This is a bit last minute but I just found out about this great event today! I can’t think of how many times I’ve had questions about the city’s rec. programs and organized sports leagues. Tomorrow there will be an opportunity to visit and view what programs and camps are being offered in the City of Alexandria for youth, teens, adults and seniors for the upcoming year.
I was recently introduced to Alexandria mom, Melissa LaSalle after enjoying her Blog What to Read To Your Kids. I like reading her great book picks for kids and her wonderful writing style. Melissa was kind enough to agree to do a blog post for me today for great Christmas books you may want to consider adding to your bookshelf. Enjoy the post and be sure to visit Melissa’s blog!
Every year around this time, I’ll be mumbling to myself about how much I can’t wait to buy some newly published Christmas book (this year, it’s Alison Jay’s nostalgic Christmastime), and my husband will pipe in: “The last thing our kids need is more Christmas books! They only read them one month out of the year!” Fortunately, he’s only half serious, because even he can see the sheer joy on our children’s faces when we unpack the large box of Christmas books each year. (It also helps that the book he remembers most loving as a kid happens to be the scratch-and-sniff classic The Sweet Smell of Christmas.) For my children as much as for myself, re-discovering these books every year is like re-acquainting ourselves with old friends (welcome back, Santa Claus, The World’s Number One Toy Expert!). On several days last week, my kids actually forgot to request their 30 minutes of pre-dinner television, because they were buried under a mountain of Christmas hardcovers, my five year old preaching to his little sister, “This one is the greatest, you have to look at this one!” (referring, of course, to Merry Christmas, Curious George). For those of us who celebrate Christmas, these stories enrich the way we experience the season. Some offer just the encouragement our kids need to get in the spirit of giving (there’s no shortage of snuggling in our house when we read the irresistibly sweet Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas or Shall I Knit You a Hat?). Other stories explore what it means to be on the receiving end of a gift (what happens if Santa takes your request seriously and gets you that live penguin, like in the hilarious My Penguin Osbert?). Christmas stories give our children a working vocabulary for the unusual experiences and conversations they’re bound to have this time of year (Alison Jay narrates the magic of The Nutcracker without the scariness, while The Jolly Christmas Postman plays with children’s curiosity about how mail gets to Santa). Just yesterday, aboard our local Santa Train, I looked on as a child asked Santa how he gets himself up the chimney when he’s finished filling the stockings. Santa responded with a quote from Clement Moore’s famous poem: “and laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose”—to which my five year old, his eyes wide with astonishment, blurted out “that’s what it says in my book!” (I am a bit of a freak about collecting editions of The Night Before Christmas; my favorite is the classic paperback I had as a child, still in print with illustrations by Douglas Gorsline, although those from Will Moses, Gyo Fujikawa, and Bruce Whatley are close contenders.) Finally, Christmas books help our children to believe. Whether it’s listening to The Christmas Magic, where Santa feels the much-anticipated tingling in his whiskers on Christmas Eve, or The Polar Express, where the reindeer’s bell still endures the next morning, these are the moments that inspire awe in our little ones. These moments are more enduring than any gift-wrapped present under the tree. When our children grow up and read Christmas books aloud to their own children, they’ll be instantly transported back to the wonderment of their childhoods. So, here’s my Christmas wish to you: may you fill your attic with Christmas books that you can enjoy as a family for many Decembers to come!
