Happy Birthday National Parks

National parks are the best!

People often ask me to name one effective government program. I could name dozens. After this week I could tell

you absolutely what one of my favorites is: National Parks! I think this is one of the best ideas we the people of

United States ever had.

Our family spent last week in Acadia National Park. To say it is beautiful is a massive understatement. Pine tree

shore lines, mountainous hikes, sandy beaches, miles and miles of carriage trails (no cars--just walking, biking or

equestrian), oceanside views, gorgeous cliffs jutting into the Atlantic Ocean and large freshwater lakes; it is an

amazing place!

I'm so grateful it is available for everyone to visit. It made me reflect on all the years we have been visiting National

Parks. We have visited National Parks from one side of the country to another. And yes, we have done the Junior

Ranger program in many of them :) Not only are the National Parks beautiful, they offer a sense of history. I love

how the park rangers are so passionate about what they do. My children and I have been inspired talking to

archaeologists at Jamestown, naturalists in Yellowstone, historians in Boston, and dedicated volunteers and

Rangers across the country.

What if Wilson and Roosevelt and others hadn't had the insight and vision to preserve these places as national

treasures? Think if the parks were exploited for commercial gain. Who would want to see Old Faithful "Brought to

you by Taco Bell!"? Beautiful views of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon "Made possible by your friends at

Verizon!" As if the places would even exist! More likely they would've been purchased by oligarchs who developed

private residences thus denying public access to our greatest spaces. There is no question that the Rockefeller's

and others helped make possible preserving some of these places.The fact that they are controlled by the federal

government and held in public trust is a blessing for all of us.

Next year is the one hundredth anniversary of the National Park system. Our family is planning a trip to Yosemite.

What National Park will you go see?

"Are all these your kids?"

Without exception the number one question we get while traveling is: "Are all those kids yours?!" We have been asked this question in hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, national parks, grocery stores, planes, trains, the mall, the parking lot, the sidewalk, you get the picture.

I don’t know why people think they should ask this question or what response they think I will give:

"No these are not on my children. We run a mobile daycare for kids who look like us."

"Of course not! No fool would have five children in 10 years!"

"We take disadvantaged kids to public places for fun, duh.”

"Heavens no two of them are my kids two of them are her kids and we borrowed one from a neighbor. We thought it would be would be fun to take all five of them to ice cream."

Or maybe,

"We lost a bet."

I know there are families much larger than ours. However, I admit we do look like a middle school field trip whenever we go out. Some people seem to have disdain that we would have so many children. Others just find it interesting in sort of a carnival-sideshow away. We even overheard two people at a dinner party say when they heard we had five children "Can you imagine?"

Like comedian Jim Gaffigan says, “Large families are like waterbed stores. There used to be a lot of them but now they are kind of creepy."

Some people come to us and say wistfully, "I grew up in a large family." Some people have even been teary-eyed and expressed how they wished they had more children of their own. Everyone has reasons for asking the question: curiosity, contempt, admiration, because they feel so overwhelmed with their own two children or something else—who can say? I have no idea why people ask.

But I do know how to answer: YES! These are our five wonderful children! I love telling people we have five children because I love being with them. I have loved every adventure we have ever taken. I am sad for those who for whatever reason could not or did not have a large family. I am keenly aware of how much pain that causes so many. I admit I do not understand those who do not like children and or never wanted a family. I can't imagine a life without mine. Why would it be fun to go on a vacation if you didn't have to try to figure out sleeping arrangements for seven, let alone trying to feed everyone and come in on budget? So I am not frustrated or annoyed when people ask the question. I'm thrilled to have a conversation about our wonderful, chaotic, noisy brilliant bunch, and, yes, they are mine. All of them.

What did you do this Summer?

Each year as the kids get ready to go back to school, I find myself reflecting on how we spent the summer—which inevitably leads me to pondering our summer vacation. I don't think I've ever looked back on a vacation and said to myself:  "Well, that was a waste of time and money". I never regret the time I spend with my children. I love summer!

I'm not one of those parents that can't wait for school to start again. I am always sad when summer is over. I feel the same way about vacations and family trips. I'm always sad to see them end. One time we spent three weeks on vacation, 21 days together.  I wondered at the end of those days if I would finally feel ready to go back to a routine. I didn’t. Whether we travel together for three days or three weeks, I always find myself back at work a little depressed that we are not all together.

So for those of you who are reluctant to load up the car and go somewhere together, here's my advice: DO IT! Pack a bag, get a tent, make a reservation; Call your aunt, see if you can sleep on her floor, whatever it takes--just load the family up and hit the road! The kids don't care much if you go to a local attraction, public park or expensive resort. They just want your time! If you think you can't afford a vacation, remember: you can't afford not to take a vacation! We’ve traveled together when we had no money, and we’ve traveled together when we had a little money. I can honestly say I enjoyed all of the experiences. If you're waiting for your children to be a little older before you travel: DON’T WAIT! Do it! Do it now! Have a picnic, take a walk, play tag in the park, it doesn't really matter--just do something! Don't miss an opportunity to recreate with your children.

I don't like to sound preachy, but I can honestly say spending time together as a family, including vacations, has been one of the most productive things we have ever done. In my dream world, I would have taken a year off to travel the country with the kids and then written a book about it. That ship has sailed. Instead of one grand venture, we've taken dozens of little ones. Instead of a book, my little blog posts. Summers come and go and so does the time we have with our children. So make the most of it!

Today I have the luxury of sitting back and reflecting on a summer spent with my children. Soon, much sooner than I anticipate, I will have to sit back and reflect on summer without them. They will be out of the house with children of their own. I don't want to look back on that season with regret but instead with happy memories of time well spent.