Your Child Today has chosen the Torres Family of Toms River as the “Focus on the Family.”   Frank and Kelly have been happily married for ten years and have two children, Arliana and Frankie.  College sweethearts, the couple met while attending Montclair State University.  During the early years of their marriage, they lived in North Jersey, but then moved to Toms River in the summer of 2010 to be closer to family.

“We were spending every holiday down the shore and it was hard to do so much traveling, especially once the kids came along,” says Kelly.  “Now, we are closer to everyone which is great because if we need help with the children, we have a support system.  And now, many of my aunts and uncles have decided to move to this area so there are even more relatives to visit with which is wonderful.”

Before she gave birth to Arliana, Kelly worked as a second grade teacher and has since worked part-time as a preschool teacher.  She is now home with the children and looking for her next teaching opportunity.  Frank works hard as a corporate recruiter. Although the weeks may be hectic with school, work, and extra-curricular activities, the family enjoys spending quality time with each other on the weekends in the pool, playing in the backyard, or taking day trips throughout the Jersey Shore.

Your Child Today recently had the pleasure of speaking to the Torres Family and this is what they had to say:

YCT: Tell us a little about your children.

Kelly: Arliana is six-years-old and is in first grade. This is her first year in full day school and she really loves it.  She is a very outgoing, loving child and she loves to play with friends.  Arliana is very independent and has been since she was a toddler. She loves mermaids and doing crafts.  She just learned how to ride a bike without the training wheels and wants to ride every chance she gets. This will be her second year playing soccer and she loves it!  Arliana is taking a hip hop dance class this year and is really enjoying it.  Her favorite part of the class is dancing to the songs she likes on the radio.  In addition, Arliana is involved with the Girl Scouts.  This is her second year as a Daisy Scout.  She enjoys attending the meetings and participating in activities to earn her petals.

Frankie is three-years-old and attends Westminister Nursery School.  This is Frankie’s first time in school and he loves to go.  He really likes his teachers and loves to play with his friends there.  Frankie attends speech therapy once a week at Pediatric Rehabilitation Services in Brick.  Sometimes Frankie leaves off middle and end syllables in his words.  His speech therapist, Miss Alicia, is very helpful and Frankie is making great progress. Frankie is very affectionate and loving. He is extremely energetic and loves to run and play.  He has always been fascinated with balls and loves to play any type of sport.  He also likes to play cars and ride his bike.

YCT: What is a typical day like in your home?

Kelly: A typical day in our home begins with the children waking up and having breakfast.  We then get ready for school by getting dressed, brushing hair and teeth and going to the bus stop where we chat with the neighbors before the bus arrives.  Our neighborhood is great because we all look out for each other’s kids and if someone cannot make it to the bust stop after school, we will watch the kids for that mom.  I really love the support system that we have in our community.  After Arliana leaves for school, some days Frankie and I run errands or we have playdates with friends.  Frankie has school Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.  After Arliana and Frankie are both home from school we have a snack and do homework.  Then, we are off to extracurricular activities.  When we return we have dinner together, the kids play a little more, and then it’s time for baths and bedtime. After the children are in bed, Frank and I enjoy watching television together.  It’s a chance for us to spend some time alone together. The days when there are no activities we usually play with neighborhood friends.  Our first choice is to play outside, but if the weather isn’t good, we will have friends over to play inside.  Fridays we have “Family Game Night” and we usually eat breakfast food for dinner.  The kids really love it!

YCT: What activities do your children participate in after school?

Kelly: On Mondays, Arliana takes a hip hop dance class at Shore Ballet.  On Wednesdays, Frankie has speech and Arliana has Girl Scouts.  I am the troop leader which I enjoy.  I love planning all of the activities for the girls so they can earn their petals. On Thursday afternoons, Arliana has a religious education class at St. Luke’s Church.  Finally, Saturday is soccer day!

YCT: What is your favorite thing to do locally with your family?

Kelly: We moved to the Toms River area a little over a year ago and have really enjoyed discovering all the fun activities to do in this area.  In the summer we go to the beach and boardwalk.  Frank loves to take the kids crabbing.  We like to visit Castle Park, Riverwood Park, and the Popcorn Zoo.  We also enjoy planning day trips. We have season passes at Great Adventure and the kids love to go on the rides and drive through the safari.  Now that we live closer to the beach and all of the shore attractions, we appreciate the convenience of heading to the boardwalk in the evenings for a few rides after dinner or taking the kids for an ice cream.  Our family up north also enjoys the area and came to stay with us often over the summer.  Everyone wanted to see our new house and get in some beach days.  We entertained a lot which was great because it allowed us to visitwith relatives.

YCT:  Do you have any favorite local vacation spots?

Kelly: Every year our entire family goes to Wildwood Crest for a week.  We absolutely love it!  It’s great that our kids get to spend a week at the beach with all of their cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents.  We stay in a hotel and reserve ten rooms right next to one another. This way, the kids can play and everyone can visit.  I was lucky enough to vacation with my extended family in Wildwood when I was little, and now my children have the same opportunity.  It’s such a wonderful experience and we look forward to it every year.

YCT: Have you ever gone on any vacations without the kids and where?

Kelly: We have gone away for overnight trips to Atlantic City and New York and grandma has babysat for us.

YCT: What is your favorite date night location and how often do you get to go out alone with your husband?

Kelly: We enjoy going out to eat and to the movies when we have a date night.  A few of our favorite places are Bonefish Grill, Spicy Cantina, and Boston’s. We try to have a date night at least once a month.  We are very fortunate to have my husband’s mother and relatives close by who are very helpful which allows us to get a little time to go out alone together.

YCT: What is your favorite non-mommy thing to do and how often do you get to do it?

Kelly: I enjoy reading and have a book club that I attend with a few friends.  We meet about once a month and always choose a theme to go along with what we are reading.    We really enjoy getting together and discussing the books we read.  It also gives you the chance to read books you normally wouldn’t read.  Usually, we will discuss the book for about 40 minutes and then we will chat about our loves, the kids and what has been happening.  I also enjoy exercising and getting to spend time with my friends.  Every year during the weekend of teacher’s convention in November my girlfriends and I plan an overnight trip to Atlantic City.  I am looking forward to it this year!

YCT: What is your husband’s favorite non-Daddy thing to do?

Kelly: Frank enjoys watching sports and attending sporting events.  He loves the New York Giants and the Mets.  He enjoys watching the games with his friends and his brother who he is very close to.  He also enjoys staying home and enjoying our yard and pool.

YCT: Do you frequent any advertisers from our magazine?

Kelly: My daughter attends Shore Ballet.  She loves going there and Miss Star is an amazing teacher.  Last year with Girl Scouts, the girls decided to use their money earned from cookie sales to visit Sparkle Diva Salon and they had a blast!  They loved getting their hair and nails done and drinking juice out of fancy glasses.  Since we visited during the evening, the girls decided not to touch their hair when they went home and wore it fancy the next day to school! We enjoy going to Color Me Mine and Jenkinson’s Aquarium.  Of course, we enjoy the beach and boardwalk at Jenkinson’s, too!  We also love sailing with Jersey Shore Pirates.  We have gone a few times and both of my children enjoyed it.   Their favorite part was pulling the treasure chest out of the water onto the pirate ship.  The staff does such a great job with the kids because they make the experience so realistic.  During the trip, you actually feel like you’re on a real pirate ship.

YCT: Do you have any parenting advice that you would like to offer our readers?

Kelly: Parenting can be challenging but children really do grow so fast!  I try to really enjoy it and have fun with my children because I know that when they get older I will really miss these days!

YCT: What is your favorite part of Your Child Today magazine?

Kelly: I always look forward to reading about the local activities for children and I enjoy the Focus on the Family to hear other family’s stories.

No matter where she goes, she frequently hears the same comment from strangers in passing.

“Oh my, that woman sure does have her hands full!”

However, Honoree Brown wouldn’t have it any other way.  The mother of four couldn’t imagine her life without the little ones keeping her busy.

“I love my family and all the work that goes with it,” says Honoree.  “Although a break every now and then is nice though!”

Honoree and her husband Thomas are not originally from New Jersey, but have grown to really like the Jersey Shore area and all that it offers for families. The couple moved here from Oregon about 10 years ago and started Point Pleasant Parasail.  Then the children started to arrive one-by-one and it became quite a challenge to run the company properly while raising a young family.  Recently, they decided it was time to move on and sold the business to one of their long-time employees.

“It was bittersweet letting it go, but we know we made the right decision,” says Honoree.

Even without the business, both Honoree and her husband have plenty of activities and commitments to keep them busy at all times.

“Thomas is a full-time college student, a medic in the New Jersey National Guard, a NCAA soccer official, a USCG licensed captain who has worked in the parasail industry for over 20 years, and is most importantly, a great dad,” says Honoree.  “My number one job is the kids.  When we had the parasail business, I spent a lot of time doing paperwork so it’s very nice to have that off my shoulders and just be able to focus on the family.  I homeschool our children and though I’m far from being the ideal teacher, I truly love it and the rewards that come from it.  I find out about many activities for homeschooled children through the Shore Homeschoolers group that I recently became a part of.  I’m also the Primary President at my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.   I oversee the Sunday schedule for those children who are 18 months through 11-years-old.  We occasionally plan activities that benefit the youth and the community as well.”

Your Child Today recently had the pleasure of speaking to the Brown Family and this is what they had to say:

YCT: Tell us a little about your family and the personalities of each of your children.

Honoree:  We have four children: Kailyn (7), Cash (5), Nixon (3) and Schatzi (6 months).  Kailyn is our wild child.  She’s all about fun but is an awesome big sister and a great helper to me.  She loves to swim, play outside, and make crafts.  Cash is a little more reserved.  He loves to fish, play basketball, ride his scooter and help me cook.  Nixon is our silly one.  He enjoys Legos, watching “Tom and Jerry” on television, and loving his baby sister. He also loves any and all things superhero.  Schatzi loves to be hugged and kissed and she’s great at just being a sweet baby.  They are all really terrific kids.  They help with many of the chores around the house, such as cooking, folding laundry, unloading the dishwasher, vacuuming, washing windows, feeding the chickens, and cleaning their rooms.

