What do you call a household with two sets of twins under the age of five? Twinfinite Chaos, of course. Join us for our interview with our Mama Blogger of the Month who is a sleep-walking mama of five!

Tell us about your “Twinfinite Chaos” clan.

Well, we’re a family of seven, which is just crazy to me. Even though they’re all mine, I still find it hard to believe there are five kids under this roof! My oldest, Kayley, is 13. We have boy/girl twins, Pablo and Mallory, who will turn 5 next month. We also have fraternal girl twins, Lexi and Nikki, who are 3 1/2. My husband Paul is a civil engineer and I’m a stay-at-home mommy.

How do you best handle all the chaos?

The key to keeping a lid on the chaos, at least in our house, is having a specific routine and schedule in place. We literally have a laminated schedule on the kitchen wall Read on …

We have a weird dynamic in the house. MRS handles pretty much everything: pays the bills, buys the girls’ clothes (well, organizes everything relative to the girls), does the laundry, cooks, travels a ton for work, puts up with my crap, and (aside from that special week that rolls around every month) is a damn fine wife.

So here’s the rub, her ultimate contradiction; she either can’t, or refuses to, put anything back in the same place twice.

If I had a nickel for every time she said, “Where are my sunglasses?” when we’ve gotten in the car, well…I’d have a bunch of nickels.

I’ve had to learn to channel surf telepathically because that stupid clicker has never sat in any one location a second time. (((Side note: someone please come out with a 4 or 5 tuner DVR in a hurry. MRS has so many shows set for series recordings ((hardly any of which she will ever watch (including eleven different versions of Law & Order that air in perpetuity on seven different networks)) that any time I attempt to change the channel, the DVR just prompts me, DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.))) Read on …

Remember how I said that my son Declan’s first major concert would be at Red Rocks, no matter what? Um. I think you all are gonna cry foul on this one.

Because we are taking him to the Mile High Music Festival this weekend.

Yes, Yes, I KNOW! Dick’s Sporting Goods Park - while very nice - is certainly NOT RED ROCKS.

But here’s the thing. John Mayer is playing the Mile High Music Festival.

And Declan’s history with John Mayer goes back a long way.

Exhibit A: When I was trying to be, um, “caught” with Declan, Room For Squares had just been released. And while we were incredibly lucky to be, errm, “caught” in just 4 months, there was a lot of “Your Body is a Wonderland” going on in the background. To this day, Bryan still thinks that album is one of the most boom-chicka-wow-wow collections of music there ever was. Besides Barry White, of course. Read on …

I remember Michelle Otero as the girl who could do everything. She wrote for the school newspaper, made all-state in band, sang in chorus, acted in drama, was a member of student council, honor society, the prom committee and served as student body president before going on to Harvard and, later, Vermont College.

I hadn’t seen Michelle since the summer that we graduated high school back in 1990, so I was very excited when one of my sisters had a chance encounter with her and snatched up her email address. Over the last few months, I’ve gotten reaquainted with the girl whom I called “best friend” back in the days of parachute pants and Nancy Reagan’s Just Say No campaign. In the process of getting reaquainted, I’ve learned that there was so much about Michelle that I didn’t know.

When Michelle was 32, she journeyed to Oaxaca , Mexico to facilitate a creative writing workshop for women survivors of domestic violence and sexual assult. Since returning, she has written a moving, deeply personal chapbook of essays titled Malinche’s Daughter, put out by Momotombo Press of the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies. Through her book, she shares her personal experience with sexual abuse while giving voice to her students’ stories, touching on a culture of shame that has silenced women for centuries. Read on …

I have always loved to travel. The problem is, travel has not always loved me. I once journeyed to France for a wedding, only to get lost and miss the entire celebration.

I built a career as a travel writer by writing a humor column about my mishaps. During a meeting with my editor, I made reference to one of my misfortunes on the trail and he professed, “You mean this stuff really happens? I thought you were making it up because there is no way all that could happen to one person!”

Welcome to my life.

When I had a family, there were understandably even more challenges. My recent solo trip home with my children confirmed it: I am the Real[ist] Family Travel Writer. While so many writers expound upon their tried and true tips for “The Perfect Family Vacation,” I keep it real. Family travel is about survival. The only two things that keep me sane are my sense of humor and a huge dose of denial. Maybe Prozac would help, too.

And so as the Real[ist] Family Travel Writer, here are some insights I gleaned from my trip that I summed up as follows to my husband: “Hell is assuredly an easier commute than flying solo to Canada with two young children.” Read on …

Congratulations to Linda Quintana, winner of our family-pack of tickets to Water World!

Summertime is alllll about Kool-Aid, popsicles and junk food…or is it?

Three fantastic companies–Zebra Mix, Snikiddy Snacks and bot fortified water–are banding together for our giveaway to provide your children delicious and healthy alternatives this summer!

Zebra Mix: Whole Foods was sampling this product a couple of months ago and it was love at first bite. There are three organic mixes–Chocolate Cookie, Brownie Bite and Zebra Cupcake and Frosting Kit– and a Safari Baking Map, which allows kids to use step-by step-baking instructions.

One afternoon, my daughter and I tackled all three mixes. She took great delight in following the “map,” which had her check off all the steps, play fun games and follow instructions such as “eat three chocolate chips before placing them in the batter.” Oh, and the best part of all? Eating her creations, of course! Zebra Mixes are available at Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage and specialty retailers including the Denver Zoo.

Snikiddy Snacks: I was at the height of my diet when these samples arrived in the mail and I only counted them as “half a cheat” because they are healthy (sound logic, right?) Read on …

Guest blogger Tiffani lives with her three right-brained kids and one left-brained hubby in Erie. When not blogging the minute yet incredibly exciting details of her life at Child’s Play or dreaming up ways to look productive and organized without actually having to be productive and organized, she runs her own natural bath and body company, Serendipity Bath Co. If she had to sum up her life in three captions, they would be: “Proudly wiping other people’s butts since 1996!,” “Unschooling: not just for weirdos!,” and “Have minivan; will travel!”

I’m beginning to understand why ideas and education are the first things to be controlled in oppressive regimes. Education leads to…thoughts. Ideas. Connections. Expression. Discussion. And yes, Revolution.

I, being the Head Mama around here, am in a position of Exalted and Sovereignly Great Dictator. Especially when the playroom and bedrooms look like they’ve been ransacked by a bunch of gremlins with a penchant for making cardboard box civilizations and scattering the contents of every toy container to the four corners.

Today is particularly oppressive for the kids, as I am leaving to take care of some business for a few days, and Head Daddy is large and in charge when I’m gone. He needs a clean and tidy house like I need Dove Chocolate and Cherry Coke. I have them on a strict schedule of 15 minutes cleaning with a 10 minute break. Must. Clean. Up!

After lunch, I sent them upstairs to clean some more. They both did their best to argue why they shouldn’t have to/needed less time cleaning/needed a longer break. I announced in my best Exalted and Sovereignly Great Dictator voice, that I was boss and what I said GOES.

However, Read on …