Teenagers 4-Eva

So many aspects of current pop culture make me feel like I never left my teenage years. American Idol, with its beautiful airhead Jason Castro, garage band cutie David Cook, chorus geek David Archuleta, gorgeous student body president Syesha Mercado. Facebook, where blasts from your past can quickly re-friend you by searching your hometown or school. My quickness to embrace the revival of bangs and flats and giant canvas bags (they used to say ESPRIT & carry text books, now they tote groceries) in current fashion. Talk of a 90210 spin-off.

It's enough to throw one back into a mental time machine and bring back all the longing and pain and well, cheap paperbacks and cable-less TV watching! Care to try? See if you find any of the following names familiar:

Philip Leroy & Moose Freed

Gilbert Blythe

Jake Ryan

Blaine & Ducky

Robert Foreman

Nick Moore

Riko & Chadley

Lloyd Dobler

Dwayne Wayne

Aaron Hill

Dylan McKay & Brandon Walsh

Jordan Catalano

Can you taste the angst? Feel the longing? Now go kiss over a cake on a glass table with your love.

And if you live in certain states, don't forget to vote today...for David Cook for Prom King!
What? You thought I was referring to something meaningful?

Thanks to Jen and Tonic for jogging my memory with a mention of Cathy cartoons (Irving) on Twitter.

Get a Sitter: Piratz Tavern in Silver Spring

Maybe you have already gone out to eat at Piratz Tavern with your children and laughed as they enjoyed peg legs and eyeball sundaes. Maybe your family has already had a riotous evening exclaiming "arrrgh!" and "shiver me timbers!" between bites and checking out the sea-dog decor. Maybe you have read the diverse reviews of the restaurant and food. If you haven't yet been to this independently- owned pirate-themed restaurant, I think all DC-area families should go at least once. Like every establishment with a shtick and cheese, you either dig it or you don't. The prices are a bit high compared to other cartoony places, but it's definitely worth it for any kid in the midst of a pirate obsession.

However, I am here to tell you that if you are in a parenting zone where you can leave the kids with a sitter in the evening after dinner, the Piratz Tavern is a great watering hole, meeting place and casual date for grown-ups. There is an outdoor patio where you can enjoy the fine spring weather, great pub grub and some very stiff three-rum-and-ginger grog. The crowd is relaxed and fun loving. Check out events like the Friday night music of the Pirates of the Drunken Ferret and belly dancers.



If you sometimes wear a cravat and your favorite bevvie is a spritzer, maybe the new wine cellar of Mrs. K's is more your speed. But if you think telling random strangers to walk the plank is funny and you're down with acting out a modern version of Sailor's Holiday, belly up to the bar at Ye Piratz Tavern and cure ya scurvy me hearties!

(I know, that blew. I need more practice.)

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all women out there. And extra special love and prayers to all those hoping to be mothers now or again, and those that are missing their moms. This is a beautiful day, but also a tough one for so many. Whether you are filled with joy, sadness, fatigue or exasperation today, I wish you peace.

My own mom is the world's kindest person. This is a fact that is disputed by no individual that has ever met her. She cares for and selflessly puts her daughters, father, grandchildren, brothers, co-workers and the students of her fourth grade class all ahead of herself. Her consideration of others is legendary, and one of my life's goals is to be half as giving and loving as Sharon Lee House Slovak.

She is also whippet smart, has taught hundreds of children to read, can finish any crossword puzzle, is an American history buff and is subtly, yet uproariously, funny. She tolerated with humor 18 years of my insistence that I knew better than her on all topics, and 7 straight years of my hogging all the hot water for showers in the morning. And although it may have appeared I wasn't listening, her advice and guidance have reigned supreme in how I have lived my life.

As a tribute to my mom, I would like to present her best quotes, in no particular order:

While shopping when I overnight gained 15 lbs. and 3 dress sizes due to puberty & a passion for guacamole:
"It doesn't look bad on you, it's just one of those outfits that looks better on the hanger."

