Moms throughout Loudoun County are collectively growling at Hamilton’s decision to close Hamilton Community Park to drive in traffic. Local politicians will likely arrive at the office Monday morning to a heavy volume of calls and emails asking the town to reconsider their decision. Everything I know about it I read in Friday’s Leesburg Today and on local message boards and email groups where the venting has begun.

I am saddened by the thought of reduced access to one of the nicest parks I have been to in Loudoun County. We have been a few times and really enjoyed it. I always meant to take the kids there more often, but the reality is that the park is out of our usual circuit and we have not been back in over a year. Despite my disappointment I completely understand how the town might feel frustrated by folks coming from elsewhere and then not picking up their trash. It happens all the time on my own front lawn. I don’t smoke, but I stoop to pick up cigarettes daily and there are always more. It makes me feel as mad as Goldie in Margie Palatini’s board book “Goldie is Mad” but there’s nothing I can do but accept the litter, pick it up, or throw a raging tantrum like Goldie. The town of Hamilton searched for an alternate solution. I hope it works for them, and that it is worth alienating all those angry moms.

The lesson here is pick up after yourselves, pick up after your kids, pick up after your dogs and pick up after the other fools who have not figured it out yet. I’d suggest to anyone who upset about Hamilton’s decision that the most powerful response out there is to teach our children to be more respectful of our shared spaces than whoever has been disrespecting them so much that a park is closing its doors to neighbors from the next town over.

Today is the last day of the Loudoun County Fair and I have failed to visit once again. The fair seems to hit on a busy week for my family every year, but I plan to go and report back next year. In the meantime I am hoping some local families can fill us in via the website comments feature?

We had a wonderful visit to Mother Earth Playschool a few weeks ago.

As with previous preschool research posts please check the school’s actual website to confirm details, but here are the basics:
Mother Earth Playschool is a small home-based. mixed age (2–5) playschool that includes yoga instruction. You can choose from a 2 day (T/Th, $175/ month) or 3 day (MWF, $250/ month) mixed age morning (9am-12pm) program.

The director/ teacher Jennifer Stow is wonderful — she is kind and loving and really does a great job of gently encouraging kids to stay engaged in group activities which included songs, stories, yoga, painting, and even playing with shaving cream (and that’s just on the day we visited!). Her space is open and comfortable — there’s a tree painted in the bathroom, a doll area, tables with small toys and even a rice table. My kids and I spent an hour participating in her program and have been playing yoga class and flying like butterflies almost every day since.

The location (right on Route 7 business just a few miles west of route 9) and is easily accessible from Leesburg and Purcellville, not far from the Natural Mercantile Organic Grocery store.