Mommy FTW

The American Trail at the National Zoo opens tomorrow (9/1) to the general public, but we were lucky to be able to see it today on the FONZ preview day. It was a little crowded, but a ton of fun. I wanted to post a few pictures for you all to check out – they don’t even begin to cover how cool the exhibit is!

Overall the exhibit is very stroller and kid friendly. There are a lot of stairs, but everything is also accessible via ramps. If you like, there is stroller parking at the entrance.  The kids can get great views of all the animals and particularly seemed to love the underwater viewing areas. While there is no bathroom there, they are located nearby at the Elephant Outpost, or at Amazonia (either of which you need to pass on the way to get to the American Trail. There is a Cafe with a small selection in case you need some food. The biggest draw for the kids seemed to be the tide pool which I think (although it was hard to tell since it’s new!) was having some trouble. The water only came on once in the 30 minutes we were hanging out near it. There were still puddles on the ground which my kids loved, but when the water actually came on, boy were they excited. Watch out for the littlest ones, though. The initial rush of water can be a bit intense. Violet also took a jet of water to the face. She was in shock but recovered quickly! All in all, a lot of fun. I can’t wait to go back once the crowds die down. See you there!

To learn more about the American Trail at the National Zoo and even check out a virtual tour, visit the Zoo website.

Heads up moms!  The Wilson Aquatic Center is scheduled to close for its yearly maintenance / cleaning from Sunday, August 26 through Saturday, September 8, 2012.

Also, after labor day weekend (September 3, 2012) the sprinkler parks across the city will be shutting down for the 2012 summer season.

Violet enjoys the last moments of summer fun at Chevy Chase Rec. It's been fun, Summer 2012!

So get out there and enjoy them while you can! And get ready to head back to the Wilson Aquatic Center once it re opens in September!

For all the details regarding the closing and maintenance schedule for ALL the DC DPR Spray Parks, Outdoor pools, and Indoor Aquatic Centers, check out the DC Department of Parks and Recreation website.

Come and enjoy a free party at Turtle Park on Friday, July 27th from 5:30 – 8:00 PM.

A moon bouce, hot dogs, and sno cones - basically my son's idea of heaven. And it's free!

Bring the kids and the whole family and enjoy FREE Sno-cones, moon bounces, face painting, popcorn, music, hot dogs.

This event is brought to you by Restoration Church is collaboration with Friendship Recreation Center (Turtle Park), DC Parks & Recreation.

I will be there with my kiddos – see you there!

FYI – I found out about this event via the Friends of Turtle Park email list serv – if you’d like to sign up for it, check out their website.  And to keep up with what the Department of Parks and Rec is doing, follow them on twitter!

Life has been really busy for me this summer and I haven’t been posting on the blog as much as I’d like – but I wanted to remind all my readers that I have a facebook fan page for Mommy FTW which I do post on much more frequently – especially about local news (what sprinkler parks might not be working, extended pool hours, local happenings etc).

Do you like me? Then Like me!

If you live in the NW DC area – or just want more Mommy FTW, then Like my page on Facebook! And I promise, more blog posts are in the works!

How many times have you gone to the playground in the summer, only to be surprised that the sprinklers are turned on (I’m looking in your direction, moms I met yesterday at Chevy Chase playground!).  It certainly happens here in DC often enough – DPR has set summer hours and dates for the spray parks, but no one seems to actually follow them.  Don’t be that mom with the toddler staring longingly at the other kids cooling off in the water – keep a bag of supplies in the trunk of your car or in the bottom of your stroller at all times.  You never know when it will be time to have some sprinkler fun!

Cameron is actually in his swimsuit and coated in sunscreen - so I must have been really on my game this day!

Here’s what I always have in my summer fun bag – keep in mind, I’ve got 2 kids, so my bag has 2x the supplies!:

2 towels for drying off after.  Even with all this heat, the water is chilly, and the kiddos can get cold at the end.

2 diapers – regular – not swim (both for Violet, Cam doesn’t wear them)  I only bother using swim diapers for actual swimming.  They are expensive, and for sprinkler play I just leave Violet in a regular diaper then change her out after.

2 Rash Guards (optional) – one for each kid.  This way you can just take off their shirts, put on the rash guards, and let them go.

2 changes of clothes – one for each kid.  If I am feeling really lazy, I’ll just let the kids go in in their existing outfits, then change them after.  There is really no need for full on swim attire – you can  skip the rash guards if you don’t have them / don’t want to bother.

