Author Archives: Lissa Eaton

Summer is coming!

Looking for a camp for your children? Check the link below for a guide to what is available in the Fredericksburg area:

http://www.fredericksburgparent.net/guides-and-activities/summer-camps

The end of the school year is a busy time and schedules will be changing. Make sure to discuss upcoming changes with your au pair and let her know what the plans for the summer will be. Make sure that you do not exceed the maximum allowed hours (45 hours per week).  If you are traveling with your au pair and she is working, be sure to talk about expectations while away. If you are traveling without your au pair and it is NOT her vacation, she is still entitled to her weekly stipend.

If you reimburse your au pair for gas for the car that she uses, remember that trips to the pool, library, park and playground may be more frequent in the summer. Reimburse her accordingly.

Photo from lisaleonardonline.com

Picnic in the park!

When: Tuesdays in May, June and September

Where: Hurkamp Park

Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.


In case of inclement weather, please sign up for Fredericksburg Alert @ www.fredericksburgalert.com.

If Picnic in the Park is cancelled we will send out an alert that can go directly to your cell phone via

text message, email (home, work or other), pager or office phone. We will also post it on the Fredericksburg

Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

Picnic in the Park formerly “Lunch at Hurkamp” started in 1997 and has grown into one of the community’s

most popular events. Each concert serves as a meeting place and opportunity for community groups,

business people, friends, families, seniors, and preschoolers to gather together and enjoy music, downtown

Fredericksburg, and each other. Over 3,000 people attended the Concert Series last year and we expect this

year’s series to be more popular than ever!


Fredericksburg Parks & Recreation’s, Picnic in the Park concert series, is a wonderful opportunity

for visitors and residents of the Fredericksburg area to savor a beautiful day outdoors while enjoying

live, local entertainment in historic downtown.

This year’s series will feature exciting new activities for kids including a moon bounce and art activities.
Also don’t forget Touch-a-Truck! A great hands-on activity to keep children of all ages entertained and

learning.


2013 Line Up

Scheduled Performers

June

June 4                     Scott Kurt

June 11                   Laurie Rose Griffith and Peter Mealy

June 18                   McTell Brothers

June 25                   Levi Stephens

It’s dairy month!

Milk and milk products are important for strong bones and healthy teeth.

Children should have 3-4 servings a day. Try this fun recipe with the children:

Berries and Cream

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups frozen berries (any one or combination of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries)

Instructions:

Place two dessert cups or bowls in the freezer to chill.
Mix heavy cream and sugar in a small bowl.
Remove dessert cups and place berries in them. Berries need to stay frozen.
Drizzle cream over berries to coat, stirring constantly.
Quickly spoon into serving dishes and keep in the freezer until ready to eat.

Makes 2 servings! Enjoy!

Join the Summer Reading Club!

It’s almost time for the annual library Summer Reading Clubs, which run from June 1 – August 31. They are free to join and a great way to discover new favorite books, win prizes, and have a blast reading all summer long. Kids of all ages and teens will earn prizes based on the number of minutes that they read and enter into their online logs. Special summer events include nature classes, drop-in STEM activities, and fun festivals to wrap it all up.

Adults can submit book reviews and be entered to win a movie pass, 2 Bob Evans restaurant coupons, and other goodies. A grand prize winner at the end of the summer will receive a new EReader! Programs feature a special author visit, a writing camp, and our popular Music on the Steps summer music series.

Sign up will be available online and in the branches starting at 9 am on Saturday, June 1.

For more info go to http://kids.librarypoint.org/srcpromo_2013

Celebrate your morning newspaper!

The first daily newspaper in the US was printed in 1783. Although there are daily newspapers in every town we often rely more on radio, television and the Internet for news. It is possible to read news from all over the world on the Internet. Check your Sunday paper for comics, kids activity pages, and special contests just for kids!

art from buffaloresearch.com

Write a penpal!

Do you have any friends or relatives back home with children close to the age of your school age children?

You can encourage them to exchange letters (or emails). Simple notes, or even pictures arriving by overseas

mail are very exciting for children (and au pairs).

Let’s make play dough!

play dough

Play dough is the perfect modeling material for children. Their small hands can pat, poke, pinch, roll and knead it into many shapes. Keep it in an airtight container to use another day, or let it air dry into favorite shapes.

