LyonsDenMom.com: Stayin' Alive as a Mom of 5!

Tuesday Tip: Beyond the diaper bag: 4 great options for spring

2012-03-20T11:47:00.001-04:00

Today is the first day of Spring. This is usually cause for great celebration here in the Northeast but, since we had a winter so warm it was worrisome and the daffodils all bloomed last week, the change of season feels a bit anti-climactic compared to years past. Even so, it's time to change over the closets, do some spring cleaning and lighten up a bit -- in spirit, in fashion and yes, even in diaper bags or however you define your tote of choice.

I've never really been a diaper bag kind of a gal myself. Don't get me wrong, I've spent the past seven years of my life with an overstuffed satchel of sorts hanging off my shoulder and various kiddie items hanging out of that bag. I tried the traditional diaper bags but none of them ever really worked for me -- especially with triplets! As I'm faced with a milestone that no one seems to mention (that being the end of the diaper bag!), I'm faced with a dilemma about what to take along to tote our necessities when we're out and about. I no longer need to pack up formula, bottles, diapers and onesies but when we're headed out for a long day, I still need to lug along water bottles, juice boxes, a few Pull Ups and wipes -- which thankfully are now used most often for sticky hands and faces rather than stinky bottoms! The point is, I need a bag. And I'm sure many of you do too so, for today's "Tuesday Tip", I thought I'd share a few that work for me... and, I'd love to hear any that work for you. After all, spring is here and Mama needs a new bag!

The Lucky Girl Personal Shopper, by Bella Bags

This Bella Bag by Toss comes in eight pretty patterns and several sensible styles so whether you need a refrigerated compartment for milk and yogurt or a basic carry-all, there's an option for you. My sister got me this bag a few years ago and it's one of my favorites. It can be personalized with your initial and the bright colors and fun patterns are great at hiding the dirt and grime that are inevitable after a few trips to the park.

The "Lock It Pocket Rocket", by Scout

This is not the first time I've extolled the virtues of the Pocket Rocket . This bag has seen me through thick and thin and many a bottle -- ranging from baby bottles to wine bottles, depending on the occasion! As spring turns to summer and you migrate from the sandbox to a sandy beach, this will be a great bag to have in tow. With six outside pockets, one inside pocket and an interior roomy enough for snacks and sunblock, this is one of my all-time faves. As an added bonus, it's water-resistant so it can easily be wiped clean and won't damaged by splashes and spills. Last but not least, the newest version (pictured above) has a lock-it feature so it can be easily strapped to your stroller for a handy hands-free option.


L.L. Bean Boat & Tote Bag

The LL Bean boat bag is a classic and has been a staple in our family for years. We must have almost a dozen of them by now. Each kid has one with their name on it which is their "go bag" for all our adventures; whether it's a weekend visit to my parents or our annual week at the beach, each kid gets one bag and one bag only. If it doesn't fit in the "Bean Bag", it gets left behind. In addition to proving their worth for little road warriors, these bags are perfect for the pool or beach. I have a large one that fits seven beach towels and enough sunblock to keep us covered until Labor Day. If you're not yet convinced that the Bean Bag is a must-have, consider this -- they also make for great storage... one for blocks, one for trains and so on. It's an ideal way to tote playthings from room to room or up and down stairs. My husband will occasionally wish we had those nifty new zip top tote bags so if he happens to take a turn too fast the beach towels don't go flying but, for lugging loads to and fro, if you ask me, this is a bag that's hard to beat.

Last but not least, there's the basic backpack. It served you well in school and will still do the trick now that you're a busy mom -- quite possibly with more kids than hands, making the hands-free nature of this one all the more appealing! As you may know, we took the kids into the city for the St. Patrick's Day parade last weekend and my trusty old backpack got us through the day. It easily contained nine juice-boxes, fruit snacks, granola bars, clementines, wipes, tissues, and one complete change of clothes (and Pull Ups) in case a tired three-year old triplet piddled in his pants. Lest I should forget, there were a few items for me too: my phone, a few dollars, a credit card and lip gloss. On the downside, of the roughly twenty pounds strapped to my back that day, less than two were actually for me but, on the upside, I was able to meet every whining request for a snack and, best of all, never needed to pull out those Pull Ups!

Keeping the St. Patrick in St. Patrick's Day

2012-03-19T14:31:00.000-04:00

It was dark as night with a thick fog swirling around the street lamps as I wiped the sleep from my eyes and looked out the window. “Do we really need to get the kids up this early?” I asked my husband as he slowly awoke from his slumber. “Of course we do, it’s St. Patrick’s Day!” he responded without hesitation. And so it began.

First Liam and Ciara were hustled out of bed, into their Sunday best and down the hill to the train with their Dad. Why? To make sure they got to church on time – and not just any old church, but St. Patrick's Cathedral. I know what you’re thinking because I had the same thought, “Gee, nothing says fun for kids on St. Patrick’s Day like being dragged out of bed, stuffed into fancy clothes and squeezed into a church pew!” Fortunately for them, this was only the beginning. And, I have to admit, it is a huge honor to be invited to Mass at St. Patrick’s on March 17^th – a point which is lost on them now at five and seven years old but, I hope they will one day realize.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I was hustling our three-year old triplets out of their cribs and into their Irish rugby jerseys. Kevin, Declan and Cormac awoke with their typical cheer and joyful anticipation of the day ahead. “Is today the day?!” “Today is St. Patrick’s Day, right Mama?” “Today we go to the parade!” These little Irish eyes were smiling up at me as I hurried them out of the house to catch the next train to the city. That thick fog was just starting to lift as we headed south along the Hudson to Grand Central Station , eliciting some keen three year old commentary about “smoke on the water” and cute questions like “Is it always smoky on St. Patrick’s Day, Mom?”

We arrived at Grand Central and did what any mom with a trio of three year olds would do next. We rode the escalator. That’s right, it caught their eye while we were waiting to meet my parents at the clock tower and I just couldn’t resist their amazing powers of persuasion. The problem though, was that once we rode up, they were petrified to go back down. After several failed attempts, I finally left my mom a message explaining that we’d been foiled by the escalator and were going to start marching toward the parade.

What a sight we were as we battled the growing crowds along Fifth Avenue and headed toward St. Pat’s. I had one wide-eyed, fair-skinned, freckle-faced boy in each hand and one tagging along behind, clinging for dear life to the back of my green sweater. We paused a few times along the way, taking in the wonder of the windows of Build A Bear and American Girl. Their excitement and enthusiasm were contagious as passers-by stopped to smile and wish us a Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

We finally arrived on the steps of St. Pat’s where we met my husband, Liam and Ciara and were eventually joined by my parents, brother, sister-in-laws, niece, nephews and friends old and new. As the pipers played and drummers drummed, I said a silent thank you to St. Patrick. Not just for chasing the snakes out of Ireland but, for giving us one day a year to honor our heritage, tap our toes to the music, wear our green with pride and truly cherish our family; St. Patrick’s Day is a good reminder of just how blessed I am to look into smiling little Irish eyes and see the wonder of the world from their point of view – for it is a very nice view indeed.

Cead Mile Failte

2012-03-16T18:36:00.000-04:00

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, the Lyons Den is abuzz with activity. There is Irish Soda bread to be baked, a hearty stew to be made and, time permitting, a lovely Pot of Gold cake to be picked up at the Riviera Bakehouse – a gem of a bakeshop should you ever be in the neighborhood!

When I asked our seven-year old, Liam, what St. Patrick’s Day was all about, he responded without hesitation, “It’s about being together as a family and remembering Ireland” – which I thought was a pretty astute answer for a second-grader; after all, I’ve never shared the story of St. Patrick chasing the snakes out of Ireland so it’s only fitting that he thinks the day is about family, togetherness and remembering our Irish roots.

It’s worth noting that while Liam was having his moment in the spotlight, his little sister Ciara and little brothers Kevin, Declan and Cormac (identical triplets and a stroke of Irish luck if ever there was one!) were all nodding in accordance. “Family.” “Together.” “Family.” In a rare occurrence, we found a topic to which we all could agree.

Now, as you might have surmised from the impressive roster of Irish names for our brood, we’ve got a lot o’green in our blood and a fair amount of Irish pride that flows along with it. My maiden name was O’Connor; my mother’s maiden name was O’Brien. Frankly, when I married a guy with the last name Lyons, I thought we should compromise and become the “O’Lyons.” Needless to say, that didn’t work. As a first generation Irish American whose Dad hailed from County Cork, my husband Des was far too proud to change his name – and, almost a decade later, I can’t say I blame him.

We had the privilege of our taking our clan (yes, we flew to Ireland with five children then six and under!) to Ireland this fall. We caught up with friends in Dublin, visited family in Bray, drove through the rolling hills of Wicklow, kissed the Blarney Stone and toured County Cork, sharing the magic of Kinsale and other seaside villages with our kids. It was a whirlwind of a trip and at times a challenge to juggle five (jet-lagged!) children as we saw the sights but it was well worth it. While I still recall the screaming banshee I became at the end of a few especially long days, the kids recall a magical, mystical fairy tale of a trip.

