Last week I had the good fortune to organize a girls night out with a bunch of local moms. Some I knew, some I didn’t and all seemed to have the same question: “Tell us about a typical day. What is it really like with all of those kids?”
One reply would be that there is nothing “typical” about any day in the Lyons Den. While routine reigns supreme, much like our rules, our routines are quite often broken. We do our best to just roll with it -- something that does not come naturally to me! With that in mind, here’s a glimpse into a recent day… let’s call it Tuesday… a Tuesday when the sitter and I both had the day off from work and I was the full-time LyonsDenMOM that I love to be!
5:45AM Wake up. Reluctantly drag sluggish self out of bed, bundle up for run, stagger to turn on coffee pot on way out.
6:00 AM Meet friends for cold, dark, icy morning run.
6:45 AM Return home feeling great and ready for the day ahead. Unload dishwasher, consume large cup of coffee.
7:00 AM Drag 1st grader out of bed. Poke, prod, prompt him to get dressed, eat breakfast , brush teeth, comb hair and bolt for bus.
7:30 AM Put boy on bus; take dog for walk.
8:10 AM Return from dog walk. Peek in at Princess PreSchooler; urge her to get up and get dressed
8:15 AM Greet boys bouncing in cribs. Literally. Two year old triplets are catching air as they greet me enthusiastically and in unison alternating between “How are you today?!” and “GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!”
8:30 AM Husband leaves. Early. Thought he was going to drop off Princess PreSchool but he can’t. Panic. Only have a half hour to get four kids fed and dressed and out the door!
9:15 AM Missed the deadline. Drop the Princess off. Late. Again.
9:30 AM Back home. Cubs still need breakfast and are due at “Stepping Stones” in fifteen minutes. Devise a quick game of “Pass the Banana” to get some nutrition in them before bolting out the door again.
9:45 AM Cubs class starts.
10:00 AM We arrive. Hang three coats, gather three hats and six mittens. Wash six hands. I depart amid sweet protests of “No Go Mama!"
10:10 AM Home. House looks like a tornado went through it. Time to make beds, tidy cribs, clean kitchen, thrown in laundry and take a shower.
11:35 AM No time for shower. Again. Arrive to pick up Cubs (5 minutes late); wrestle them into hats, coats and mittens; begin walk to pick up Princess PreSchool. Realize we will never make there on time. Again.
11:55 AM Shortcut turns into long-cut due to ice and snow. Barely survive nature’s slip & slide as I make three trips to get triplets up and over snow bank. Thankfully, Princess PreSchool and her teachers are forgiving as we literally slide in the door. Late. Again.
12:00 PM Sun is shining, kids are bundled up, this Mom is feeling game and decides for some outside playtime before stopping for pizza on way home.
12:30 PM Pizza and juice boxes followed by the resistance and rebelliousness one might expect from a trio of tired two year olds and their feisty four year old sister.
1:15 PM Head home. Ten minute walk turns into 45 minute crawl with avid attention given to Con Ed workers, snow plows, dump trucks, even delivery trucks. My curious Cubs stop to take it all in. Tedious, yes, but so far this still beats a day in the office!
2:00 PM Home at last. Already well past nap time. Need to quickly bathe triplets and tuck them in so I can bolt back to bus stop for 2:30 pick up. I can’t be late; if I’m not there, they will return my 1st grader to school and that would really screw up my afternoon!
2:35 PM 1st grader flies off bus and into my arms with a huge grin. I love this day.
2:45 PM 1st grader and Princess PreSchooler brawling as triplets scream from cribs. I hate this day.
3:00 PM Snack time for “big kids” as I sort mail and consider what to do for dinner. Roast chickens (yep, we need two of ‘em!) sound good. Plan to put them in at 4:00.
3:15 PM Can’t stand the bickering anymore. Turn TV on and sort through hurricane of hand-me-downs as big kids absorb mindless drivel courtesy of Yo Gabba Gabba and Wow Wow Wubzy. Who comes up with this stuff?!
