John Hellerman was out clipping his fields, conditioning the grass so his crops would thrive in the coming growing season. His mom was caring for his two young sons, when his oldest, 3-year-old David, noticed his dad was leaving the grass clippings lying around. That didn’t seem right to the young farmer in the making. […]
John Hellerman was out clipping his fields, conditioning the grass so his crops would thrive in the coming growing season. His mom was caring for his two young sons, when his oldest, 3-year-old David, noticed his dad was leaving the grass clippings lying around. That didn’t seem right to the young farmer in the making. […]
“I don’t like getting dirty.” Many 16-year-old girls can relate to Sallie Bruguiere’s opinion. But most girls aren’t the daughter of a seventh-generation farmer. A junior at Nelson County High School, Sallie has helped her family farm the Dickie Brothers Orchard since she was 7. She started by checking apples, counting how many bins of […]
My 2-year-old daughter is growing faster and stronger every day. Whenever I’m obliged to chase after her, I, like all older parents in similar moments, find myself wishing I had had children a long time ago. After all, I’m competing on the playground and in the daycare parking lot with other first-time fathers who are […]
Don’t let your kids stay cooped up all summer. Here are a few ways to get out and soak up all the season has to offer.—Stephanie DeVaux Block Party: LEGO Gatherings. Here’s a block party for the ages (5 and up, that is). One part Legos, one part creativity. Plus, GAL provides the Legos, so no need […]
Have you ever really stopped and listened to lyrics like those in Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” or Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty?” It’s startling when you hear some of the words that kids sing today. But that’s where programs like Mobile Music Mission come in. As a local company that lets kids become a part of […]
John D’earth was about 4 when his father—“a great listener, but not a musician”—taught him an important lesson about making music. He was at his grandmother’s house. He toddled over to the piano, climbed onto the bench, and started pounding away. He was having fun, just enjoying the noise of it, but he could hear […]
Most kids use their Wii remotes to race cars or battle bad guys while playing games on their TV. C’erra Rhodes uses hers to teach other middle school-age girls how to solder metal. The 13-year-old created a “Wiimote” as a project through Computers4Kids in Charlottesville, an organization that teaches tech skills to middle and high […]
For me, parenting is often about managing my own expectations. I get all fired up about some idealized vision I concoct, then struggle with the way the reality is inevitably messier, louder, smellier, whinier…more real. Have you ever seen the site pinterestfail.com? It showcases pictures of beautifully photographed, adorable projects side-by-side with user-submitted photos of […]
Look up in the trees when you’re having coffee on the Downtown Mall this June. Note the Budgett’s Frog facing off with the Green Tree Python, mouths agape, outside of the Nook. Check out the Indian Rhinoceros, the Golden snub-nosed monkey, the Sulawesi Crested Macaque and the Matchie’s Kangaroo. The larger-than-life animal images on the […]
Drive twelve miles west from Charlottesville and you’ll find Crozet, a quaint village and a popular residential area surrounded by gorgeous mountain scenery. One of Albemarle County’s fastest growing areas, Crozet features the walking community of Old Trail and a growing number of other subdivisions where residents can experience a relaxed country lifestyle and still […]