July 2008 - Posts

• Binky...Where are you?

  My Mother calls it a dummy.  My sister calls it a gow-gow.  My friend calls it a pacifier because she refuses to dumb it down for her kids.  Whatever you call it (we call it a binky), getting rid of it when it’s been outgrown can be a long, painful process. We started when Dom was a year old (Yeah, we’re slow.  And?).  We bought several binky books…”Bye-Bye Binky”…”Pacifiers are not Forever”…”No More Pacifier”…”No More Binky”…  Dom wouldn’t let us read him the books.  After each attempt, he would wander around the apartment like a squirrel, gathering up binkies to get him through a famine.  He then stashed them away in some magical spot I haven’t yet found. I tried limiting binky use to naps/bedtime, but Dom inevitably got a new binky from his hidden stash.  I tried cutting the tips off of the binkies, but he put them in his mouth anyway.  None of it stuck.  My boy has a serious addiction going on.  If I take the binky away, even for the shortest imaginable amount of time, Dom throws himself to the ground, sobbing, “Binky…Where are you?  Binky!” I finally put my foot down (kind of) and told Dom that, when his current binkies are gone, he won’t get any others.  If he loses them, or stashes them and forgets where, he is out of luck.  The other night, we went to wrestling at the Verizon Center downtown (Don’t even ask).  At one point, the fans got really upset and started throwing things over the railings.  Dom apparently thought that seemed fun, and every time we looked away, he threw something over, too...popcorn, ice, and two binkies.  Yes, two…and I’m really, really sorry to whoever got bonked with them when Dom tossed them (we left early because he wouldn’t behave himself).  So, we are now down to one binky…that I know of.  I know there are probably a few others hidden away, and that is fine.  But when this binky is gone, it is gone.  All I can do is hope that, somehow, Dom won’t be too brokenhearted when the time comes. Posted Jul 31 2008, 09:19 AM by marylandmom with no comments Filed under: maryland, binkies [Edit Tags]

• Dom was THAT KID...

  If you are a parent in Montgomery County and haven’t yet visited the Noyes library in Kensington, why not?  Noyes, a one-room children’s library, is Montgomery County’s oldest.  The focus of the library is young children, and story hours and singalongs occur on a regular basis.  Reservations are required for events, as the library is so tiny that one extra person may cause it to burst. This morning, Dom and I went to Noyes.  They were holding a singalong demo with Nancy Nuttle of Music Together.  Nancy touched on everything I expected her to.  She started with a hello song.  There were interactive songs and dances…we sang, galloped, hopped, swayed, threw and waved scarves around, and played with instruments.  Nancy ended the session with a goodbye song, and then let all of the kids gather around to touch her guitar.  There is your recap of the event.  I really recommend that everyone attend one of these types of sessions.  Now I’ll tell you the specifics of the morning… This morning, Dom was THAT KID!  You know the one – the kid who ruins an event for everyone else? He whined and he refused to sit.  Then, when it was time to dance/move, he only wanted to sit. He wandered around the library grabbing books off of shelves, and he threw the little maraca eggs…then got angry when another kid picked them up.  He hogged all of the musical instruments when it was time to play with them, and he stole other kids' scarves during scarf time. To top it all off, he tried to take the singer's guitar with us when we left. I was considering music classes this fall, but now I’m not quite so sure.  Although Nancy has the patience of a saint, I’m sure she would run away as quickly as possible if she saw us in a class. Posted Jul 29 2008, 08:45 PM by marylandmom with no comments Filed under: maryland, education, books, fun stuff to do [Edit Tags]

