Author Archives: meg1rl

Sep 22, 2015

Parker-Gray Pediatric Dental – A Welcome Addition to Old Town

Going to the dentist has a bit of a stigma, perhaps. Add a small child to that equation and you may start to feel your anxiety climb. I know that I used to dread taking my kids on their first dental visits. We would have to load the kids up, drive way outside of my beloved Del Ray community and hike across town to get to a dentist that “got” kids. Fast forward six years and now there’s a Pediatric dentist office in Old Town that REALLY gets kids! Parker-Gray Pediatric Dental Care opened last year and has really made waves in our community.

Every parent knows that the key to a successful dental visit for your kid is to make the child comfortable. Parker-Gray gets an A+ for creating an office space that can capture kids’ imaginations and help them to feel at ease. Their waiting room has play equipment for younger kids, video games for older kids and a massive fish tank to mesmerize the kid in all of us! The treatment area is just as inspired and has a sink area where kids can train to master good oral hygiene and get educational support for good dental health. The staff provides compassionate and complete oral care and is trained to work with the youngest of clients.

The owners, Dr. Heidi Vatanka & Dr. Kesha Stephenson met while studying dentistry at Howard University and a shared passion for pediatric dentistry led them to open Parker-Gray Pediatric Dental Care. (You may recognize Heidi as a mom that lives in Del Ray!)

The office is located in a great historic building that was originally constructed in 1944 as a school for African-American children during WWII. You may recognize the newly remodeled building as you go through Old Town; it’s at 224 N. Fayette St. situated right next to a park – how perfect for a Pediatric Dentistry!

The office provides routine and emergency dental care and plans to expand into orthodontic care in the future. The staff recommends that children be brought in for their first dental visit as soon as their teeth start to come in. Call today at 703-519-7275 and set up your appointment to tour their practice. I promise you’ll be glad you did!

Sep 14, 2015

Working parents rejoice; Alexandria YMCA offers a new daycare option!

The Alexandria YMCA has a long history of serving local family. This past year they took another step forward and began offering daycare services. The YMCA has had a relationship for many years First Assembly of God, Alexandria at 700 West Braddock Road offering summer camps at their location. The preschool is located on the lower level of the facility. YMCA Camps are offered on upper levels of the facility. The YMCA Academy offers preschool for children 18 months through pre-K. They currently offer three classrooms with a low ratio of students to teachers.

The Academy’s goal is to provide a pre-school program designed to stimulate the natural curiosity of our kids. Through hands on fun learning activities, the Academy aims to lay the foundation for the future so that children grow to be caring, respectful, honest and responsible lifelong learners. The classrooms are large, spacious and colorful. Every quarter, the Academy offers either a parent lunch or special activity for the children. Children have the opportunity to take swim lessons and ballet lessons through the YMCA programming as a part of the program.

Access into the Academy is monitored via key code. Daily activity logs are given to parents and important information is communicated via email. Children have lots of outdoor space on First Assembly’s large lawns, a new outdoor leaning space is being designed that is set to officially open in October of this year and they have use of a large indoor space to play in the church during inclement weather. Hours of the Academy is from 7 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks are provided as part of student tuitions.
New for this school year the academy has expanded its age groupings from 6 weeks to preschool.

Be sure to check out the YMCA Academy. Call 703-838-8085 to get further information or contact Paloma Jimenez at Paloma.Jimenez@ymcadc.org

Jul 30, 2015

Del Ray’s own Children’s Choir-Kinderchoir

Do you have a child that loves to sing? The Del Ray Kinderchoir is launching it’s 2015/16 season and registration for children in grades 1 – 4.

The choir was founded in January 2015 by Del Ray residents Kay Sidahmed and Paula Thomas. They have fond memories of their first childhood choir experiences, which led to a life-long love of singing.

From January through May of this year the 21 young choristers rehearsed out of Kay’s home and had a lovely recital at The Del Ray Artisans Gallery at the end of May. They were proud to present what they had learned and performed selections in six different languages.

