Is it just me or are there too many activities to choose from this weekend? One thing I love about living in the DC area is all its diversity, but I have to admit that sometimes I’m overwhelmed by the options.
If my goal is nature, and the simple things, I could opt for the Spring Market at Claude Moore Colonial Farm. My son loved dipping candles and carding wool there last year during farm days. I like how grounded and connected to the earth things seem there, what with the volunteers in colonial dress and all. Even though you’re a stone’s throw from the CIA, you feel like you’re being watched by the spirit of George Washington, not George H.W.
But my kindergartener also went to Claude Moore on a field trip in the fall, so maybe I should indulge in my creative desire to check out
Dipping candles at Claude Moore Colonial Farm
the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival where there is a cool-sounding kids art tent (and boy does that summer camp with art and yoga sound great if I lived closer to Reston! And if I were in first grade!)
If art is the thing, though, then maybe we should go check out Artomatic in the closer to home ‘hood of Crystal City and support my friend Amy Perlman Gura, a mom of 1 (and a half) and amazing painter who is exhibiting there (with 1300 other artists!). It was a delight to see Amy’s exhibit at Huntley Meadows last spring after a lovely hike out to the marsh with my kids. Gosh, that’s another great place I haven’t visited for a while. Love the books and jewelry in their shop!
But maybe Artomatic would be better enjoyed alone, as, perhaps is the Del Ray House and Garden tour. Since we’re in the middle of a big house renovation, I’d love to snoop in other people’s spaces to see what they’ve done. Turns out that mobile children need their own ticket, though, and while I’m happy to support the landscaping for the tot lot that is receiving the proceeds, it might be more cost effective – and enjoyable for my son – to instead have his dad get him a treat at the new gluten-free bakery in Del Ray, the Happy Tart.
Speaking of garden, I’m almost relieved to have an excuse to skip the big garden day plant sale at the lovely Green Springs Garden Park in Alexandria/Annandale. Since our home is still under construction and we won’t be planting anything this spring, this year I really ought not go drool over all the beautiful plants and spend a small fortune on things I don’t really know how to grow.
Green Springs is a gem, on any regular day, when there aren’t hundreds of green thumbs milling around and pulling at their wallets. My husband and I took wedding pictures there and we’ve done family pictures there. But I still didn’t realize until I got involved with Nature Place, a Waldorf-inspired playgroup coop that meets there, that Green Springs has such a great little shop and exhibit space, plus a children’s garden and a path through the woods that leads to a pond where lotus will soon blossom. Oh, and it looks like Green Springs has plenty of summer camp options, too, mostly for the weeks we will be out of town or just taking a break from being scheduled.
How to balance the many me‘s – nature lover, wanna be home decorating goddess, simplicity-inspired mom, creative type – when there are so many options, plus a baby who needs to nap in the middle of the day and a kindergartener who is tuckered out from the week and wants to watch sports?
How do you choose how to spend your weekend hours?
Jessica Claire Haney is always trying to have things both ways, or more. She blogs about living naturally, most of the time, at Crunchy-Chewy Mama and about her home renovation project at Conjuring Home.
