Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

5 on Friday

5 on Friday: Dr. Seuss books I love as an adult (that I never read as a kid)

Last month we took our kids to see Seussical the Musical at a local college. They loved every minute of it and sang the songs for weeks afterwards.

I grew up on Dr. Seuss (who didn’t?!). Before I was reading I could “read” One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and recite Green Eggs and Ham. (Our kindergartener read Green Eggs and Ham by herself last week. I had a moment.) And of course, I was familiar with the Grinch thanks to television. But it wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized these favorites were just the tip of the Dr. Seuss iceberg! And they might not even be his best works.

Tomorrow, we’re headed to a library celebration for Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

In the meantime, here are five Dr. Seuss books I’ve discovered as an adult that I’m so glad I’ve read to my kids.

1. The Lorax. I’ll admit it: we saw the movie before we read the book. But oh. my. word. The message in this book is far ahead of its time: taking care of the natural resources and created world around us before it’s all gone. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot …”

seuss pool

2. McElligott’s Pool. This was my husband’s favorite as a child, and he brought a copy into our marriage. I’d never heard of it, but again, it’s one of those books that is rich with deeper meaning. I love that Dr. Seuss’ themes include free thinking and openmindedness and encouraging creativity, even if others tell you that’s wrong.

3. Oh! The Places You’ll Go. It’s possible I first heard this at a high school graduation. It fits that setting but it’s appropriate beyond that.

4. And To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street. Imagination can turn an ordinary day into something extraordinary.

seuss fly a jet5. Maybe You Should Fly a Jet! Maybe You Should Be a Vet! My kids love this one, too. We first found it at the library. It’s good for introducing kids to a wide variety of professions and encourages them to think big and not let other people limit their dreams.

What are your favorite Dr. Seuss books?

5 on Friday: Board games for families with young children

Board games, it seems, have always been a part of my life. One of my fondest childhood memories is spending weekend nights with my grandparents, playing board games. Monopoly, in particular. My grandfather had a strategy of buying every property he landed on, which diminished his cash flow temporarily but always profited him in the end. And my grandmother would exclaim with glee “Mine!” whenever someone else landed on one of the properties she owned.

It was there, in the family room of their home, that I learned to love board games. Through the years, playing board games together became part of our family holiday gatherings. Games like Outburst and Scattergories and Trivial Pursuit and Guesstures. When I moved into my own apartment, the board games continued as my friends and I would play Trivial Pursuit late into the night (and early morning) until one of us collected all the pieces.

We’re now–finally–to the age of parenting when we can play board games as a family. Our kids are 4 and almost-6, which we’re discovering is a great time for games. They’re close enough in age to be able to mostly play the same games.

kids gamesHere are five we’ve discovered as a family that are tons of fun.

1. Monopoly Junior Party. One denomination of money. You buy every space you land on. A good starter Monopoly. Doesn’t take too long, and even our 4-year-old can play mostly on his own.

2. What’s in the Cat’s Hat? A sort of reverse hide-and-seek/20 questions game. Imaginative.

3. Guess Who? A classic. Simple. Easy to play. And because it’s for two players only, I make the children play together. (Insert evil mom laugh here.)

4. Uno Moo. We’re almost ready to graduate to Uno, I think, but this one is so much fun with the animal shapes that I’ll be sad to let it go. Watch out for the stinky skunks!

5. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. Based on the books by Mo Willems. There’s some strategy involved in this one, if you want. Or you can just move your bus around the board to collect all the items and avoid the pigeon.

What are you favorite family board games?