for my favorite Anglophiles

With the London Olympics about to begin soon and my brother- and sister-in-law (the ones who lived in London for a while) about to arrive for a highly-anticipated visit, today I offer a selection of favorite children's books from across the pond.

Each one of M. Sasek's This Is... set of travel books for children is a trip of its own.  The books were written in the '60s, but some of them have been reprinted recently with necessary updates given in a list at the end of each book.  The fun watercolor illustrations and whimsical prose make these books great read-alouds to the younger ones, even if some of the references to historical events and people are obscure to the wee ones.  I find these books so charming and have been known to give them as gifts to adults (specifically This Is Edinburgh to my father, whose father -- my Papa Jack -- emigrated from Scotland with his family at the age of seven -- my elder lad's present age.) -- they're that fun.  With books on major cities of the world -- and Texas, oddly enough -- this series would be a fun collection to have if one had the shelf space.

My brother-in-law the Londoner once brought the elder lad (when the latter was an only lad) a stuffed Paddigton Bear and cup with super fun straw.  Thus began a long friendship with the bear from "Darkest Peru."  We've read most of Michael Bond's original story collections, listened to some of them on audiobooks, and pored over the picture books "for younger readers".  Suffice it to say, we are big fans of Paddington.

Dodsworth in London by Tim Egan. It's about a critter named Dodsworth who goes to London with his loquacious duck. They get separated when the duck gets on a double-decker bus without Dodsworth, who thinks the duck with the fascinator (who is the Royal Duck, pet of the queen) is his duck being silly. The pair end up lodging at Buckingham Palace at the queen's invitation.

What discussion of British children's books would be complete without mentioning Beatrix Potter?  Grandmare lent us her big book of Miss Potter's stories a while back, and we have yet to return it. 

As exciting as the Olympics are to witness, the best part for me will be the time spent with family in town for a too-short visit.  As with Britain's royal wedding a year and a half ago, the sporting events themselves don't affect me personally.  The connection to loved ones and opportunities to pore over good books with my bambini are golden.

road trippin'

We recently drove a half day's distance from our home to a family reunion with my Chicago family. Long before we rolled out on this expedition, I was consumed by preparations. With the mental image of four restless children bickering with each other and chiming in on a chorus of ear-piercing screams not all that difficult to imagine (ahem), I searched high and low for ideas to while away the hours peacefully.  Thanks to lots of help from the bambini's grandmothers and that new-fangled time sucker Pinterest, we came up with an array of "amusements" that kept the kiddos engaged both in the car and at the hotel during "downtime" (such as it was), all tucked neatly (for a while, anyway) into "treat bags" with the bambini's names written on them.

I packed some sticker books, of course, Lego- and big truck- and build-your-own-cupcake-themed, in various sizes and formats according to age of the child who would be using the book. We brought along a haul of fresh library books too.  There were also -- thanks to the grandmothers -- car games (including this license plate game), flash cards, mazes, and Color Wonder markers and paper.   There were these nifty magnetic baking sheets complete with magnet-backed family photos which were perfect for playing with both in the car and using as a lap desk in the hotel (and now back at home).  Here are lots of ideas to run with the magnetic trays.

There were games Grandmare authored herself relating to the family favorite "Cookie Mouse" books and guessing games to play with siblings, stuffed animal puppets for impromptu puppet shows, and books to read as the miles went by.

For the youngest traveler I was more than a little concerned about how to keep her happy on the long drive.  She flipped through the picture books and fiddled with the sticker books a little bit, but here again the grandmothers really came through with great ideas.  The younger lass loved fiddling with all the flash cards: putting them in the box, taking them back out, stuffing them into her treat bag, shuffling through them.  She and her sister were both mesmerized by these "I Spy" bottles filled with rice, small trinkets, and tiny photos, then glued *and* Duct taped closed.

What?  My piano cabinet is dusty?  Why would it be dusty?

The lassies also each got tiny little purses ...

if ever there is a perfect pastime for a toddler, it's a tiny purse from which she can pluck things then stuff them back in

filled with, of all things...

what's in there?

 tiny little piggies (and band-aids -- Grandmare knows these girls well.)

show me the piggie!