4:30 PM OMG! How is it 4:30?! Why are there piles of clothes (2T, 3T, 5T Girls!) covering every surface of my living room?! What about the chickens? We’re supposed to eat at 6:00! Must put chickens in oven NOW!!
5:18 PM Chickens are in. Took longer than expected. Big kids finishing another snack. Little kids up from nap; angry and demanding “GET ME OUT OF HERE!” They no longer ask “How are you today?!”
5:20 PM Bath time for big kids; diaper change for little guys. All are singing and jolly now. I love this day.
6:00 PM Chickens not done, five kids hungry and screaming. I am exhausted, aching and ready to tear my hair out. I hate this day!
7:00 PM Feed kids cooked bits of chicken as they polish off another gallon of milk. They tell Dad about playing “Pass the Banana”, going out for pizza and how cool it was to see me at the bus stop. I love this day.
So, that’s it! Nothing "typical" about it beyond the prevailing chaos and frequent ups and downs that I’m sure are familiar to most moms. As for me, well, I admit that sometimes it's a break to go to work but, I relish my time at home and truly do love these days.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Nothing beats a happy kid
Today I thought I’d share a simple little picture; it's a Liam Lyons original and as far as I’m concerned, it says it all:
As parents, we feel so much pressure to push our children to achieve, to do, to excel… and if you ask me, it starts at a frightfully early age. Liam is only six and we’re feeling it already… the pressure to sign up for every sport under the sun, to take music lessons, to get good grades, and so on and so forth. For crying out loud, he just turned six!
Does it really matter if he masters dribbling, plays the violin and gets “4s” (that's the best you can get in first grade) in everything? I feel like we've lost sight of what’s really important. Generally speaking, we've forgotten that all we really need – or should hope – for our kids is for them to be happy. As far as I can recall, childhood is supposed to be a happy time, right? Because if not then, when? If you can't summon up some simple joie de vivre when you're a kid -- perhaps because you're too busy being shuttled from playdate to music lessons to sports practice -- how ever will you find happiness when you're faced with a mortgage and bills to pay?! I say happiness starts early and it's up to us as parents to nurture it and keep it growing.
Right now, I’m feeling pretty good that at least one of my kids has made the declarative statement (and accompanying self portrait!) that he is indeed happy. I hope he stays that way; it’s what I hope for all of our little Lyons Cubs. Happiness. Plain and simple.
I also hope that I don’t get swept up in the madness, as I know I’m prone to do; I hope that when my kids are feeling the pressure and being pushed and pulled and shuttled about, that I remember to pause, take stock, and assess how they are really feeling. That I remember at the end of the day, the most any of us can hope to achieve, to do, to excel in is happiness. Plain and simple.
As parents, we feel so much pressure to push our children to achieve, to do, to excel… and if you ask me, it starts at a frightfully early age. Liam is only six and we’re feeling it already… the pressure to sign up for every sport under the sun, to take music lessons, to get good grades, and so on and so forth. For crying out loud, he just turned six!
Does it really matter if he masters dribbling, plays the violin and gets “4s” (that's the best you can get in first grade) in everything? I feel like we've lost sight of what’s really important. Generally speaking, we've forgotten that all we really need – or should hope – for our kids is for them to be happy. As far as I can recall, childhood is supposed to be a happy time, right? Because if not then, when? If you can't summon up some simple joie de vivre when you're a kid -- perhaps because you're too busy being shuttled from playdate to music lessons to sports practice -- how ever will you find happiness when you're faced with a mortgage and bills to pay?! I say happiness starts early and it's up to us as parents to nurture it and keep it growing.
Right now, I’m feeling pretty good that at least one of my kids has made the declarative statement (and accompanying self portrait!) that he is indeed happy. I hope he stays that way; it’s what I hope for all of our little Lyons Cubs. Happiness. Plain and simple.
