Wait a minute Mr. Postman

Writing letters is a simple activity that can assist your kids with vocabulary, handwriting, and spelling as well as provide for some old fashioned fun.

Encourage your kids to write letters (not email!) to their cousins, grandparents, friends, etc. Putting pen, pencil, marker, or crayon to paper is a very personal experience. Being on the receiving end of a handwritten note is just as exhilarating. This brand of personal connection is becoming a rare treat in this age of email, instant messaging, and cell phones. Correspondence with friends and relatives was once well thought out, carefully constructed, and intimate. Try to reconnect with that age, if only for a moment, by sitting down with your child and drafting a note to someone you know. Then address an envelope, affix the stamp, and drop it in the mailbox or at your local post office.

What you and your kids choose to write is not too important at the start, it is the process that we are recommending. Start out with a simple hello or tell a little tale - but be sure to include a request for the receiver to respond in writing.

If your child is anything like me growing up, getting mail addressed to them will be one of the most amazing little joys in their life. Heck, I still am excited making that short walk down to the curb to collect the day's mail!


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Dial up some fun

All kids love phones, it is written in stone somewhere. Most children these days, having been raised in a digital world, are no longer impressed (or impressed for very long) with big bulky plastic pretend phones - they just don't cut it anymore! Combine that fact with our own insatiable appetite for new technology (Its ok to admit. We know how hard it is not to be starry-eyed with these fancy-shmancy devices) and you probably have a great toy hiding amid your junk-drawer clutter.

If you keep them charged they will have all the colors, noises, and fun of your everyday cellphone but with no chance of an outbound international call being accidentally made!

Old cellphones can and do make for excellent toddler toys but be sure your device does not have any small unscrewable or removable parts, such as an antenna, that can be swallowed by your little ones.

Additionally, old digital cameras (with viewable LCD screens) will delight most any young child. Our daughter regularly plays with our old 1 megapixel Kodak. She will line up her bears and dolls, pretends to have them say "Cheese!" and snaps away. We have removed the memory card, but she can still store a couple dozen photos. Her face lights up when she sits down to look at the images she has captured.

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Countdown to OWTK's France Vacation

In late September, OWTK will journey across the pond and embark on a two week vacation in France. We will be spending one week in a Provencal house, in the town of St. Remy de Provence, and one week in a Paris Apartment, in the 6th Arrondissement.

OWTK will be blogging live (really live this time!) during the entire trip. We will be switching the format a bit during our travels, opting for a photo-heavy approach to accomodate our desire to NOT be in front of a computer too much on holiday!

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Letters and Numbers - Road trip fun for your little one

A wonderful and educational way to pass some time during a road trip (be it to the grocery store or a far away state) is to use your surroundings as a fun teaching tool. Just look around at all the letters, numbers, and symbols on the roadways! There are traffic lights, stop signs, bright green highway exit signs, orange construction notifications (I dare you to take a trip without encountering some of these!), black and white speed limit markers, and a variety of longhaul trucks sporting big, colorful words and images.

When you get back home your kids can have fun building their own highway sign using this clever little Java applet.

All of this sets up nicely for some unplugged mobile family gaming, old school style. I-Spy with colors, letters, and numbers is a slam dunk with your little learners.
Another game to pass the time inside or outside the car is the "I am going on vacation and I am bringing..." alphabet game. We played this each night in Maine by the campfire with the older kids and modified the text to say "I am going to a lakehouse in Maine..." and "I am riding on a Moose..."
This is a simple one to play, and here are the basic tenants for those unfamilar:

Each person must announce an item (food, animal, or anything really) that they will bring with them. The first person uses the letter A, the next B, and so on. The rub is that each player must run through the entire list on every turn. This challenges kids' (and adults'!) vocabulary and memory - when you get to the second half of the alphabet it gets rather interesting trying to recall what item starting with D is coming along on holiday. This is great fun.

Another variation of this game is to tie each letter item together. For example, if the person who has B says "bird", the next in line must come up with a C-word that is related to a bird. If the next player opts for "cardinal" (a good one!), then the D-word would have to relate to cardinal, etc... This can be made harder, easier or themed depending on what you start with. A for appendix, as an example, may cause the entire game to be played with body part words or words relating to books/literature.

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Sesame Place - A Potty Training Prize (Rescheduled)

Our daughter's prize for successfully transitioning to underwear was, as previously mentioned on Out With The Kids, a day out at Sesame Place. The originally scheduled day turned out to be one of the summer's hottest here on the East Coast, with the tempature ballooning to nearly 100 degrees. Naturally, that day out was postponed.

The new date is Friday, September 1st. The whole family is again on board and qualified for a group rate of $21 per person/prepaid (as compared to the $42 standard fare). A fair deal. We only have 14 in our party but buying 15 x $21 as a group and burning the extra ticket is better than paying $42 x 14 people. The group rate gets even better after 9/4, dropping to under $18 per person. Also, groups receive a complimentary 16th ticket when 15 are purchased.

The Sesame Place online advanced ticketing system advises that groups purchase their tickets at least ten days out of their anticipated arrival date. In fact, the site will not allow you to continue should your date be within this time period. We ordered our 15 tickets exactly ten days before and received them via FedEx an impressive 2 days later (overnight shipping is a courtesy, which is nice). The arrival date field in the ordering process does not lock you and your group into coming on that day (athough it may appear so), the tickets are good for a seasonal date range. The purpose of entering the date seems to be to prevent folks from ordering within ten days, thus eliminating the chance that a pack of tickets does not arrive on time.

As of seven days-out, the September 1st weather forecast calls for abundant sunshine and a high tempature of 86 F. Sign me up!