With all these amusements (among others in the treat bags revealed one at a time) as well as those to see out the window (a truck that can run on the railroad!  huge Mack trucks!  enormous oddities of all stripes!), the traveling was, for the most part (and except for the last leg home), peaceful.  Even still, the biggest trick up our proverbial sleeve came in the form of one Mimivan, in which rode Mimi, Papa, and Annie, sometimes in front of us, sometimes behind.  The bambini were able to trade off riding in the two vehicles, and this was a great coup.  We realize what a blessing and help this was in the overall success of the trip and are most grateful.

Packing for the trip came down to stuffing packaging whole outfits (including underwear, socks, bows, etc.) into separate zippered bags such as those that sheets and comforters come in or plastic ziptop baggies (I didn't devote the time to cranking out my own homemade mesh bags, though this is where I got the idea).  While it might seem wasteful to use so many ziptop baggies for this purpose, we didn't throw them away when we got home.  We'll find ways to reuse the baggies.  This did simplify the dressing process on the trip a great deal.  I've put this idea to use in the bag I keep stocked with fresh changes of clothes for everyone that goes with us everywhere.  Interestingly, the bambini seem to take real pride in having their separate bags tucked into the larger one. 

My beloved packed the Bambini Ride the night before we rolled out so that early the next morning we could wake up, get everyone freshened up, retrieve the smoothies we'd whazzed up the night before, get in the car and go.  We had breakfast cookies and other snackies at the ready for breakfast on the go.  We stopped a couple of times to freshen up and allow the bambini to switch cars.  We still made good time to our destination and had the afternoon and evening to visit with our family.

Our return trip home went fairly well, though there were no nappers as I thought there would be since we left for home after a full morning of playing at the fabulous children's museum.  This made for some dicey times midway through the trip, but eventually the overtired bambina was placated enough to make it home in reasonably good spirits.

It wasn't without its bumps in the road, but our first major family road trip was a success thanks to many prayers and a lot of preparation (and not just by me).  Along with the renewed family ties and great memories we made, each of us learned some valuable lessons in flexibility and adaptability -- skills we all need for the long haul.

family reunion

You know that scene at the end of Christmas Vacation when Chevy Chase's character Clark Griswold surveys the scene around him after all of his relatives have witnessed firsthand the collision of reality with his dream of a "fun old-fashioned family Christmas" and says in amazement to himself, "I did it."?

I can relate.

Last week our young family mounted an expedition unlike anything we'd done before.  We took a road trip.  Not just a short jaunt to visit my parents and sister -- a trip upwards of 350 miles.  Sure: other families have done this sort of thing plenty of times.  I myself was a veteran road-tripper by the age of five, driving more than twice that distance one way with my father (who did the actual driving) to visit our Chicago family before my Papa Jack passed away.  Still, this was the first time the family my beloved and I are privileged to parent went on such an adventure.  We, along with my parents and sister, met our Chicago family for a reunion.  There were some among them we'd never met (children, that is), and vice versa, and although Grannie had come to stay with us a couple of times and each of my aunts had come for short visits, it had been a long time since nearly all of Grannie's descendants were together.  Even still, we missed my cousin the doctor who recently began her residency. 

The first moments of our reunion were similar to the scene in Cynthia Rylant's The Relatives Came, illustrated by Stephen Gammell.  There was lots of hugging and chattering and more hugging and laughing and more hugging.  In the story, the relatives have driven a long, long way from their family farm to visit their loved ones.  They pack the house and sleep practically piled upon one another (not unlike the many Fourth of July holidays happily spent at Grannie's lake cottage) and stay for weeks, helping the host family tend to their garden (while eating up all its produce) and other household upkeep.  Then, after lots more hugs, they pack up their station wagon and head home with visions of next summer when the ones who made the trip this year will be the hosts.  In spite of the physical distance that separates the two branches of the family tree, there is a bond evident that isn't diminished by time and space, one that every family surely aspires to retain.