I also hope that I don’t get swept up in the madness, as I know I’m prone to do; I hope that when my kids are feeling the pressure and being pushed and pulled and shuttled about, that I remember to pause, take stock, and assess how they are really feeling. That I remember at the end of the day, the most any of us can hope to achieve, to do, to excel in is happiness. Plain and simple.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
A Slow Saturday = A Stroll Down Memory Lane
Last Saturday we did something we rarely do: nothing. There were no birthday parties, no sporting events, no family obligations and no errands that couldn’t wait for another day. As we lounged around our living room, something high up on the bookshelf caught my eye. It was my baby album and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to share it with my kids.
They had a hard time believing I was ever so small and I had a hard time believing my Mom had committed so much time and energy to putting this album together. In addition to all the expected inputs (locks from my first haircut, pictures of my first bath, first Christmas and, alarmingly enough, at ten months, my first beer!), it also has some unexpected inclusions.
For starters, this album commemorates far more than my first year, or even my first few years; it chronicles the meaningful moments of my life until “September 1984: 13 years old: 5 feet, 1 ½ inches; 86 pounds.” I imagine the documentation stops after this because I was driving my mother crazy and my antics were better not memorialized! In any case, my Mom meticulously tracked my birthdays, Christmases, my growth and my “medical history” with some interesting notations including “January 1978: the flu, I think!” and “November 1978: Impetigo (UGH!).”
The majority of my accomplishments are captured, ranging from “January 31, 1972: Kerry rolled from her stomach to her back, and was very pleased with herself” to “June 10, 1976: Kerry graduated from kindergarten. It was so enjoyable for us to see — she had the only feature part in the ceremony.” Of note, I was the valedictorian of my kindergarten class; sadly, I peaked too early as that was an honor never to be repeated!
As we strolled down the memory lane of my childhood, my kids were fascinated… the matching outfits and funny hair-dos left all of our little Lyons Cubs longing for more. And so it was that another hour passed swiftly by as I showed them our wedding album, my husband supplied the narrative for our honeymoon album and last but not least, we stumbled upon an album entitled “Ireland: Summer 2000.”
This was the year that Des and I met and this was our first big vacation together. I’d flown to Dublin to meet him after he completed a continuing legal education class at Trinity. In the course of just five days and four nights, we hit a handful of pubs in Dublin, strolled the beach in Bray, made a pit stop in Wexford, visited the Lyons family origins in Cork, watched the sunset in Kinsale, kissed the Blarney Stone and, needless to say, each other! It was a fairy tale trip during a fairy tale time in our lives… young and in love, with no worries, few obligations, boundless energy and no idea that ten years later, we’d have five little Lyons of our own.
Reliving those memories as our kids rolled around the couch like the little Cubs they are was the best possible way to spend a Saturday afternoon. It also renewed my commitment to keep up with photo albums and memorializing the moments that matter most… like when Liam leaps into my arms on the rare day I can actually be home to meet him at the school bus. Or the way that Ciara will crawl into my lap and tell ME that everything will be ok on the days I have my doubts. Or the way that Declan jumps up and down in his crib, Cormac asks “how ARE you today?!” or Kevin sweetly requests an “Uppie Mama.”
I might not – ok, I definitely won’t! – chronicle each of my five kids height and weight and, truth be told, I’ve had to fudge the answer to when Liam and Ciara first walked and rolled over on their pre-school forms because I honestly don’t have a clue! But, thanks to the tradition my Mom started, I have a newfound appreciation for these little moments that matter most -- like simply doing nothing at all on an occasional Saturday afternoon.
They had a hard time believing I was ever so small and I had a hard time believing my Mom had committed so much time and energy to putting this album together. In addition to all the expected inputs (locks from my first haircut, pictures of my first bath, first Christmas and, alarmingly enough, at ten months, my first beer!), it also has some unexpected inclusions.
For starters, this album commemorates far more than my first year, or even my first few years; it chronicles the meaningful moments of my life until “September 1984: 13 years old: 5 feet, 1 ½ inches; 86 pounds.” I imagine the documentation stops after this because I was driving my mother crazy and my antics were better not memorialized! In any case, my Mom meticulously tracked my birthdays, Christmases, my growth and my “medical history” with some interesting notations including “January 1978: the flu, I think!” and “November 1978: Impetigo (UGH!).”
