Happy Thanksgiving!
Been There, Done That: Cub Run RECcenter, Chantilly, VA
categories: Been There Done That
One of the things I am going to miss about living in Northern Virginia is the Cub Run RECcenter. I grew up in a rural area and the only ‘rec center’ we had was the armory which had a basketball court or the YMCA in the next town over. The YMCA had a lap pool, but we didn’t belong and I probably only went a handful of times for birthday parties.
We discovered Cub Run when we wanted to sign Mikey up for swimming ‘lessons’ when he was 6 months. I think the first time we pulled into the parking lot both S. and I said ‘whoa’ at the same time. It was a huge, new building with an enclosed water slide protruding from the side.
Inside the door the smell of chlorine will hit you, but the lobby is beautiful with a wall of windows looking into a very clean, spacious fitness center. The pool is downstairs and it is not JUST a pool. It’s a leisure pool with a 30-foot-high slide that snakes outside the building. It’s a 20-foot-high slide with an open tube, It’s a spa, a vortex, a lazy river, and an open shallow water area with a water playground. What’s a water playground? It’s a zero depth entry pool with a small slide and water spray features. Basically – it’s a kid’s dream and parent’s oasis.
Of course, there is a lap pool on the other side, but for the sake of a review, let’s pretend everyone has a baby or toddler.
After paying our $8 per adult (in county fee) since we aren’t members and high-fiving that Mike’s admission is free (kids under 4), we needed to change. There is a big locker room and four family changing rooms with a personal bathroom, changing tables and a shower. During peak times there might be a wait, but in the dozen times we’ve been I don’t remember a long wait to change. Don’t forget to pack your swim diapers! It’s a rule.
Mike loves the water and thankfully it is pretty warm so there isn’t the shock of getting in. We’ve gone a few different times during the day and it is never really packed. Make sure you check the schedule though, on the weekends they are closed for lessons before noon, then it’s open swim.
Mike really enjoys putting his finger over the water sprays and trying to figure out how to run in the water. We took him around the bend to the ‘deep’ end and he enjoyed it just as much. It’s a really well laid out pool. His threshold is about an hour and a half before the water and white noise of kids makes him really sleepy. It’s a challenge to keep him awake until we get home.
At 45 minutes after the hour, the lifeguards take a break for 15 minutes which is just enough time to use the bathroom and dry off a little bit. If you don’t want to rent a locker, there are plenty of cubbies in the pool area to stow your stuff and keep an eye on it while swimming.
Cub Run RECcenter is our go-to for some fun on a cold or rainy day.
Quick and Dirty:
Cost: We pay $8 per adult and kids under 4 are free
Age Group? Fun for all ages
Parking? A lot of spots in a parking lot
Food Options? Nope! Unless you are having a party or buy ice cream bars from the front desk, the pool is a no food zone.
Stroller Friendly? I am going to say yes. You probably don’t want to take it to the pool, but there is room to stow one.
Changing Tables? Yep! In both men and women’s bathrooms
Safety: Lots of lifeguards and life vests in a variety of sizes to use.
See you there? For sure.
In Case of Emergency
Now is the time of year in the DC Metro area when the weather becomes a bit of a problem. The rest of the country makes fun of us for shutting everything down the minute the weatherman calls for flurries, but it’s honestly for the good of the people. Though we are a transient area, not all of us know how to throw on snow tires and drive 10 over the speed limit safely.
This is also the time of the year when I get over paranoid and over prepared when it comes to keeping our cars stocked with necessities. I am convinced we need to have at least two weeks worth of supplies on the floor of the backseat (you know, so when we are stuck in the snow and can’t get to the trunk). Perhaps I am exaggerating the two weeks, but it’s pretty damn close.
Also, as a parent, an emergency is not what it used to be. Mike having a major meltdown in the car seat because it is past mealtime is an emergency. Realizing I forgot to put more diapers in the diaper bag is an emergency.
Here’s what I am keeping in our cars (in this handy bag):
{Diapers and wipes} These should probably be in the car anyway, just in case.
{Bottles of water} Bottles of water tends sit in my car anyway since we are too lazy to bring it in with groceries and too forgetful to remember.
{Snacks} These are probably used the most on days when traffic is bad on the way home from work and I am starving. Thankfully Mike’s snacks double as Momma’s snacks. Goldfish anyone?
{Book and distraction} Waiting for a tow truck with a toddler? A book and small toy are a good choice to keep him occupied.
