Fall Fun List

Since summer is officially over, I thought it would be a good time to share some of our favorite fall places, crafts, and treats from last year. If you have any suggestions you'd like to share, from your own blog or around the web, please link in the comments! Also, if you do any of these, please write and let us know how you enjoyed it. :)

I'm cuddled up under a wool blanket as I type this and I love love it. Welcome, fall!

GO:

-Bergey's Breadbasket: Quite possibly the best petting zoo in the area, with a PYO pumpkin patch and a delectable bakery attached. Bergey's inspired our apple dumpling recipe (below).

-Hunt Club Farm: The photos at the bottom of this post is from our visit last October (look how small my Nou was!). Their fall harvest fair runs through Nov. 1 this year and you can bet we'll be there again.

-Apple Picking at Martin Vineyard & Orchard: A recent trip that's going to become a family tradition. Apple season ends in November, but I would call ahead to make sure they're still open (their website doesn't seem to be updated frequently).

-New Earth Farm: A beautiful farmer's market in Virginia Beach, with probably the most interesting and delicious organic and seasonal produce in the area.

-First Landing State Park: So gorgeous this time of year. Try the Bald Cypress Trail, an easy hike for little legs.

-Big Woods State Forest: Some "real wilderness" hiking just about an hour away in Sussex County.

-Bennett's Creek Farm Market: Bennett's Creek is a treat in any season but fall makes us hungry and when the weather turns cool, we crave their she-crab soup.


MAKE: 

-Pumpkin pie playdough: Adding pumpkin-pie spice makes everything feel more festive.

-Gravestone rubbing: A spooky craft to get older kids interested in family history.

-Pinecone prints: This is a great time of year for nature painting.


COOK:

-Maple cinnamon marshmallows: Dresses up hot cocoa; a lot easier than you'd think.

-Apple dumplings: A quick and easy version of the famous ones at Bergey's Breadbasket.

-Pumpkin quinoa: The perfect breakfast for fall mornings.

-Sugar cookies: Not our recipe, but one we use constantly. These cookies are tasty and don't spread!

Baby's First Movie

Last week, I took Anne to see her first actual in-the-theatres movie. We were very excited about it -- so excited that I ignored a little bad behavior the night before that I really shouldn't have just so that we would still be able to go. We were that excited. We looked up the showtimes to see what was playing, watched some trailers together, and finally decided that we'd go to a matinee showing of Planes, at Military Circle Mall.

Going to the theatre at Military Circle Mall was important to me. It's where I went to the movies when I was growing up, before MacArthur mall was built-- I have so many memories of being there with friends, and going to see scary movies with my Mammaw, who would smuggle in McDonald's hamburgers in her purse and even bring her own pillow (!) so that she could get extra-comfy in the seats.

Anne told everybody she met that she was going to her first movie: the people in line with us, the ticket-taker, the cashier at the concession stand. But as soon as we walked into the dark theatre, she faltered a little. When the previews came on, she covered her ears and said, "It's too loud! It's too BIG." I managed to convince her to give it a try by plying her with M&Ms (and covering her eyes during the Dinosaurs 3D preview OMG). There were a few hairy moments and we had to take a break during a battle scene with lots of gunfire and mean-looking planes but she did manage to make it all the way through. By the end she was dancing in the aisle and clapping "Go Dusty!" with all of the other little kids in the audience.

As for me, I thought the movie was adorable. Of course I cried when Skipper, the rusty WWII Corsair, found his wings again and took off tremulously into the sky. I'm lucky that A. is still young enough that this wasn't awful and embarrassing for her. If my mom had cried like that in front of other people I would have died.

We're already planning to head back in November to see Frozen (the preview with the melting snowman looked too cute). Have you taken your little ones to the movies lately? What did you see?

Chrysler Museum Glass Studio

I love creative playdates! A week or so ago, Anouk and I joined friends to go and see visiting artist Gianni Toso work live in the Chrysler Museum's glass studio. And it was probably my favorite of our adventures around town to date -- such an inspiring, educational, and colorful experience. I've never seen anything like it before (not even in all my poking around for things to do).