For our family reunion we met not quite in the middle and stayed at a hotel, which was a grand adventure for our bambini.  Our Bambini Ride isn't rainbow-colored like the station wagon in the story, but it was packed pretty much to the gills like the fictional vehicle. 

The book's illustrator Stephen Gammell won a Caldecott Medal for the artwork that brings this story to life, as he did for (among others) Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman, another book we enjoyed about a grandfather regaling his grandchildren with stories of his days as a vaudeville performer.

Seeing the cousins I'd spent many summers with as a child now all grown up like me (or are we?), one with children of her own, the bond between us was renewed.  When we were much younger, we'd write letters to each other.  Yes: letters -- as in paper, pens, envelopes and stamps.  I'd write them to my cousins, I'd write them to my Grannie, and they'd write them back to me.  So when I stumbled upon David Ezra Stein's Love, Mouserella, I hastily requested it. 

Mouserella has just bidden her grandmother farewell after a visit, and already Mouserella misses her.  Sound familiar?  So Mouserella writes a letter to her dear grandmother, telling her about anything and everything that's going on and providing illustrations.  This sweet story conjures up memories of me writing to my Grannie upon my return home from her house, missing her already and eager to keep the conversation going. We still try to do that now by phone and e-mail, not so much with letters.  The occasional card is always considered "fun mail."

Though we are separated by nearly 800 miles, the connection we have to our Chicago family is important to us to keep alive.  Though traveling has been difficult for us in recent years, we saw an opportunity to give it a go with lots of help from my parents and sister along the way as well as lots of help from my beloved's parents before we left.  Our family is blessed beyond measure to have the love and support of so many relatives and friends.  For all of that, for the gift of time we've recently had to spend together, and for the safe trip we made, I will always be grateful.

I think Clark Griswold would be proud.

course corrections and mile markers

Miss July took her first few hands-free steps tonight. Her big sister is increasing the little mommy doting on baby sis, who often waves to Sis, Daddy-o, and other familiar faces. The elder lad is proud to be a first grader, getting his own library card and devouring the science kits he received for his sixth birthday. The younger lad survived his first experience at vacation bible school last week, weathering his wistfulness for Mama while enjoying the activities.

The six of us took our first weekend getaway to a destination other than my parents' house this past weekend for a family wedding. All four bambini were enthralled at the concept of the hotel and reveled in checking everything out. Like their mama used to, the lads quickly zeroed in on the complimentary pens and paper and set about writing notes and taking hypothetical orders for the hotel restaurant.

The summer days I fretted over those last few weeks of school have turned out to be a blessed time of resetting and renewal. Our midday siesta time could use some refining, but we're working on it. With the elder lad now moving into another stage of childhood, it seems the ideal time for evaluating both our routines and our expectations, tweaking where necessary. I'm sure just when we get it just right, something will change.

Gran-tastic week

It's always so difficult to say good-bye.  We are not big on long good-byes.  Just a hug, kiss, promise to stay in touch, and "we go," as Grannie says.  Prolonging the farewell only makes it more difficult.

This was our way of doing things on the many airport runs when I'd fly to Chicago on my own to visit Grannie.  She'd usually drop me off at the curb and be on her way.  It wasn't that she was ready to be rid of me or I of her -- it was just that it was time to go. 

The visits always pass too quickly, which is a blessing really, since that means we enjoy them so well we hardly notice the passage of our time together until it has ended.  So it has been this week Grannie has spent with us.  It seems like she just got here, and now she is headed home. 

I miss her already.

Gran-tastic geography

puzzle building with Grannie and geography lesson all in one

Gran-tastic welcome

The 750 mile drive to Chicago always left us hungry, even if we'd just stopped an hour or two before that for one last tank of gas and a snack. Grannie would be waiting for us, no matter how wee the hour of our arrival.

She would've been to the Jewel that morning and would offer us something to eat from her fully-stocked fridge.  The welcome snack was usually just lunch meats -- and brick cheese. Oh how we love brick cheese. We've been known to bring home whole bricks of it as edible souvenirs, since it's not available in our area. After the initial round of hugs, we'd make some sandwiches and visit (and eat brick cheese).