• Oh, Montgomery County Parks Department

  Oh, Montgomery County Parks Department, our relationship is ever-changing.  Sometimes I love you, and sometimes I want to write hate mail to your leader.  Today, you are getting a complaint. Although you offer many educational course offerings and tons of playgrounds, I still have gripes.  Consider me a woman who is never pleased, if you must. Playgrounds: There are a lot of playgrounds in Montgomery County (none in my neighborhood, ahem…).  But the vast majority of them are not built to suit toddlers.  If anyone in your hierarchy spent one day in the shoes of a stay-at-home Mommy, you would realize that we desperately need playgrounds for our toddlers.  We must let them work off some energy outdoors, on indestructible playground equipment…or they will use that energy to destroy our homes. Toddlers need stairs to reach playground equipment – not ladders.  Slides should have high sides so the youngest of children can’t topple over the sides.  There should be trees growing over them to shade them from the sun, and the bottoms of the slides should not be so warped that puddles are still present 12 hours after it stops raining. I was disappointed the other day when we visited Woodside Park in Silver Spring.  There is a beautiful tot-lot there, but it was covered with yellow caution tape and surrounded by mesh netting.  Other mothers told me that it has been off-limits for months now.  Graffiti should be painted over more often, too, at all of the parks.  Other Equipment: Wheaton Regional Park has a wonderful miniature train and a beautiful carousel.  It would be nice if they were kept in good working order.  On more than half of our visits, the train is offline for repairs…and calling ahead to find out if it is running doesn’t work because nobody answers the phone.  Once we find out the train is down (again!), I then have to explain to my two year old that the train is broken and deal with the ensuing tantrum.  If somebody would just answer the phone, it would save Dom heartache and me headaches…and it would save us a wasted trip. The carousel is usually in great shape, but when we rode it today, the floorboards shifted alarmingly as I held Dom onto his horse.  An entire row of horses had yellow caution tape around them (you must buy this stuff by the mile).  I would gladly pay more for your classes if you used that money to make the rest of the Parks Department more toddler-and-Mommy-friendly. Seriously, please? Posted Jul 27 2008, 10:46 PM by marylandmom with no comments Filed under: maryland, playgrounds, fun stuff to do [Edit Tags]

• Watermelon, Watermelon Everywhere

  If anyone wants to take Dom off of my hands for a few days, he is all yours. My head has been hurting for two days.  Because Mommies don’t get sick days (I am considering running for office on this platform alone), I scrubbed the kitchen today, including the walls.  It was spotless - I even scraped under the baseboards to make sure the floor was ultra clean. I just went to the bathroom for a quick potty break, and when I came out, Dom wandered up to me with a piece of watermelon.  He was saying, "Watermelon yummy.  Want watermelon?" Since I hadn't yet cut the watermelon, I knew what had happened.  But I went into the kitchen anyway to double-check. Yep – my Mommy instincts came through again.  Dom pulled the watermelon off of the counter, and it cracked, splattering a wall and several cabinets with melon guts.  Then he apparently sat in the floor scooping chunks out of it and eating them.  I do have to give him some credit…he did try to clean up.  An entire roll of paper towels was stretched across the floor, along with three dishtowels and several kitchen sponges.  He even tried to mop, dumping the cats’ water over the mess.   After attempting to clean, he wandered the apartment with chunks of watermelon, dripping bright red juice (and mushy watermelon) onto newly cleaned carpets and the sofa.  And he left sticky handprints everywhere. Watermelon, watermelon everywhere. This in the space of - no kidding - two minutes.  The kicker? There's a sticker on the watermelon that says it's seedless. I paid extra for a seedless melon. Yet this thing is LOADED with seeds. Idiots at the grocery store… Posted Jul 25 2008, 12:50 AM by marylandmom with no comments Filed under: maryland, food [Edit Tags]

• How Many Baking Pans Does One Woman Need?

  Dom and I have a funny game we play.  He comes up to me holding two or more of whatever item he has found (binkies, blocks, etc.)…and he says, “How many [insert item here] does one boy need?”  Then I repeat it, we laugh, and we’re done until the next time he wants to play. I just found myself in my kitchen looking at a huge pile of unused baking pans.  There were six cupcake pans, three bundt cake pans, and two square baking pans (I have never even baked a square cake).  There were also Smurf- and Rainbow-shaped cake pans, and two mini-cake pans shaped like a dinosaur and Spongebob Squarepants.  The sad thing is that I didn’t get rid of a single baking pan.  What if Dom someday asks for a Smurf cake?  I know it isn’t likely, but it is possible. But here is my thought process:  How many baking pans does one woman need?  I have been decluttering our home lately, and vast amounts of crap and duplicate items have left us – hopefully for good (or until the next really good sale at Bed, Bath and Beyond).  Today, when I opened the cabinet where these baking pans live (and apparently reproduce), I realized that it is a perfect demonstration of my ability to clutter a home in ten minutes flat.  This is obviously an inherited gift – my mother is also a clutterer.  I fear for her safety on the day she retires…she could be buried in a pile of fallen knickknacks for days before she is found.  I can’t completely blame her for my cluttering, though.  Neither of my older sisters has a tendency to collect crap.  Instead, as a sort of rebellion against our upbringing, both of them keep immaculately bare homes. My cluttering has spread into Dom’s toy chest.  I am determined to buy him every possible musical instrument, every imaginable flannel-board story set, and every Thomas the Tank Engine car in existence.  We don’t have room for any of it, and it just clutters up my newly decluttered home, but I can’t seem to stop myself. I am a clutterer…er, collector.  Help. Posted Jul 23 2008, 10:13 PM by marylandmom with no comments Filed under: maryland [Edit Tags]

