Into the Time-warp

Hey everyone!
I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. Things have been hectic in my family. My mom has been on bed rest because of the baby, and I've had to help a lot around the house. And on top of that, I have more homework this year, too. We still haven't settled on a name for my baby sister, who is due in the Spring. We're leaning toward Isabelle, or Izzy for short, though. 

Yesterday was a snow day, so I helped my dad move some stuff from the attic, and I found a box of old books that were my mom's when she was a teenager. The box was dusty, and had "Patty's room" written on it (my mom's name is Patricia). I looked in the box, and it was mostly filled with Baby-sitter's Club books, by Ann M. Martin. I've heard of this series, but I've never read the books. I sat down in the attic and started paging through them. Dad said he'd bring them downstairs for me, and mom would probably give them to me, if I wanted them. So, dad brought them down to mom, and she and I looked at some of them. She laughed when she saw them, and said she read and collected the books for years. The girls on the covers wore clothes that look kind of crazy today, but mom said they were (mostly) the styles girls wore when she was young. I also found some parts in the books that sounded a little bit old-fashioned, like when they talk about things like videos and VCR's. Also, Claudia, one of the club members, had her own phone line. Today, Claudia would probably have a cellphone instead. And the Baby-sitter's Club might have had a Facebook instead of making flyers to tell people about their club. Mom said that compared to today, those days were much simpler times. She said I could have her books, so I took them to my room to read, since the weather was so bad. I found one book that is just perfect for me. It's called The Ghost at Dawn's House. I find it interesting that Dawn's last name is Schafer, because that is my last name. I wonder if mom would have ever guessed that someday she'd have the same last name as Dawn? It's funny how things like that work out.

Frankly,
Frankie

It's my birthday! Bring on the...

PINK! That's right, folks. I said pink. And that could only mean one thing, right...? Yup. It's a girl! I'm getting my very own baby sister! I'm really excited!

Best of all, I'm sharing this wonderful news on my birthday! I can't have a big party this year, since my mom has to rest a lot, but that's okay with me. My baby sister is the best present I've ever gotten! This afternoon, Paige and my new friend Emma are coming over for cake and ice cream, and of course presents. By the way, Emma is a girl my age who moved in down the street this Summer, and she's really, really nice. I'll post more about her soon, okay?

Frankly,
Frankie

Things are about to change...

...for the better! I have great news everyone. Really, it's the best news I've ever had! You see, for the past few weeks, my mom hasn't been feeling well. But, a few days ago, she made a special announcement at dinner. My mom is going to have a BABY! I'm so excited. I really, really, really hope the baby is a girl, since I already have two brothers, but I'd be happy either way; boy or girl. Tuesday, mom and dad are going to find out what the baby is. I'll let everyone know then!

My brother Brad is moving out in a few weeks, so we're going to fix his room up as a nursery. It will be really exciting. I love to decorate stuff. I have lots of great ideas. Mom has to rest a lot, so she is going to be the adviser when we get things in the room ready, and tell us what to do. I  just can't wait! I feel like packing all of Brad's stuff up for him, so he can move faster, and we can get started on the nursery already! (sorry Brad... love ya').
 
The next order of business is names. If the baby is a boy, it's going to be named after dad. If it's a girl, we've already come up with a list of names. Mom is letting me be a big part of choosing the name. Here's what we have so far:

-Savannah
-Zoey
-Amelie
-Quinn
-Isabelle (Izzy)
-Kadie
-Liberty (Libby)

Which name do you like? I like them all, but I think Zoey is especially cute.

I can't believe I'm going to be a big sister!

Frankly,
Frankie

Back to school

Well, it's that time of year again... back to school! I start school this Wednesday. Luckily, Paige and I are in the same class again. Our teacher's name is Mrs. McKee. My cousin had her for class last year, and said she is a strict teacher. But Paige's mom says she is very nice. There will never be a teacher as cool as Mr. Reese, but I'll give Mrs. McKee a chance. I went school shopping with mom last week, and got some new clothes and school supplies. I got Phineas and Ferb pencils, since that's my favorite cartoon. I'm gonna use the pencil with Agent P. on it for tests, as my lucky pencil, since Perry is my favorite character. This is the first year we'll have lockers, too. I hope I don't forget my combination! What are you doing to get ready for back to school?

Frankly,
Frankie

Hannah: a City Girl in the Country

Jumping on the trampoline

Pretty flowers

Playing on the trampoline!

Hannah on the stone steps

Just a quick update...

Hey everyone!

