Happy Birthday Again, Blog!

Well, this blog had its second birthday last week and I totally missed it! I haven't been keeping up as much as I would like to, and I'm sorry, but I will do better this year! I have no excuses as these boys nap simultaneously every afternoon. So, thanks for reading everybody, and stay tuned for more adventures!

KidsinCenterCity Playdate

So we finally made it it a KidsinCenterCity Playdate at the Market and Shops at Comcast Center! We went on Saturday, June 4 (11:30 AM - 1:30 PM) and the special guest was Caillou, of whom Jeremy is a huge fan. It was very nicely done. Caillou was available for photos and handshakes and a lady read stories. Many of the food vendors had specials and Termini was sponsoring cupcake decorating for $2.00. We received a bucket and a balloon. Despite being a touch scared of the "character," Jeremy had a very nice time. Caleb, as usual, had a wonderful time! I was not aware of the collection of bedtime books and pajamas for the Great Sprout Tuck-In, but good to know for next time! Future playdates will be on June 25 and July 30.

Park After Dark (Three Bears Park Fundraiser)

As mentioned in last year's post for this event, we (still) LOVE Three Bears Park and frequent it as often as we can. We are happy to support the park and will surely attend the adult-only cocktail party fundraiser on Thursday, June 2 from 7 PM to 9 PM. It was a blast last year. At least this year I won't be pregnant! I hope many of you can come and support our wonderful neighborhood playground!

Tickets are $35 per person in advance, $40 at the event.

"The Home Hero" - Our Handyman

Young families have great needs for great handymen. We were so lucky to find Peter Rose and his relatively new company, "The Home Hero." He is local and has a young son and totally understands our needs. His righthand man, Hugh, is so wonderful -- Jeremy is so excited when we have him over and he loves to watch and "help." Their work is always top-notch or if anything is not to my satisfaction he fixes it right away. We have had some creative projects this year and we are so pleased. I just wanted to give a plug to them, should anybody have need for a handyman!

Woodloch Pines

We went on a family vacation a few weeks ago and it was very successful! We went to a family-friendly, all-inclusive resort in the Poconos called Woodloch Pines. It is very Dirty Dancing meets sleepaway camp. It should have been a three-hour drive, but took four hours. We met friends from Connecticut there, so it was a perfect place to meet. Many people we met there were also either traveling with friends or with extended family. Many guests were repeat customers; it is a third-generation-owned resort and the owner greets the guests at several of the meals.When you go, you sign up for a package, so ours was Peter Cottontail Weekend (Friday dinner through Sunday lunch, although we added on through Monday lunch for a nominal fee). All meals were at the same table, at a set time, with generally the same waiter/waitress, very cruise-like. We had a fabulous table for the eight of us (four adults, four kids) with a beautiful view of the lake (and sometimes deer). The food was excellent, surprisingly. Every meal had a choice of three entrees and they brought the side dishes to the table family-style. They always had ample choices for the kids. The food was healthy and abundant. Characters entertained the children at the entrance of the meals and Saturday's dinner was more formal and themed. Sunday's lunch was buffet, but the rest of the meals were not. The activities were great. For our young kids, we enjoyed the splash pool (indoors) which was 83 degrees and had little slides and fountains to play in. We also participated in arts & crafts, bumper boats, a petting zoo (special for that weekend), a large foam "indoor forest" to climb, mini-golf, and driving large motorized vehicles. It wasn't quite lake weather and was no longer winter activities weather. We had plenty to do, though. For older children, they have scavenger hunts, family feud, more complicated crafts, and tons more. It isn't the kind of place where you drop your kid off and do things without them -- it is very family-oriented and you spend all of your time together (which we liked). You can get a sitter in the evenings if you want. I attended the show with my friend one night while the dads watched the kids and it was a nice "night out" -- a competent musical revue. We stayed in a suite (two rooms and two bathrooms) in a more renovated part of the property. It was great for our purposes. Jeremy's bed had bed rails and Caleb had a full-size crib. We even had a wet bar as a bottle-washing station. The staff all over was very friendly and helpful. We took shuttle buses around sometimes which the kids loved (and the older children appeased our kids by joining in with the "Wheels on the Bus" often!) We were very happy with our experience and definitely plan to return!

Paris in Philadelphia!

Anybody been to the Kimmel Center lately? It has been taken over by Paris! We were thrilled to see a huge Eiffel Tower in the lobby with large trains running on cables across the ceiling! Jeremy was in awe! It is part of PIFA: Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts. This Saturday's Parisian Street Fair looks phenomenal. It takes place Saturday, April 30 from 11:00 am - 8:00 pm on Broad Street between Chestnut and Lombard -- complete with a gigantic ferris wheel ($3), French street vendors and performers, a grass park with a children’s area, and musical entertainment all day long. The end will showcase an exciting routine by La Compagnie Transe Express performing 100 feet in the air. We look forward to it!!

Okay, the Street Fair came and went and was wonderful. See our quote in the Inquirer!

Book Festival!

We are big fans of the library and try to go when we can. Jeremy loves story hour and also playing with the child-friendly computer. This week the Free Library of Philadelphia will have its fifth annual Philadelphia Book Festival! The Festival takes place evenings form Monday, April 11 through Saturday, April 16, and all day on Saturday, April 16. Featured are talks by bestselling authors, musical performances, tours, exhibitions, and interactive programs for children and teens. Saturday will be showcase the region’s largest literary street fair...and free!! Particularly of interest to the very young include the Teddy Bear Picnic (Saturday at 10:15)the Storybook Parade (Saturday at 12:15). Click here for a pdf version of the schedule.