sarah's blog

Well done, mothers! You've made it through another year of child rearing and now you get your reward. No, not the satisfaction of a well-rounded, loving, intelligent, happy child--you get flowers! And brunch! And maybe a sweet little craft, heavy on the glue and glitter. Of course, the small humans doling out the goodies are really the reason for the season. The heart of your heart. The "NO!" to your "But you must…" The apple to your eye. The love to your life. They might not always listen or eat their (or any) vegetables, but they're pretty wonderful. Oh wait, it's not kid's day! It's Mother's Day! Enjoy it moms, because the next day is Monday and you probably have to make lunches.

As the weather warms up we all want to be outside, but I've heard tales of April showers bringing May flowers, so an afternoon at the movies is a good alternative. Summer remains the season for the onslaught of family-friendly movies (steel yourself for Smurfs 2), but there are some options this spring, including dinosaurs from the 1990s and another gem from Studio Ghibli. And check out our list of sensory friendly movie theaters in NJ so that everyone has a chance to enjoy the bounty.

You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.--Pablo Neruda

The cherry blossom petals flutter like the beats of your heart, racing with the expectation of another season. Spring. The one that doesn't let you  forget that it's a fresh start. Brimming with memories of past warm evenings spent around cafe tables, on picnic blankets, in stadium seats, strolling in the city well-past the kids' bedtime, just taking in the heady newness of this, the best season. Fortunately NJ feels the same way, so there are lots of wonderful things to do, like running with your coat off and shedding the winter blahs. And in honor of my dad, who spends winter forlornly waiting for pitchers and catchers to report to spring training: The true harbinger of spring is not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of the bat on the ball.--Bill Veeck

Do you have stacks of stories your kids have drawn for you? Does the spelling in all the thought bubbles make you fear for your child's future? (Maybe that last part is just at my house.) If you have a budding Stan Lee, Hayao Miyazaki or Becky Cloonan, there are loads of classes in New Jersey at great studios and arts centers that will teach your youngster the basics of cartoon, comic book and even picture book illustrations and storytelling. Maybe they'll even learn how to spell 'mwah, ha, ha, ha!!" correctly.

Sometimes you want to go where no one knows your name, but alas, you have to take the kids with you, so why not have some fun! Going away in the winter is a lovely diversion from the routine that seems all the more routine when it’s dark and cold, and I do love the time away with my sweet family, even if I still have to wipe noses and cut up their meat. The conversations are often more lively, the whining more specific, the happy faces more frequent. It’s a good life.