The 2-year old triplets gave us some precious sound bites, one of my favorites of which was “If this is Barney Castle, where he at?” Ciara celebrated her fifth birthday at the Dublin Zoo, a must-see if ever you make the journey and Liam, the oldest of our crew, fell in love with the Emerald Isle. He is reading Yeats, seems to have absorbed the significance of the 1916 Easter Uprising and, in true seven year old form, naturally assumes that we’ll be heading back to Ireland this fall.

For the record, we won’t – but, if time and money weren’t an issue, we’d go back in a heartbeat. Ireland is truly the land of a hundred thousand welcomes; not everyone welcomes a family of seven (with a few of them possibly wet – from either the unpredictable weather or an “accident”!) but all over Ireland, we were welcomed with open arms. With big smiles. With warm tea or a cold pint. It is that spirit – that welcome, that zest for life, for story-telling, for music, for dance, that I hope our children embody as they grow up -- on St. Patrick’s Day and every other day of the year. I hope they embrace life experiences and the people they encounter along the way with Cead Mile Failte. A hundred thousand welcomes.

Tuesday Tip: Take time to smell the roses

2012-03-12T22:40:00.001-04:00

One of my little fellas who always pauses to smell the flowers

If you live in the Northeast, you know that our "un-winter" is just about over; with the unusual warmth this week combined with the extended daylight hours, it's really beginning to look -- and feel -- a lot like spring.

Spring is typically a time of year when our already over-filled lives grow even fuller. As we say so-long to basketball, we find ourselves in the midst of soccer, baseball, t-ball, lacrosse clinics and, in just one civilized respite, a ballet recital. Suddenly the winter hours we spent in a chilly gym seem minimal in contrast to the hours we'll spend on the grassy sidelines this spring. The good news is that the dawn of spring and advent of summer allow us longer days and the occasional permission to linger... the time to stop and smell the roses, as they say.

Today I did just that. Not in the literal sense; despite the warm winter and early spring, the roses have yet to bloom... although, many crocuses have come up to meet the sun and a few daffodils are in full bloom. I witnessed them firsthand as I left my desk behind and took my lunch to a local park. A local park where I knew the triplets would be playing and that just a few moments with them would brighten my busy day even more than the sunny skies. It helps that they were thrilled to see me; at three years old, they are almost always thrilled to see me -- and with a five and seven year old who are at times now slightly less enamoured, I want to treasure every moment that they treasure me. And today I did.

I took off my shoes and played in the sandbox. I yelled "Ready, Set, GO!" as I raced them down the slide. I walked them home and timed it just perfectly as the school bus pulled up and my two "big kids" hopped off the bus and into my arms. It turns out they are happy to see me after all. We bought lollipops at the corner store to make the stroll home a bit sweeter. Then I left them with our sitter and returned to the office less than an hour after I left; an hour that I will forever cherish and is a great reminder that spring is the perfect time to take at time-out and enjoy the beauty around you, wherever you find it. For me, today's beauty was captured in blue skies, purple and yellow flowers and five smiling faces sticky with lollipops.

Twas the week before St. Patty's Day...

2012-03-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

Twas the week before St. Patty's Day

And the excitement is a'brewin'

For on the 17th of March,

We know just what we'll be doin'.

We'll be taking an early train,

Down to New York City

Where we'll take in the Parade,

With bands and dancers oh so pretty.

We'll join family and friends

As we sing the songs of old

And our Irish Eyes will be smilin'

Whether the weather's warm or cold.

We'll be wearing our green

And our Irish sweaters too,

We'll be bravin' the crowds

With our rather sizable crew.

On the Cathedral steps we will be

As the parade goes marching by

We'll be burstin' with our Irish pride

As the tri-color flag waves in the sky.

We'll be missing our loved ones

Who won't be there to share the day,

They will be in our hearts

As to the music we will sway.

We'll be grateful for the family and friends

With whom we'll celebrate,

We'll be on that train back home again

Before it gets too late.

We'll smile down upon the freckled faces

That bring us so much joy,

As we thank God that we are Irish

And have one sweet girl and four sweet boys.

Tuesday Tip: Go to the zoo. (in the off season!)

2012-03-06T08:58:00.000-05:00

For today's tip, I thought I'd share a recent post from Irish Central, where I write routinely about the whimsy of parenting -- or, more accurately put, the ups and downs of life here in the Lyons Den... or any other humble abode that happens to be crawling (at times, quite literally!) with little ones.

Last weekend, I took several of our tots to the zoo and was reminded once again of the joy of visiting the zoo in the off-season; there were no lines, no crowds, and easy access to the things that matter most to us... animals, bathrooms and snacks -- not necessarily in that order! In a nutshell, the morale of this story is to take your tykes out and about when other folks are lazing about inside. Sure, it might be a bit brisk but that's easily resolved with a cup of hot chocolate and I can assure you that the simple pleasures of zoos (and aquariums, museums, parks and playgrounds!) are all the better when you can enjoy them without a crowd... and, without the fear of losing your children in that crowd! Should you wish to read on, here is a tale of two zoos as I recently told it to my pals over at Irish Central...

I am a zoo-lover. To me, one of the gratifications of having children is the ability to share my love of animals and wildlife and create little zoo-lovers to follow in my footsteps. With five tykes seven and under, we've been quite busy exploring every zoo within reasonable -- and not so reasonable --distance from our home in the suburbs of New York City. To date, we've been lucky enough to visit the National Zoo in Washington D.C., the San Francisco Zoo ...

The Bronx Zoo (on numerous occasions) and, on one stellar day, the Dublin Zoo.

Our visit to the Dublin Zoo was last October, during a whirlwind family trip to visit our roots in Ireland. Since then, we have visited our "local" zoo in the Bronx twice -- once on New Year's Eve (yes, I did choose to ring in the new year with all our children and the sights, sound and smells of zoo animals!) and once this past weekend. On Sunday, my husband Des took our seven year old, Liam, to see the Ireland vs. France rugby match and, given the choice of staying home alone with our four other tykes or heading to the zoo, I did what any other sane, tired 40-year old mum would do, I took them to the zoo! Again! And, once again, I was reminded of a tale of two zoos...

"Our" zoo, the Bronx Zoo, is the zoo of my childhood. The zoo I visited on class trips. The zoo I first shared with my children. But "your" zoo, the Dublin Zoo, is truly a zoo of many wonders. It is the zoo where my one and only little lady turned five. It is the zoo where I could swear we experienced four seasons in a day as the wind blew and the weather turned from sunny to cloudy to rainy to frigid to sunny once again. It is the only zoo (and, as I've now established, I've seen many a zoo!) where we saw an elephant take a bath, a herd of giraffes happily mingle with several zebras, and truly, more animals than people!

Don't get me wrong, I love our zoo here in the Bronx and am pleased to report that membership has its privileges; last Sunday, we parked, visited and rode the merry-go-round for free, thanks to our annual family membership. We got up close and personal with tigers, gorillas, sea lions, a polar bear and more than a few "friendly" peacocks.

At the end of the day, it's hard to say which zoo would win the battle of the zoos... personally, I just feel blessed to have visited them all and to have five fab kids to share them with.

Nothing says good morning like a "Mommy Muffin"

2012-03-02T09:20:00.000-05:00

On the first Friday of every month, our second grader has a "store" in his classroom at school. The objective of this store is to help the kids understand dollars and sense -- and I do mean "sense" versus "cents." The intention is to teach them about the value and cost of goods; to reinforce math skills while starting to impart an understanding of supply and demand. Each child is expected to show up on this designated Friday with some items from home that they will "sell" to their classmates in an open exchange while they shop and "pay" for goods with play money. It's taken me a few months to come around to it but I finally understand what they're trying to accomplish and applaud the effort to teach simple math, economics and values all in one. The challenge, of course, is that the first Thursday night of every month, roughly five minutes before bedtime, there is an exchange that goes something like this:

2nd grader: "MOM! I need stuff to sell in the store tomorrow!"

Me: "Why are you just thinking of this now?! You've had a month to think about this!"

2nd grader: "But Mom, I NEED some things I can sell NOW! How about these books?"

Me: "No."

2nd grader: "How about these cars I don't play with anymore?"

Me: "No."

2nd grader: "How about some legos?"

Me: "No, no, NO!"

This typically carries on for a bit longer while the poor kid scurries around stealing toys and books from his siblings with the intention of "selling" them in school the next day. It's not good. So, after yet another unpleasant exchange last night, this morning I decided to emulate some of the Super-Moms I know are out there and have been baking yummy little morsels for their second graders to sell on the first Friday of every month. I was up and at it at 6AM, baking these tasty little "Mommy muffins" that I hope make my little fella feel like a champ as he rings up his proverbial cash register. We call them "Mommy muffins" because my Mom used to make them for us and, at forty years old, the smell of a warm Mommy Muffin still warms my heart. If you'd like to warm some little hearts of your own on the first Friday or any other day of the month, here's a recipe that's sure to please:

MOMMY MUFFINS

2 cups of flour

1 cup of sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder (note: it's POWDER, not SODA -- I made that mistake this morning and had to start over!)

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled

1 cup of milk

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 and grease muffin pan. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine milk, egg and vanilla in a separate bowl; add in melted butter. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in milk mixture, stirring quickly to combine. Spoon into muffin pan, bake for 18-20 minutes, enjoy the warmth and yumminess of a mommy muffin right out of the oven!

