Reston Mom

Swing frenzy

Four kids....one wooden swingset.....lots of rope-creaking, leg pumping, smiley-face glee!

put a little music in your Monday

For the locals - Music Play will host free classes this Monday, August 18th for ages 0-5.  Classes will be held at 11 am and 4 pm at Wee Play in Herndon.  You'll need to call or email to register as class size is limited.  The director, Heather, is a really nice woman with a background in elementary music education.  She does a great job.  During the class, children and caregivers are informally guided to participate in singing, chanting, movement and instrument activities.  The pace is great for young children and the activities are creative yet simple enough for anyone to participate.  Here's the info you need: musicplayva@aol.com or 703 967 9661. 

Family Night #4

This week was "Treasure Island" night.  I had lots of creative ideas for this one, but kept it simple since I was trying not to spend any money.  First, the girls decorated the dinner table with various sea shells.  For dinner we had brown rice islands with carrot/snow pea palm trees and "cannon balls" (meatballs), there were also tropical smoothies and of course Pirate's Booty!  After dinner we taught the girls how to make newspaper sailor's hats and then surprised them with a little treasure map which led them around the block and eventually to the "x" where they found a small treasure box filled with chocolate gold coins.  We finished the night by watching Muppet's Treasure Island. The movie was okay...I had really wanted to get Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island (a childhood favorite of mine) but you can't Netflix it and it's nearly impossible to find on DVD, though you can pay a bit for a collector's VHS - ha!  All in all, a really fun night.

Hope discovered trampoline fun!

Festival Fun

I'm home for a rest after spending a hot morning at the Reston Festival (which continues until 10 tonight and all day tomorrow).  I finally made it over to the children's area this year and was pleasantly surprised (though we did go early before the crowd was too large).  My kids enjoyed the crafts but also the kiddie play area which included some really creative ideas.  My favorite would be easy to repeat at home - they provided golf tees and small wooden mallets and blocks of styrofoam packing...Voila! Let the kids hammer to their heart's content! Also a big hit - the two trains that are running rides through town center.  We're letting kids paint with spray bottles of non-toxic, washable paint at our booth.  I'll be headed back tonight and again tomorrow, see you

ASK RESTONMOM - 7/12/08

Dear Restonmom,
"I am new mother in Reston and I am looking for a gym that my baby can learn to crawl and play with other children his age. The Little Gym in Sterling has the idea but they only offer classes on Tuesday at 2. We are working parents so we need a gym with a little more flexibility. Any ideas? Thanks for your help." Suzanne

Dear Suzanne,
  Ashburn and Fairfax Corner also have Little Gym's. I don't know whether they offer classes at other times, but if that is what you are looking for, it might be worth checking into.  Also, Reston and Herndon community centers often offer baby classes which range to include simple playgroup gatherings to music and movement classes to baby gym settings and more, plus this would be a great opportunity to meet other moms in the area with children similar in age to your own.  Also, you may want to check out the At-Play Cafe.  Kids 18 months and under are free and the schedule is really flexible as you can go whenever you like during open hours.  They have an additional gym studio where they hold classes and parties, but if it is not in use while you are there, it is also open for kids to play in.  Leesburg and Chantilly also have a My Gym.  And Ashburn has a J.W. Tumbles which offers some great Tumbles Tykes classes.  Soon there will be another J.W. Tumbles in Herndon as well.  I hope that gets you started and that you find something that is perfect and lots of fun for your family.
    -Restonmom

Family Night #3

We recently had "pretzel night."  For dinner, the girls helped to make homemade soft pretzels which we ate with cheddar cheese dip, olive tapenade, and spinach dip and fresh cut veggies.  We actually took a break from the plans after dinner to just go for a walk outside because the weather was amazing! Sunny and in the 70's.  When we returned home, Matt and I taught the girls how to dance "the pretzel," a favorite swing move and then we all engaged in some Twister.  And for dessert, we shared some yogurt-covered pretzels.

Reston Youth clubs and activites

Reston eVillage has a great compendium of after-school, weekend, and summer programs for youth in grades 5-12.  Check it out here.