The majority of my accomplishments are captured, ranging from “January 31, 1972: Kerry rolled from her stomach to her back, and was very pleased with herself” to “June 10, 1976: Kerry graduated from kindergarten. It was so enjoyable for us to see — she had the only feature part in the ceremony.” Of note, I was the valedictorian of my kindergarten class; sadly, I peaked too early as that was an honor never to be repeated!
As we strolled down the memory lane of my childhood, my kids were fascinated… the matching outfits and funny hair-dos left all of our little Lyons Cubs longing for more. And so it was that another hour passed swiftly by as I showed them our wedding album, my husband supplied the narrative for our honeymoon album and last but not least, we stumbled upon an album entitled “Ireland: Summer 2000.”
This was the year that Des and I met and this was our first big vacation together. I’d flown to Dublin to meet him after he completed a continuing legal education class at Trinity. In the course of just five days and four nights, we hit a handful of pubs in Dublin, strolled the beach in Bray, made a pit stop in Wexford, visited the Lyons family origins in Cork, watched the sunset in Kinsale, kissed the Blarney Stone and, needless to say, each other! It was a fairy tale trip during a fairy tale time in our lives… young and in love, with no worries, few obligations, boundless energy and no idea that ten years later, we’d have five little Lyons of our own.
Reliving those memories as our kids rolled around the couch like the little Cubs they are was the best possible way to spend a Saturday afternoon. It also renewed my commitment to keep up with photo albums and memorializing the moments that matter most… like when Liam leaps into my arms on the rare day I can actually be home to meet him at the school bus. Or the way that Ciara will crawl into my lap and tell ME that everything will be ok on the days I have my doubts. Or the way that Declan jumps up and down in his crib, Cormac asks “how ARE you today?!” or Kevin sweetly requests an “Uppie Mama.”
I might not – ok, I definitely won’t! – chronicle each of my five kids height and weight and, truth be told, I’ve had to fudge the answer to when Liam and Ciara first walked and rolled over on their pre-school forms because I honestly don’t have a clue! But, thanks to the tradition my Mom started, I have a newfound appreciation for these little moments that matter most -- like simply doing nothing at all on an occasional Saturday afternoon.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Tales from San Franciso: Part 3: Road Trips!
After traveling across the country to spend the week between Christmas and New Year's with my sister and her family in San Francisco, we might have been content to just stick close to (their) home and take in all the city has to offer... because, let's face it, there is a lot to offer! From cable cars and farmers markets to Golden Gate Park and the Academy of Sciences, San Francisco offers more than any family could possibly absorb in less than a week's time. Why then, would we venture beyond city limits? Perhaps to see this...
Or this...
Or this:
Bodega Bay, Healdsburg and Half Moon Bay were highlights of our trip and would have missed if we didn't pile into our Swagger Wagon and hit the road.
We were able to hit Bodega Bay and Healdsburg in a day. The drive north from San Francisco to Bodega Bay takes about an hour and we timed it well with a post-lunch departure that had four of our five tykes lulled into a nap just as the Golden Gate Bridge disappeared in the distance. Before we knew it, the six lane highway became a two-lane road lined with cows, sheeps, green pastures and more striking landscape beyond each corner. It was a stunning drive that landed us on the edge of the Pacific with dramatic cliffs and plenty of places for the kids to play.
We left the beach to head for wine country -- admittedly, not a destination that most folks would consider with baby on board... or, in our case, with a total of six kids six and under (counting my one year old nephew!)... but, we were so close that we just couldn't resist. The hour's drive inland to Healdsburg offered another napping opportunity for the majority of our half-pint passengers. While we didn't take in the tours and tastings one associates with Sonoma, we did do a bit of window-shopping and have a great dinner at the Healdsburg Bar & Grill (http://www.healdsburgbarandgrill.com/). The waitstaff was visibly alarmed when we requested a table for ten that required four high-chairs and had only four adults but, thanks to their generous supply of crayons and french fries and our ample supply of clementines, goldfish and sippy cups, a good time was had by all.