The choir provides an opportunity for children in grades 1- 4 to experience the joy of group singing in a non-competitive environment, while striving for musical excellence. Children will sing from the rich offerings of American and international folk music as well as from classical repertoire.

Rehearsals include vocal exercises, sight singing, general musicianship, choral language and discipline, singing and dancing games. The Del Ray Kinderchoir rehearses every Thursday, starting September 10, 2015 form 4:30pm-5:30pm at Del Ray United Methodist Church.

The choir will be performing at Del Ray’s beloved Art on the Avenue festival on Saturday, October 3, 2015.

For more information and registration please visit www.delraykinderchoir.org

Jul 02, 2015

Family Friendly July 4th Celebration at Long Bridge Park

The July 4th Celebration at Long Bridge Park Will Offer Something for Everyone! On Saturday, July 4, 2015 from 5-10 p.m., the 2015 July 4th Celebration @ Long Bridge Park will be filled with fun games and activities, delicious food, awesome live music and a great view of Washington, DC’s fireworks display! Enjoy area food vendors serving up a variety of delicious eats. Long Bridge Park is a great place to view the fireworks display on the National Mall. Fireworks are expected to begin at 9:09 p.m. for a duration of 17.5 minutes.

Entertainment Lineup:
5:15 p.m. – DJ Freedom
6:20 p.m. – The Image Band
7:30 p.m. – Ebony Day Dance Company
8 p.m. – ForTheWin

FREE Drop-in Kickball
From 5-8:30 p.m., join Kickball365 for drop-in kickball games on Field #1 and a Home Run Derby competition starting at 7 p.m. Kickball365 enables people to make friends and have fun through local kickball leagues and one of a kind tournament vacation experiences. Moon Bounces

FREE Moon Bounces, Face Painting and Balloon Art
From 5-8:30 p.m., the Department of Parks and Recreation will sponsor free moon bounces, face painting and balloon art on Field #4.

FREE Social Sports
From 5-8:30 p.m., join DC Social Sports for drop-in social sports, including cornhole, bocce, ring toss, ladder golf and duck pin bowling.

FREE Parks and Recreation-Sponsored Family Games:
5 – 5:45 p.m. – Hula Hoop Contest, Tricks, Games, & More

6 – 6:45 p.m. – Giant Parachute Fun

7 – 7:45 p.m.- Life Boat Group Game/Dragon Tails Group Game

There is no on-site parking for the July 4th Celebration @ Long Bridge Park. Guests are encouraged to utilize the event shuttles from the Crystal City Metro (pick up at Bus Bays C & D) or Pentagon City (pick up at the bus shelter on S. Hayes Street at S. 12th Street – cross S. 12th Street from the metro exit to access the bus shelter). The shuttles will run continuously from 4:30-10:30 p.m.

If you have questions about the event, call 703-228-3329 or email lbarragan@arlingtonva.us.

Jul 01, 2015

A brunch a little less ordinary

Special thanks to guest blogger Meg Jewett for her review of Kaizen’s brunch!