Expect a full report, with pictures, of the Sesame Place experience shortly after Labor Day Weekend.

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

On Sleeping in the Car in New Haven, CT (Maine Recap Part 3)

On Saturday morning we rented a four passenger motor boat from the owner of the house. After a couple of trips cruising the enormous lake, we eventually all made our way to the other side directly across from the house, to a spot the locals call Sandy Beach. This area was ideal for the little ones. The water depth was only 12-18 inches deep at it's shallowest point and maybe 3-4 feet at its deepest. The water here was warmer than the rest of the lake, a few notches above the roughly 70-75 degree lake temperature, and the sandy floor was almost perfectly flat. The scattered remains of freshwater mussel shells discarded by the birds are all that break up the perfectly smooth sand. It was on this side of the lake where we saw the resident bald eagle. He (or she) glided gracefully over our heads, swooped down and then perched high above us on a tall tree about 100 paces away. Every so often he would let out a shrill cry, to which we would immediately turn our gaze and wonder whether it was directed at us.

The remainder of the day shaped up quite like the previous two - relaxing, enjoyable, and with a serene ending with more s'mores.

Clouds and rain took over late that evening and refused to vacate the region through Sunday night. We headed out to lunch on Sunday, to the Cyber Cow Cafe in Withrop - a town 15 minutes away. Yes, my brother and I could not resist logging-on and catching up with sports scores and preseason football news. While online we also took a gander at our rainy day options in and around the Monmouth/Augusta area. The Cyber Cow's food was inexpensive and tasty, but the service left a little something to be desired. Their milkshakes, despite being 100% vanilla ice cream with chocolate/strawberry flavor added, really hit the spot.

(photo taken from OldFortWestern.org)

From there we drove into Augusta, the state capital, to visit the Children's Discovery Museum, Old Fort Western, and the Maine State Museum. The first, which we were most looking forward to, was closed for renovations (a notice on the front page of their website would have been appreciated!).

The Old Fort Western, located on the edge of the Kennebec River, is a 18th century cluster of buildings which served as the storage depot for Fort Halifax 17 miles up river. Famous traitor Benedict Arnold used this fort as a launching point for his attack on Quebec in 1775. Interesting fact: The Old Fort Western is the oldest surviving wooden fort in America. There were reenactors, dressed in full regalia, on site telling the story of the fort. Very neat. The kids all liked touring the living quarters and the lookout tower stocked with guns they were allowed to hold and cannons they could touch. They also enjoying running around the large open area between buildings. Admission is a reasonable $5 for adults, $3 for kids 6 and up , and free for the real young ones. AAA discount of $1 per person is available.

(photo taken from maine.gov)

The Maine State Museum is located a stone's throw from the capital building in downtown Augusta and boasts an attractive and relatively expansive display of artifacts, history, and replicated scenes and wildlife from Maine's past and present. Admission is a mere $2 and all the kids were free. This was a great value and a wonderful museum. We spent over an hour walking the numerous paths and hallways looking at vibrant examples of Maine's history as a fishing, logging, and textile giant.

We had a very good late dinner at Margarita's, a local Mexican mini-chain, to round out the evening and the vacation. They provided a nice treat for the kids, too: a balloon for each, weighted down with a small package of fruit snacks and something called Wiki Stix (wacky little wax coated twisty sticks you can make stuff out of), which kept them all busy while the grown-ups talked. After dinner, we said our goodbyes and hopped right on to I-95, beginning what would become an 10-hour drowsy adventure.

I was feeling the weight of my eyelids before we crossed the Maine border. Not a good sign at all. The Mrs. and our little girl were fast asleep which made staying awake all the more difficult. I managed to make it all the way to New Haven, CT where, after a sizable swerve at 2:30am I pulled into a rest stop and we, as a family, slept in the car for 2 hours. I awoke in a panic, nervous that we would not make it past New York City before the Monday morning rush hour began. Fortunately, we cruised over the George Washington Bridge a smidge past 5:30am and escaped the NY metropolitian area before the heavy onslaught of commutors began to dominate the roadways.

The long weekend in Maine was not nearly long enough, but we knew that going in. The drives were tough, and in hindsight flying into Manchester NH on Southwest Airlines would have been very wise.

Maine is a beautiful state that we will definetly visit again, especially since the only moose we saw were hanging on the cabin wall and on display at the museum!

A big thanks to my brother's family for the hospitality in opening up their vacation house to us and allowing us to blog the experience.


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

On Lake Cobbosseecontee (Maine Recap Part 2)

Driving the one hour from Portland to Monmouth, with visions of Chowder still swimming in my head, was rough. The combination of a hearty meal, the warmth of a summer sun, and the 7+ hours already spent behind the wheel nearly made it necessary to pry my eyelids open with toothpicks to safely navigate yet another stretch of highway. We could not get to the lakehouse quick enough!

What a beautiful place! Set about a mile down an unpaved road and situated directly on Lake Cobbosseecontee, the new-ish cabin offered every amenity one could ask for: wrap-around porch, lake access via a tiny pebble beach for the kids to waddle in and the adults to launch the kayaks. There was also a dock to board the motorboat, cast a fishing line from, or lay on your belly and try to scoop up lil' fish with a net (our daughter is pictured below doing just that). Built with the very cedar trees cut down to make room for it, the house was very comfortable with abundant open space, lots of natural light, while still maintaining a cozy warmth to it.

Thursday evening offered up a dose of perfection: a few relaxing hours outside, taking in the scenery, soaking up the fresh air, and when the stars nudged their way into position - a genuine campfire. graham crackers, marshmallows, and classic Hershey's chocolate bars soon made their way from kitchen to firepit and it wasn't 60 seconds before the first mallow kissed the flame. Our little girl had never eaten a s'more until this evening and she thoroughly enjoyed the new flavors. She fell asleep in my arms by the fire. It was an ideal way to spend our first evening in Maine.