YCT: What is an average day like in your house?

Honoree:   Things are pretty laid back at our house.  We get up and around 7:30 am and have breakfast.  Since we homeschool, we don’t have the burden of a tight schedule which is very nice.  Next, we usually do a quick clean-up before starting our learning.  Most days we can finish our learning by lunchtime.  That leaves the rest of the day for family time and field trips to the library, museum, park, aquarium, or other fun, learning activities.  In October, the kids will be starting a homeschool gym class at Good Sports in Wall.  They all love to swim as well, so we’ll probably be visiting the Toms River YMCA frequently this winter for their homeschool open swim on Wednesdays.  There is no set schedule at our house which leaves us the freedom to learn and do what we want, when we want.

YCT: What activities do your children participate in after school?

Honoree: “After school” my kids love to play outside.  They ride bikes, play with the chickens, shoot some hoops and continue work on digging their “hole to China” in our backyard.  Last winter, my oldest daughter was in a gymnastics class at The Little Gym in Manasquan and she also played on a B.T.S.A. team.  This winter, Cash will be playing basketball through the Point Pleasant Borough Department of Recreation and Kailyn is signed up for the “Mad Science” class they’re offering.

YCT: What is your favorite thing to do locally with your family?

Honoree: With my husband’s busy schedule, we don’t get a whole lot of family leisure time so we turn necessary outings into fun family time.  For example, like going to the grocery store, shopping for clothes, or dining out.  I know, it doesn’t sound very glamorous, but we truly enjoy whatever time we have together.   In the winter, we might go see a movie, go bowling, or go to a festival or parade.  We love to eat out and have found some great restaurants that serve awesome food and are very family friendly.  Some of our favorites are The Hickory Hog in Point Pleasant for their amazing dry rub baby back ribs, IKKO in Brick for their delicious and very entertaining hibachi, and Napoli Pizza, also located in Brick, for the best plain pie I’ve ever tasted.

YCT:  Do you have any favorite local vacation spots?

Honoree:  One of our favorite local “vacation” spots is the river beach located on the Manasquan River where River Avenue dead ends. As soon as the weather warms up and until it’s just too cold to bare it, we try to go as much as we can.  I love that for one dollar, I can take all four of my kids to play in the sand and the water, with a lifeguard on duty, and not have to worry about a heavy current carrying them away.  They always bring a bucket to catch crabs, fish, jellyfish and whatever other sea creatures may be hanging out that day.  There’s a playground and always lots of kids to play with.  Both my boys learned to swim there.  The kids also love feeding the animals at Atlantic Farms in Manasquan and this summer we went to Raceway Park in Englishtown to see the monster truck show featuring Robosaurus.  We’ll definitely be going again.  They had a blast and it was completely worth the price.  Of course, parasailing is always a hit and it’s something the whole family can enjoy.  The crew at Point Pleasant Parasail is friendly, professional, and loves to show the kids a good time.

YCT: Have you ever gone on any vacations without the kids and where?

Honoree:   The closest my husband and I have come to a vacation without our kids was staying one night at the Ocean Place Resort in Long Branch last winter which was courtesy of some very kind friends.  My husband had just finished basic training in Georgia and was able to come home for two weeks before he started his advanced training in Texas.  It was such a treat to just hang out in our room, order room service and sleep in as long as we wished.  Oh, how I could use another one night getaway like that!

YCT: What is your favorite date night location and how often do you get to go out alone with your husband?

Honoree:  We haven’t been out in a while.  Ideally, I would love to go on a date with my husband once a week.  In reality, it happens about once every six months.  Man that sounds terrible!  When we do make it out alone, we love to try a restaurant we’ve never been to.  I often ask friends what their favorite places are.  We love sushi because it reminds us of our first date, so we’ll often hit up the sushi bar at IKKO in Brick, one of our favorites.  We recently tried Spano’s in Point Pleasant Beach for the first time.  It was amazing and we can’t wait to go back.  I’m also looking forward to trying The Coal House in Point Pleasant Beach as I’ve been hearing great things about it.

YCT: What is your favorite non-mommy thing to do and how often for you get to do it?

Honoree:   My favorite non-mommy thing to do is nap which doesn’t happen very often so my second favorite non-mommy thing to do is hang out with my friends.  Every once in a while we get together to play BUNCO or go out for a kid-free dinner.  I also love to do things I don’t get to do very often, like shop.  I enjoy the Brook 35 Plaza in Sea Girt or go to the salon to get pampered.  My favorite is Salon du Monde in Point Pleasant Beach.  It’s always all about the kids or my husband so it feels great to do something just for me, to revitalize. My husband and I love to have friends over for dinner, too.  It allows me to cook a yummy meal, which is something I love and spend some time engaging in quality, adult conversation.  With four kids in the house every day, this is something I need!

YCT: What is your husband’s favorite non-Daddy thing to do?

Honoree:  My husband’s favorite non-daddy things to do are play golf and referee soccer.  I would have said taking a nap, but I think that’s a normal daddy thing to do, right?

YCT: Do you frequent any advertisers from our magazine?

Honoree:   We love Jersey Shore Pirates.  Kailyn had her 6th birthday party with them and it was great.  They’re so friendly and professional and it’s nice, as a parent, to be able to just sit back and relax and enjoy the boat ride while the kids are entertained by the amazing crew.  I’ve also taken Kailyn into Sparkle Diva a couple times.  Once for a birthday party, which was so much fun for all the little girls, and on another occasion to get a haircut.  She loved being treated like a princess.  We went to a birthday party at Bounce U one time and the kids have been begging to go back.

YCT: Do you have any parenting advice that you would like to offer our readers?

Honoree:   Patience, patience, patience!  And give your children confidence.  They’ll need all they can get to make wise choices in a complicated world.  I would hate to think that one of my children might be too scared to make the right choice.

YCT:  What is your favorite part of Your Child Today magazine?

Honoree:  With four kiddies at home with me, pretty much twenty four hours a day, it’s nice to find out what this area has to offer so we can get out and have some fun…and I can get a break.  Thank you, Your Child Today!

Written By Jennifer Enright

As the summer season winds to a close, many area families are settling back into the school routine, and enjoying one of the best times of year at the Jersey Shore.  Beth Brierley and her husband Jim grew up in Toms River and now live there with their sons, Jimmy and David.  As the tourists go back to their homes and the locals once again enjoy full access to the area, the Brierley family plans to take full advantage of the waning days of September summer.

Beth is a mom with a back-to-school transition of her own, as she teaches at Ocean County College, where she is also the Director/Writer of OCC’s children’s theatre company, Three Story Players. Jim is a sixth-generation funeral director and works in Brick and Point Pleasant.  The couple met when they were students at Toms River’s Intermediate West (now North) school at age 12.  Beth graduated from Toms River High School North, while Jim is a graduate of Toms River High School South.  Close friends through middle school, the pair dated a bit in high school and kept in touch while at separate colleges.  Jim called Beth around her birthday while she was attending graduate school and the spark was re-ignited.  They began dating at that time, and continued for 11 years, until their 2004 marriage.

YCT: Tell us a little about your family and the personalities of each of your children.

Beth:  Jimmy is five and will turn six in late October.  He is very creative.  I love his active imagination, which has grown exponentially since he started reading.  He loves to ride his bike, read, do crafts, write plays, anything related to music, dancing, and anything involving super heroes.  Right now, Batman is his favorite.  We’ll get him started with guitar lessons in the near future.  We have three cats and Jimmy is really sweet with them; he is an affectionate little boy.  He looks just like my husband, whereas David looks a lot like me and my father.

David turned three in May and is my high-energy boy.  He is usually up at 6:00 a.m. with a smile on his face, flashing his blue eyes and dimples (which get him out of a lot of trouble).  He likes to do whatever his brother wants to do.  They play their guitars together and pretend they’re in a band – Jimmy’s is called the Bulldogs and David’s is Cats and Rats.  David loves to play with blocks and do floor puzzles.  He will be a drummer, for sure.  He is always on the go and loves to play in the backyard on the swing set, on his bike, or practice karate.  They both LOVE Trio building blocks, so we have hundreds of them all over the house.

YCT: What is a typical day like in your home?

Beth:  Weekdays are crazy.  David and I are up early.  Then, Jimmy gets up around 7:00 or 7:30 a.m. and we eat breakfast and get ready for school and work.  The boys are in school by 8:15 a.m.  I finish up at work, pick the boys up, and we head home.  Jimmy finishes his homework right away, we have a snack and then it’s outside to burn off some energy.  After dinner, I read to the kids, get them in the tub and try to get them in bed by 8:00 or 8:30 p.m., but that rarely happens.

Weekends are precious to us; we are just happy to play outside together, take a drive somewhere, watch a movie and just enjoy being home.  We love to barbeque, ride bikes or play music.

YCT: What activities do your children participate in after school?

Beth:  David is in preschool at Sung Star Academy in Toms River, so he started practicing karate when he was two.  He loves his teachers and especially enjoys art.

Jimmy has taken karate at Sung Star Academy since he was 23 months old.  He attended preschool and kindergarten there, and they offered art enrichment and computer classes last year and he loved those.  He really enjoys Miss Devin’s music classes so we want to encourage and foster that.  Jimmy just attended his first Tiger Cub meeting, so he will start scouts this year.  He is really excited about that.

We are members of the First United Methodist Church of Toms River.   Jimmy has really enjoyed their Vacation Bible School the last two summers.  This year, he will participate in Kids For Christ, which is a weekly program involving games, choir and crafts.  I grew up in that church and hope my kids will too.