{First Aid Kit} We bought some pre-made, but make your own with band-aids, alcohol wipes, first aid cream, etc.
{Hand sanitizer} Because kids are gross.
{Glass cracker/seatbelt cutter} Driving over the Bay Bridge regularly it has crossed my mind that I might have an accident and go off the edge. I am prepared for the worst!
Now is a great time to print out or update your car seat emergency sticker too!
The Soundtrack to My Life
While driving into work today I was listening to my iPod and heard ‘Sincerely Me’ by New Found Glory. I was instantly transported back to the 9:30 Club in (probably) 2004. Something Corporate opened for NFG and they pushed an upright piano on the teeny tiny stage to play I Woke Up in a Car. I was instantly enamored. I can still see the stage from my spot on the balcony.
Some people have scents that take them back to a moment in time, but for me it’s always been music. If I had a set list for my life so far it, it would be these songs:
Walk Like an Egyptian (The Bangles): One of my earliest memories is doing the Egyptian walk around the couch with my Momma when she put the record on.
Papa Don’t Preach (Madonna): I LOVED this song in elementary school and knew all the words. I used to listen to it on the boombox in the garage and sing along. It was about 8 years ago when I figured out what it was about.
Let That Pony Run (Pam Tillis): Mike, if you are reading this, CDs are the mirrored things that you can find in antique stores. They play music! My first CD player was a Christmas gift in 1992 and the first CD I played was Homeward Looking Angel by Pam Tillis. Let That Pony Run was soulful, sad and spoke to life as an adult. Everything a 9 year old country music fan wanted.
Friends in Low Places (Garth Brooks): I was 13 at my first concert was Garth Brook’s Red Strokes Tour at the US Air Arena. My Mom and I had the best time ever.
All I Ask of You (Phantom of the Opera): My grandma was a big fan of opera music and usually had the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack playing in the kitchen. Since then I’ve seen it on stage 3 times and it always makes me smile.
Peace Be Still: Many of my summers were spent at Camp Mardela in Denton, Maryland. Sometimes as a camper, mostly as a camp counselor, a few times as kitchen help. One song I still love and still repeat to myself in moments of high stress is Peace Be Still. Short, calming and meaningful.
Shit Town (Live): Really any song by Live will do. I was trying to be an ‘affected’ teenager which I probably succeed to some extent. But I used to put my Live CD in and crank it up. I am sure I drove my parents insane, but I don’t remember them saying anything. Shit Town was a favorite of mine because, well, it had a cuss word. I was such a bad ass.
No Scrubs (TLC): I enjoyed my last two years of high school, but the first two will remain unmentioned. So many good songs and artists in the late 90s! I remember warm days driving around with friends singing along to girl group TLC proclaiming our desire for No Scrubs. This song would have more useful in college.
I Hope You Dance (Leanne Womack): As Senior Class President in high school I had to ‘steer’ my classmates towards the perfect graduation song. Thankfully I Hope You Dance beat out Free Bird by just a few votes.
Sincerely Me (New Found Glory): As mentioned earlier, college brought a lot of mall punk with New Found Glory being a favorite. I have seen them live about a dozen times. I even have one of their releases on vinyl (still sealed!) and a signed CD when I met them at Tower Records.
East Coast Anthem (Good Charlotte): If you grew up in Maryland in the late 90s and went to the WHFStival (which is very likely), you had to love Good Charlotte – the local ‘punk band’ who went mainstream. We all knew East Coast Anthem because, well, on the east coast we ride until the day we die.
Damn Right, Rebel Proud (Hank III): I was trying to be a cool sister and decided to take my then sixteen year old brother and his best friend to Rams Head in Baltimore to see Hank William’s Great Grandson. That sentence alone should say a lot. I mean, we like Hank, so why wouldn’t we enjoy his legacy? Well. I should have listen to his music first. I wouldn’t let those two out of my sight and I might have told them not to mention the details to parental units.
Try (Nelly Furtado): In 2004 I was ending a long relationship and even though it was my decision, it wasn’t easy after three years. It is definitely a great breakup, pick yourself back up song.
Drops of Jupiter (Train): S. was a big Train fan before I met him and even though I knew their hits, I grew to really love their b-sides. We even saw them in concert a few times.
Better Together (Jack Johnson): S. and I took finding our first dance song VERY seriously and tried out a few before settling on Better Together. The lyrics were perfect and didn’t require dance lessons.