I don’t know about your family, but for the 5 of us, weekends race by at a pretty incredible clip. Sometimes I feel like I should just hurl hardboiled eggs and a clementine or two out the window to passing kids as they race to soccer or swim or between sleepovers and birthday parties. Every once in a while, when all of the stars align, and generally there is a torrential downpour or half the class has chicken pox, we have time for a family brunch, and darn it, we are going to enjoy it. Next comes the selection process though, and that is almost as exhausting. Between wheat intolerance, vegetarian principles, and insatiable appetites, there lies a small patch of agreement where a yummy breakfast could land. We’ve just recently stumbled upon a restaurant that lands just there and serves something other than a Frappuccino. Join us sometime at KAiZEN Tavern. First, get over that “You’ve got a baby, in a bar.” moment, and the fact that at night they serve sushi. There is something to their quirky mix of neighborhood warmth, streamlined Asian aesthetic and the add-ins that just happen to be favorites of the smiling manger, Allen Smith. Our picky eater scarfed down the French toast and passed the sausage to her little sister, who loved the fact that Mr. Smith babied her with some extra tweaks to her breakfast tacos so there was nothing to spicy or too red (her latest phase!). Our more adventurous teen went for the bento box, feeling proud to have avoided anything with syrup and made Mom proud with thought about a balanced plate of protein and veggies. The mood there is relaxed and cheerful and the small space is definitely filled with lots of “regulars” chatting with the staff and friends at other tables. They are happy to make orders to go for family members who slept in or for anyone needing to get scooting to the day’s events. This includes sending you off with sake or something bubbly too, if you have a festive picnic in mind or maybe just brunch in bed for someone extra deserving of a little peace. My husband and I enjoyed trading tastes of each other’s Pork Belly BLT and the breakfast take on a Philly, washed down with Del Ray Fizz—the house mimosa that was just the extravagance our easy morning deserved. We’ve never been much of short stack of flapjacks and grits and gravy gang, but this blend of comfort foods and stylized fair was refreshing and fun without making a family feel out of place on a savored Saturday morning together. Now I’m sort of hoping no one makes it to All-Stars, or is invited to the PaintThis birthday next weekend either. Hope your crew can sneak in a little time together this week too over some great local eats, and maybe we’ll see you on the Avenue!
Kaizen is located on 1909 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Alexandria VA 22302. They are open Monday through Friday. 4:30-9:30pm with a happy hour specials from 4:30-7pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10:30-2pm for Brunch and 4:30-9:30pm for Dinner. Children are Welcome and reservations are welcome but not required.

Jun 15, 2015

Alexandria SummerQuest 2015

Every Summer Alexandria Library SummerQuest and SummerQuest Jr. puts together an amazing line up of fun and educational programs for kids during the summer months. You can find the incredible schedule of events of the Alexandria Library Website

Programs include Alexandria’a Mobile Art Lab, Rocknoceros, Kaydee Puppets, Science Night, Dance Parties, Live Animal Shows, Uncle Devin, Movies, Groovy Nate, Mad Science, Magician Joe Romano, Shazam Magic, C. Shells, Oh Susannah, Kofi Dennis Storyteller, Wii Gaming, The Great Zucchini, Barefoot Puppet Theatre, Lego Event and more!

In addition to events, the library has a summer reading program to promote reading.

Beginning Monday, June 22, 2015, you can sign up for Alexandria Library’s summer reading program! This year’s theme is “Every Hero Has a Story.” Students can only register for one summer reading program:

SummerQuest Jr., Ages 0-5
Kids between the ages of newborn and five years old can sign up for SummerQuest, Jr. They can either log books read or read to them or complete an early literacy activity sheet for a surprise. SummerQuest, Jr. also features fun programs such as funny puppet shows and lively music concerts.

SummerQuest, Ages 6-12
Starting on June 22nd, kids between the ages of 6 and 12 get to sign up for the Every Hero Has a Story SummerQuest reading challenge. SummerQuest participants also track the books they read and receive a special prize after reading ten books. The Library has also invited a group of special guests to entertain with music, magic and much more!

Unmask — Teen Reading Challenge, Ages 12-18
Students between the ages of 12-18 may register for the “Unmask” Teen Reading Challenge. After logging in 5 or more books, their names will be entered in a raffle to win one of two $50 gift cards. Rising 6th and 7th grade students may sign up for either “Every Hero Has a Story” for ages 6-12 or for the teen program, “Unmask.” Overdue fines up to $25 will be forgiven for middle and high school students who register, read, and add at least one book to their reading logs.