For some unknown reason, I was unable to sleep in Friday morning. Despite the lack of shut-eye the prior day, I awoke on the wrong side of 7am. Without fanfare, I hopped in one of the two kayaks and set out on my inaguaral kayak trip. It was serene. The lake was a sheet of glass dotted with wooded island and with loons perched atop jagged rocks rising up from the water.

In the afternoon we drove ten minutes to Cumston Hall, a storybook castle-like edifice that is home to the Theater at Monmouth and the town's public library. We were there for the matinee showing of Rumpelstiltskin. The peformance took major liberties with the original text but was still a treat. The kids (8, 6, & 2.5) all loved it and spent the remainder of the weekend quoting their favorite lines - the hands down winner: "Aubergine Yak Hair!".

That evening we did some food shopping at the local chain supermarket called Hannaford. They have an impressive organic and whole food section, which we were glad to see. However, more than half the fish at the market were labeled "Product of Vietnam" (we are in Maine, right?), so we elected to buy our fish for that evening's dinner from The Lighthouse Wine & Seafood on Rt 202. A wise choice. The owner was working the counter and also sold us her homemade asiago cheese and garlic bread (baked fresh that morning) in addition to the fresh caught Maine Haddock we came looking to reel in. Here is the fast and easy recipe I used for cooking the fish on the grill:

3 Large Filets of Haddock (or any flaky white fish)
1/4 lb stick of butter
2 medium size tomatoes
2 medium size limes (substitute lemon if you prefer)
salt
pepper

Cut butter, lime, and tomato into 1/4 inch slices

Lay three large pieces aluminum foil out on the counter. Place one fish fillet on each. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of fish. Place three slices of each butter, lime, and tomato on the top of each fillet (space it out evenly). Tent the foil at the top and curl up the sides. Make sure it is sealed real well - you want the heat to stay inside, along with the butter sauce that will be created during cooking.

Fire up/ turn on the grill to a medium heat. Place the foil fish packets on the cooking surface, close the lid, and wait about 15-20 minutes. Remove, open up the foil (be mindful of the steam!), and serve with large serving spoon (I do so right out of the foil, spooning the butter sauce as I go).

After dinner, once again came the lakeside adirondack chairs, campfire, S'Mores, beautiful girl asleep in my arms. I could really get used to this life...

The final installment tomorrow...

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

On Driving to Maine (Maine Recap Part 1)

The drive from our home in Exton, PA to Portland, ME was, thankfully, an uneventful one. We pushed back from the driveway at 1:30am. For portions of the trek only the moonlight was beside us. It was a peaceful and solitary experience for me. The Mrs. and the lil' one were back to sleep within a 1/2 hour leaving me plenty time to devour my newest music purchase - Alexi Murdoch's "Time without Consequence".

Our first stop was the sleepy (at least at 7am) fishing town of Portsmouth, NH. There we had a remarkable breakfast at Friendly Toast, on Congress St. The Toast appears to be a restaurant cooperative run by a gaggle of young folks, each with a multitude of tattoos, a punk rock fashion sense, and bedhead. It was awesome. We sat down at 7:45am and shared the expansive space with only one other early-riser. By the time our credit card was charged, the place was hopping and at least six servers were on duty. The decor was carnival chic and in the corner hung a six foot toy helicopter. The pancakes were sold individually, which we found odd...until our daughter's one blueberry flapjack arrived. It hung over the sides of an eight inch round plate! A menu curiosity turned out to be a $4 bargain. My ham and pepperjack omelete was served with red skinned potatoes and toast the size of a much larger state, while the Mrs. enjoyed her much-loved french toast, friendly indeed. Delicious food, delightful service, and quirky decor. A better start to our mini-vacation there could not have been.

From there, we made our way to Portland, Maine where we joined up with family and rode the Maine Narrow Gauge Railway. Although, I couldn't resist a quick hop off I-95 to drive through the ultra-quaint Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. If only we had the time to visit the maker of our favorite toothpaste!

(view from the train)

Once in Portland, we toured the modest Railway Museum and rode the Narrow Gauge. Not being familar with what Narrow Gauge meant, we were confused to see what appeard to be a trolley car in front of our parking spot rather than what we thought of as a 'train'. Turns out the space between the rails is only two feet (and Maine has the most of such track in the country) so smaller trains are what is used on the smaller track. Makes sense. Two of the trolley-style passenger cars offered an al fresco view of the Casco Bay along the 25 minute journey. There were two traditional indoor cars which sat empty during our ride due to the beautiful weather. The ride dead-ends at a tressel bridge, which the train would have crossed at some point in history, but is now in disrepair. It is a shame. It would enhance the short trip considerably if one could travel over the water. There is a 10 minute pause at this point and during that time the conductor speaks about the Bay and it's Islands, the birdlife flying about, and the train itself - a GE Diesel-Electric Locomotive. He also allows for one child at a time to climb up into the engine car and tells the children all about the gagdets, wigdets, and buttons inside. This makes for a great photo-op - your lil' train lover (possibly in their new conductor's hat purchased for $6 in the museum store) leaning over the engine car staring off into the distance. Pretty cool.

Quick aside: We rode the rails on Thursday as the overpriced commercial machine that is Thomas the Tank Engine was taking over for the weekend starting that Friday. The price for the same journey was set to rise from $6 (for ages 3-12) and free (ages 2 and under) to $16 for all those above the age of 2. For those not indoctrinated in the "Day out with Thomas" experience, they essentially slap a Thomas face on the front of an existing train and jack-up the price of the ride. Sure, there is other family themed entertainment available, but kids who love trains tend to care most about the trains and less about the suddenly expensive petting zoo or moonbounce. Crazy I say!

