Moms!  Dads!  The week is over!  How did your (oh, and the children's) first week of school go?  Was it everything you dreamed of and more?  Or was it hectic and challenging with new routines and tighter schedules? We at Chantilly Patch want to hear all about it! And for those of us who entered into this new world of having school-aged children, how was your experience?  Was it as emotional as mine was?  (I tried so hard not to cry!) Please share with us your first days of school stories.  Whether they were memorable, stressful, scary or exciting! Also, we would love to see your pictures of …

It's Labor Day weekend.  The time is here.  And to those with kids, this holiday means only one thing.  The children go back to school on Tuesday. This is my first year to experience this as my oldest child is starting Kindergarten.  I feel very conflicted over this monumental achievement.  Part of me is sad that the summer is over.  If only we could plan a few more trips to the pool. But then another part of me is excited.  My little girl is now an elementary school student.  Wow, time flies! I wonder how all of the mothers and fathers in our community are feeling in regards to the start of …

This has been an interesting week for all of Northern Virginia.  First, an unexpected 5.8 earthquake.  And now, only a few days later, a hurricane slamming the East Coast.  Seriously? I've been talking with a few of my friends and neighbors about the events this week.  My favorite story is from a friend of mine who works during the day.  Her husband does as well so their son, Ben, a three-year-old, attends day care.  When his mother picked him up from school after the earthquake, she cautiously asked about his day.  Ben replied, "The building was shaking and the teacher was not so happy. I …

I am pregnant with baby number four.  Lately, I have been pulling out our baby stuff and making a list of items we need to replace.  As well as, looking at the baby ads that come in the mail or coupons that come to my email inbox for anything baby related.  I have to say, that the amount of new baby gadgets there are now-a-days compared to even five years ago is amazing!  And I've even giggled a bit with the suggestions of all the new needed items for new mothers.  So the topic for this week, new baby gadgets.  Are they really needed?  What do you think? Please join in on the discussion by …

A lot of families these days are becoming more and more eco-conscious.  As a mother of three, I try to do my part with teaching my children about recycling and helping to conserve energy.  My children enjoy being apart of the process, especially when it comes to separating the recyclables.  They are well aware what day recycling day is and are my little helpful reminders to take out our recyclables. But now, there is so much more that we can do to help our planet. My question this week is, with all of the new information about "going green," what do you and your family do to become and remain…

Our pediatric office has a strict rule that patients can not be late in order to keep all appointments on time. This policy keeps families from waiting long periods of time in the waiting room with fussy and unhappy children.  This policy can actually make making pediatrician appointments difficult at times, as even a couple of minutes late, they will not see you.  But I appreciate the lack of having to wait and chase my kids around the doctor's office for an hour or so before being seen because the previous families were late.  I get that. What irritates me at times are the random lack of …

I am a Chantilly native and have lived here most of my life.  I do really love living here.  Having children, I have stayed in Northern Virginia mostly because the rest of my family still lives in the area.  But the fact that the cost of living is so high here, I have been considering moving.  Family is important to me and so are the schools.  Fairfax County has one of the absolute best school systems in the country.  And living so close to DC has many perks. But I can't help thinking about the advantages of living in other areas where the cost of living isn't quite as high. So the topic for …

I've been a little concerned for the past couple of weeks.  I have a fantastic nanny who watches my three children when I am working or studying.  She truly loves my children as if they were her own, and I am so grateful for her presence in our lives. So what's the problem? She bought a smart phone about a month ago. Since then, I find her spending a lot of time on her phone.  While I am out of the house, I see her Facebook status updates and comments on her page.  More importantly, I see how often she is on Facebook. I just wonder how much interaction the children are actually receiving now …

Every summer, I tell myself that I will take the kids to the pool every day possible.  If I have to work during the week, then I will take them every Saturday and possibly Sunday.  We will spend the entire summer outside in the sun, getting fresh air and enjoying the summer heat. Every summer I tell myself this until I realize it's Labor Day.  The pools are closing.  Schools are reopening.  Another summer went by and we all went to the pool as a family maybe about three times.  I try not to be too hard on myself because I am a single mother and honestly, a few hours at the pool with three …

Pictures of our children's graduation ceremonies are surfacing around the community.  For many parents, this time is an emotional moment as our children graduating from high school marks their transition into adulthood.  My children are still toddlers so I can not imagine the emotional journey many other parents in our community are currently facing at this very moment.  I've heard of many tears being shed over how proud the parents are of their graduating seniors.  As well as tears of sadness that their little baby is well, no longer a baby.  A cap and gown in bright school colors is proof …