Shake it Out (Florence and the Machine): I’ve mentioned this song on the blog before, but it became popular as we were going through fertility treatments. I used to listen to it on the way to Shady Grove to have my follicles counted and cry.
50 Ways to Say Goodbye (Train): When I was having my C-Section, S. and I had to laugh because the radio in the operation room was playing one of Train’s current hits. Perhaps not the ideal song for a baby to hear as they enter the world, but it was perfect for us.
Three Little Birds (Bob Marley): I lamented about how I didn’t know many lullaby, but when Three Little Birds came on Pandora one night, Mike really responded. Now it’s ‘our’ song and he still loves it.
Don’t Worry Child (Swedish House Mafia): Being laid off was really tough emotionally and financially. There were a lot of unknowns, but I the Swedish House Mafia reminded me that heaven has a plan and I shouldn’t worry. A quick aside – I always pictured this band playing in an Ikea.
What would be on your life playlist so far?
Been There Done That: Frying Pan Park
categories: Been There Done That
I can not sing Frying Pan Park’s praises loud enough. S. and I have been visiting since before Mike was born because it’s just a nice place to walk around and chat. It’s easy to forget this 107 acre farm is set in the middle of Herndon – a few blocks from Shoppers Food Warehouse, Golds Gym and Babies R Us.
Since Mike’s arrival, we’ve been twice. Once when he was a few weeks old, and then more recently. Both times we packed a picnic lunch, threw out our blanket and hung out in the sunshine before walking around. Food is allowed and encouraged. Every time we’ve been there the picnic tables are birthday party ready and kids are running around the grassy areas playing games. There is a lot of room to run without stepping on someone.
We went over to Kidwell Farm, which is home to goats, pigs, horses, cows, chickens, peacocks and the pardoned turkeys. Yes. The turkeys the President so kindly pardons on Thanksgiving lives our their golden years at Frying Pan Park. Everything is very spaced out with lots of room to walk with strollers. The barn even has step stools for the short kids and hand sanitizer for the parents. Feeling adventurous? They have daily cow milking!
Aside from living things to watch, there are plenty of replica buildings to explore – a cider press, smoke house and more. Swing by the garden too and see what is growing. The fun part of Frying Pan is it is a working farm, so what is being done there is being sold or used locally. Every so often we would get to the general store before the fresh eggs were sold.
Before you plan your trip, check out the birthing schedule and see what babies might be out and about! There are also a lot of events for all ages like riding lessons at the Equestrian Center, learning how the farm machines work and the 4-H Carnival and Fair.
On the other side of the parking lot is a working depression era carousel, a modern playground, wagon rides and a the general store.
Quick and Dirty:
Cost: Free! But the wagon and carousel ride are a small fee
Age Group? Fun for all ages
Parking? Plentiful in a dusty lot
Food Options? Pack a picnic or hit the small general store for bottled water or a Nutty Buddy.
Stroller Friendly? I am going to say yes. Wide walking paths of paved dirt
Changing Tables? Yep! In both men and women’s bathrooms
Safety: As safe as you can be on a working farm
See you there? For sure.
Go Play By Yourself
In my Pinterest binge a few weeks ago I was looking for some inside toddler activities now that the weather is getting colder. I found a few articles on independent, self-led play that stuck with me. A day later and a few bucks spent at the Dollar Tree I had a few random things for Mike to play with. I’m not talking balls or crayons, no. That’s too easy! I bought pom-poms, dry beans, muffin tins and mini Christmas bows to make a sensory box.
We quickly learned he might be a little too young for the beans in a box. Or S. and I might be a little too concerned about making a {huge} mess.
BUT – I gave Mike the pom-poms and muffin tin and it was a hit. I will be the first to tell you, it is really, really hard not to dictate HOW to play. I wanted to say ‘put the big ones in his pot’ … but why? I have no idea. It is what makes sense to me – the 30-something college graduate. I bit my tongue and waited to see what Mike did.
He took the pom-poms to the couch, out of the bag and then tried to put them back in the bag. He picked them up, looked at them, put them down. I said nothing. I did nothing. About 15 minutes went by before he got bored, but I found it so interesting to see what he did. How HE interpreted the playtime. I’ve tried to put the concept of not dictating playtime into practice and sometimes it’s hard, but it’s also really really cool. I see a little imagination budding and Mike working out his own challenges like getting on the couch or putting the lid on his bubbles.
