I’ve always dreamed of having a copy machine that would let me go in as one person and come out as ______. That way, I could be in two places at once. Just like you, I recently made a promise to do one thing, and then another fun thing ______ up.

“Hey, Zona,” said my little sister, Indi, “we have an idea for the coolest Halloween costume, but we can’t do it ______ you.”

My little brother, Tex, pointed to a photo in a magazine. “It’s a pea pod! There are three kids and each kid’s face is a ______!”

“That’s so cute,” I said. “But I’m about 10 feet taller than you guys. There’s no way our heads would fit into the costume at the same time. Why don’t you two do a double pod instead?”

“I really wanted ______ of us to have a costume together,” said Indi.

“Maybe we can come up with a different group costume then,” I said.

“We could be the three little pigs!” said Indi. “You know, the ones who didn’t want the big bad wolf to huff and puff and blow their houses ______.”

“Yeah!” said Tex.

“I love that idea,” I said.

We found an old book of fairy tales and read “The Three Little Pigs.”

“I want to be the pig with the brick house!” said Tex.

“I want to be the pig with the ______ house!” said Indi.

“I guess I’ll be the pig with the stick house,” I said, smiling.

Making the costumes ______ a lot of work, even with our mom helping. And the whole time, Indi kept saying “Won’t it be so fun when we all go trick-or-treating?”

So you can see why there was no way in the world I could change plans when I received an ______ to a Halloween party at Stephany Morrison’s house. Stephany is a really nice girl from karate, and her house has incredible Halloween decorations every year. The invitation described the best party possible, with “gruesome games and creepy ______.”

“Why aren’t you eating your dinner?” my dad asked that night.

“I guess I’m not very hungry,” I mumbled.

“Only a week until Halloween!” Indi cheered.

“Yay!” I said, trying my best to ______ excited.

After helping with the dishes, I went to my room, ______ I read the invitation again. From 4:30 to 8:00 on Halloween night, come to Stephany’s house for some ______ and some fright! I sighed. I’d be leaving to trick-or-treat at 4:30.

That’s when it dawned on me. We were usually back from trick-or-treating around 6:00, so it was possible I’d still have time to make ______ to half of the party!

I returned to the kitchen to talk to my parents about it, and my dad agreed to drive me to Stephany’s ______ Tex and Indi and I came home.

On Halloween, I put on my stick-house pig costume and had the ______ time going door to door with my adorably excited pig siblings. Then I headed over to Stephany’s. By the time I arrived, the “eyeball” cookies were gone and I’d already ______ the “haunted house” tour. But the “poison apples” were delicious, and I wasn’t too late to play some of those “gruesome games.”

So, dear Just One Kid, it’s ______ to happen once in a while that something comes up after you’ve agreed to something else. And it’s important to do the right thing and stick to your promise. But at times, you might be able to find a way to do both, like I did.

Maybe you can see ______ your friends would go to the movies on a different day. Or, if they’re doing something after the movie, maybe you can ______ them for that part. It never hurts to ask, right? And if it doesn’t work out, there’s always next time!

【推荐3】Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Lily who had always been searching for happiness. She had _________ that happiness could only be found in the _________ moments of life, such as getting a promotion, going on a vacation or achieving a major life ___________

However, _________ achieving some of these milestones, Lily still felt a(n) _________ inside her.

One day, while taking a walk in the park, she met an old man who was sitting on a bench with a _________ smile on his face. Inspired, she _________ a conversation with him.

To her surprise, the old man _________ that he found joy in the small things in life. He said he was _________ for the sun shining on his face, the sound of the birds chirping, and the warmth of his cup of tea. He enjoyed spending time in the __________ of his friends and family.

Lily was struck by this revelation, and decided to try in ding joy in life in the everyday moments of her life.

She started to pay more attention to the __________ things around her, like the beauty of the flowers in the garden, the sound of __________ from children playing in the street, and the smell of freshly baked bread.

As she __________ these small things, she found herself feeling more content and happy. She realized that happiness was not something that could be __________ or found in grand moments but was something that could be found in the __________ moments of life.

【推荐2】With over 125,000 followers, 34-year-old Oliver James is a star in the Book Tok community. And it all started with a simple_________: Learn to read.

For most of the kids, school is a place where they can develop a relationship with learning in a_________ environment. For James, the opposite. _________ with learning and behavior. Disabilities made him in_________ education. “The special education system at the time was a lot more_________ on behavioral than educating,” he said.

Reading_________ carried over into James’ adulthood and it significantly _________ his employment opportunities and affected his self-esteem (自信). However, when he and his wife decided_________ to their family of three, James became determined to change things.

Starting his journey with a book of inspirational quotes gifted by his wife, James began reading bits out loud and _________ to TikTok. Being a motivational speaker, he would often combine his interests with his heartfelt honesty and personality. __________ will often send James more books to read in hopes for his book reviews.

But perhaps the biggest __________ has been the way reading has __________ James’ relationship with his son. In an interview, he shared that they’ve not only__________ over books but reading has proven to be a great __________ for mental health, which has helped James become a better parent. James’ new goal is to read 100 new titles by 2024 —__________ for any bookworm in this day and age.

【推荐3】It was the harvest season. The rest of the family was busy in the fields, and it was my responsibility to watch Grandma. Grandma held the _______ that Idle (懒惰的) hands are the devil’s workshop, and she _______ to make a cake for the family. I anxiously reminded her that she couldn’t see, which made her _______, “God gave us five _______ and seeing is just one of them.”

She _______ herself up from the sofa, and I _______ her to where her apron hung on the wall. Following Grandma’s _______ I carefully nestled a cup in her hand, found a big bowl and _______ it in front of her. I was watching the _______ where she blindly but ________ measured two level cups of flour in the big bowl in ________ when she commanded me to find the baking powder.

I found a can and handed it to her. She licked her finger, dipped it in the powder and ________ it. She declared it was soda and urged me to try it. It tasted bitter and fizzy. The next container I found was not quite so bitter, and Grandmother announced that she was ________ that was baking powder.

Then she showed me how to crack an egg ________ and let me help beat the cake. By now the kitchen was showing the ________ of our cake-making. Just as I wondered when we should put the cake into the wood stove, Grandma opened the oven door and ________ her hand inside. She announced that the ________ was just right.

When I proudly carried the cake out of the stove, Grandma eased herself into the rocker and said with a smile, “Someday you will face difficulties. Don’t be too ________ to look around and see how you can overcome them. Use the materials and abilities that God gives you. Count what you ________, not what you don’t.”

I don’t remember how the cake ________, but I have never forgotten the making of it.