My husband came home Friday exhausted and went to take a nap while one of our twin boys was still asleep. I heard his phone vibrate up on the shelf in our entryway but I didn’t pick it up. After it stopped, my phone immediately began ringing and I answered. It was my mother-in-law and she had two Washington Capitals tickets for that night’s game that a coworker was trying to give away. It was 5:00pm and the game started at 7:00pm.
...I didn’t know what to expect when my friend said, “Let’s go to the farm museum!” What’s that? A farm with placards? Taxidermy cows and chickens? I had no idea. Is there manure involved? She described it as kind of a mini children’s museum. Today we went to the Heritage Farm Museum in Sterling, and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s like one big display room of a normal, adult museum that has quite a few hands-on elements for kids. It’s the perfect blend of children’s and adults’ museums. For DC moms, it’s about 40 minute drive, and of course less for most NOVA moms. We spent over an hour and a half inside and about 15 minutes on the big tractors out front with our almost-three year-olds. Here’s the lowdown:
Barn: Inside the barn, kids can not only milk a pretend cow (water comes out) and gather wooden eggs in baskets from a plastic hen house, but they can also dress the part. There are overalls and bonnets and such for children who want to look the part.
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I love living in the DC Metro area. It has taken me awhile to arrive at that conclusion as a mother, however, considering my rural upbringing. I spent many summer days making mud pies at our creek, raising 4-H sheep, and harvesting a mammoth garden. I guess I always thought I’d raise my kids in a similar environment. I’ve now been here in the area for almost 10 years. I loved it when I was single; it was the fast-paced change from Idaho that I needed—a fresh, exciting start. I liked it when I was engaged; living a little farther out from the city, but still riding the metro to work every day, planning a wedding. I liked it when I was married and pregnant; my doctors were great, my new home was fun to decorate, my new job fulfilling. But for some reason the idea that here my kids would most likely not know how to identify a carrot plant from a bean plant by the time they were two, or how to milk a goat, or collect an egg from a feisty hen, made me feel guilty or inadequate or something like that. It was a feeling that was hard to explain and articulate.
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Today was a long day. The middle kids had a field trip with their preschool and Amelia had a field trip in the afternoon with her Daisy troop. This morning I woke up and took a shower so that I looked halfway decent. I don't know how the other moms at this preschool do it, but they always look amazing. Very intimidating. So anyway, I had to wake up early to shower, then stop that routine so that I could get Amelia ready for school. There were some forms and a note that had to be sent to her teacher today so I had to get that together. After a quick breakfast (yet another thing that I feel guilty about- how do other moms make their kids a huge breakfast in the am?) Amelia left for school and I went upstairs to continue to get ready. After that, Walter was awake and needed to eat. He ate super slow today, or maybe I was anxious about getting to the school on time. Didn't want them to leave us! It was cold today so everyone required hats, coats, and mittens. We went to the holiday concert with little man in tow. They all did great and loved everything about it. The high school orchestra puts on a great show with Christmas songs and characters! They had Jessie and Woody, a prince and princess, a fairy, elves, Mickey and Minnie mouse, a banana, and even Santa! I had enough time to run to Chick fil A, grab lunch for everyone, then get back home in time for Georgia's speech teacher. She is doing so well in speech! Her therapist says she is completely done with the K and G sound, it's even in her spontaneous speech. They are beginning to work the th blend and even that is becoming easier for Georgia. She loves her special time with Ms.Patty, it's been great for her. Anyway, after therapy, we all took a little nap while we waited for Amelia to return from her field trip. She went to the hidden pond with her Daisy troop and apparently touched a real snake! Highlight of her day. Then it was time to prepare dinner, wait for daddy to come home, and clean up our messes.
