In typical fashion, RVA’s air is thick with heat and humidity this summer, but fortunately, there are tons of places around town to splash off and keep cool. A whopping 71% of you responded with “Cool off with water activities” from our last issue’s Reader Poll question, “What’s the best way to beat the heat in the summer?” From the James River to the neighborhood pool to splash pads in our area’s fabulous parks, you gave us lots of ways to beat the heat while splashing around. My favorite answers were the ones that took me right back to summers in my hometown on the Eastern Shore of Maryland – playing with the hose and running through the sprinkler! I can still hear the ring of the ice cream truck and feel the excitement as the sound drew ever closer to our house. Those ice cream bars covered with the little crunchy chocolate bits were always my favorite, along with red, white, and blue bomb pops, of course (the bluer the tongue and lips by the end, the better!).
We’re getting you through the summer heat with another fantastic issue of RFM for your reading pleasure, so be sure to pack this copy in your beach or pool bag, along with your sunscreen, of course.
On page 18, Joan Tupponce introduces us to Keya Wingfield, a local mom with a story that is sure to inspire you. I had the pleasure of listening to her speak at the annual St. Paul’s Lenten Lunch & Speaker Series (check it out next year, it’s great!), and I knew right away I wanted to share her story with you. (Her potato chips are pretty amazing, too!)
On page 34, Lindsay takes us to Boston! I’ve always wanted to go, and after reading her tips, I might finally plan a family trip to Beantown, if for no other reason than to get my hands on those cannolis! Be sure to check out Lindsay’s RVA Family Fun section on our website too – she has lots of great ideas of things to do in our area with the kids.
We welcome a new father to the Dad Zone in this issue (page 16). James Warren talks about embracing “and” instead of “either/or” and how parenting older kids versus younger kids and boys versus girls has kept him on his toes.
I had the pleasure of touring Peter Paul Development Center recently, and I am pleased to share their important mission with you and tell you how you can help support it. You’ll meet them on page 22.
Our Real Mom, Alissa Poole, has some wonderful advice for families who will be sending kids off to college in the coming years (page 14), and it’s very timely for me…can you believe my youngest child is starting his senior year of high school?! He was 1 when I started RFM 16 years ago this month!
There’s lots more summer goodness inside this issue, plus RFM’s epic giveaways that you’ll definitely want to enter to win, so dive in!
Best wishes,
Margaret Thompson
RFM Founder & Publisher