YCT: What is your favorite thing to do locally with your family?

Beth:  We love to take a drive to anything near the water.  We like to go to Island Heights.  It’s a favorite place for us, and Jim and I even got engaged by the pavilion there.  Even though we live so close to the beach and water, sometimes we get so busy that we don’t get over there.  We are happy just to cross the bridge and get near the ocean!

Ocean County College, where I work, has so much to offer children.  Our kids have been to the theatre and the planetarium several times.  We also love the Halloween Parade and Founder’s Day in Toms River and look forward to those events every year.

YCT: Do you have any favorite local vacation spots?

Beth:  We haven’t vacationed in years.  We have had two very stressful years.  A tree fell on our house so we were displaced from our house for several months and I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January, so we really need one!  Happily, our home has been repaired, and my treatment is going really well.    Thankfully, the cancer was found early and my prognosis looks good.  We love Washington, DC, and we head into New York City whenever possible.  We haven’t made the Disney trip yet, but hope to do so next year.

We are lucky that all our parents live in Toms River.  My husband’s parents have a boat; the kids went on it this year for the Fourth of July and loved it.  My parents have a huge backyard with a pool, playhouse, swing set, frog and fish pond – it’s much more fun and cooler than our backyard.  We really enjoy heading over there and playing.  We are so grateful that our kids live close to their grandparents, and while their homes are not really “vacation spots”, being there is like having a nice little escape.

YCT: Have you ever gone on vacation without the kids?

Beth:  No.  Thankfully, my husband feels the same way I do.  We would miss the kids too much!  We can’t wait to travel with them when they’re a little older.

YCT: Do you have a favorite family-friendly restaurant?

Beth:  We miss the Ground Round!  That was our go-to place for years!  Jimmy called it “the moose place” because we usually sat near the booth that had the moose head mounted on the wall.  We like Tiffany’s on Route 37 in Toms River quite a bit.  They have an extensive menu, and it’s really kid-friendly.

YCT: What is your favorite date night location and how often do you get to go out with just your husband?

Beth:  Our schedules are so hectic.  If we get out to dinner once every three months, that’s pretty good.  My husband knows that if he brings home Chinese food every so often, everyone will be happy.  My favorite Chinese/Japanese take out is from Eastern in the Brick Pavilion.    We love to go to Benihana at the Ocean County Mall or Café Espanol in Greenwich Village.  I’m very happy with a in the backyard!

YCT: What is your favorite non-mommy thing to do and how often do you get to do it?

Beth:  I have performed all my life so I love being involved in theatre or taking dance classes.  I take voice lessons with Faith Kline every month and she keeps me busy singing for churches and with the show “Mrs. Santa Claus” which I perform around the holidays.  The show deals with Christmas and all its preparations from the perspective of Mrs. Claus – it’s really funny!  My husband got me a Nook this year, so I love reading at night when the kids are finally in bed.  I also have a great group of friends from theatre and we go out to dinner or go see a show every so often.

YCT: What is your husband¹s favorite non-daddy thing to do?

Beth:  My husband enjoys playing guitar.  He has been taking guitar lessons at the Music Academy with a great teacher named Rob Diaz who really makes it learning enjoyable and stress-free.  We are in the process of finishing our basement so that keeps him busy too.
: Do you patronize any advertisers from our magazine?

Beth:  Quite a few of them.  Sung Star, of course, has been our second family.  Our children enjoy going to school and camp there.  Jimmy will remain there as they have started a first grade.  We have visited Jenkinson’s Aquarium, Blackbeard’s Cave and Bounce U several times.  We look forward to the Your Child Today Family Expo every year.  We love Insectropolis and the Ocean County Library.  Color Me Mine is our next trip — I promised to take the kids there before the summer ends.

I just read August’s edition and saw Encore Dance Supply featured.  I have been going to Encore since it opened.  Since I direct musicals at the college and teach Musical Theatre, I now send my students there for all their dance shoes.

YCT: Do you have any parenting advice that you would like to offer our readers?

Beth:  Take lots and lots of pictures.

YCT: What is your favorite part of Your Child Today magazine?

Beth:  I enjoy reading the calendar of events and all about the unique party places.

YCT:  What are some of your favorite birthday party locations?

Beth:  Bounce U has to be our favorite.  Everyone leaves happy and tired.

YCT:  What are your hopes for your children’s futures?

Beth:  We want our kids to be safe, healthy and compassionate.  We hope they find something that they love and are fortunateenough to pursue a career in that field.  We hope they will always be best friends.

Written By Jennifer Enright

Coleen Turano may have grown up in West Orange, but since her family spent their summers in Lavallette, she is a beach bum at heart.  After she graduated high school, Coleen and a group of friends began renting summer homes in Belmar.  The summer of 1997, Howell native John Turano and his childhood friends rented the house around the corner from Coleen’s, and a summer romance led to a marriage proposal under the Belmar pier at sunrise in July 2000.

Married in June 2001, the couple resided in Old Bridge because it was centrally located to Coleen’s Peapack job, and John’s job in Lakewood.  While expecting their first child, Coleen’s employer offered her a buy-out package, and she was a stay-at-home mom to daughter Kelly, born in 2003.  Daughter Katie followed three years later.  The Turano’s extended family was by then all living at the shore, so they found their dream home in Howell, and moved in 2010.

John manages the East Coast division of Metra Electronics (based in Florida) in Lakewood, which distributes after-market stereo and electronic equipment for cars and home theaters.  Coleen has recently re-entered the world of paid employment with a part-time job processing policies for Millstone-based Liberty Insurance.  But according to Coleen, the most important “job” right now is enjoying summer at the Jersey Shore!

YCT: Tell us a little about your family and the personalities of each of your children.

Coleen:  John is very much a “hands-on dad” – the girls look forward to him coming home from work every night.  If he isn’t home at 6:00 p.m., they always ask ‘where’s Daddy?’  He plays Barbies and Polly Pockets with them, even more than I do!  He is very calm and has an even keel.  He keeps everything in perspective.  I am very organized, a planner, and a bit of a homebody.  I like to take care of the kids and the house, and I really enjoy decorating, especially with our new home.  John and I talk about all the different design options and are enjoying creating our family’s home together.  I am definitely a summer person – I love the warm weather, the beach, having the kids home from school.  I never want to see the summer end – I’m sad to see the school bus come in September.

Kelly will be entering third grade at the Newbury School in Howell in September.  We are very proud of her because she made such an easy transition to a new school as a second grader.  It could have been a challenge, but luckily she made friends quickly and felt at home in her new school.  Her teachers always tell us that she is a good example for her classmates and helpful with other students.  She loves school and wants to be teacher.  She is usually serious and cautious, but on the flip side, she can be a thrill seeker at the amusement park – she goes on every ride she for which she can make the height requirement!   A true girly-girl, she loves dance and reading. Kelly is a total rule-follower.  If I tell her she can read for 15 minutes before she goes to sleep, her light will be turned off and her head on the pillow when I check on her.

Katie just graduated Prince of Peace Preschool in Howell and will be entering kindergarten at Newbury.  She is very excited to go to the same school as her big sister.  I had a very complicated pregnancy with  her – the doctors gave her a 50-50 chance for survival.  Today, she’s a true fighter.  She is spunky and always has a smile on her face – people often comment to me that she must be such a treat to raise because she is always happy.  But she also has a very strong will and sometimes tests my patience.  She is a very affectionate and loving daughter and sister.  When she was still in preschool and we would go get a treat, she always made sure I had one for Kelly, too.  Katie just loves princesses, and favorite summer activities include swimming and going on rides at the boardwalk.

Both girls really love American Girl Dolls and will play with them for hours on end.  They also both love going to the boardwalk and the beach and collecting seashells.  We feel so fortunate that they are so close and get along so nicely.

YCT: What is a typical day like in your home?

Coleen:  We are all early risers.  Since John works Monday through Friday, the girls are with me all day during the summer, unless I am  working.  We usually go to the beach or a park.  Sometimes the girls will play with other kids in the neighborhood.  Our neighborhood is turning over – many of the retired folks have moved away, so lots of new families with young kids are moving in.  The kids love to play school and with dolls.  When John comes home from work, we always have dinner together as a family.  We discuss the day’s events and plan what’s coming up.  After dinner, we like to play board game or cards, or watch a movie together.  After the girls go to bed, John & I hang out.  My guilty pleasure is to watch reality TV, which I do while John “pretends” to read the paper!  I think the summer months are for having fun and letting loose and doing things that we don’t have time for during the busy school year.

YCT: What activities do your children participate in after school?

Coleen:  Both girls take dance.  This year Kelly will take tap, ballet, jazz and hip hop and Katie will take tap and ballet. Last year, Katie did a music group and an arts and crafts class through the Howell Recreation Department, and we did Story Time at the library.  The library sometimes has things for Kelly’s age group, too. Kelly did a theater workshop in Matawan that she absolutely loved.

YCT: What is your favorite thing to do locally with your family?

Coleen:  We are really beach people.  We go to Belmar beach almost every weekend as a family and the girls and I often go during week.  We have been going to Belmar beach for years and we have lots of friends up there.  My mother-in-law gives John and I season badges as our yearly anniversary gift. We also love to go to the boardwalks in Point Pleasant and Seaside, and try to catch the Sunday night movies on the beach in Belmar.  Because we now live in John’s childhood hometown and lots of his friends still live here, we often have barbecues with all his old buddies and their families.

YCT: Do you have any favorite local vacation spots?

Coleen:  Every year, since Kelly was a baby, we go to Wildwood Crest and stay at the Biscayne, a family-run hotel.  The place is always clean and the owners renovate some part of it every year, so something is always brand-new.  They have two pools which the girls love and because it is beachside, it’s super easy to go to the beach – no having to park blocks away and lug everything up there!  The girls enjoy the boardwalk and playing mini-golf.  We go for a week every year, and usually visit Cape May for dinner and shopping one night during the week.  This past June, we took our first family trip to Disney, which was a huge success, except for the fact that Katie does not like people dressed up as characters!  She was fine with the princesses, but the Mad Hatter kind of freaked her out!