I'm not sure what I expected -- maybe something like the glassblowers at Jamestown? Sort of campy and fun? While this was definitely fun, there was far less of a boisterous vibe. Things were quieter, more focused, as the artist worked and the people sitting in rows of chairs around the workspace watched intently. Occasionally, a staffer with a microphone would step up to narrate what Toso was doing as he switched tools, or melded two different colored glass rods and stretched them into a delicately twisting ribbon. Classical music was playing while he worked and there were also large monitors hanging around the room so that even the people in the back could see. Toso comes from a family line of glass makers spanning back 700 years (that's not a typo), and he himself has been doing this for six decades, so you really want to be able to watch him closely, and luckily, you can.

Anne and her friend C. really enjoyed strolling around the perimeter of the room and looking at all of the work done by glass studio resident and visiting artists -- the more colorful or intricate it was, the better. To be completely honest, though, this was probably one of those outings that was more exciting the parents than the kids, at least in our case. S. and I were fascinated by the whole experience, but I think they were just too young to appreciate it fully. However, there were many older children in the audience -- ages 6 to 8 or so and then some older tweens and teens -- who seemed as into it as we were. So that's probably the best age group for this event.

The next nearest museum-affiliated glass studio in the U.S. is in Toledo, Ohio (there are only five in the whole country), so we are very lucky to have this one so close to home. And there are many opportunities to visit. The Chrysler's glass studio presents free daily demonstrations at noon, every Wednesday through Saturday, and regularly offer classes, workshops, and Third Wednesday parties with booze, music, and glass art demonstrations. You can find out more on the studio's website, and you can see more of what these remarkably talented artists do on the studio's YouTube channel.

Planetarium Show at the Children's Museum of Virginia

Last Thursday, we went back to the Children's Museum in Portsmouth -- this time with some friends in tow! We had a fabulous time seeing some of the things we missed on our first visit (which was a lot -- don't be a hero and try to do everything in one day, this is my advice to you) But I think our favorite part of the visit and the most memorable by far was catching a show in the museum's planetarium theatre.

The show consisted of a short movie called Zula Patrol: Down to Earth, a cartoon that followed space explorers through time from the creation of the earth to the present day. The themes focused on recycling and caring for the planet, which honestly went right over Anouk's head but she enjoyed herself all the same, mostly because the experience of seeing a movie projected onto the high, domed planetarium ceiling was so new and novel in itself. It was a little incredible, watching a movie in surround view, even I have to admit. As our friend Miss Brenda said, it would have been nice if the seats reclined for a better look at what was going on overhead, but even with this small flaw, I have a feeling A's first movie theatre experience is going to be a hard one to top.

The movie was only about 25 minutes long -- the perfect time frame to hold a toddler's attention. And after all of the other exhibits, which are so interactive, it was nice to have a quiet break to reset and revive ourselves for the next one.

Tickets to the planetarium show are free with museum admission (you just have to request them at the admission desk). Zula Patrol runs twice a day, at 11 AM and 3 PM, Thursday through Saturday. In between times (at 2 PM), there's a show for slightly older kids, called Dynamic Earth, which uses real-life satellite data and images to explore the planet's changing weather. The next time we visit the museum, I might put J. on baby duty and catch that one myself. Because I'm a dork like that.

Photos weren't allowed in the planetarium, so the ones for this post were taken elsewhere in the museum. See this pic of the kids all together on the big purple chair? About a second after it was snapped Anouk tumbled right to the floor, got up without shedding a tear, and took off running toward the bubble room. "Bubbuhhhhhs!" Of course.

I'm thinking we'll have to pay a visit to the Chesapeake Planetarium soon. Have you been? What did you think?

Happy weekend, everybody!

The Children's Theatre of Hampton Roads: Bucket of Monkeys Improv Troupe

Almost as soon as Anne was born, I started dreaming about all of the fun things we would do together in coming years. One thing in particular that I thought about over and over again was getting dressed up and going to the theater together. I looked forward to sitting in a darkened theater with A. and watching her little face grow rapt as the actors on stage grabbed her imagination and carried it away.

This past Sunday was a very special day for us. We got dressed (not up, but I did manage to find matching socks for us both, which is a pretty big deal) and drove to the Virginia Beach central library, where we saw The Children's Theatre of Hampton Roads' improv troupe, Bucket of Monkeys, put on The Three Musketeers. Our very first show -- first of many, I hope.



I was impressed with pretty much everything about CTHR: from their mission, to provide children's theater that is educational, interactive, and affordable, to the way the actors managed to translate a complicated story in a way that would be fun for a wide age range of audience members (including the parents), to the props (foam swords!) that they handed out as we left the auditorium after the lights came up.