Her reaction to my and my sister's choices and ideas when planning our weddings:
"Whatever you like, I like. That sounds wonderful."

Her suggestion for a field trip whenever she's in town:
"How about Mount Vernon?"

Upon sending a massive package of new clothes, books and toys for her grandchildren in honor of a major holiday like Arbor Day:
"You are doing me the favor, I love shopping for the kids and it helps me feel connected. Thank you!"

When sending my husband and I out for a long-overdue date night whenever she is in town:
"Don't argue. You're going out and it is on me!"

Her bizarre good-bye to my sister and me as children whenever we were outside of her care:
"Don't touch any strange animals!"
in her defense, there was a large rabies scare in our area of Southern California in the 80s, but we still found this hilarious

The three words embedded at least 4 times in every conversation I have had with my mom:
"I love you."

Thank you Mom. Thank you for choosing the rewarding but modestly-paying career of teaching so that you could spend your evenings, summers and vacations with us. Thanks for raising us on a teacher's salary while funneling every single dollar to giving us everything our hearts desired while doing without for yourself. Thank you for waiting to obtain your own Master's in Education until after paying for my sister and myself to obtain our Bachelor's degrees. Thank you for taking care of Grandpa in such a way that at age 91 he is able to live in the home he built for his wife and children and feel independent, yet secure that you, his daughter, will fulfill his every need. Thank you for every sacrifice you have made for your family.

Thanks for your amazing devotion to your grandchildren. Thanks for the hundreds of stories you read them, zillions of games you play and for your complete and utter enthusiasms for pirates, ninjas, ducks, baby dolls, princesses, mermaids, CareBears, Diego, Thomas and every one of his trainy friends. Those two little people adore you. Thanks for loving my husband and brother-in-law like the sons you never had. Thanks for flying out to visit my family several times a year and being the best "Gram" and Mom ever. We all love you.

I love you.

And don't touch any strange animals!



Cross posted at DC Metro Moms

Article by APISS in The Washington Post

The Washington Post ran my freelance article on indoor play and swim resources for families in the DC area today in the Weekend "With The Kids" section.

Nope, not excited at all. What, you think this is a big deal? Once I was the high school correspondent to the Imperial Valley Press, so the extreme fame of print journalism is old hat, really. Oh, and that blonde lady in pajamas you saw buying all the newspapers on Colesville Road and jumping up and down? I have no idea what you're talking about.



But seriously, I am beyond honored and stoked that I was able to share some of the rich resources for kids in our area in this incredible paper. A couple of my photos made it in as well, including one of Tyler Jackson, the three year old boy pictured here with the twinkle in his eyes. He is one of three sons of supermom Kathy Jackson. I met Kathy and Tyler at the Family Room on Capitol Hill when researching this article, and then ran into her at Butler's Orchard in Germantown having a fabulous time with all three of her guys a couple weeks later. She is also the one who told me about the Prince George's County Sports and Learning Complex gymnasium and pool. Obviously, it is Kathy who should start a blog about activities for kids!

Thank you to Kathy and her family, Robert Pohl and his son, Ruby Styslinger and Tech Savvy Mama for allowing me to interview them for the article. I really appreciate it.

At Playtime, Explore the Great Indoors

By Jessica McFadden
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, May 9, 2008; WE25

Want to go for a swim when it's raining? How about jumping, skipping and bouncing -- enough to make the floors shake with no threat of neighbors asking you to keep it down? No problem.

Thanks to indoor play areas and pools, not only can your kids let off steam, they also get exercise (read: lower chance for obesity, better sleep, fewer tantrums and, therefore, a better day for mom and dad).

As Kathy Jackson, a Capitol Hill single mother of three boys ages 3, 4 and 8, says, "If I let the boys get their crazies out at home, the house wouldn't be standing!"

Sure, the spring weather might seem perfect for outdoor activities, but just you wait: Torrential rains and the infamous Washington summer will be here soon.