Family Night #2

Our second family night was "movie night."  I generally don't consider watching a movie together as a family activity, since you don't really do it together as much as next to one another.  But, after a long week, we needed some R&R too.  I made movie tickets and a concession stand.  We gave each of the girls real coins and had a lesson about their names and their value, and then they were allowed to spend them on the concessions.  We watched old home videos while we ate our hot dogs - it was so fun for all of us to watch the girls as infants again.  Then we popped in The Muppet's Movie (which I hadn't seen before, though I have seen Muppets Take Manhattan) and snuggled together on the couch.  It was a fun way to spend the evening together.

Can't wait for vacation!

I'm soooooo excited!  This summer will mark the first time our family has been able to take a true vacation together! My hubby has taken a full week off from work and bought us week-long passes to Busch Gardens Va. and Water Country USA.  The girls have never been to any amusement parks before, and Busch is my fave!  We'll be staying at a house in Va Beach all by ourselves - which may seem an odd location for visiting parks in Williamsburg, but it puts us close to the beach and Matt's sister who is due this week with her first baby!  It also puts us close to both Matt's parents and my own, which means we might get some free babysitting too.  But honestly, I'm most excited about just spending the week with my husband and girls all together.  June 15 begins our get-away, we've never done this before so I'll let you know how it goes. I'm sure there will be plenty of chaos when schedules go awry and we vacay with two young kids. Any tips for us?

backyard graffiti

Spent a few hours today with my good friend and her two daughters.  The weather was so beautiful, we knew we had to be outside.  Having four energetic kids four years and under in our tiny paved backyard seemed like asking for chaos.  But, the day was whiled away peacefully as Lena and I sat and sipped our coffee and watched the kids play happily for hours.  All the credit goes to those giant cardboard box castles left over from family night and a box of markers.  Who knew that crawling in and out of boxes while covering them in abundant graffiti could captivate the girls for so long!  I'm definitely going to throw a couple of boxes and some art supplies into the backyard with the kids again from time to time!

Family Night #1

I was inspired by another mom to start being intentional about planning a regular family night - a night set aside just for us to enjoy eachother.  We started it off with "fairy-tale" night.  We started by slaying a dragon - well, a meatloaf dragon. (I shaped a turkey/beef loaf and then covered it with "green" brown rice) and the girls had previously helped me to make white-chocolate dipped pretzel "royal scepters/wands" for dessert.  They also helped to turn some cardboard boxes into castles and made crowns for us all to wear. After dinner we pulled out the dress-up clothes and all got in on acting out fairy-tales such as Rapunzel and the Three Little Pigs.  We even video-taped one of our productions.  Then we closed the night by reading some new fairy-tales for bedtime stories.  The girls loved it so much they awoke wanting to do it all over again today.  It was a special night. We're looking forward to many more and a scrapbook full of fun family memories!    

lilaguide

If you aren't familiar with lilaguide, you might find it a helpful resource.  Self-tagged as the "word-of-mouth survival guide" it is chock full of information - baby gear, shops, activities, groups, services, restaurants and more are listed and then reviewed by real parents.  It's available for tons of different cities nationwide, including several right here in Northern Va.  Click here to see if there's one for your city.

Ask RESTONMOM - 5/1/08

Dear Restonmom,
"Given what you know of the ‘Reston scene’, if you will, would you choose Saturday or Sunday afternoon?  In other words, when do you feel parents are least likely to have a conflict?  On one hand Saturday is chores and errands day, but on the other hand, Sunday is chill out day."  - Gary (on planning a 5th birthday party)

Dear Gary,
    What a great question!  One that I'm sure all parents have struggled with at some point.  It's a difficult one to nail down.  My thoughts are this: If the party is to take place during the school year, I'd consider Saturday.  However, if school is out, then Sunday afternoon might be a good choice.  During the school year, parents are often hesitant to make plans for Sunday because either they are running around doing last minute things preparing for the week ahead or trying to have one more pull-together and restful day before school starts tomorrow.  It also is a common time for soccer teams to have games, for example.  However, during the summer months, Saturday becomes mom and dad's days for catching up on yard work, vacation, cook-outs, errands, chores, family, and more and Sundays take on a more lazy feel. Either way, your best bet is just to make sure that you give enough advance notice of the event.  I hope that helps some and I wish you the best with the party!