• Shopping carts will soon be a little safer

  Chevy Chase Supermarket is getting a shopping cart cleaning system.  It is some sort of UV-light wonder that zaps all bacteria, viruses, and other creepy-crawlies.  Gone will be the days of holding a squirmy Dom by one hand while desperately trying to clean every nook and cranny of a shopping cart with a baby wipe.  Kids can absorb microbes through a pair of pants and a diaper, you know, so I must do everything in my power to kill all potential invaders.  I don’t know what is sadder – that I think a baby wipe will kill germs, or that I am actually excited about a shopping cart cleaner.  BRD (Before Rivi and Dom), I wasn’t at all concerned about bacteria.  I suffered the usual bouts of illnesses, and I didn’t go out of my way to avoid germs.  I happily ate raw cake batter, and I only gave my hands a quick rinse before I ate.  Even a two-week hospital stay for salmonella (from my pet duck, not raw eggs) didn’t crimp my slovenly, bacteria-friendly lifestyle. Having kids did, though.  I don’t know how much of my germaphobia is due to losing a child, and how much of it is normal Mommy paranoia.  I just know that my purse now holds two containers of foaming antibacterial hand sanitizer, which gives Dom a choice between watermelon and berry scents.  Either way, he smells like a fruit salad.  Likewise, the diaper bag, glove compartment, and stroller each have their own selections of germ killers.  I no longer make my own eggnog at Christmastime, because I must buy ultra-pasteurized eggnog from the store.  I buy pasteurized eggs that allow Dom the childhood joy of licking batter from beaters with no danger of an errant virus entering his body.  I scrub organic produce three times before cooking with it. And while I know that it is a bad thing to use too many anti-bacterial products, I am thrilled that shopping carts will soon be a little safer.  I wonder if that UV cleaning system has been tested on little boys... Posted Jul 21 2008, 09:34 AM by marylandmom with 1 comment(s) Filed under: maryland, food [Edit Tags]

• Runaway Household Appliances

  Granted, I probably don’t vacuum as often as I should.  I declutter the entire apartment every night, and I keep the kitchen and bathroom pristine.  But I tend to let dust bunnies have conventions in corners of carpeted rooms for a week or so at a time. And I am now regretting my slovenly ways.  Not because the carpet is dirty (it is now so stained with toddler damage that I’ve given up on it, to be honest), but because Dom is afraid of the vacuum cleaner.  No – that understates the situation.  Dom is terrified of the vacuum cleaner.  When he sees it, he runs, whether it has been turned on or not.  When he hears it, he hides…under his crib, in his Thomas the Tank Engine play tent, in closets, and yesterday in a kitchen cabinet…well, he was only able to half-hide in the cabinet, but he tried.  He also cries and screams the entire time the vacuum cleaner is running. I vacuum as quickly as I can to lessen Dom’s anxiety, but he still remains in hiding for fifteen minutes after the vacuum has stopped.  When he finally reappears, he peers around corners skittishly, as though the mere sight of the vacuum cleaner will send him running for safety.   He then sits silently on the sofa until his temporary post-traumatic stress disorder passes.  Cookies help the trauma pass a little more quickly. I am not quite sure what to do about this situation.  Vacuuming more often will just send Dom into therapy…and if we don’t spring for therapy, he will sit on a couch at age 20 discussing his nightmares of runaway household appliances.  Obviously, I can’t stop vacuuming altogether, although the dust bunnies might give me a medal for doing so. Until a solution presents itself, I will vacuum while Daddy distracts at a playground.  Just in case, I’ll stock up on cookies. Posted Jul 19 2008, 11:18 AM by marylandmom with 3 comment(s) Filed under: maryland [Edit Tags]