Favorite Christmas Books Mentioned Above (with recommended ages):
Christmastime, by Alison Jay (Ages 2-7)
The Sweet Smell of Christmas, by Patricia Scarry (Ages 1-6)
Santa Claus, The World’s Number One Toy Expert, by Marla Frazee (Ages 4-8)
Merry Christmas, Curious George, by H.A. Rey (Ages 2-5)
Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas, by Julia Rawlinson (Ages 3-6)
Shall I Knit You a Hat? by Kate Klise (Ages 3-7)
My Penguin Osbert, by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (Ages 4-8)
The Nutcracker, by Alison Jay (Ages 4-8)
The Jolly Christmas Postman, by Allan Ahlberg (Ages 4-8)
The Night Before Christmas, by Clement Clarke Moore, illustrations by Douglas Gorsline (Ages 2-7)
The Night Before Christmas, by Clement Clarke Moore, illustrations by Will Moses (Ages 3-7)
The Night Before Christmas, by Clement Clarke Moore, illustrations by Gyo Fujikawa (Ages 2-5)
The Christmas Magic, by Lauren Thompson (Ages 4-8)
The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg (Ages 7-12)
Don’t miss the annual tree lighting this coming Friday Dec. 7th at the Del Ray Farmer’s Market parking lot, located at the corner of Mt. Vernon & E. Oxford Ave. The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. Each year the Del Ray Business Association sponsors thousands of luminaries that are lit up and down Mt. Vernon Ave. and singing holiday favorites led by Del Ray’s own Kate Moran Band. 
There will be hot chocolate and cookies and Santa will arrive after the crowd sings ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’. Santa will have candy canes for the kids and there is a photographer that will be taking pictures of the children with Santa that you will be able to download on-line.
In the spirit of the season and to help those less fortunate this holiday, the organizers are asking everyone to bring needed items for the Carpenter’s Homeless Shelter, including food (especially soup & canned meat), new twin sheets, disposable diapers and personal items (deodorant, razors, etc.). There will be drop-off boxes at the Farmers’ Market on Friday evening.
This is a great opportunity to see why Del Ray is such a magical little neighborhood. You can stop by one of the many businesses that will be staying open until 9 pm as part of the Holiday Celebration. Many stores will have specials and fun events. The brand new The Nest Academy daycare will also be having an open house from 6-8 p.m. and have free pictures with Santa. There will be a wine tasting hosted by Swirl & Sip at A Show of Hands
The Holiday Tree Lighting, Santa Visit and luminaries are sponsored by the Del Ray Business Association and are free.
We’re all wrapped up and stuffed from Thanksgiving and now it’s time to start looking forward to Christmas! This weekend marks an exciting start to the Christmas season with the Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend. There are several events to enjoy with your family.
The first is the Deck the Halls with Santa!
This fun event for children is held on Friday Nov. 30th from 1-3 p.m. at the Masonic Temple. Kids will get to meet Santa and “Plaid the Dog.” The event features age appropriate crafts for children to help “Deck the Halls,” seasonal treats, and a raffle full of goodies, toys, and experiences for the whole family to enjoy. Note that crafts are ideally for ages 2-5 with little assistance required. The Masonic Temple does not permit strollers.
Tickets are $30 for adults; $15 for children 11 and under. You can purchase your tickets online.
Saturday, Dec. 1st beginning at 11 a.m. is the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade.
The parade features Scottish Clans, music, dancing and lots of dog groups. Line up early to get a good spot, because the parade attracts over 30,000 to Old Town to watch the 140+ groups march. The parade kicks off at 11 and will likely go until 1. Here’s the map of the parade route.
At the end of the parade there is a massed band concert where all the musicians from the parade gather in market square to perform. This is a truly amazing experience!
All of the events of the weekend are presented by The Campagna Center. The Center is responsible for providing educational and developmental services for children and families.
I met with Hands On Play’s (HOP) owner Sharon Thomason-Sekyi several months ago while she was preparing to open her newest venture. Sharon arrived in Alexandria with experience from the North East Stars Montessori school that she runs in DC. She saw something missing in Old Town and stepped up to fill in that gap!
HOP is filling a much needed role in Old Town as a welcoming place for children and parents. Sharon’s goal is for HOP to be a one-stop enrichment center for fun and academics serving children ages 1-12. She’s working to bring in enrichment classes on topics that parents want. Her staff is managed by licensed teachers and administrators. They are working on their offerings, so if you have an interest, pass it along! The idea for the classes is that you can drop in at anytime. You don’t sign up for a ‘session’, you simply pay per class.