(plate bolted to the engine car)

After the railway, we drove the short distance into the town of Portland. Parking was scarce on this Thursday afternoon. All the garages within three blocks of the waterfront flashed their red FULL signs at hopeful (and at least three road weary) tourists. When we finally did find street parking, we ate a nice little lunch at Dry Dock restaurant on Commercial St. The Chowder was heavenly - I could have eaten a bucket full.

More on the trip tomorrow...

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

OWTK Monthly Music Suggestions - August 2006

Maine Recap coming over the next few days...

Itching for some new music to share with your kids? We hope so, because we have 6 outstanding selections pulled directly from our vaults (ok, half the songs are from kexp.org's massive collection of in-studio live performances).

Without further delay...the OWTK Monthly Music Suggestions for August 2006:

The Magic Numbers "Don't give up the fight" (live on kexp.org)
Pretty much the entire debut album from The Magic Numbers is great music for kid's, but this one is our favorite because of the "Baby, Baby, Please" line which our girl sings along with.

BC Camplight "Wouldn't Mind The Sunshine"
Here is a local Philadelphian who is slightly unknown on this side of the pond (and that includes his hometown). He is far more successful overseas. He creates smart, catchy, and crisp sounding pop music on his debut "Hide, Run Away". Fans of The Shins and Ben Folds would dig this record. This tune is a delightful number which begins slowly with a gently strummed guitar and builds on that with simple piano strokes. It is the punchy hook in the refrain that works for me - "Show me where, it hurts, I'll be there to ease your pain. I'll be the man to dry your eyes". I sing this to my daughter when she skins her knee, stubs a toe, or falls into the couch after spinning so much she cannot walk straight.

Alexi Murdoch "Orange Sky" (live on kexp.org)
Wow! What a beautiful song. I just discovered this on KEXP.org a couple weeks ago. Sounds a lot like Nick Drake, not a bad thing at all. A quiet, slow, love song that is simply gorgeous. Judge for yourself. This is a live version, but a recorded version is included on his most recent release entitled "Time Without Consequence".

John Denver "Grandma's Featherbed"
I remember loving this song as a child and was giddy when I remembered it, randomly, earlier this year. I bought it from iTunes and let our daughter hear it right away. She loved it from the first spin. She plays a wicked air-banjo and sings harmony with the late John Denver. For a time, around her 2nd birthday, she had the entire refrain down and could keep up with the beat. This song was included on her 1st Birthday Mix CD.

The Little Ones "High on a Hill" (live on kexp.org)
The Little Ones "High on a Hill" (album version)
KEXP is what gets me through my workday - streaming audio at my desk. They have been playing a fair amount of The Little Ones recently. This song was recorded live in their studio in July of this year. "High on a Hill" is catchy with a great, jangly beat - it is very danceable. Plus there is an extended handclap bridge in the middle with little shouts in the background (more audible on the album version). What kid doesn't love clapping and shouting? I have provided both the live and studio tracks for your listening pleasure. No doubt your and your family will be dancing around the house to this three minute gem.

James Taylor "Jellyman Kelly"
I had never heard of this one before my wife found a dusty old Sesame Street album in a stack of vinyl records for sale at the old Repo Records in Bryn Mawr last year. Turns out she owned the album when she was growing up and was in love with this James Taylor tune. It is quite a silly number but her and our little girl both love singing along. The relaxed pace of the "Jelly Man Kelly" makes keeping up with the lyrics quite simple, even for younger kids. The studio take is included on the "In Harmony" album we purchased. The performance from the show, with the Sesame Street kids singing along with Taylor, is on the "Songs From The Street: 35 Years Of Music" CD Box Set. This is the version linked above.


If you would like to purchase any of these fine selections for your own music library, please visit your local independent record shop (should one still exist in your town). If you prefer to purchase online or digitally, click on either the Amazon.com or iTunes link to the right (you may need to scroll down a bit). By doing so, you will be helping to support this site (which you love deeply, we know). We will owe you a big hug if we ever cross paths. Thanks in advance!

Want to see what songs were suggested last month?

Enjoy the music!

Disclaimer: If you are the artist, band, label, or publisher of a song featured on OWTK and would not like your track to be available in digital form, Simply email us and we will remove it.

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Off to Maine!

OWTK is officially on the way up to Maine for the weekend. The lakehouse cabin is not equipped with internet access (who knew such places still existed!), so we will have no excuse NOT to be outside in the fresh air.

Thursday - Visiting Portland and the Maine Narrow Gauge Railway
Friday - Matinee performance of Rumpelstiltskin at the Theater at Monmouth

The remainder of the time is wide open, and that is a beautiful thing.

Look for a full recap with photos (hopefully, at least one of which will feature a Moose) early next week.


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

OWTK Bi-Monthly Book Suggestions - August/September 2006

The OWTK book suggestions for August/September include an elegant arachnoid, a happy whistler, a family of bunnies, and discussion of chrysalis.

Sophie's Masterpiece by Eileen Spinelli with illustrations by Jane Dyer
Buy from Amazon.com

My wife fell in love with another of Spinelli's books, "When Mama Comes Home Tonight", which was a gift from my mother just before our girl, then three months old, was to start in daycare. Since, we have searched for other works by the author and recently came upon Sophie's Masterpiece, a spider's tale told with such elegance and with brilliant illustrations that it has become a OWTK household treasure. Sophie is a kind, talented, and thoughtful spider whose weaves were always well regarded by her peers but enjoyed less by the humans she now must call neighbors, in a boarding house. She is seen, by most, as nothing more spectacular than a bug to be swatted at and pushed aside. This is not the case, however, of the one lone resident whose room would become the site of her masterpiece. Sophie's Masterpiece is a tale of kindness, selflessness, and grace. It is one of the most lovely pieces of children's literature that OWTK has come across, and receives our highest recommendation.


Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
Buy from Amazon.com

This classic, simple book is all about persistence. Most children will be able to relate to how rough it is when you try your best but are unable (physically) to do something yet, like whistling.
It is for this reason that Peter, the boy at the center of Whistle for Willie, becomes such a likeable figure that you and your child will want to root for and eventually, when the whistling power finally come to his lips, cheer for him. Our girl does - she will clap and shout "Yay, Peter!" during each read.

Keats captures children's attention with his very clever drawings, which are in direct correlation with the words on the page, bringing clarity to the story. There is a lovely little exchange in the middle of the book between Peter and his mom. It comes out of nowhere, as so many of the most charming childhood moments do, and is a delightfully simple glimpse of a young boy's interaction with his favorite gal, his mother.

A statue of Peter and Willie resides in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Replicas of the statue can be puchased here.


Goodnight Sun, Hello Moon by Karen Viola
Buy from Amazon.com

A clever story about mother and father bunnies trying to convince their little one that it is time to go to bed (a challenging task most parents should be able to relate to!). Each time they explain that it is time for bed, the little bunny sees something else that he absolutely must do, play with, or ask a question about. Our daughter enjoys this book's interesting design as much as she does the pleasant storyline. The pages are fanned in such a way that the bright sun is displayed as the story begins but with each turn of the page it slowly begins to disappear revealing a full moon by the end of the story. Our little bunny will then comment "there goes the sun!". This is a perfect bedtime book - simple and quiet.

The Butterfly by Anna Milbourne

Buy from Amazon.com for $1!

We love the way this book shows the life cycle of this amazing creature in a way very young readers can understand. Our daughter makes the connection at the end that the new catepillars will go through the same transformation that was completed at the start of the story. The illustrations are very well-done providing just the right feel for the book's subjects - flowers, catepillars, etc. Our little one enjoys picking which butterflies are her favorites, counting the catepillar eggs, and consistently shushes us when the butterfly goes to sleep. Milbourne uses very readable language and tone making this book ideal for even very young children.

If you wish to purchase any of these titles, please visit your local independent bookstore or purchase from Powell's or Amazon - by clicking on their ads on the right or the links above. Your online purchases help OWTK - and for that we are extremely thankful.

Jeff Bogle

Out With The Kids

http://www.outwiththekids.com

OWTK featured on Parent Hacks

Out With The Kids was featured on Parent Hacks yesterday. That fine site published our tips on killing time in an airport with kids. Suddenly, this is a very timely piece in light of the elevated (or severe in the U.K.) terror threat. You will most likely be required or expected to arrive even earlier at the airport these days. This, of course, translates into a longer wait to commence what you have gone there to do - fly somewhere!

These tips should help bridge that gap between airport arrival and airplane departure.

Read the article here

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

New York City Weekend - Recap

The "Josh Ritter/NYC" Weekend went off pretty much without a hitch. We traveled from Trenton New Jersey to New York's Penn Station on NJ Transit. We hopped a cab from there to our Marriott hotel in the Financial District. The great folks at the Marriott (our second visit to this one and they have been excellent on both occassions) were able to check us into a westward facing, 35th floor room at 1pm and guaranteed a 2pm late check out, good things indeed. We were happy to be up that high allowing for a wonderful view of the Hudson river and New York Harbor. We could see Ellis Island perfectly from our window.



My parents room faced north, and offered a clear view of the World Trade Center site (as seen above. This photo was taken from their window).
Our daughter loved looking at all the cabs, people, boats, and buildings from that vantage point. All that for only $169, a relative bargain!

After we checked-in, we walked two blocks to the Hudson River and strolled down the Battery Park City Esplanade. The Esplanade, with it's benches, trees, parks, and kids activities along the way made for a lovely walk. We headed south, to the tip of Manhattan, and had the Statue of Liberty in front of us the whole time. At Pier A we boarded the NY Waterway Ferry for a 50 minute cruise up the East River, under the Brooklyn Bridge, around Governor's Island and then pausing at the crown jewel of the harbor - The Statue of Liberty. (all pictures below were taken by OWTK)




There are quite a few ferry companies downtown offering these tourist excursions, but this company provided something a bit different - no waits or lines and an unpretentious, affordable, compact, and frankly, untourist-y sojourn on the NY Waterway Lady Liberty. The tourguide was a local gentleman who sprinkled in a few fun facts along with just the right amount of history giving passengers a glimpse of the Harbor's past, present, and future without gimmicks or shtick (no exaggerated NY accent or stereotypical banter here). He also knew when to be quiet and let the scenery do the talking. There were plenty of calm, quiet moments out on the water. Simply put, it was great. (NY Waterway 50 min Lady Liberty Cruise cost: $15 for adults, $14 for seniors, $12 for students, and kids under 3 are free).

We had a delightful dinner at Quartino, a quaint little Italian spot near the South St. Seaport. This rustic place felt worlds away from the tourist destination that is the Seaport area. The menu consists of mostly organic and homemade pastas and a fish of the day. There is outdoor dining on the cobblestone street giving patrons the chance to people watch. The food was terrific. The cheese plate consisted of three tasty varieties served with walnut clusters and a sliced pear. The whole wheat pizza was incredible - wafer thin, with heaps of melted fresh mozzarella. The Caprese salad was some of the best we have had outside of Italy. I ordered the fish special - poached cod (my 2nd favorite fish - next to Halibut) with spinach and roasted potatoes. Quartino serves up healthy portions (healthy as in good for you, not heaping mounds) of homemade, delicious, and moderately priced Italian food. (Dinner for four adults with our daughter sharing a bit of everything was $105 (including tip) which included a $27 bottle of Chianti for my parents).