YCT: Have you ever gone on vacation without the kids?

Coleen:  Not since we’ve had children. Since John and I were in our early thirties when we got married, we had both traveled a lot prior to marriage, plus I had the beach house rental every year. Childhoods are short and we know they will be over before we know it, so we really don’t feel the need to travel without our kids.

: Do you have a favorite family-friendly restaurant?

Coleen:  Outback Steakhouse is our family favorite.  The kids love the “Joey”, which is the kid’s sirloin steak dinner.

YCT: What is your favorite date night location and how often do you get to go out with just your husband?

Coleen:  We try to once in a while which was harder when we still lived in Old Bridge because our family was so far away.  Now that we’re closer to our families and the kids are getting older, we can go out to dinner once in a while.  We will pretty much go to any restaurant in the shore area and maybe see a band.

YCT: What is your favorite non-mommy thing to do and how often do you get to do it?

Coleen:  I really enjoy meeting with my old friends from up north to go out to dinner.  I try to catch up with them every couple of months.

YCT: What is your husband¹s favorite non-daddy thing to do?

Coleen:  John goes to Atlantic City once or twice a year with his friends.  They will go out to dinner and then hit the casinos.  I am not a gambler, so he takes advantage of the time with his buddies to scratch that itch!  They always go for March Madness, and try to go one other time during the year.  John also likes to ride his bike, especially around the Manasquan Reservoir.  He also tries to hit the gym a couple times each week.

YCT: Do you patronize any advertisers from our magazine?

Coleen:  We are loyal customers of Point Pleasant’s Jenkinson’s, including the Aquarium, and Casino Pier in Seaside.  The girls have also enjoyed going to Color Me Mine.

YCT: Do you have any parenting advice that you would like to offer our readers?

Coleen:  Our motto is to have a steady routine that’s filled with lots of love and support so that home always feel safe and secure – no matter what’s going on in the world or how bad their day is they can always come home and feel like it is their safe haven.  I want to keep the lines of communication open so that they always feel that they can tell us anything.

YCT: What is your favorite part of Your Child Today magazine?

Coleen:  I always check out the calendar of events to look for ideas of things to do with the kids.

YCT:  What are your hopes for your children’s futures?

Coleen:  John and I hope that the girls become happy, self-confident, secure adults and are always surrounded with love.

Living in their dream house on the water in Toms River, Liane and Eric Birchler were sure of one thing: their kids would learn how to swim.  The couple are parents to four-year-old Timothy and Elizabeth, age three.  They chose Pied Piper Swim School in Toms River, and started attending “parent and child” classes when Tim was one.

When Tim started attending classes on his own, Liane, and Pied Piper owner, Lori Ziemer, both noticed that his classmates were speaking more than he was.  Liane and Eric started doing research and decided to have Tim evaluated.  Diagnosed with a severe language delay, Tim started speech therapy at Children’s Specialized Hospital in Toms River, and received assistance from the county’s Early Intervention Program until he qualified for the Early Learning Center, a specialized preschool program provided through the Toms River school district at age three.  As other issues started to present themselves, a neuropsychologist diagnosed Tim with Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), an autism spectrum disorder.  Through it all, Tim continued with his lessons at Pied Piper.

Tim’s PDD-NOS does not define him, and it definitely has not interrupted his swimming.  The Birchlers credit Lori, her husband, Bob, and their daughter, Jennifer, for much of Tim’s success.  The Pied Piper staff offered Tim patience and understanding as he learned, never treating him differently than the other students, but adapting the program so Tim could accomplish his goals.  Lori believes that the Birchlers’ dedication to their children, and their commitment to swimming lessons are also crucial, stating “Liane and Eric know this is a sport Tim can master to the best of his ability.  Even though he has a challenge, he can still achieve success.”

Elizabeth has also attended lessons at Pied Piper since age one, and the Birchlers are thrilled with the strides both children have made.  “Now we are confident that if they fall in the water, they won’t panic because they know how to get themselves out safely.  Of course, they still need constant supervision, but their ability to swim gives us just a bit more peace of mind,” says Liane.  And the fact that the kids have grown to love spending time in the water, makes living at the Jersey Shore just a bit more fun!

YCT: Tell us a little about your family and the personalities of each of your children.

Liane:  Tim is very lovey, a real cuddler.  He has a terrific sense of humor.  Although his speech delay causes him to struggle to communicate sometimes, he’s such a sweetheart.  He is very physical and loves to run and climb.  He enjoys letters and numbers – he’s always counting!  But his most favorite thing is cars – he can be in a room full of toys, but if he finds one Matchbox car, that is what he will play with.

Elizabeth is a true girly-girl.  She loves princesses and ponies, basically anything pink or purple!  She loves to play dress-up and in her little kitchen.  Both Eric and I love to cook, and now she does, too.  Whenever I’m in the kitchen, she will come in and ask what I’m making, then say ‘I make too!’  She loves to sit on the counter and measure, pour and mix.  She’s very sweet and likes to help around the house.  She especially likes sweeping and doing laundry – let’s hope she continues to enjoy these chores!  She’s very strong-minded and wise beyond her years – sometimes she thinks she’s a teen-ager!

The kids have a very typical sibling dynamic – they play together one minute and torture each other the next.  But they both LOVE books!  Lately, if I’m busy, they will sit down with a basket of books and “read” to each other by making up stories based on the pictures.  It’s adorable!

YCT: What is a typical day like in your home?

Liane:  Eric owns Birchler Realtors and Appraisers in Lavallette which specializes in home sales, summer rentals, certified appraisals and tax appeals.  He has some flexibility with his schedule, allowing him to be home on Fridays, since he works most Saturdays.  I work for an insurance consulting firm in Haddonfield.  Tim attends preschool at the Early Learning Center for five hours, five days a week, and his bus comes at 8:00 a.m.  On the days when I work, I leave around 7:30 a.m., so Eric will get Tim on the bus and get Elizabeth settled with either my mom or Eric’s mom.  Eric gets home first on my work days, so he gets dinner started and bathes the kids.

When I’m home, after Tim leaves for school, I take Elizabeth to swim class or we run errands.  She loves to go to the library.  When Tim gets home, if he doesn’t have swim class, the kids usually play while I get dinner started.  They both love to do puzzles and Tim enjoys educational websites on the computer.  Music is another shared love.  They play music on their little CD player, sing and dance around the house.

On Tuesdays, Tim has supplemental therapy at home.  We hired his therapist from Early Intervention.  Since he started attending the Early Learning Center, Tim has made tremendous progress with his ability to communicate and deal with frustrations.  Our private therapist is able to tailor to Tim’s individual issues at home, which is also very helpful.

Other than occasional meetings or workshops at Tim’s school, we like to stay home in the evenings to rest and renew our strength for the next day.  On the weekends, we like to spend as much time together as possible.  We are a big football family – Eric loves the Steelers and I’m a Giants fan!

YCT:  What other activities do your children participate in?

Liane:  Other than Pied Piper, the kids don’t have extra activities right now.  Elizabeth will be starting preschool at Westminster in Toms River next fall.  She’ll probably start with dance or gymnastics then, as well.

YCT:  What is your favorite thing to do locally with your family?

Liane:  During the summer, we love to go to Island Beach State Park.  We have a pass that allows us to drive our truck on the beach.  We’ll spend the whole day – there’s always lots of kids up there for Tim and Elizabeth to play with.  We also enjoy going to the boardwalk.

YCT: Do you have any favorite vacation spots?

Liane:  Eric and I always take a week off from work in the summer, and head up to the beach every day.  There’s nothing like lounging around on the beach, then heading home for showers and a quick dinner – it’s very relaxing.  Last December, we took our first big family vacation to the Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos.  We were very nervous, but everything went well and we had a fantastic time.

YCT:  Have you ever gone on vacation without the kids?

Liane:  Once in a while, Eric and I will take a quick overnight trip to New York City or Atlantic City.

YCT:  Do you have a favorite family-friendly restaurant?

Liane:  Surf Taco is a favorite of the whole family.  There’s something on the menu for everyone.  We go to different locations to switch it up a bit!

YCT:  What is your favorite date night location and how often do you get to go out with just your husband?

Liane:  We enjoy going to the Atlantic Bar & Grill in South Seaside Park.  Since our mothers are so good about helping out with the kids during the work week, we try not to ask them to babysit on weekends.  Fortunately, we have a couple of awesome babysitters so we can get out alone at night every couple of months.

YCT:  What is your favorite non-mommy thing to do and how often do you get to do it?

Liane: I try to get together with my girlfriends every so often.  I also enjoy shopping by myself or getting a pedicure – special treats!

YCT:  What is your husband¹s favorite non-daddy thing to do?

Liane:  Eric works a lot of hours during the week, and Saturdays.  But occasionally, he’ll run out and watch a game with a friend or head out on his boat and fish.

YCT:  Do you patronize any advertisers from our magazine?

Liane:  Besides Pied Piper, we also enjoy the boardwalks at Jenkinson’s and Casino Pier.  The kids love the rides and skee-ball!

YCT:  Do you have any parenting advice that you would like to offer our readers?

Liane:  I would say to follow your gut – if you think something is wrong, it just may be.  No one knows your kids like you do, so if you think they need help, go ahead and push for it.  If you go to a doctor and don’t get a clear answer, get a second opinion.  You never know who may give you the information you desperately need.

YCT:  What is your favorite part of Your Child Today magazine?

Liane:  I like to read through the whole magazine.  I find it is a very good resource on a lot of different topics.

