Lyons Den Mom

A tale of two sisters

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.

Enjoying Snow Day with five little "cubs"

Many of you are probably familiar with the story of the Five Little Ducks and if so, you may know the story has an accompanying song. It’s kind of a catchy tune (I’m ashamed to admit!) and if you know it, you should feel free to hum along to the following adaptation.

To provide a bit of context, the New York metro area had it's first significant snowfall of the year this past weekend. My heart still leaps when I see those first flakes fall -- and then it sinks just a bit when it's time to wrestle five little "cubs" into snow boots, snow pants, jackets, hats and mittens before heading out to enjoy (or perhaps brave) the elements. Truth be told, snow is no fun for kids. At least not for very little ones. Their mittens fall off, their sleds tip over but still we drag them out in the name of fun. And, in some ways, it is. Our experience this weekend went something like this...

Five little cubs went out one day

A good dose of Granny Wisdom

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 must have more... and I, for one, intend to find out! God knows I could use all the help I can get as I juggle the ins and outs and ups and downs of parenthood -- and I'm truly grateful to have my Granny and her doses of wisdom to help show me the way.

Nicknames for kids - decidedly Irish or universally irresistible?

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 scootching, 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.

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

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?”

Christmas with five tots: The good, bad and merry!

In the days leading up to Christmas, people often said things like "It must be great to have all those kids on Christmas!" Or, "Wow, Christmas in your house must really be something!" It is great to have "all those kids" on Christmas (and the other 364 days of the year!) and this year, our Christmas really was something. Something like this.

It started at 5:15AM because little Mac couldn't find his "Wawa" and was wailing like a madman. That smelly, soggy "Wawa", as it turns out, was right underneath him the whole time. With that crisis solved, we sighed, rolled over and said a prayer that we would fall back asleep until sunrise. No such luck.

At 5:30, Liam appeared in our room. You might think he was there because of the excitement of Christmas and anticipation of opening his gifts but alas, that was not the case. As it turned out, the reason for his pre-dawn appearance was a bloody nose. A very bloody nose.