Today, Paige (also of Mudroom Boston) shares a beloved book:

During a recent playground conversation with a fellow mom, we were recounting our childhoods. Although we grew up in different areas, our memories were the same -- hours and hours of unsupervised outside playtime with neighborhood friends, solo bike rides into town to buy candy, and walking to school by ourselves by the time we were in second grade. As we hovered over our four collective children, occasionally interrupting our own chatting with a "Don't run so fast!" or "Watch your head!", I reflected on how much life and "playtime" had changed for my own kids in just one generation.

A few days after this conversation, a Boston Magazine article by Katherine Ozment began circling around my Facebook world. Called Welcome to the Age of Overparenting, Ozment wrote about whether her style of parenting -- what has come to be the style for many of us these days -- was contributing to the demise of her own children's freedom and imagination. She wrote:

"I still remember the time my two older brothers built an igloo in our front yard. It had a domed roof and arched entrance, and they strung an overhead work lamp from the ceiling and laid out a small rug so we could all sit in it for hours. Witnessing my children's paltry fort-making skills, I thought, Is this what our kids will remember of winter -- digging little holes in the snow as their mother hovered nearby? Where has the childhood I once knew gone?"

Both the conversation and Ozment's article reminded me of one of our very favorite bedtime books -- maybe a favorite for me because it so beautifully captures what I feel my kids are in danger of losing if I don't ease up a bit -- the freedom and imagination to create worlds of their own, worlds that don't include parents.

Roxaboxen, written by Alice McLerran and illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Barbara Cooney, tells the story of a very real town in Arizona created out of the fantasy of children. Like any town, Roxaboxen has houses filled with tables and dishes, shops, a town hall and mayor, and even a jail. Roxaboxen is the first place that the neighborhood children run to after school, and is where they spend their summers, building new homes and shops. And even though the town is run by children, they still have rules -- eat as much ice cream as you want, but don't break the speed limit or Policeman Jamie may take you to the cactus-lined jail. Swords made of ocotillo plants serve as weapons in war, sticks stand in for horses, broken glass creates jeweled windows, and small black pebbles buy you anything you want in Roxaboxen.

I love reading Roxaboxen with my sons not only because it reminds me of the freedom of my own childhood, but also reminds me what I want for them and my need to step back a bit and let it happen. I recently asked my older son if he thought it was strange that there were no parents in Roxaboxen. "Oh, Mom, there are parents," he said, "you just don't see them."

Exactly.

My Canadian friend Leslie gifted Laurel with a copy of Anne of Green Gables a couple of years ago. Given that Laurel loves chapter books with female central characters, we've been looking forward to reading Anne together but the language is still a little too advanced (Amazon lists the series for ages 9 and up). I subsequently was thrilled to find an adapted version of Anne of Green Gables in a box of hand me downs from my sister-in-law Estelle.
Perfect for avid young readers who also still love picture books, Laurel and I loved reading this book together. Although Laurel was initially a bit rattled at the beginning -- by the idea that Anne might be sent away for being a girl -- as the story developed, she was clearly captivated by Anne's strength, sauciness, and sensitivity. Laurel has already said she can't wait to read the original book and all the subsequent Anne stories. Meanwhile, I'm going to see if we can track down other adaptations of later books in the series.

One shopping note: The adapted Anne of Green Gables I found on Amazon has a different cover and publishing date (off by a year) than the copy I have, but shares the same contributor list for author (L. M. Montgomery), adapter (Margaret DeKeyser), and illustrator (Jerry Dillingham), as well as the same approximate page count and publisher (Dalmation Press). After poking around quite a bit on Amazon, I'm pretty confident that this is the same version I have. Enjoy!

Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) recommends a favorite book:

I love Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child for its assertion that magic is all around us, as long as you look closely. My children, six and eight, both love this book as well and often ask me to read it to them. The book opens with Annabelle looking for fairies in the "cement and weeds" near her house despite her father's firm statement that she won't find them. Annabelle's firm belief and tireless searching are rewarded when one Saturday she finds a boy with wings, as big as her finger, shivering in the breeze. As soon as he has introduced himself as "Jethro Byrd, fairy child," Annabelle spies a miniature ice cream truck that has fallen from the sky. Jethro's family -- his father, mother, grandmother, and baby sister -- are trying to tug the truck back to upright and ask for Annabelle's help. She quickly helps and then invites them to her house for tea.
Annabelle leads the Byrd family back to her house and introduces them to her parents. She wonders why it is that her mother is looking the wrong way when she heartily greets the Byrds, and then, suspicious, asks her father if he can see them. He claims that he can but Annabelle can tell that he can't. Sad, she asks Jethro's mother why her parents can't see them. "He's too grown up," the fairy tells her. "He doesn't have time for fairies." As I read this line I choke up, every single time. Is that true?

After a lovely afternoon playing music and dancing, the Byrds tell Annabelle they have to go. Crushed, she asks if she can go with them. No, they tell her. She is just too big. As they leave, the Byrds give Annabelle a fairy watch which tells fairy time. "Time goes by slowly for fairies," they explain. The watch fits right on her fourth finger. The ice cream truck lifts into the air, flying away, and the Byrds leave with a reminder to wind her watch and to "keep looking." That night, Annabelle sees fairies all around her neighborhood.

Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child reminds us that for those who look carefully, the world is full of startling beauty. It reminds us that there are wonders -- magic, even -- to be found if we slow down and walk at the pace of a child, take the time to look at what they see, and, most of all, to believe.

Today, Lindsey shares a game that's fun for kids and grownups alike:

A few months ago I realized that I was rushing my children through dinner and bath to make sure we had time for TV before bed. Startled by this, I simply told them the next day that we weren't going to have TV. We enjoyed a more relaxed dinner and evening and that was that -- the transition was shockingly seamless. Instead, after bath and before bed, we now often play a short game. I admit that some of the board games stacked in our family room are, quite frankly, a little slow for me.
Subsequently, I was glad to discover Rat-A-Tat Cat. This card game has become an obsession for all three of us. My 6- and 8-year-old play it together, though they prefer when I play with them. The game is simple: you deal four cards in front of each player, two up and two down. The goal is to wind up with the smallest number of points represented in your four cards (the cards are 0-9). Taking turns drawing from a pile of cards in the middle, you can swap out cards you draw for your face-up cards or take a chance and swap a card with a known value for one of your face-down cards. There also are a couple of other cards, such as "peek" and "swap" which allow you, respectively, to glance at one of your face-down cards or to swap a card, even a mystery one, with another player.

Rat-a-Tat Cat has the right mixture of speed (so I don't get bored) and simplicity. All three of us have won before, without anyone going easy or stressing out, and this makes the game more fun. It's a perfect game for the airplane and for up to four players, and I've overheard my 8 year old playing it on a play date before. One round takes about 10 minutes, and so far nobody around here is bored! I highly recommend Rat-a-Tat Cat.

Probably due to my denial about the summer's end, I'm a little stunned that today is Laurel's first day of school (and other than some morning grumbling, it went off without a hitch...no tears at drop off!). I know many of you have already started the school year or are starting this week so I wanted to share a few of my favorite tips for making mornings easier, plus some excellent back posts to help with transitions. Because experience with Laurel has taught me that transition can be easy (last year) or challenging over many months (two years ago). Good luck everyone!

Here are five tips to making mornings easier:

1. Wake up 10 minutes earlier. Without fail, whenever we give ourselves 10 extra minutes of breathing room, mornings feel more calm.

2. Prep two days of lunches at a time. We find that lunch making is less painful in the mornings when some of the pieces are already in place a couple of days a week. On Mondays and Wednesdays I pack Laurel's fruit and vegetable containers and set aside snack options (e.g., yogurt, granola bars) for two days. I'll make the main course (e.g., sandwich, mac and cheese, etc.) fresh the morning of school depending on what Laurel is in the mood for.

