Moms Talk is a weekly feature on all Lehigh Valley Patches, in which local parents are invited to share opinions and advice on parenting issues.
Each week our Moms Council members will discuss a different issue. Join the conversation by weighing in on a topic or asking questions.
Our Moms Council members include:
- Lisa Amey, of Upper Milford Township, is a stay-at-home mom to an 8-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter. A past president of the MOMS Club of Emmaus and long time member of MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers), Lisa is an Independent Consultant for Arbonne International.
- Lisa Drew, of Emmaus, is a certified nutritionist and personal trainer, wellness and fitness coach with more than 17-years experience. She is the mother of a 13-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy.
- Jennifer Elston, of Emmaus, has almost two decades of professional experience in child development and counseling. She is currently a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful girls. Together with her husband, Chris, she owns Christopher Elston Photography.
- Jeanne Lombardo of Nazareth is the mother to a 10-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. She’s new to the Lehigh Valley, having moved to Nazareth from Bergen County, N.J. in January.
- Lisa Merk, of Lower Macungie, is a stay-at-home mother of four boys – a 12-year-old and 6-year-old triplets. Lisa is a past president of the MOMS Club of Lower Macungie East. In her “spare” time, Lisa teaches piano to school-age children.
- Zoila Bonilla Paul, of Bethlehem, is a stay-at-home mom to two girls – a five year old and a 14 month old. Zoila is a member of her local “moms’ club” and says she is “well-versed in the fun that children can bring.”
You don't have to be a mom or even a parent to answer this week's Moms Talk question. It's a chance for all the members of our Lehigh Valley Patch community to look back at some of their fondest summer-time memories as well as look forward to the summer fun that's just around the corner.
Memorial Day is a time for honoring those who have fought for our freedoms. Memorial Day is also thought of by many as the official start to summer. What are some of your best childhood summer-time memories? What are you most looking forward to this summer? Is it a special vacation? A traditional day trip that you take with the family? Time sitting by the pool with a trashy novel? Lightening the cooking load by serving all of those fresh fruits and veggies on the horizon? And, for the moms out there, is it the day that you can begin back-to-school shopping and start prepping the kids to return to school?
Share your thoughts and stories with us in the comments.
If you would like to become a part of the Moms Council and/or have ideas for future Moms Talk questions, please email jennifer.marangos@patch.com.
When my parents were dating back in the early 1960's, my dad took my mom to Ocean City, NJ in his convertible. They would enjoy the beach by day and hit the clubs on the mainland at night. They both loved this town and passed this love on to me and my two sisters. As a family we visited there often. My dad had a pilot's license and would FLY us to Ocean City in a puddle jumper for the day, sometimes for Memorial Day or another summer holiday. Sometimes we would drive down and rent a house for a week or two. Then in the late 1970's, they built a duplex there. From then on, we would go down as often as we could. On Memorial Day weekends, I remember thinking that I was so done with school, even though we had a few weeks left. I looked forward to living in the top unit all summer, and renting out the bottom unit to all year round tenants. Our summer activities always included beach time, crabbing, sailing, shell collecting, biking on the boardwalk, and going to Brigantine Castle. Then when I was in college, I would be allowed to live down there on my own from Memorial Day on while working at a restaurant or ice cream shop, until my younger sister was out of school and the whole family would come down for the season. That was the life! I didn't know how lucky I had it!
Then, a few years ago, my dad decided to knock down the old duplex down and build a new one, and no longer wished to be a landlord. He lives in the upper unit in the summers, and leaves the bottom one available to family whenever we want. Now I have passed the love of this town and its charm to my family. My kids love to do the same things that I did growing up. They enjoy hearing of the times when I was a kid and enjoyed my time there. Ah, yes....if only I could be there now... just wasn't in the cards for us this Memorial Day. But you can bet that we'll be there as much as we can!! Happy Memorial Day!!!
And bring on the summer! The spring is always such a busy time of year for me and the kids - spring concerts, field trips, school projects, half-days, soccer tryouts, baseball games, awards ceremonies, teacher gifts - OH MY! By the time the last day of school hits, we are ready to slow down! That's what summer brings for us. No schedule! Sleeping in! Long, lazy days by the pool. I have three children who all have very different interests. But if you 'just add water', they are all happy. So bring on the heat and the humidity.... as long as we are next to the pool!