Dear Readers,
   We'd love to hear your comments on this one!

when preschoolers paint....

I love to let the girls paint, but their creativity and interest seem to stretch beyond the boundaries of the paper.  Somehow it always ends up like this.  No, I take that back - because this isn't where it ended.  I failed to get pictures of them using each other as full-body canvases shortly after this. I see their motive now in suggesting that they just paint in their underwear instead of donning their designated "painting" clothes.  No staying in the lines here......

I'm going on a bug hunt.....

I love Target's dollar spot!  Today after running some errands, I allowed the girls to pick out two butterfly nets and a package of plastic bugs.  It doesn't sound like much, but it makes for hours of fun around here.  Last year, we attended a birthday party that had a cute bug theme.  The mother hid plastic bugs around outside, provided cute little bug catcher box thingys and sent the kids on a scavenger hunt. Ever since then, my girls have occasionally set up their own such scavenger hunts in our house or around the backyard.  The addition of the nets was such a hit....and they'll get to try them out on real butterflies soon. 

grocery store for fun not food

Hope had her second ballet class today - and loved it, no surprise.  In the meantime, Maddie and I had an hour to spend together just killing time.  I took a book for us to look at and when we were finished, I decided to walk next door to the grocery store.  Usually shopping with the girls is a whirlwind kind of experience.  So, I took Maddie to the produce section for no other reason than to browse, to take the time to let her feel the differences between a bumpy round orange, a smooth oblong mango, and fuzzy kiwi....to look at all the different colors, and to smell the pineapples and also the roses from the nearby floral dept.  It was really nice to just not care about a grocery list or if the kids were getting cranky and spend some one on one time experiencing things with my two year old.  Grocery stores are great opportunities for fun with young ones - you can scavenger hunt for shapes, colors, letters, textures, sounds, and temperatures!  You can make up games out of your usual shopping trips, or it's a good idea just to visit the store with no intentions of buying anything and when there's plenty of time to let it be a fun and relaxing experience for you and your children.  Here are some more game ideas for the grocery store from Wondertime magazine and PBS.

Ask RESTONMOM - 12/9/07

Dear Restonmom,
"I wondered if you had any good suggestions of activities that I could be doing with my not talking, not walking one year old son. I feel like there are so many resources out there for activities applicable to ages 2-5, but I'd like some fun, educational, and special activities that I could do with my one year old too."
- Beth

Dear Beth,
  Thank you so much for your question! I'm sure there are a lot of moms out there wondering the same thing! It is difficult to find activities at this age, but every child, whether they can express it or not, has such a desire to learn and experience things.  All you need is a bit of inventiveness...the great thing is that at this age, anything can be a wonderful activity!  I carried my babies on trips outside to touch everything - bark, fuzzy and smooth leaves, cold rock, grass, flowers...telling them all about the colors and textures. Or took them down the candle aisle or pulled out my spices and smelled them together.  I pointed out everything I saw no matter where we were - birds, tall buildings, trucks, the colors of cars, the squares on the sidewalk. Just managing our chores became full of fun learning moments together. Once we let Maddie fingerpaint by taking off her clothes, laying out a canvas squirted in paint and letting her play in it.  It was a mess and she went straight into the bath, but it was fun and we still have her "abstract" art.  But, if you are really looking to get out, many communities offer classes for young babies and their moms such as swimming, music, and infant massage.  Or you can take your son to a story time at a local library or bookstore - even if it doesn't seem like he is paying attention, he is actually taking in quite a lot about the story as well as the world around him. Pet stores are a great place to visit for a treat - to watch the colorful fish swimming, pet a super soft bunny, or listen to the birds.  I hope that this helps a little bit and I wish you and your son many fun and special moments together!

comments are open, please help by contributing your ideas too!

Think it! Ink it!

