While there is nothing I love more than watching my kids get out and stretch their legs, and run as if they had wings, it is with great sadness that spring break ends, and along with it, that tight familial bond of family time, togetherness and relaxation. The final session of school begins, and spring sports start. With each year, parents seem to dread spring a bit more each year, with some of us call now calling the month of May, with its unrelenting practice and game schedules, the new “December.”

As the weather warms, all of us are itching to get outside…and spring sports seems like the most logical solution to everyone’s needs. Yet, to a family with four active boys, the practice schedules make it almost impossible to provide the basic core elements to creating a healthy lifestyle. Late nights in the car pool can push homework into bedtime, and the balanced meal can mean grabbing unhealthy snacks on the run. To keep kids in top physical condition, they need optimum sleep, exercise and good nutrition.

Absolutely adorable…, I know…

Then, I had the opportunity to listen to Stephanie Hamm, mom to six, and mom to retired American soccer player and U.S. Olympian, Mia Hamm. All of Stephanie’s children played sports. They all had relentless schedules… and yet Stephanie looks back on those practices and games as the “best family time they ever had.” Please check out her inspiring video here. I participated in a conference call and some other mommy bloggers via BlogHer, and many of us were in awe at her enthusiasm, grace and ability to recall how she kept it all together despite the unrelenting practices. Each “strike-out” brought an opportunity to “talk it through and teach their child about values.” The games provided an opportunity for the family to cheer each other on, and build self-esteem. Long hours in hotel rooms were used to build family bonding times. They also watched lots of movies, after having family meetings about what was “appropriate.”

I am in awe of Stephanie Hamm. She inspired me to fill the crock-pot in the morning with all the ingredients for Sloppy Joes, and grabbing a pack of buns and loading the car with all the kids and eating a potluck, tailgate style, with my family at the soccer game’s parking lot.

Yet, in many ways, we have it easier than Stephanie did. For one thing, we know more about how our bodies work, we pay more attention to our health, and understand how critical hydration and fueling is to athletic performance. Fluid losses of as little as 2 percent of body weight (less than 4 pounds in a 200-pound athlete) can impair performance by increasing fatigue. It’s common for some athletes to lose between 5-8 pounds of sweat during a game, so it’s easy for athletes to become dehydrated if they don’t drink enough to replace what is lost in sweat.

To overcome dehydration, we have Gatorade’s G Series, specially designed to provide athletes with the sports nutrition and hydration their body needs before, during and after training and competition. The carbohydrates and electrolytes in sports drinks help refuel muscles and speed re-hydration. Specifically, here’s how the G Series breaks down. (You can find all this information from the research done by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, GSSI):

01 Prime

• Pre-game fuel to help them start stronger.

02 Perform

• Performance hydration to help them last longer.

03 Recover

• Post-game protein to help them recover faster.

The G Series Natural

• Natural ingredients like sea salt, natural flavors and sweeteners.

Today, we understand the importance of nutrition, and the role protein plays in helping kids developing muscle to prevent injuries. The Gatorade Mom website is full of resourceful links to help busy moms incorporate the latest in scientific health research to help our kids. For example, check out this article on Post Workout Protein-Packed Breakfasts on the Gatorade site full of the things kids love.

While I certainly don’t miss the traveling this spring, thanks to the rain, my kids are still finding ways to stretch their legs by heading to the backyard to do some kind of kicking around.

We’ve had our share of basketball games spelling H-O-R-S-E, the soccer ball lands over the neighbor’s fence (almost daily), “ramps” are built along the sidewalk as ramps, and kick ball is always an all-time daily favorite. We may not be heading to the park for our daily dose of exercise this spring, the kids are still running, and Gatorade is keeping us fueled and hydrated.

Like Mia’s mom, I’m sure you’ve come up with some innovate solutions of creating “family time” in the midst of crazy sports schedules. For us, this year, family time came in the form of the rain. So, what are your tips to keep quality family time high, despite the crazy schedules? Leave a comment and you will be entered in a chance to win a $100 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods from BlogHer and Gatorade from 6/1/11 – 6/30/11. Here are the official rules for the contest:

• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry
• methods:
• a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
• b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment
• on this post
• c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on
• this post
• d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about
• an alternate form of entry.
• This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
• You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be
• selected.

You can visit this page for other chances to win.