Tuesday Tip: Traveling with the family? Have a gameplan.

2012-02-28T14:14:00.000-05:00

Last week the kids had off from school for Winter Break so, we planned a family getaway to give ourselves a break too. Given that we have five children and airfare to a sunny spot in Florida or the Caribbean would be cost-prohibitive, we opted instead to load up the minivan and head north to Manchester, VT

Back in the day, my husband and I were both avid skiers and it's a sport we'd love to share with our children. It's also a very expensive sport so we have to be tactical about how we do it. Come to think of it, pretty much everything we do with five tykes in tow is expensive and we’ve learned the hard way that it always helps to have a gameplan. (For more about how we learned that lesson, check out my recap of our trip to Irleand on the Huffington Post). In the meantime, here are a few tactics that work for us – wherever we’re headed!

Plan ahead. We had our Vermont vacation planned months ago. We rented a house with another family -- which is not only more affordable than a hotel but, more practical and, more fun. We signed our two "big kids" up for ski lessons weeks before our departure and, if you're ever headed that way, would highly recommend the family friendly folks at the ski school at Bromley We coordinated with our friends on meals and grocery shopping so that dinners were prepped and ready to go after a day of outdoor adventures and breakfasts were cued up before the kids were -- eight kids seven and under in total... hence the need to really plan ahead!
Set reasonable expectations. Put another way, don't bite off more than you can chew. I have not historically excelled at this. In fact, my expectations for what we can accomplish with five small children along for the ride is often way out of whack – for instance, I thought we could see the entire country of Ireland in ten jam-packed days and I was wrong. Very wrong. And my misguided ambitions made for tired cranky kids. And parents. For our recent trip, I set more reasonable goals – we planned to ski two days and spend the rest of our time (which wasn’t much given a day to get there and a day to get back!) enjoying each other, the local sights and some downtime. Which we did. And which yielded more smiles, fewer tears and less stress than our prior over-booked journeys.
Always have a Plan B. I’m not good at rolling with the punches. I like to have a plan and stick to it. But, as I’ve learned time again as a parent, things rarely go according to plan. And that’s why it’s always good to have a backup plan. So, if for instance you can’t take the clan on a horse-drawn sleigh ride because it’s raining and there’s no snow on the ground, well, you have a few choices… 1. Put on those snow boots and do some old-fashioned puddle-stomping 2. Pack away the parkas and settle in for a day of crafts and cookie baking 3. Head to the farm and check out those sled-pulling horses anyway. That’s what we did and although it was a wet, stinky adventure, we got to pet horses (and cows!), frolick with a few roosters, and take home a hunk of cheese straight from the source.

Come to think of it, I usually have not only a Plan B but a Plan C, D and possibly E as well. Which isn’t to say that we don’t occasionally just roll with it… that’s just what we did when we decided on a 5:00 dinner at a local pizza spot en route home from our smelly agricultural adventure. It was the perfect end to an imperfect day… which, I suppose, pretty much sums up many of our days… both home and away!

How a bum thumb became a symbol of work/life balance

2012-02-27T07:50:00.000-05:00

If you regularly check in to see what's new in the Lyons Den, you probably noticed that I've been MIA for over a week. It struck me that I should have said good-bye; I should have let you know that I was taking a week off to be with my family. To really be with my family. Last week, we went to Vermont and my computer stayed home. This is an all-time first. My trusty laptop has accompanied us on adventures far and wide; it's been to Cape Cod, Ireland, Washington D.C, San Francisco, you name it -- if we've been there, it has too. But not this time. This time I was officially burned out and needed a break. A real break. A chance to recharge. An opportunity to take the short-tempered, over-tired, over-committed Mom that I'd become and leave her behind... in the hopes of rediscovering the even-keeled, level-headed Mom I aspire to be.

Did it work? I'm not sure. As I prepare to head back to work today, I can honestly say that I do feel better. Less wired, less tired. Less stressed and better prepared to tackle what the day, the week, the months ahead have in store. I have great memories of my unplugged week -- just the thought of it makes me smile. It was a wonderful week, filled with many firsts. Our seven year old skied his first "blue" trail, followed by his first black diamond. This very thought fills me with fear but, he did it and he is so proud. And that is awesome. Our five year old daughter faced fears of her own in ski school and ended the week with her first ride up the chairlift with yours truly. And that was pretty awesome too. The triplets took their first trip without bringing along the three pack & plays which have been standard cargo in our minivan for the past three years; they slept in sleeping bags for the very first time. And, they actually slept! ALL NIGHT LONG. It was amazing. And, I was reminded once again, so are they. So are all five our incredible kids, who are really very tolerant of their often too tired, too wired, manic Mom.

As for me, well, for the first time in a long time, I finished the book I was reading! I love to read and last week, I read for at least an hour every night. It was bliss. I was in bed in every night hours earlier than usual, allowing me to really catch up on some much-needed shut-eye. Last but not least, I also took my first major fall skiing since about 1996. Not surprisingly, it was on the last run of the day; it was a slick black diamond that I'd done numerous times before but this time, it got the best of me. Before I knew what hit me, I was ass over teakettle (whatever does that mean?! I'm not sure the origin of that expression but it seems to accurately describe my fall!), sliding down the mountain face-first. That downward slide seemed to last forever but was really just a few seconds. A few seconds that thankfully resulted in nothing more serious than a bruised leg and a jammed thumb.

The thumb is slightly troublesome in that it can't really grip a pen, open a child-proof bottle of anything or zipper a kid's coat... or pants... or, for that matter, my own! But, I am thinking of this thumb as a good reminder. A good reminder of the downward slide I was on before our rejuvenating week away. A good reminder to pause, to take a break, to put away the computer and really really be with my family. A good reminder to stop and recharge when the pendulum of work/life balance gets too swings too far toward work. A good reminder of what really matters -- life. Family. Friends.

So, I hope you'll forgive me for taking off for a week without saying good-bye and also forgive me if you don't see quite as much of me here. I'm sure I'll still post at least once, and probably twice a week, but if I should disappear again for a short while, you will know why. It will be because that pendulum has once again swung out of balance and I need to swing it back where it belongs. Either that or this bum thumb has interfered with my typing! Either way, I'll eventually be back and hope you will too.

Simple Sunday Supper (that works for weekdays too!) -- Win the book!

2012-02-19T22:42:00.001-05:00

The more I look at Debbie Koenig's new book, Parents Need to Eat Too, the more I like it. I was instantly impressed by the thoughtfulness and new mom savvy of her easy, approachable, common-sense chapters and the recipes they contain. "Remember cutting my meat hon?" I said to my husband. "Seriously, remember how many months I sat salivating at the table while begging you to cut my chicken?" It was kind of pathetic and I think he kind of liked the power he wielded, knowing I might starve or succumb to gnawing the chicken caveman-style if he didn't come to my rescue. Well, other new moms need not suffer such a fate thanks to a whole chapter -- a WHOLE chapter! -- on One Handed Meals. Pure genius.

Today, I made the Balsamic Beef Stew, from a chapter I know I'll be returning to -- Mom's New Best Friend: The Slow Cooker. I got a slow cooker for Christmas and have been patiently waiting for it to change my life. As it turns out, it's not going to as long as it remains unplugged in the back of a cabinet. However, plug it in, turn it on and pick one of Debbie's simple, family-friendly recipes and it just might! The stew was a snap to prepare and the only snafu was totally mine... I accidentally put in a tablespoon of Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce and, well, I'm pretty sure the soy sauce would have been a far superior choice! Even so, the little ones gobbled it up over egg noodles and my husband and I enjoyed it with some crusty bread and a glass of red wine. It was a super simple Sunday supper and would be a warm welcome home and hearty meal on any night of the week. And, for those of you out there with a newborn on your hip or in your lap while you're eating, you'll be glad to know the Balsamic Beef Stew also qualifies as a one-handed meal... just as long as you follow Debbie's good advice to cut up the beef, potatoes and carrots into one inch chunks!

If you'd like to get yourself a copy of this awesome new book, you can leave a comment here or on my facebook page for a chance to win. Happy Cooking and hope you have a great week filled with easy crowd-pleasing meals... with Debbie's book in hand, I'm pretty sure that you will!

A new twist on forgetting Valentine's Day

2012-02-19T08:49:00.000-05:00

I recently wrote a piece for Parents where I shared the many personas of pregnancy. One such pal I met along the way was Felicia the Forgetful. She arrived during my first pregnancy at the onset of the second trimester -- right about the time when I forgot to bring my lunch to work and couldn’t remember where I left the car keys. I naturally assumed she would leave once the baby arrived and, like so many assumptions I had about “when the baby arrived”, I was wrong.

As it turns out, Felicia is here to stay and, the prognosis isn’t good. I heard a report on the radio the other day that one of the symptoms of perimenopause is forgetfulness. What does this mean? I fear it means we ladies don’t stand a chance. We get a severe case of “Mommy brain” before we even meet our babies and now it seems that a good decade before the big M (Menopause!) sets in, we officially have no chance of finding the mind we lost; it just may be gone forever. Which brings me to an interesting little tale from this week. It involves our dog who, under different circumstances, just might have been gone forever as well.

