Summer

Although I love spending time with my girls, one of the best presents I received on Mother’s Day was two hours of mindless Facebooking, chick-lit reading, and chai latte sipping - thank you, Putt-Putt! My husband took the girls to mini-golf while Mommy got to relax. New Jersey has 53, that’s right, fifty-three courses but since we're pretty sure we're raising the next Michelle Wie, we’ve been exploring the bounty and are highlighting the best miniature golf and kid-friendly driving ranges we’ve found.

By now, many of you have probably organized your summer with military precision. I know I have. We have this much camp and that much vacation and this much time to annoy one another and that much time to drag ourselves around town to various sprinklers. It's all mapped out. Even still, sometimes it's nice to just get away, semi-spontaneously, for a few days of family fun without having to drive very far. New Jersey and the surrounding area offer several weekend destinations ranging from waterparks to pig farms to NJ's many beaches. Enjoy the backseat conversations and wave-jumping squeals, because my brand of nostalgia dictates that I remind you, autumn will be here before you know it. Soak up the sunshine! 

It always amazes me that my 2 ½ year old daughter has a schedule that’s often more booked up than mine! Between preschool, ballet class, storytime at the local library and a few playdates sprinkled in, we’ve got a busy little toddler on our hands! And while my husband and I believe in the importance of kids having time to just be kids, I must say she really does love and look forward to her weekly activities.

As the school year begins to wind down, I’ve started to think about what the summer holds. Last year, Di was content to just swing and slide at the local playground, but I have a feeling she’s going to need a LOT more structure and exercise come this June. As I began my research on New Jersey summer camps, I noticed that many programs were geared towards “older” kids – 6 and up. While some may have an age limit that stretches down to include toddlers and preschoolers, a part of me worried that Diana would get lost in the shuffle. But after doing some digging and getting advice from trusted mom friends, I’ve found some wonderful day camps that are just for our little ones and their specific needs.

When you're living with a future zookeeper/artist/paleontologist/restaurant owner, almost all your excursions turn into research trips. Fortunately, my son's current passion for zoos can be easily indulged with a trip to the Cape May County Zoo. We've gone three times this year, and I'm confident more trips are in our future. I'm sure you're thinking, "Wow. They must have a lot of money if they can afford to attend the zoo that often." Want to know our secret? The reason we can indulge our future zookeeper so easily is that admission to the Cape May County Zoo is 100% free! Although the zoo is primarily funded by the county, donations are critical to its survival and growth. We usually donate at least $20 on each visit but, if money is tight, you can enjoy the zoo for free. As my husband says "Zoo for the price of none." (OK...that was a bad pun. We'll leave him out of the rest of the story.)

So, your kids are longing for swimsuits, sprinklers and slides. Well, now you can make their dreams come true, whether the weather is cooperating or not. Load up the iPod, the towels and the kids and take a short road trip to newly opened Sahara Sam’s Oasis in West Berlin, New Jersey. This indoor water park is less than two hrs from NYC and the 286,000 gallons of water keep 11 rides and tons of kids wet and wildly entertained, rain or shine!

We traveled with four parents; and three boys and three girls aging from 2-8 yrs old, so believe me, the place was well-tested. The kids were awed into silence (SILENCE, I SAY ) as we stepped through the door. But after those two seconds, they immediately got busy. Favorites?