An Itsy Bitsy Chance to Explore

One of my first introductions into a more international children's world began during a playgroup in Qatar. The kids played for a while with random toys, and then the moms gathered around in a circle to sing familiar children's songs. I was familiar with most of the songs until I got to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." Except I was in a room full of British moms who sang the song "Incy Wincy Spider." Most of the lyrics are the same, but a few of the words stray and suddenly my eyes had been opened to the possibility of things outside the American world.

Fast forward a year, and we had found ourselves in Sweden. Again, "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" made his appearance at a Swedish/English playground this time as "Imse Vimse Spindel." The tune varied a little and the words in were, of course, in Swedish. Quite frankly, this is my FAVORITE version of The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Never has a spider climbing up a water spout sounded so adorable and whimsical.

My children's exposure to another language was brief. My son attended four months of Swedish preschool and within 6 weeks he was speaking and understanding it. He was 2 1/2 years old. We were singing all the favorites in Swedish (Row Row your Boat, Ba Ba Black Sheep, Little Cabin in the Wood). I am reminded by a good friend, who is Austrian and a master of languages, how spongelike little young brains are for soaking up other languages. She mentioned something like until the age of 7 children have this natural ability to understand and separate languages. I have no idea how scientific that data is, but I did have a few other foreign language teachers back up that statement.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Two of my friends are extending their current preschool to a a bilingual one: Tiny Explorers. The best part is it's for kids 18 months to three years. This is doubly as awesome because it's near impossible to even find part-time preschool for kids under the age of two let alone a bilingual one. Do I think my son's four-month exposure to a foreign language helped develop his brain at age 2? Yep! I know that being exposed to a foreign language at any age, especially a young one, helps develop and exercise the brain in a completely different way. So yes, it does make your kid smarter.

Tiny Explorers is having an open house next week so if you live in the Northern Virginia (Reston) area and are looking for a school or are even curious about the bilingual factor (which I wholeheartedly applaud), please stop by next week and visit.

Long Live the Fairy Tales

We took the kids today to see Hansel and Gretel at a local theater: Elden Street Players. Since our last visit to children's theater--where we saw Harold and the Purple Crayon--had been such a success, I have been looking for other nearby venues for the performing arts. My kids love this stuff.

Now I know fairy tales are a bit controversial these days. Stories like Rapunzel, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood have started becoming "B-list" stories. Or probably more like "C-list." Yes, they are dark. There is a lot of good and evil discussed in these stories. Many touch on death, jealousy and greed--all topics we probably wish our kids never had to know about until they are old enough to drive. But my kids are addicted to them. Last year we started reading them. Then we moved on to reading Greek myths and then reading Bible stories. You know what? They all talk about death, jealousy and greed as well. So what's the difference between today's children's stories and the ones that have been retold for generations. Today's fairy tales gloss over "good and bad." Things used to be very black and white in stories--witches, evil sorcerer, stepmothers. You can always find the good guy and the bad guy. Today's stories are a bit more ambiguous and there's a whole bunch of gray. Is that bad? I'm not sure what the answer is.

So I actually was a bit surprised with the production we saw today. Hansel and Gretel is a true-to-form Grimm's fairy tale and one that often raises eyebrows. But the production was great. They added in a few things to modernize it and liven it up a bit for the kiddies, but generally the meat was there. I was glad to still see the evil stepmother and the witch, who came off as the star of the production. And the audience cheered when she was finally pushed into the oven at the end.

If you live in outskirts of Northern Virginia and are looking for a great local production, this is one! Because it's children's theater it's completely kid friendly. (It's only a one-hour production.) One mom sat nursing her youngest in the front row with nary a glance from any other audience member.

The play runs for only a few more weekends and space is limited so order your tickets now.

Out to Great Country Farms

The weather turned beautiful here this week, almost like the beginning of fall, so we decided to ditch our plans for Baltimore and head out to the country. With my husband still gone, I knew this would be a trip I could do with both kids alone.

Great Country Farms is about 45 minutes away from the Northern Virginia suburbs. They have a fall festival every year that is a mad house of kids and parents soaking up the fall weather and picking pumpkins. I figured this would be a bit more low-key, and it was.

This all got started when I found $20 last week and couldn't decide what to do with it. This ended up being the solution: supporting local business, local produce, fun for the kids, fun for me, great outdoors. It seemed to be a win-win for all. And it was!