I've got a couple of real storytellers on my hands, so I thought this was a great idea! Think it! Ink it! publishing allows your child to create their own story about professionally illustrated characters which can then be printed or you can order the professional looking book in hardcover from their store,  complete with dedication page and your child's picture and "author profile" on the back cover!  This would be a great educational tool for parents or teachers trying to teach their kids to write creatively - throughout the process, helpful prompts, sticky notes, and vocabulary lists pop up to aid your child's creativity.

cute crafts for small change

I made 2 of these very simple flannel boards for my girls to play with.  While the little pieces are glued together, the gingerbread people are able to be moved around, dressed, and re-dressed as desired.  The magic of felt is that it "sticks" to itself - and at $.20 a sheet, it's more than affordable! Older kids can help cut their own designs, and I'm thinking this would be a great take-along for car trips for younger ones.  If pieces get lost or ruined, it's easy enough to replace with very little tug on your wallet.  And, you can always add more pieces for additional fun.  Try a simple snowman design with basic shapes for the snow ball body, rectangle hat and scarf pieces, round buttons and more...let the kids build their own snowman over and over again.  Or use basic shapes to create cars and trucks for little boys or flowers for little girls.  You could use this as a tool for teaching colors, numbers, letters...almost anything really.  And you can find pre-cut felt letters and more in a craft store.  I bought the "play board" - a place-mat sized, stiff piece of felt at Michael's Craft Store for $.79 .

Looking for the best kid sites?

There is so much available to kids via the internet these days, and it can be difficult to discover and sort through it all.  If you are interested in locating a few to bookmark for your kids, try checking out kidsites.com as a useful resource to get you started - because I know moms just don't have time to surf the web searching for something that is appropriate, educational, and fun.  Also, check out my own list in the right column under "sites for kid fun."  These are sites that I love, my kids love, or we both love.  And, if you have kids who are a bit older than mine and have discovered some really great sites that might be helpful to other parents and kids, please feel free to let me know so I can add them to the list!

Invite your daughter to a tea party

Tea sets and tea parties are a classic for little girls...but some moms just aren't the tea party type.  If you're not sure what tea parties are all about but want to make a special moment with your daughter, here's some thoughts:

• take the time to do it right - this will show your daughter that you mean for it to be something special.  Try allowing the use of your real china, linens; let her pick the flowers from your garden or wear one of your special pieces of jewelry.  She'll feel precious when you give what is precious to you for her use.
• half the fun is setting up - set the table together using linens, tea cups, snacks, flowers, etc...discuss where things will go and how to make the table look nice, take your daughter's suggestions.
• use real drinks and snacks, take turns pouring and serving.
• dress for the occasion - hats, tiaras, scarves, jewelry, gloves, make-up all welcome!
• pull out the chair for her, show her how to use her best etiquette, practice putting the napkin in your lap and talking super politely
• talk with your daughter! ask her questions or play a game.  Hope's favorite is to go back and forth making up all kinds of things we "did today."
• make it fun....invite dolls and stuffed animals, play a board game, put on some music, take pictures
• just enjoy the moment, there will come a day when your daughter will be all grown up and won't play tea party with you anymore, but you'll always have the memories! and so will she.

When all else fails or for a special treat, take your daughter on a mommy-daughter date to tea at a local tea house or restaurant.   Most tea houses have special children's menus and children's parties. 

Get crafty

We still have those long winter months ahead.  When your children tire of their new Christmas toys and are trapped inside by the cold weather, what can you do for fun?  Think crafty...or let someone else do it for you.  Kids Craft Weekly will supply you regularly with great ideas. If you aren't the kids craft type or have trouble getting those juices flowing, this might be a really useful resource.  It's written by a mom just like you!

this year's take on the hand turkey

The girls and I made this little craft for our door.  Hope and Maddie helped out with collecting and gluing.  My new favorite craft item for this time of year is cracked corn.  I bought a huge bag of it in the birdseed section for about $2 nearly two years ago.  It's been kept in my freezer and re-used for kid's crafts (like our traditional hand-turkey finger-paintings last year) and the girls love the feel of it and sprinkling it on top of the glue and then leaving the extra outside for birds and squirrels. ( I'm thinking it would make a great fill material for inside the bottom of some holders for candles on the thanksgiving table.)  Well, we just couldn't leave out that familiar hand turkey this either.  All four of us traced our hands and put them together with "thanks" so that we could be united in our gratitude. 

