Dana Burland

You know what sneaks up on you quickly? Kids play dates.  Jack's house. Ben's house. Judah's birthday party.  As soon as it starts, it just keeps going.  And having your kids not at your house... it's kind of wonderful. Go on and play with friends, explore some new homes. Take your manners with you and don't share any of crazy stuff that goes on here (like dinner time sing-alongs to "Neon Moon" using a spaghetti serving spoon as a microphone)... But also, how well do you know the parents of your kids' friends? And even if you feel comfortable with them, how well do you know their house? I pose these simple 4 questions to any parent hosting our kids: 1. Do you have any guns/weapons in the house I should know about? 2. Any alcohol or medication that might be within a kid's reach? 3. Do you have a pool, hot tub or is your home on/near a body of water I should know about? 4. Anything else I should know when thinking about my kid safely playing at your ...

“This is the best summer of their lives” Ben and I would often say to each other over the last 2.5 months. This was the first year we had two big, non-napping, can-hold-their-own boys. So, for the first time, our summer activities reflected that. We went to a baseball game, kayaked, swam at the outdoor pool we belong to a ton, went to outdoor summer fairs and carnivals, went strawberry picking, went to almost every Monday night outdoor concert in our neighboring town, hit up the zoo, played pinball at an indoor arcade on a not-so-great-weather day, went to the “big beach” (Lake Michigan), got lots of ice cream at Frosty Boy, went on long family bike rides, had water balloon fights in the backyard with neighbors, waded in the river at a park where the water goes up to your knees and you can catch some little minnows in nets (if you’re fast enough). The boys had some nice long weekends visiting grandparents, and we took a family trip to Milwaukee . On Monday school starts. Yeah, we’...

My favorite part about family vacations has little to do with our location or activities and almost everything to do with the silly inside jokes that come from so many uninterrupted hours of time together. Like 3-year-old Adrian out of nowhere mimicking the deep radio announcer from the radio station we listen to most at home: “Q 94.5”. Or 6-year-old Cam always wanting to kiss when we came/left the AirBnB through their beautiful backyard “secret garden”. Or the song that plays during the breakfast scene in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure–a clip I introduced the boys to recently–that they (understandably) can’t get enough of. Cam every time says “oh my gosh!” when the dinosaur skeleton squeezes the orange to make orange juice… that part especially just sends him over the end. We did have a great time traversing Milwaukee together for an extra long weekend. Ben and I had been before with friends, many pre-kid years ago and loved it . It felt like a good place to explore as we continue to exp...