I really want to encourage first time parents to tell your kiddos to go play while you sit back and watch what happens. Just head over to Goodwill, the Dollar Tree or another super cheap store and pick up a few random items. Use your imagination!
Here’s Mike and his pom-poms (we did clean up our mess):
It Doesn’t Matter
categories: Marriage
I belong to a few different Facebook groups for Moms – some with Moms I know, some with Moms I don’t know. One thing that happens a lot is complaining about husbands. I know private forums like that are intended to vent and get feedback, but I am always hesitant to provide my own thoughts because it makes me seem like a know-it-all and no one likes a know-it-all. Plus, I don’t really know it all. BUT I know enough to have a blog where I can act like a know-it-all!
Being married to me isn’t easy – I am the ‘whatever, it will work out, I forget to replace the toilet paper’ one in the house. I can easily blame that on my ADHD, but I won’t. S. and I were lucky to have dated for almost 5 years together before getting married and we had just celebrated our 2 year anniversary when we found out we were pregnant. That’s a good amount of time to find out what makes people tick. In that regard we are lucky.
S. and I tend to parent the same on the big concepts, but the day to day stuff we are a little different. And here’s the thing. THAT STUFF DOESN’T MATTER. If S. dresses Mike in a denim shirt, denim overalls and too small socks- it doesn’t matter. If S. washes Mike’s body first then his hair – it doesn’t matter. If S. gives Mike juice twice in one day – it doesn’t matter. If S. puts on a nighttime diaper during the day – it doesn’t matter. Just because your baby daddy isn’t doing it the way YOU do it, it doesn’t make it wrong.
Here’s what NOT saying anything about S.’s ‘daddying’ does.
It empowers him. I am not standing over S. telling him how to do things so he feels empowered to do more things. I realized early on if I was snarky about how S. dressed Mike, he would stop dressing him and it would be on me. If I got on S. about not cutting Mike’s food small enough, he would stop doing it and I would be doing it. Every. Single. Time. Eventually I would get resentful because I am doing everything and life would get hard. For everyone!
If I was a good blogger, I would stop right there and let you think you are a failure as a wife. But as always, I’ll be honest – I sometimes suck at this. For example, I am neurotic about cutting teeny tiny pieces of food for Mike. When S. cuts Mike’s food, it is twice the size I would cut, but does S. want Mike to choke? Of course not. He is going to cut the food to a safe size so I need to just back off and let him do his thing. And sometimes that means literally biting my tongue.
When I feel a ‘nag’ or ‘exasperated sigh’ come on, I have to stop myself and ask DOES THIS MATTER. Most the time the answer is no.
If we have the same goal -to raise a happy, healthy, well adjusted kid, then we are going to do the absolute best we can. Even if it isn’t MY way. Dads aren’t dumb. They want to be involved so empower them to do so! It will make your life easier in the end.
Also, if someone buys you this onsie, toss it. Replace the word ‘dad’ with ‘mom’ and see how you feel. I am sure it would appear on Huffington Post or Jezebel and would go viral. Why can’t we respect Dads like we do Moms?
Mike: October 2014
categories: Dear Mike
Well hello there 17 month old Mikester!
I say it almost every month, but good grief you are growing and changing so much! Daddy and I love to see your blossoming personality – you are becoming quite a ham. We get these odd, questioning side glances when you walk by, we laugh, and then you turn and do this huge, booming, forced laugh. I would swear you do it just to make us laugh.
{Halloween} Of course we have to start with Halloween! This year you were more sure about things than last year, but still hesitant. I made you a shark costume (which, to toot my own horn, turned out ah-mazing) and you dressed up for our community’s Halloween party, church’s Halloween service and then on the actually day. We only went to a few houses, but by the last one you were happily filling your bucket. At just about every house you really just wanted to walk inside and make yourself comfortable. Lollipops were the candy of choice.
{Pumpkin Patch} We had a great time running around Yankey Farm and picking out pumpkins. You rode the cow train and played in the corn box. It was just enough excitement for a fall morning.
{Words} We’ve had a lot of long and involved conversations lately, but you seem to be the only one who understands what we are talking about. So far you say:
- Bubbles (bah-bulls): Bath time.
- Is this? (Iz dis?): What is this, with a pointing finger.
- Uh Oh (uhhhh-ohhhhh): Something happens. Anything really.
- Shoes (chews): The things on your feet. Including socks.
- Cheese (chhhhh-a-ez): Any time a camera comes out.
