Little Bennett Campground & Sugarloaf Mountain

This past weekend we decided to make an impromptu trip out to the edge of the DC metro area for our first family summer camping experience.  It was only about an hour away from us, but a totally new area for us called Clarksburg, Maryland.  We picked Little Bennett Campground there based on it being 50% off (I'll do anything for a coupon) as part of the Great American Backyard Campout event. 

I've never really camped in the prime of summer before, and was overly worried about the heat and the bugs.  But slathering us and our campsite with bug protectant, and sticking to the shade while outside made it a very enjoyable time.

We checked in right at noon on Saturday and made our way to site A8 (we decided near a bathhouse was best with our four year old).  The boys all busily set up the campground while I put together our walking tacos for lunch.  After we were fed and set up, we headed through the woods along the Nature Trail to get to the Hawk's Reach Activity Center were Theo got to make a bug box craft.

 Afterwards, we took Little Oak Trail to Big Oak Trail to Stoney Brook Trail which brought us back around to our campsite loop.  Altogether it was about a 2.5 mile, fairly easy trek.  With lots of different mushrooms to learn about and compare features.

 Despite being so tired from the hike that both boys needed to ride on daddy's shoulders, they both ran right up to the playground and had enough energy left to play some more at the end of the trail.

Afterwards we grilled some hamburgers over the quickly put together fire (another benefit of summer camping, the wood seems much better), and then headed back to the activity center for an ice cream social featuring root beer floats.  As always, our four year old was much more social than us, finding a boy to talk with based on the character t-shirt he was wearing (Legos, which we just saw at the dollar theatre).  I think this was the first time Theo had a root beer float, and of course he loved it (poor Eli just got the ice cream).

After some more campfire time, we all hit the tent.  Eli had a hard time sleeping so near to us (which meant mama did as well), but Theo slept like a rock at the edge of the tent as always and never stirred once.

After a dry night (we were surprised there didn't seem to be any dew), we woke up, had breakfast, and started packing up.  We didn't really have any plans for the day, but eventually decided that the nearby Sugarloaf Mountain sounded like a great place to spend a little more time hiking.  We figured at only 1282 feet, it's not too much for our 4 year old and almost 2 year old to manage.

We drove up to the last parking lot (West View), and just randomly started out on some trails, not planning to take a lot of time.  But we ended up hiking for more than two hours, heading up the blue trail toward McCormack Overlook, then taking the red trail up to a great vista at the top.  It was a little steep in some parts, and very rocky in others, but very doable for the boys.  The vista at the top was pretty rewarding.

Theo for some reason decided it was an Arizona mountain when he saw the view... he's got some surprises in store when we finally get to visit Phoenix with him.

Our last stop of the trip, was a quick stop at the nearby Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard that we had spied on the way to the mountain.  A quick check to their website said they were kid friendly, dog friendly, and you were welcome to picnic there.  This sounded perfect for our needs, and we had our mid-day meal at a picnic table neighboring their rows of grape vines, with a glass of wine.  (We didn't do them, but tastings are 8 for $10, fyi.)  It was so fabulous to get to relax at such a beautiful winery after a couple of days being outdoors.  Easily stopping at roadside wineries is definitely something I miss most from my pre-parenting, pre-pet-owner days, but this place was just a perfect stop for our family.  And the cherry on top of a beautiful weekend with my boys.

First Day of Summer Smoothie

So, perhaps this post was originally titled "first day of spring smoothie" but at least I am eventually getting it on here.

I have never been a big breakfast person.  Ever.  For one thing, I don't like eggs.  For another, I am not a huge cereal fan.  But for the last nine months I've really been working on eating properly and of course one of the first things everyone says on the subject is to eat a proper breakfast.  So, throughout the spring and into the hot summer months, one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is THIS smoothie.

It took me a while to perfect it, and I do make substitutions based on what ingredients my husband accidentally uses up, but for the most part, it's the same thing.  My boys always want a little with their monster breakfasts that seem to go on forever, so this is normally enough for a full cup for me and a couple little servings for them.

 In a blender, combine:
1 ripe banana
4-5 fresh strawberries (or thawed frozen ones)
a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries
4 ice cubes
a handful or two of spinach (I am growing fresh on the patio, but have a bag in the freezer for when I'm between batches)
1/4-1/2 milk
*optional:  Chia seed or other desired nutrients

U-pick Strawberries and Shortcake!