After dinner we walked the three blocks to the Seaport - Pier 17 and watched Josh Ritter play brilliantly for 1hr 15min. Our girl made it through an hour before she had to use the potty. While she was gone he closed the show with her favorite song, "Snow is Gone". I quickly broke out the videocamera so she would not totally miss the performance but, as it turned out, she watched most of the song with Mom from Pizzeria Uno's (the nearest potty) steps - giving her a great view. She got to meet Josh afterwards and gave him a high-five. I love my daughter.



A 100% perfect day and night.

Day two saw us take the subway to the American Museum of Natural History (of course, we got on the wrong train and ended up in Queens for a spell!). The AMNH is one of the finest museums we have ever visited. I could spend all day there. Just a gorgeous and serene place. You may recall a subtle TIAA-CREF commercial with a janitor quielty sweeping darkened halls with animal scenes as a backdrop. That was shot in the North American Mammal wing of the museum. We also took in the Darwin exhibit that is closing on August 20th. It too was spectacular.

Because of our late start and E train mishap, our time in the museum was unfortunately cut short. We wanted to get our girl to Central Park for a couple spins on the Carousel as well, so we ended up rushing the museum a bit and walking the 14 blocks to the carousel. She had a blast and really enjoyed the whole weekend. We wish we could have stayed over Saturday night as well, but it was just not in the budget. The weather (high's in the mid-70's) could not have been better for a mid-August weekend in Manhattan. We look forward to another NYC visit this coming winter.


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Sharing a childhood favorite with our daughter

In response to The Lovely Mrs. Davis Tells You Want To Think's question, to celebrate the launch of Sesame Street's 37th season this Tuesday:

What television, music, movie or book from your childhood are you excited about sharing with your own children?

We at Out With The Kids are quite giddy in anticipation of introducing, on film and on the stage, our daughter to my wife's favorite childhood movie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The 1968 movie, based on the Ian Fleming book, starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes is a hilarious ride with many funny moments and touching songs. Chitty is a bit goofy and campy, yes...but it remains a wonderful and classic family film.

Before there was a lil' OWTK, my wife and I saw Chitty performed on London's West End - complete with flying car - and were amazed at how brilliant the stage show was. The production recently blew through Broadway but our daughter was far too young for that experience. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the stage success, on both sides of the pond, will lead to a revival of this stage show in a few years allowing us to take in the show as a family.




We are also excited to introduce her to Fragile Rock, Peanuts Comic Strips, and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

Also, we are thinking about taking our girl to see Mary Poppins on Broadway next year - after she turns three in March. Another childhood classic that we cannot wait to share with her.

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Peanut Butter & Ellies - A Cafe for Kids

The OWTK family has never been to Portland, Oregon but the presence of this cafe for kids may be enough to justify a future family vacation! Not to be confused with "kid-friendly" or simply a restaurant with ultra-limited kids menu, Peanut Butter & Ellie's is a dining establishment specifically in the business of serving good, natural, and interesting food to children (and their adult companions).

PB&E's was recently featured on the Food Network program Unwrapped and earlier this year, mentioned in USA Today - so the secret is officially out of the bag! In fact, they have announced on their site, that while the original PB&E's is currently undergoing renovations, they are looking to expand and turn the PB&E idea into a franchise. Sounds extremely tempting to us...

...So, while we scrap together the funds to open our little cafe someday we will continue to be in awe of their experiment and their success. OWTK encourages all those who find themselves living in or traveling through the Portland area with kids to pay them a visit. They seem like good folks promoting some of the same causes as OWTK: raising healthy, happy, and interesting young people. They are also quite active in their own community, hosting numerous parenting groups and providing links to organizations tackling tough societal issues such as protecting kids from pervasive corporate marketing - another one near and dear to Out With The Kids. In fact, we recently designed a tee shirt over at our Cafe Press shop addressing the disturbing and ever-growing use of our kids as commercial entities.

Peanut Butter & Ellie's serves up homemade peanut butter, baby food and a variety of other food and drink options focusing on organic, local, and sustainable products - all at fair prices (between $3.50-$10 for most entrees). Those prices are lower than most restaurant's frozen, thawed, and fried kid's chicken finger platter! Check out the full PB&E menu.

There is a $1 off coupon available to print, color, and use until 11/31/2006 (which may mean, technically, December 1st as there are only 30 days in the eleventh month of the year).


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

New Resident of Sesame Street

Season 37 of Sesame Street begins on August 14th and when it does the world will be introduced to a new Muppet: Abby Cadabby. Abby is the first new female character in 13 years. She is a young, pink "fairy-in training" and is the daughter of a Fairy Godmother. According to Sesame Street, her catch-phrase will be "that's so magic". While the character does seem overtly marketable, the addition of a strong female muppet was long overdue and should be applauded.

Along with the introduction of Abby, Season 37 will also feature guest appearances by Jamie Foxx, Matt Lauer, Amy Sedaris, and John Legend.

Read The New York Times take on this new character. (photo taken from their article)

Official Sesame Workshop Website



Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

GeoCaching - Outdoor Adventure for the Whole Family

GeoCaching is a tremendously unique and fun global positioning system (GPS) game that involves travel, the great outdoors, creativety, geography, and a sense of adventure.

This game is played in two ways: You can use your GPS device to locate containers/capsules (called Caches) and/or you can put caches together, hide, and "manage" them yourself (see below).

Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about this relatively new hobby.

To build a cache, you place items such as: a disposable camera, local currency, music CDs, etc. into a container (tupperware is a popular option as it tends to be fairly weather resistent and long lasting). What you include in your Cache is totally up to you - so be inventive, but sensible (ie: no food or dangerous stuff). You also will want to include a notebook/log book in your cashe. This allows for geocashers to communicate with you and others who will find your cache in the future.

The next step is placement - you will need to leave/hide it somewhere in the world. This usually means in your own area - as you are responsible for checking up on your cache to make sure the area around it is in good repair. You will also want to read the log and discover who has stopped by and what was removed and/or added to the cache.

You must then register your cache and it's coordinates (longitude and latitude - using a GPS device) into the GeoCaching.com website. This will put your cache in play, allowing other geocachers to locate it. This is a free service with a premium upgrade option.

You need a GPS device to play this game, and they can range in price from around $85 up to several hundred dollars. You can, however, rent a GPS system for your family vacation/adventure for a modest sum of around $30.

Visit the website and enter your Zip Code - see how many caches are located in your neighborhood and read a bit about each one. Chances are there will be plenty within ten miles or so of where you and your family are right now.

Geocaching is a terrific way to engage your tweens and older kids and be outdoors as a family. These adventures are appropriate for the entire gang. For example, you can let your little ones leave a silly little toy or baseball card behind in another's cache or be creative and have them draw something on scrap paper in hopes that another little boy or girl comes along next to discover it.

There is a clever little frog names Signal who is one of the Geocaching mascots. He is available on kids clothes and as a stuffed animal. Perfect for your little geocachers!

Additional Resources:

WheresGeorge.com - Previous discussed on OWTK. A great way to pass around some currency when implemented along with geocaching. It is recommended that you write wheresgeorge.com on the currency (so folks check out the website and register it as well!)

Geo Merchandise - including containers/capsules/log books and more

Groundspeak's Cafe Press shop

GeoCaching Guidelines

Tips on Hiding your 1st Cache

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Picnic in the Park

Have a picnic! A traditional day out with the kids. Pack up some PB&J sandwiches (or another household favorite/easy to make and travel-with food), some beverages, plates, napkins, and snacks and head off to a local, state, or national park. Unless your destination is right around the corner, you will also most likely need a cooler of some sort to transport your delicious meal.

This past Saturday we headed over to Valley Forge National Park on a whim for a picnic dinner of Egg Salad in Pita Pockets, pretzels, lemonade, and yogurt. Having our trusty National Wildlife Federation car blanket with us, we decided to bypass the picnic table areas for an open bluff just off of a parking lot. The spot was ideal - big patch of well manicured grass, high elevation overlooking the battlefields, and well-shaded (at 6pm). We brought no toys, just a frisbee, knowing that there would be an abundance of open fields for running, sticks for collecting, and birds to watch. We were also lucky enough to see five airplanes pass overhead, which is always a treat for most youngsters (Philly Airport is only 30 miles away). This, along with the meal, was more than enough to occupy our little one for a couple hours.

A picnic can be a relaxing time for a family to enjoy each others' company and revel in the sunshine. Spending your breakfast/lunch/dinner in a state or national park also allows for some on-site history lessons/discussions should you so desire. We walked around an encampment and went into a couple log cabin houses. Our girl was intrigued, and we talked about how different it would be to live in these cabins (dirt floors, no bathrooms, etc.) than in our house, but we kept the historical importance and relevance of the cabins very high level.

A bit about Valley Forge Park:
The Park's Driving Encampment tour is a wonderful way to see the entire park and then decide when and where to pull over, do some walking, picture taking, and (hopefully, if you read the first part of this post) picnicing. The tour, which begins behind the visitors center, will take you and your family up, over, and through most of the battlefield and under a covered bridge. There are numerous parking lots off of the single lane road as well as occasional spots along the road itself. These make for easy sightseeing pit stops. Keep in mind that much of this drive takes place on a one way stretch of road, meaning that if you miss something your wanted to see - you either must pull over at your next available opportunity and walk backwards (not literally, unless you typically enjoy doing so) or make the entire loop again. So be sure to drive at a decent pace (read: not too fast), allowing for quick pulloffs. Each of the five marked Encampment tour stops offer several log cabins to tour, inside and out. Our picnic spot comes shortly after the 4th, just beyond Washington's Headquarters. The entrance to the lot is on the right, and the wide open and flat patch of grass will be straight ahead of you. In addition to the great views and abudant history at Valley Forge Park you are also bound to encounter some deer. We saw a group of seven grazing behind the 1st encampment site and one deer enjoying some dinner alone, just off the road beyond the covered bridge. Their presence in the park should delight your children. Have your cameras ready as photo-ops should be plentiful, thanks in part to the many trees around the park which cast lovely shadows on a sunny day. I should also mention that a summer weekend late afternoon or early evening, when we arrived, seems like a great time to enjoy the park. The crowds were sparse, parking spots were readily available, and the weather quite pleasant.

Online resources:
Valley Forge Park - NPS Site
Valley Forge, PA - Vistors Bureau
National Park Service
Valley Forge Park - On-Site Kids Activities
History of Valley Forge
Valley Forge Park - Online Kids Activities


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

NYC Weekend

OWTK will be visiting New York City this coming weekend - spending Friday night in Lower Manhattan. We will be in town to see Josh Ritter at the South Street Seaport, visit American Girl Place, and tour the American Museum of Natural History.