• Decisions, Decisions

  I just asked Dom whether I should make cookies or brownies.  He looked at me very seriously and then said, “Cookies.” “No, brownies….cookies.” Looking slightly confused, he finally shrugged and said, “I don’t know, Mommy!” When I ask him what he would like to drink, I usually give him two options…I ask, “Which would you like to drink, Dom – would you like juice, or would you like water?” He responds, “Juice and water and milk.” The experts (at least, the parenting magazines and internet call them that) say that a toddler should be given two choices.  This gives them some control over their wardrobe, food, drink, and so on…but it doesn’t give them so many options that they can’t make a decision.  Supposedly.  Apparently, letting a toddler choose between juice and water erases all of those little battles that happen throughout the day.  So, when Mommy says, “No more TV” or “Don’t color on the walls,” a two year old is supposed to remember that Mommy let him choose his beverage three hours ago…or that she allowed him to pick out his shirt seven hours ago.  Remembering his power, his control, in those situations, he’ll then smile happily, say “Okay, Mommy,” and start merrily cleaning up his toys.  It doesn’t work that way.  The experts lie.  I firmly believe that they are part of a movement designed specifically to make parents feel inferior.  If your toddler isn’t happy after being empowered with decisions, you’re to blame.  If he is incapable of making a decision, you’re to blame.  If his decisions have nothing to do with his options, you’re to blame.  The experts say so. Parenting isn’t one-size-fits-all.  It has taken me two years to figure out that the experts don’t know a thing about my child…and their advice may or may not work for us.  And that’s okay.  For now, we’ll eat cookies and brownies, and we’ll wash them down with smoothies. Posted Jul 17 2008, 10:49 AM by marylandmom with no comments Filed under: maryland, food [Edit Tags]

• It's mine!

  “Mine!”  I looked at my baby boy, whose nostrils were flared and eyes were narrowed as he grabbed the musical triangle from my hand.  “It’s MINE!” Oh, my.  Where did this come from?  Yesterday, he shared.  He happily handed over half-eaten cookies and crackers because he wanted me to taste them…he eagerly gave me his favorite crayon (bright green) because he wanted me to have as much fun coloring as he was having…and now, he was laying claim to a musical triangle that I had in the first place.  He started off banging cymbals together, but the second he saw me raise the triangle, it was all that he could see.  The cymbals crashed to the floor as he reached for the triangle.  Never mind that he was content with the cymbals two seconds before.  Never mind that the ground around him was littered with a tambourine, rhythm sticks, castanets, and clacker-thingies (I have no idea what they’re really called).  No – he wanted the one item being used by someone else. We were at a crossroads.  Either I would enforce the “sharing” rule that had never before needed enforcing…or I would hand over the triangle without complaint.  I took the mature road. I said, “I had this first!” as I stood up and started clanging the triangle as loudly as I could.  I found a sort of satisfaction in watching my toddler leap for the triangle each time it dipped.  I purposely lowered it between rings.  No…not very nice.  Actually, it was probably kind of mean.  But it was fun. And I think I somehow taught a lesson without meaning to.  Tonight, as we were coloring, Dom handed me the green crayon.  After a few minutes, he looked at me and asked, “Can I have green crayon, Mommy?”  Maybe, maybe, maybe…a taste of his own medicine showed him the way.  I can hope, at least. Posted Jul 15 2008, 09:37 PM by marylandmom with no comments Filed under: maryland [Edit Tags]

• A Glimpse into the Growth of the Human Brain

  Watching a toddler learn to problem-solve and think creatively is magical.  It is a glimpse into the growth of the human brain, a still photograph of growing up.  Dom can now size up a situation and then figure out the solution for himself.  Only after he has tried several times to do something himself does he ask for help.  Which makes for a much more relaxing time all around than his previous cries for “Help!  Help!  Mommy-Daddy-Mommy!  Help!”  He would scream that for everything from a just-out-of-reach block to an arm caught under the toilet seat (Yeah, that is gross.  I already know it is unsanitary.  Thanks, though.). Dom can now get toys out of his crib by himself instead of calling us to do it for him.  He taught himself to reach through the slats and raise the toy with one hand, then reach over the top railing to grab and free it.  Which means the crib can no longer function as a toy-time-out during the day…but it is so thrilling to watch him learn that I almost don’t mind.  Today, he was watching yet another episode of Caillou.  In this episode, Caillou’s friend’s big brother was playing some sort of wind instrument (Tuba?  Trombone?  I am a strings kind of gal myself, so I have no idea).  Dom wandered away from the TV, then he stood in the middle of his bedroom looking around.  When he finally went back to watch the TV, he was holding a plastic water cup (with holes in the bottom so water can sprinkle out).  He held his “instrument” up to his mouth and made instrument noises through the holes in the bottom.  Everyday, I am more thrilled with him…and a little more in love. Posted Jul 13 2008, 04:55 PM by marylandmom with no comments Filed under: maryland, education [Edit Tags]

