-making becomes memory-making, and you end up with stories that'll make everyone laugh for years. So here's what I'd like to know: What's your favorite beautiful disaster from the kitchen? The recipe that went sideways but tasted great anyway? The baking adventure that created more memories than edible results? Share your imperfect moment, I'd love to hear it, and I promise yours won't be the messiest one here. I'm still looking for the flour war photo between my kids - if I find it, I will share.

Can you tell I’m in a rebellious mood? Guess that comes with hanging out with a toddler. So, my question for you has to do with those unwritten rules almost every family has, you know, the ones everyone follows… until someone doesn’t. Today, yyou’ve been granted permission to break ONE harmless family rule for an entire day. No guilt, no consequences, no judgment! For some real insights ask the kids in your world which they would choose and why. Which one are you choosing? A. Dessert before dinner. Maybe even FOR dinner. B. Pajamas all day. Real clothes are officially canceled. C. Bedtime? What bedtime? Stay up as late as you like. D. Make a glorious mess. Someone else handles cleanup. E. Make up your own rule to break! What’s your pick? And would the kids in your life agree?