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I'm far from a perfect mom, and my daughter decided to remind me of that last Mother's Day. It turned out to be the gift I've cherished most.

Kids these days don't realize how good they've got it. Thank goodness for The Magic House. In my day we learned about electricity the painful way.

Teen pregnancy rates are down, but there's more to be done - starting with simple conversations.

We're lucky to live in a city that offers so many great outdoor adventures for kids, and nestled within the Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the most awesome. From the slides that look like trees to the edible garden, here's why the Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden is the backyard playhouse of kids' dreams.

When my daughter was little, she and I participated in just about every class or activity available to the toddler-preschool set on a weekday morning. Little Gym? Check. StrollerFit? Check. Art classes? Check. Story time at the library? Check. Mommy and Me playgroups? Check. I could go on and on.

When the summer camp guide from a local arts center arrived in our mailbox, my third grader paged through it eagerly … and then proudly pointed to about thirteen different camps she planned to sign up for this summer. From circus camp to acting camp to a camp where you make your own ice cream, she had visions of attending them all.

For kids, the world of summer camp is filled with excitement and possibility. For parents, on the other hand, it can be a bit trickier to navigate. The options seem endless, the costs add up, and those darned kids insist on having their own opinions and making choices that differ from your own.

The good news? With so many quality summer camp options throughout the St. Louis area, it’s easier than ever to find a camp that will meet the needs of your entire family. You just need to follow a few simple guidelines.

Every morning, my 3-year-old and I live our own personal Lifetime mini-series. It’s called The One She Left Behind, and it’s particularly heart wrenching.
 

The Saint Louis Science Center invites you to join the party celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the James S. McDonnell Planetarium with a new exhibition, special programs, laser shows and retro prices for star shows in the Planetarium.
 

One of the big ticket items on the Mayer Family 2013 Spring Break Bucket List was to take my three daughters (ages 1, 2 and 3) for a ride around the city on the metro link.

Yes, I know what you're thinking, and I doubled up on my Zoloft right before the train pulled into the station.

We pass the metro almost every morning on the way to pre-school and my girls are completely fascinated. My husband happened to be off work this week also so I had some back-up if things went all pear-shaped. Which is usually a pretty solid bet any time we leave the house.

I've always had fond memories of the metro - the cars buzzing with my fellow Cardinals fans on the way to a playoff game; crammed shoulder to shoulder with a group of spirited women on our way downtown to walk for a cure.

“LET'S GO CARDS!” I belted to two business men listening to their ipods as we all stepped onto the train.

The dynamic at 9 a.m. on a random Tuesday morning was a little different than my metro trips from days of yore.

The so-tired-my-eyelid-is-twitching part of me loves

When my daughter was a newborn, she cried – a lot. She never wanted to sleep in more than 30 minute increments, and she wanted to be held constantly. Breastfeeding seemed to be the only thing that soothed her, so like a lot of new moms, I spent those first few months of motherhood with an infant literally attached to me almost 24 hours a day.

A few years ago, my husband and I migrated from St. Louis City to the Edwardsville area. With a young daughter, another on the way, and two busy careers for which we traveled frequently, we needed to be closer to his family.

But while the move was right for our family, I won’t deny I threw myself on my bed, wailed like a hormonal teenager (“It’s not fair. I don’t wanna gooooo!”), and cranked The Cure to musically proclaim my displeasure with my husband’s plan.

No more spur-of-the-moment trips to the Zoo, no more 10-minute walks to a quaint dinner on The Hill. Home was to be a suburban promised land of chain restaurants as far as the eye could see and happy hours centered on the Applebee’s margarita.  

Yet, as much as big box stores dominate the suburban landscape and as much as consumers and the community depend on their services, to my delight and surprise, Edwardsville has held on tight to its locally-owned businesses –  the organizations that built and fuel small towns like ours. And at no time has that devotion been more evident than the past two weeks.

Like most married couples I know, my husband and I have a celebrity “list.”

You know, that special list of celebrities where, if the opportunity arises, we can totally blow off dinner plans and dump the kids on the other to go to a book signing. No questions asked.

March, I’ve recently discovered, is National Craft Month. There’s a month for everything these days – hello, it’s also National Frozen Foods Month – so I probably shouldn’t be all that surprised to find out that we’re devoting an entire 31 days to getting our national craft on.

Emergencies and natural disasters – they’re not things that most of us like to think about. But when it comes to situations such as these, proper preparation and training can play a crucial role in protecting ourselves and our community.

Do you know how to put out a small fire, treat the top three medical killers, or search for and rescue victims without putting yourself in harm’s way?
 
If you answered no, you’re not alone. Many other adults don’t either.
 
The local St. Louis teens who participate in the Mid America Teen Community Emergency Response Team, however, do know how to do all of these things – and much more.

In a couple of weeks my little brother is going to become a first-time dad. I was so excited to hear about a new nephew coming into the world — not least because it was a great opportunity to wrest some of those last baby toys from my 6-year-old’s clutches and send them halfway across the country to his new cousin.

As I packed up boxes of crib sheets that my own mother-in-law had lovingly sewn for my boys, I came across a cute moon-and-stars bumper pad that matched my old nursery theme.

Without hesitation, I threw it away.

Last week I shared the first five of my 10 favorite free things to do with your kids in St. Louis. I know this week has been a nail biter waiting for the final five, so without further ado... the finale.