My two are grown, 39 and 37, Natasha and Katrina. The days of their being little are long gone—but no matter, that didn't keep them out of this book. Most of the recipes date from when they were small. There never was a more successful birthday than when they decorated cupcakes with their friends and brought all the extras to kindergarten to celebrate again the next day. And that's not all: Katrina rewrote all the classic fairy tales that appear here; amplifying those parts she loved best as a child and reducing others. Ten years ago, when we were working on the first edition, she called and read me pieces of what she'd just finished writing, and I wept (how foolish mothers are!), and listened as my daughter reminded me how magical both she and the fairy tales are. She does such good papa bear, mama bear, and baby bear voices that we've put a podcast on the mom's mini-site: www.welcomebooks.com/moms
        Natasha has been a collector of children's illustrations since she was a child. For this book, she dug into her volumes of old children's books, and then she and Alice searched paper ephemera shows all over New England while I combed the West Coast. The result is the adorable and beautiful collection of art found within these pages.
        Alice has infinite patience with her little ones. I will confess I did not always, with mine. But I do remember how the three of us always found peace and coziness when we cuddled up on the sofa with stories, or were busy for hours up to our elbows in cookie dough. It's clear to me now that if this little book had existed then, it would have been my treasure; it would have been as well thumbed as my copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting was by the time Natasha was born. And there would have been many nights when Natasha and Katrina would have heard me ask that old familiar question, "What shall we read tonight?" and the answer would have been, "Mom's Book."

        This book was conceived in a middle-of-the-night haze when my second daughter was a fussy, hungry, and loud little bundle. It is hard to believe but my girls are 13, 11, and 7 now. So big! The days of getting messy with soap bubbles or huffing and puffing as the big bad wolf, seem so long ago. Except every once in a while, it all comes back in special moments: bouncing my baby nephew to "Animal Fair" and realizing it still works as a baby soother; watching my girls spin and spin their little cousins to Ring-Around-the-Rosie; hearing my husband reprimand the kids— "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" I come from a big, close extended family, and my brother and all my cousins are having little ones now. It fills me with amazement to watch my girls, the designated family babysitters, toss out all the tried-and-true songs, rhymes, and activities to entertain the littlest ones in the family now.
         It is bittersweet to acknowledge my three are "all grown up," but this book brings back such wonderful memories. Phoebe's first bubbling laughs came when I moved her hands to do "Pat-a-Cake" with her older sister. When I introduced "Five Little Monkeys" to Chi Chi, she squealed with delight every time I enacted "bumped his head." "Old MacDonald" was Chi Chi and Sylvia's first duet. Chi Chi sang the verses, and year-old Sylvia proudly did the ee-ai-ee-ai-oh's. Once, when Sylvia was resisting sleep, I stood down the hall from their room and listened while Chi Chi did an entire repertoire, first of songs and then nursery rhymes, to comfort her baby sister. I was amazed by what she remembered, and Sylvia was so impressed she fell asleep.
         We moved to fairy tales and poetry when they were two or three years old. "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" was always a favorite, mostly because the three of them love stomping across the bridge (Phoebe was always trying to keep up); and big bad wolves, whether in "Little Red Riding Hood" or "The Three Little Pigs" were always a big hit. Sylvia never quite sat still for poetry but Chi Chi and Phoebe both loved "Wynken, Blynken and Nod" as a nighttime favorite. "Jabberwocky" and "Life Doesn't Frighten Me" moved into their world when they fell in love with nonsense words and scary things.
         I am constantly amazed by the amount of energy children have. There were days when we started with play dough and ended with hand shadows, with a million things in between. The girls were never happier than when they had my or their father's full attention. Papa was always good for some amazing paper hats or airplanes. And even though I have never been much of a baker, I got a few great recipes from Lena, and spent messy and delicious afternoons with the girls and a lot of flour.
         It has been over a decade since I first pondered motherhood. The nervous excitement, the overwhelming wonder and love . . . such a range of feelings is brought back to me by the collection of essays also found in this book. An amazing group of women write beautifully and wisely about their experiences as mothers. Gail Greiner writes of her fears of not being a supermom, and Terry Strother about slowing down to enjoy her four-year-old. Anne Lamott writes that there are places in the heart you don't even know exist until you love a child.
        There is so much to enjoy in the precious early years. I look back at them and marvel and miss the lovely "bubble" my girls and I created with a few beloved songs and stories and simple activities. Hold on to your little ones. Create that special world of love and fun with them. They grow up too fast! Lena and I created this book because we love having children in our lives, and being mothers is such an important part of our existence. We know that this little gem in your hand, filled with the BEST of childhood, will give you and your little ones hours of fun, laughter, and enjoyment, and lots and lots of wonderful memories to treasure.