Measure 2 cups of flour, one cup of salt and 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of oil to one cup of water in a separate bowl then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Squeeze 10-20 drops of food coloring into one cup of water and add it to the mixture. Mix well to make it smooth and to spread the color evenly. Cook the dough at low heat in a wide pan, stirring constantly until it becomes rubbery. Remove the dough from the heat and knead it for a few minutes. When it cools the kids can play too!

Photo: Gina Guillotine

It’s Memorial Day weekend!

http://www.hdwallpapers3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/134-memorialday2013.jpg

Memorial Day is a patriotic holiday in the United States of America, celebrated on the last Monday in May.  It is a celebration of remembrance for the brave service of men and women who gave their lives for their country. Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1971. We now, designate this day to remember loved ones who have passed on, as well as remembering our service men and women. Flowers and flags are placed on graves in remembrance of them. Parades and dedications of memorials usually are part of the day’s activities. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, local marching bands, members of the armed service, fire departments, police departments, and fraternal orders often march in parades and attend ceremonies to commemorate the day.

Here are a couple of links to website that have activities you can do with the children in honor of Memorial Day.

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/memorial-day/

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/memorialday/

MEMORIAL DAY is Monday, and a host of commemorative events are planned in the Fredericksburg area. Here is a sample

of this weekend’s celebrations to honor our fallen soldiers:

FRIDAY

“Remembering World War II Patriotism,” Historic Kenmore, 1201 Washington Ave. A World War II dance on the lawn and exhibit, “We Did Our Part: Kenmore During the Second World War.” 6–8 p.m. $10, ages 6 and younger free (half-price if dressed in World War II-period costume). 540/373-3381.

Thunder for the Cause, Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 2400 Airport Ave. Motorcycle rodeos, bikini contest, car and bike show, motorcade to Washington (Sunday). Runs through May 26. thunderforthecause.com.

SATURDAY

“Remembering World War II Patriotism,” Historic Kenmore, 1201 Washington Ave. See the grounds of Kenmore through the eyes of a World War II visitor, exhibit on Kenmore during World War II by UMW students, theater productions depicting vignettes from Kenmore during World War II, house tours, tea, gingerbread. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $10 adults, $5 students, under age 6 free. 540/373-3381.

Memorial Day Events, George Washington’s Ferry Farm, 268 Kings Highway, Stafford. “Wartime Reminiscences with the Lintons”—a question and answer with the Linton family highlighting their childhoods growing up at Ferry Farm during World War II, 11 a.m.; “Marketing the War: The Role of Propaganda in World War II”—a presentation by archaeologist Joseph Blondino about the use of propaganda by the United States, Germany and other nations to influence their citizens on the home front to support the war, 3 p.m.; group of re-enactors dedicated to an authentic portrayal of G.I.s in the combat engineers during World War II and archaeology site open all day. Artifacts from the archaeology dig from the 1940s on display in the visitors center. Fun activities throughout the day on victory gardens, rationing, toys and games, USO dances and American life during the 1940s. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults $8, students $4, under age 6 free. 540/371-3363.

Fourth annual Fredericksburg City and Confederate Cemetery Tour. Walking tour led by local amateur historian Dan “BigFrench” Janzegers. The tour covers notables, military and local citizens’ burials. New research from the past year will be highlighted. 6:30–8 p.m. Donations to the Fredericksburg City Cemetery welcome. Rain date: May 26, 6:30 p.m.

18th annual Luminary, Fredericksburg National Cemetery, Sunken Road and Lafayette Boulevard. Taps will play every 30 minutes. 15,300 candles will be lit, historians will tell the stories of soldiers who died. Shuttle service will be available from the UMW parking lot at the corner of William Street and Sunken Road. 8–11 p.m. Free. Rain date: May 26. 540/373-6122.

Thunder for the Cause, Fredericksburg Fairgrounds. See Friday’s listing.

SUNDAY

Band of America’s Few, National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway, Triangle. Patriotic selections in celebration of Memorial Day. 10:30 a.m. to noon. Free. 703/784-6116.

Thunder for the Cause, Fredericksburg Fairgrounds. See Friday’s listing.

MONDAY

Memorial Day Ceremony, “Memorial to Our Fallen Heroes,” intersection of Barton, Liberty and George streets. Speakers, music, historic flags. By Fredericksburg Area Veterans Council. 10:45 a.m. Free. 540/424-8495.

