Yearly Archives: 2011

It’s a Sale on Bogs, Hooray!

January 24, 2011shopping, weatherKirsetin

Like deals? If you’re not subscribing to Want Not, you’re missing out. Everyone who knows me knows that I barely have time to shop, and I am a big, big fan of the online route. But even then, I really hate to pay full price. I mean, you know there’s a deal out there somewhere. Why, I ask, should you pay more than your neighbor for the same boots?

Case in point: Today, thanks to this heads up by the lovely Mir, I scored these cute Bogs at 40% off, which I nearly bought at full price a week ago. Horrors!

Aren’t they nice?

I’ve been coveting my friend’s pair for a couple of years now and finally decided to take the plunge. Thankfully I waited, and when I saw Mir’s post, I jumped.

Happy day, happy feet, happy wallet. Thanks, Mir!

Two Blogs for the Price of One

January 20, 2011family fun, writingKirsetin

So I’ve been trying really hard to be one of those bloggers who stays on topic, right?

I’ve been posting about ways kids learn through life, not just in school. I posted about helping kids learn math, and the benefits of letting kids just play, and my not-surprisingly-popular tips for visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

But here’s what I’m discovering: Some days, I want to post funny photos of our puppy chasing our boys down the sledding hill. Some days I feel like a tirade on how I feel about having the TV on 24-7 (or even 5-7). So do I split the blog? Do I write one about raising kids who love to learn and incorporating learning into your lifestyle and another than includes my thoughts on kids and media, or how fun it was to watch our boys ski together? Huh. Not likely.

Unless you have the magic cloning formula and you’re willing to share it with me, it’s just not possible. There are no extra hours in my days for another blog. There are barely enough hours to do the laundry. So. So. I guess if you want to read about visiting Great Falls Park with kids, you’ll have to endure my family photos as well.

Hope that’s okay!

Visit Great Falls Park with Kids

January 14, 2011travelKirsetin

We wanted to get some fresh air and exercise, to let the kids run wild for a bit after being cooped up in the car for too many hours.

With Great Falls Park (in Virginia) we hit the jackpot. Not only is it inexpensive ($5 per carload or $20 for an annual pass), it’s beautiful,

and it’s full of history.

Along our hike, we learned that George Washington founded the Patowmack Company in 1785 to construct a canal along the Potomac River that would connect the east to the west via a waterway, complete with locks to bypass the Great Falls. It took 17 years to complete the project and George Washington died in 1799, two years before the project was finished. The history of the park is very interesting–there’s a little something for everyone.

If you head to Overlook 3, you’ll find the High Water Pole, which marks the height water has reached during different years in history, and it’s amazing to see how high its been, even recently.

There are also lots of places to explore, a critical component of fun for growing boys…

Apparently, the park is also a fun place to take trick pictures. I suppose that’s learning with a camera, right?