Sunscreen!

It’s not exactly rocket science, I know – but so many times I hear parents saying at the park “You can’t go in because I didn’t bring your swimsuit.”  With just a little preparation – you will always be ready!  Just be sure to replenish your summer fun bag when you get home so next time it is ready with fresh supplies.

I’ve been pestering the DC Department of Parks and Rec (@DCDPR on twitter) regarding the spray parks – thankfully they have been very informative, and patient with me!  Today I heard back from Sean Link, the Aquatic Program Manager for DPR (apparently spraygrounds fall under his domain) with the summer schedule, and also a little info on what had been happening at my local spray parks – Chevy Chase / Livingston Playground and Friendship Rec /  Turtle Park.  Let’s start with the summer hours (which begin Monday, June 18).  Until the 18th, hours are Friday – Sunday, 12 pm – 6pm.

Violet checks out the water at Livngston Playground over Memorial Day weekend

14th & Girard Mon – Fri, 10am – 7pm; Sat 11am – 5pm, Sun 11am – 5pm
14th & Park Mon – Fri, 12pm – 7pm; Sun 3pm – 7pm
10th Street Park Mon – Fri, 11am – 7pm; Sat & Sun 11am – 5pm
Joe Cole Mon – Fri, 11am – 7pm; Sat & Sun 11am – 5pm
Chevy Chase Rec / Livingston Playground Mon – Fri, 11am – 7pm; Sat & Sun 11am – 5pm
Columbia Heights Mon – Fri, 11am – 7pm; Sat 11am – 4pm Closed Sunday
Friendship Rec / Turtle Park Mon – Fri, 11am – 7pm; Sat 11am – 4pm Closed Sunday
Lafayette Mon – Fri, 11am – 7pm; Sat 11am – 4pm Closed Sunday
Palisades Mon – Fri, 11am – 7pm; Sat 11am – 4pm Closed Sunday
Petworth Mon – Fri, 12pm – 8pm; Sat & Sun 12pm – 8pm
Riggs-La Salle Mon – Sat, 12pm – 7pm Closed Sunday

If you would like more specific information on these spray parks, including addresses and locations, you can find it on the DC DPR website.
There’s also been a lot of confusion going around the neighborhood list servs, and the DC Urban Mom message board about what has been on, and what hasn’t.  Friendship Rec / Turtle Park has frustratingly not seemed to be on, especially on Memorial day weekend when it was H-O-T.  Sean Link told me “At Friendship there was a staffing mix-up- evidently the normal rec person that turns it on was out on leave and his replacement had issues getting it on. That will not reoccur. We have trained up the backups at the site.” This is great news!

Also, Chevy Chase Rec / Livingston Playground was on, but at a trickle the last I saw.  Sean told me “We’ve been having some issues with CC, hopefully resolved. It ran great this weekend.”  Also, great news…..  This playground is so new I was worried that it was having trouble operating already.  I can’t wait to check it out now that everything is working properly.

//A few eye witness reports for the spray parks this week : On Tuesday the 5th, around 5pm Livingston was on, but yesterday, Thursday June 7th at about 4 it was not.  On Monday afternoon Turtle Park sprinklers were not on, but on Thursday the 7th, they were on.  So – I guess at this point it’s a gamble!  Thanks to everyone who has been emailing me with their reports!!//

Thanks to Sean Link and DC DPR twitter for helping me get to the bottom of all this so I could share the info with you guys!

FYI, to keep up with all the Department of Parks and Recreation news, “Like” DC DPR on Facebook, or follow them on twitter!

One of our favorite places to grab lunch during the week is at Vace Delicatessen (3315 Connecticut Ave NW) in Cleveland Park.  This little gem has been around since I was a kid, and the pizza still tastes just as yummy as it did when I was young.

The spinach pie is one of Violet's favorites

Cameron does some shopping while we wait for our pizza

Cameron’s favorite is the peperoni pizza (available by the slice – they heat it up for you if you like). I love the white-onion pizza, and Violet chows on the beef empanadas and the spinach pie. I usually buy extra food for her and use it for lunches and dinners through the week. She just loves it! And it makes meals easier for me.

Yum yum... Lunch!

Vace also has delicious fresh pasta, various yummy imported Italian items (like prosciutto and olives) and great frozen meals like lasagne – I always keep one in my freezer in case of emergency. Not only is the delicious, but it is also very affordable. So if you are in Cleveland Park – check out Vace for a quick lunch. It’s right across from the Cleveland Park Library, and just down the street from the National Zoo.