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been swamped with schoolwork, since it's getting toward the end of the year, and that's been keeping me busy. On the bright side, my class is having a picnic on the last day of school, and mom said if I get good grades on my report card, I can get an end-of-the-year present! I'm thinking of getting an outfit from American Girl called the Sea Breeze Outfit:

http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/item/id/177083/uid/189

Do you think it would look cute on me? I love floppy hats! This outfit would be perfect for fun in the sun, don't you think?

In other news, my brother, Brad will be coming home from school for the Summer. I've really missed him. I can't wait to see him again!

That's all for now!

Frankly,

Frankie

So many ghost stories, so little time!

Hey everyone!
Now that it's Spring Break, and the weather is warming up, I've been pursuing one of my favorite hobbies: reading ghost stories! I read ghost stories throughout my Spring and Summer breaks every year. So, I've already started a good sized pile of my tried and true favorites. At the moment, I'm re-reading Deep and Dark and Dangerous, by Mary Downing Hahn. It's a very eerie story, and it's very exciting. Although I've read it before, I like the story just as much as ever. I love all of Hahn's books that I've read so far, but my personal favorite has been Wait Till Helen Comes.

After I finish Deep and Dark and Dangerous, I'm going to start on my stash of Betty Ren Wright books. I have quite a collection of those. You may have heard of some of her more well-known books, like Christina's Ghost and The Dollhouse Murders, but Wright has also written many other great ghost stories, like Out of the Dark and A Ghost In the House. Her stories are great at capturing the feeling of carefree Summer days, as well as mystery and suspense. After I finish reading my personal collection of favorite ghost stories, I am going to check out the library, and maybe discover some new favorites!

What kind of books do you like to read best?

Happy Reading!

Frankly,
Frankie

Random acts of kindness

Hey everyone!
I am just bursting with exciting news today! *bursts* :)
My new friend Hannah has been telling me about a neat hobby she has; performing random acts of kindness! This means doing nice or helpful things for people (sometimes without them even knowing), just because you want to. She says when she does something nice for people, it's like having a fun secret. And it just makes her feel happy. She does things like helping her neighbor carry her groceries, letting someone ahead of her in a line, or just asking someone about their day. Things like that. It's easy! She gave me the idea to try doing random acts of kindness too! We even came up with a list of easy things to do:

1. Pick up litter and throw it away.

2. Donate unwanted books to your library (ask your parents first).

3. Hold a door open for someone.

4. Make a card for someone you know, to cheer them up.

5. Say "thank you" to your teacher for his/her hard work.

6. Compliment a friend's outfit.

7. Buy a bag of pet food and donate it to an animal shelter (again, ask your parents first).

8. Invite someone new to sit with you at lunch.

9. Ask younger siblings to play.

10. Just smile at someone!

The thing about kindness is that it's contagious. If you do something nice for someone, chances are, they'll find themselves doing something nice for someone else. Then that person will do something nice for someone else, then that person will... well, you get the idea.

Do you have any other ideas for what someone can do to brighten another person's day? Feel free to share it!

Frankly,
Frankie

I've been nominated!

Hey everyone!

My blog has been nominated in the Best Writing category for AGPT's Academy Awards! I am really happy about it!

Writing is what I put the most time into for my blog. I love to describe my everyday life the best I can, so my readers can imagine the things I see and do. If you enjoy reading my blog, please vote for me!

A BIG thank you to everyone who reads and comments on this blog! You are awesome friends. And best of luck to all of the other nominees!

Frankly,
Frankie

P.S.- I think I'm going to "walk the red carpet" in the special dress I wore last year to my Spring Piano Recital! It's still my favorite!

Pen Pal

Hey everyone!
School has been pretty interesting lately. You know why? My class is getting pen pals! I already have the best pen pal ever; Emily (from Everything Emily), but I am happy to have a new long distance friend too! We each got assigned a pen pal from a class in New York City! Yesterday we got our pen pal matches, with a little bit of info about them. We have to write to them at least five times before the end of the school year. I hope my pen pal likes me enough to write to me longer than that. My pen pal is named Hannah. She's ten, in the same grade as me. She has a big family! She has a little brother, a half-sister, and four step-siblings! They don't all live in the same house, though. Her parents are divorced. Hannah also takes ballet lessons and plays soccer. I think she sounds interesting. I can't wait to write to her! I started my letter today. Mr. Reese said that as an "icebreaker" we have to write something interesting about ourselves. Here is my letter so far:

Dear Hannah,
My name is Francesca. Everyone calls me Frankie. I'm happy to be your pen pal! I am eleven years old, and I have light brown hair and blue eyes. I live on a farm, and have two older brothers. Something interesting about me is that I'm adopted. I was adopted by my mom and dad when I was a baby. I think I have a pretty fun family.