I was also impressed by how well the five actors in the troupe worked together, and how much heart they put into their performances. Each one of the performers was highly skilled (and obviously having a blast), but special mention needs to be made of Jessica Pinsky's villain, the Comte de Rochefort, who was so over-the-top, appealingly evil that we couldn't help but root for him despite ourselves. (I also have to give props to Alex Gaver, the hardest working woman in show business, who provided us with a whole cast of supporting characters, including an entire ARMY). Best of all, the cast did a meet and greet after the show, so we got to shake their hands, collect some autographs, and tell them in person how much fun we had.

At 21 months, Baby A. was probably the youngest audience member there, and there were moments in the hour-long performance when she got a little squirmy. But she also danced, clapped, laughed, and by the end, was putting her arms up in the musketeer cheer with the rest of us. And to see her doing that was everything I hoped it would be.

There are two more chances this month to catch Bucket of Monkeys doing The Three Musketeers: they'll be at the Suffolk Center for the Cultural Arts this Saturday at 11 AM, and back at the VB central library on January 27th, at 2 PM. Tickets are only $5! (Click here for more information about these performances and to read about upcoming productions.) 

A visit to the Virginia Aquarium (and why to buy a membership)

Happy 2013! We celebrated the new year at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center with our good friends, Erin and Baby J. and Sarah and Baby A. (By the way, aren't there a lot of Baby A.s in our circle? Is A. a popular initial for your crowd, too?) We'd heard such good things about the aquarium and had been meaning to go for months. So spending New Years Day there felt right, like we were making good on a resolution at the very start of the year.

The first thing I did upon arriving was buy a year's membership, and here's why:

• Admission for just one visit is pretty steep: $21 per adult and $15 per child (aged 3 and up). We bought the cheapest membership (the Otter level, for $80), which will pay for itself in just two visits. 
• Speaking of numbers of visits, you'll definitely need more than one to experience everything the aquarium has to offer. We were there for two hours, and only managed to hit about 2/3 of the Bay and Ocean Pavilion. There's still a whole other pavilion, a library, and a theatre waiting to be explored (not to mention special events, like storytimes, nature treks, and boat rides).  
• Membership has some great perks, like express entry (valuable in the summertime, when the aquarium gets crowded) and substantial discounts for the cafe and IMAX movie theatre. 
• The aquarium is awesome. It's just plain awesome. And we loved it. 

Baby J. ain't afraid of no horseshoe crabs.

Some things we were especially excited about: the large walk-through tank, filled with colorful fish and coral; the up-bubble that allowed us to see into the Komodo dragon habitat and come face to face with the giant lizard; the stingray petting tank (I almost had a heart attack when a friendly ray leaped up to say hello); listening to the very knowledgeable docent tell us all about the crocodiles; watching the seals zoom happily through the water. And the sea turtles (Anouk said "turtle" for the first time!) -- and the turtle nursery -- and pressing buttons in the submersible play area -- and, well, you get the picture. It was all pretty great and we're already looking forward to going back.

We had lunch at the cafe, and I want to give a special shout out to the staff there -- who not only didn't mind when Baby Anne accidentally upended her plate onto the floor but told us not to worry about it, either. That kind of attitude is invaluable when you're out with a toddler and it was much appreciated.

Um, take a look at the scratches on those windows. Holy cow Komodo dragon!

What about you? How did you celebrate the new year? Are there any local landmarks you're looking forward to visiting in 2013?

Holiday Train Show at Selden Arcade

Last week, J. and I took Anouk to the holiday train show at Selden Arcade and she's been "choo-choo"ing ever since. Is there a developmental milestone in the baby books that says all kids have to fall head over heels for trains?

You can check out our review of the show (and find more information!) over at My Active Child.

Children's Museum of Virginia

Ever since we moved to Hampton Roads, we've had people telling us that we simply have to visit the Children's Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth. You know how sometimes EVERYONE tells you you just have to do something and then you do and it's not awesome? Our visit to the Children's Museum last Sunday was the opposite of that.

In fact, there was SO much to see and do that we spent nearly three hours at the museum and didn't even make it to the second floor. Over an hour of that time was spent in the bubble room; another good chunk was devoted to the train room. Each exhibit was so enthralling to Baby A. that when it was time to move on to the next one, she had a meltdown of major proportions. (No! No! Fun! HELP ME!) It seems strange to have a tantruming toddler be an indicator of a good time, but you'll just have to trust me on this one.