May 13, 2015

Mount Vernon Community School Garden Party

This Saturday, May 16 come to Mount Vernon Community School with the whole family for a plant seedling sale, potted plants, floral bouquets, bake sale, live music, an advice table with straw hat gardeners, pour over coffee, and more! All to benefit the MVCS Playground Fund.
From 8 am-2 pm at Mount Vernon Community School Playground

May 01, 2015

Local Motion Studio

I recently visited Local Motion Studio on the edge of Old Town and had the opportunity to meet with the owner Sara Lavan and Children’s Program Director Kylie Murray. I was so excited to hear about all the amazing programs that Local Motion Studio has for children and even more excited to hear about the hot summer programs that they have coming up. Local Motion has two types of programs that they are offering children. The first is a basic weekly class set up and the second is an enrichment camp structure where the children attend for the week.

Their ‘basic’ classes are anything but basic when it comes to the curriculum. Their creative movement class starts at age 2 (with a caregiver) and goes up to age 6. In this youngest class kids learn movement and parents take away concepts to use at home. This class also helps kids learn the structure and organization of being in a class. Local Motion Studio brings in multi-cultural music, incorporates props, collaboration and coordination into all of their movement classes. The 5-6 year olds even begin to create choreography. Also as part of their ‘basic’ summer classes, they will be offering kids’ yoga. Children will learn in a fun environment basic mindfulness, breathing, meditation and asana. All of their summer classes are set up so that you can choose to attend for 8, 9 or 10 weeks. It’s all about flexibility for your summer schedule!

The enrichment camps offered this summer at Local Motion are week-long camps that are two hours in length each day and will enrich your child’s body and mind. The Yoga Camp incorporates storytelling, creative movement, games and crafts. This class is offered for children ages 5-7. Dance Camp brings together exploration of movement and culminates in an original performance piece they will perform at the end of the week. This camp is for children going into grades 1st through 4th. The Theater Camp will be the final camp offered during the summer and it is also for children going into grades 1st through 4th. In theater camp children will work together in games, improvisational theater, playwriting and movement activities to help develop basic theater skills of vocal expression, storytelling and character creation.

You can sign up today on Local Motion Studio’s website!

Apr 15, 2015

Full Service Diaper Delivery in Alexandria and Beyond

New parents have to make many tough decisions. Among them is how to handle all the crap that comes out of our precious new children. I grew up wearing cloth diapers. My mother swore by them. The diaper pins held sentimental attachment for me as I grew older and remembered seeing my youngest sibling toddle around in her cloth diaper. My mom was a trooper and did all the cleaning herself. When I had my first child, I decided that I didn’t have the time to invest in cloth diapers although I hated seeing the loads of diapers that we sent out to the landfill. Fast forward nine years out of diapers and I stumbled upon Modern Diaper Service. My oldest was at rock climbing camp and needs a harness now more than a diaper but I was curious when I saw their sign and went in for more information. The owner, Dennis, was very kind and gave my son and I a tour of their facility. I was blown away. I felt like I had stepped back in time. I had no idea that Alexandria has been home to a full service diaper company since 1974 (that’s one year before I was born for those wondering). Even my son enjoyed seeing the testing that they do on each and ever load of laundered diapers to ensure that they are PH balanced to fight diaper rash.

Modern Diaper advertises that for less than the cost of many brands of disposable diapers you can give your baby the Comfort of 100% Cotton Diapers and free yourself from the inconvenience of washing diapers at home. They have incredible industrial equipment that ensures that their diapers get the cleanest wash possible. Each diaper is inspected by hand!

Now the details of their service! Your first delivery of diapers includes a plastic diaper pail along with waterproof velcro diaper cover and instructions. You’re not going at this alone moms and dads! They also sale additional velcro diaper covers, waterproof pants, diaper pins, liners and training pants. They offer 2 Sizes of Diapers and 6 Choices of thickness. They pick-up and deliver at your door step in Alexandria and through out the DMV and your service date is the same each week. Looking for a great shower gift for new parents? You can get new parents a gift certificate for their services.

You can contact them at 301-853-3993 or 703-82303993 or even go visit them at 5318 Eisenhower Ave. in Alexandria. www.moderndiaperservice.com/

Mar 13, 2015

Spring Break is almost here!

