Remember the Fun We Had As Kids?

Chicago native takes a funny, whimsical look at her childhood playing outdoor games.

Coming through the door after school, seven year old Britanny and six year old Cody complain that theres nothing to do. They dont want to watch TV because nothing good is on. Music is an option, but Mom doesnt want blaring sounds of the newest boys group playing, not after the day shes had.

Go play outside, Mom yells as she grabs for the super-size Tylenol bottle. Too bad she didnt have any Calgon to take her away," she thinks.

Cody and Britanny seem doomed to a whole afternoon of boredom.

Wadda we do now?," they chorus as they sit with their heads on their hands at the kitchen counter, legs kicking at the chairs.

Has this happened at your home? Do your kids complain that their lives are humdrum and a drag from the time they get up right up to bedtime?

Debbie Grubb reflected back to the fun she had as a child playing in the sixties and thought other baby boomers would like to reminisce with her, remembering those good times as well. Her thoughts take us back to the time when we played Running Bases in the streets, skinning our knees with no thought to dinnertime or the next music video, except of course, it was time for The Monkees on TV...

She tells the story of the many games she used to play with her brothers Billy and Mike, and little sister Kathy (who was acquired from a band of gypsies, or so they used to tell her). She recalls the crush she had on the older man of 22, Paul, the tenant when she was 8. Read about Aunt Bonnie, She-Devil," Skinny Tommy, Crazy Marty, and the other kids
in the neighborhood, and exploring her, Band-Aid Rating System" for the games she played.

And lets not forget her dreams of becoming a nun at age 6 and being magically transformed into Sister Deborah of Montclare Avenue (thanks to Grandma Pauls Singer sewing machine).

Heres an excerpt from her new book, Wanna Play: Games of the 60s as Seen Through the Eyes of a Catholic Grammar School Diva...

I often sit back and wonder why I dont see a flock of kids outside anymore playing games. Is it due to too much homework? After school daycare? The
disappearance of the Good Humor truck? There was no sound in the world like that familiar jingle, jingle, jingle and that ice-cream-a comin music to
get kids in a brain freeze frenzy, just begging their parents for change.

'Mom... hurry ...Mom... hes going... Mom... Mom...MOM!!! A quarter_Ill never ask for nuthin again, I promise! Thats all....ooooh....ohhh...Mom hurry!, wed screech over and over again until we had money in hand or a shoe up our keister -
which ever came first.

Or has TV and video games so inundated our lives that kids dont know what lurks outside their door, or better yet, what theyd do if they were banished to
the land of grass, trees and that gravel-tottin-knee-skinnin cement? Ahhhh, to be the first kid on the block to have a knee covered with orange stains from
Mercurochrome, although we hated it being put on...

As we held the wound that we thought would kill us, or at least keep up home from school for a month, our mom would appear with the familiar orange bottle and that remember when you wouldnt listen to me in the grocery store and embarrassed me in front of all those people and I vowed to get even with you...well, your time has come, smartie-pants" look?

She carefully placed the glass rod on our wound, which usually sent us sailing off the toilet seat lid (its a law -- thats where you had to sit while Mercurochrome was applied) into an ancient Indian pain dance. We hopped around on one foot fanning the wounded area until our mother said, Oh stop crying...It will only sting for a minute!" I think they learned that lie in Mom School with the infamous
Sure honey -- youll grow into those feet someday" lie.

But, she was right and after a few minutes the sting was gone and I was equipped with a new battle scar AND a Band-Aid! I WAS the Queen!

Remember when you used to wear your skinned, bandaged knees like badges?

Yep, I sure saved myself in Dodge ball...did you see me slide across the cement on my knees? Didnt even skin my hands...yup, that was me!", Id say. I was the original Band-Aid Queen -- Ruler of the Mercurochrome Kingdom!

From that point onward, Debbie takes us on a wild ride through her childhood with games she played in Chicago during the sixties.

Youll recall the joy of playing with friends amid the grass, trees, and playgrounds.

Youll remember about long-forgotten games that just took a bit of imagination, a willingness to
get dirty, and a few friends, or crazy brothers and sisters, to make the games fun.

Travel back with Debbie into a time of innocence, laughter, Catholic school humor and best of all the world of Mercurochrome, Band Aids, and The Beatles!

You can get Wanna Play: Games of the 60s as Seen Through the Eyes of a Catholic Grammar School Diva by sending $12.00 plus $3.00 postage and handling and your old roller skate key, (Hey, Im kidding about the skate key) to Debbie Grubb 2511 W. Schaumburg Road, #348 Schaumburg, IL 60194