I was a bit embarrassed yesterday when my father started asking my oldest daughter questions regarding what to do in an emergency.  "What number do you call on the phone when Mommy is hurt?" My four-year-old didn't know. Oops.  Time has flown so quickly, and my daughter is growing up so fast!  I've thought about this before when she was much too young to teach her these things.  But honestly, I haven't given it another thought lately. My dad explained to my daughter what an emergency is, when to use a phone to call for help and to dial 911.  He also started quizzing her on what my name and …

I love how diverse Chantilly and all of the Northern Virginia and DC area is.  I feel privileged to have been able to grow up here.  My friends are of all different races, practice different religions and speak different languages.  I am happy that my children will be able to grow up here as well. I only have one thought to all of this.  Shouldn't there be more involvement in learning different languages in our schools?  Yes, I went to school in Fairfax County and I took 3 years of French in high school.  It was fun, really.  But I'm talking about the fact that most other countries have their…

Recently, a friend told me about how annoyed she felt after reading a parenting blog she occasionally followed.  Apparently, the blogger was complaining about the appropriate use for a stroller.  I laughed when she told me and replied, “You mean there are rules on how to appropriately use a stroller (besides the obvious safety rules)?”  Yes.  Apparently, there are. I thought this was silly.  I mean rules are made for a reason, but some things are just common sense.  I tried to imagine what stroller rule the offender had broken in the blogger’s story when my friend explained, “Well, her main …

Last week, I had the privilege of being able to visit a close friend of mine at the beach during her vacation.  Everything was absolutely beautiful and relaxing...and then there were my kids.  Loud, energetic garbage disposals. Now don't get me wrong, I love my children with all of my heart.  And I am very grateful to my friend who invited us to crash her vacation.  Especially since I haven't been on any sort of vacation in at least five years.  But last week, I found myself wondering how families do it.  How do you vacation with kids?  Because to me, it really wasn't a vacation.  It was more…

This week, I had an interesting experience with a neighbor and his daughter.   I was out walking my dog, Daisy, around the neighborhood.  We bumped into neighbors down the street who we hadn't met yet.  The daughter was probably about 1 1/2 years old.  She was a very quiet and inquistive child who was also very interested in meeting Daisy.  We said hi and walked by.  No problem.  Then we passed by the father and daughter again on our way back home.  This time, the daughter decided to follow us.  And the father didn't stop her because he didn't notice.  She kept following us...and following us…

Sunday night marked quite an event in history.  Osama bin Laden was reported, not only found, but no longer alive.  Many Americans celebrated as President Obama spoke to the nation.  Televised news concentrated heavily on bin Laden's death.  Neighbors hung up American flags in celebration outside their doors. My ever-observant 4-year-old daughter wanted to know what the celebration was about.  I wasn't exactly sure how to answer.  How do you talk to your children about terrorism, war and bad people like Osama bin Laden? How did you explain why Osama bin Laden's death was a victory for us as a…

Spring Break ended way too fast.  As we are entering the middle of the week after, I find myself wondering what most families do over Spring Break.  Did you and your family take a vacation?  Did you commence with Spring cleaning?  Did you enjoy some nice quality family time at home?  Or did you do what my family and I did last week....nothing? Additionally, what have you done over a Spring Break in the past that has really stood out to you as memorable?  Do you have a favorite vacation spot that you and your family enjoy going to?  Does your family have a tradition of some sort of activity …

I still remember being a sixth grader at my elementary school.  To this day, I do not know why the school bully did not like me.  But she didn't.  She used to threaten me by saying she would punch me during recess.  Thinking about it now, the idea seems so silly.  Why would this girl threaten me?  What was the point?  We never even talked to each other. I never told my parents or my teacher.  I kept it a secret because no one wants to admit that one, they are scared and two, someone doesn't like them.  At a young age, this is ridiculously confusing.  What behavior did I do to warrant her …

I am staring at the computer screen, trying to keep my eyes open.  I need to think of an interesting topic for our Moms Talk this week.  But I can hardly type, I am so exhausted.  I did not sleep a wink last night. My oldest child, Madelyn, is four years old.  For some reason, she has been crawling into my bed at night lately.  Unfortunately, I have been so tired that after telling her to go back to bed (which of course she doesn't) I roll over and fall back asleep.  The problem is, with her in my bed, I do not sleep well.  I wake up continuously throughout the night.  But when I do wake at …

A close friend of mine asked me a question recently.  She has a 4-month-old baby girl and is planning a trip this summer for the first time as a mother.  "Is it easier to fly or drive with a baby?" (In her case, the flight will only be about an hour and the drive will be about 6 hours long.) In general, what do you recommend?  Please join in on the discussion this week and share your experiences with the community.  Do you have a topic you would like to see discussed here on Moms Talk?  Please click "email the author" above and share your suggestions.