One of the signs of spring in the Coastal Virginia area is the annual Gloucester Daffodil Festival. Anouk loves daffodils (her birthday flowers) and begged to go, and so we made the hour and a half or so drive from Norfolk this past weekend. Worth it! Besides enough flowers to make a horticulturalist (or Anouk) happy, the daffodil festival features a parade, vendors, food, crafts, music, and enough more to keep a couple of kids occupied for four or five hours, give or take a minor meltdown or two.
All three of our kids loved the dog show (so many furry friends to pet!). They also enjoyed peeking into the Gloucester Court House and History Museum, and running around the grass outside. Anouk had a blast working with the Fairfield Foundation as they did archaeological work uncovering the site of a 19th century store. Gus was pretty happy with the giant bag of kettle corn we bought.



 It would have been nice if the kids area had featured more activities that didn't involve waiting in the longest-ever lines, but we are already looking forward to coming back for the Daffodil Festival next year and spending more time in Gloucester in general. It's one of the cutest little towns in the area and there were so many local businesses we didn't get to stop by on this visit. I probably could have spent four or five hours in the used bookstore alone.

The daffodil has a long history in Gloucester County, which I didn't know until the festival, and for centuries was one of the area's biggest sources of income. Super interesting (if you're into that sort of thing, which I am). Read all about it here.

During a recent trip to the nation's capital, we stopped by Dumbarton Oaks, a spot that is right in the middle of it all but often overlooked. When we lived in the district we walked by this walled mansion several times but never really noticed it was there!

In the 1920s - 40s, Dumbarton Oaks was a family home (which is hard to imagine) but today is a museum known for its art collection and beautiful gardens, and research library. The museum was closed when we went but there was so much to do in the grounds that we didn't really notice.

The house features a total Great Gatbsy glamor. Did people really used to live this way? The gardens, the jewel in the crown, are a showcase of architecture and gardening and landscape design and what happens when they are put together in a thoughtful way. It feels a little bit like an enchanted castle from a Disney movie come to life.  At every turn fun spots to poke around: a delicious smelling orangerie, tiered gardens, a shimmering art deco swimming pool, and paved mosaics to trace with toes. In the sound garden, each of the chairs played a different sound, so just sitting with your friends made a symphony!





For those of you who are babywearers, the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks were designed by Beatrix Farrand, whose art was immortalized in the Pavo Textiles Farrand series of woven wraps. It's one of my favorite pieces of textile art and favorite carriers, so it was a fun aspect of the trip for me!

The museum will open on April 25 but the gardens are closing on July 17 and won't open back up until Spring 2018, so if you happen to be in DC, or are thinking of going, now is the time to plan a trip!

P.S.: Eat at the nearby Simply Banh Mi in Georgetown when you go! It's kid-friendly and delicious and the staff is completely wonderful. <3

Woof! That's Gus's latest word. And Woof to Wolf is the latest of the changing exhibits at the Virginia Living Museum. So of course we had to spend some time there when we stopped in last week.

Wolf to Woof is based on a book of the same name, which explores why dogs of all the animals became man's best friend? The exhibit follows the evolution of the wolf from wild animal into man's best friend, and gives information on other canines (foxes, coyotes), as well as dogs depictions throughout history, from ancient times to modern pop culture. There are stations in which you can explore the way a dog's senses are different from a humans by seeing an image sharpen when seen through a dogs eye, or tracing scent molecules as they make their way through a human nose versus a dog's nose.







Part of the exhibit features dog skeletons and taxidermy animals, which lead to some interesting conversations with the three-year-old in our group ("Why aren't those dogs...MOVING?") But it didn't seem to matter to our just walking toddlers who loved testing out their dog-spotting skills. They also enjoyed climbing around the "avalanche" like a search and rescue dog.

Admission to the VLM is pricey, at $20 per adult and $15 per child. Considering this, is Wolf to Woof worth a visit for its own sake? After some thought I'd say no -- unless you really have a dog-loving little one or a budding scientist on your hands. But if you're already a member, or if you already have a visit planned, I'd be sure to stop in.

Wolf to Woof runs through May 14. On April 8, the VLM will feature an Extraordinary Dogs day, with service animals and K9 units on hand to give demonstrations. Read more about that here!

The first Friday in 
The first Friday in March was a day we've had circled on our calendar since October. It's the day that Penguin's Snoballs on Little Creek, in Norfolk, opened back up again for the season. Penguin's was our summer 2016 hangout with friends, and when it closed it felt like that episode of 90210 when the Peach Pit is in danger. What would we do without it?

But luckily Penguin's is back and just as great as ever, with the same fluffy New Orleans shaved ice, the dozens of interesting flavors (red velvet cake? cherimoya?), and delicious toppings (condensed milk! Chili lime!) The staff is so friendly and will gladly let you taste test to find the perfect flavor combination. We were so surprised that they remembered us and all of our little munchkins (or maybe we just really did go there all. the. time.)

In any event, we are looking forward to another spring and summer full of deliciousness.

Halloween at the Chrysler Museum is one of my favorite things about the holiday. Each year, the staff dress up as works of art and wander the museum so visitors can find them. The costumes are always so creative and this year was no different, with staff dressing as works of contemporary and classical painting, sculpture, even glasswork! Each staff member gets to pick their art piece, and talking to them about how they came up with the concept of their costume is definitely part of the fun (this year's fave: the woman who covered herself in straw and roamed around as one of Monet's haystacks from the Agrarian Ideal exhibit going on now.)

The kids definitely enjoyed the special Halloween hunt, and marking off their finds on the scavenger hunt map (prize: candy) But they also enjoyed just spending time at the expanded play area at the back of the museum, and shuffling through the books, games, and toys there. Note to self: keep this in mind for blustery days this winter.

The Chrysler has some exciting programs for kids and families coming up this month, including Tickle My Ears, on Friday, November 3, and a wild-West themed Free Family Day on Saturday, November 12. More info here.