Yes, this was his first try at poaching, and he ate all three eggs.

In honor of World Egg Day, Friday, October 10, and the inspiration of the Parent Bloggers Network, find a friend and share a circle egg sandwich. Because,

if you give a boy an egg, you’ve fed him for a day; teach him how to crack an egg, and he’s fed for life.

How To Make A Circle Egg Sandwich

You will need:.

• Egg Poacher
• Water
• Eggs
• Salt
• Bread
• Glass for cutting the bread
• Butter

1. Fill the bottom part of the sauce pan with 3 inches of water. Add some salt and vinegar and bring the water to boil.
2. Carefully crack the eggs, and drop them into the egg poaching inserts. You can add a pinch of salt to the eggs.
3. Once the water starts to boil, turn down the heat so that the water is simmering.
   Carefully put the poaching insert on top of the sauce pan of boiling water. Put the lid on so the eggs will cook.
4. We like a firm yolk, so the egg will cook for about four minutes.
5. Meanwhile, use a glass to cut your bread into the shape of a circle.
6. After toasting your circles, you can butter your bread. (Always nice to let the butter pop across the table as you do this.)
7. Lift the cover of the egg poacher, and check to see if the yolk is the way you like it.
8. Use a spoon to gently lift the egg out of the poacher, and slide onto your circle egg toast.
9. Top with the other piece of circle toast and enjoy.

While I relished in this kid-free moment, when I was actually free to boil the water for the pasta without stepping over puzzle pieces scattered all over the floor in the kitchen, my youngest son, 2 1/2, declared that there was a squirrel in the basement.

“Ha,” I thought. What an imagination that boy has. We had large basement windows with deep window wells, and the house sat in a woods; so I assumed he meant he saw a squirrel in the window well… on the outside of the house. Now, don’t laugh — it could have happened; just a week before the boys did see a frog staring at them from the outside through the very same window. It could happen again, I thought. This time, with a squirrel.

I kept stirring and chopping, while he talked about the colors on the squirrel, what he should name the squirrel, and what he would like to eat.

Then, my son asked suspiciously, “Mom, is this squirrel gonna’ bite me?” At that, I quickly laid down my spoon, and ventured down into the basement steps to see my beautiful son sitting on the rug in the basement, face to face with a squirel. Inside, not outside, as I assumed.

I stood speechless, unable to think what to do. I calmly asked both boys to come upstairs to play with me while I cooked, while dialing Dad on the phone, asking “There’s a squirrel in the basement, and what do I do now?”

While I paced around and gabbed on the phone about options, my four-year-old simply grabbed a broom from the closet, and crept back down stairs and started chasing the squirrel with the broom. Stunned, I stopped talking and simply stared at him. Soon, my son had the squirrel cornered, and the squirrel scampered up the steps, where my two year old opened the door, and away the squirrel ran.

Not only do I live in a zoo, but my kids are the zoo keepers.

This story was inspired by the Parent Bloggers Network and Generation Next, announcing their brand-new product – iKnow Animals, Letters & Sounds. Created in partnership with the world-famous San Diego Zoo (where you’ll find Generation Next highlighted on the San Diego Zoo website as a featured partner!), this collection of media uses eye-popping graphics, beautiful music, and engaging video to not only help teach children to read, but actively involve them in helping the animals and the planet.

I settled the shoes in their proper spot in the mudroom, where they’d be ready for their first wet, cold day — aI day I still hope is a long way off in the future. After careful consideration, the boy selected the boots on a day when it is still warm and dry.

To my surprise the boots are already getting some tough use while the weather is still warm. The boots just happen to be the perfect accessory for a good day of light saber action.

These boots; with their waterproof construction, and drawstrings tops are irresistible to any Mom; thankfully, they’re irresistible to little boys too. Special thanks to Vincent Shoes for the boots.

If I had to put my finger on my most valuable, money-saving resource as a Mom, it would have to be our library card. Our family’s first child librarian, Sam, was always quick to set aside books he knew my sons would love. Of course Sam got to know us so well because we did spend quite a bit of time there – sometimes we’d go two times a week for a new pile of “adventures” to plow through. Of course, there was the weekly story times – a built-in playgroup that never leaves your own house dirty. There were the mountains of parenting books, cookbooks and how-to books I’ve devoured — actually books, I still devour. The library has faithfully carried me through each phase of Motherhood.