When Grannie arrived with my aunt and cousin this afternoon, the sandwich fixins were set out (sans brick cheese). After they assembled their sustenance, we sat around the kitchen table and visited.

No artful presentation -- just help yourself.  We're so glad you're here.

Gran-tastic!

We are making ready for some special visitors due to arrive tomorrow.  My grandmother, aunt, and cousin are coming from Chicago for the weekend.  Grannie will stay with us next week as well.  I am so excited to see them and grateful she is coming to visit us for the week.

In a way, it's a role reversal.  I've been traveling to Chicago to stay with Grannie and visit family my entire life.  They've traveled to see us here, too.  Traveling these days is a lot more challenging than it was when it was just me to pack up and get there.  I've talked about that before.  Now Grannie is coming to me (as she has before). 

Over the next week, I hope to post some memories I have of the times I've spent with Grannie and the things I've learned from her.  As fun as it is to reminisce, however, it's more important to maximize the time I have her here under my roof.

books for armchair travelers

Our bambini have a growing collection of postcards they've received from their aunt and uncle's travels abroad.  It's been fun to look up the locales on the map and see pictures from their trips.  From the British Isles to the land of Ephesus where the Blessed Virgin Mary lived her final days, it's safe to say they've traveled "hither and yon."

We haven't traveled like that, but some of our favorite children's books (mine, anyway) have been about places far away:

Adele and Simon (by Barbara McClintock) live in early twentieth century Paris.   Every day Adele collects her little brother Simon from what is probably similar to preschool here, and they walk home together by way of the park, art museum, and patisserie (among other stops).  Simon loses his belongings along the way, which elicits some big sisterly chiding from Adele, who warns of what Mama will say to Simon when he gets home.  McClintock's illustrations are beautifully rendered in a vintage style evocative of the time period in watercolor and delicate drawing.  We like to look for the lost items in the pictures.  In Adele and Simon in America, the two visit their aunt living in New York.  The three of them travel across the still-growing United States, Simon losing his things along the way but Aunt Cecile ready to recollect them.  Maps in both books show their trails, not unlike the points we're plotting on our map here at home of the places our family visit.

Many of the books in Miroslav Sasek's "This Is" series date from the 1960s and 70s, and thus aren't necessarily up-to-the minute accurate (though the recently-published editions have footnotes updating where necessary).  That doesn't matter one bit to me, though, as I am not looking for travel tips here.  What they may lack in guide book accuracy they make up for in the style and fun factors.  Our library only has This Is London, Paris, Rome, Venice, Hong Kong, Texas, and Edinburgh (from whence my paternal grandfather emigrated when he was seven years old), but there are at least that many more and then some, including Ireland, Israel, Greece, New York, San Francisco, and Australia.  Maybe someday...

We also like Ludwig Bemelman's Madeline books, especially Madeline in London, Madeline and The Bad Hat, and Madeline and The Cats of Rome.

From the comfort of our siesta nest we can travel the world with these books and others like them.  Bonjour!

locked out

On one of the last morning drives to preschool, the iPod I received for my birthday a few years ago that has somehow become a staple for road trips of any distance or duration turned up locked.  It was insistent upon having a code entered.  None of my guesses passed muster, and that was the end of that. 

"Mom, when I get home from school, I'll take the case off and check on the pistons," the elder lad promised.

Grateful for the offer but not quite ready to take such drastic measures, I tried a few things to get it working again (plugging it into the charger for the baby monitor wasn't one of them), but to no avail.  So it sat for a month or so.  The younger lad would periodically ask, "is the iPod still locked?"

Alas, "yes," I'd have to answer.   In a last ditch effort, I decided to charge it up and try using it again before "restoring" it to its original condition and starting from scratch.  It worked!

With great glee I held it up in the car one day as we drove and said to the younger lad, "look what I have!"

"Is it working?!"  he asked, eyes wide with wonder and disbelief.
"Yes!  Any requests?"