By  Jennifer Enright

Even though there is just a wee bit of Irish blood running through its members, the Fraser family feels they have been blessed with an abundance of luck.  The family’s good fortune began with a serendipitous meeting between Karen and Don at Donovan’s Reef in Sea Bright in 1999.  A touch of kismet brought the two together through the large and boisterous crowd, and they have been together ever since, marrying in 2003.  Their prosperity flourished with the purchase of their waterfront home in Brick, the success of Don’s business, The Bubble Factory Laundromat in Lakewood, and the birth of their son, Donovan, named for the location where their destiny originated.  Due to Karen’s diagnosis with Graves’ disease, the family thought perhaps their lucky streak had abated, since the disease can compromise future fertility.  But providence shined on the family once again with the birth of daughter Isabella.  “We are truly a lucky family,” shared Karen, continuing, “we’ve been very blessed, and we are very grateful.”

Another stroke of luck brought the Frasers to The Goddard School in Brick.  While pregnant with Donovan, the couple began to investigate daycare options knowing that Karen would be returning to her fourth-grade classroom at Old Bridge Elementary School after the baby was born.  The center’s owner, Cheryl Beisel, was also expecting her first baby, and the new moms-to-be quickly connected, putting Karen at ease about going back to work.  As baby Donovan started to spend his days at Goddard, Karen and Don began to bond with other parents in the center’s Infant Room.  The new moms and dads supported each other through the difficult transition, and the Frasers felt the Goddard staff was “fabulous, catering to the needs of the crying babies, and sometimes, the crying moms!” joked Karen. Several families became fast friends.  Originally known as the “Fab Five”, the troupe grew and now includes the Fraser, Wilson, Masco, Gliatta, Perotta, Connelly, Meade and Stefan families.  “We have a wonderful group of friends who have given us such a sense of community.  We get together monthly as families, the kids all play together, we schedule nights out for the parents and some of the families have even traveled together,” Karen declared.  The Fraser family’s bounty is complete.

YCT:  Tell us a little about your family and the personalities of each of your children.

Karen:  Donovan is five and one-half and is in Kindergarten at the Goddard School.  He is very structured and likes to follow the rules.  He is also the “mayor” of his class & enjoys being friends with everyone.  He loves reading, movies & telling stories.  Isabella, who is two and one-half, loves to make the rules and is everything “little girl”.  She loves playing with her dolls, in her kitchen & playing dress up.  She is quite the artist & dancer.  Don’t think her pretty skirts and dresses keep her from getting dirty; she can hold her own with her brother and his friends in that regard!  Again, we are very lucky that the kids are so close ~ Donovan is a wonderful big brother and very considerate of Isabella’s feelings.  She enjoys following him around and wants to do what he does ~ it’s “monkey see, monkey do!”

YCT:  What is a typical day like in your home?

Karen:  Most days, I hit the treadmill at 5:00 AM and leave for work when everyone is just getting up.  Don has the morning routine down pat and gets everyone fed and dressed, and off to The Goddard School by 9:00 AM. Daddy does a better job with hair styling than Mommy!  I have afternoon duty and pick the kids up by 4:30 PM, just in time for karate, soccer, and/or homework.  While I am running around with the kids, Don is exercising with the three family dogs ~ Chloe, Bailey, and Bear (two Golden Retrievers & a Yellow Lab).  We also have a new little black cat named Zachary after the restaurant where we had our first date, and a twelve-year-old parrot, Harley.  We eat dinner at 6:00 PM, which is often takeout, and the kids bathe around 7:00 PM, just in time for our nightly reading hour.  On a good night, the kids are asleep by 8:30 PM and then it is “Mommy and Daddy time!”  We play backgammon, watch a movie, listen to music, or just sit and talk – even if it is just a half hour, we make time together every night.

YCT:  What activities do your children participate in after school?

Karen:  Donovan participates in karate in Toms River and plays soccer with Twin County Soccer Association in both the fall and spring.  Karate stresses the concept of being a role model, and we remind Donovan that he is Isabella’s role model, especially since she always wants to emulate him.  We plan to sign Isabella up for dance class once she is diaper free!

YCT:  What is your favorite thing to do locally with your family?

Karen:  We enjoy boating on the Barnegat Bay.  We like to beach the boat and barbecue ~ we love watching thesunsets over Kettle Creek. Sometimes we head down to Tices Shoal, drop the anchor and go up onto Island Beach. Another favorite activity is to watch fire works on the boat.  We get a 360 degree view of all the local displays and on the water, there is no noise!  When we are not on the boat, we enjoy taking the kids up to Jenkinson’s boardwalk in Point, or spending the day at the beach in Brick.

YCT:  Do you have any favorite local vacation spots?

Karen:  We have enjoyed family rentals in Long Beach Island with our large extended family.  Don is the oldest of four and I have two brothers.  Between all the siblings, our kids have nine cousins in the area, ranging from newborn to age 15.  The older kids are great with the younger ones, and everyone gets along.  We have also enjoyed flying down to Florida to visit my parents on the famous white sands of the Siesta Key Beach.  But our favorite summer vacation spot is right in our backyard!  Since I have summers off and Don’s days are flexible at the Laundromat, we are able to enjoy spending time together at home and on our boat.

YCT:  Have you ever gone on vacation without the kids?

Karen:  Vacations sans the kids were taken pre-kids, our favorite being a western Royal Caribbean Cruise.  Twice a year, thanks to Donnie’s mom, we escape to the Borgata in Atlantic City for an overnight escape for each of our birthdays!

YCT:  Do you have a favorite family-friendly restaurant?

Karen:  Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Brick is our favorite.  I would love to take cooking classes, but who has the time?!

YCT:  What is your favorite date night location and how often do you get to go out with just your husband?

Karen:  We do not go out alone very much, but every once in a while, Don will grab me, and we will head out for a night on the town.  Point’s Wharfside Patio bar is a great destination, by boat or car, to hear one of our favorite musicians, Paul Cilinski, and get a bite to eat.

YCT:  What is your favorite non-mommy thing to do and how often do you get to do it?

Karen:  Everyone who knows me, knows that I love spending time with my “delicious” kids, but grabbing coffee with a girlfriend, hitting the bookstore alone, or having a spa day are all special treats!

YCT:  What is your husband¹s favorite non-daddy thing to do?

Karen:  Don enjoys fishing on the ocean in his boat when the weather is right and the fish are biting.  He also likes golfing and is excited to teach Donovan since he has expressed interest in learning.

YCT:  Do you patronize any advertisers from our magazine?

Karen:  The Goddard School in Brick has been a major part of our life since Donovan was four months old.  Donovan is doing fantastic in their kindergarten program, and even starting to read chapter books.  Isabella loves spending her days in the Hippo Room.  They provide children with the opportunity to learn in a secure environment with a focus on individual attention.  Their curriculum is designed in conjunction with local school districts to ensure a smooth transition to the next academic level.  As a teacher, I recognize how outstanding their program is, and I love that they have two teachers for eighteen kids in each class.  Beyond all the academics, they balance the daily schedule with lots of fun activities.  One of my favorite things is that when Isabella “reads” to herself, she always holds up the book to “show the class” ~ she is mimicking the teachers she sees every day!

We were thrilled to have Annie B entertain us for Isabella’s second birthday ~ she put on a great show and was wonderful with the children.  We also frequent Jenkinson’s, and plan to go to Color Me Mine in Toms River to beat the winter blues!

YCT:  Do you have any parenting advice that you would like to offer our readers?

Karen:  Read with your kids every day and set examples for your kids ~ giving them a frame of reference for the world and all that goes on in our daily lives is something we often overlook!  Donovan and Isabella both love books and I love that reading exposes them to different cultures and situations in the world.

YCT:  What is your favorite part of Your Child Today magazine?

Karen:  We love the calendar of events and try to hit up local areas especially the tree lighting in Point Pleasant!

By Jennifer Enright

Nicole and Larry DelliSanti were high school sweethearts when they both attended Brick High School in the 1990’s, but Cupid’s arrow didn’t shoot them straight to the alter.  Like many young couples, they went their separate ways after graduation.  Nicole attended college in Florida, while Larry stayed in New Jersey. But every time Nicole came back home during school breaks, she would run into Larry – at the Toms River Diner or over in Seaside.  By the spring of 1998, Cupid’s aim was right on target and the two reunited for good.  Married in September 2003 at Aberdeen’s Garden Manor, the location of their 1994 prom, they have matching prom and wedding photos in front of the Manor’s famous fountain.  Cupid must have been checking on them in February 2008 as the twosome became a threesome with the birth of daughter Gianna.  Gianna will soon become a big sister, as they are expecting a baby boy in June.  Rounding out the family are Boxers Bella and Luigi.

The family resides in Toms River where Larry owns and operates Amazing Creations Landscaping and Lawn Care, which he started in 1998 under a different name.  The company has been under its current name since 2002.  Nicole works part-time for Verizon Wireless, commuting to Philadelphia three days most weeks.  She started working at the Toms River Verizon Wireless store 10 years ago while continuing her education at Georgian Court University.  She was able to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Marketing, paid for by Verizon.  “They have a fantastic education program.  As long as you maintain good grades, Verizon will pay for your entire degree, including books!” Nicole claims.

YCT: Tell us a little about your family and your daughter’s personality.

Nicole: Gianna’s got a great big personality.  She’s a very happy child and only gets cranky if she’s tired or sick.  We call her a trip because she is hilarious, has an excellent vocabulary and understands everything we say.  Even though she’s a girly-girl who wears tutus, she holds her own with the boys at her school – she can be quite a brute!  We are fortunate to have lots of extended family in the area.  My mother and Larry’s mother and stepfather all live right here in Toms River.  My sisters and brother, and Larry’s sister are all close by and we see them often.  Although my father passed away years ago, Larry’s dad fills the grandpa role for Gianna fantastically.  Even though he lives up north, he tries to come down and see her every weekend.  Gianna is the first grandchild on both sides of our family, and she is certainly spoiled with love and attention.  It will be interesting to see how she reacts when our son is born and she doesn’t get the spotlight all to herself anymore!