Greatest hits from our visit? The bubble room, where J. spent a long time trying to perfect the art of the human-sized bubble, the toddler play area, where A. and I lounged in the nest with the big blue egg pillows, and the replica HRT bus, where we spun the steering wheel and joined a crowd in as many refrains of the "Wheels on the Bus" as we could think of. There were no misses.

Anouk was so sorry to leave that I was afraid we were going to be arrested for kidnapping on our way out.

Yeah. It's that awesome.

Right now the Children's Museum, Porstmouth Art and Cultural Center, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum are offering a Winter Wonderland Holiday Pass: $12 admission to all three sites, valid through December 31. It's an amazing deal and one we made sure to take advantage of! More details here.

Doumar's Cones and Barbecue

I have to tell you, I was shocked (SHOCKED!) when I found out that our friends, Miss Molly, Z. and A., had been living in Norfolk for almost half a year and had not yet been to Doumar's, that old Norfolk institution, where the ice cream cone was invented, and where you can still pull up under the awning in your car and get curbside service. I felt like we needed to rectify this dismal situation right away, and so  last week, we met our friends for lunch down at 20th and Monticello. 

And oh, what a lunch it was. I think between all of us we sampled everything that makes Doumar's great: the burgers, hot dogs, housemade limeade and rootbeer, and those famous cones. Anouk fed a couple spoonfuls of ketchup to her baby doll, and seemed pretty intent on getting some of her French fries into little Ada's mouth (and all of Ada's hamburger bun into hers), but let me tell you, not a one of the kids seemed very concerned with the idea of sharing their ice cream. You'd have to pry it out of their little frostbitten hands, I think. 

After our table was cleared, there was a pretty intense booth jumping contest (to help settle all that food?). Luckily, our fellow patrons were forgiving. 

"Big Al" Doumar was at the restaurant the day we went, and we posed for pictures with him to commemorate the occasion of our friends' first visit. We also plopped the kids on stools and snapped a photo of them sitting on the counter. A million different Doumar's memories swamped over me -- waiting for curbside service with my Mammaw, skipping class with friends in favor of a hot fudge sundae, late night limeades after prom. It struck me that before too long, our kids will be grown up and doing these things. And I know Doumar's will still be there, when they are. 

Not the best photo, but they're all looking in the same direction, so I'm declaring this battle won.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! This year, I am grateful for new friends, old friends, a husband with the scratchiest beard known to man and a little girl who can't stop saying "Thank you" all day long. And you -- if you are reading this, I am grateful for you, too.

Here's to a wonderful holiday. Meet you back here next week!

Bennett's Creek Farm Market

I love food, and as such, I am always on the lookout for new and interesting places to eat, which is why, sometimes, in the middle of a conversation, someone will mention something about a sandwich they got at a roadside stand on the way to a wedding out of state and I will holler out, "WAIT. Go back to this sandwich."

This is exactly what happened with Bennett's Creek Farm Market and Deli. Aunt C. called to tell me about her doctor's appointment out in Suffolk, and oh yeah, on the way home she'd stopped and gotten she-crab soup at a little hole-in-the-wall deli. "WAIT," I hollered before she could move on to something else. "I need to know more about this soup."

She made it sound so good that I immediately made plans to find this place, with J. and A. And the minute we set food inside Bennett's Creek, I knew it wouldn't disappoint, just based on how amazing everything smelled. The food there is the kind of flavorful, down-home, retro-style basics: pimento cheese dip, macaroni salad, ham salad, collard greens. You get the idea stepping in the store that very little has changed in the 30 years since the market opened off of Route 17 in Suffolk. The front of the store is features homemade candy (pumpkin fudge!) and ice cream, and fresh veggies grown right outside the door (I mean that literally, they come from a field just outside the shop). 

We got sandwiches (pork bbq and reubens) and sides (ham salad and potato salad). The only drawback to Bennett's is that there's no seating area to eat inside, so we ended up having an impromptu car picnic. (But that was fun, too, even if I ended up having to scrub mashed up pickle off the backseat. Thanks, A.!) It ended up being a fun Saturday afternoon mini-road trip, and I picked up a few good recipes, too You know a place is good when they don't mind sharing their secrets on their website. 

We also got a pint of the famous she-crab soup, btw. It was just as good as everybody said it would be. I wish we'd gotten two. Next time!