We drove out to Bluemont, Virginia, which you will miss if you blink while driving down Route 7. This farm is great for kids of all ages, even the little ones. At $5 person over the age of 2, your kids can pick whatever is in season. This weekend it was peaches, blackberries and green beans! (Yes, it does cost extra to take them home.) Picking includes a very nice wagon ride out to the fields. My kids serenaded the others in the wagon the whole way out there with their pirate song. The farm also has a giant bounce pillow, mazes, slides, animals to feed/pet and a little cow train ride. Worth every penny we spent getting out there. In addition, you can pick up meat and other veggies at the general store. This weekend with our admission, we had free wine tasting at the winery across the street. My kids wouldn't behave for that, even though I tried.

Dragons and Pad Thai

This afternoon, in an attempt to kill some time, the kids and I hit the Asian Festival in Reston. If you are following the Olympics (which I haven't yet gotten into since we don't have TV), then this event is worth it for you and the kids. Lots of Chinese Olympic fanfare! But there is so much more. The kids and I hit the one of the three stages and saw some traditional Thai dancers (aka to Anna as dancing fairies). They were followed by a martial arts school and their Chinese dragons. My kids thought this was the best part. The food lineup was fabulous: Thai, Indian, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, and more. Although the food was the main draw for my kids--with Satay, meatballs and Pad Thai.

Besides the food, there was tons of crafts and exhibits. My kids were stuck on a stick dancing display of people who dance over sticks to the beat of music. Alex was mesmerized and even asked if he could try it. Then chickened out at the last minute.

The best thing: the whole thing is free! If you haven't gone yet, check it out tomorrow.

And as a side note for those that know me, this was the first event ever where we didn't have to quickly find a bathroom or use the port-a-potty. Yay!!

Determining a Successful Outing

The day after July 4th. Kids slept in until almost 8 a.m. (Those that know my kids, know this is unprecedented.) We were recovering from a late night, and our morning--while good--was rainy. Our plans with friends at the pool were shot so we opted for something new. My friend Allison called and said several moms were meeting at the Air & Space Museum. Rainy, holiday weekend + free indoor museum = amusement for my kids. (Ok, I only took one kid.)

In the back of my head, I must have known that this equation also means big crowds. But the outing got me thinking. Am I a 'half full' or 'half empty' kind of mom for outings.

Let's dissect this and see if this was a successful outing.

The Good
1. I got to see four of my mom friends while only having half my monkey crew.
2. Since we carpooled with two other moms, I only paid $4 of the $12 parking fee.
3. My son got to see his friends.
4. My son got see the planes (which he doesn't care about), the space ships (which he also doesn't care about), and eat at McDonald's (which he will tell you he loves more than anything, but his daddy says is very unhealthy because the beef from the hamburgers comes from corn-fed cows and not grass fed. Alex will tell you all about a cow's stomach, too, if you want to hear.) But he still loves McDonalds.

5. Squished pennies keep kids happy for a long time.

6. The kids had fun and were tired afterwards. (Read: Everyone will take a nap)

The Bad
1. Son got in trouble from wanna-be security guard for running down the ramp.
2. Squished pennies went up in price from 51 cents to $1.01. Damn inflation! 3. Crowds (most of it other kids or older people in wheelchairs) makes it hard to keep track of six kids under four.

The Funny
1. Same security guard was busting up other families' fun as well.
2. Squished pennies were really the highlight for everyone.
3. Had to bypass the second stop on the control tower tour for Alex's potty emergency.
4. Alex really led the group by what HE wanted to do: eat, squish pennies, see the space ships, go to the bathroom, go home. Nice.

My vote: Outing was a success. While it was packed and the kids were literally everywhere and without much focus, us four moms were fully aware that this was a preschool-led activity. None of us had expectations except to be somewhere out of the rain with the kids. If they had fun, so did we.

Being Savvy in DC with Little Ones

When you live in a large area like the DC area, it can be overwhelming to find the right things to do with your children. Living in Alexandria is a whole world away from Silver Spring. Living in Reston means never having to drive into the District or down to Springfield. When wanting to get out of your normal area, it's important to get information on museums, parks, playgrounds, etc. before making the trip across town.