YCT: What is a typical day like in your home?

Nicole: On the days that I work, I leave at 7am and don’t get home until 6pm.  Larry is gone all day, especially during the busy summer season.  Gianna goes to Oceans of Fun in Toms River for two hours twice a week. She loves all the crafts and activities they do.  She also goes to the Learning Center, which is tied to the Toms River school district schedule.  They have a more structured curriculum and the teachers are so nice.  Larry’s mom also watches her one day a week.  Dinner depends on what kind of day we had, but we tend to go out quite often so we can spend more time with Gianna without having to focus on getting dinner ready and cleaning up.  We try to give her a bath before dinner, so that she can settle down and get to sleep by 9pm.  We are going to convert her crib to a regular bed soon, and plan to begin nightly story time then.  She wants to hold books when we read to her and it’s difficult with her still in the crib.  Larry made up a bedtime song and sings it to her every night.  She can’t go to sleep without it!

One the days that I’m not working, we always have something going on.  Gianna loves to keep busy and absolutely loves water, so we often go toaquariums and waterparks, including indoor places when it’s cold.  We try to do something fun with her every weekend and recently took her to NYC to see the holiday decorations and Toy Story on Ice.

YCT: What other activities does Gianna enjoy?

Nicole: She goes to swim lessons at Pied Piper – we started before she could walk and now she can swim by herself.  Last year, she attended classes at Shore Ballet.  Now that she’s potty trained, we have more options open to explore.

YCT: What is your favorite thing to do locally with your family?

Nicole: Our favorite place is the beach and boardwalk – both Point Pleasant and Seaside. Larry’s cousin owns a restaurant on the boardwalk in Seaside so we go there a lot in the summer.  Last year, Gianna was a little bit big for the kiddie rides but not quite ready for the big kid rides.  She has absolutely no fear, so we’re really looking forward to this summer when she’ll be able to ride the bigger kid rides by herself.  She absolutely loves Bounce U in Lakewood, and the Euro Jump in the Ocean County Mall.  She will stay on that all day if we let her, and she usually charms the operator into giving her extra time on it.

YCT: Do you have any favorite local vacation spots?

Nicole: About nine years ago we decided to get away for a long weekend, and started driving down the Parkway.  After we crossed the Delaware on the ferry, we just kept going and saw signs for Ocean City, Maryland.  We decided to check it out and discovered that we absolutely love it there.  Since then, we’ve gone back every year.  It’s perfect for couples, but even better now that we have a child.  It is so clean and the boardwalk is very family-oriented.  The hotel where we always stay has two pools, with water slides and a lazy river.  We rent bikes and ride right up on the boardwalk for our meals.  We are big seafood lovers and they have the best crab in the world there!

Next month, we are taking our first big family vacation to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida.  Gianna is going to go nuts when we get there because she watches the Disney Channel all the time and loves Mickey Mouse.

YCT: Have you ever gone on vacation without the kids?

Nicole: In November 2009, we went to Mexico for eight days.  Both our mothers took care of Gianna, but the trip was too long, and the last few days were rough on the grandmas and on us.  We hope to take a shorter trip before the baby is born in June.  We will definitely be going away in November to attend the island wedding of our close friends.

YCT: Do you have a favorite family-friendly restaurant?

Nicole: We love Shogun in Toms River.  We have been going there since Gianna was a baby, and they all know her and love her.  It’s like she’s a celebrity when we go – the owner walks around with her, showing her off to all the guests.

YCT: What is your favorite date night location and how often do you get to go out with just your husband?

Nicole: We rarely go out alone even though both grandmas will watch her any time.  But since we only have one child now, we just take her with us.  I’m sure that will change when the new baby comes, though!  Once in a while, we go to the Long Branch Pier or Atlantic City with friends or Larry’s sister.  We don’t like to gamble, but we love all the restaurants.

YCT: What is your favorite non-mommy thing to do and how often do you get to do it?

Nicole: I know it sounds like a cliché, but I just love to go shopping.  It’s like meditation to me.  I enjoy shopping for other people as much as myself.  It’s my getaway.  I love everything but the credit card bill!  I also enjoy a monthly dinner out with my girlfriends.  Sometimes, we’ll head to NYC and see a Broadway Show.

YCT: What is your husband’s favorite non-daddy thing to do?

Nicole: Larry likes to go to the gym or work around the house.  He’s always got a house project going on and really enjoys working with his hands.  He used to surf and have lots of other hobbies, but now his whole like is working on his business and spending time with family.

YCT: Do you patronize any advertisers from our magazine?

Nicole: Besides Shore Ballet and Pied Piper, we also enjoy Jenkinson’s and the Casino Pier.  Gianna also has a great time at Oceans of Fun.  We went to Sue’s Point of View Photography for Gianna’s first birthday portrait and Sue did a great job.  She’s so patient and didn’t get upset when Gianna smashed birthday cake all over the place.  The pictures were so good that printed them as her first birthday party invitations.  We’re looking for a summer program for Gianna, something to keep her busy while I tend to the new baby, and are considering Kum Sung Academy.

YCT: Do you have any parenting advice that you would like to offer our readers?

Nicole: I really believe that living in an area like this, surrounded by water, that teaching your kids to swim is crucial.  For us, it’s just as important as going to school.  We feel that starting Gianna with swim lessons when she was just six months old was the best thing we ever did.  We think that it’s easier to start when kids are very young, before they develop any fear of the water.

YCT: What is your favorite part of Your Child Today magazine?

Nicole: We really rely on the calendar of events because we like to keep busy and are always looking for something to do with Gianna.

By Jennifer Enright

The third time was the charm for Janice and Patrick Farrell of Manchester Township.  Having met, and briefly dated, twice before deciding to go their separate ways, they did not seem destined to spend their lives together.  Yet when a mutual friend suggested they go on a date several years later, something clicked and they have been together ever since.  They married in 1998, originally settling in Pat’s hometown of North Brunswick before moving to their current home in Manchester in 2002.  “I don’t know why it didn’t work out the first two times we dated.  I guess it just wasn’t the right time,” Janice describes.  “Something was pulling us together, though, because it was my co-worker’s boyfriend, who was also a good friend of Pat’s, who suggested we go out that third time.  It really is a small world – with so many possible connections,” she notes.

The couple were blessed with two daughters, eight-year-old Kiley, and Bailey, age 10.  Rounding out the family is a six-year-old Maltese named Archie.  “He’s a real mama’s dog, the son I never had,” quips Janice, adding that Archie loves to be on Janice’s lap when he’s not delighting the kids by dancing on his back legs.

Janice left her job as a manager at Verizon to stay home when the girls were small.  About two years ago, she found a job as aparaprofessional at Manchester Township Elementary School aiding children with challenges.  “I have the best job in the world.  I make less money than I used to, but I get so much joy from my job and the kids,” she claims.  Pat has worked for the NJ Department of Corrections for the past 11 years.  Since he often has to work on weekends, the family tries to “seize the moment,” says Janice, and spend as much time together as possible.

The active family likes to take spontaneous trips, often to locales complimenting the girls’ school curriculum.  They have traveled to the historic village in Allaire State Park in Farmingdale and Monmouth Battlefield to tie-in with the girls’ studies of colonial times and NJ history.  Since Janice considers herself “directionally challenged”, the advent of GPS has been a boon to the family’s journeys, noting, “I just yell ‘road trip!’ and everyone is ready to go in 15 minutes for a surprise adventure.  In the past, I wouldn’t tell them where we were going in case we got lost, but now we have GPS and sometimes still keep it a secret just so it will be a big surprise when we get there.”

YCT: Tell us a little about your family and the personalities of each of your children.

Janice: Bailey is kind and confident, and wants to be a lawyer.  She loves to write and scored advanced proficient on her NJAsk Language Arts test last year.  She often writes about our road trips in her journal.  A very serious student, she has a really great sense of humor.  Her classmates have even commented on how funny her written stories are.  Kiley, on the other hand, is very different.  She’s very free-spirited, our ‘hippie’ child, and loves nature and being outside – she’d rather climb a tree or ride on her scooter than do her homework.  She wants to be a chef and recently told me she is going to open a five-star restaurant in Paris right under the Eifel Tower!

Patrick is a casual guy, both in the way he dresses, and in his attitude.  A history buff, he loves to watch the History Channel on TV.  He’s very family-oriented and would rather spend his free time with his family than be off by himself.  He can be silly and likes to be the ‘fun dad’, so I sometimes have to reign him and the girls in to get homework and chores done.  I love to laugh and strive to maintain a harmonious balance between work and play.

YCT: What is a typical day like in your home?

Janice: Since I work at the school the girls attend, I usually drive them in.  But because I want them to have their own identities at school, I try not to have too much contact with them once we are all there.  After school, we talk about our days while the girls have a snack and do homework.  Then we’re off to activities or the girls play with friends before we reconnect at dinner time.  Bailey loves to read in her room at bedtime, and I often read with Kiley, since it is not her favorite thing to do!

YCT: What activities do your children participate in after school?

Janice: Their absolute favorite activity is to go to Mathnasium in Toms River.  I was really bad at math as a kid – I actually used to cry because it was so difficult for me.  When Bailey was in third grade, she started to struggle a bit with her math lessons, and I didn’t want her to get frustrated like I had been.  So we signed her up for Mathnasium and she thought it was fantastic.  Kiley saw how much Bailey enjoyed it, and asked to go, too.  They incorporate fun games and activities to teach math concepts.  All the tricks and methods they teach make it easy for the girls to be successful at math, which builds their confidence so much.  Even though facts and figures haven’t changed since I was a kid, the way the concepts are taught is so different that there are times that I really can’t help them with homework.  At school, the kids are in large classes with other students of all different levels of math abilities.  Mathnasium gives them individual attention, geared to their own aptitude – a proven recipe for success!

