Italy. Two weeks with kids

Have you checked out Sarah's blog?? She is a Rick Steves guide. Last summer she took her son to Italy and Slovenia and writes about traveling with kids here: http://adventureswithsarah.net/category/travel-with-kids/

If you go to Rimini, an Adriatic beach town, you could take the kids to 'Italia in Miniatura', with scale models of famous buildings from all over the country. When I was 9, we lived in the Netherlands, and visited Madurodam (same idea). I loved it!

Arrive Milan. 1 night.
Cinque Terre 3 nights
Agriturismo with day trips in Tuscany including Florence 6 nights.
Bologna and or san Marino and or another Adriatic town 2 nights
Venice 2 nights and !eave

If your flight arrives before noon, you can make it to the Cinque Terre (or Venice) the same day and not have to make a one night stay.

I would recommend starting in Venice (Venezia in Italian) and flying out of Milan as the early AM departures from Venice are killer.

Arrive Milan - Take the train to Venice immediately - 3 nights (really worth it to stay 3 nights especially on arrival)

Train to Rimini - 2 nights

Train to Florence (note it is Firenze in Italian) - pick up a car and go to agriturismo - 6 nights

Drive to La Spezia, drop car - train to CT town of your choice - 3 nights

Assuming late enough flight out of Milan, you can take the train there early the last morning OR fly out of Genoa (Genova) or even Pisa. If your flight is too early to take a chance on last morning transfers, maybe move on to Milan (or wherever you depart) the afternoon of the last day.

If you have not already done so, use the search bar (above) and query "early morning departure from Venice"

That should cause you to make sure you have a late departure ( usually significantly more expensive) or plan your trip to end somewhere other than Venice.

I like Laurel's suggestion.