Apparently, Saturday was National Strawberry Shortcake Day.  Who makes up all these days, really?  It's a little too much sometimes.  But, I'll take this one since it's probably my favorite late spring/early summer dessert.  Without even knowing this, we hit the road Friday and went out into the country a bit to find a u-pick strawberry farm near us, Yankey Farm.  I have picked grapes, blueberries, and apples other places but never actually picked strawberries before.  It was super easy, and my almost two year old really enjoyed it.  The four year old was a little hesitant for some reason, but it was a good mama and sons outing.

Yankey Farms has a pretty simple set-up, basically a tent in the middle of the strawberry field (with a port-a-potty nearby), but did accept credit cards as well as cash.  For $4 you could pick a pint, and for $20 you could fill a huge bucket.  Prices were slightly higher to buy already-picked pints/buckets that were available as well.

I decided to let each boy pick a pint, and realized I should have brought a handled basket for Eli to put his in so they didn't get spilled.  I should have had them both in rain boots since it has rained a lot this week, and they love puddles.  But otherwise, it was a perfect activity for my two little guys.

We decided to make some strawberry shortcake with our haul, and plan to make some popsicles too (though Theo wanted to make "carrot popsicles" instead).  I love a good biscuit-like cake for my shortcake, and wanted to share the recipe I use here:

Directions:
•    Quarter 2-3 pints of strawberries and toss them with ½ cup of white sugar. Set aside to macerate.
•    Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease and flour one 8 inch round cake pan.
•    In a medium bowl combine 2 1/4 cup flour, 4 tsps baking powder, 2 Tbsps sugar and 1/4 tsp salt.
With a pastry blender cut in 1/3 cup shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add 1 beaten egg and 2/3 cup milk. Stir until just combined.
•    Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 425˚F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially in pan on wire rack.

To serve, slice cake in eighths, and then slice each piece in half height wise as well.   Separate and top bottom piece with strawberries and whipped cream, and then repeat with top layer.

 Theo requested I take his photo as well.  And yes, he is wearing snowman pajamas.

Elijah: 21 months

 

21 months

Naptime:  I'm starting this post while you are napping in your crib!  Finally.  After living in Virginia for almost a year, you have maybe slept in your crib for nap time 5 times.  You didn't mind it at night, but just would not take a nap without lots and lots of crying.  So, you napped in your stroller for the last year.  Once school was out though and we weren't walking at nap time every other day, we had a few days of you crying at naptime but you're finally okay with napping in there.  It is a big change for us. Lately we've been reading Little Blue Truck, the Hungry Caterpillar, and Llama Llama, Good Night at naptime.  You give the llama a kiss on the last page and then I put you into bed.  A few minutes later you are out.

Attached:  You are definitely struggling right now with wanting to be independent but also being very attached to mama.  We just got back from a long trip where you were not willing to be seperated from either of your parents for long.  You did warm up to your E grandparents, and anyone who looked like daddy, but that was about it.  You broke some hearts I'm afraid.  But, you really like babies, toddlers, and little kids so at least you're friendly with your cousins.  You love playing with Theo's friends almost more than he does, and never want to be left behind.

Words:  You picked up a few more signs this month, but still no new words.  You say mama and dada, sign more and please, and can indicate yes, no, up, and bye.  That's it.  I think it's all going to spill out one day, but until then you're stubbornly refusing to try to talk.

Teeth:  These last months also brought your canines, which seemed to be some of the worst teeth to come up.

Other Likes:  Walking the dog with her leash, electronics, cats (any animals really), babies, berries, watering flowers, pointing out airplanes as they fly by, puzzles, washing dishes in the sink, and Elmo & Corduroy.

 18.5 months

 19 months

 19.5 months

 20 months

20.5 months

You're definitely leaving babyhood behind, and becoming a big boy.

Miss Emelina Mae's Quilt

After making my first baby quilt earlier this year, I was excited to make another for my second second-born niece born this year.  Like myself, Emelina is born into the role of being a little sister to a sister just about 27 months older than herself.  I wish her luck in her teen years. 