Do you like animals? I do. I have a dog, a horse, peacocks, and lots of cute chickens. Plus a few barn cats, but they aren't very friendly. My mom says we might also get rabbits this Spring! I hope so.

I also take piano lessons, even though I'm not very good at piano. I have been taking lessons for a long time, but my teacher says I don't practice enough. But there is always so much I want to do at once! I also like to draw, play outside, and read mysteries. What are your favorite things to do?

I think we will be good friends. I'll tell you all about my life as a country girl, if you tell me all about your life in the city.

Your new friend,
Frankie

What do you think of my letter? I think it's pretty good.

Frankly,
Frankie

Happy Birthday, Paige!

Today is my best friend, Paige's birthday! We have been planning the party, which was today, for a few weeks. Paige wanted a polka dot themed party, so her mom got polka dot printed paper plates, napkins, and balloons. Paige and I also made polka dot garlands, by stringing colorful pompom balls on long pieces of thread. We hung them around the dining room yesterday, and they looked really cute.

So, today was party day. Mom was also going to her friend's baby shower. She was leaving for the shower the same time I was leaving for the party. Paige's present and the baby gift were on the kitchen table. I grabbed Paige's present and left. I felt so excited, because I knew she would love her gift. I got her a Hello Kitty purse!

Since I only live next door, I was the first one at the party. The other guests started arriving not long after. Lanie, Beth, Rebecca, and Sunny came. Six girls total. We played Twister, and Sunny won. Then it was time to eat. We sang "Happy Birthday" to Paige. Then we had pepperoni pizza after that. We also got goody bags, that had bead kits, mini journals, colorful pens, and lots of stickers in them. Then it was time for cake and ice cream. Paige's mom doesn't let Paige have a lot of sugar, so she decided to get cake pops for the party, instead of a big cake. I guess cake pops are the newest craze, but I've never had one until today. Now I am officially obsessed with them! They were so good. Cake pops are little balls of cake on a stick, like a lollipop. Paige wanted the cake pops to have blue and purple coating (her favorite colors), with yellow cake. The neat thing is, the cake pops also kind of matched the polka dot theme!

Then, it was time for Paige to open her gifts. First, she opened her presents from her mom and Bill. They got her some clothes for her American Girl doll, Julie. Then, she opened Lanie's present, which was an art kit. Then, she opened Beth's gift, earrings. Then she opened Rebecca's gift, a sweater. Then she opened Sunny's gift, which was a stuffed cat that looks like Paige's cat, Jade. She loved everything she got. Then, it was time for her to open my gift. I could hardly sit still waiting for her to open it, because I knew she would love it. She tore open the shiny blue wrapping paper slowly. Then, she opened the box and held up the gift. It was a rattle! The kind babies play with! I realized then, that I had grabbed the wrong gift on my way out of the house. They both had the same wrapping paper. This rattle was supposed to be for the baby shower! I turned beet red. So did Paige. Everyone laughed, and Paige shoved the rattle back into the box. My ears burned with embarrassment. I gave my best friend a baby toy for her 11th birthday! And I knew that at the baby shower, mom's friend was opening Paige's Hello Kitty purse. The baby is a boy.

I explained the mix-up, but our friends had a good time teasing me about the rattle after that, anyway. It was the most mortifying moment of my life (so far). Then, the party finally ended, and everyone went home. I told Paige I was sorry about giving her a baby toy and embarrassing her at her party. She said it was okay, because at least she'd never forget her 11th birthday. A few minutes later, I saw mom pull in the driveway from out the window. She was home from the shower! I told Paige I'd be right back, and I grabbed the rattle and ran over to my house. Mom was waiting for me by her car, with Paige's real present. We traded gifts, and I ran back to Paige's house. I gave her the box, and she opened it. There was the Hello Kitty purse. Paige loved it, just like I hoped she would. And I was so happy to give it to her. The gift Paige opened at the party may not have been the perfect gift I planned on bringing, but it definitely made an impression. Sometimes, when you try to give someone a "perfect gift," it doesn't turn out the way you expected. But it's time like that when you remember that it really is the thought that counts.

Happy Birthday, Paige!