Children go through a frenzy of fads as they work their way through adulthood. From trains, to Buzz Lightyear and Woody, Batman, Star Wars, and even Madeline, the library has abundantly supplied all the “eye candy” to feed my kids’ curiosity and hunger to know more. The DK books, with their generous diagrams and pictures, have entertained the boys for long stretches of time in the afternoon as they poured over their pages. How awesome that those books never collected dust on my book shelves; because the frenzy for Buzz was all too quickly replaced by an obsession for Pirate Ships. The books are still available at the library, for another child’s obession. If pressed, I don’t think I could put a dollar amount on the books that have passed through our hands at home.

For me, there’s always a movie, a juicy novel, or a magazine to pour over when they kids give me a break. Sometimes, I pinch myself: it’s all free. Still, I do my part to support our local library with our fines — very abundantly.

Of course, you can always pick up some hot blueberries to save your family some money, but be sure to back up your adventure with this great book, Blueberries for Sal.

Still, families need lot of help saving money today. The Parent Bloggers Network is introducing Couponers.com, a tailored on-line coupon service that gives you constant updates for the products you buy the most, at the stores you love the most. Check that site out, and then, grab the kids and head to the library. And, if you’re a blogger, you can join the PBN blog blast too. Thanks PBN, last week, I won $250.

With the constraints of living on a fixed income, and most of her monthly government check heading towards doctors visits, and utilities, life gave Grandma little opportunity to shower her little babies even one gift at Christmas. Because, if you give to one, it’s only fair you give to all. I’m wondering now, how Grandma must have felt to see each child, empty handed, year after year on Christmas and birthdays.

Empty-handed, is probably not an accurate picture. Grandma spent most of her time in her tinny little kitchen making hard-tack candy, popcorn balls, taffy, peanut brittle, thumbprint cookies, and soft butterscotch candies wrapped in waxed paper. The hard-tack candy was the most labor-intensive. The slab of marble, pouring the green, red, yellow hot syrup, and reading that candy thermometer until the temperature was exactly right. And who could forget that little bottle of wintergreen flavoring?

As the youngest of all her grandchildren (not counting the Great Grandchildren), my brother and I seemed to have a soft spot in Grandma’s heart. I know this only because I overheard her, several times, slipping dollars into my Mom’s hands, and say, “get the kids something just from me for Christmas.” (Grandma didn’t drive.) My Mom would always push the money back into Grandma’s hands, as Grandma insisted that Mom “just take it.” As much as I hate to admit it, I’m sure she did that for all of her Grandchildren. Grandma would have loved to have access to the Grandkids Gift Guide, as it would have put so much power in Grandma’s hands, and taken all the guess work out of finding the perfect gift.

Still, Grandma, now that I’ve had time to reflect on what matters most in life, I want you to know that it wasn’t whatever it was Mom picked up at the five-and-dime store, which she and wrapped to put under the tree from you to me. I don’t remember much about whatever toy that could have been. But, your green popcorn balls — those were the best. You made them so big. Their enormous size made it impossible for us to get our teeth around them for one big bite. And the green, that light green color, saturated every single sweet-popped kernel.

Grandma, I know you thought those popcorn balls weren’t enough; that you wanted to give something that we could keep, and hold longer after Christmastide had past. Honestly, Grandma, those popcorn balls that so quickly disappeared in our bellies, is the one gift that I’ve held into my heart for over forty years. Thanks again. Grandma. You gave the best gifts. I miss you, so much.

Hats off to Nabisco for paying attention to what kids really want: the box. A toy comes with the current box of Ritz Crackers; there are no crackers to dig through to find the toy; there are no hazardous leads or plastics, and no choking dangers. Just a simple box that can be transformed into a simple make-it-yourself toy; the kind kids love best.

And kids, be sure to check out the games on the Ritz web site.

Roxanne was also very popular. Especially with the boys. In true, Romeo and Juliet style, Roxanne fell deeply in love with every Mother’s worst nightmare. The town fighter, the town druggie, and the high-school drop-out. I’ll call him, Rocky. Dates, phone calls and visits were strictly forbidden by Roxanne’s mother. This, of course, made the romance all that more exciting. Love always finds a way, and with Roxanne’s brand new car, she drove to his house every day after school, while her Mom was busy at work. Rocky’s Mother saw Roxanne as an elixir of motivation for her son. Roxanne could “turn him around,” the Mom dreamed. This romance was his ticket.