It was Valentine’s Day. We’re not big believers in Valentine’s Day since my husband rightfully proclaimed many years ago, “when you love the one you’re with, every day is Valentine’s Day.” So, we didn’t have big plans. Some might say we had no plans at all. Des was going to take our second-grader to his 6:30 basketball game, leaving me home to tend to dinner for our other four kids. After basketball, we hoped to hustle them all to bed as quickly as possible and then cuddle in with some wine, fondue and last week’s episode of 30 Rock. Sounds romantic, right?

I got home from work a few minutes earlier than usual and realized I needed to get a baguette for the fondue-dipping. Perhaps not surprisingly given my post-pregnancy, pre-menopausal brain, I’d forgotten that critical detail for our Valentine’s dinner. Being the consummate multi-tasker, I decided to take our dog with me while I ran around the corner for bread… it wasn’t quite doggie exercise but, at least it was a chance for our large, loyal lab Finnegan to pee.

I returned home pleased with my bounty and quite content to whip up a Valentine’s meal of “Dinner Eggs” and heart-shaped toast for the kids. When I cracked the eggs, I recall saying “have you guys seen Finnegan? That’s weird that he didn’t come running when he heard the eggs crack.” This is a dog that loves a good eggshell. Don’t ask. He just does. In any case, when he didn’t come running, I assumed “we must have left the gate closed at the top of the stairs.” And I carried on.

About 15 minutes later, my sweet Valentine’s kiddie supper had pretty much imploded. There were fights about the not-so heart-shaped toast, spilled milk and a 5-year old having a fit. That’s when the phone rang. In an effort to diffuse the tension, I asked the sobbing 5-year old if she'd like to answer it. And she did.

I couldn’t help but notice the caller i.d. was “Mima” – the name of a cute little Italian restaurant right around the corner. My heart leapt. Could it be? My sweet hubbie had a Valentine’s day surprise in store? He’d booked a sitter and made a reservation and we were headed out for a late dinner after tucking the tots in?! It seemed to good to be true. And, as my confused 5-year murmured “What? You have Finnegan?” into the phone, I realized it was.

As you may have guessed by now, when I went around the corner for that baguette, I left the dog behind. Tied up and totally forgotten. I never even looked back. When I snatched the phone from my bewildered little girl, the lovely hostess on the other end of the line said “I’m really sorry to bother you but he’s been here over an hour and he’s really starting to look sad.” Um, oops. Chalk that one up to Mommy Brain!

The kids were crushed “You left him in the dark?! All alone?! On VALENTINE’S DAY?!” Yes, yes I did. But, I didn’t mean to. And, after calling a neighbor to watch the kids while I ran back around the corner to get him, he greeted me with a wagging tail and unconditional love. And we all had a Happy Valentine’s Day after all. I think. Part of me doesn’t quite remember…

Tuesday Tip: Treat Every Day Like Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T07:49:00.000-05:00

So, here it is again. Valentine's Day. February 14th. The day that can make hearts leap or sink in the flash of an FTD bouquet. In years past, I've been a great Valentine. I've been thoughtful and creative, finding the perfect card and gift for my amour. This year, I've been so consumed by work and kids and life in general that the best I could do was a twenty minute, twenty dollar trip to Target yesterday -- a trip that yielded cards, stickers and candy for the kids and only a simple card for the man in my life who deserves much much more.

My husband is a patient, funny, loving, gentle soul. Of course, he is also a husband and, like many husbands, has on occasion completely forgotten Valentine's Day and instead professed "every day is Valentine's Day with you!" I never thought I'd stoop to his level but this year, I have. And, as I'm prone to do far more often today than when we first got married almost a decade ago, I have to admit, he just might be right.

Maybe we should treat every day like Valentine's day -- not in a roses and chocolate kind of way but rather, in the way we treat each other each year when February 14th rolls around -- with an extra dose of love and kindness. With an extra sense of care and devotion. With the thoughtfulness and sensitivity we bestow upon new love and forget all too soon as that love grows familiar and comfortable. Wouldn't it be nice if on any given Tuesday you reminded your loved ones what you loved most about them? What makes them so special to you? That's what I've decided to do this Valentine's Day.

I started by writing that card from Target to the dear man I snuggle in with each night and start anew with each morning. I also wrote cards to each of our kids, taking the time to think about what I love most about them, what makes them each unique. This was a great way to remind myself of what matters most -- on Valentine's day and every other day of the year. In short, it is...

Des' ability to make me laugh even when I'm tired and grumpy -- which lately, is far to often!
Liam's willingness to try anything once, his determination to succeed in school and in sports and his wide-eyed innocence that I fear will fade all too soon.
Ciara's ability to connect with little kids, old folks and anyone in between and offer a sweet smile or kind word. Her smile brightens days, and often brightens mine.
Kevin's innate happiness... the way he climbs out of his crib and into our bed with a huge grin that is just a delicious way to start the day.
Declan's infectious laugh and power hugs. The kid has a hug like no other -- it can squeeze a bad day right out of you and for me, often has.
Cormac's sparkling eyes, alive and aglow with a sense of mischief and disarming charm. It charms me daily and, will surely charm and disarm many other ladies -- and Valentine's -- in the years to come.

Perhaps more than anything else, I love this picture, which my handsome hubby drew and I think says it all:

Parents Need to Eat Too

2012-02-12T21:48:00.002-05:00

Parents need to eat too. This may sound obvious but, it is a simple little fact that is often forgotten in the blur of baby days and toddler tantrums. My husband is actually great at remembering this little tidbit and frequently recalls the airline advice that urges adults to put on their oxygen masks before tending to the children around them. He thinks of food (three full square meals a day) like that oxygen... it is absolutely essential and copious amounts are required for his base level of functioning.

The same can not be said of me. Don't get me wrong. I love to eat. Really. I love love love food. But, the notion of putting together a plate for myself while a little one is howling never even occurred to me. I just assumed that in the natural order of all things food-related, the kids come first. Well, guess what? I was wrong. And, in a moment more rare than a solar eclipse, I'm going to admit something else -- my husband was right!

And, he's not alone. Debbie Koenig, who you may know from the blog Words to Eat By has a fab new book that will help parents everywhere master the struggle of the juggle -- in particular, the juggle of a jiggly newborn or tuggy toddler and the dinnertime dilemma.

In Parents Need to Eat Too, Debbie shares tips and recipes that will speak to busy moms of tiny tots, myself included! Although my kids no longer require swaying and shushing and being strapped to me in a sling, those days are not so far behind and I sure would have appreciated this book then. It contains tasty, simple recipes that be made during nap-time, like Zucchini and Spinach Risotto or Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. It also includes what I think is a stroke of pure genius -- an entire chapter of meals that can be eaten with one hand! Only a mom (and especially a new mom!) can truly appreciate what it's like to have to eat meal after meal with only one hand free because the other one is building up a huge bicep while supporting the head of your precious offspring. I kind of remember feeling like this in those days...

It's true. I can vividly recall being so hungry and so helpless that I literally wanted to put my face in my plate just like "mommy's little piggy." Thanks to Debbie's chapter of One Handed Meals, other moms need not face the same humiliating fate! Her Broccoli and Cheddar Pinwheels will please kids and parents alike and the same can be said of her Chicken (Pot) Handpies.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of her book and look forward to trying out more recipes in the weeks to come... especially since she also devotes a chapter to "Mom's New Friend: The Slow Cooker". I got a slow cooker for Christmas and was convinced it would help solve my dinnertime woes... it hasn't yet but, with Debbie's easy recipes in hand, it just might!

To get your own copy, visit Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Tuesday Tip: Let Common Sense Prevail

2012-02-07T08:48:00.000-05:00

Did you see the article in last weekend’s Wall Street Journal entitled Why French Parents are Superior, by Pamela Druckerman? It’s another cleverly timed, argumentatively inclined piece of prose (a la the “Tiger Mom”) promptly published just days before the release of the book that expounds upon this very premise, “Bringing up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting.”

According to the article (and I assume the book as well), there are five key tenets to French parenting success:

· Children should say hello, goodbye, thank you and please. It helps them learn that they aren’t the only ones with feelings and needs.

· Whey they misbehave, give the “big eyes” – a stern look of admonishment

· Allow only one snack a day. In France it’s at 4 or 4:30.

· Remind them (and yourself) who’s the boss.

· Don’t be afraid to say no.

Really? Is it just me or do these seem more like common sense than yet another shining example of French superiority? Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the French and will be the first to admit that as a country, they produce many superior products – wine, baguettes, brie and croissants come instantly to mind. But to presume that they wrote the book on parenting? I don’t think so.

I understand that today’s American parents can be, well, a bit crazy. I’m one of them. I have five kids – a seven year old boy, five year old girl and three year old identical boy triplets. Take a moment for that to sink in. It’s taken me a few years to be able to say “I have five kids” without stuttering. I admit I occasionally struggle with parenting and have a lot of not so proud “Mama Moments.” It’s not easy. It’s loud, it’s messy, it’s expensive and it’s exhausting. However, I (in fact, we), never for a moment let our kids rule the roost.

