Toddlin' Around Tidewater

Frames and Games: Norfolk Botanical Gardens

Visit the Enchanted Forest at Botanical Gardens to see their newest exhibit, Frames and Games. Tucked in the back of the gardens, the Enchanted Forest gives visitors a shady place to play. Large Chess, Horseshoes, Connect Four, Flamingo Ring toss are set up for playing. There are also photo ops spread throughout the looping walkway. This exhibit will be here until September.

Splash and Bubbles: Dive In, Lend A Fin!

The Children's Museum of Virginia has a new exhibit based on the show Splash and Bubbles that serves as a hands-on, educational larger-than-life marine environment. I'm so pleased to share that this exhibit has lots of gross motor skills involved, meaning that kids will enjoy moving their bodies and that it is an exhibit you can hit more than once while it's here without boring them. My boys are very into marine life, in particular sharks, so I knew this would be a hit, but their favorite parts of the exhibit actually had nothing to do with the large shark wall. Instead, they loved the section on bioluminescence. Although black lights were commonplace for me growing up, now that I think about it, they are not around as much anymore. They loved seeing which items of theirs glowed, and they even colored pictures with glow in the dark crayons. They also loved playing on the "underwater pirate ship" and exploring the kelp forest. This was a fun exhibit! Catch it this summer; it's here until September 4th.

While you're there, be sure to check out their ongoing programs. Make-N-Take and S.T.E.M. Studio are both in the upstairs classrooms from 10-12 and 1-3. The Planetarium has also reopened and has ongoing shows, free with admission.

The Children's Museum is open Tuesdays-Sundays from 9-4. Tickets must be reserved and can be purchased for the hour you'd like to enter. Visitors can stay as long as they would like. Be sure to check out the AAA, military, and senior discount. Teachers get in for free with a teacher ID.

Drones: Is The Sky The Limit? at Nauticus

From now until October 9th, visitors to Nauticus can learn about the history of drones spanning the last 75 years. More than just for fun, drones today are used for all kinds of reasons by the military, by emergency providers carrying vials of blood across town quickly, to firefighters checking temperatures in buildings before entering.

Take a turn at flying a drone through an obstacle course and see if you can do better than we did. We made it through none of the hoops! It's harder than it looks.

Exciting news! The theater is open again and with a new movie. Flowstate is a 26 minute movie that shows more about drones. The movie is included with admission and plays at 11:00 and 1:00.

Be sure to visit the rest of the museum. Nauticus is a great place to visit with kids because they can use imaginative play. They can be the captain of a ship, go magnetic fishing, see real animals, plan water routes, and walk aboard the Battleship Wisconsin.

Ages 0-3 are always free, but you do need to reserve a ticket. Teachers are also free with their teacher ID. Nauticus is open Monday through Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-5. A family membership offers you a year of visits, special member events and discounts during the year. In my opinion, it's the most affordable membership around!

5 Reasons Moms Love H2Obx

*Use code Toddlin for $5 off tickets.

As a mom, I love going to H2Obx. There are things for everyone in the family, and the park is extremely family friendly. Here are five reasons that we love it!

01. The food! The food at water parks isn't usually great, but H2Obx has real food. Salads, wraps, pizza, burgers, fish tacos... and more. They have fresh fruit and parfaits, plus pulled pork and chicken, and even loaded bbq nachos. There are four beers on tap including our own O'Connors, plus Obx winery Sanctuary Vineyards and several made to order signature drinks including milkshakes and Cheerwine floats. There is also funnel cakes, ice cream, and churros.

02. The family areas. I love that there are areas that the whole family can enjoy. The whole family can enjoy Queen Anne's Revenge and the Rogue Wave, then head to the Adventure Lagoon to challenge the kiddos on this floating climber. Take turns on the rock climbing wall and see who can make it past the waterfall, then a dip in the wave pool or float around the lazy river.

03. The kids' sections. Little kids will love Sand Pail Beach, which is great for babies through children. There are several different slides, water tables, sprayers, and swings. Then let kids run through Calico Jack's Cove, a huge wet playground. There are two wave pools, a smaller one for families, and a large one which is more intense. Lifejackets are offered throughout the park.

04.Free parking! I can't even tell you how much I hate paying to park somewhere that you're paying to get in.

05. The layout! I really think that this park was designed by a mom. The whole park is basically a circle, with the lazy river around the inner loop. This is great for littles who are either too tired to walk, or moms who are too tired to carry those littles. It's also great to take a float during nap time to get those babies to sleep. Sand Pail Beach is for moms with more than one kiddo. It is perfectly designed to stand at the bottom section for younger kids while the older ones run up and down the stairs to the slides. You can keep your eyes on both the whole time, which is something I really appreciate.

She Works Hard for the Mommy

Hi I am Lynne, a lover of old Virginia farmhouses. I have a daughter, Eve, and three sons: Wilson, Chip & Briggs. When I am bored from all the free time that comes with being a mom to four kids, I enjoy gardening, hanging out with my pet kune kune pigs Tinkerbell and Mr. Smee, and dreaming up the next interior design project to tackle one day when my hands aren’t quite so full. I’m so grateful to share this snippet of my surroundings on this site and hope you find some joy from it, too!

Where does your love for farmhouses come from?

Growing up in Virginia, I always loved the aesthetic of historic homes, beginning with my grandparents' 1792 brick farmhouse in the Shenandoah Valley.

So what's on my blog?

Tours & Stories

So much for you mothers - if you love interior design, if you like French chic living, if you love the country, if you love the idea of fixer upper homes, if you want to start a farm with chickens or goats - this is the blog for you. My stories are about touring beautiful country homes and hotels in Virginia. Understanding the history, learning about the architecture and surrounding myself with natural beauty.

E-book:

Our e-book is for those who want to create a farmhouse kitchen. Our e-book 'How to Renovate a Farmhouse Kitchen' gives you the best advice on renovating your kitchen into a beautiful, charming farmhouse-style cooking and entertainment space. This ebook will ensure your space is rustic, charming, livable and perfect for your growing family. As a mom of 4 I value the importance of practical, yet charming living for my sanity!

Our Shop:

Our shop is a selection of practical accessories to make your mom life easier. From country living books & magazines, to gardening tools that I love when I am creating my little vegetable garden, my favorite children's items and farmhouse accessories. If you are looking for the perfect British cottage bathroom accessories or the classic fireplace rack that screams farm house visit our site and get all the tips and tricks you'll love.