Memorial Day Ceremony, Fredericksburg National Cemetery. Historian, veteran, and city planner Erik Nelson will be keynote speaker, and the ceremony will be preceded by a procession through the streets, led by the re-created 23rd United States Colored Troops. The procession will depart from Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), 801 Sophia St., at 11:15 a.m.

147th Memorial Day Observance, Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery. Period music, brief talks on “Tactics and Technology at the Battle of Fredericksburg” and “Lee’s Die-hards at Sundown, May 6, 1864.” 10 a.m.

Memorial Day Ceremony, Spotsylvania Confederate Cemetery. Hosted by Fredericksburg Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy. 2 p.m. Volunteers needed starting at 9 a.m. May 25, when the Rev. Beverly Tucker Lacy Camp and the Matthew Fontaine Maury Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, will place flags at the cemetery. jacquelineferris@yahoo.com.

Rappahannock Pops Orchestra: “An Outdoor Commemoration with the Pops,” Mary Washington Hospital, Ambulatory Care entrance.

6 p.m. Free. Rain location: Grace Church of Fredericksburg, 1141 Heatherstone Drive, Spotsylvania. rappahannockpops.org.

Memorial service, Aquia Episcopal Church, 2938 Jefferson Davis Highway, Stafford. Service for three War of 1812 vets (Edwin C. Moncure, John Moncure and William Widie Robertson) buried at the church. There will be a presentation on the history of Stafford and the War of 1812. 2 p.m. 540/659-4007.

Picnic in the park!

When: Tuesdays in May, June and September

Where: Hurkamp Park

Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.


In case of inclement weather, please sign up for Fredericksburg Alert @ www.fredericksburgalert.com.

If Picnic in the Park is cancelled we will send out an alert that can go directly to your cell phone via

text message, email (home, work or other), pager or office phone. We will also post it on the Fredericksburg

Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

Picnic in the Park formerly “Lunch at Hurkamp” started in 1997 and has grown into one of the community’s

most popular events. Each concert serves as a meeting place and opportunity for community groups,

business people, friends, families, seniors, and preschoolers to gather together and enjoy music, downtown

Fredericksburg, and each other. Over 3,000 people attended the Concert Series last year and we expect this

year’s series to be more popular than ever!


Fredericksburg Parks & Recreation’s, Picnic in the Park concert series, is a wonderful opportunity

for visitors and residents of the Fredericksburg area to savor a beautiful day outdoors while enjoying

live, local entertainment in historic downtown.

This year’s series will feature exciting new activities for kids including a moon bounce and art activities.
Also don’t forget Touch-a-Truck! A great hands-on activity to keep children of all ages entertained and

learning.


2013 Line Up

Scheduled Performers

May

May 7                      Wil Gravatt & Jimbo Byram

May 14                    Jon Fritz

May 21                    Jason Masi

May 28                    Afro Funk All Stars

Let’s go to the park!

Kids To Parks Day at Caledon at Caledon State Park

05/18/2013

10:00 a.m.   To  4:00 p.m.
Meet at the Visitor Center

Celebrate youth and the great outdoors with the staff at Caledon. We will be holding

a wide range of programs for families as we participate in this national event. Programs for

the day include:

10:00 a.m. I Spy Hayride- a fun filled scavenger hunt on our hay wagon
1:00 p.m. Fossil Find- discover the incredible and complex geological history

and find out if there are sharks & dinosaurs in the Potomac River.
3:00 p.m. Geocaching 101- get involved with the new sport of geocaching, a

global scavenger hunt.
9-4:00 Visitor Center Fun: test your balance on a slackline, talk with a Ranger,

check out who is at our feeders. There will be several craft activities that kids

can take home.

All programs are free but space is limited so reservations are recommended.

For more info and to make reservations contact the park.

Part of the national Kids To Parks Day
http://www.kidstoparks.org

LOCATION: Caledon is located in King George County between Fairview Beach

and Owens, 23 miles east of Fredericksburg on Route 218. From Fredericksburg,

take 218 East for 23 miles. Caledon is on the left. Or you may take Rt. 3 east

18 miles to a left onto Rt. 206 for six miles, then turn left onto Rt. 218 and go

about one mile; Caledon is on the right. From U.S. 301 (MD), turn right onto

Rt. 206 for four miles to Rt. 218, then west about one mile.

Its address is 11617 Caledon Rd., King George, VA 22485