I'm the mom who shows up at the park at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning with her hair pulled back, barely a smear of lipstick, still wearing last night's PJs/yoga pants. While I'm constantly tired and completely honest about how exhausting it is to have children, I'm also the first one down the sliding board and the last one to leave the park. Becoming a mother didn't change my life, it turned it completely upside down. No one told me how hard it would be to raise children . . . or at least if anyone told me, I certainly did not listen.
With two children under the age of two, I've only recently had the chance to sit back, relax and think about my approach to parenting. Here are some of the lessons I've learned so far.
1. Dirt, rocks and puddles are here on this earth as amusements for your children. When you realize this, you will finally stop obsessing about keeping their new shoes clean and you will no longer continuously ask, “What's that in your mouth?” Just know it's a rock and move on.
2. Diaper changes are wrestling matches. Saying, “Stop squirming” or “Stay still” will not make any difference in the world. The more upset you get, the more they wiggle and laugh.
3. You will never get enough sleep. Complaining about it does not change this fact.
4. The mothers who respond to your statements about your child learning to crawl, walk, talk, etc. with comebacks about how their child did it two months earlier than yours should be banished from all social interactions. The only correct replies to statements about a developmental milestone would be, “Your child is so wonderful,” “Your child is so advanced,” or “I'm so impressed by your child.”
5. Having an extensive, written list of things to do with your children will keep you motivated and help eliminate the boredom of repetition.
This last lesson has been the cornerstone of peace and happiness around our house for the last five months. Every weeknight and weekend, we know that we have a million places to go and tons of things to do to keep everyone interested and stimulated. Now, I'm a Mommy on a Mission . . . out, exploring what the Lehigh Valley has to offer a young mother and her little ones. As a result of our new adventures, you can plan on adding a few new activities to your “Mommy knows best” repertoire of fun and exciting places to go with your kids in the Lehigh Valley. So catch up with me in the blogosphere, get motivated, share ideas, give some feedback, and prepare to laugh as we celebrate and lament the highs and lows of being a mother with too much to do and too few ideas of where to go and do it.
You know the trap. The weekend comes, you don't have anything planned, and you revert back to the same indoor play—books and videos. The Lehigh Valley is an exciting, fun place for children and their parents. You just need to know where to start.
First off, there are the free places to go and explore. When I was a child, parks had two things: a swing and a sliding board. Today, every township in the Valley has invested obscene amounts of money into nature trails, rail trails, walking paths, soccer parks, swings and playgrounds. Get out and explore these parks so you can have a listing of two to three favorites that serve as quick outings. If you always keep a blanket, two towels to wipe off the slides, wipes, diapers and bottled water in your car, you'll always be ready for the park. One of our favorite Saturday morning destinations is the Upper Saucon Park and Rail Trail. This park works well for adventurous climbers as well as novice 2-year-olds just learning to navigate the higher elevations. The greatest park for tiny walkers is right behind Links Beverages in Coopersburg. It's isolated, super clean, well-maintained and safe for the tiniest of walkers to explore and climb.
The Little Lehigh Trout Nursery on Fish Hatchery Road near I-78 is another great standby destination, completely free to the public and regularly changing. The tranquil tanks team with trout of all sizes. If you take a dollar with you, you can buy a bag of fish food to feed the fish. Try not to go on excessively sunny days or completely overcast days because it's hard to see the fish during these weather conditions. Since you'll already be in the area, stop by Trexler Park with a bag of bread and feed the ducks and geese before taking a lap on their one-mile walking loop. Taking a wagon instead of a stroller changes the view for stroller-weary toddlers.
Quite easily one of the best free attractions in the Valley is the Pop-Jet Fountain at The Promenade Shops' Town Square. Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October, kids of all ages and sizes can be seen romping through the water streams. It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, close to many destinations in the Valley, and close to multiple food options so you can combine lunch and playtime.
Take a moment to explore your child's interests. My son has developed a fascination with helicopters and airplanes. While the airport is a great stop for occasional plane-watching, we've recently become obsessed with the BUC-LE Aero Sportsmen Field in Quakertown on the corners of Rosenberger and Kumry Roads. You have to visit their website to know when they are planning to fly, but spectators are always welcome in their observation area. Pack some snacks and make a picnic out of it.
Beyond free options, multiple businesses have grown up in the Lehigh Valley with the sole desire to entertain children. When we first heard about BounceU, we couldn't believe that someone had come up with this very simple, ingenious idea. All the excitement and simplicity of blow up carnival bounce castles and slides are indoors in one super-clean location. Check out their website for hours at their Allentown and Bethlehem locations. For $7.95 your child will bounce, run, slide and play for 60 minutes. Truth be told, at 35 years old, I have as much fun there as my children. Our son has yet to stay awake for the nine-mile ride home.
While it was merely a game preserve when we were children, don't forget to visit the renamed and expanded Lehigh Valley Zoo. The Zoo regularly hosts exciting new exhibits while still keeping the classic otter and penguin pools. It is open year-round and offers low cost admission: adult tickets are $10.75 each and kids are $8.75 for ages two to 11. Consider saving money over the long term and become a zoo supporter through a family membership for $95. View their event calendar for their full listing of coming activities, including an adult-oriented Octoberfest (Yes, they will serve beer!).
The next rainy weekend we encounter, consider taking your kids to the model train exhibit at Merchants Square Mall. While the mall and it's location may be off your beaten path, it's a great one-time stop to show your kids this tiny village of skiers, carnival goers, trains, subways and busy little townspeople. With more than 18,000 feet of track, 40 trains and a thunderstorm, night turns into day across this small town where everything seems as big as life. Hours are limited so be sure to be on time for the next show, on the hour and every half hour, Fridays 12:30 to 7:30 p.m., Saturdays 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Feel free to email me your comments and feedback at kirawright@verizon.net. I'd love to hear more about what other adventurous mothers are doing with their time in the Lehigh Valley. And remember, the next time you see the haggard mother at the park with little ones in tow, don't judge her. At least she's out there, on the move and making sure her kids experience the world, one small adventure at a time.