Maybe it’s because we have so many of them that we’d be completely overrun. Maybe it’s because we were both raised in stoic Irish families where discipline (apparently more broadly captured as “education” by the French) reigned supreme. Maybe it’s because my own mother is a Francophile at heart, even though her maiden name was O’Brien and she married an O’Connor; when I was in fifth grade, she wore a green beret on St. Patrick’s Day and I swear I have friends that still talk about it. The point though, is that my husband and I are raising our clan of kids the way we were raised. We were expected to follow the rules, to be polite and to know our place in the family pecking order – which, until we officially moved out of the familial roost, was as the bottom. For many families today, it seems the kids get a place at the top. And this, no doubt, is why Ms. Druckerman’s book will sell many copies.

For anyone who doesn’t have the time to pore through yet another parenting tome, I suggest you take the advice shared here to heart and start by reestablishing the pecking order in your home. Parents first, kids second. You are absolutely the boss and you probably don’t need a book to tell you so. It goes without saying that your kids should say please and thank you – not just because it reminds them that other people have “feelings and needs” but, more simply put, because it is the right thing to do and normal functioning members of society all tend to say hello, good-bye, please and thank you.

If you’re afraid to say no to your children, well, I suspect you may need another book altogether. As for the big, admonishing eyes Ms. Druckerman recommends, that was called the “evil eye” when I was growing up; my mom had it, my grandmothers both had it and, as sure as the day is long (especially the days when I’m home alone with five kids!), I have it too. The evil eye can stop a trouble-bound triplet in his track and elicit instant silence from my sensitive seven-year old. It doesn’t work quite as well on my feisty five year old but for her, fortunately, the threat of no snacks – at 4:00 or any other time of day – tends to work just fine.

So, there you have it. This parenting stuff isn’t easy but, it’s not rocket science either, "if you just use the common sense that God gave you!" -- which is something I seem to recall hearing quite often in my formative years. Today, my husband and I find that consistency is king, discipline is required and at the end of the day, after the tots are tucked in, there's no better way to unwind than with a glass of wine. Possibly French wine -- which, in some instances, is most certainly superior.

Read Kiddo Read: How to grow a bookworm

2012-02-01T08:13:00.000-05:00

Read Kiddo Read. Read Kiddo READ! My mantra was eased the other day when I came home to find Liam immersed in a book. A new book, selected for him by the smart, book-lovin’ folks at Just the Right Book. I came home from work and he was completely immersed in Soccer Hour, by Carol Nevius -- a tale about soccer practice and teamwork, illustrated by Bill Thomson with amazing life-like pictures that convey the emotion of the words and the action.

I didn’t even have to ask Liam to read for 20 minutes after dinner, he offered to read his book (for the second time!) out loud to his little sister and triplet little brothers, who together make for a good audience although, at five and three years old respectively, they can’t resist constant, incessant questioning the likes of which I sometimes find irritating and after the other night, am pretty sure Liam does too!

In any case, the point is that without my urging, nagging and demanding, Liam actually had his nose in a book. And was sharing the story with his siblings. Again, unasked. Now, I’m not suggesting that one Monday night of bookish bliss is going to become an overnight habit but, it sure is a step in the right direction and it’s one that was strongly assisted by the good folks at ReadKiddoRead. Liam and I are both looking forward to the arrival of the next book and, I daresay, Ciara, Kevin, Declan and Cormac are too!

I also think I now have some good pointers for how to grow a bookworm...

Provide a constant supply of new books (from the library, school, the bookstore or even Just the Right Book!); recall that you're likely dealing with a youngster with a short attention span so, keeping reading material new and fresh is critical to success.
Read those books. Read them together. Read them out loud and allow your budding bibliophile to show off his reading savvy in front of siblings; this will not only make him feel great but instill the reading bug in the little ones as well.
Read to your kids, in front of your kids, with your kids. Kids typically want to emulate the behavior they see in you. Sadly, this sometimes includes saying things like "freakin", which my five kids have recently adopted into their daily parlance. On the upside, they've often heard me say, "just give me five more minutes, I'm really into this book" -- which hopefully, will be a more positive behavior for them to imitate!
Repeat! Get a new book, read it together, let them see you enjoying a good book. Repeat!

In our house, the development of avid readers is still a work in progress but, I find repetition is the key to success in most things kid-related (potty training triplets being my most recent shining example!) so, read, read, read and I bet your kids will too!

And, if you haven’t already checked out Read Kiddo Read, it’s not too late…

ReadKiddoRead subscriptions are available from ReadKiddoRead for $14.99 per week or month. Once each week (or month) your child will receive a new book chosen specifically for him or her based on reading level and individual interests from the recommended book list at ReadKiddoRead. Enter this code (RKRTSHIRT) when you check out to get your t-shirt and extra goodies and don't forget to get your kids involved and let their voices be heard when they (and you) vote for their favorite books. View the Kiddo Award nominees for this year at http://www.readkiddoread.com/uploads/kiddos2012.php and vote for the ones your kids just can’t put down!

Tuesday Tip: Dance, Grill, Love

2012-01-31T07:36:00.000-05:00

For this week's tip, I don't have a cohesive theme but rather, a hodge podge of insights and lessons learned from the last week in the Lyons Den. I hope you find them helpful and if not, well, at the very least, I hope you will be amused!

You know that old saying "Dance like no one is watching." Well, on Saturday night, I did. And I have to say, I had a blast. For better or worse, most of my small town was watching since I chose the annual school fundraiser as my venue to "Busta Move." You know what though? It was great fun. I'd like to dance more often. Although, I admit it might be better for all involved if no one was watching!
There's a reason they sell salty and sweet together at the movies. Friday night was movie night at our elementary school. We went for it and got the kids popcorn AND Swedish fish. When our little lady started moaning that she had popcorn kernels stuck in her teeth, we suggested chewing on a Swedish fish to solve the problem. And it did. Who needs dental floss?!
I'm an avid fan of Real Simple and enjoy their column on new uses for old things. I've enthusiastically adopted their suggestion to use an old tissue box to hold plastic baggies. I know plastic bags are totally yesterday but, we use them to pick up copious amounts of dog poop so I somehow feel ok when I ask for plastic at the grocery store check-out. This is not my point though. My point is about baking soda; it's not just for baking anymore! If you have a tot of potty training age and find that your house and even your washing machine stink of urine, baking soda will be your new best friend. Sprinkle it on the rug before you vacuum and in the machine before washing those training pants for the umpteenth time. I swear, it works. Times three.
Order your groceries online. I usually do but the past few weeks have been so hectic that I've fallen out of the routine. As a result, we've spent several Sundays grocery shopping. Not fun. From now on, I'm going back to my original plan and letting my fingers do the walking while my rear rests on the couch!
Cook for a crowd and reap the rewards of leftovers. This can be hard to do for a family of seven but last week, we aced it. On Sunday night, we make flank steaks and sausage on the grill and while it made for a super Sunday supper, it was even better the next few nights as we enjoyed steak sandwiches, steak salad and pasta with sausage... yum!
Use the grill in the winter. See above. This week we plan to add grilled chicken to the rotation... this can be easily turned into chicken fajitas, chicken and pasta, chicken and broccoli, any number of kid-pleasing, quick weeknight options!
Make the time for the things that matter most. As you may have gathered, the new year is off to a galloping start. My job is busier than ever, my kids are busier than ever, I have great aspirations to be more active in our community, to lead a Girl Scout troop, to write more frequently and run another half marathon. Then a few things happened last week -- our close friend and dear neighbor passed away and my best friend and only sister moved back to San Francisco with her family. What do these things have in common? They are bold reminders that no matter how busy your calendar or lofty your to-do list, you must put the people you love in life first. And, that my friends, I think is the best tip of all... on Tuesday or any other day of the week!

A Tale of Two Sisters

2012-01-29T22:28:00.001-05:00

The O'Connor Sisters, circa 1979

My sister and I have a storied past. I was five years old when she was born and quite accustomed to my spot as queen of the roost. I was the first child, first grandchild and a first class brat by the time she was born in June of 1976. I hated her. All I knew about babies being born is that they were "delivered." So, for the latter part of 1976, every time we passed a mailbox, I asked if we could send her back. Back to wherever she came from before she arrived on the scene, all precious and cute and attracting all sorts of attention that had previously been devoted to me, me, ME!

I tortured her for years. I set her up time and again in ways that were at times mischievous, cruel or downright dangerous. A few examples include the time I painted her and the bathroom in Bain de Soleil (remember that greasy orange "gelee" that turned your skin to a crisp?!) and then washed my hands, called my Mom and blamed her for the mess; or the time I took her out of the crib and perched her at the top of the stairs. Or the time I poured all my Bonnie Bell eau de toilette right down the "toilette" and then started crying and blamed her for the tragedy of it all. Kind of crazy, right? I really didn't like her.

I spent much of grammar school dragging her around by her pigtails -- and then I went to junior high, left her behind and never looked back. When I left for college, she was in the throes of her Beverly Hills 90210 obsession and a true loser in my book. But then, somewhere along the way, things changed. I think it was when I went to visit during her freshmen or sophomore year at Boston College. We tailgated before a football game and all of sudden, my baby sister was no longer a baby. No longer a loser. In fact, she seemed more and more like me. In fact, she even looked more and more like me as we were both featuring the fashion of the day -- a flannel shirt complimented by the "freshman fifteen."