"You fixed it, Mama!  You did it!"
'T wasn't me -- it was the pistons.

family ties

"Wednesday comes after Friday," the elder lad tried to convince me last week -- knowing full well the order of the days of the week.  For him and his brother, Friday couldn't come soon enough.  That was because they knew their grandfather (my dad) was coming to pick them up Friday morning for an adventure at my parents' house.  My beloved, the lass, and I planned to come over later in the day for an overnight getaway to celebrate Memorial Day.

When Friday finally arrived, the elder lad was a little less sure about the plans.  "I want to go with you," he said.  Excited as he was, it was the first time he and his brother would be traveling an hour away to my parents' house without me, and the "unknown" factor was weighing heavily on him.  They've been to my parents' house several times with me and us, and they're very comfortable there.  It was just the first time for them to do something like this.

I related to him feeling similarly when I was a little girl.  I spent a lot of time with my Chicago family, which I always loved.  I spent many weeks of summer vacation with my Grannie over several years.  I always looked forward to that, though when the time came for my parents to leave to go home, I was often uneasy.  I knew I was safe there and would have a good time, but I would miss my parents.  It didn't usually take long for me to face the sadness of saying good-bye and move on to having fun.  

Hearing this story seemed to help him, and he was further reassured when I walked through the day ahead with him, how they'd drive over in Papa's blue car, probably have some lunch, maybe some quiet time, then do any number of fun things of their choosing.  Before he knew it, we'd be there with him for dinner.  I told him he could call me if he needed to, and I made sure to say that we wouldn't be letting him and his brother go if we didn't think they would be safe.  We knew they would be. 

The younger lad, on the other hand, was practically out the door when my dad arrived.  "I want to go to your house!" he said excitedly to my dad.

A few provisions in hand, they loaded into Dad's car (the elder lad wearing a brave face) after a round of hugs and kisses.  The lass and I stood on the driveway and waved to them as they backed out and drove off.

By all accounts, they both had a great time with my dad, mom, and sister, and were so excited to tell us about their adventures when we got there that evening.  "I was having so much fun I forgot about the sad things!" the elder lad told me that evening.  "Sad things?"  I asked.  "Like missing you," he explained.

The fun continued all the way through last evening, when we reluctantly loaded up to come home. 

How blessed we are to have family living close enough to do things like this.  The bambini spend a lot of time at my beloved's parents' house -- a place synonymous with "fun" to the bambini -- fifteen minutes away from us.  Trips to visit my parents an hour away are always fun too.  A lot of my beloved's extended family lives close by as well.  I do wish my bambini knew my Chicago family better.  Some of them have visited us, but we've only been there a few times.  Here's hoping as the bambini get older we'll be able to make more visits. 

The time I spent with my family in Chicago growing up was both formative and fun.  Having the opportunity to form relationships with these members of my family I only got to see a few times a year is something for which I will always be profoundly grateful.  I'm so glad my bambini are having similar opportunities to get to know and form relationships with their family.

The lads are already planning their next adventure back to my parents' house.  They can hardly wait.

the "dad gone" phenomenon

Rarely does my beloved's work take him out of town -- thankfully.  He had to travel this week, though, leaving before the bambini got up Monday and due home this evening.  Upon awakening from her (late) nap Monday afternoon, the lass was running a fever.   It's still with her, and a little higher today.  Funny how these things happen when Dad is away.  In the absence of other symptoms, I'm thinking it's teething-related. As the fever increases, though, maybe it's her ears.   Whatever the cause of her obvious discomfort, she is not a happy camper.  On previous occasions my beloved's been out of town, we've had trips to urgent care for ear infections afflicting one or more of the bambini and similar ailments.  Thankfully, it's not been anything serious or emergent in nature. 

The mother of the family friends I refer so often has a name for this curious phenomenon of something happening to the house or car or someone getting sick when Dad is away:  "Dad Gone."  Her husband travels extensively, so she knows it well.  How single mothers and mothers whose husbands are deployed, travel a lot, or even work out of town on a regular basis do it is beyond me.