I love this new site Being Savvy: Washington DC. It's part blog, part local resource for things to do with with small kids. As a bonus, the site links to other cities, which is just perfect for vacationing with toddlers/preschoolers. So if you're visiting Atlanta this summer and need things to do with kids or moving to Austin, you have a wealth of information in one location. As a bonus, I'm featured today on the DC site since my friend Tech Savvy Mama is the editor for this site.

In addition, the site offers preschool information for almost any major area in the country, including registration deadlines, tuition prices and reviews (you have an opportunity to review as well). I wished I'd known about this while I was doing preschool research.

A Perfect Walk

Yesterday when meeting up with several moms from my mom's group, I made the last-minute decision that we'd walk the mile to the playgroup instead of our normal drive. It seems silly to drive when I noticed the actual mileage was about .9 miles. What a waste! But with two young kids who don't sit in the stroller, it often limits us on transportation.

The weather is perfect here for walking so the kids agreed to ride in our red wagon. Not really knowing how long this would last, I was fully prepared to turn around at anytime, but surprisingly, they loved it.

As we walked we had great conversations about the things we saw. The kids didn't seem to be rushed to get there, although I must admit pulling nearly 80 pounds of kid got old fast. But as we have another event this afternoon--also less than a mile away--I think I might opt for another walk today.

We walked to be green, to enjoy the fresh, to have some conversation and get some exercise. Look at the gas we saved!

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens; NoVA's Hidden Treasure

I'm sure Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is one of the overlooked tourist attractions of the area. On a beautiful day, you'll find people downtown on the Mall, the National Zoo, Frying Pan Park or Great Falls park. But one of my favorite little hidden treasures is Meadowlark Botanical Gardens right off the Toll Road in Vienna. Surprised, huh? I love this off-the-beaten path place. It's quiet and serene--even with my kids there.

We made several visits during the spring, summer and fall last year. But took our second trip there on Tuesday. Once again, it was wonderful. If you haven't been at all or this year, here are a few reasons to check it out:

1. It's cheap. Kids under six are free and adults are only $5. My parents ended up buying us a season pass which will get all our guests in for free.

2. It's big. That's right, even with the gardens, there is enough space for kids to just run while parents enjoy the beauty. There are even trails back in the woods for some "hiking."

3. Kids area. They have moved the interactive tea party garden now, and it includes a sandbox and a few other "games" in the area. My kids really just loved the sandbox.

4. Fish food. When you pay admission to the garden, as for fish food. There is a nice collection of turtles and catfish in the large pond to feed.

5. Something's always in season. Our first trip there this spring found us at the end of the cherry blossoms (which were beautiful) and the fields of tulips. Our trip this week was filled with flowering trees and peonies.

This is a great place to take kids of any age. Babies will enjoy the walk or sitting on a blanket with a snack. You'll have to sneak in a snack and clean up after yourself. No food is allowed in the gardens, but no one has ever stopped us from our mini PB&Js up on the Adirondack chairs. Toddlers and preschoolers will love the opportunity to just run.

Reliving Pippi Longstocking

A few months back, I called Barnes and Noble to try and pick up a Pippi Longstocking book to read to at my son's school. "How do you spell Pippi?" The lady ask. You have to be kidding??!! Pippi Longstocking was easily one of the most recognizable little girls in children's literature. I laughed at the salesman on the phone and said, "Are you serious? You don't know Pippi?" She didn't even know the author--and she worked in the children's section. Shameful, really.

After our brief stint in Sweden, where Pippi lives as a hero to children. Before the age of three, any good Swedish child can name every character in the books and tell you about them. They have a museum dedicated to Pippi and Astrid Lindgren (the author). You'll find Pippi clothes, books, back packs, dolls, games, puzzles. You name it, they have it.

This past weekend, the Swedish embassy in DC hosted a Pippi Day. Me needing a little bit of Sweden, made the very long trek into town. It was cute and very Swedish. Alex asked all kinds of questions about why Pippi lived alone and why she has a monkey and a horse. We have read a few of the storied, but I went to get one of the Pippi movies on Sunday since it rained all day. (Not the same ones I saw as a child.) Both kids just instantly fell in love with her. She's fun and mischievous. Pippi stories, like many Swedish stories, touch on topics which are a bit taboo here like bullying, grief divorce, and death. You mix that in with a bit of imagination and even a bit of magic and you get something very unique.