For her quilt, I kept changing my mind but finally decided upon the deep lilacs of the Joel Dewberry Aviary 2 for Free Spirit collection.  I love the purples and blues of this collection, and thought the details in the prints were perfect for a little girl.  When deciding on the pattern for the quilt, I think the dormant math teacher in me came out as I kept coming back to this arithmetic pattern (found here).  I love lots of squares on baby quilts, and couldn't resist all the plus-signs made on this one.

I think I received the material in the mail two days before she was born, and was able to finish the quilt before she was a week old (even with breaking the reverse button off my sewing machine).  Good thing she came two weeks early so we could meet her when we went to Indiana for my brother's graduation.

And thankfully, her mama took some photos right away as I forgot to take some with the quilt when I was there.  I was busy with snuggling her and trying to keep Eli from carrying her off by himself.

 

Isn't she a cutie?  Can you believe how much hair she has for coming two weeks early?

Off Georgetown Pike

I have been slacking lately on this old digital scrapbook/blog...  I think May is just a hard month to have any motivation after so many years of school when May just dragged along as we counted down to the end of summer.  But now that it's June I'll try to muster a little motivation to record a trip from a few weeks back.

After dropping Brian off at work, we took an interesting drive through the city along one of my more favorite streets, the George Washington Memorial Parkway.  This drive alone is nice, as the parkway runs right along the Potomac through the beautiful capital.  But then, you get to Georgetown Pike.  I have always heard McLean was nice, but I was blown away by all the beautiful estates we passed on this pike, which signs proclaimed to be Virginia's First Scenic Byway.  Anyone who appreciates architecture would love driving through these streets.

We originally stopped at Riverbend Park, a Fairfax County park, to hike a little bit on the Potomac Heritage Trail, but we didn't get too far as the trails were just too muddy for Eli (though Theo loved it in his rain boots).  We'll have to try again when their visitor center is open (not on Tuesdays!). 

Next up, we headed to the main attraction for me which was the Great Falls park.  There were three different overlooks, two stroller friendly and one not.  We took our time checking out each of them, with overlook #1 being the favorite for the boys as you must climb through the rocks to get to the overlook.   The falls were gorgeous.

 After checking out the falls, we headed to the visitor center which had a pretty nice children's room with games, coloring activities, and puzzles, as well as a please-touch table, where the boys could get their hands on the nature artifacts.  There was also a video explaining the falls' history and connection to George Washington and additional exhibits (Theo loved learning about how locks and canals work).  There was a small bookstore, and after we stamped our national parks passport we were good to go (until we got to the car and realized the cars keys had dropped off my key chain lanyard, luckily we found them in the bookstore after I about had a heart attack).

Finally, we stopped to grab a quick lunch and then went to a local playground nearby to enjoy more of the perfect spring day.  Clemyjontri, another Fairfax county parks,  is a huge playground that circles a carousel, with nice clean bathrooms and play equipment for all ages.  Of course the boys loved it, and we'll have to stop by again if we're ever that far northwest again. 

Overall, a perfect day out with the boys.

Dale City Farmer's Market: Spring Addition

It's baaaack!

While it has been going on all winter with limited hours and a smaller number of vendors, the market is now back in full force for the regular spring/summer/fall hours of 8-1pm.  Giving us time to get there before church.  I have even started running up to the market and having the boys meet me there.  Which is kind of remarkable because I've always hated to run and I could barely make it walking there and back when we first moved here months ago (there is quite a hill, in my defense). 

If you can't tell by the fact that this is the third time I've posted on it, I'm kind of in love with the Dale City Farmer's Market.  I realized that there is such a difference in the market between each season, that is was worth posting on each of them.  Now that we live somewhere with our own outdoor spaces, the spring market just might be my favorite.  I had never thought about all the plant seedlings that would be available in the springtime, and love seeing all the different kinds of flowers as well.

I tried to make a list of what plants were available last week, though I'm sure I missed some.  They included:  basil, cilantro, garlic, chives, rosemary, lemon grass, rhubarb, bell peppers, eggplant, tomato, tomatillo, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, parsley, cucumber, spinach, kale, sunflowers, and watermelon.

Additionally, there are normally meat, seafood, eggs, honey, pickles, and cheese available from vendors.  Already prepared foods include apple cider donuts, kettle corn, cheesecake, salsa, mini-waffles and gallettes (see photo below), breads, pies, and pastries, sorbet, salad dressing, spice blends, and middle eastern foods.