Barring any travel snags, my beloved will be home in a few hours.  We will all be so happy to see him.

*10pm post script: as soon as my beloved arrived home safely, I took the lass to urgent care upon the advice of our pediatrician's office.  Diagnosis: first ear infection.  Seems our brand of "Dad Gone" phenomenon skews distinctly toward ear infections, as that's what seems to come up most often.  Wonder what that's about??

scenes from the Bambini Ride

We're driving to pick up the elder lad from school when this conversation unfolds:

younger lad: "Mama, you're a giant blimp."

?! 

me: "What?"  (trying to think up a snappy albeit nonchalant comeback)  "I'm not a blimp............................  I don't float."

he: "yes you do -- in Papa's pool."

me: "oh."  (words fail me here)

he: "I'm a whale."

a favorite book series: Holly Hobbie's "Toot & Puddle"

My mother in law once loaned us a collection of pig books from her elementary school classroom to peruse with our lads.  Among the favorites was Toot and Puddle by Holly Hobbie.  This porcine duo lives in Woodcock Pocket.  Toot has an appetite for adventure and likes to travel far and near.  In Wish You Were Here, he finds himself in Borneo suffering from violet virus after being stung by a bee.  He writes home to Puddle, the happy homebody, who with some help finds a holistic remedy in the form of some special tea.  Though he would much rather stay at home, Puddle goes out searching for Toot -- all the way to the Top of the World. 

There are several other titles in the series, some that Holly Hobbie wrote and some that others have written since then.   I think it's been turned into a TV series as well, and is somehow affiliated with National Geographic.

Another fun one by Holly Hobbie is Fanny, in which a spunky, resourceful young lady decides to make her own doll to play with, even if it doesn't look exactly like the "it" dolls of the moment that her friends have.

Ms. Hobbie's charming illustrations and lovable characters make for fun reading all 'round.

getaway

From the time I was a wee little lass, I traveled a lot -- mainly to Chicago to visit my family there, but to a few other places as well.  It was just my mom, dad, and me until my sister was born the spring before I turned 15.  My dad and I made many driving trips to Chicago and back when my grandfather was ill; I was five when he died.

I traveled to Chicago every chance I got: school breaks, summer vacations, anytime.  Being a part of the "doings" (as Grannie would say) was so fun for me -- even if we were just hanging out at her lake cottage, playing games or reading or swimming or whatever.  There didn't have to be anything big going on, even though trips into downtown Chicago and special events were always exciting.  Being together was the best part.

We have just returned from a two-day getaway to my parents' house about an hour from ours.  We all had such a great time.  It was very much like the happy times spent with my extended Chicago family, with kids and adults hanging out playing together, lots of food (including a decadent triple chocolate mousse cake my sister made for New Year's Eve), conversation, and fun.   We were sad to leave, but happy to return home. 

The logistics of traveling with three children under five (and soon to be four children five and under, as we are expecting a new arrival in mid- to late July) are ... formidable.  I can count on one hand the number of trips we've taken as a family.   For one thing, I've been pretty sick throughout each pregnancy, and the prospect of traveling like that has been simply unsavory.  Then there is the simple reality of traveling itself being stressful (nowadays, anyway), let alone with children who don't understand and therefore might resist the confines that are part of the territory.  This means, though, that I haven't been back to Chicago in a while (except a couple of short trips in the past five years), and I miss seeing my family there. Thankfully, most of them have traveled here at least once or twice in the same time period for the baptisms of our bambini or other special family events.

There is great value in learning flexibility and adaptability, and travel is one way of doing so.  I hope to help our children acquire these tools over time and through positive experiences such as the one we've just had.

I am most grateful for the comfortable home with which we are blessed.  It is our primary place of being.  Someday all too soon we might be running hither and yon, so for now I'm trying to keep myself squarely in the moment, relishing the time I have with these precious people all in one place.  These days are numbered.

Still, it was nice to get away.  The best part was simply being with our loved ones.  It has been refreshing, restorative, and energizing for the year to come -- one I pray will be filled with grace, peace, and joy for all of us, both at home and far-flung.