Our next road trip took us about an hour south of the city to Half Moon Bay -- another dramatic drive that was motivated by the desire to spend a portion of the day strolling along the beach. Given the gale force winds, it didn't quite work out that way...
It was all we could do to keep the triplets from blowing off the cliffs as we fought our way along the scenic path and against the 60 mph winds. Needless to say, our walk was cut short but our day was far from a loss as we enjoyed one of the best meals we had at the famous Sam's Chowder House (http://www.samschowderhouse.com/). I admit, it was kind of weird to be enjoying an "Authentic New England style seafood experience with Pacific Ocean views" given that we're quite accustomed to such an experience with Atlantic Ocean views but, it was great nonetheless, as this smiling face will attest:
Or this...
Or this:
Bodega Bay, Healdsburg and Half Moon Bay were highlights of our trip and would have missed if we didn't pile into our Swagger Wagon and hit the road.
We were able to hit Bodega Bay and Healdsburg in a day. The drive north from San Francisco to Bodega Bay takes about an hour and we timed it well with a post-lunch departure that had four of our five tykes lulled into a nap just as the Golden Gate Bridge disappeared in the distance. Before we knew it, the six lane highway became a two-lane road lined with cows, sheeps, green pastures and more striking landscape beyond each corner. It was a stunning drive that landed us on the edge of the Pacific with dramatic cliffs and plenty of places for the kids to play.
We left the beach to head for wine country -- admittedly, not a destination that most folks would consider with baby on board... or, in our case, with a total of six kids six and under (counting my one year old nephew!)... but, we were so close that we just couldn't resist. The hour's drive inland to Healdsburg offered another napping opportunity for the majority of our half-pint passengers. While we didn't take in the tours and tastings one associates with Sonoma, we did do a bit of window-shopping and have a great dinner at the Healdsburg Bar & Grill (http://www.healdsburgbarandgrill.com/). The waitstaff was visibly alarmed when we requested a table for ten that required four high-chairs and had only four adults but, thanks to their generous supply of crayons and french fries and our ample supply of clementines, goldfish and sippy cups, a good time was had by all.
Our next road trip took us about an hour south of the city to Half Moon Bay -- another dramatic drive that was motivated by the desire to spend a portion of the day strolling along the beach. Given the gale force winds, it didn't quite work out that way...
It was all we could do to keep the triplets from blowing off the cliffs as we fought our way along the scenic path and against the 60 mph winds. Needless to say, our walk was cut short but our day was far from a loss as we enjoyed one of the best meals we had at the famous Sam's Chowder House (http://www.samschowderhouse.com/). I admit, it was kind of weird to be enjoying an "Authentic New England style seafood experience with Pacific Ocean views" given that we're quite accustomed to such an experience with Atlantic Ocean views but, it was great nonetheless, as this smiling face will attest:
As I look back at the pictures, it's hard to believe that we lugged all our "Cubs" so far from home, had such fun-filled, action-packed days, and spent six nights with six kids and four adults in my sister's two-bedroom apartment! We did it though. Despite the many nay-sayers and skeptics, we made it there, had a stellar time and made it safely back home. And, I'd do it again in a hearbeat. If my sister is reading this, please don't panic -- though I'd love to, we're not making an imminent return trip. That said, if you happen to live in Ireland or Scotland, consider yourself warned... you just might be the next stop for the Lyons Family Circus circa Summer 2011...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tales from San Francisco: Part 2: Kid-Friendly City Outings
Our oversized sense of adventure took us to San Francisco to visit my sister and her family for the week between Christmas and New Year's. After roughly 36 hours of celebrating Christmas, we popped our five kids on a plane for six day stay in my sister's two bedroom apartment. As my Dad so eloquently put it, "Well Ker, I'm sure it will be quite an experience." And indeed it was!