{Swimming 2.0} You’ve always been our water baby, but it’s been awhile since we’ve been in a pool. We decided to head over to Cub Run one afternoon and we weren’t sure how you were going to do now that you are a toddler and curious. We clearly had nothing to worry about. You’re laughs were the best EVER – pure excitement, from the belly and mouth wide open. You walked around the shallow end, kicked in the deep end and splashed everywhere in between. Dad and I kept looking at each other because we loved seeing you have so much fun.
{Clifton Days} We spent a couple hours at Clifton Days and you had a blast playing on the playground and dancing. We even watched the train go by!
{Eating} You are still a pretty good eater, there isn’t a hot dog you’ve met that you haven’t devoured. And as always, food is better when it comes from someone else’s plate. One new development though is the utensils. It seems you’ve connected that the food goes on a fork or spoon and in your mouth. You get VERY frustrated if we try to feed you! I would bet 85% of the time you manage to spear the food and get (most) of it in your mouth. Sometimes you ‘ask’ us to put the food on the fork, you eat it, hand back the fork, and begin again. It makes for a very long meal, but it’s worth it to see you figure out utensils.
Until next month sweet boy.
I’ll eat you up I love you so –
Momma xoxo
TDCLBlogtober2014 – My Biggest Fears
categories: Being Mom, DC Ladies Blogging
When the DC Ladies prompted bloggers to write about what they were scared of, I had no shortage of options. I should preface this by saying, I know my fears are irrational and it isn’t like they keep me up at night.
As I was trying to find a quote about fear, something light and funny, I got a bunch of motivational crap like ‘feed your faith to starve your fears’ and ‘do one thing that scares you everyday’. Blah. Why can’t you just be scared of something and move on? Perhaps I can be all whatever to those motivational sentiments because what I am scared of isn’t holding me back. So what am I scared of? Let’s get the normal parent fears out of the way first.
{Raising a Serial Killer} I think all parents worry their sweet bundle of joy will grow up to be a total sociopath. After a killing spree doesn’t the family usual tell the media outlets how sweet and funny their cold blood killer was?
{Something Bad Happening} Bad things are going to happen. I try to live in the now and realize that some bad things aren’t so horrible, like when I was laid off and got to spend more time with Mike.
{Seriously Screwing Up My Kid} Mike is 17 months and still uses a bottle for milk. Does this mean he will be swigging from a baby bottle at his high school graduation? Will he mistake my sarcasm to his dad as anger and tell his wife in 30 years that he had a screwed up home life? Will moving in January and putting him in a new daycare setting cause him so much stress he …. whatevers? I am coming to terms with the fact that he will probably be a little screwed up, but aren’t we all?
Now on to the fun, irrational fears.
{Horses} I have no basis for this, but for as long as I remember get close to a horse was a no go without getting sweaty and anxious. I have never ridden a horse or even really gotten close enough, until recently, to even touch one. This summer though I did touch a horses nose and just knowing he was looking at me made my heart race.
{Being Startled} If I watch you run down the hall and hide behind the corner and then you jump out as I walk by I will STILL scream like a little girl and bolt. Since most scary movies are based on startling viewers, I don’t watch many. I do like more psychological thrillers like The Others.
{Stopping Traffic} Good Lord I hate traffic. If you are familiar with the DC Metro Area, I live down route 66 and drive about 10 miles of it twice a day from the beltway. So many times ONE broken down car causes a massive back-up and by the time I get to the broken down car I want to get out and kick their tires. I am terrified I will be one of those people. And then a traffic copter flies overhead and I appear on the news and suddenly become the most hated person in Fairfax County.
So there you have it! Nothing a little therapy can’t cure, right? What are your fears?
Carseat Emergency Information Printable
categories: Printables
No one likes the idea of being in an emergency situation with a kid, especially a nonverbal kid, in the car. It might be my worst nightmare. That, and horses chasing me. But that’s for another time (or therapy session).
I stumbled on a fabulous idea for a car seat emergency sticker. It included all the important information – child’s name, parent’s contact information, allergies, and so on. This way if something happens while the child is the car seat, emergency responders have all the necessary information.
I googled around and found a few printables, but they tended to have cute clip art or tiny print. Nope, nope, nope. I wanted something big, bright and totally noticeable, so I made my own.
I’m here to share the love! Simply download the PDF and print it on sticker paper, fill in the information with a permanent marker and adhere one to BOTH sides of your car seat.
