Places to Go - Alexandria's Old Town Waterfront & The Torpedo Factory (Alexandria, VA)

Okay, so before I even start this post, I just wanted to say THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who nominated me as one of Babble's Top 50 Mom Blogs. I feel sort of like I did in high school when against all odds I actually hit the volleyball. And, if you haven't voted, I just want to say that I'm a really nice person who loves positive feedback - the link is here, all you have to do is click the "like" button and I could be famous forever. PLEASE!! (thank god, I'm not a politician, I would be awful). Thanks again!



A few weeks ago, after I picked the girls up from preschool we drove to the Alexandria waterfront and enjoyed a picnic lunch in Founders Park (Union St. and Queen St.). The girls love watching the boats and ducks. Plus on weekday afternoons, the waterfront is empty, we ran into a few dog walkers and that's about it. The park has lots of grass to play and run (though no playground) and a huge anchor to climb (see second pic from top). There's also a food court right around the corner. If you feel like extending the adventure into late afternoon, you can always take the water taxi over to National Harbor (click here to see my post on the ferry).

We also spent some time wandering around the Torpedo Factory. F loves this place, she calls it the "kid art museum", which I find odd in that there really isn't much geared directly at children. But she enjoys peaking in the studio windows and commenting on the paintings and sculptures (I'm always a little weary of entering the studios with the kids, T and pottery don't mix well). And I always like to see the changing exhibits in the Target Gallery and Art League Gallery.

All in all a nice afternoon. And we didn't spend a cent. Though I was tempted to buy a $900 painting.



If you're wondering "why is F wearing that silly visor on an overcast fall day with the cutest dress in the world?" Then you've read my mind.

Things to Make - Paper Doll Chains

We first made paper doll chains a few weeks ago, using newspaper. An idea which originated from this book - Recycling Things to Make and Do (Usborne Activities). The girls had fun seeing the dolls come to life, but quickly bored with the dolls after we cut them out.

Then, last week, I decided to try the activity again, this time on plain paper. And the fun lasted all afternoon. F (who is really into craft projects lately) loved drawing in the dolls' faces and giving them names and personalities. This prompted P (who loves to play with dolls) to involve herself by making up detailed stories and backgrounds for all the dolls ("these two are sisters, but they're fighting because this sister is mean" etc.) Then both girls lamented on the dolls' sadness concerning their lack of stuff and housing, which lead F to start cutting out and coloring furniture for everyone (mostly beds and couches). This lasted all afternoon and would have lasted longer until P made the mistake of putting her dolls to bed on the floor. That's when the carnage began. I was trying to make dinner, when piercing screams of "T's killing their families! KILLING them!" filled the house. Apparently paper dolls and toddlers = bad combination. In the mere seconds it took me to arrive in the front room, T had managed to tear up almost every doll. So sad. So sad. At least they're cheap enough we can make a few more batches, though I hate to evaluate "life" in such terms.

Instructions on How to Make Paper Doll Chains:
1. Cut a wide strip of paper and fold it in half (short edges together). Then fold in half again. And again. And again if you want a ton of dolls.
2. Draw a doll's body on the fold, draw arms that will touch (and/or feet that will touch) - see examples in the attached pictures.
3. Cut out the shape but DON'T cut the fold by the hands (and/or feet).

Places to Go - Mt. Vernon (Alexandria, VA)

Two weeks ago, a good friend from high school came to town, so we visited Mt. Vernon for the day. This was my first trip to George Washington's estate (I was a little worried about how kid-friendly it would be) but our whole family will definitely be returning. Mt Vernon's grounds are much larger than I thought they would be - with gardens, huge lawns, and farm animals. We did not manage to visit the whole property (I'm especially sad that we missed the dock area).

On the weekend that we visited, the back lawn was full of families running and playing, all while enjoying the incredible views of the Potomac (though if you go, be careful, as the incline can be steep). We avoided the house tour (in my mind the words "children" and "heirloom" don't mesh), but the kids and I still found plenty to do. The girls liked looking into all the outdoor rooms ("Is that a real spinning wheel? Just like in Sleeping Beauty? Really?"). And the gardens were a hit - George Washington envisioned horticulture using only "natural fences" (see the last picture of this post). But mostly, the kids just ran and ran (there was plenty of room to do so). The estate has a sit-down restaurant AND a cafeteria (great for children). Children under 6 are free and although the adult admission is a little steep at $16, if you live in the area it's probably worth it to purchase an annual pass for only $25. Potomac Riverboat Company also offers tours by water.

