I've seen an Internet meme making the rounds with my Facebook friends; it compares what those who seek to commercialize a holiday like Mother's Day want us to think we want, with what moms actually want. I'm sure plenty of us are itching for a nice piece of jewlry or an all-day spa retreat, but I get the impression that what most mothers really want is to feel appreciated.  We don't actually need expensive presents, what we really need is to replenish our emotional stores that can become so easily drained by dedicating every waking thought to the wellbeing of these tiny people. Consider how …

We recently lost our family cat. She was ill, but it still came as a surprise that left us little time to plan the best way to explain her death to our daughter. Turning to the internet for guidance, I found many resources for explaining such a sensitive issue to a child, but I quickly felt overwhelmed by the potential consequences of saying the wrong thing. A toddler or young child under the age of 9 may not be capable of understanding the permanence of death, but they can certainly feel a loss. Even babies can perceive their caregiver’s grief, and losing a pet can be a significant emotional…

Families who are looking for a way to take their weekend celebration outdoors in this fantastic weather, should head to Ticonderoga Farms in Chantilly for the annual Spring Easter Festival. A local tradition, the farm is packed with fun: hay rides, big slides, a playground, marshmallow roasting and weekend egg hunts will give you a whole day of excitement. I visited Ticonderoga with some friends during a weekday. We started at the playground where the kids slid and climbed on the two-level boat. Not before long, my daughter spotted a wandering chicken - something you will frequently encounter…

I recently joined a friend for a midweek getaway to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA. The main feature of the lodge is the huge indoor water park, and it also offers an assortment of activities for all ages from the Cub Club playroom to an arcade, mini golf, a bowling alley and a live-action adventure game called MagiQuest. With toddlers, we spent most of our time at the water park - a sprawling monstrosity soaked with adventure. My two-year-old was wide-eyed as she entered the grand room with a 4-story tree house, filled with water features. Children were laughing and splashing, and she …

For several years, I’ve heard people say that food allergies are on the rise, but I never expected that my child would have one. No less two. Yet, with no known family history, we found ourselves in the allergist’s office for dairy and egg by the time our daughter was one. It can be life-altering for a family – grocery shopping takes twice as long because you have to carefully read all the labels, restaurants are not always trustworthy, and what I can only imagine is the most challenging hardship for children is birthday parties. I always looked forward to the cake and ice cream myself, so …

Parents, do you remember Valentine's Day before children? Perhaps it included a romantic weekend getaway or an elegant multi-course dinner? Now that the kiddies are here, has the holiday lost it’s lustre? Sure, things may have changed, but don’t let the naysayers get you down! I firmly believe that it is possible to enjoy Valentine's Day with your family and focus on what the holiday is about - love! The list below offers a few ideas to celebrate Valentine's Day with the kids. 1. Enjoy a Family Meal. You might have to table the four-hour French dinner and opt for a more family-friendly meal. …

  Parenthood has really proven to be a culture in and of itself. Who else would know that we are in the throws of preschool season. This is the time of year that preschools are vetted, and selected, for the fall term. Many parents I know -- and I may be included -- will be laying down a deposit to secure a spot for our little learner in the fall.It feels like a lot of pressure. Running around town to tour schools, and then vying for a limited spot for a 2 or 3-year-old can get overwhelming. While some schools have open enrollment throughout the year, others track with the public school year, …

  I recently took my daughter to Jammin’ Java in Vienna for a Rocknoceros concert. Perhaps the premiere local children’s band, this trio has been entertaining kids around the DC Metro area for years. I’ve been told their free shows at the Dulles Town Center are extremely crowded so I considered $5 per person the cost of a more personal and less chaotic venue. Of course chaos is all relative in the world of children - and this is, mind you, still a kiddie concert.I purchased my tickets at the coffee counter and took my receipt to a woman at a podium who verified my admission and welcomed us …

  With the holidays in full swing, I still needed a little jump start to get into the spirit of the season so I packed my family in the car for a ride through the Bull Run Festival of Lights. Before leaving the house, I visited the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority website and printed a $3 discount coupon, which unfortunately used a full page worth of my color printer ink. The full price weekday admission is $15 per car/van and $20 on weekends and holidays.There were several cars in front of us at the gatehouse, but they had two windows staffed so it moved quickly. We paid for our …

  I’ve spent the last several years admiring the ice skaters on the rink at the Reston Town Center Pavilion, but this year I finally decided to strap my shaky feet into skates and give it a go. This family outing was easy for me - the incompetent skater - since I only had to grasp the wall while my husband spent the evening holding our little one up on the ice.We arrived at the Pavilion around 5 p.m. on a Sunday and were among a crowd of people at the skate shop - the same unit where the restrooms and security desk are located year-round. Everyone was clamoring to hand over their shoes in …