The past few days it's been fun to have Pippi back into our lives. She gives us a touch of Sweden and a bit of fun. I hope she'll stick around for a while.

At Play Cafe: Great Idea, Small Space

Let me start off by saying that I was the first to be SO excited about At Play Cafe. I wanted to be the first one at the door, but with Alex's strep throat the week they opened, we had to wait. Waiting meant I got the preliminary reports from friends. The reviews were mixed. Most loved the concept of sitting and talking with friends while their kids played-- and supervised by staff. Truth be told, I just loved having any place to take them during yucky weather.

So, we went today to meet some friends and try it out. When we arrived it was chaotic, due to some local entertainment which had just finished. The play structure is fabulous and fun for kids up to about age 4 would be my guess. Both my kids seemed interested in it enough for a while. The place was clean and the staff very friendly. They do have babysitters on hand to "watch" the kids, but when it gets crowded, two adults can't possibly handle that much commotion.

I'm glad to see a place where moms can take their older (but still young children) to play safely while nursing the other one. How wonderful to see so many moms who were literally walking around with boobs hanging out. I also love that someone has finally addressed a niche which needed to be filled. Like these two place in Richmond: The Playroom and Chat and Play Cafe.

My only complaint, at this time, is the layout. My kids didn't want to stay in the gated area because they could see me. They kept popping up over the short wall asking for snacks, drinks, etc. I'm like, 'We didn't come here to snack.' Which tends to be my standard response at places like the museum, the pool, the park. The staff doesn't really like the kids coming in and out because that leaves room for other kids "escaping." The parents' area is also small and bring in a few strollers and it's madness!

Then after that, it was my son throwing a tantrum because of the sandwich I bought him--the $6 Whole Foods sandwiches they have available. Which are pretty yummy. Thanks to the man who made me the grilled cheese, even though I wasn't a regular customer.

I wish I had some great tips for the owner, who seems like a great guy really willing to make this establishment work, but I don't. The space is difficult manage, and they will probably need to either expand or move to a larger space in order to give parents the space they need to visit and justify the $8 cost for kids to play.

Perhaps it's just that my kids aren't best suited for this place. I can't take them to story hour and organzied classes like music, sports and dance were off limits for a while. Perhaps, my kids are just better for great big open fields and playgrounds. So it's hard to have a place for every kid out there. I think the place is intended for children walking up to age 2 1/2 or maybe 3.

My only other thought would be it might be better if they opened it up a bit more and had the gated area be most of the facility and have tables/chairs inside the gate to allow moms to come in and visit where they can still get to their kids. As a mother of a biter, I can't leave her unattended anywhere for too long. But that's just my kid and my one situation.

With a bit of parent input and a more space (for the kids and moms), this place has a chance. I think they should scrap the idea of story time or music or classes at this point, unless they are going to limit the number attending and possibly the age of the kids.

We will give it another go one day during the afternoon when less kids are probably there, but we will always make sure we come with friends.

For others in area who have gone, let me know what tips you might have to make this place even better. I feel like they're about 75% of the way there.

A Little 'Dacation' From it All

As luck would have it, my favorite aunt decided not to use her timeshare condo in the Shenandoah Mountains this weekend so we snatched it up for a one-night getaway. Woo hoo, thanks! All our kids knew was that we were going on vacation (or as Anna says 'dacation') to the mountains. We had no expectations and no plans other than to just do whatever and relax.

I wasn't sure how possible that would be with an almost-four and two-year old. But I think both husband and I were pleasantly surprised. To start off, I should tell you the weather yesterday was horrible--cold and rainy. But the condo, complete with a loft seemed to amuse the kids for most of the time. Between hide and seek, hanging from the steps, playing "bedtime" in one of the three beds, and flying paper airplanes from the loft, we were able to occupy almost an entire day inside. If that's not cool enough, we were able to actually read while they did this!

Then when the fun ran out on this, we let them . . . watch TV. And as you know, we don't have TV in our house (only a DVD player) for many reasons. Mainly, because of the crap on TV and my inability to harbor any self control. Seriously, I would be a total couch potato, as my children witnessed this weekend, if we had TV/cable hook up in our house. So they enjoyed the luxury of channel surfing with mom, yet quite confused why we couldn't "skip to the good part." How sad when I had to explain that we had to watch the commercials.

