The Arlington County Fair is one of my favorite spots for photos. The lights, the color, and the chance to do something a little different make me so happy! I met Chloe, the subject of these photos, for the first time at the fair, but she's the subject of a photo I took at the student walkout in March that was picked up by a few minor news outlets.
I'll be back at the fair tonight with my kids to hit up the areas we missed yesterday - specifically, pig racing!
I can hardly believe it's been so long since I posted a session! I stayed busy the week after my last post with headshots, then running Vacation Bible School, and then my family spent a week in Naples, Florida!
I love the beach, but due to red tide, we spent most of our days at the water park. Growing up in California, I never realized that red tide was so very dangerous at high levels. My family all experienced respiratory issues at the beach, and we sadly saw some dead sea life as well. However, we also had a wonderful time just being together in spite of those issues.
Gracie's family has been important to us since we first met them when their oldest daughter, Charlie, was adopted. They went on to add three more kids to their family, all adopted from Eastern Europe, all with Down syndrome.
Gracie, however, is facing a lot more than just Down syndrome. She has a life limiting diagnosis, and has spent far too much of her life in hospitals.
But on Tuesday, Gracie got to celebrate and go do something for fun.
No doctors and nurses there to treat her (although there were some in the audience.)
A special Make a Wish event, just for her. Rachel Coleman from Signing Time performed a private concert.
A day for Gracie.
A day for her sisters.
A day for her parents.
Of course, I had to get there, even if it meant going to Minnesota for less than 24 hours. (And even a little less, thanks to some crazy flight delays!)
Rachel Coleman and Leah were wonderful. The folks from Make a Wish were great. And my eyes welled up with tears the whole time!
It's no secret that I love photographing my kids on our summer adventures. It's also no secret that the cost of living here is nuts, and finding free stuff to do is a priority for many of us! My kids would gladly do two or three outings a day, so those $10/person activities add up fast!
This summer, I have a few goals. I didn't pursue a 365 project (photo a day) this year, but I am working on one called 75 Summer Days - there are 75 days of summer vacation for elementary students in our district. I also am working to get my kids out and about to soak up this summer, despite me working out of home a couple days each week.
And finding fun free places that are also fun to photograph? WINNING. My kids LOVE water play, so let's start there.
Virginia Highlands is our favorite Arlington Spray Park. The parking isn't free but it's cheap.
Did you know people with disabilities get a free lifetime National Parks Pass? This activity isn't technically free unless you have a kid with a disability, but Great Falls isn't expensive and is worth it! (Or hey, bring my kid!) While not really water play, it's great to be out by the water!
Great Falls, VA side. There's a Maryland side, too!
Two other places we love to splash around are Yards Park in DC and Our Special Harbor in Alexandria. For Our Special Harbor, I recommend afternoons - mornings often have a long line! Our Special Harbor is fully accessible, but not a lot of shade. Yards Park isn't super shady either, but the play area is one where kids are IN the water, not just a spray park, so it's cool on hot days!
My kids splashing around at Yards Park.
My final favorite water area is Potomac Yard Park. There's almost NO SHADE, so go early! The playgrounds are fully fenced in, although the fountain is not. The fountain isn't as extensive as the others I've listed, but the playground is amazing.
For non-water activities, my kids LOVE the nature centers in Arlington. At Long Branch, they got to feed turtles and at Gulf Branch, there's a big play area with American Indian displays and lots of learning opportunities.
Caroline feeds a turtle at Long Branch.
Don't forget the summer standbys of bikes and scooters and playgrounds.
One of our favorite morning activities: Park at Barcroft. Bike or scooter to the big playground by the picnic shelter. You might even see a turtle over by Four Mile Run!
Downtown, my kids love the Botanical Gardens and the American Indian Museum. The latter has a great play area.
Enjoy, and feel free to add your favorites in the comments! Below, find some more of our 75 Summer Days!
Ms. Harvin (as the kids know her) recently got a new job as a Project Glad trainer. She gives a lot of presentations to teachers, helping them teach kids for whom English is a second language. Anna loves her work and is passionate about helping ALL kids succeed. I would love to sit in on one of her lessons.
Since she's up front frequently, she often has to provide a headshot for conferences or Power Points at schools. We wanted her headshot to send a message that she's a qualified professional, but also someone who is in touch with kids and teachers. (And trust me, she can chat pedagogy with the best and then turn around and have a conversation with my kid completely on her level.)
The best of all worlds, right here.
There's an industry standard that newborns should be photographed by 7-10 days old. And while I get that they change so fast, that those tiny features grow before your eyes, sometimes that timeframe isn't feasible.
Can I take a moment to share my own experience here? My kids were both c-sections. With my first, she was in the NICU until she was 21 days old, so of course 7-10 days didn't fly. And with my second, I could hardly function at 7 days, or ten days, because caring for two kids after a c-section is hard!
The point being, I take older newborns and I love it. They have a bit more personality and even if they're less sleepy, they do love to show off those eyes!
Sweet baby E is her parents' first baby, and her family recently moved to my old neighborhood! We settled into a bedroom with lovely soft light and E showed off for the camera, acting like a doll baby!