After such a cold and bitter winter we’re all feeling a little giddy about the signs of spring. One sure sign of spring is my new panic of having to find a spring break camp for the kids. Spring break for Alexandria City Public Schools is March 30-April 3rd. I highly recommend a trip to a tropical location for Spring Break but if you’re like me and need to stick around and work, you’ll need to find a camp to keep the littles entertained for the week. Here are a few Alexandria options that we’ve come across:

SewLab Classes, Ages 7+
SewLab is offering week-long 2 hours/day Spring Break Kid/Teen Sew classes. March 23 – 27, 9-11 am or April 6 – 10, 9-11 am. Instruction is tailored to meet the needs of each individual based on their current sewing level. Small class size. Register online. Need more info? Please email sewlabva@gmail.com
SewLab is located at 1315 Mount Vernon Ave, in Del Ray, Alexandria, three blocks north of G.W. Middle School and 10 minute walk from the Braddock Road Metro Station. On street parking only.

Hoop Life Spring Basketball Camp
March 30 – April 3 from 9AM – 4PM For Boys & Girls ages 5-14 years old. At GW Middle School $205 for Alexandria City Residents, $230 for Non Residents
Children will learn the fundamentals of basketball from professional basketball trainers with real life experience on multiple levels of basketball including the NBA. Campers will learn fundamentals at skill stations and get an opportunity to display their newly acquired skills during skill competitions and scrimmages for prizes and awards. Each camper will leave with improved skills, a heightened basketball IQ, and a renewed passion for the game. No previous experience is required.

British Soccer Camp will be at Chinquapin Recreation Center. Each day is based around a different soccer topic as our coaches build up each player’s skills in a fun and relaxed environment that encourages development. For ages 3-17

Need a creative activity for spring break? Metamorphosis Art and Enrichment Center is providing 90 minute art workshops for parents and children. Choose 1 or more than 1 as you and your child will create original pieces side by side. No art experience is needed just a fun a relaxed attitude. They are located at Convergence on 1801 N Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA 22302. All workshops are 90 minutes $45 for 1 parent/1 child. Art supplies are included. Register at Workshops

Super Doodlers Art Camp will be held at two locations: Lee Rec Center and Charles Houston Rec Center. For ages 3-12. With Super Size, Superheros, and Super FUN. You’re a kid! You’re an artist! You’re a Super Doodler! Create super-sized drawings and masks! Imagine superheroes and your own superpowers! Make a paint super-mess to produce spectacular sculptures and paintings! Blast off with super space art! Super Doodlers create nonstop super FUN in this super-duper camp! See the city’s website for hours and details

Tennis Camp for ages 5-14 will be held at Chinquapin Rec Center with a half day and full day option. The court is a great place to have fun and learn new skills while making new friends. Kids will learn basic tennis strokes including forehand, backhand, volley, overhead and serve. A variety of great games will keep kids moving with time to cool down at Rixse Pool each day. Sign up on the city’s website.

FUNtastic Spring Break Camp at Lee Rec Center. Ages 5-17. Sign your kids up for a 5 day Spring Break adventure! Enjoy a variety of structured activities, that include exploring nature, hiking, scavenger hunts and much more! You can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your camper is enjoying enrichment activities, meeting new friends and experiencing just the right mix of activities your child is sure to enjoy! Participants are required to bring a bag lunch and drink. Sign up on the city’s website

Nature Spring Break Camp will be held at the Jerome Buddie Ford Nature Center on Sanger Ave. for ages 7-11 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. A fun-packed, week-long, full-day adventure camp where children learn about the history of Native Americans. Activities include woodland hikes, live animal exhibitions, storytelling, games, crafts and much more all while using natural materials! Museum and fishing field trips included. Sign up on the city’s website

I know it’s not Alexandria but Baroody Camps is offering a Spring Break in Annandale, just straight down Duke St.