Another exciting offering at HOP is the Montessori inspired playroom that helps little ones to develop fine motor skills. Rainy and cold days are no problem with this gem located near Trader Joes! Pop into HOP and let your kids run out some energy in a great setting. HOP even allows drop off play so that busy moms and dads can run errands. Drop and shop is available for children 3-12 for up to 90 minutes. Reservations are recommended. The cost for play area use is only $10 for all day or $8 an hour. HOP also hosts birthday parties and playdates, so call to book your group.
HOP is located at 688 N St. Asaph Street on the same block as Trader Joe’s. Hours are Monday-Friday 12pm-7pm, Sat. 10am-12pm.
Halloween will be here next week, so that means this coming Sunday is the annual Del Ray Halloween Parade!
This year it will be held on Sun., October 28th at 2 pm. Last year, more than 5,000 participated in this annual event which included over 2,000 children, special dignitaries and elected officials; over 50 pets in Halloween costumes; and 25 decorated strollers.
The parade begins at 2 p.m. at Mt. Vernon Avenue, just south of E. Bellefonte and continues down Mt. Vernon Ave. to the Mount Vernon Recreational Center play fields at the intersection of Mt. Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues. Children, pets, and strollers in costumes are invited to march and show off their finest and scariest Halloween garb.
This year’s parade featured awards for Best Pet Costume, Best Decorated Business, Best Decorated Home, and Best Decorated Stroller. Judges include elected officials & City Dignitaries. Awards will be given out at a brief ceremony at Mt. Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues following the parade, along with refreshments (hot dogs donated by 7-Eleven, cider, and cookies) and goodie bags for the children (including as long as they last, healthy bags that will not have any candy). Entertainment will be provided by the popular band Mars Rodeo and again this year thanks to the Alexandria Jaycees there will be games and activities for the children. They will take place at the Mt. Vernon fields immediately following the parade. The Parade and all activities are free!
This year, please note that there is a major change for Stroller Entries for both registration location and judging. Based on feedback from parents, judging for the Stroller Competition will be done prior to the parade. Stroller entries must register by 1:30 pm at the corner of Mt. Vernon Avenue and E. Howell. Look for long string of orange balloons & signs. Once registered, strollers will line up on Howell to be judged prior to participating in the parade. Please allow extra time to get to the judging area by 1:30 pm especially if your entry is difficult to maneuver or if you are a large group. There is no fee to register and there are lots of wonderful prizes donated from our local businesses. Categories are: “Creative”, “Humorous”, “Best Group or Family”, “Less is More” and “Overall”.
Registration for Pets begins at 1:30 pm on Mt. Vernon south of E. Howell Ave. Look for a long string of black balloons and signage to register your pet. Categories include: “Creative”, “Team”, “How Could You Do This to Me” & “Best of Show”.
There is no registration required for children and families that march in the parade – they should gather at Mt. Vernon Avenue, south of E. Bellefonte. Don’t feel like being in the parade? Watching can be just as fun to line up along Mt. Vernon Ave. and take in all the action!
There are a lot of children that need Halloween costumes and once again the DRBA will collect costumes at Caboose Cafe & A Show of Hands and distribute them. If you’ve got costumes at home that your children have outgrown, these would be greatly appreciated! These costumes will be distributed on Saturday, October 27th, from 2-4 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center.
Before the parade begins Bellies and Babies Children & maternity consignment boutique will have Sarah T. Henry Photography snapping pictures of your little ones in their costumes from 1-3 p.m. No cost for the mini photo shoot and she is offering 1/2 price on her digital images for $20 each ($40 value).
After the parade from 5 pm to 8 pm, for the 6th year, families can enjoy a Spooky Bean Halloween Haunted Graveyard (free!) that is being constructed by Bean Creative and will be located next to their lot at Mt. Vernon and E. Del Ray Avenue.