size does matter

I can't believe I never thought of this before!  My girls like to draw and color, but the novelty wears off somewhat quickly.  However, I recently inherited a very large pad of paper from a neighbor...the kind that is large enough that I can lay it on the floor and both the girls and I can color from a different side without infringing on eachother's artwork.  I don't know whether it is because it is more easy or more fun, but having the ability to color with huge sweeping strokes and draw in larger-than-life figures has totally won over my girls.  Forget about those coloring books with the little pictures, this giant blank canvas really stirs up the artist in my children.   The only unfortunate thing is that I can only find room to tack one giant piece of art to my refridgerator at a time. 

It's a balloon....It's a pumpkin......

Actually, IT'S A PINATA! My good friend Lena and I indulged in a whim and helped our kids create home-made pumpkin pinatas! They each made a small one to keep, and we made one large one to fill and play with. It was so much fun, I'm thinking of making it a yearly autumn tradition - to be made ahead of time, enjoyed as festive decor, and whacked open on Thanksgiving (something to look forward to). 

As the girls get older, they'll be able to do the project mostly by themselves, expanding to different shapes and colors... let their own creativity flow and see what happens. Though I have a feeling that as the years go by we'll have to upgrade the treats inside from Teddy Grahams and Jelly Bellies!

Actually, IT'S A PINATA! My good friend Lena and I indulged in a whim and helped our kids create home-made pumpkin pinatas! They each made a small one to keep, and we made one large one to fill and play with. It was so much fun, I'm thinking of making it a yearly autumn tradition - to be made ahead of time, enjoyed as festive decor, and whacked open on Thanksgiving (something to look forward to). 

As the girls get older, they'll be able to do the project mostly by themselves, expanding to different shapes and colors... let their own creativity flow and see what happens. Though I have a feeling that as the years go by we'll have to upgrade the treats inside from Teddy Grahams and Jelly Bellies!

unleash your inner treasure-hunter

I just learned about letterboxing, an interesting new fad that I'm sort of tempted to rush right out and participate in.  It is really very simple - people have started hiding boxes all around the country that contain a small journal and a stamp. The idea is that using the clues provided, you go and hunt down the location of said hidden box, open it and leave a stamp of your own in the journal residing there and also use the stamp provided to create a collection in a journal you keep.

I think this would be a fun, great problem-solving activity for kids and/or families. The really amazing thing is that there are TONS of boxes hidden right here in our area... enough to keep you busy for a seriously long time and to accumulate a massive collection of stamp marks and hopefully fun Saturday memories.  There are 17 boxes in Reston plus 6 in Herndon, 18 in Great Falls, 11 in Vienna, 10 in Ashburn and a whopping 24 in Leesburg, plus more in almost every other neighboring city. 

Probably my most favorite part of this whole game is the clues - some are so truly clever and creative! Beyond straightforward directions, you'll also find poetry ( as in this one ), plus other creative options such as if your kids are really into Harry Potter you'll love this one. And, if you are really into it, you can hide your own and see how many people make their mark in your own little book. You really must go check out the website, the whole concept and the fact that it is working is really quite fascinating.

I just learned about letterboxing, an interesting new fad that I'm sort of tempted to rush right out and participate in.  It is really very simple - people have started hiding boxes all around the country that contain a small journal and a stamp. The idea is that using the clues provided, you go and hunt down the location of said hidden box, open it and leave a stamp of your own in the journal residing there and also use the stamp provided to create a collection in a journal you keep.

I think this would be a fun, great problem-solving activity for kids and/or families. The really amazing thing is that there are TONS of boxes hidden right here in our area... enough to keep you busy for a seriously long time and to accumulate a massive collection of stamp marks and hopefully fun Saturday memories.  There are 17 boxes in Reston plus 6 in Herndon, 18 in Great Falls, 11 in Vienna, 10 in Ashburn and a whopping 24 in Leesburg, plus more in almost every other neighboring city. 