Frankly,
Frankie

Hello and Goodbye

Hi everyone!
I haven't written in a while. Things have been crazy around here. For one thing, Mischa and Alexis's family moved closer to us. Now I will get to see them more often, even though they don't live super close. My family helped them move, so we've been pretty busy. The twins' family used to travel a lot, and Mischa and Alexis and their siblings were home-schooled, but now, they are going to go to private school after the January break. So, the downside is, they won't go to the same school as me. But I am happy that we will get to spend more time together. That's the "Hello" part of this post's title.

The "Goodbye" part is that Beth is moving. Beth's parents want to be closer to her sister, who is in college. But this isn't the end of our friendship, of course. We can still talk all the time! I'm still going to miss her, though. I asked her what she was going to do with Bailey, her horse, when they move. They are taking Bailey with them! She gets to ride in her own little horsey trailer. I'm going to miss Bailey. She's such a beautiful horse. We have a horse, Carmel, but she's not like Bailey. Carmel is my mom's horse. She's pretty old and doesn't move very fast anymore (Carmel, not my mom LOL), so little kids ride her when they visit the farm, because she's so gentle. I learned to ride on Carmel when I was little, too. I like our horse, and mom adores her, but sometimes, I secretly wish I had a fast, playful horse like Bailey. Then, I feel bad for thinking that, because Carmel is like part of the family. I wonder if Carmel will miss Bailey too? They were best friends (at least, I think they were).

Frankly,
Frankie

The Best Christmas

Hey, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday! I had a great Christmas. The Christmas pageant went really well. I didn't mess up my lines or anything. Kanani froze at the beginning. I felt bad for her, but she still did good. Beth was the shining star of the pageant, though. Her solo was good! She brought the house down. Her sister gave her roses after the play. I was so happy for Beth. She was really unhappy at first, that she didn't get her usual role, but she rocked the part she got!

Christmas Eve and Christmas morning were fun. My cousin, and my Aunt and Uncle came to visit. I was happy to see my cousin again. She's a little bit older than me. I like her because she's not just a relative, but also a friend. My Grandparents came over too. Santa was good to me this year. I got almost everything on my list. My Christmas was just the same as every other one, and that's the way I like it. To me, our family Christmas is like slipping into cozy, worn-in sneakers after wearing new shoes all year. Comfortable and familiar. I hope it never changes.

My Christmas may not have changed much this year, but Paige's did. Paige's mom is still dating Bill (AKA Mr. Reese), and he celebrated Christmas with them this year. On Christmas day, I saw him come over to their house. He was carrying a big stack of presents. He had a Santa hat on. I was so anxious to see Paige, and find out all the details, but my mom didn't want me to call Paige or go to her house, because it was a holiday and all. So, I had to wait until the day after Christmas to see my friend.

I finally got to see Paige yesterday. We went sledding yesterday morning, on the hill in her backyard. We trudged up the big hill, and went flying down in my two-person sled. After we went down the hill the fifth time, we were laughing so hard, because the sled hit a bump, and we rolled off, into the snow. We decided to take a break and make snow angels. We started talking about what we got for Christmas. We both got a Lalaloopsy doll, which we both really wanted. Paige said her mom also gave her a purple mp3 player (lucky duck!), and some other things. She said Bill gave her mom earrings and some accessories for her guitar. I asked Paige what Bill gave her for Christmas. He gave her a boxed set of the Chronicles of Narnia books, and a journal. I think Paige is starting to accept Bill. She said Christmas was so much fun this year, because of him. He helped her assemble her gifts, and they watched A Christmas Story. In fact, she said this was the best Christmas she's ever had!

Frankly,
Frankie

Happy Holidays!

Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday and a bright New Year!



Frankly,
Frankie (and all my friends)

So much to look forward too!

Hey everyone!
I had a great day at school today! Mr. Reese announced that we are going to have a class holiday party the day before Christmas break! Isn't that great? He is even going to bring in a real Christmas tree next week, and we are going to make our own decorations for it, like popcorn garlands. There's so much to be done. Next week, instead of silent reading, we are going to be working on our decorations. I like silent reading a lot, but I don't mind missing out on it, since we're going to be doing something that fun.

Best of all, during social studies, we are going to learn how the holidays are celebrated around the world, and do a craft or activity for that holiday. Like, we are going to learn how to play dreidl when we learn about Hanukkah, and we are going to design gingerbread houses when we learn about Christmas in Germany. Then, when we learn about the holidays in Sweden, we are going to make St. Lucia wreaths. I'm really looking forward to this. I love learning about how people live in different cultures.