• I'm Haunted by Mogwa

  I am in dire need of a toddler-English translation dictionary.  Can somebody please tell me what a Mogwa is?  Dom’s been asking for it for the past few days.  I assume it’s important because he doesn’t drop the subject.  Ever.  First thing in the morning, he asks for Mogwa.  At lunchtime, he asks for Mogwa.  All afternoon, he asks for Mogwa.  He even wakes up at night to ask for Mogwa. Dom asks for it with such excitement that I’ve begun holding things up randomly, saying, “This?  Do you want this?  Is this a Mogwa?” He then replies, “NO!  Mogwa!” There have been many Mogwa tears shed in this house this week.  By both of us.  I’m frustrated because I don’t understand what he wants, and Dom’s frustrated because I don’t understand what he’s saying.  I’m haunted by Mogwa.  In my dreams, shadowy, indistinguishable shapes chase me through dark halls.  But Mogwa never shows its face. Today, I was so desperate to figure out what Mogwa is that I emptied the contents of the freezer onto the kitchen floor…just because Dom pointed in its general direction while saying, “Mogwa!”  That might sound strange, until you realize that I’ve done the same thing with closets, drawers, and cabinets this week…all to chase the elusive Mogwa. I immediately started removing items one at a time, asking, “This?  Is this Mogwa?  How about this?” Ice cream, ice trays, frozen peas, blocks of hamburger meat…Dom shook his head each time.  This continued until the melting Popsicle rainbow distracted him as it spread across the floor.  At that point, he started to fingerpaint.  Mogwa is never forgotten for long, though.  As I put Dom into bed tonight, he said, “Mogwa, Mommy?”  Can I have that dictionary overnighted, please? Posted Jul 11 2008, 09:30 PM by marylandmom with 1 comment(s) Filed under: maryland, food [Edit Tags]

• Dom Likes to Aim into Shoes

  Dom's ready to potty train.  At least, I’m pretty sure he is.  Every time he goes potty he screams "POTTY!" and runs to the bathroom.  He takes off his clothes along the way, and if he's just pooped, he makes a holy mess. He’s watched “Elmo’s Potty Time” at least 40 times in the past three weeks.  He has several potty-themed board books that he loves to read on the potty.  He’s very proud of his big-boy underwear – he has Spiderman, Thomas the Tank Engine, Diego, and Spongebob underwear.  But he still doesn’t make the connection that he’s supposed to sit on the potty before actually commencing the potty routine.  As a result, I now do a load of laundry per day instead of three times per week.  And I spend a lot of time cleaning up accidents.  It’s like having a new puppy that’s not housebroken.  It’s not pretty. I’ve tried everything…sitting on the potty once an hour (him, not me)… a drink to calm the nerves (me, not him)… giving him reward stickers… bribing him with fancy new Thomas the Tank Engine layout pieces… letting him run around naked.  I don’t recommend the running around naked part – Dom likes to aim into shoes.  I’ve read several books about potty training, sure that one of them would hold the key to the mystery treasure of full on potty-hood. My latest read is “Toilet Training in Less than a Day.”  I waited six weeks for it to become available through the library system, so apparently it’s popular.  Its authors say that a younger toddler can be fully potty trained in four hours, including wiping themselves and dumping the contents of the potty into the big toilet.  Something about the thought of Dom wandering around the bathroom with a potty bowl full of, well, potty stuff doesn’t sit well with me.  The book was written in 1974, and if the system were as successful as claimed, everyone would be using it, right?  It only has 3 ½ stars on Amazon, so apparently there are other failures out there.  That makes me feel a little better.  I’m hoping that, by the time Dom starts school, Pampers will have come out with a size 8.  I think we’re going to need it. Posted Jul 09 2008, 04:46 PM by marylandmom with 2 comment(s) Filed under: maryland, potty training, books [Edit Tags]