Probably my most favorite part of this whole game is the clues - some are so truly clever and creative! Beyond straightforward directions, you'll also find poetry ( as in this one ), plus other creative options such as if your kids are really into Harry Potter you'll love this one. And, if you are really into it, you can hide your own and see how many people make their mark in your own little book. You really must go check out the website, the whole concept and the fact that it is working is really quite fascinating.

a cake your kiddo can make

This is not nutritious in the least bit, but here is a recipe that is sure to make your kids totally proud of themselves for being a great chef.  It's the easiest cake in the world to make - fondly known as "dump cake" because basically all you do is dump in the ingredients.  And, I promise it actually comes out looking beautiful and tasting yummy! 

The youngsters will need help with the oven part, but they'll be proud to do the rest by themselves. Or, if you're headed to a pot luck and need something super easy - nothing beats 4 ingredients and no stirring.

What you need:

• 20 oz can crushed pineapple
• 16 oz can cherry pie filling
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3/4 cup butter or margerine

What you do:

1. Butter a 9x3 baking pan
2. Dump in pineapple, including juice, spread evenly
3. Spoon the cherry pie filling over the pineapple
4. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix over the fruit
5. Slice the butter thinly and place on top of cake mix
6. Bake 350 degrees for 45 min.

This is not nutritious in the least bit, but here is a recipe that is sure to make your kids totally proud of themselves for being a great chef.  It's the easiest cake in the world to make - fondly known as "dump cake" because basically all you do is dump in the ingredients.  And, I promise it actually comes out looking beautiful and tasting yummy! 

The youngsters will need help with the oven part, but they'll be proud to do the rest by themselves. Or, if you're headed to a pot luck and need something super easy - nothing beats 4 ingredients and no stirring.

What you need:

• 20 oz can crushed pineapple
• 16 oz can cherry pie filling
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3/4 cup butter or margerine

What you do:

1. Butter a 9x3 baking pan
2. Dump in pineapple, including juice, spread evenly
3. Spoon the cherry pie filling over the pineapple
4. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix over the fruit
5. Slice the butter thinly and place on top of cake mix
6. Bake 350 degrees for 45 min.

things to do on a rainy day

Prep and clean-up are enough to inhibit us from diving into the craft world too frequently, but Hope is always asking for a new project. Here are a few that we've recently done:

1. Coffee-filter butterflies: Cliche, but for a good reason. These are so easy to make, even Maddie helped paint, Hope learned to fan-fold paper and twist pipe-cleaners, too, and we learned about colors and mixing them.
2. Finger puppets: Puppets are always great, even the paper-bag version because of the gratification of play after making them. I took some time to stitch a couple pieces of felt together and let Hope and a friend glue on eyes and stripes and balls to create little insects.
3. Pop-ups: We got a great book from the library which teaches you how to fold and cut paper to create your own pop-up pictures, cards, and more. Folding and coloring are fun for Hope, though she still needs a bit of help with the cutting.

Prep and clean-up are enough to inhibit us from diving into the craft world too frequently, but Hope is always asking for a new project. Here are a few that we've recently done:

1. Coffee-filter butterflies: Cliche, but for a good reason. These are so easy to make, even Maddie helped paint, Hope learned to fan-fold paper and twist pipe-cleaners, too, and we learned about colors and mixing them.
2. Finger puppets: Puppets are always great, even the paper-bag version because of the gratification of play after making them. I took some time to stitch a couple pieces of felt together and let Hope and a friend glue on eyes and stripes and balls to create little insects.
3. Pop-ups: We got a great book from the library which teaches you how to fold and cut paper to create your own pop-up pictures, cards, and more. Folding and coloring are fun for Hope, though she still needs a bit of help with the cutting.

hopscotch and heels

Recently Hope has been very into playing hopscotch. I drew the gameboard in chalk on our back patio and taught her the rules. While we've modified the game a bit to compensate for her inability to hop on one foot very well, she still has enjoyed rolling her stone and jumping on the numbers. The other day she was dressed in a princess dress and plastic pink heels from her dress-up chest, but she wanted to play hopscotch. I was worried she'd twist an ankle or something, but she insisted she could hop in the heels and I let her.