Today, when we were planning the party, Mr. Reese asked for volunteers to bring in snacks. I raised my hand right away. As I've said before, my mom is an excellent cook. I volunteered to bring mom's special mint chocolate chip cookies. They look like regular chocolate chip cookies, but the cookie part is green, and tastes like mint. They're really good. I think everyone will love them. And since they're green, they kind of look like martian chocolate chip cookies.

This is shaping up to be an exciting Holiday! It really is the most wonderful time of the year...

Frankly,
Frankie

Holiday Preperations

Don't you just love the holiday season? I do! There's so many things to do, and it doesn't even feel like work, because it's all so much fun! My family is already decking the halls for Christmas. We are getting a Christmas tree on Thursday! I can't wait. I love to pick out a tree. The smell of a fresh Christmas tree is one of my favorite parts of the holiday. I also love to decorate the inside and outside of the house. We always put my mom's special nutcracker and Christmas carol books out on the coffee table. She's had them since she was a little girl. My dad and my brothers hang twinkle lights around our windows, and in the trees in our yard. The trees look especially pretty. Mom and I also bake cookies and other treats. I like sugar cookies best. My mom is probably the only person I've ever met who's favorite holiday treat is fruitcake! I kind of feel sorry for fruitcake... no one seems to like it! I do think it's pretty, though. The fruit in it looks like shiny jewels.

Another special part of Christmas is the church Christmas pageant. I'm always in it, and I always play an angel. Now, I'm not the best singer or actress, but my mom does sew all of the costumes for the pageant. I wonder if there's any connection, there? My friend, Beth, has been playing Mary in the pageant since she was six. She has true talent. She has a beautiful singing voice, and she can act and dance. She really deserves a great part in the pageant. But this year, things are going to be different. Remember that new girl, Kanani? Well, she was supposed to work behind the scenes for the pageant, with the lighting and stuff, but the choir director said she would make a perfect Mary this year. She was cast right on the spot. So, Beth has been upstaged this year. She was not happy about it. She didn't act angry or cry or anything, but I could tell she was quietly sad. Poor Beth. But she did end up with a pretty good part in the play. She's going to be in the Angel Choir with me. And the choir director even gave her a solo! She's going to sing all by herself, in front of everyone! I somehow think she'll be okay about losing out on her usual role.

Speaking of the costumes, they are really pretty! And I'm not just saying that because my mom makes them. They are made out of shimmery, white material, with gauzy sleeves, and pale blue ribbons. The wings are made of soft white feathers, with a little bit of white glitter on them. They look magical, almost like you could really fly in them. When we wear them to rehearse in, I feel so proud of mom, because she makes the costumes so special.

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

Frankly,
Frankie

Pictures of Halloween's past

It's Halloween Everyone!
Here are some pictures of me and some of my friends enjoying Halloween over the past few years:


Madame Jess, fortune teller:

Paige as a Grecian Princess, Me as an angel, and Lanie as a cowgirl:


Paige and I sorting our loot (2010):


Have a magical and safe Halloween!

Frankly,
Frankie

My Ode to Autumn

I got my Fall poem back from Mr. Reese today. I think he liked it. I got a 99 on it, and a Halloween sticker! Here it is:

My Autumn
By Frankie Schafer

My Autumn is...
Bright leaves falling off the trees.
Raking them into piles up to my knees.

I jump into them with a running start,
because that is the very best part.

My Autumn is...
Up to my elbows in pumpkin goop.
A grinning jack o' lantern on my stoop.


I think he's smiling because it's almost his day
Halloween's when pumpkins go out to play.

My Autumn is...
Setting the Thanksgiving table once again,
while my dad and brothers watch football in the den.

Eating at the kids' table, like every year before,
then clearing the plates while my Grandpa snores.

My Autumn is...
A season of family, food, and fun,
Happy Autumn to everyone!

(This is an original poem. Please do not copy it. Thank you!)

Frankly,
Frankie

Birthday Girl!

Hey everyone!
Yesterday was my birthday! It was really fun. I brought chocolate cupcakes with orange frosting to school, to share with my class. Everyone liked them! (my mom is an excellent cook, so everyone in my class looks forward to my birthday!).

Then, after school, I saw a familiar car in the driveway. My brother Brad was there! He came home to celebrate my birthday. He gave me a hug. I was so glad to see him. I haven't seen him in person in a while. All of my friends who live nearby came to my party (Paige, Beth, Sunny, Rebecca, Kit, Lanie, Mischa, Alexis, and Kanani). This is me at my party:




I'm wearing my special cowgirl-looking outfit. Do I look eleven yet? My dad gave me a cowgirl hat to match, for a birthday gift. It's really cool.