3. For those with kids with long hair. Laurel has very long hair and it's prone to major tangling. And dealing with a super snarly head in the morning is time consuming and does not help morning grouchiness. I comb out her hair the night before (and sometimes braid the hair) to minimize morning tangles.

4. Lay out clothes the night before. This is an easy task that you can have your kids take care of. They'll love the autonomy and it will help avoid clothing battles in the morning. I also recommend being OK with whatever your kid picks (i.e., not worrying about things matching) so long as the clothing is weather appropriate. Laurel tends to pick combos of patterns and colors that I might not assemble but if the clothes make her happy and make for an easier transition, why pick a fight when it's really not necessary?

5. Remain calm. I feel as if I give this advice a lot when it comes to parenting but it never fails me! I find that if I get sucked into the drama and get cranky in response to Laurel's behavior, the bad mojo escalates, whereas when I can remain calm and redirect, we can diffuse the situation quickly.

Do you have other tips? I'd love to hear them in the comments below!

And here's some great back reading regarding back to school transitions:

Fall structure strategies

Easing back to school jitters

Kindergarten transition tips, part I

Kindergarten transition tips, part II

Back to school books

The keepsake item that helped Laurel make it through her first year of elementary school

Image credit: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Stephanie Precourt projects remarkable light, positivity, and gratitude; qualities -- along with her lovely writing style and beautiful photography -- that make her blog Adventures in Babywearing so wonderful to visit (even for those of us who are beyond babywearing). I first met Stephanie at the inaugural Disney mom bloggers mixer, during which time she was pregnant with her daughter Ivy; since then, it’s been a joy to be connected with this kind and thoughtful friend. For the fourteenth installment of my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, enjoy Stephanie’s reflections on the nothing and everything of the holidays.

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From Stephanie:

I don't usually buy new books. But the boys had a special reading night at the local bookstore recently and a small, simple book caught my eye: The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell.

We had a voucher: for every purchase that night, a percentage would go to the school. I grabbed the book without even opening it up. I never do this. But I just had a feeling about this book.

I let the boys each pick out something at their reading level and paid. When we got home I pulled out The Gift of Nothing and set it on the end table. At that point, it matched the Christmas decor.

Then it was the book chosen for bedtime. The simple photos tell a simple story: of what do you give to someone that has everything? Nothing? There is so much stuff. It's hard to find "nothing." But if you can be still, you will find it. And nothing, can be everything to someone.

Every year we seem to scale back our Christmas more than the last. And our Christmases aren't much, if you’re measuring by number of presents under the tree. But that's not what we think counts.

It's not just for financial reasons; it's partly because when you think about it, we really have everything we need and want. Of course there is always the latest this or that. But, the excitement of those new things grows dim so soon. My mother's heart can't take the highs and lows of so many I have to have this! toys that now await new batteries deep within a toy box, in pieces under the bed, or left to weather in the backyard. Here is how our family celebrates:

1. We encourage our whole family to consider spending time together rather than money. And for the parts of our family that do have money to spend, we do something special together. This holiday, in place of presents, we went to a water park hotel for a weekend with Grandma & Grandpa and aunts and uncles and all the cousins. The kids all understood this was their Christmas gift from Grandpa & Grandma. There would be no presents to open, but memories and time spent with each other to last much, much longer.

2. With the other grandparents, we'll go to the museum and see the Christmas trees around the world. We'll spend that day together and have a "lighter" Christmas on Christmas Eve.

3. At our house, on Christmas morning, there will be small toys and candy inside the stockings, and a couple of gifts for each child under the tree. Nothing extravagant, but definitely thoughtful gifts that are not only useful, but special and imaginative.

4. On gifts: just as I prefer to keep the gift-giving simple, I long for the gifts themselves to be simple. Maybe handmade, and most importantly something that captures the spirit of the recipient. I've bought Ivy a felt tea set (her very first tea set), and the boys each a secret compartment vintage book. I'll fill the books with some individual little treasures for Noah, Carter, and Gray.

