Calling all parents of young children...

I am in the process of advising Santa on some things my children would like, and find myself attracted to the same things that I advised last year.

What are your kids "tried and true" toys? You know, the ones that have stood the test of time, let their imaginations run wild, lasted year after year? Give me some ideas, please! Write me a comment with any "hits" or "misses" you have!

To reciprocate, here are my recommendations:

• A play kitchen (any brand will do - ours happens to be Little Tikes)
• Loving Family Doll House (I love this doll house - you can purchase the people of different ages and ethnicities, which we did)
• Tinkertoys (had 'em as a kid - and now Ethan and Abby absolutely love them!)
• Legos (another classic)
• All things "dress-up"
• Geotrax Train System (we have lots of add-on, so our tracks can be really big!)

Things I thought would be great, but were flops:

• Wooden Unit Blocks (I imagined my children creating huge playscapes with them, but they are not interesting to them. Better [and cheaper] choice - simple Legos)
• Stuffed animals (my kids barely play with them)

Gettin' Flaky

Yesterday was the first real snow of the season. Abby, Ethan and I went out in the great packing snow and made snowmen. Abby made her entire snowman herself, while Ethan's was a collective work of art.

Changes of season are always such a cleansing time...

Wintertime,
it's skates and sleds and featherbeds,
it's wintertime, Snow is all around.
Frosty nose and ears a throbbin'
then one day, "hey look! a robin!"
pulls a worm out of the ground.
Mother earth's about to change her gown...
[Tom Chapin, "Mother Earth's Routine"]