Mom's Want Justice

Today, I'm letting the photos do the talking. Hold steady mamas. <3

Chesapeake Arboretum

The Chesapeake Arboretum, referred to as "Nature's Classroom", is hidden back behind a shopping mall and in the middle of a neighborhood. A designated Virginia Treasure, the 48-acres are covered with mature hardwood forests, plants, bridges, hiking trails, a farm house, gazebos, picnic areas, and a garden.

The arboretum is mostly run by volunteers. Be on the lookout for the spray paint markers on the trees. White is the central loop, yellow takes you North, and Orange travels south. Inside of those the blue markers will take you to the lake, red through the native trees, green to the Camellia side trail, and purple to Native Woodland Gardens. There are about 3.5 miles of trails in all. Check out the plant markers to identify different species.

In the fall, grab some fruit from a Fig or Paw-Paw tree. In the Spring, be sure to see the Camellia Cove. This is one of only three sites in Virginia that it grows. There are lots of benches and shady places to sit.  There is no cost to visit and the trails were great for little legs. I'd ditch the stroller and wear the baby next time. Check it out!

10 Months

Ten months has been one of the most exciting months so far! Ronnie is officially walking, clapping, and open mouth kissing. Mobility means trying to knock over the dogs' water bowl, trying to splash in the toilet, and pulling every single thing off every single surface. This month we have been loving our water table, swing set, and playing in the sprinkler. 

RT had his fourth birthday and his first sleepover and officially has finished his online schooling. We continue to try and find new places to explore while keeping our distance from everyone. Watching so many things reopen is a little scary, but also exciting. Summer is our favorite season for going places, so I've been extra bummed to not be able to be out and about. 

With Ronnie walking, it's even more of a push to want to be outside. Summer is just so much more laid back than all of the other seasons. I'm particularly excited to be able to watch the boys play and grow together though the next few months! 

Summer Essentials

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The official start of summer isn't until June 21st, but... pretty much once we pass Memorial Day it's summer time. I've compiled a list of some of our summertime essentials for beating the heat. This summer in particular we will be spending a good amount of time outside so it's even more important to keep everybody cool. Check these out!


1. Love these for hot summer days. Add whatever you've got at home and freeze it up!
2. Every cool kid needs a pair but they also make life a lost more pleasant.
3. For keeping the car cool and the sun out of their eyes.
4. I like that these have the flap in the back to keep the sun off their little necks.
5. Pop these on the top of a water bottle and it becomes a giant sippy cup.
6. This stroller fan recharges using a USB, so pop one in each car and keep your babe cool.
7. One of the downfalls of keeping your kid rear facing is that they don't get the AC blowing on them. This fixes that by connecting to your vent and carrying the air to the back.
8. Keep your stroller cool with this pad.
9.  I like this brand for sunscreen. Keep one in the cars, the diaper bag, at home, everywhere!
10.  Car seat coolers for when your car heats up.
11.  Pop this guy into the freezer (or microwave) when your little one needs someone cool to snuggle.
12. Block the UV rays with this shirt.
13. We have one of these for each of us and take them everywhere. Get it wet and it is cold!
14. Grab this insulated sippy cup to keep their water cold.

9 Months

Last month social isolation continued. We have taken lots of walks and bike rides. We installed a swing set. We went exploring on some new trails. I've also done more gardening and work on my yard than I've ever done. While I'm so happy to get to spend this time together, I'm so bummed that we can't use it going more places.

This month also brought full on speed crawling- mostly toward the dogs' water bowl to dump it out, standing, and cruising. Staying at home is certainly a lesson in multitasking and it's made working from home a lot more interesting. I will say, my watch is pleased with all of my movement!