I just realized that I haven’t posted in two weeks. TWO WEEKS!  Why?  Well, I suppose one week was so chock full of end of school activities that I hardly had time to breathe (let alone write!) and the following week, our family took a much needed and totally unplugged week off.  Totally unplugged. I was so unplugged that when I returned to work today, the universal greeting seemed to be, “Wow, you really took the week off!  You weren’t even on email!” Comments like these completely validated my need for a vacation — and just might inspire me to start planning the next one.  But, before I do, I thought I’d share some packing tips to help you bring what you need — and leave behind what you don’t — on your family’s summer getaway.

As you might have read, I have officially declared this summer The Summer of Independence.  It’s time that our kids started pulling their weight in the most literal sense.  If they want it, they have to carry it.  That’s why for our summer vacation, each kid got one bag and one bag only.  One small bag that contained all they needed (and could carry themselves!) for a week at the beach.  In case you’re wondering exactly what a kid needs for a week filled with sun and surf, well, it’s not much.  This is a lesson I’ve learned the hard way over many years of overpacking.  Another thing I’ve learned is that Mother Nature is unpredictable and it’s best to have a sweatshirt and jeans or sweatpants (affectionately called “cozy pants” in our house) in addition to the swim basics.  So, in short, here’s all you need to know as you plan to pack up and hit the road this summer:

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The Food Yenta's new tote bag is awesome - just like her.

I mentioned earlier in the year that I might be doing less blogging in an effort to be spending more time with my family.  If you noticed I’ve been MIA the past few weeks, that’s probably why — although, it’s also been a busy few weeks at work and I recently had the privilege of writing for the Huffington Post so, needless to say, there hasn’t been a lot of spare time!

In the midst of it all the working, writing and wrangling of wily children, I had the good fortune to enjoy a fun night out with some local bloggers and, as always, I was so impressed and flattered to be in their company.  I’m going to start routinely sharing some of these gal pals with you because, frankly, if you don’t know them, you should.  The first is The Food Yenta. She is funny, she is awesome and she is just like you and me — well, depending on your cooking skills, she may be more like you!  In any case, she is incredible and she shares tasty, quick, easy, family-friendly recipes on her site several days a week.  If I wanted to keep this Tuesday’s Tip really short and sweet, I’d simply say “Follow The Food Yenta!” But, since she has some great parenting tips of her own, I thought I’d share them with you here…

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I am an animal lover.  I adore animals and have since I was a child.  Which is why last week was a truly superb week here in the Lyons Den.  For starters, we had three small chicks sleep over as part of a second grade science project — little balls of fluffy cuteness that elicited smiles and squeals of delight.  And I’m not just talking about the kids!

Does it get cuter than this? FYI, chick three was camera-shy.

As if the chick visitation wasn’t enough, we also had Liam’s class trip to the Bronx Zoo — one of my favorite places and, always a joy to see through the eyes of a child… even in the pouring rain.  Here’s a brief recap…

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When I mentioned to people that we were headed to Boston to visit friends for Memorial Day weekend, I was met with a consistent chorus of “All of you?!”  I’m not sure if the stunned responses were aimed at us for being brave enough to battle holiday weekend traffic with five kids in a minivan or our friends, for being brave enough to invite the Lyons Family Circus to town.  Again.

These are very very good friends.  We have been visiting them once or twice a year for as long as I can remember — including those dicey days when we had five kids under five and would roll in with a car full of pack and plays, strollers, high chairs and, more often than not, at least one smelly child who had been sitting in his or her own stink (from either a diaper or projectile vomit or both) for hours in the aforementioned traffic.

How do we do it?  Well, for starters, we’ve gotten pretty good at planning and packing — and, we’ve learned over the years that rarely do we leave when we plan to, arrive when we hope to or survive any extended road trip without pulling over at least once for a roadside bathroom or vomit break. That’s just the way we roll.  Here are a few tips to help you roll to wherever the road takes you in Summer 2012. (more…)

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I tend to find myself feeling a bit, well, schmoopy, this time of year.   As the seasons change and class picnics and school concerts fill the calendar, I am reminded daily of how fleeting this time with our children is; of how today’s hardships provide tomorrow’s humor and how, in the blink of an eye, these little ones who needed us move on, move up and move out.

One of life's simple pleasures: Puddle Jumping!

Ok, technically, with our oldest only seven, I know that no one is moving out any time soon but, I can’t help but be struck by the fact that our seven and five year old are pretty much over me.  Sure, they still need me in some ways but, I’m no longer the center of their world.  Whereas they once thought I could do no wrong, they now know that I can and do.  They are smart, independent and savvy.  And that’s the way it should be.

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Lesson One: Insects have six legs

This week I had the pleasure of accompanying my daughter’s Kindergarten class on a field trip to our local Audubon Society. I’m pretty sure it was all the more pleasurable because I got to ride in my own car (aka Swagger Wagon) drinking coffee rather than bouncing along in the school bus belching up breakfast.

Transportation issues aside, I learned a lot in my few hours at the Audubon with twenty five-year olds. For starters, I really learned a lot about bugs. While I might have preferred to focus more on flora and fauna, insects were the topic du jour. Did you know, for instance, that an insect by definition has six legs? Or that monarch butterflies (technically not insects!) only lay eggs on milkweed? Or that treasure troves of creepy, crawly bugs live under rocks and fallen branches? That one wasn’t a total newsflash to me but some of the other tidbits most certainly were.

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I had a great day on Mother’s Day.  In fact, in my seven years of motherhood, it was hands-down the best Mother’s Day I’ve ever had.  Maybe it’s because the sun was shining, it was unseasonably warm and we went to the beach — one of my all-time favorite places.  Maybe it’s because I went for a run with a good friend that morning and returned feeling energized and optimistic.  Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because after several years of succumbing to the myth of Mother’s Day, I’ve finally gotten wise to the commercial hype and colossal disappointments.  I’ve finally recognized that every day is Mother’s Day and Moms really don’t get a day off.  And, after seven years, I am finally ok with that.

Sometimes the best gifts come in hand-painted pots

Most moms don’t get to sleep late, skip the laundry, overlook the dishes, or have three meals served up on a platter.  But, we do get incredible homemade cards and homegrown plants — small seedlings in hand-painted pots designed by the same little hands that like to hold ours. These cards, plants and other pieces of handiwork are precious gifts, just like motherhood itself.  Sure it’s messy, noisy, crazy, expensive, exhausting and at times, completely overwhelming.  That’s why a one-day celebration could never do it justice.  After all, motherhood is a lifelong pursuit, an evolving practice, an enduring responsibility.  With that in mind, here are some tips to dispel the myth and embrace Mother’s Day — each and every day of the year.

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I’ve been on the road a lot lately. And, since I’ve had an almost year-long hiatus from business travel (and flying solo in general!), it took a few adjustments at home to get the gang I left behind geared up for a few days sans the Mama. Here’s how we made it work and, should the need arise, you can too:

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