Play Spaces
The Family Room

411 Eighth St. SE; 202-640-1865

In the heart of Capitol Hill, this indoor play area geared toward children through age 6 features a large climbing structure, a smorgasbord of toys for all ages, art supplies and a dress-up center for imaginative play. Regularly scheduled story, craft and music times are also offered throughout the day.

"We love it here," says Robert Pohl, a Northeast Washington dad to almost-3-year-old Ian Herzog-Pohl. "We come whenever it is too hot or too cold to go to the park, and it really helped us out when our home was being remodeled and we needed a place to play."

An all-day pass allows families to come in the morning, go home for naps or lunch and return later. The Friday night family movie parties are a cult favorite.

Open: Monday-Thursday 9 to 7, Friday-Saturday 9 to 8, Sundays noon to 6.

Cost: Free for adults and children younger than 1. All-day pass for first child ages 1 to 6 $10, siblings and children older than 6 $5. Monthly and family passes are available.

Open Gym at Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center

4200 S. Four Mile Run, Arlington; 703-228-0701

This large play space is full of toys and provides ample room for children to learn, run and make friends.

Open: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 to noon.

Cost: Adults $3, free for children (chaperon required).

Open Gym at Lee District RECenter

6601 Telegraph Rd., Franconia; 703-922-9841

This Fairfax County recreation center hosts an open gym for children 5 and younger to play in a converted racquetball court full of structures conducive to crawling and climbing. It includes soft, geometric shapes; tunnels; a padded floor; and a ball pit. Only 16 children are allowed at one time, so call ahead to reserve a space.

Open: Monday-Friday 3:30 to 5:30, Saturday-Sunday 12:15 to 1:45.

Cost: $2.50 for every half-hour of play.

Explore and Moore Children's Discovery Museum

12904 Occoquan Rd., Woodbridge; 703-492-2222

With a play space shuttle, kids' climbing wall and sandbox, this interactive family play space has lots of opportunities for creative fun. Kids can primp in a beauty shop, save lives in a medical center and exercise their bodies and imaginations.

Open: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays noon to 6; Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 to 6; Saturdays 10 to 6, Sundays noon to 5.

Cost: Free for adults, age 2 and older $5, younger than 2 $2.50.

PlayWiseKids

6570 Dobbin Rd., Columbia; 410-772-1540

PlayWiseKids houses a real, life-size fire engine and ambulance, a mini beach filled with sand, a kids' grocery store and multiple climbing and building centers. Little performers can tap in the dance studio or put on a puppet show, and junior scientists can assemble human or dinosaur skeleton replicas.

Open: Monday-Friday 9:30 to 5, Saturdays 9:30 to 7, Sundays 11:30 to 6.

Cost: Adults and age 11 and older $4, ages 2 to 10 $9.95, toddlers 12 to 23 months $6.95, free for age 11 months and younger.

Pools
Takoma Community Center Pool

300 Van Buren St. NW; 202-576-9284

The Takoma Community Center Pool is one of the most-family friendly public indoor swim centers in the District. Spray fountains and a large shallow play area will delight children.

Open: Monday-Friday 10 to 9, Saturdays 10 to 4. Closed Sundays.

Cost: Free to D.C. residents. Nonresidents: adults $7, ages 6 to 17 $4, children younger than 6 $3.

Spring Hill RECenter Indoor Pool

1239 Spring Hill Rd., McLean; 703-827-0989

The Spring Hill pool has a shallow splash pool with a beach entry for kids and their chaperons. Water toys and play features such as a large multi-person raft and slide are available for strong swimmers.

Open: Open for children to play Monday-Friday noon to 4, Saturdays and Sundays 2 to 4.

Cost: Fairfax County residents: adults $6.85, ages 5 to 18 $5.50, age 4 and younger free with paying adult. Nonresidents: adults $9.15, age 4 and younger free with paying adult.