I know it's certainly not much. And it's definitely not "nothing."

But it means everything.

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Note: I'd like to thank @summerm for telling me about the secret compartment books; such a perfect suggestion for my boys ages 4, 7, & 8. If you are up to the task, I found an awesome DIY video on how to make a secret compartment book. I thought about giving it a try, but it would be too difficult to do without the boys finding out. We also have a very small, simple house.

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Stephanie Precourt has been married to her husband Jeff for 10 years & is the mom of three boys (Noah, Carter, Grayson) and a home-birthed girl (Ivy). She works from home as the voice of Adventures in Babywearing, as well as SheKnows.com's Real Moms Guide. She also freelances for NWIparent Magazine and the NWIparent blog Close To Home, and is the Managing Editor for 5 Minutes For Parenting. You can follow Stephanie on Twitter at @babysteph.

Despite being a digital mom, I’m that mom; the one who refused to have anything but natural wooden and soft toys around Laurel as a baby, the one who has steered clear of anything battery operated since. Until recently. And while I remain a proponent of the learn through play philosophy via basic tools -- you’ll always find a plentiful supply of books, paper, paint, colored pencils, sculpting clay, dry pasta and beans + measuring cups, etc. at our house -- I now feel that it’s possible to merge certain electronics into the mix with Laurel; as a supplement, with benefits, and without taking over.

Read on for my review of LeapFrog’s Leapster and Tag learning systems, as well as to learn how to be one of two winners to receive LeapFrog products.

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I’ve heard about LeapFrog several times in the last couple of years but it wasn’t until BlogHer Boston that I saw the Tag reading system (briefly) at an exhibition table, and then the Leapster learning game (again, briefly) at the home of one of Laurel’s friends. But it wasn’t until a couple of months ago that I decided to introduce Laurel to LeapFrog.

Admittedly, I was a bit nervous, (probably somewhat melodramatically) envisioning Laurel opting for noisy non-volume-controllable electronic devices over good old fashioned cuddle and play time with me and Jon. But I also was intrigued, particularly given that Laurel and I were starting to explore reading. I was interested in trying out the Tag as a means to encourage Laurel's reading and independence (she tends to be a tad resistant to independent play), and the Leapster as a form of educational entertainment, particularly while we’re on the go.

And after Laurel’s initial excited frenzy (during which I was a little concerned that I would need to restrict LeapFrog hours), I was relieved to see her chill out re: usage and was thrilled to see these tools enhance her learning experience while being super fun.

The Leapster2 is a handheld unit that comes with a starter game and has a cartridge slot to accommodate any of 30 or so other learning game titles (everything ranging from Disney fairies and princesses to Dora to Star Wars). The games are structured to encourage math and language skills (e.g., via number recognition, letter recognition, counting, etc.) as well as pattern recognition (e.g., colors, shapes) through games. Since Laurel knows a bit of Spanish, she especially loves Dora’s Camping Adventure, as well as the Disney Fairies and Princess and the Frog games. Game levels adapt along with your kid’s progress (the console can track multiple players) and you also can connect the Leapster2 online for all sorts of extra perks (plus parents can get learning progress reports), though admittedly we haven’t even gotten to this phase because there’s been plenty to explore within the Leapster2 itself.

I’ve found the Leapster2 to be especially handy to bring along when I anticipate a wait (e.g., doctor’s office, grocery store); otherwise, we haven’t had to worry about over-usage at all around the house. And yes, you can adjust the volume on the device.

The Tag system is very cool and pretty much mystifies me technology-wise. Basically you have the Tag Reader stylus + books that look typical with the exception of some small icons on each page. Like the Leapster2 games, the book options span classic tales and popular characters (Laurel especially loves Olivia and Dora). Before you get going you need to connect the Tag Reader to your computer via USB, download the audio for your Tag books, then load the stories onto the Tag Reader. (Sounds like a lot of steps but it's quick and easy.) Then simply touch the icons with the stylus and the Tag Reader will read by page and engage kids in games related to the page contents (designed to help with reading comprehension, object identification, etc), or touch word by word. And as with the Leapster2, yes, the Tag Reader offers volume control.