I can’t believe that it’s time for Art on the Avenue already! Every year Mount Vernon Avenue closes down to traffic and is filled with amazing artists, good venders and performers during this wonderful celebration on the arts. This is a great festival for the kids not only because it’s right here in Del Ray but also because there is lots of fun geared towards the kids. There is a Children’s Stage filled with fun entertainment that the kids will love. On the line up are magic shows, puppet shows, martial art demonstrations and dance performances. The Kids Stage is located on the east side of Mt. Vernon Avenue between Del Ray and Custis Avenues.
Local artists and non-profit groups provide the following fun activities at the Kids Art Korner located on the field at Mt. Vernon Community School right next to the Food Court:
Bag Decorating
Tambourines
Make a Boat
Sock puppets
Cut out/pop up cards
Creating Flower Pots & Planting
Face Painting
Bubble Art
Balloons
Tissue Paper Flower/ Animals
Tiny Titans Mural
Reusable Items for Open-Ended Creativity
Scarecrows
Pumpkin Decorating
In addition to the activities at the Kids Art Korner there will also be Spin Art in front of Forum One Communications at 2200 Mt. Vernon Ave. and Sand Painting in the parking lot by the Del Ray Artisans Gallery.
Don’t miss Mount Vernon Community School’s booth set up on the avenue in front of the school entrance on Mount Vernon Ave. that will feature artwork by students and will proudly be showcasing young artists in action from MVCS. Stop by and learn more about the school and support our student artists!
Local business Purple Goose will have pumpkin painting and their in-house monogram shop is having a special during the festival of 20% off a monogram or any custom tees or outfits. Bellies and Babies will also have a booth set up featuring artists that make the fabulous creations that you can purchase in their store during the year.
This weekend you don’t want to miss an exciting new children’s festival that is part of the fall Kaleidoscope arts celebration throughout the City called Kaleidoscope for Kids Arts Festival. The children’s festival will be this weekend, Sept.29 & 30th at the Durant Center for the Arts, Alexandria’s multicultural center for the performing and visual arts located in Old Town at 1605 Cameron Street.
The inaugural event is geared specifically for children of all ages and their families complete with an amazing line-up of nationally and critically acclaimed artists and performers and plenty of hands-on activities. Acclaimed artists and performance groups that are participating in the festival include urban dance company Urban Artistry, Arlington based Synetic Theatre, national Latino performing arts center the GALA Hispanic Theatre, and national renowned children’s songwriting program Kid Pan Alley. The festival will offer plenty to see, hear, and do for children and families from a kaleidoscope making workshop, an origami workshop, a puppet parade, art car painting, to a bookmaking workshop with Family Legends, strolling artist and Bolivian dancers. Festival goers can enjoy lunch or grab a snack from local area food trucks in the picnic area or walk to nearby King Street restaurants.
Events begin at 10 a.m. each day. Tickets are $30 for a day unlimited events pass; $10 for single performance. Children must be ticketed–accompanying adults are free. For more information about the event or artists visit the website at http://www.artskaleidoscope.org/kaleidoscopeforkids.html
Kaleidoscope for Kids is an event part of the bigger Fall arts celebration called Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope, now in its second season, is an initiative designed to focus interest on the thriving visual and performing arts in and around the City of Alexandria. A collaboration of the Alexandria Arts Forum and Access through the Arts, that focuses on visual and performing arts in Alexandria from Labor Day to Halloween. Visitors can enjoy theater, music and dance performances as well as art exhibitions throughout the city.
This is going to be such a fun weekend with the beautiful weather and another fun festival.
Please join us for a celebration of diversity with your family and friends this Saturday, September 15, 2012, 11-5, at Four Mile Run Center, located at 4109 Mt. Vernon Avenue.
We’re celebrating Alexandria’s diversity and multicultural flavor with live music, food vendors, kid’s games and cultural activities. There’s lots of fun to be had!!
Visit the Facebook Page to get more information and a full line up of performers.