I have to admit, it was pretty cute and she did a great job. Of course, even the simplest occasions are reason enough for a princess to get all dressed up. Here's a fun site for learning different ways to play hopscotch, plus you can purchase a fun kit including place marker, chalk, and how to dvd. I had a hoppy taw as a kid (find out what it is at this great hopscotch 101 site), but rocks and sidewalk chalk will get you started.

a day in the park

We spent a good part of this beautiful afternoon at Great Falls Grange Park. The playground there is pretty cool in my opinion. Shady in the summer, slightly raised by the aid of a hill - it favors good breezes. There are numerous benches and picnic tables (as opposed to the seemingly standard single bench that is usually taken by the time I arrive anyway - not that you could see your kids from where it is placed besides) plus grassy areas if you prefer a picnic spread.

The playground is clean and features every item you could wish for - a faux rock-climb wall, swings - including a tire-style round swing, slides of various sizes and styles, several tunnels (which run not just parallel to the ground but offer some curvy fun), fire-man style ladder ascending through a hole in the center of the platform, bridges, and more... including and honest-to-goodness old-fashioned merry-go-round, something which I had not seen in years! It was just enough to keep the kids well entertained for a good while and not overwhelm them or me. I definitely recommend a visit.    

   

 

We spent a good part of this beautiful afternoon at Great Falls Grange Park. The playground there is pretty cool in my opinion. Shady in the summer, slightly raised by the aid of a hill - it favors good breezes. There are numerous benches and picnic tables (as opposed to the seemingly standard single bench that is usually taken by the time I arrive anyway - not that you could see your kids from where it is placed besides) plus grassy areas if you prefer a picnic spread.

The playground is clean and features every item you could wish for - a faux rock-climb wall, swings - including a tire-style round swing, slides of various sizes and styles, several tunnels (which run not just parallel to the ground but offer some curvy fun), fire-man style ladder ascending through a hole in the center of the platform, bridges, and more... including and honest-to-goodness old-fashioned merry-go-round, something which I had not seen in years! It was just enough to keep the kids well entertained for a good while and not overwhelm them or me. I definitely recommend a visit.    

lots of dough = loads of fun

Just before Valentine's Day, I did a project with Hope and the little girl I watch. Using salt clay, I had the girls cut out shapes (this time hearts, butterflies, and flowers) using cookie cutters. We poked a hole through the tops, then we baked them in the oven until they were hard. 

The next day, the girls painted their creations, threaded a ribbon through the holes and added some beads.  I tied the ribbon to make a little loop for hanging their ornaments, and wrote their name and date on the back with a permanent marker. Hope was allowed to give her "valentines" to anyone she wanted... and was so excited that she ran to get her box to bless seemingly every person who came through our door with one of her hand-made creations.

Baking creations from salt clay and then painting them is always a fun and easy activity. As a matter of fact, there are a ton of fun and creative mediums that you can concoct in your own home. Here is a website with a gigantic list of recipes including the salt dough that we made as well as a plethora of other playdough recipes, paint recipes, chalk, flubber, silly-putty, slime, paper mache... and more.

Just before Valentine's Day, I did a project with Hope and the little girl I watch. Using salt clay, I had the girls cut out shapes (this time hearts, butterflies, and flowers) using cookie cutters. We poked a hole through the tops, then we baked them in the oven until they were hard. 

The next day, the girls painted their creations, threaded a ribbon through the holes and added some beads.  I tied the ribbon to make a little loop for hanging their ornaments, and wrote their name and date on the back with a permanent marker. Hope was allowed to give her "valentines" to anyone she wanted... and was so excited that she ran to get her box to bless seemingly every person who came through our door with one of her hand-made creations.

Baking creations from salt clay and then painting them is always a fun and easy activity. As a matter of fact, there are a ton of fun and creative mediums that you can concoct in your own home. Here is a website with a gigantic list of recipes including the salt dough that we made as well as a plethora of other playdough recipes, paint recipes, chalk, flubber, silly-putty, slime, paper mache... and more.