Almost Free Fun in Northern Virginia: Mini-Golf

A year ago, I only knew of local miniature golf courses that cost $7 (adults) or $6 (kids) for a single game. We used coupons from the summer reading program to reduce the cost a bit, but still paid a pretty penny for six of us to golf at Jefferson Falls Mini-Golf in Falls Church, Virginia.

Now I know better. I've discovered that the regional parks in Fairfax County have much cheaper mini-golf courses. Our family has enjoyed two of them in the past few months, so can compare and contrast them for you. One is Fountainhead Regional Park (in Fairfax Station) and the other is Pohick Bay Regional Park (in Lorton).

Fountainhead is a lovely park along the Occoquan River. It includes many amenities, including mountain bike trails, boat docks, and hiking. We were pleased to find that it also has a mini-golf course that only costs $2 per person! This price is for ball and club rental, and is good for as many games as you care to play during their hours of operation (the park closes at dusk). The course is right in the woods, so has the benefit of being shady. A potential drawback, though, is that tree debris falls onto the course, so if you care about perfectly clean greens, you might be annoyed.

If you care about aesthetics, you'll want to know that there aren't any cute structures built on the course and it is a bit run-down looking. The holes are still creative and fun, challenging us with their bridges and turns, and making us figure out proper angles for success. We cried out in frustration and squealed in glory, as one should in any good mini-golf course. We did not find the pine needles a hindrance in any way and the cheap cost was totally worth the lack of beauty. Another bonus is that a bathroom is close by. It will be my go-to place from now on!

Pohick Bay is a similar park in many regards. It also is on water, located at the bay where the Pohick Creek joins up with the Potomac River. It also has boat docks, hiking trails and additionally features a campground, frisbee golf course, and water park. Its miniature golf course is similar in price to Fountainhead's, but not quite as good: games cost $3 per person at Pohick Bay (again: play as much as you like during open hours, which are likewise 'til dusk).

The course at Pohick is better maintained and nicer looking. While still simple compared to commercial sites, it does have a few structures built on the course and has cleaner greens. The paths and holes are all in good repair, and my daughter especially appreciated the beauty of it. The bathroom is farther away, though, and is not obvious as one has to hike a short trail through woods to get to it. We had a great time playing at Pohick Bay, but I don't think the slightly better condition and looks were worth the extra money. To most people the extra $1 is not a big deal, but it adds up when you pay for many players.

So if you're looking for family fun in the D.C. suburbs, give these regional parks a try! I'm so glad we did. We love the memories we're making with our kids, the laughter we enjoy together, and even the improved skills the more we play! It's not quite free, but worth every dollar.

Speech for Ethan -- a Parent's Quandary

Since the time Ethan was a baby, and he didn't babble as normal babies do, we've been concerned about his difficulty with speech. People tried to reassure us that he'd "just start talking in sentences" once he "decided" to talk, but that was not the case. It wasn't until he got one-on-one therapy in Oxford, at age 3, that he even spoke his first words. And when I say "words" I mean things like "bee" to mean "tea" and "toe" to mean "toast" (very important first words in Britain!)

After just a few months of therapy in Oxford, we moved to Amman, Jordan. We actually only agreed to that relocation upon hearing that there was a private special education school in the city that offered speech therapy services. Even though we were receiving no income at the time (Steve was a full-time Arabic language student), we 'invested' our money in private therapy for Ethan and he blossomed under his therapist Maha's direction. He could finally produce some of the tricky sounds that had previously eluded him.

Despite the impressive improvement, most people still couldn't understand Ethan, and when we moved to the U.S. in 2011, he easily qualified for speech therapy through the preschool program in Rockbridge County, Virginia. In fact, the evaluating therapist was frankly baffled by Ethan's speech problems, and said he'd never seen a student quite like him before. Ethan's intelligibility was low in conversational speech but much better in single words. Some of his sounds were so strange, the therapist was tempted to say he had 'speech dyspraxia,' but since Ethan didn't really fit the criteria of that diagnosis, no official label was given.

Within days of having Ethan's IEP in hand, we moved to Washington, D.C. where we'd been told he could receive therapy at our local Maryland school, even as a homeschooler. Sadly, this was misinformation: it turned out that every school district has the choice of whether or not to help unenrolled students with special needs. And Prince George's County most decidedly does NOT help. So Ethan spent his first two of three eligible years *not* receiving any services. His intelligibility steadily improved, which we were thankful for, but when the time came to move and we looked for a new house, a primary concern was finding a school district that would help him.

Here in Fairfax County, Virginia, the local school has indeed acknowledged Ethan's IEP, and been willing to give him therapy despite the fact that we homeschool. We are grateful. The school is a ten-minute walk away, and he's gotten 1-2 hours per month of help there. But compared to the other three therapists Ethan had in the past, this one has been the least effective, concerned, and thorough. It's been disappointing. She has focused solely on his ability to read aloud and produce sounds when given those visual cues. She has noticed new problems but never put them in an official IEP update. She claims that he's reached 90% accuracy without hearing him talk for long stretches and using a ticker to keep track of his errors. And now, near the end of his eligibility window, she's firmly saying that he no longer needs services and will not get a new IEP.

Ethan's sounds certainly have improved, and some people who hear him talk have no problem understanding him. But I still hear many problems in his speech: final consonants dropped ("God" is pronounced "Gah" routinely), indistinguishable medial vowel sounds (short i and short e sounding the same, for example), a very indistinct /er/ sound in the middle of words and weak /r/ in general, to name a few. Additionally, his multisyllabic speech, especially in conversation, is difficult to understand. 

So now I'm stuck, not knowing whether I'm just being over-anxious or whether I'm justified in my concern (especially given his dad's speech difficulties and other family history). I'm stuck not knowing whether I should pursue the possibility of further eligibility by going to the head of Fairfax County Special Services, or whether I should take the therapist at her word that there's nothing more to be done. Maybe Ethan's continuing maturity *will* straighten everything out in the end. Maybe there's nothing more that professionals can do. Maybe it's all up to me and him now. I just know that when professionals told Steve's mom to not worry about his speech issues, assuring her he'd grow out of them, they were wrong. Steve did need more help, and I even wish he'd gotten more than he did. 

What will help Ethan most in the long run? Do I keep pushing 'til the head person finally says "yea or nay"? My son loves to talk, loves little more than chatting even to strangers. My hope and prayer is that his speech becomes as 'normal' as possible, so that he can maintain his verbal confidence and be understood as he shares his voice with the world.

Free (or Almost Free) Fun in Washington, D.C.: Ice-Skating!

Every Tuesday, from 2:20-3:20, ice-skating costs only $1 at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston Common Mall. Since parking in the garage also only costs $1, we pay exactly $5 for the four of us to go skating once a week! This opportunity to skate regularly has been really beneficial for the children. Before January, they had skated only once before, and that had been over three years ago!

Josiah seemed to have a natural sense of balance. Even on his first day of skating, he let go of the side wall, and has steadily gained confidence ever since. The other two kids have had more difficulty, and at times I've even wondered if I should stop taking them. There have been tears shed and frustrated words flung. "I don't WANT to go ice-skating!" has been heard more than once.

When it comes to a new Tuesday, though, the consensus is always that we should try again. And it's paying off. After going 4 or 5 times, Naomi and Ethan were finally able to leave the wall, and now are trying to improve technique. It's still a big effort (not quite *fun* yet) but I'm so proud of their perseverance and determination. My hope is that one of these days, we'll all be going at a decent speed, with smiles on our faces, and no spills!