We survived the six hour flight with very few hiccups; we sailed through security (who else would be traveling at 8:00 on Christmas night?), changed the kids into their PJs before boarding (much to the horror of our fellow travelers in the Continental lounge that night - sorry folks and really, I swear, there was nothing but pee in those diapers I tossed in the pail on my way out!), caught a few z's while inflight (thank you to our Christmas angel who let Ciara sleep on her lap!) and even found our luggage when we landed (God knows they better get your bag there if they're going to charge you $25 for it!).
With our bags and sense of adventure in tact, we were ready to see all San Francisco had to offer and, while we most certainly didn't do it all, I thought I'd share a few highlights that anyone heading to San Francisco with tots on board shouldn't miss:
The Discovery Musuem (http://www.baykidsmuseum.org/), located in Fort Baker just over the Golden Gate Bridge, was another day out that did not disappoint. There was an interactive, hands-on playroom for the toddler set while the "big kids" were happy outside on the pirate playground. There were more exhibits than we had time to take in but you could spend a whole day here if you wanted to... especially since the cafe had moderately priced, majorly tasty organic entrees for lunch and the views were simply stunning.
We survived the six hour flight with very few hiccups; we sailed through security (who else would be traveling at 8:00 on Christmas night?), changed the kids into their PJs before boarding (much to the horror of our fellow travelers in the Continental lounge that night - sorry folks and really, I swear, there was nothing but pee in those diapers I tossed in the pail on my way out!), caught a few z's while inflight (thank you to our Christmas angel who let Ciara sleep on her lap!) and even found our luggage when we landed (God knows they better get your bag there if they're going to charge you $25 for it!).
With our bags and sense of adventure in tact, we were ready to see all San Francisco had to offer and, while we most certainly didn't do it all, I thought I'd share a few highlights that anyone heading to San Francisco with tots on board shouldn't miss:
Fisherman's Wharf. Sure it's cheesy and touristy but hell, when you're making the rounds with five kids in a city that's not your own, why not be a cheesy tourist?! When we woke up to the shining sun on Day One, we hit the streets -- quite possibly looking more like a Stroller Strides class than a family on vacation! In any case, we had a great morning that included a walk through Fort Mason and a romp on the beach. We had a great lunch at Boudin Bakery (http://www.boudinbakery.com/) followed by a personal necessity pitstop... you guessed it, potty break! As I've mentioned in prior posts, hotels make for the perfect rest area and should you ever find yourself in the area and needing to change a diaper (or two or three!), visit The Argonaut Hotel (http://www.argonauthotel.com/) -- we took turns on diaper duty and warming our hands by the fire, all the while pretening to be guests... which I one day aspire to be!
With the potty break behind us, we did what any tourist in close proximity would do and walked over to Pier 39, where the sea lions did not disappoint and held the tots rapt attention for longer than any Baby Einstein video ever could!
The San Francisco Zoo (www.sfzoo.org) is sure to be a crowd pleaser and is a great way to spend a day... or half a day, at least! Located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, you can hear the waves crashing from the parking lot and feel the ocean breeze (or, gale force winds, depending on the day!) as you wander past Madagascar-worthy lemurs and kid-pleasing penguins, giraffes and lions -- try to catch the feedings if you can!
Stay tuned for Part 3: Road Trips! Yes, it's true... after a 3,000 mile flight and with only five true days in San Francisco, we did spend two of them on the road... I mentioned our sense of adventure, right? More to follow!
The Discovery Musuem (http://www.baykidsmuseum.org/), located in Fort Baker just over the Golden Gate Bridge, was another day out that did not disappoint. There was an interactive, hands-on playroom for the toddler set while the "big kids" were happy outside on the pirate playground. There were more exhibits than we had time to take in but you could spend a whole day here if you wanted to... especially since the cafe had moderately priced, majorly tasty organic entrees for lunch and the views were simply stunning.
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