Bailey has taken Irish stepdancing lessons for the past three years.  She performs in the winter concert in December and the June recital.  This year she is looking forward to participating in some St. Patrick’s Day events.  Kiley has gone to gymnastics for several years.  Since third grade is such a challenging academic year, she is not taking lessons this year, but plans to return to classes next year.  And both girls go to CCD at St. John’s Church in Lakehurst.

Kiley loves to swim in our pool in the summer – she’s such a natural and started swimming when she was just two years old.  But both girls are really looking forward to snow!  Last year they built two snowmen – Snowy and Snowy Jr. – in our yard.  They spent a lot of time sledding at Christ Episcopal Church in Toms River.  We can’t wait to take them snow tubing and skiing in the Poconos this year.

YCT: What is your favorite thing to do locally with your family?

Janice: We love to go to Great Adventure and always get season passes.  The girls are fearless on roller coasters.  They also enjoy thesafari, and their favorite thing is Fright Fest where they watch all the dancers perform spooky routines.  The beach is a favorite spot in the summer.  We often go to Seaside’s Casino Pier and Jenkinson’s Boardwalk and Aquarium in Point Pleasant.  The girls also love to go to Castle Park in Toms River when the weather is nice.

YCT: Do you have any favorite local vacation spots?

Janice: During the summer, the girls attend week-long camps at Ocean County College.  Last summer, Kiley did a CSI detective session and Bailey did a “make your own movie” class.  This summer, Bailey plans to attend a writing workshop.  Summer is a big time for our road trips.  We’ve gone to see Lucy the Elephant in Margate, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in Atlantic City and the Barnegat Lighthouse.  We go to Florida to spend a few weeks every summer with my mother and are really looking forward to planning a European vacation to Ireland and Scotland in 2012.

YCT: Have you ever gone on vacation without the kids?

Janice: We really wouldn’t want to.  We enjoy experiencing new things with our kids and seeing things through their eyes.  It’s so interesting to get their take on things and what it all means to them.

YCT: Do you have a favorite family-friendly restaurant?

Janice: We don’t go out that much, but the Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant on Route 37 in Toms River and Chevy’s in Brick are our favorites.  And we all love Dairy Queen – Bayville, Tinton Falls, Millstone or Toms River – it doesn’t matter – we will drive for Dairy Queen!

YCT: What is your favorite date night location and how often do you get to go out with just your husband?

Janice: Now that the girls are older, we can get away to the Renault Winery in Egg Harbor or the casinos in Atlantic City for a few hours once in a while.

YCT: What is your favorite non-mommy thing to do and how often do you get to do it?

Janice: Most of my girlfriends are single without children and every couple of months, we will go to dinner and not talk about kids!

YCT: What is your husband¹s favorite non-daddy thing to do?

Janice: He enjoys taking a nice long motorcycle ride towards New Egypt, or going trap-shooting.

YCT: Do you patronize any advertisers from our magazine?

Janice: Besides Mathnasium, Jenkinson’s and the Casino Pier, the girls have gone on the Jersey Shore Pirate Adventure.  We are planning a day at Sparkle Diva and also at Color Me Mine.

YCT: Do you have any parenting advice that you would like to offer our readers?

Janice: My husband would say “you gotta let them be kids” and I would add that it’s so important to spend time with them and hug them.  Especially working with so many kids at school, I can tell you that a little hug can go a long way.

YCT: What is your favorite part of Your Child Today magazine?

Janice: Of course it’s the Calendar of Events.  We are always looking for the next Farrell family adventure!

By Tricia Berwick

It doesn’t matter if they are bike riding in the park, lacing up their skates for a few whirls around the ice or strolling on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach.  What’s most important to the Lopez family of Toms River is spending time together.  Jack, a firefighter and Rhonda, a stay-at-home mom, are busy raising their three children in this suburban, family-oriented community.

The couple met while working together on Wall Street in New York City years ago.  Rhonda, who was born and raised in Ireland, ironically met Jack on St. Patrick’s Day here in America.

“Jack started working at my job on St. Patrick’s Day,” says Rhonda.  “That was definitely a sign that we were meant to be together.”

After they dated for awhile, the couple decided to marry in a civil ceremony in the United States.  Years later, the couple traveled to Ireland with their two children who were three and four years-old at the time and were married in Rhonda’s family church.

“We were married in the same church where I received my sacraments and my parents and grandparents were married,” says Rhonda.  “It was very important to me to have a religious ceremony in the church where I grew up and that meant so much to my family.  My daughter was the flower girl and my son was the ring bearer for the ceremony.  My youngest daughter wasn’t born yet, but we hope to make another trip back in the future so she can experience Ireland, too.”

For now, the family-of-five is busy with work, school, and extra-curricular activities.  With two teenage children, Rhonda spends a lot of time behind the wheel.

“I am basically the family chauffer now!” says Rhonda.

Even though the Lopez family has a pretty hectic schedule, they still make spending time together a priority.  One of their favorite family activities is to vacation in Disney World.

“We all absolutely love Disney,” says Rhonda.  “Disney is our vacation of choice every year.  The two older kids still love it and would go there two or three times per year if we let them.”

Your Child Today recently had the pleasure of getting to know the Lopez family a little more personally.  This is what Rhonda, mom of three children had to say:

YCT: Please tell us a little about your children.

Rhonda: My husband Jack and I have three children.  Caitlin is 14 and a freshman at High School South in Toms River. She loves to dance and takes three different dance classes at Shore Ballet, and assists with her little sister’s dance class, also. She also loves birds! She has a pet parakeet named “Kiwi” who thinks he’s a monkey!  He climbs upside down around the cage and jumps from perch to perch! Caitlin is also very artistic and loves to draw and create, and has always said she wants to be an art teacher when she grows up.  Of course, that may change though as she has shown a great aptitude for science and math as well.   Our son Alex is 13 and is in seventh grade at Intermediate South. He really is a typical boy.  Alex loves the game of football and enjoys rooting for The New York Giants.  He also spends a lot of time playing with his friends in the neighborhood.  He is a first class Boy Scout with Beachwood Troop 114 and aspires to become an Eagle Scout in a few years.  He also loves watching the Military Channel and is a Petty Officer 2nd class (NWS Earle Unit) with the US Naval Sea Cadet program.  He participates in this program one weekend every month with my husband, who is also involved.  Our youngest daughter, Isabella is five-years-old and is in kindergarten at Washington Street Elementary School.  She is enrolled in the afternoon session, so that gives the two of us the mornings to relax and spend a little time together before school.  I enjoy spending this time with her while the older two are in school.  They grow up so fast!  She also loves to dance, especially after watching her big sister for so many years.  This year, she decided to start classes at Shore Ballet.  She absolutely loves ballet and tap.  She recently started taking ice skating lessons and loves that, too.  She’s a friendly, outgoing little girl who likes nothing better than to play with other kids her age.  Thankfully, she has a bunch of cousins born within a year of her and they really enjoy spending time together.  Isabella also likes to play dress up in her princess costumes.  She is quite the girly girl!  She absolutely loves clothes and enjoys wearing dresses to school every day.  She changes outfits at least a few times per day!

YCT: What is a typical day like in your home?

Rhonda: A typical day involves a lot of driving!  Three kids on three different schedules both for school and extra-curricular activities can make for quite a full day! Once they get home from school they have a quick snack.  Then homework gets done while everything is still fresh in their minds, then either dinner or activities, depending on what time classes start that day.  We sit down together as a family for dinner a few times a week, but since my husband is a firefighter, that depends on his schedule.  After a little down time, the kids head to bed and then, finally it’s mom and dad’s turn to watch television and relax.

YCT:  What activities do your children participate in after school?

Rhonda:  Caitlin takes dance classes at Shore Ballet three nights a week and she participates in ice-skating on the weekends.  Alex has Boy Scouts once a week and Sea Cadets for one weekend out of each month.  Isabella takes a ballet/tap combo class at Shore Ballet and also ice-skates on weekends. In the spring we’ll add sports and swimming classes to that.  For now though, it’s manageable having one activity per day between the three kids and still having one night during the week to be activity free.

YCT:  What is your favorite thing to do locally with your family?

Rhonda:   We like to take the bikes to Allaire State Park.  They have a great bike trail and we try to do it as often as possible.  Isabella’s “bike” attaches to my husband’s so she’s never tired out like the rest of us!

YCT:  Do you have any favorite local vacation spots?

Rhonda:  Our favorite spot is Point Pleasant.  The kids love to walk on the boardwalk and then go on all of the rides.  We always make it a priority to get the “2 for 1 Ticket Sale” prices on Easter weekend every year.  Also, we love to go to the Cape May Zoo and Ortley Beach in the evenings when the crowds are gone.

YCT:  Have you ever gone on any vacations without

the kids and where?

Rhonda:  Not really, we’ve probably gone away for three weekends over the last 10 years without the kids. We really enjoy our family vacations and actually feel sort of guilty if we think about doing something without them. We are Disney Vacation Club members and like to take full advantage of that.  We go to Disney World almost every year and we never get tired of going.  We decided a long time ago that since our kids would only be young for a relatively short time, we want to make as many fun memories as possible while they still enjoy vacationing with us.  We hope to travel more together after they have all gone to college!

YCT:  What is your favorite date night location and how often do you get to go out alone with your husband?

Rhonda: While we don’t have date night as often as we’d like, when we do get out we like to go out with friends and have a nice dinner.  We also like to splurge every once in a while on a really good restaurant in Atlantic City.  It is closer than New York City and has some of the most fabulous restaurants in the world!

YCT:  What is your favorite non-mommy thing to do and how often do you get to do it?