At first, Laurel would simply use the stylus to read the entire page or she’d want me to read the book to her, but now that she's learning more and more words at home and school, it's been very cool to see her use the stylus to read word by word. And now she's at a point where she can read many words on her own and uses the stylus as a prompt to help her when she encounters an unfamiliar word. Though we still spend countless hours reading books together, the Tag allows her to have independence with books (which in turn gives me a bit of time to get dinner together, put out client fires, or whatever).

In sum, I’m really impressed with the Leapster2 and Tag systems. They offer a fun mode through which Laurel can learn and play independently, but in an enhancing, not replacing, way; the majority of our play remains offline and hands on. Also, after attempting to watch The Little Mermaid with Laurel the other day -- which essentially boiled down to me fast-forwarding through the parts that scared her...which was a lot -- it also occured to me that another benefit of the Leapster2 and Tag systems is that they offer kids a way to enjoy their favorite characters in a far more interactive and less intense way than a movie.

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winners Jennifer & Jackie!
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Now, want to be one of two winners to receive LeapFrog goodies? Here’s how:

Visit the Leapster or Tag product pages, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘LeapFrog’ in the subject), and name a Leapster game or Tag book your child would love to play or read.

One entry permitted per person; US residents welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Sunday, December 6, 2009.

*Two lucky winners will be drawn using Random.org. One winner will receive the Leapster2 + Princess and the Frog game ($95 value). The second winner will receive the new Chat & Count phone ($15 value).

Today, Kate and April share their thoughts on a couple of winning games from local children’s game company Gamewright. Read on for Kate and April’s reviews, as well as to learn how to win a signed copy of Gamewright’s popular Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers Game (entry closes November 11).

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From Kate:

“My daughter is just getting to the age where she can understand and enjoy simple board games, and we've introduced a few as a way to teach her about following the rules, playing with others, and adhering to the basic concepts of sportsmanship. We started with Candy Land, which she loved for its bright colors and vivid drawings, and have since sampled a few others. I have to confess that she will often stack the deck (literally) in her favor, but we have a lot of fun and I believe that she's learning good lessons about logic and collaboration.

Gamewright Games of Newton, Massachusetts offers a range of beautifully-made games for kids of all ages, and we've recently discovered one that is just the right age and skill level for my daughter. Go Away Monster! encourages little kids to recognize and match shapes, while also helping them to deal with any monster-oriented anxieties by figuratively casting out monsters (funny, not scary) from under the bed. My daughter understood the concept of the game after just a few moments of explanation, and has been enjoying it ever since. Gamewright Games is a good option for families who are looking for games that aren't flashy or jarring but that offer fun in thoughtfully-designed packages.”

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From April:

“Play at our home rarely involves an actual game. Puppets, dancing, and coloring are the usual activities with occasional dramatic reenactments of Little Bear stories. Recently, I've been wishing for a few games to keep our 3 1/2-year-old daughter engaged and playing with us, but perhaps a bit calmer than 40 pirouettes. I want a couple of very quiet evening activities we can share together before we do our bedtime routine, or to take up a quiet block of weekend time.

Up until now we haven't found any games that are interesting, nice, and sweet enough for her (and our) tastes. We've tried several but the rules often go out the window and she uses the cards or pieces as props in a massive architectural build or an elaborate puppet show. Or, worse, she shows no interest at all.

Recently, though, we tried out Feed the Kitty from Gamewright. Instantly she was intrigued because it involves mice and a theoretical cat. We opened the box and she was immediately involved in the entire potential story contained in the pieces. It comes with a green food bowl (belonging to the cat), 20 purple wooden mice, and two simple dice that set the play in motion.

