[Celebrating their 8th birthday last year]

As May 10, of yet another year, comes into focus, I can feel the excitement and curiosity surrounding me as I busily put the perfect finishing birthday touches on each and every detail, preparing for the big day -- this year, my sextuplets turn NINE years old!! It's so very hard to believe!

Say what you will about Mama June, I think Honey Boo Boo got lucky in the mom department. Okay, fine, the 7-year-old starlet could have better eating habits. But Mama June (June Shannon, 33) clearly puts a high priority on her family's happiness -- and her wedding (or re-commitment ceremony or whatever) to Boo Boo clan dad Sugar Bear was proof. And it had nothing to do with the giant inflatable water slide or the camo-and-orange formalwear or the fact that it was on Cinco de Mayo or even the very, very green cake. It's because Mama June and Gummy Sugar Bear's backyard vow-exchanging extravaganza wasn't just about the couple, it was about their kids. As Mama June said, "The day was very special mostly because my girls were able to take part in it. I felt like it was important for them to see this moment and celebrate my love for Sugar Bear."

Funny thing about kids and travel: While most moms and dads dream of vacations involving little more than lying on the beach with a frozen drink and a book that doesn't rhyme or involve pictures, kids tend to like getaways with a bit more get-up-and-go. You know, they want to actually do stuff. As opposed to nothing. Sigh.

Luckily there are some super-fun destinations with plenty of stuff to do for kids & grown-ups alike. Whether you prefer to play alongside your children or send them off for some age-specific activities so you can nap under an umbrella uninterrupted, we found a vacation spot to fit every family's needs.

They say there's an exception to every rule, and that's what Kansas high school junior Courtney Widener's special prom date request should have been considered by school officials. But it wasn't -- at least, not at first. Courtney wanted to bring her 22-year-old brother, Senior Airman Casey Widener, to the prom, and I don't blame her: She'd only seen Casey once since he got back from his deployment in Afghanistan. Of course she wanted a night on the town with her big bro! But she was told that bringing her brother was against the school district's rule prohibiting anyone over the age of 21 from participating in prom activities. Courtney was devastated ... until Casey came up with a way to escort his sister without getting her in trouble.

In news that ranks right up there with the sky is blue, a new survey of grandparents has revealed that most grandmothers are pretty p'o'd that moms are seeking parenting advice in books and on the web. You have to wonder why they even asked. Of course grannies don't want moms going online to get their parenting advice!

Don't you know grandparents have the corner on the parenting market? If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times. Parents love their kids' grandparents to bits, but if there's one thing they really wish the older generation would do, it's butt out on how to parent their kids!

Here's a story that will leave a smile on your face all day. Seventeen-year-old Mariah Herron desperately wanted a camo dress to wear to prom, but she couldn't find one the family could afford in stores. So her doting dad made her a prom dress.

Go ahead and just let it out ... awww! The story comes out of Wisconsin, but it could have happened anywhere.

How's this for a crazy statistic? Approximately 1,300 new stepfamilies are formed every day in America. We've come a long, long way from the days when Ward and June Cleaver were "average" Americans.

But you wouldn't know to hear some stepmothers and stepfathers talk. Stepparents hear some real head-scratchers. And then there are the truly infuriating comments from folks who really should know better.

Afraid you might have foot in mouth disease when you talk to your friends who have stepkids? The Stir polled parents from blended families to find out what they're really sick and tired of hearing:

There's nothing like spending a beautiful weekend with our loved ones. And with a bevy of sunny, blue sky spring days to look forward to, it's time to start planning how to enjoy 'em to the utmost. Sure, there are tons of summer activities we make time on the calendar for year after year -- hitting the beach, joining the pool -- but who says we have to wait 'til after Memorial Day to get the fun started?

Here, 12 springtime must-dos sure to make for amazing memories for your whole family ...