Rhonda:  Although they are not regularly scheduled, I think nothing beats a good old-fashioned girls’ night out.  Whether it’s getting dressed up and meeting my sister, my sisters-in-law or friends or even just attending a home sales party where I get to shop and socialize at the same time, I really enjoy getting together with friends and family and leaving the kids home for a few hours!  It’s important to have that time once in awhile.

YCT:  What is your husband’s favorite non-Daddy thing to do?

Rhonda:  My husband likes to get together with his friends to watch a football game, or just hang out. He also really enjoys interacting with the kids in the Sea Cadet Program. He loves to set up training drills and seeing how much they enjoy learning about things like search and rescue, firefighting and first aid. He’s organized some pretty fun drills for the kids and they love it!

YCT:  Do you frequent any advertisers from our magazine?

Rhonda:  Shore Ballet is the best! My oldest daughter went to two other dance schools when she was very young and one was not good at all.  We were not happy with this particular school.   The second school placed too much emphasis on competitions and since my daughter didn’t compete, she was left out of a lot of the routines and just sort of stuck on the end of the line for recitals.  Thankfully, Shore Ballet has been a wonderful fit for us.  The teachers are all professionally trained dancers and my daughter has received a great education in ballet there.  Now she takes tap, jazz and lyrical as well and loves it even more. We get comments all the time on how great her posture is and how she holds herself so well.  When I hear those comments, I say everything is courtesy of ballet!

YCT:  Do you have any parenting advice that you would like to offer our readers?

Rhonda:  I think the best advice I have is to be organized and prepared for anything! My husband says I missed my calling as a Logistics Officer in the military! Also, invest in a slow cooker.  It’s a lifesaver on busy winter evenings! Being born and raised in Ireland, for me nothing tastes better on a cold winter evening than a yummy stew, and one that has been simmering in my slow cooker while I’m acting as the family’s chauffeur all day tastes even better!

YCT:  What is your favorite part of Your Child Today magazine?

Rhonda:  I love the Calendar of Events page and the Party Directory page. I always check out the party websites for new ideas for my kids’ birthday parties and the calendar is a great way to find things to do locally on days when my husband is off from work and we want to do something as a family.

Once the weekend arrives, the Valeo family likes to relax, unwind and spend time together.  After a busy week of school, work, and extra-curricular activities, the Valeos enjoy not being on a schedule for a few days.

“On the weekends, we really like to have a lot of down time,” says mom Heather.  “The weekend is our time to decompress and just hang around the house.  The kids have a lot of fun playing in the backyard together.  We also enjoy playing games or watching television as a family.  The girls also love to bike ride and we live on a cul-de-sac, which works out perfectly. ”

Married for twelve years, Heather and Rich Valeo are raising their three daughters in Toms River.  The couple strongly believes in the importance of spending quality time together as a family.  Whether they are playing together at the park, frolicking in the sand and surf at the beach, or just enjoying the comforts of their home, the Valeos make spending time together a priority.  The family-of-five also enjoys getting together with both sets of grandparents who all live locally.  Having the extended family live nearby offers many benefits to the girls.  In addition to helping out with babysitting, the grandparents are able to pass traditions down that have been in the family for generations.

“Having the girls spend time with their grandparents and learning about family traditions is very important to us,” says Heather.  “We are an Italian family, so every September we make sauce with my husband’s parents and my sister in-law Tamie.  It takes us one day to make 70-100 quarts of sauce.  First, we cut the tomatoes, salt them, and then boil them down.  After they are boiled, we put the tomatoes through a machine until all the seeds are removed.  Then, we boil them again and place the tomatoes into a jar with bay leaves.  It’s a pretty simple process.  It’s a great thing to do because then the entire family can have fresh tomato sauce whenever they want it.  We usually have pasta with the homemade sauce at least once a week.”

Since the girls are still young and the family is fearful about the girls getting too close to the boiling pots, the Valeo sisters usually play in the backyard and observe how the sauce is made.  Next year, they will become more active participants and cook along with the rest of the family.  Even though they haven’t sliced the tomatoes yet, what’s important is spending time with the grandparents and learning about the family’s Italian heritage and culture.

“Rich and I are providing the girls with a very traditional upbringing,” says Heather.  “We are very proud of our family and traditions.  In addition to our sauce-making, every Thanksgiving weekend, we trim the Christmas tree with the grandparents.  We are very fortunate to have both of our parents here to spend the holidays and relish in all the girls’ daily happenings.”

Your Child Today recently had the pleasure of getting to know the Valeo family a little more personally.  This is what Heather, mom of three girls had to say:

YCT: Tell us a little about your children.

Heather: Sophia is nine-years-old and attends North Dover Elementary School.  She cannot wait to go to school every day where she is able to be artistic, express her love of music and is encouraged to pursue her love for books.  Sophia also enjoys the theatre and seeing Broadway shows in New York City.  We take the kids into the city as much as possible to see all of the different productions.  I have always had in interest in the theatre myself, so my children knew the words to Les Miserables just like other children know the Sesame street song.  Isabella is eight-years-old and attends Hooper Avenue Elementary School which the kids call “The Hoop.”  She loves her Daddy, music, arts-and-crafts, her dolls, and SpongeBob.  Going to Color Me Mine is one of Isabella’s favorite activities; she just really has so much fun there.   Bianca is the youngest and is five-years-old.  She attends North Dover Elementary School.  She loves going to kindergarten and seeing her friends.  Her favorite color is pink.  One of her favorite things to do is host tea parties.  Whenever someone comes to the house she immediately will set up a beautiful tea party and entertain her friends and family.

YCT: What is a typical day like in your home?

Heather: Everyone wakes up, has breakfast and then gets dressed for school.  Before the school day begins, the girls always do a few chores before they head out the door.  It could be anything from bringing down the laundry to putting the dirty dishes in the sink.  My husband and I feel very strongly about teaching the girls a sense of responsibility.  Doing chores throughout the house teaches our daughters about respect and how to work together as a family.  I tell them that everything has a place and it is your job to put it back in it this way the girls know what is expected of them.  I have recently become more organized and I think it has had a positive effect on my daughters.

Once the girls get home from school in the afternoon, they have a snack and about a half hour of playtime.  Then, it’s time for homework and any activities that they may have.    However, even with the activities, we are very fortunate to have a family dinner as long as daddy is home, which is very important to us.  Even if my husband is on the phone with a work-related call, the girls will interrupt him and say, “Daddy, it’s family time now.  We are eating dinner as a family.”  After dinner, we will play a game together or watch a program and then it’s time to get ready for bed.

YCT:  What activities do your children participate in after school?

Heather: Sophia participates in gymnastics and takes piano lessons.  Isabella takes swim lessons.  Bianca definitely has an ear for music so she also takes piano and she also takes swim lessons.  We are lucky to have both sets of grandparents nearby, so if one of the girls has an activity and the others don’t, we will have one of the grandparents stay with the kids.  This way, they can be at home, doing homework, or just relaxing.  Even though we love for the girls to be busy, we don’t want the activities to be overwhelming, so we limit the activities to one or two each.

YCT:  What is your favorite thing to do locally with your family?

Heather: We are summer people so we love to take the kids out to eat at Stewart’s.  We have been taking them there since they were babies.  We also like to spend time at Ortley Beach.   The beach is very clean; we see a lot of our friends there- it is a “locals” beach.  The girls have fun getting their nails done with my mom.

YCT:  Do you have any favorite local vacation spots?

Heather: The kids like to visit Barnegat Lighthouse with my husband’s parents, Cape May Zoo is a great day, and we really like Storybook Land.  We usually go to Storybook Land once in the summer and once in the fall for trick-or-treating.  It’s a great open area and everything is in immaculate condition.  There are healthy choices for lunch and a spray area in the summer.   I went there when I was a child, so it’s nice to be able to take my children now.  It’s a family-run business so they take pride in maintaining the property and making every child’s experience enjoyable.

YCT:  Have you ever gone on any vacations without the kids and where?

Heather: We have a vacation home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and will go there with and without the kids.  My husband and I try going for a long weekend in the fall which is very relaxing.  I also have had the opportunity to travel abroad with my husband and that was an amazing experience.

YCT:  Do you have a favorite family friendly restaurant?

Heather: We love Nino’s in Toms River.  We go there after church on Saturday evening and the girls always get the coal-fired pizza.
YCT:  What is your favorite date night location and how often do you get to go out alone with your husband?

Heather: Since we are summer people, we love seafood and will try any restaurant where we can enjoy some crab and in the colder months we try to cook together, put the kids to bed early, and hang out.

YCT:  What is your favorite non-mommy thing to do and how often do you get to do it?

Heather: I love spending time at the spa! The Hand and Stone Spa is local and I try and go once a month.  They offer reasonable and professional services and can accommodate my schedule.

YCT:  What is your husband’s favorite non-Daddy thing to do?

Heather: My husband loves to jam on his bass guitar!  He has a group of friends from high school and they get together whenever they can.  Rich is a sports fanatic and can’t get enough football and baseball.  His favorite professional teams are the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Mets.

YCT:  Do you frequent any advertisers from our magazine?

Heather: My children just love Color Me Mine.  It’s a great place to go with the kids because they can be creative and independent, but we can still spend time together as a family.  It’s such a warm and friendly family atmosphere and the staff is always willing to assist the kids with their projects, too.

YCT:  Do you have any parenting advice that you would like to offer our readers?

Heather: The biggest lesson I have learned from a good friend is the importance of being organized.  I have found that the more organized I am, the easier it is for my children.  I will set a routine for the kids and I try not to deviate from it.  It’s very important to
follow through with your plan once it is established. With a routine, the kids are much more successful and feel independent.  As a result, we are a more cohesive and happy family.  Just try to devise an organizational plan that works best for you.

YCT:  What is your favorite part of Your Child Today magazine?

Heather: I love looking at the calendar in Your Child Today.  There are so many local happenings and activities to choose from every month.  It’s a great resource to have because all of the ideas are always fun choices for the entire family.