///UPDATE Check this post for summer hours for the DC spray parks and info on Turtle Park and Livingston Playground///

//UPDATE – I’m getting a lot of google traffic to this post so I wanted to add some more information.

First, per the official DPR press release, until June 18th, outdoor pools and spray parks are only open on the weekends (including Fridays).  The hours of operation are 12pm – 6pm. After June 18th, spray parks and pools will be open on a “summer schedule.”  I am still waiting to hear back from DPR as to what that exactly means.  And FYI, it seems like parks are basically doing whatever – I heard that Livingston was on Thursday, 5/31 even though according to the official DPR policy it wasn’t supposed to be.

Second, this weekend Turtle Park spary park (Friendship Rec) was not on.  I heard a rumor that some of the tiles needed to be replaced and they were waiting for DPW to do this.  A friend of mine was at Turtle Park Thursday 5/31 and said it was not on.

Third, this weekend Livingston playground spray park (Chevy Chase Rec) was on, but at a low level.  I talked to DPR on twitter (@DCDPR) and they said the problem had been fixed.  I have not been back to check personally.

I will continue to update with more info as I get it.//

We’ve had some hot days so far this spring here in DC, and the kids and I have been anxiously awaiting the opening of the spraygrounds for the summer season.  Well, the wait is almost over!

Cooling off at Turtle Park

As of Saturday, May 26th at 12 noon the spray parks (and outdoor pools) in DC will be open!  For me, that means I’ll be spending a lot more time at Turtle Park and Chevy Chase (aka Livingston) playgrounds.  Hope to see you there!

Click the image to see the list of pools and spray parks by DC Ward

FYI, to keep up with all the Department of Parks and Recreation news, “Like” DC DPR on Facebook, or follow them on twitter!

We live near the Whole Foods Friendship Heights in Chevy Chase and shop there all the time, and often eat lunch as well (FYI, it’s a great place to eat with the whole family because everyone can pick something that they want).  I just found out that this particular Whole Foods is about to roll out a delivery service, and for those who give it a try during the soft launch (5/29-6/12,) you can get a 10$ gift card, and a free delivery!

Free delivery and 10$ of free food? Yes please.

Here’s the details about the Friendship Heights delivery service: Customers will come to the store and shop as usual, at check out they can opt for delivery. Whole Foods will hold on to the groceries and deliver within a 4hour window from the point of purchase. The idea is that customers who take great pride in picking out their own groceries will still get that experience but won’t have to hustle home to drop off their items when they may have other plans.  So now you can still get your shopping done and then run straight off to the kids soccer practice, karate, art class, or all of the above.

Violet at Whole Foods last Sunday getting some shopping done

Whole Foods is using a completely green electric truck, and they hope to extend the delivery area and that eventually the Tenley and Bethesda store will implement the service to serve their neighborhoods.

The delivery fee is a flat $5 and any deliveries of groceries totaling $200 or more will be free.  Check out the map to see if you are in the delivery area, and stop in and talk to the friendly folks at Customer Service to learn more about getting your 10$ gift card.

FYI, you can ‘Like’ Whole Foods Market Friendship Heights on Facebook and find out more about weekly specials (Lobster tails are on sale this Friday!!) and classes.

When I was growing up my mom always grew food in her garden, and I loved participating in the process, and of course, eating the proceeds!  I have tried very hard to pass on this love of homegrown foods and gardening (both the growing, and the eating) to my kids.

So, I was excited to hear about a book called We Grew It, Let’s Eat It.  It was written by two young twins in Washington, DC who learned about the White House Garden and wanted to start one of their own – but they lived in an apartment with no outdoor space.  They started their project at a Community Garden – planting, tending, harvesting, and preparing their homegrown food, and writing about it.

Help your kids get excited about gardening and homegrown food!

Simply put, We Grew It, Let’s Eat It illustrates how exciting and rewarding creating and enjoying homegrown food can be to little ones.  And, this weekend (April 14th at 3:00 pm) at the Tenley Friendship Library (Wisconsin Ave at Albemarle St) the twin authors Annie and Veda will be reading excerpts from their book and talking to fellow gardeners (young and old) about their experience.  Bring your little ones and learn and help them get excited about gardening!

To learn more about Tenley Circle Press, the publishers of We Grew It, Let’s Eat It!, check out their website.