I pen this note on what will surely go down as the nicest weather Saturday of 2015. Birds are chirping all around me, flowers are in full bloom, and my crew just returned from the MOST fun afternoon at Maymont!
When I told my 6-year-old son where we were headed, his reaction was not what I had hoped for. “Aw-aw-awww, I want to go to a playground park, not a park park!” Boy was he singing a different tune by day’s end! We came in at the Hampton Street entrance, and in no time at all, he and his playmate found the group of evergreens on the right that you can walk into – yes INTO!
He could have spent the entire day climbing up and down those branches, on “Nature’s Jungle Gym,” as we dubbed it. But there was so much more to see and do, so off we went to the Italian Gardens, where the tulips were in full bloom and wedding portraits and pre-prom photo sessions were in full swing all around us (Don’t think I wasn’t more than a little concerned by the proximity of our Kona Ice to her wedding dress!). Down and down and down the steps we went to the Japanese Gardens, jumping across the stepping stones and making our way through the many bamboo-lined trails. From there, we explored the waterfalls, with so many rocks to climb on and enough photo ops to fill up my Instagram feed for a month. We didn’t even make it to the nature center or petting farm, but by the end of the day, there were no regrets that we chose this natural playground instead of a normal one. We have many a great playground in RVA mind you (hit our online archives for our May 2013 feature story about some of our favs), but on this day of all spring days, we were in just the right place.
You know, at RFM we are often asked to contribute to parenting segments on local radio and TV stations or to speak at parenting seminars. And while we’d love to get our brand in front of new audiences, at the end of the day, we’re not parenting experts – we’re parents, just like many of you. We are also publishers, editors, and creative directors whose job it is to find the best resources to deliver the best information to inspire, inform, and entertain you, our readers. That said, when our family law client, Hall & Hall, PLC, asked me to speak about summer fun in Richmond at their May speaker series, I knew I was up to this task. Maymont will be at the top of my list, of course, but there are so many fun things to do in and around Richmond during the summer. Join us bright and early on the morning of May 20 at Hall & Hall’s Short Pump office for some great ideas from several parenting experts – and a few from me, too!
As for May, my favorite month of the year, enjoy all of the things there are to celebrate – great weather, lots of festivals (like my favorite, Dominion Riverrock on Brown’s Island), and Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms, moms-to-be, and like-a-moms out there!