With the passing of years, we had more shared experiences and of course, the collective memories that only siblings can share. We offered each other advice on jobs, boys, New York nightlife and life in general. Somewhere along the way, she became more than my sister, she became my best friend. She was my maid-of-honor and several years later, I was hers. She babysat for my firstborn and my second as well. She told me she was moving to San Francisco the week I discovered I was pregnant with triplets. I was devastated. I didn't know how I'd get through the juggle of a high-risk pregnancy with two toddlers and a career without her constantly by my side. But I did. And for three years, we kept close despite the miles as I counted the days until her return to the East Coast.

She came back in September, with her husband and two year old fella by her side and a baby in her belly. This time, I got to be by her side the day Maeve was born in November. I was thrilled. My sister was back. I was an Auntie once again and we were all going to live happily ever after.

Except for one little detail. My sister wasn't happy to be back in New York; as it turns out, she left her heart in San Francisco. And as it turns out, she is there once again. This week, she and her family packed up and moved back to the place she now calls home. A place that is 3,000 miles away. A place she went once before and I believed would temporary. As it turns out, I was wrong. How is it that when this tiny little person arrived on the scene in 1976, I would have given anything to "send her back" and now she occupies such a huge part of my heart that I'd give anything to have her back. If I had to do it all over again, maybe I'd lay off the Bain de Soleil. Or better yet, I'd stick her back in that crib so I could keep her close to home forever.

Tuesday Tip: The ultimate baby checklist: things you REALLY need

2012-01-24T07:49:00.001-05:00

As a follow up to last week's post about the superfluous items a newborn can live without, here are a few things that you and your little one really do need:

Coffee. It may seem odd that this tops the list and if you're not a coffee drinker, well, after having a newborn, you may be! Either way, I'd suggest stocking up on coffee beans, coffee filters and whatever you use to create the perfect cuppa -- milk, cream, sugar, etc. As you may have heard, newborns often get their days and nights mixed up. What you may not realize is with a baby in the house, you might too. This is why coffee is at the top of the list.
Absorbency items. "Absorbency items. Now what's that?" you may be wondering. Well, wonder no more and brace yourself because this ain't pretty. I'm sure it's occurred to you that your wee one will be routinely weeing in his or her diaper. So, if you haven't already, stock up on diapers. A word of caution though -- don't buy a year's supply of those cute little newborn ones that would fit a doll; assuming all goes according to plan, your baby's bottom will outgrow them in no time at all. When that time comes, don't rush out to buy more, log on to Diapers.com and let them deliver right to your door! As for the rest of the absorbency items, well, they are for you. Let's just say that after childbirth, you may need a diaper of your own. In fact, I had a coworker who told me to stock up on Depends -- which I didn't because frankly, I just couldn't go there. But, the traditional maxi-pad will be your pal those first few weeks home and, just when you thought it couldn't get worse, your breasts will start leaking. Never fear though, they have a product for that too -- breast pads. Also available at diapers.com and quite handy for those awkward, leaky moments!
The get up and go basics. For the first few days (possibly even weeks), the notion of leaving the house will be daunting. And packing your peanut up for an hour or a day (or for that matter, a weekend!), pretty much requires the same amount of stuff. And lots of it. But, the moment will come when you realize you must leave the house or you will go insane. Ideally this moment arrives at a lucid, caffeinated point in time when your days and nights are no longer mixed up. And then you will need a few things so you can hit the road in safety and style:

A car seat -- this one is required by law and most hospitals won't let you go home without it so, unless you plan to leave your bundle in the nursery for a late check-out, this should be at the top of your list. After coffee.
A stroller -- possibly the Snap n' Go which, as the name suggests, makes it very easy to just snap in the car seat and go. Highly recommended for those first few months, especially if you will be in and out of the car a lot. Of note, this stroller is not good for rugged terrain so if off-roading is more your style, you'll want something with bigger, better wheels to ensure a smooth ride for your little bundle -- my sister swears by the Bob stroller and I trust her opinion on virtually everything so, this is a great option if you plan to head for the hills vs. pounding the pavement in the concrete jungle.
A diaper bag -- really, any bag will do, it's what in it that counts:

Diapers (and other absorbency items, as noted above!)
Wipes
Change of clothes (you never know when an unexpected "ass-plosion" will strike; if you don't know what I'm talking about, you will the day your sweet angel blasts yellow poop out the back and sides of her precious onesie.)
Purell -- for obvious reasons. See above.
Don't forget the things you used to need -- and still do! Wallet, cell phone, keys, lip balm, water bottle, etc. The postpartum "Mommy Brain" is prone to forgetfulness so, it's worth pointing out that you still need a few things just for you!

I'd like to think that I offer a certain Lyons Den sensibility with these suggestions but, there's no denying you need a more comprehensive checklist for your bundle-to-be, like this one from Parents.com or this one from Real Simple.

Be forewarned, these all-inclusive lists can be overwhelming and should be approached with caution and common sense -- they will include things like a Diaper Genie, which I swear you don't need but, suspect our local sanitation workers would recommend after several years of picking up our trash with dozens of dirty diapers! In any case, you'll find that one of the perks of parenthood is a new-found set of instincts -- an internal barometer that guides you through the sleepy days and sleepless nights, encouraging you to listen to the voice within and not be swayed by all the well-wishing wisdom-slingers you will encounter along the way. Make sure this inner voice is heard as you navigate the newborn checklist; if you do, you will have exactly what you need and none of the things that you don't!

The Battlecry of the Lyons Den: Read Kiddo Read!

2012-01-22T09:47:00.003-05:00

Now that my oldest is seven, I frequently find myself engaging in the Battle of the Books. Sometimes it’s Books vs. Screen Time and others it’s Wimpy Kid vs. more substantive reads. As for me, I’ve always loved reading. I have such fond memories of the summer book club at our library while I was growing up. One year the theme was “The Wizard of Oz” and for each book you read, you got a piece for a mobile that naturally included the yellow brick road, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy and those amazing red shoes. By the end of August, it was complete -- a construction paper homage to my summer reading accomplishments; I was so proud of it that it hung in my room until the colors faded and the next summer rolled around.

I devoured books that summer and many more; in fact, I still do. And I want my children to share my passion for reading. With so many competing forces though, (the Wii, the DS, the homework, the four noisy younger siblings that my seven year old has!), it’s not always easy. That’s why I just signed up for Read Kiddo Read and suggest you do too.

You get lots of goodies for signing up for a four book subscription -- including a t-shirt, a surprise book or two and, what I think is the ultimate goodie – the opportunity to engender a love of reading and share new books with your kids. As an added bonus, the first 16 Lyon Den subscribers will also get a free James Patterson book – either The Dangerous Days of Daniel X...

Or, Maximum Ride - Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports:

You’re budding reader will also have the chance to vote for his or her favorite books -- what kid doesn't like to be involved in picking a winner?!

Now, hurry up, sign up and start reading… the voting for best books ends on February 15^th… just after Valentine’s Day, which is nice way of summing up how I feel about all this. In a nutshell, I Heart Books!

Here are few more of the details and, as you may have noticed if you're a regular Lyons Den reader, I don't often promote products or offer giveaways but this is one that I think is truly worthwhile and, hope you will agree!

ReadKiddoRead subscriptions are available from ReadKiddoRead for $14.99 per week or month. Once each week (or month) your child will receive a new book chosen specifically for him or her based on reading level and individual interests from the recommended book list at ReadKiddoRead. Enter this code (RKRTSHIRT) when you check out to get your t-shirt and extra goodies and don't forget to get your kids involved and let their voices be heard when they (and you) vote for their favorite books. View the Kiddo Award nominees for this year at http://www.readkiddoread.com/uploads/kiddos2012.php and vote for the ones your kids just can’t put down!

Tuesday Tip: The ultimate baby checklist: things you DON'T need

2012-01-17T21:28:00.001-05:00

When I found out I was pregnant with Liam, I panicked. I was clueless. I was good at taking care of our dog, but a baby?! I had no idea what to do with a baby. So, I did what any neurotic, Type A, first-time mom would do; I bought every book I could, signed up for babycenter emails and started making lists... a list of things to do in our apartment, a list of general things to do before the baby was born, a list of foods to avoid and, of course, the inevitable new baby checklist -- that comprehensive overview of everything you need to bring a new little life into this world, neatly organized by category and frightfully long.

If you walk into Buy Buy Baby or any other baby "super store," you will find yourself believing you need everything on that super-sized registry list. I am here to tell you that you don't. Sure, you'll naturally get swept up in the frenzy of it all but believe me when I tell you that your bundle of joy will survive without a wipe warmer and if you really want to know, we survived five newborns, including triplets, without a Diaper Genie. Here are a few other things that should be on your list of things you don't need...

