Disney on Ice

We weren't sure that Jeremy would sit patiently and enjoy this, but boy did he surprise us! We went to Disney on Ice during its short stint in Philadelphia recently. Jeremy was mesmerized the entire time and craned his neck to see the next act coming out. Maybe it was the bigger-than-life characters, maybe it was the fact that he doesn't watch television, or maybe it was the novelty of seeing creatures gliding on ice, but he LOVED it! I highly recommend similar live performances! Disney on Ice will be back in Philadelphia during the week of December 23 and the five circulating shows will be touring to other many venues as well.

Take a Hike

We recently went for a little hike on Forbidden Drive in the Wissahickon Valley in Fairmount Park. We are so lucky to live in the city with the nation's largest urban park! Jeremy enjoyed riding in the Ergo (which we highly recommend) -- it was his maiden voyage on the back. We had lunch in the Green Valley Inn, really a gem hidden in the park. What a beautiful setting for lunch! On a related note, I just found out about "Woodsy Moms and Little Ones Stroll." The hike is for children 1.5 to 3 years old. Meet at the Tree House at 9:15 AM and end back there at 10:00 AM (Monday, 10/19 through Monday, 12/7). $2.00 donation suggested. For more information, contact the Wissahickon Environmental Center at 215-685-9285/wec@philly.gov.

New fabulous website - KidsInCenterCity

We now have a wonderful resource: KidsInCenterCity -- a website with tons of information on kid-friendly activities and events! The Society Hill Civic Association described it as follows, " To respond to the significant increase in families that have school age children in Center City, the Center City District, with funding from the William Penn Foundation, is launching KidsInCenterCity.com, an online hub filled with information about schools, neighborhood and recreational activities, cultural institutions, doctors, retailers, after-school classes and many more useful topics and listings. There is also a searchable calendar of family-friendly events, provided by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance's Philly Fun Guide."

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Patch!

We recently went on a little excursion to Linvilla Orchards in Media. The pumpkins were already picked and were in huge bins, and Jeremy had a blast climbing on everything and selecting his pumpkin. The farm was very seasonally decorated and every weekend is chock full of activities. They had pony rides, a nice, but crowded playground which we didn't visit ($1/person), and a lovely market. What a fun day! We will definitely be returning!

Free Concerts at the Kimmel Center!

Recently found out about the FREE children's performances at the Kimmel Center! The PNC-sponsored series, Grow Up Great, is for children aged five and under. Concerts take place on the Kimmel Center's Commonwealth Plaza Stage. Here are the remaining performances:

• Sat, Nov 7, 11am | Commonwealth Plaza; Bill & Tammy's Children's World Music Express
• Sat, Dec 5, 11am | Commonwealth Plaza; Two of a Kind and the Give 'Em a Hand Band
• Fri, Jan 1, 11am, 12:30pm & 2pm | Commonwealth Plaza; New Year's Day Celebration, World Music with Daria, Steve Pullara and his Cool Beans Band, and more!
• Sat, Feb 6, 11am | Commonwealth Plaza; Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble In Celebration of Black History Month
• Sat, March 6, 11am | Commonwealth Plaza; Ohayo (Good Morning) Japan In Association with the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia
• Sat, April 10, 11am | Commonwealth Plaza; Louie In Celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month
• Sat, May 1, 11am | Commonwealth Plaza; Spiral Q Puppet Theater
  

For a full list of free events, visit kimmelcenter.org/free

Flu Shots

It's time! We never used to get the flu shot, but once you or somebody in your household experiences the flu, you never go without the flu shot again! I got mine at my OB's office (Dr. Mellen). The office is offering it to patients everyday between 8:30 and 5:00, but they request that you call to let them know which day you will be coming. Or visit phillyflushots.com, findaflushot.com, or simply check the schedule at your local pharmacy.

I made an appointment for Jeremy to get his at his pediatrician's office. Babies six months and older can get the flu shot (and the first year it comes in two doses, one month apart).

Hall-Mercer

The playgroups at the Parent and Child Center at Hall Mercer (Pennsylvania Hospital) are so wonderful. Jeremy has participated since he was four months old and we have made many good friends. We look forward to attending every week. For an application for the next session, call Beverly Levitsky at (215) 829-5555. The sessions start in September, January, April, and June (more or less). The earlier age playgroups include discussions led by a trained facilitator and we learned a TON of useful things.Now the groups are largely supervised/structured playtime (with some discussion, as the kids allow!), and we BAKE each week! I highly recommended these programs to everybody, but it's hard to secure a spot!

Car Seats

I saw an interesting article in the Inquirer yesterday on car seat safety, mentioning that about 80% of car seats are installed incorrectly. We have already had our infant seat inspected initially and then our convertible car seat inspected when we installed it last winter. Tall Jeremy is still riding backwards (as the AAPNews now reports that it's safest to keep a child backwards in the car seat into the second year as long as possible). So, make sure to get your car seat inspected! It's free and easy and definitely worth it! See www.seatcheck.org or www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm. We have gone to (and been happy with) Chapman Chevrolet.