Claude Moore Recreation Center and Pool

46105 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling; 571-258-3600

With free teen evening parties for middle and high school students, a rock-climbing wall and an indoor water park open daily, the Claude Moore Recreation Center is a teen paradise. Young kids will love the children's pool with spray features and pint-size slides.

Open: Monday-Friday 9 to 8:45, Saturday-Sunday 11 to 7:45.

Cost: Loudoun County residents: adults $5.50, age 15 and younger and age 60 and older $3.75. Nonresidents: adults $8.25, age 15 and younger and age 60 and older $5.75.

Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex Leisure Pool

8001 Sheriff Rd., Landover; 301-583-2400

The Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex is a twofer. Its gymnastic workshops offer a safe environment for kids as old as 14. "After a day here, my boys are in an exercise-induced coma," says Jackson, the Capitol Hill mom. "They are so worn out from playing and using their motor skills. We go whenever we can."

The complex also has a huge indoor pool with fountains, water slides and a lazy river. It is suitable for children of all ages accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

Open: Leisure Pool: Open this month on Sundays 11 to 5, Mondays 11 to 5:30, Tuesday-Thursday 3 to 5:30, Fridays 11 to 7, Saturdays 11 to 7:30; open June through August on Sundays 11 to 5, Monday-Thursday 11 to 5:30, Fridays 11 to 7, Saturdays 11 to 7:30. Call for information on gymnastics workshops.

Cost: Drop-in swim rates: County residents pay $5 for adults, $4 for children 12 and younger and seniors; nonresidents pay $1 more per day pass. Residents who live within 1.5 miles of the complex pay $1 less per day pass. Gymnastics workshops: Free for adults, children $6 (chaperon required).

Germantown Indoor Swim Center

18000 Central Park Cir., Boyds; 240-777-6830

Water slides for all ages are just one of the features of this 60,000-square-foot swimming facility. Young children have slides of their own, as well as water umbrellas, tumble buckets and other interactive features. Older children will enjoy the 200-foot slides that twist and turn.

Open: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 3:30 to 5:30; Saturdays 2 to 4 and 5 to 7; Sunday 1 to 3 and 4 to 6.

Cost: Montgomery County residents: adults $6, age 17 and younger $4, age 55 and older $4.50. Nonresidents: adults $7.50, age 17 and younger and age 55 and older $6.50. Annual passes available.

Olney Swim Center

16605 Georgia Ave., Olney; 301-570-1210

At the Olney Swim Center, the leisure pool is shallow and ideal for young children to safely cruise and explore. A toddler slide, water umbrella "mushroom" and other interactive fun will enchant new swimmers. Parents will like the frequent open swim sessions.

Open: Monday-Thursday 11:30 to 2:30 and 3:30 to 5:30; Fridays 11:30 to 2:30, 3:30 to 5:30 and 7 to 9; Saturdays 2 to 4 and 5 to 7; Sundays 12 to 2 and 3 to 5.

Cost: Montgomery County residents: adults $6, age 17 and younger $4, age 55 and older $4.50. Nonresidents: adults $7.50, age 17 and younger and age 55 and older $6.50. Annual passes available.

Acorn Hill Spring Fair on Saturday by Tech Savvy Mama

Spring is here and along with it comes beautiful flowers, sandals, and an abundance of school spring fairs. One of our favorite family spring fairs is held at Acorn Hill Waldorf Kindergarten and Nursery.

If you have never been to Acorn Hill, Spring Fair is a great reason to go. Up a little path and sitting on a hill off of Sligo Creek Parkway, Acorn Hill is a magical place where a cozy brick building with four light-filled classrooms and an astounding playground are nestled among huge trees. The Spring Fair is held on the school’s playground that contains a large sandbox and an amazing wooden climbing structure built out of logs and boards that have been smoothed by the hands of many children.