The idea is that everyone gets a certain number of mice. The dice that you roll tell you whether to put a mouse in the kitty bowl, take one out, give one to your neighbor, or do nothing (because the kitty's sleeping). The directions on the dice are pictorial, so once our daughter learned what each image meant to the game, she could keep track of the action and figure out what happens at every play. She got a real thrill telling us how to interpret the dice rolls.

The subtext is that some mice wind up in the bowl and become kitty food, but that would not play well with our little naturalist/animal lover. We asked her what she thought was happening and she said the mice were sneaking into the bowl to snack on the kitty's food—a much kinder read for the younger or more sensitive set, although older kids or those that understand that cats actually chase mice and eat them wouldn't be fazed. Our daughter didn't even consider that you want to keep the mice out of the kitty bowl—just that they don't want to get caught there—and yet the game still works perfectly!

The game lasts about 20-25 minutes the way we play (which is with a lot of talking). If you wanted to do a fast game before bed, you could easily speed up the rolls. The last player with mice is the winner. The game is recommended for kids age 4 and up, although our 3 1/2-year-old started playing it as if she'd had it for ages already. It's a sweet game with cute pieces and a new favorite for us when we need a quiet but involved family activity.”

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Lynn!
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Now, want to win a signed copy of Gamewright’s popular Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers Game? Here's how:

Visit the Gamewright store locator page, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘Gamewright’ in the subject), and name a store where you can purchase Gamewright games.

One entry permitted per person; US residents welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, November 11, 2009.

*One lucky winner (drawn using Random.org) will receive a signed copy of Gamewright's Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers Game.

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Image credits: 1 (Gamewright); 2 (April Paffrath)

Are you on the (seemingly elusive) hunt for music that the whole family will enjoy? Today, Jennifer recommends Mary Kaye’s latest album Music Box. Read on for Jennifer’s review, as well as to learn how to be one of two winners to receive a copy of Music Box (entry closes at midnight, November 5):
“I knew Mary Kaye’s Music Box was special 20 seconds into the first song, when my son Gabriel came running from the other room and immediately started dancing. The first track, ‘Under the Moon,’ is an invitation, as animals of all sorts -- including children -- lend their sounds to Mary Kaye's lyrical rendition of a walk through the night. With Kaye's deep, rich vocals (think Natalie Merchant) and a diverse blend of acoustic and electric accompaniment that evokes all the magical noise of childhood, listeners are drawn into a world that is decidedly kid, but where adults feel at home as well.

Rare is the children's CD that comes into our house and isn't loathed by the grown-ups after a week or two of kid-demanded repeated play. But Mary Kaye masterfully layers her songs, and adults will appreciate the underlying messages of love and compassion that are relevant to people of all ages. Music Box stands out in its consistent ability to tap into the everyday realities of childhood -- bugs in the house, hot chocolate, the love of a favorite toy -- and illuminate those experiences without condescension or preachiness. When Mary Kaye sings about how much she loves that plastic turtle, you believe it. Her deep respect and perspicacity are no more evident than in ‘Family,’ where a mundane task like buying groceries -- when seen through a child's eyes -- is so much more: ‘That's when I see we are a family / You are the whole wheat bread / I'm a tomato red / You are the blueberries / And we get picked up / And we get squeezed / And we are riding in the cart with our free cookie and our slice of cheese.’

Music Box is now in heavy rotation here, enjoyed equally by all 4 of my kids. Not only have I had no urge to toss, hide, or otherwise lose the CD, but yesterday I absentmindedly put it on while I was out doing errands, and found myself singing along, with no kids in the car.”

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winners Jennifer and Phoebe!
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Now, want to be one of two winners to receive Mary Kaye’s Music Box CD? Here's how:

Visit Mary Kaye’s music page, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘Mary Kaye’ in the subject), and name another CD by Mary Kaye.

One entry permitted per person; worldwide residents welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Friday, November 5, 2009.