  The holiday travel season is right around the corner and whether you find yourself on a long drive or traipsing through the airport, going any place with kids adds a lot of preparation to an already hectic time of year. Namely, there is packing. If you were a light packer before baby, you may be met with the foreign feeling of being overloaded with all the things you think you need. And if you already had a separate piece of luggage just for your shoes, well… there may still be hope. If you are traveling to visit family whom you see often, it’s always nice when they already have things like…

Before I got pregnant, I didn’t know many new moms. There were my “first wave” friends – those who got married young and started their families right away. I babysat for them in my early twenties, but their children are in middle school now and I hadn’t changed a diaper since. My friends at work were focused on their career, and like I was the year before, were not yet thinking about children. So when we decided to have our baby, I suddenly felt like an island. And since most of my friendships evolved over time, it felt so strange to be in a place where I had to set out on a mission to meet …

In an effort to enjoy the beautiful weather, I’ve set my sights on outdoor activities for the past week. One of my favorite places for a stroll with my daughter is Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna. I find this place to be a peaceful oasis from the outside world. The meandering trails begin at the visitor’s center, and they are smoothly paved so I easily pushed the stroller through the manicured grounds to the children’s garden. As soon as she saw the kid-sized setup, my little one was struggling with her straps, so excited to be set free to play in the sand and sit at the miniature table and …

Like many toddlers, my daughter loves sitting down with an interesting book. Although a big part of that is touching and turning the pages of the book - often in the wrong order - I still  thought it would be fun to check out the Storytime at the Barnes and Noble in the Fair Lakes Promenade.We got there just as things were starting and it was packed. Some kids were sitting on the benches in the children's book section while waiting to hear The Kissing Hand, which is a story about a raccoon who does not want to go to school. This book is best suited for the kindergarten age, so it only held …

I long for this time of year. A change in season marked my autumn air, pumpkins galore, and fall festivals in full swing. This past weekend I went to Cox Farms for the preview of their Fall Festival – this is the sort of family fun I live for so we planned to arrive at the opening time of 10 a.m. My good spirits were about to be squashed when I saw the long line of cars awaiting entry to the event grounds. With a cranky toddler in the back, I rolled along for several long minutes questioning how long I could maintain my patients. Fortunately, perhaps knowing most every car had at least one …

Fall may finally be in the air and since little ones grow faster than the seasons change, we’ll soon need to fill their closets with a cool-weather wardrobe. I always get a little teary-eyed as I pack up baby clothes and perhaps the best therapy is stocking up on jeans and sweaters for autumn and winter. Of course, I need to do this without breaking the bank and that means it’s time to start hitting the consignment shops! As soon as I walked in Kid to Kid in Centreville, my daughter goes right for the toys that are conveniently located next to the baby clothes. I don’t know what I’ll do when …

Since this Labor Day weekend brought both dreary skies and a visit from my in-laws, we visited the Ellanor C. Lawrence Park Nature Center because it gave us the option to be outdoors if the weather cooperated, while providing some indoor fun for everyone. Set in a historic stone building, the Nature Center is small, but packed with activities for children. My daughter darted straight to a hands-on learning area behind the information desk. She giggled as she touched some plastic frogs and then pressed a big magnifying glass to her face making us all laugh. After digging through a basket of …

Clemyjontri playground may be a bit of a haul from Chantilly, but it is quite beloved by local parents and is well worth the journey. Run by the Fairfax County Park Authority, this two-acre park in McLean is home to a spectacular array of colorful play equipment. It's specially designed to accommodate a wide age range and children with special needs. I met some friends in the morning because it tends to get packed by midday. Our toddlers loved running on the soft non-slip surface, but if they fall, tiny bits of rubber will stick to their hands - something that can drive some babies batty! My …

Since last week's column featured The Little Gym, I thought it would be helpful to spend some time highlighting other classes for active kids, so I visited Gymboree in Chantilly for a free trial class.In an office park off of Walney Road, Gymboree is not visible from main streets, but it is located near a number of kid-centered businesses. It is next door to the Creative Dance Center and across the street from Little Lords and Ladies and Chantilly Academy.After checking in at the front desk, I removed my daughter's shoes and put them in the storage cubby. Bare feet are encouraged for the …

After spending much of the summer with a very active toddler by my side, I decided it was time to sign her up for a class that focuses on gross motor skills and lets her burn off energy in a safe environment. There are several options in the area that offer a unique program, but we decided on The Little Gym since a friend was already enrolled in the class.At the first class - a free trial - my daughter was a little uneasy with the new experience. She is on the young end of the age range for the class so she clung to me as the older children excitedly ran by. She had also not been exposed to …