First my friend and I played games. We played hide and seek in my yard, and tag. Then we pushed each other on the tire swing. When we got tired and cold, we went inside, and ate homemade chili and cornbread. It was delicious. Next it was present opening time. Besides the cowgirl hat, I got some neat things. Brad gave me a sweatshirt from his school. It's sort of big on me, but I like it. My brother Charlie gave me socks with horses on them. Mischa and Alexis gave me a spy kit. Lanie gave me a neat book of ghost stories. Paige gave me an art kit. I got lots of other great gifts too.

Then mom brought out the cake and ice cream! The ice cream was French vanilla, and the cake was an apple cake with caramel frosting! It had eleven candles. I blew them all out, but I can't tell you what a wished for, or else it won't come true. Everyone loved the cake. As I said, my mom is an excellent cook. While we were eating, dad passed out our goody bags. We looked in the bags. They had lots of fun Halloween things in them, like ghost shaped erasers, little notepads with Halloween pictures on them, and candy. The funniest thing in the treat bags were fake mustaches! They are sticky on the back, and you can put them on your face! my friends and I tried them on. We looked so silly. It was funny!

Then, it was time for my friends to leave. After all, it was a school night. I was sorry to see them go. But the best part of my birthday is that Halloween is just around the corner, so there is lot's more fun to come!

Frankly,
Frankie

How it went

Hey everyone!
This is sort of part 2 from my last post. Paige's mom has been busy, so Paige didn't talk to her until Monday. This is how it went (according to Paige). It contains some heavy stuff, just to warn you, in case you don't like reading this sort of thing. But I think it's worth reading...

Paige's mom was not happy about how Paige acted at the dinner party, and told her she needs to be more respectful toward Mr. Reese, because not only is an adult, but Paige's teacher. Paige said she was sorry, and she would try to be more respectful, but there were some things she wanted to talk about. She told her mom what was bothering her. About how she didn't want her family to change, and her worries about her real father. Paige's mom told her that no matter who come into their lives, her love for Paige would never change. She also threw in that she and Bill (Mr. Reese) have no plans to get married or anything, but if they did, Paige would be the first to know. Then she said that Paige doesn't have to worry about her father, because she and Paige's father are living separate lives. She said she would be glad if Paige's father chose to take an interest in his daughter and get in touch with Paige, but she has no interest in getting back together with him, and she's sure the feelings are mutual. It's the sad truth, but it's true.

She asked Paige if she wouldn't mind if she talked about what they were discussing with Bill. Paige asked why, and she said because he would understand what Paige is going through better than anyone. Paige shrugged and said she "guessed so."

So, the next day Mr. Reese (Bill) came over to visit, and asked Paige if he could talk with her, not as her teacher, but a friend. He told her about when he was Paige's age, and his parents got divorced. He told her how sad he and his little brother were, and how they wished their dad would just come back so they could feel like a real family again. He asked Paige if she ever felt that way too. She said she feels that way all the time. Mr. Reese said his dad wrote him and his little brother often at first, then he sent fewer letters, than none at all, and he hasn't heard from him since. Paige said her dad left when she was a baby, and she's never gotten a card or letter from him. She told him how she wishes she'd get even just a card from him every Christmas and Birthday, but one never comes. Bill told her he's sorry things turned out that way, but she is very lucky to have a mom who loves her so much. He promised her that even though he was dating her mom, it would never change she and Paige's relationship. Then he told her how his mom got remarried when he was thirteen, to a nice man. He told her how he eventually accepted his stepfather, and came to love him as if he were his real father. He said his stepfather was the missing piece to his family. He said although he and Paige's mom are not married, they do care for each other, and he hopes he and Paige could at least be friends.

"See," he said. "I do understand how you feel. And I'm here for you if you ever want to talk about things."

Paige asked him if he was mad about how she treated him at the dinner party.

"Nah," he said. "I would have done the same thing when I was your age. It's cool."

So, that's how it went. Things may not be completely solved, but I think Paige and Mr. Reese are off to a better start now.

Well, I better go start my homework. Mr. Reese gave us a fun homework assignment. We have to write a poem about Autumn. Also... tomorrow is my birthday! I can't believe another year has passed. Tomorrow will be a busy day. I'm having a party after school, and Brad is coming home to celebrate. I'll be sure to let everyone know how the party goes.

Frankly,
Frankie