Dreft. Never heard of it, no worries, you don't need it! Dreft is the overpriced baby detergent that I washed all of Liam's onesie's in until the day I discovered it was totally unnecessary -- it turns out that any brand free of scents and dyes will do the trick just fine. A few good suggestions? Seventh Generation or, for a more affordable option, All Free Clear
Shopping Cart/Highchair covers. Repeat after me: I don't need this. I don't need this. I'm no expert but, I do have five kids seven and under and we do get out a fair bit. To places filled with germs and dirt -- places like Costco and restaurants. My kids have sampled lots of local flavors and not just the ones on their plates. They have sucked on shopping carts and licked nasty highchairs. And, we all lived to tell about it. Not proudly of course but really, save your pennies and spend them on a yummy meal out instead.
Anything with snaps or a zipper in the back. This might apply to an adorable outfit, snuggly snow suit or some irresistably soft newborn pjs. Do yourself a favor though and just say no -- you can find something just as cute with an easy front-entry that will save you -- and your baby -- a lot of unnecessary tears.
Pants. This sounds strange, right? Why won't your kid need pants?! Here's the deal: your kid will, your newborn won't. Want to know why? Because pants are a nuisance to put on and they require the addition of socks, which are also a nuisance to put on -- and will very likely be kicked off before you can blink an eye! So skip the pants and go for those cozy onesies while you can!
A video monitor. When Liam was born, we lived in a 700 square foot apartment -- and I'm pretty sure that's a generous recollection. We fell victim to the registry checklist and got a baby monitor even though you could hear someone peeing from the kitchen and a sneeze could be heard in the hallway. We did not need that monitor and we didn't need a video monitor either. Think about it. If you're lucky, you might sleep for three hours at a time in the first few weeks and possibly work your way up to five or six hours in the first few months. If you have some downtime to call your own, do you really want to spend it watching your wee one sleep? Have a little faith, let them snooze and catch up on some TV if you really feel like watching something!

For all the things you don't need, there's plenty that you do and I'll plan to cover them in next Tuesday's Tip. As a sneak preview, you can't have too many burp cloths and bibs... I suppose this was especially true for me since I had triplets the last time around but, as a general rule, more is better in these areas... and, those burp cloths will make nice dust rags when the spit up days are behind you... and they will be behind you before you know it!

A 3 day weekend with 5 tots 7 & under

2012-01-15T22:20:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is a national holiday and I for one am thrilled. For starters, our five and seven year old actually seem to understand a bit about Martin Luther King and the importance of his role in our society; to see these little people we created start to have some cognizance of the world around them is really pretty cool. Beyond that, like many folks, I'm glad for a day off of work and time to spend with my family. Although, truth be told, we're only two days in to this three day weekend and I have to say, I'm more tired -- and more broke! -- than ever.

Here's a quick rundown of the events of the past 48 hours...

Breakfast, breakfast and more breakfast. Yesterday there was an appetizer course of two boxes of cereal followed by a main course of about a dozen eggs and six bagels, washed down with a half gallon of juice and almost as much milk. What did I get out of the deal? Coffee and a lot of dirty dishes. Thank God for coffee! Today's breakfast was pretty much a repeat, but the eggs and bagels were replaced by dozens of pancakes. Good news though, I got one before they were gone! Score one for Mom!
Costco & Wine. Our cupboards -- and wine supply -- hit an all-time low this weekend. So yesterday, my dear hubby took two tykes to the wine store while I took three to Costco. I didn't realize what a bad deal I got until two of the triplets started crying that the clementines I loaded on top of them were too heavy and I realized I could no longer see my five year old, Ciara, over the top of the cart. For all I knew, she could have been lingering near the lady giving out PopChips but thankfully, she was still hanging off the end of the cart, doing her best to keep a month's worth of snacks from falling overboard. Things got worse when I had to navigate the parking lot with a cart that weighed more than I did, three howling kids and gale force winds that were decidedly not at my back. The upside? An ample supply of wine awaited at home. The downside? A massive dent in our bank account, a back that still aches, four broken nails, a case of possible frostbite and, to add insult to injury, the fact that I arrived home without any milk or paper towels. And had to go to the grocery store today. Grrrr.
Accidents. The triplets, who turned three in October, have been doing pretty well with potty training. They flaunt their big boy underwear and will show them off whether invited to or not. They are generous in the sharing of their undergarments and the morning chatter often includes things like "Hey KooKoo, wanna wear my Spiderman underwear today?" "Ok MacMac, you can have my red boxers!" I assure you I never thought I'd have a band of brothers swapping skivvies -- just as I never thought my house would be a urinal. As good as these little fellas are, when they are tired, they get a bit lazy. So lazy in fact that they forget to go to the potty and free willy -- and all of willy's contents -- wherever they may be. So far this weekend, that has been on the couch, under the table and ON OUR BED! Not good. Especially since the caffeine has worn off, the wine at this point is unappealing and the reality of several more loads of laundry seems especially daunting given my aching back!

Looking ahead to tomorrow, the day that we honor this amazing man who had a dream, I realize I have a dream too -- it is nowhere near as noble and is admittedly self serving. By comparison, it's a downright selfish, small little dream but I bet it's a dream I share with many busy, juggling moms; I dream of a night of uninterrupted sleep that lasts for at least eight hours; I dream of the day the kids will bring me breakfast... or at least share a bit more of theirs; I dream of the day I'm not scrubbing urine, snot, and other bodily fluids out of clothes, furniture and rugs; and, I dream that when those days arrive, I will look back on these days fondly. Because as long as each day can be, the years most certainly fly by far too fast. And, aching, tired bod and all, I am so psyched for one more day to play with our little clan. And, when I get to work on Tuesday, I will be grateful for a yogurt to call my own and a chair to sit down on!

Tuesday Tip: A Dose of "Granny Wisdom"

2012-01-09T23:17:00.001-05:00

Note: this is NOT my Granny, although the "I told you so" look is recognizable!

After spending some quality time with my grandparents last weekend, I realized that there's a bit of what I like to call "Granny Wisdom" I'd like to share with you for this Tuesday's tip. While we're talking about my Granny, please keep her in your thoughts and prayers today as she undergoes heart surgery... Granny, if you happen to read this, I "heart" you! Now, onto those priceless nuggets...

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. This little gem is one I keep bucking at but really need to take to, well, heart! For starters, consider our three 3-year olds, who are still in cribs. My husband and I have a healthy debate about when to move them to beds. People have commented (more than once) "They still fit in cribs?!" But, here's the thing, they are HAPPY in their cribs. Why take three happily contained tots and set them free to wreak havoc around the house -- morning, noon and night?! The solution? Don't. Leave them in the crib!

Another recent relevant example is our minivan. The lease was up in December and in the midst of end of year mayhem at work, holiday mayhem at home and the typical chaos of our crazy lives, we decided to spend some time car shopping. We seriously spent hours attempting to jam our family of seven (and 90-lb dog!) into a Ford Flex, Honda Pilot and several other mid-size cars. You know what we ended up getting? Yep. Another mini-van. The moral of the story? Stick with what works and you'll save yourself a lot of time and headaches!

Tissues are like Amex -- don't leave home without them! Ever. You know what's neat about Granny? She can be dressed to the nines -- silk blouse, sparkling jewels, pretty flats and a matching handbag and you know what's stuffed up that silk sleeve? Tissues! And you know who didn't have any on Sunday while several tots battled a winter cold? Me. And you know who came to the rescue? Granny! This is an easy one. Keep tissues everywhere -- in your car, your bag, heck, even your sleeve! If you don't, you'll end up as my kids often do -- using their sleeve (or worse yet, mine!) AS a tissue. Ew. Don't do this. Buy stock in Kleenex and stock up for the season!

Say yes to treats. So, there we were in church on Sunday. It was me, my 90-year old grandparents (ok, Granny will be 90 in April but close enough!) and the triplets, who were behaving quite nicely. Not a peep out of them. I really wished that Des and the other kids were there to witness this angelic behavior but they were busy with another obligation. Suddenly I noticed a minty scent and upon closer inspection, realized that all three little fellas were happily sucking a way on a Lifesaver. Granny had slipped them a sweet right under my nose... which couldn't help but notice the pleasant scent of peppermint wafting through the aisles. She gave me a wink and mouthed "Why not?" Why not indeed?

Some other tried and true Granny tips:

Once your tot is off the bottle and into a sippy cup of milk, save it for the END of the meal. That way they will eat the real food when they are actually hungry rather than being force fed when they're not.
Speaking of which, don't force feed your kids. I learned this lesson the hard way when I got a pile of regurgitated string beans in my lap. They may not say it with words but trust me (and Granny), your kids know when to say when and it's up to you to pick up on their cues.
Teach your kids their "Ps and Qs" (please and thank yous!) at an early age. Really early. Before they can even talk. Manners matter and it's never too early to start.

I'm not sure what other tricks my Granny has up her sleeve but, after raising six kids (five boys and one girl!), I know she has must have more. I am keeping my fingers crossed that she will share them with me when she's out of the hospital and back home where she belongs. And if she does, I will share them with you. After all, that would only be polite. :)

Silly Nicknames for kids: endearing, damaging or totally insane?

2012-01-05T23:21:00.001-05:00

Do you have nicknames for your kids? We do. Lots of 'em. So many that I fear they may be causing some issues with our identical triplet boys. But, to be fair, let me start at the beginning.

When Liam, now seven, was born, he was a real snuggle bug. It was the winter of 2004/5 and during those long, cold, dark months, he spent a lot of time snuggling in and scootching up my shoulder in that way only a newborn can. You know about schootching, right? It's that wiggly way babies nuzzle in, up and over your shoulder; it's really quite pleasant to experience, especially when the wind is howling and the temperature is falling. This sweet baby maneuver earned Liam the nickname of "Scootie" in addition to an original little ditty we'd sing to him that went something like this: "Ooh, ooh, Scootie, ooh Scootie-Loo. Ooh ooh Scootie. Ooh Ooh, we love you!" Sleep deprivation can do strange things to you and this was definitely one of ours. I'm sure Liam is grateful to have outgrown the Scootie nickname but, the standard was set and his four other siblings are now suffering the consequences.