 If they can't stop to smile, you know the food is good.

As of the beginning of May, strawberries, spring onions, greens, and asparagus have arrived as well!  And each week only seems to get better!

You can find out more about the market here Winter Market and here Summer Market.

Washington's River Farm

Sometimes the hustle and bustle (and traffic and masses of people) in DC can be a little too much to handle for a full day out with my two boys.  So I was very pleased to find a quiet little oasis where we can spend some time out in the fresh air just a few minutes from my husband's work.  It made for a good place to end the day before we pick him back up.  

River Farm is apparently a property that belonged to George Washington at some point, and can be found off the beautiful George Washington Memorial Parkway between Mt. Vernon and Alexandria.  Home of the American Horticultural Society, it has several gardens and a beautiful estate house that can be toured free of cost (or by donation). 

While we were chatting about the gardens, I told Theodore to try to remember the flowers I liked in case he wanted to pick out some for me for a gift for Mother's Day.  He told me that he had a special gift for me already, that "Love is the best gift!"  He is such a loving little guy (but his dad had him pick out flowers anyway, plus he made a beautiful bracelet and jewelry box at school).

The best part of the farm for us was the children's garden, with plenty of things for the boys to climb in, on, or around.  And they even had enough "houses" for us to re-enact the three little pigs (yes, he is still doing this!). 

We'll definitely be back and pull out the picnic blanket to have lunch or a snack there overlooking the beautiful Potomac River.  Perhaps we'll even make a stop when we finally hike the Mt. Vernon trail which passes nearby as well.

Visiting Tips:

There is an indoor, public bathroom.

Like nearby Alexandria, the farm is pet-friendly.

There is a book-store you can shop, but with limited hours (T & TH 11-2).

Theodore's Reading List: Age 4, Train Edition

Theo recently picked the book, "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go" by Richard Scarry to take to show-and-tell as his favorite book.  Since I'm almost due for his annual book list, I decided I would limit it to just his favorite train books for this one.  It's harder to tell his favorites because he likes a variety of books now.  Eli however just started into the phase where he wants every book repeated over and over again,  so he has filled that vacancy.

Some of our favorite train books include:

Thomas the Tank Engine Story Collection, by the Rev. W. Awdry.   Though Theo has several Thomas books (some more interactive than others) this is the mother of all Thomas books.  This collection contains over 500 pages of the originals stories.  It has been read nightly for months at a time, and has been well loved.  We're going to need to find a way to rebind it soon.

The Turkey Train, by Steve Metzger.  We bought this one last fall, and have been enjoying it ever since.  It's a great little rhyming story about turkeys on a trip to Maine.  I was surprised to read that their starting destination was Ft. Wayne, the "big city" near my hometown, so I liked the book even more.  

Locomotive, by Brian Floca.  I picked up this one to add to my Caldecott collection.  It is quite wordy for a four year old, but Theo has never been bothered by a long story.  He said his favorite part of this one is all the sounds the train makes as it crosses the country.  It's got quite a bit of information about how the locomotive helped the country grow.

Freight Train, by Donald Crews.  Another Caldecott that falls in the train genre, this is a beautiful book.  The simple story about a train going across tracks, with all the cars identified by color and type.

How to Train a Train, by James Carter Eaton.  Theo gets a kick out of this story, that is a handbook for how to get a train to be your pet.

I Love Trains, by Philemon Sturges.  I picked this one up at the museum last weekend.  It's a pretty simple story about a boy waiting for his father to come home on a caboose.  My favorite part though, were the additional illustrations in the book covers that label the different kinds of cars and tells you what each is used for.

Choo Choo, by Virginia Lee Burton.  This is the story of a little engine who ran away, written by one of our favorite "vintage" authors.  The book was written in 1937 but is still relevant today.  Though black and white, the illustrations still capture the boys attentions.

Trains, by Byron Barton.  This simple book was pulled out by the librarian when Theo asked for help finding the train books.  Though he is fine talking to strangers on the street, he always becomes shy when talking to librarians.  But, he loved going around with her and pulling out all the train books she could find.  This one would be best as a little beginner board book.

And this concludes my train posts, see our trip to B&O Museum for Thomas's Day Out and our recommendation for a train heavy exhibit at the American History Museum if you missed the other two posts in this series.