• People Were Poked in the Butt

  The Fourth of July with a two year old goes something like this: 6:00 a.m. wakeup call:  “Mommy Daddy – fireworks!” 6:02 a.m. diaper change:  “Fireworks?” 7:00 a.m. breakfast:  “When we go to fireworks?” 8:00 a.m. picnic preparation:  “We eat this at fireworks.  When?” 9:30 a.m. weather report:  “No rain!  Want fireworks!” 12:50 p.m. peeking out of the window blinds:  “Rain gone!  Fireworks now?” 4:30 p.m. getting ready to leave:  “Now!  I ready!” 5:30 p.m. getting to the checkpoint line:  “No line.  Go now!” 5:45 p.m. waiting in the checkpoint line:  “Where are fireworks?” 6:00 p.m. waiting in the checkpoint line:  “FIREWORKS!” 6:30 p.m. waiting in the checkpoint line:  “I want fireworks!” 7:00 p.m. waiting in the checkpoint line:  “Move, people!” 7:30 p.m. waiting in the checkpoint line (yes, still):  “Mommy, Where are fireworks?” 8:00 p.m. finally through the checkpoint line:  “Fireworks yet?” 8:30 p.m. during the Capitol Fourth concert:  “No music – I want fireworks!” 9:20 p.m. (approximately) during Jerry Lee Lewis’ performance:  “No dance!  Fireworks now?” 9:30 p.m. (approximately) fireworks beginning:  “Ooh – pretty.  Green.  Red.  Yellow.  Oh, blue!  Get down?  Walk?  I done.  No more fireworks.” What I heard of the concert was interspersed with Dom’s squeals of joy as he threw himself through the air and into my lap.  Repeatedly.  So I can’t really say much other than Jimmy Smits was the host, Taylor Hicks from American Idol performed, and Jerry Lee Lewis brought on the beautiful colors in the sky.  I know there were more people involved than that, but I couldn’t hear them. I’m pretty sure that the fireworks were awesome, too.  I missed them.  I was chasing a munchkin through a crowd of giants as he ran for the exit.  I’m glad to report that nobody was injured…but a few people were poked in the butt with Dom’s tiny American flag.  On purpose.  I’m sorry.  Next year, we're watching the concert on T.V. Posted Jul 06 2008, 09:50 PM by marylandmom with no comments Filed under: maryland, holidays, fun stuff to do [Edit Tags]

• Colors Flittering Through the Air

  Yesterday, we saw butterflies.  What seemed like a zillion of them, fluttering all around us as we walked through a giant enclosed building.  We went to the Wings of Fancy exhibit at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton Regional Park ($5 for adults, $4 for children 3+, little ones are free.  Get tickets inside of the Nature or Visitor’s Centers).  We had to park at the Visitor’s Center because the lot at the Nature Center, which hosts the exhibit, was full.  I admit to being a little cranky about walking back so far.  But by the time we’d walked just a few steps, I wasn’t complaining anymore.  The path to the Nature Center is surrounded by beautiful gardens…we explored a wigwam and a dugout canoe in the Native American garden.  Dom walked through a giant hollowed-out sycamore tree trunk that’s on display.  Each plant is identified with a discreet marker staked into the ground in front of it.  There are five acres of gardens at Brookside Gardens, and we didn’t see even a tenth of them! The entry walkway into Wings of Fancy is bordered with informational markers and displays about butterflies.  As we handed over our tickets and waited our turn to enter the exhibit, the ticket lady gave us instructions…don’t touch the butterflies…watch where you step…don’t let your kid fall into the rotting fruit the butterflies are eating (uh…yeah). As we walked into the exhibit, I stopped breathing.  I could not wrap my mind around the wide variety of colors flittering through the air around us.  Dom, being Dom, tried several times to get away from us so he could “climb, Mommy!” after the butterflies.  He was so excited that the only thing that quieted him down was a butterfly landing.  They landed on plants next to us, on the ground in front of us, on our shoulders, our arms, our heads.  We were having so much fun that I forgot to check my butterfly identification guide ($2 where you buy tickets.  Doesn’t contain the Asian species).   We were checked for butterflies twice when we left – once by workers, and once by each other (there are mirrors you can double check yourself in).   We took a different route through the gardens to return to the car.  Before we left, we stopped in the gift shop to get Dom a much-needed pair of sunglasses.  Green.  With purple butterflies.       Posted Jul 03 2008, 07:56 PM by marylandmom with 1 comment(s) Filed under: maryland, education, fun stuff to do [Edit Tags]