The after-school visits soon turned to overnight ones. How did Roxanne pull those off, you ask? Simple. She simply told her Mom she was at my house. Roxanne’s mother called our house only one time. Not to check up on her daughter, but to simply ask her where she put the cookie sheet. My Mom answered. “No, Roxanne isn’t here, and I haven’t seen her for months,” my Mom honestly said. Roxanne’s mother laughed on the phone, and said, “Well, you certainly don’t know what your daughter is up to, because Roxanne has been spending quite a bit of time at your house with your daughter.” We had a very small house. Roxanne would have been hard to miss. Roxanne’s Mother had a severe case of “Ostrich Parenting.”

You could have put the book, Mama Rock’s Rules: Ten Lessons for Raising a Houseful of Successful Children, into Roxanne’s Mother’s hands, but you could never make her read it. Yet, this book, would have been the perfect straight-talk-about-parenting-advice that Roxanne’s Mother needed to hear. Practical, down-home advice, yet radical to her, that would have put things back in perspective, and put the Mom, the rule-maker, back in the driver’s seat. Rose Rock raised ten kids, and 17 foster children; and she’s proud of every one of them. Roxanne’s Mom could have benefited from Mama Rock’s advice about the role that family meal times serve in parenting:

Once the kids get a full stomach, things loosen up. They not only eat the beans — they spill the beans. Everything would come out at the table, especially the secrets. The higher the comfort level, the more talk came out.

Looking back now, I rarely remember a family meal around the table at Roxanne’s house. They were one of the few families to have one of the early microwaves. A tool that liberated them to eat whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, so they could freely graze whenever they felt like it. This seemed to create an aura of “isolationism” in the family. Everyone was “on their own.” The girls relished this independence.

Roxanne’s family’s loosey-goosey family rules lies in direct contrast to Rose Rock’s household. In her book, Rock outlines her formula for teaching kids what’s expected, and how structure and consequences keep kids feeling secure. Tough-love rules, that will, in the long run, make your job as a parent much easier over the long haul; especially through the teen years.

The whole thing with rules is this: it’s all about responsibility. When you make guidelines, it makes life easier, it manages expectations. Don’t wait! Start early and start them young.

Mama Rock does give advice for starting them young, with an eye toward preparing them to make good decisions for the day when they will be without you. When you run downstairs to the laundry room, tell your little ones that you’ll be gone for a few minutes, and you expect them to stay right here and color in this book. When you come back upstairs and they have done that, praise them. With a wide-open view to her own family-table discussions, Rose reveals that life is never easy as a parent, and we are never prepared for what life throws at us.

I had already become a single parent when I moved with three young children to South Caroline from New York after the death of my husband. Those were hard times, even for the little things. I didn’t know cars didn’t come filled with gas until after Julius died.

This book is not a memoir, although the antidotes tell quite a few stories. This is a parenting manual, that teaches you how to be tough with your kids, but still show them your love. The book is full of wisdom, and humor:

I want to share with you one of the most important things I learned in parenting. NEVER ask a yes or no question, especially when it relates to crime and punishment. Don’t say, for instance, “Did you break that cabinet door?” Forget it; you’ll never find out because the answer will always be no. Nobody knows “nuthin’” ever.

If no one comes forward to discuss a mess, Wait a day or two. Then, let your children think you already know what’s going on. Sit down with the suspected culprit over a bowl of ice cream or have some cookies together — nice and casual. Phrase your question like this: “When you did this… “

I enjoyed this humorous, tough-talk parenting book, which was sent to me via the Parent Bloggers Network, much more than I thought I would. I’ve found myself picking up the book, time and time again, just to hear Rose talk, like a good, old, wise friend. And especially for this advice for the cookie jar:

The cookie jar should be kept at a kid-appropriate level so they can get at them when the time is right. Our cookie jar was not forbidden; it was no big deal. When we said to go ahead and have a few cookies, that’s exactly what they did. No one had to sneak.

What a difference, maybe it would have been for Roxanne, if her Mother had taken the same stance with boys, and not just the cookies. So, what happened to Roxanne? The romance faded, but not until it had done considerable damage to Roxanne’s habits and her reputation. Years later, when Roxanne’s Mom would pass my Mom on the street, she’d stop her and say, “My daughter was at your house that night,and you didn’t know it.” This used to really tick my Mom off.