For Ciara, it's not that bad. When she was first born, we called her "Bitsy" because she seemed so itsy-bitsy compared to her big brother Liam, who was almost two at the time. As the months passed, she turned into "Little Bitsy Burps A Lot" because, well, she burped a lot and it sounded like a cute doll name and she seemed like a cute little doll. When she started to talk, she couldn't say "Ciara" and it came out like this "Ciaga" -- pronounced like this: "Key-Ga." Somehow, that one stuck. We all call her Ciaga. Which has line extensions including: Ciaga-Loo, C.Loo, Lucy Loo, and LuLuLemon. Don't ask. It just happened. Sleep deprivation still reigns supreme. The bad news is that as this five year old hops on the bus and heads to kindergarten, we are waving good-bye to our sweet Ciaga-Loo. The good news is that the kids at school all call her Ciara; she can say it, spell it and knows without a shadow of a doubt that Mom and Dad's silly nicknames stay at home.

Unfortunately, the same can not be said of our identical triplets who, at three years old seem to already have some identity issues brewing. We consistently dress Kevin, Declan and Cormac in red, blue and green to help folks tell them apart; this backfired rather dramatically when Declan started to tell people his name is "Blue" . You would think given the challenges that these guys face, walking around town with identical little faces, we would stay true to the names we gave them. But alas, that is not the case. I find nicknames just too irresistible and as such, Kevin has become KooKoo Bear, Declan is Duckling and Cormac is MacMac. But wait, it doesn't end there, there's more!

For Kevin, KooKoo Bear has several iterations, our favorite of which includes pretending to page him, like those announcements you hear in the airport. "Mr. Bear? Is there a Mr. Koo Koo Bear in the house?" He thinks it's hilarious and so do we. Our little Duckling (formerly known as "Blue") tends to take things relatively in stride, including the occasions when we quack at him, assuming that he must speak Duck. For the record, he does not and seems to find our antics and quacking less amusing by the day. Last but not least, there is MacMac. He was born last and came into the world as "Baby Mac." Not to be outdone by his identical siblings, he was a chow hound from day one and clearly committed to becoming "Big Mac" on the fast track... which of course led us to all sorts of fun including the occasional "Mac Snack Attack", "Mac & Cheese" and the final grand evolution to "Macaroni" which, of course, culminated in our admittedly absurd paging game: "Mr. Roni? Is there a Mr. Mac A. Roni in the house?"

Is it sleep deprivation? Are we insane? Do all parents have numerous strange nicknames for their kids? I don't know. All I know is that yesterday, Kevin came home from preschool with some “artwork” that said "KooKoo" on the back. Apparently the teacher tried to write "Kevin" and he indignantly insisted "my name is NOT Kevin. I am Koo Koo Bear!" Um, Houston, I think we have a problem. I hope it's one he outgrows. But if not, I beg you not to make fun of my Koo Koo Bear. If you do, prepare for the wrath of his loyal back-up unit because if there's one thing I can say about Scootie, Ciaga, Duckling and MacMac and KooKoo, it's that they stick up for each other... which, I suppose, is at least one thing we’ve gotten right in this hazardous, sleep deprived world of parenting!

Tuesday Tip: Spring Cleaning in January

2012-01-03T08:15:00.000-05:00

Today it's back to school, back to work, back to reality. We had a fantastic week full of fun between Christmas and New Year's; we had enough downtime to play with the puzzles and games that Santa so kindly delivered and enough energy to take on a local hike, a trip to the city and a New Year's Eve visit to the Bronx Zoo. Our week was both busy and relaxing... well, as relaxing as life can be with five kids seven and under. It was so nice to have a break from the daily stresses of work, school, homework and schedules. And, in the midst of it all, we found time to get organized and ready for the year ahead. How? By starting our spring cleaning in January -- which is a great way to not only clear out your cabinets, but clear your mind for the year ahead. Here's how we did it.

Bathroom and linen closet: One day, while the triplets were in the tub and the other two were busy playing with Christmas presents, I aggressively attacked our medicine cabinet and linen closet. Out with the old, in with the new. Out went the expired (and possibly recalled!) bottles of Infant Tylenol and tubes of Neosporin. Out went the old prescriptions -- including some leftover painkillers from when I had the triplets in 2008... if I haven't succumbed to them by now, I think it's safe to say I don't need them! Unfortunately, in my haste, I also threw out one of my husband's current prescriptions but, that's a minor price to pay for the newly cleaned and streamlined shelves. Next item on the agenda: a visit to drugstore.com for some replacements!
Kitchen Cabinets: I was very lucky to receive a slow cooker for Christmas. I imagine that this magical device will somehow solve my ongoing dinner dilemmas... and if it does, I promise to share the magic with you! In the meantime, this hefty new appliance needed a shelf to call home and that precipitated a whirlwind overhaul of our kitchen cabinets. Out went about 50 bibs. (I swear we used them all, sometimes in the span of one day; teething, drooling triplets go through a LOT of bibs!). Out went sippy cups and tupperware with missing lids. Out went random napkins and forks from takeout dinners in addition to broken crayons, dried up markers and playdough and used up sticker books. Yes, all of these things were in our kitchen cabinets. And now they are not. So, my slow cooker now has a place to call home, I know where everything is and, the kids have a newly organized arts & crafts cabinet where coloring books and crayons live in harmony, rather than battling the salad spinner as they were before.
Toys and Bookshelves. During the fall, it seems like Toys R Us opens a satellite store here in the Lyons Den. All five kids have birthdays in October and November and the presents really peak in December, with the arrival of Christmas and Santa's annual bounty. Try as we might to keep things to a minimum, there's still an influx of stuff -- books, toys and puzzles that the kids naturally love but we really don't have the space for. That's why I also attacked our bookshelves and toy chests to cull the clutter and make room for the shiny new things. I enlisted the kids in this task, encouraging them to part ways with the things they've outgrown and create piles -- books for the school's used book sale, toys for a local charity and a big trash bag for the motley collection of trucks without wheels, puzzles without pieces, etc.

In all, it was a monster task but, if you bite it off in little pieces - one room at a time -- it can be done. And I have to say, there is considerable peace of mind that comes with a newly organized linen closet, kitchen and toy chests. It is my hope that this peace of mind will ease my reentry to the chaos of our busy lives and ideally, bring peace and joy all the year through... or, at least until Spring when we will undoubtedly need to do it again!

New Year's Resolutions... or life long ambitions?

2011-12-31T08:57:00.000-05:00

Like many of us, as a New Year dawns, I am prone to make resolutions – promises, both small and grand, that I make to myself to be better, do better, do more. As I look ahead to 2012, I decided to look back to this time last year and share what I wrote at the dawn of 2011. It makes just as much sense now as it did then. And for the record, I survived turning 40 but still long for a weekend away… all of which will make sense after you read this…

This year, as I teeter on the edge of 40 and ponder what 2011 may hold, I’ve decided to rethink my resolutions. I’ve decided that since there’s an undeniable pattern in my annual goals (exercise more, save more money, find time for date nights!), why limit them to a calendar year? Why not think of resolutions as long-term ambitions? Maybe it’s a cop out. Maybe I’m letting myself off the hook by lifting the 12.31.11 deadline but, on the other hand, maybe I’m giving myself the chance to truly be a better person and lead a better life. It is with this hope, intention and optimism in mind that I share with you my goals for 2011… and beyond.

I would like to yell less and listen more. I’d like to really listen, to actually hear what my children and my husband have to say. To take the time to digest and respond to their comments, thoughts and requests with more than my typically breezy “yup, uh-huh, sure” or “what’d ya say, hon?”

I’d like to be more present and less distracted. To live in the moment. To savor the moment. To recognize that it’s not always necessary (or productive!) to fold the laundry while helping with homework and assisting with puzzles and Lego creations. To realize that the homework, puzzles and Legos matter far more than neatly folded towels! To remember that multi-tasking has its limits and ultimately, gets in the way of really listening, being present and living in the moment.

I’d like to be more grateful for what I do have rather than longing for what I do not. I’d like to truly appreciate the little things that matter and stop yearning for the big things that don't. I’d like to start each day with a smile and end it the same way. I’d like to be a better wife and more patient parent. I’d like to instill my children with a sense of confidence in themselves and respect for others.

I’d like to set a good example – something I’m not always prone to do, especially toward the end of the day when I’m as tired and hungry as my five little “Cubs”; I’ve been known to try to outshout them just to be heard and trust me, this doesn’t work. Not to mention, it does nothing for your esteem to know that you’ve stooped to the level of a pre-schooler!

Come to think of it, perhaps I’m resolving to simply stop acting like the many pre-schoolers who inhabit our home. All I need to do is be a better listener, focus on the task at hand and take time to appreciate (rather than sweat!) the small stuff… including, for example, all the arts & crafts projects our little Cubs create. If I’m lucky, this year’s projects will include a few nice birthday cards wishing me a Happy 40th and I'll be perfectly happy with just that. Although, of course, the party and weekend away would be nice too! :)