One of Little Miss Techie’s favorite Spring Fair games is the Marble Run. Built in one of the school’s two large sandboxes and decorated with beautiful flowers and branches, marbles run through tunnels and around a large hill until they reach their resting place at the end. Last year Little Miss Techie patiently waited her turn many times for her turn at the Marble Run.

This year the fishing game (also a favorite!) will be back along with Motowu, a Hopi game, and many other games for children of all ages. A marionette play of the Chinese fairy tale, The Magic Tapestry, will be presented in one of the classrooms. Children can make wands in another of the school’s classrooms.

If your child is like Little Miss Techie and you can’t manage to tear them away to leave, never fear! Sustenance is available for purchase at the fair. Food includes delicious baked items (vegan and organic items also available) from the bake sale and a vegetarian lunch of sushi rice salad, a cheesy casserole, fruit salad and black beans.

There is also a plant sale and beautiful handmade crafts, such as felted animals, made by the school’s parents are always a huge hit and sell out fast.

Acorn Hill Waldorf Kindergarten and Nursery’s Spring Fair
9504 Brunett Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Saturday, May 10
10am-2 pm
For directions to Acorn Hill, click here.
To view a flyer for the Spring Fair, click here.

When Leticia isn’t hanging out at the Acorn Hill Spring Fair’s marble run, she’s hard at work as Tech Savvy Mama trying to educate parents about technology issues for children and finding the highest quality software, websites, and other technology products for children to recommend to you.

Thanks for signing up for lilaguide!

Thanks to everyone who joined the lilaguide Montgomery County Moms group! If you'd like to be a part of this new online community, come on board. All new members receive a $5 Target gift card, and you receive another $5 card if you write 10 reviews of your favorite family-friendly places in the area. Members that signed up last month should have received or be receiving soon your Target thank you from lilaguide.

As a special thanks for joining, I have the following fun coupons and pressies for you. The first lilaguide member to shoot me an email with the ones you would like (1 per person) gets the following deals & steals:

• $5 off any purchase of $25 at Babies R Us, in-store only
  
• $5 off any purchase of $25 at DiscoveryStore.com, Discovery Channel's online shopping site of toys, DVDS and gifts galore
  
• free meal that serves 2-3 from Thyme Out in Gaithersburg - Carolyn
  
• $10 off a purchase at Thyme Out - Jodi
  
• 25% off coupon at lucy - fresh fitness wear for women, online or in-store
  
• free dessert at Let's Dish when you sign up for a Let's Dish session - Mary Beth
  
• $25 off of a birthday party or summer class at FunFit in Rockville
• free class at My Gym in Potomac - Jody
  

Just pick your first and second choice of pressie & send your mailing address to jessica dot mcfadden at g mail dot com. I will pop into the mail to you this weekend. As usual, I have no inclination to spam you; if I have anything pressing to tell you, I'll just throw it up on APISS.

Nighty night!

Origins Ginger Embrace Giveaway on Blissfully Domestic

Thanks to the good folks at Origins, I'm hosting a giveaway of the Ginger Embrace gift set at Blissfully Domestic. This collection of decadent, delicious-smelling Origins products includes Ginger Souffle™ Whipped body cream, Incredible Spreadable Scrub™ Ginger body smoother, Ginger Burst™ Savory body wash with bath mitt and Ginger Essence™ Intensified Fragrance with rollerball applicator.

Blissfully Domestic is a new online women's magazine much like O and Martha Stewart Living...if Oprah and Martha got a wasted on tequila and started blogging. It is a riot and embraces all things domestic and maternal, without losing a sense of humor. I am BD's resident beauty insider, and I am having a blast reporting and testing new products in order to keep readers hot and pampered.

All week long Blissfully Domestic is dedicated to babies and moms, in honor of founder and editor in chief Allison Worthington's (aka Mrs. Fussypants) impending birth of son #5. There are more giveaways and itty-bitty-baby fun all week long. So head on over to the Origins giveaway, leave a comment to be entered and best of luck!