There’s something about watching a child struggle and finally make it to the top of a slide, a tree, or, in my house, a cabinet, that warms my heart. To watch that spark ignite in their eye when they make up their mind, “I want to get there…”, to watch them struggle and fall many times before they master the physical challeges of the climb, and then to finally make it. How can anyone not cheer for even this tiny little victory they have mastered. Childhood is too short, and the pressures of life come bearing down all too soon on a kid’s world. Climbing is a hard-won victory that teaches kids, “I can handle anything from here.”

I’ve made it no secret here that my boys do indeed, like to climb. But, unlike most boys I know, my boys are very conscious about fashion — what’s in and what’s not. They take great care in picking out their clothes and shoes… even my four year old.

I was asked to order two pairs of summer shoes from the Vincent Shoes,â„¢ website from their new Spring/Summer 2008 line. Vincent is graciously picking up the tab. (Big Thanks!) Vincent shoes were created by Swedish designers Patrick Österman and Thomas Elbaum, after their personal disappointment with the lack of high quality, stylish children’s shoes. The inspiration for the shoe’s designs come from what the pair’s creative eyes see on the runways of Paris, Milan, London and New York. Regardless, of where the fashion inspiration for these shoes came from, my boys were instantly attracted to the tough traction on these shoes. Plus, these shoes come in blue; the traditional Batman color.

As we began our search on the company’s website, and page through pages of shoe selections with my boys on each knee, we stopped when we came to the product description for Oskar:

Oskar has all the elements necessary to grow into a stunt man. He climbs onto the countertops to reach the high cabinets then leaps down without a second thought. If your baseball is knocked out of the park, he’s the first one to scale the fence to get it back. His favorite pastime with friends is horseplay.

Had the shoe designers been reading my blog? How did they know that this is the exact perfect shoe for my boys? We added this one to our shopping cart for the 6-year-old. Still, we had one more pair of shoes to order. There was admittedly, some whining because of course, my 4-year-old felt that his climbing skills warranted Oskar too. His tears soon stopped when he spotted Bobby. As his mother, I like Bobby because, as the website description explains,

“Bobby, is made for small children who need a little more protection for their feet.”

Still, this shoe has the same tough traction super heroes need to scale walls and fences. The shoe is built for speed,

“That playful energy is also why we put a contrasting speed stripe along the side of Bobby – to make them feel like they’re crossing the finish line every time they take off.”

That’s all my son needed to hear to fall in love with Bobby. The website has a sizing sheet, which you print out, and then have your child step on, to see which size you need to order. The shoes arrived within two days. Oskar fit perfectly, with just a bit of room to grow through the summer. However, even though I carefully measured for my 4-year-old, the shoes were way to big. I used the words, “He’s swimming in these shoes.” So, immediately, my son said, “You mean I can swim in these?!”

I called the company’s toll-free number on Friday, 1-877-816-2368, and the representative suggested that I order only one size smaller. “It’s March, and you want these shoes to last through the summer.” While I was on the phone, she had already e-mailed me a return authorization, and a UPS mailing label to send the big pair of shoes back. (Although, it did take some negotiating to get these shoes off my four-year-old’s feet.) The new pair of shoes arrived Tuesday (that fast!). This pair, again is still too big… but it’s April, and I want them to last through the summer. He seems to have no trouble maneuvering around in these “bigger” shoes. And the kid’s got two jobs this summer: to grow and climb.

Yes, these shoes are a slightly higher price point that shoes you will find in most mass-merchandise retail outlets. Keep in mind, though, these shoes are real leather, including a leather foot bed. The leather will stretch and give with your child’s foot over the summer, unlike that cheap vinyl that digs into their precious little porcelain skin. These shoes are rugged and durable, and you probably won’t be running out in August trying to replace a pair of sandals that have broken straps and buckles. That said, these shoes are really a bargain!

To help you out, you can get 20% off all full-price items through April 30. Just use this code, “SPRING-DEAL-8.” Plus, there’s free shipping on all orders over $75. Their handy shoe fitter is easy to use. Or you could also visit their retail stores if you want to try them on first.

This review brought to you courtesy of The Parent Bloggers Network.