All in all, a great place to visit.

Places to Go (Vacation) - Schroon Lake, NY

As I mentioned on Wednesday, a few weeks ago we headed up to Schroon Lake, NY for my best friend's wedding. I thought I'd post some pictures of the house we stayed at. Simply lovely. Now all my husband talks about is "maybe someday we'll have a cottage on the lake." "Maybe someday" being the key part of that sentence.

Oh, regarding T's umbrella. He found it in the car and wouldn't let it out of his sight. Lately, he always has to have something to drag behind him - usually a blankie or a pull toy. But on vacation, he decided an umbrella was good enough.

And for those interested in visiting the Schroon Lake area, if you want to splurge a little, I can think of few things as wonderful as a weekend at this hotel.

Have a great weekend everyone! I'll be back on Monday.
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If you're looking for some fun stuff around the web -

*This is the funniest blog I've seen (plus it's a mom blog and it's local) - you have to read it.

*I've become quite the calendar snob over the past few years, so many great artists put out these wonderful homemade calendars that it seems sad to buy one of the Barnes and Noble ones. Decor8 has a "calendar round up" of the best of the best - click here.

*I know I can't afford to go to the same places on vacation that this family goes, but sometimes it's nice to dream (and the pictures are amazing) - check it out here.

Things to Read - Baby & Toddler Books

After three babies, I feel this is an area our family has developed some expertise in. Though each child had his/her own preferences, we've had a few sure fire hits over the last few years. (By the way, you can click on the image thumbnails to enter each book's amazon site).

Babies:


Babies love to touch and feel the pages. Usborne makes a whole series of "that's not" books (that's not my monster, that's not my princess, that's not my dragon, etc.) and all three of my children loved them (though they are repetitive so I wouldn't suggest buying the whole series). We like the monster because he's cute (and gender neutral), but all of them are fun.


All three kids loved this book - the flaps combined with the pictures of other babies make for a great "read." Plus, the flaps are secured pretty strongly, so the pages can tolerate some abuse (unlike pop up books, which babies can destroy in mere seconds).


As an adult, these "my first word books" are painfully boring. But babies really do like pointing to the pictures and listening to you say the words. Plus, every page of this book has something different to feel.


My mom bought this book for T and he can't stop looking at the pictures. I hate when people go on and on about the differences between boys and girls, but there really is something about little boys and construction equipment. They love it.

Stage 2: - These books have actual "plots" (minimal plots), so I think of them as stage 2 books. T still doesn't show any interest in story-type books, but by the time the girls were 1.5 years old, they loved it when we read to them.


This book makes a great transition from baby books to toddler books. Lots of stuff to pull and look at and feel, plus a minimal plot.



This is truly a classic. Before either of the girls could talk, we were reading this all the time because they loved practicing all the animal sounds. Plus, the rhymes are catchy (you can't go wrong with Dr. Seuss) so we never really minded reading it over and over and over again.


Sandra Boynton is the reigning queen of toddler books. But not the Hippopotamus is my favorite book of her's (I love the message of trying to include everyone), but all of them are quite good (esp. Belly Button Book (Boynton on Board), Moo Baa La La LaOne, Two, Three! (Boynton on Board). As an adult, they're fun to read, we missed them when the girls grew out of them. I've actually thought about writing Sandra Boynton a thank you note for making toddler literature so entertaining.


This is a great introduction to the alphabet and the sound of each letter. Each bunny sleeps in a different place (Able on a Table, Blair on a Chair, Carol in a barrel). Plus the pictures of the bunnies are really cute.

For more suggestions - Sew Liberated has a long list of her toddler's favorite books (we also enjoy Mama, Do You Love Me?)

What about everyone else? Any good toddler/baby book recommendations? (I've purposefully left Goodnight Moon Board Book & Bunny off the list, as most of you probably received at least three copies as shower gifts).