Then on the way home, we stopped at the Skyline Caverns. I wasn't sure how the kids would enjoy this--I think we were more impressed than they were--but they were troopers to walk through the hour-long tour of stalactites and stalagmites with mom and dad oohing and aahing. Alex and Anna just looked for bats and made spooking scary cave noises.

All in all, we discovered a little time away from the phone, computer, chores and errands was good for all four of us. We were equally pleased to discover our kids are now a little better about traveling, since Anna is sans crib and diapers.

The Cheapest Indoor Gig So Far

So living out in the DC 'burbs, one might think it would lend itself to lots of wonderful indoor things to do. Not so much. Most of the museums are 30-45 minutes away and getting there with parking is tricky. We are fortunate to have a branch of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum only 15 minutes from our house.

The only drawback: my kids aren't entertained there for more than an hour. And while the museum is free, parking is $12. It's not a lot of money, but it seems like it when they are more interested in riding elevators and running on the ramps. Oh, and don't forget obsessing over the squished penny machine.

However, I found out that parking is free after 4 p.m. since the museum closes at 5:30. So we gave it try on Wednesday. First tip: don't get there until after 4. I showed up at the gate right at 4 p.m. on the nose and this is what the lady said to me...

Stupid Lady: "Yes, can I help you?"
Me: "Yes, we'd like to go to the museum."
Stupid Lady: "You'd like to visit the museum?"
Me: "Yes, that's why I'm here."
Stupid Lady: "That will be $12."
Me: "No, it's free after 4."
Stupid Lady: "It's not 4 yet."
Me: "My clock says 4."
Stupid Lady: "Well, it's not 4. If you want to reverse your car and turn around you can wait back there with the other cars waiting until 4."
Me: "&!@% ^%^&"

That aside, it was the only bad part of our visit. I wished I'd gotten her name so I could post it here. Stupid lady! Anyway, we walked in, and I let the kids lead. Since it was free, I figured we'd do whatever they wanted to do. They did squished pennies (which, ironically, I had no pennies for, but the woman in the gift shop generously gave us some to use.) I let the kids run and ride the elevators. The place was practically empty and they were better behaved than the last time. Did they look at the exhibits? Not really, only the space/rocket part and a few planes. Alex was enthused about the flight simulators and the man there let him just sit in it instead of paying the $7 for the ride. My kids both thought just sitting in it was cool enough.

Bonus for us: The McDonald's in there was getting rid of chicken nuggets for the day so we got a discount on nuggets for a snack.

So once the kids heard the announcement that the museum would be closing in 15 minutes, they were ready to leave. (It closes at 5:30 so the 4 p.m. free entrance gives you an hour and a half of free indoor fun!)

Open Gym Available in Northern Virginia...Finally!

While Northern Virginia is filled with tons of outdoor activities (zoo, gardens, parks, playgrounds, farms, etc.) it is really lacking in places to take kids on rainy, snowy or super hot days. I have long been waiting for the perfect indoor playground or even a coffee shop with a play area.

Today after a tip from a friend, we decided to check out Sport Bounce in Ashburn. Let me just say, this place is a great starting point for indoor fun. It's a large space filled with eight inflatable moonbounces. They are different sizes, with obstacle courses and slides--fun for kids as small as 18 months and as old as probably seven years old. Even I had a fun on some of them. (Yes, moms are allowed to jump too.) The facility is one of the cleanest I have ever seen, with nice bathrooms and an area with benches in the middle. There are two separate rooms which are perfect if your kid needs a break from the chaos. They even have coffee!

The cost is a little high $9 per kid and $7 for siblings. No food is allowed during the Open Gym. I'm not sure if that's for allergy reasons or to keep the moon bounces clean. We managed to sneak a banana right near the entrance since my kids were pretty hungry after an hour of bouncing.

The staff seems open to suggestions for the facility. My only suggestion would be to have a gate before entering the "room" because a child could get separated and roam out of the building if not careful. A baby gate might help give one more layer to little escapees. The other suggestion is to have a "snack" area. Two hours of jumping is a long time and both of mine really needed some recharge after all of that. Someone else mentioned a small area with a ball pit for the little ones would be a nice addition for those that have younger siblings who can't quite do the whole moonbounce thing.

But it's an excellent place to take your kids on a yucky or hot day and once word spreads, I hope Sport Bounce will flourish and profit so it will stick around for a while.

Indoor Play has Arrived

A friend posted about a new indoor play + cafe establishment opening near my house called At Play Cafe. When I went upstairs to tell my husband, I was actually so giddy my children were excited about it too. As you know, I have been waiting for something like this and to have it so close by is a bonus

Christmas trees: It's just our place

Seems every year, people speak of their place for getting a Christmas tree. This morning we were trying to figure out the best place to journey for our tree shopping experience. Every year we go to the same place, but this year I thought we needed more—Santa visit, music, hot cider—you know festivities for the kids. I looked in the paper and online and finally when the question came up: where are we going? My response was simple: We’ll go back to Krop’s Crops.

On the way there, we passed by several Christmas tree shops, and my kids are crying out “Mom, stop, there are Christmas trees.” But we keep driving. My parents, who were visiting, wanted to know the reason behind my loyalty to Krop’s Crops. The answer is simple. It’s local, it’s small and it’s tradition. Krop’s Crops in Great Falls, Virginia, is very small shop nursery. There are no frills to this outfit though—it’s pretty plain and simple with a few extras for the kids. They have a cast-iron stove inside to warm up, refreshments to purchase, chickens and goats to feed and dried corn for the kids to play in.

And every year, despite the fact that neighboring and competing farms offer more, we still go here to get our tree and every year it looks more perfect. While the trees aren’t cheap, the service is amazing and I love the idea of support small local establishments. Today, Santa was helping load trees on the cars—after taking Christmas present requests and handing out candy canes. That was really the highlight for my kids. Nothing beats having Santa talk about his elves while strapping the tree onto your car.

Every year the tree selection is beautiful and fresh. In fact, we’ve had trees last well into mid-January and still be alive and well six weeks after we bought them. In addition to the cut Christmas trees, they have a “cut-your-own” option as well. Also available, of course, are beautiful wreaths and spectacular poinsettias.

I'm curious about your favorite place for Christmas trees and what makes it special for you.

Virginia's Cox Farms: Worth every penny and a return visit

I don’t know how we’ve been here a year and never been to Cox Farms in Centerville, Virginia. Knowing the temperature would probably be better today after the rain, we made the short drive to the Cox Fall Festival. This was by far, one of the most fun activities we’ve done here, as well as one of the most imaginative Halloween festivals for children I’ve seen. In fact, not intending to bash Northern Virginia, (which I think really lacks in creative things for kids) this was one of the best things I’ve seen since we’ve been here.

We were greeted by one of the most enthusiastic workers I have ever seen. She was excited to see us and told us it was a beautiful day for the farm. She was right. There were bales of hay strategically arranged for kids to climb and crawl through, slides made of cool materials that become slipperier in the sun, wooden structures and ladders to climb, castles to crawl in, volcanoes to explore and a play area with goats running around. My kids loved the rope swings best of all. Even my 2-year old managed to hold on and drop into the pit of hay-looking foam.


We took a hayride around the farm, through the corn fields, big giant puddles, back in the woods—all with fun characters and scenes for the kids. The driver seemed thrilled to be there as well and was excited about her journey around the farm. You have to really look when you go through because some made me laugh. The Three Little Pigs in a house next to a stack of hay and a blown over screen door. It’s hard to notice fun stuff like that when kids are talking about the spaceman they just saw. Yep, there’s one of those too--a countdown to blastoff and an alien comes out to dance for you. The hayride concluded with a “scary” barn party complete with ghost sounds and polka music.

I’m afraid to say what I felt about this for fear of hearing everyone sigh….it was actually a bit Swedish.

If that’s not enough, there were pigs, chicks, and some cows to see and pet. You could even help milk the cow during certain times of the day. Food and drink is there to purchase, but a little pricey considering the entrance fee. We luckily brought a picnic to help offset the cost. Upon leaving, every ticketed visitor got a free pumpkin to take home. I think my kids thought that was the best part. Of course now the pumpkins have been confiscated since they were being used as bowling balls down the steps.

My only complaint, beside the cost of the food, is that I don’t think kids under age three should be charged. My two-year old played pretty well on most of the stuff, but she only did it because Alex did it. I think if my two-year old had been there alone, I would have felt robbed paying the full-price ticket for her. But it’s a local farm that had great festival so I’m willing to suck it up and pay the money for all of us.