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Cloth Diapers (Seriously)

Cloth Diapers. Yes, they are still around and people do still use them. No, you will not have your child's poo all over the place (hopefully!). Since our daughter was 2 months old we have used Cloth diapers in the home (we sent her to daycare with Luvs disposables). Many of the modern cloth diapers look, feel, and operate much differently from the ones our grandmothers used many years ago (read: no need for safety pins!).

We sampled several brands (Mother-Ease, among others) before deciding on Fuzzi Bunz.

All of the cloth diapers we researched and sampled are produced in and sold out of Canada. The Baby Marketplace has been a tremendously reliable store for us over the past two years. We have placed several orders and have sent numerous email inquires to the store and have had nothing but positive experiences. Plus, they offer freebies with each order and free shipping when you spend $40 (they sell a lot more than cloth diapers - shoes, clothes, bath toys, etc). Another great online retailer, if you also decide on Fuzzi Bunz, is the Fuzzi Bunz Store. They to are helpful and a great online source for cloth diapers, tips, and information.

Fuzzi Bunz diapers come in various sizes and colors but don't come cheap, priced at just under $15 a piece (but can be had for a bit less if you buy a package containing multiple diapers and liners) and therefore are not an option for everyone. While this big upfront cost may seem outrageous, if they are used frequently and for multiple children (ie: you buy them for your first and continue to use them for your 2nd, 3rd, etc), they do begin to pay dividends. Plus it is less waste in your local landfill.

Basically, the diaper consists of two pieces. The first is the outer shell, which is a waterproof nylon on the outside and a very soft terry fabric inside. The second is a terry or hemp liner (your choice) which slides into the shell (there is a slit in one side of the diaper - between the nylon shell and the interior fabric). Typically, we would use one liner during the day and two for naptime/bedtime (often called a "doubler"). There are six snaps along the top and three on each side of the diaper for easy closing (allowing you to adjust how tight/loose you secure the Fuzzi Bunz around your child's waist and thighs). We found the terry liners to be quite absorbant and experienced very few leaks. When she would go BM, we would simply drop that into the toilet (BM should not be wrapped up in a diaper and thrown out anyway!). The messy BMs were a different matter which required a hearty rinse in the kitchen sink or bathtub.

There are more positive outcomes of using cloth, aside from the reduction of household waste. Your child should experience fewer rashes while using these diapers, compared to the disposables. Plus, they are far more comfortable and softer on their little bottoms.

The diapers wash up very well with a hot rinse and then a cold wash - tumble the liners and hang dry the outer shells. We do not have a clothesline, so we hung them on regular pants-hangers; you can fit three on one hanger. We purchased 15 diapers of each size (as she grew), meaning we were doing a load every couple days. While the Fuzzi Bunz waited to be cleaned they sat in a standard diaper pal. We registered for the Diaper Champ as a shower gift because we knew the more popular Diaper Genie was not compatible with cloth diapers. We also purchased a washable pal liner, however it didn't fit properly in the Diaper Champ and didn't wash up too well either (always felt slimy and retained too much water in the wash), so we dropped the diapers directly into the pail.

We have since moved on to underwear, as you may recall from previous posts, but we loved using these well made, comfortable, and attractive cloth diapers. Thanks to the variety of colors available, we often were able to let our daughter go with just her Fuzzi Bunz and a coordinated tee shirt during the warmer months. Our biggest problem was convincing folks that these were, in fact, diapers and not shorts or bloomers!

They are all clean now and packed away, eager for the arrival of our next child (before you ask: no, that last statement is not a new baby announcement!)

Additional Resources:

Official Fuzzi Bunz Website

Official Mother Ease Diaper Website

Real Diaper Association - Reasons to use Cloth


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Coming Up - A Long Weekend in Maine

In two weeks, OWTK will be packing up the family car and heading north - to a lakehouse in Central Maine, for a long weekend. My brother and his family have graciously extended us an offer to join them for a spell during their two week stay in the Pine Tree State. Plans are still being made, with special attention being paid to NOT schedule too much. We will, for sure, be spending some time at the Maine Narrow Guage Railway - as my nephew is a train enthusiast. There is also talk of seeing a matinee, all-ages performance of Rumpelstiltskin at the Theater at Monmouth.

The bulk of the weekend will hopefully be spent lakeside, canoeing, cooking fresh fish and lobster on the grill, and enjoying the time with family in what is said to be one of the finest states in the Union.

Been to Maine already? Want to share an upcoming event or a must-see spot in the central part of the state? Leave a comment with the details.


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

Visual Awareness "Game" - Selective Looking

Quick post today...Follow this link to a fun little experiment that was featured on Dateline NBC two and a half years ago. You will need Java to run the video.

Instructions from the developers:
"When viewing the video, try to count the total number of times that the people wearing white pass the basketball. Do not count the passes made by the people wearing black. When you're done, visit the "inattentional blindness" link for more information. "

After you count the passes: Go ahead and watch the video again without focusing on the passes, the folks in white, or the counting. See anything you may have missed the first time around?

Your older kids will be floored by the tricks our minds play on us. Peruse the other experiments as well, for more science fun.


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com

At the Car Wash - A Cure for the Oppressive Heat

Here is an idea for some good ol' fashion family fun that is as productive as it is enjoyable. Get in your bathing suits or old clothes, grab the hose, a bucket, multi-purpose cleaner/soap, a few rags and/or sponges, the radio/cd player and wash the family car together. This activity is a blast with little kids still facsinated with water, bubbles, and the like and involves teamwork, physical activity, and being outdoors. The results should be a lot of laughter, clean car(s), and wet bottoms.

A few tips before you head outside:

• Pay attention to the cleaner/soap you use. Many are not appropriate for use on car paint. A product like this is what should be used to ensure no damage is done or slimey residue left behind.
• Make sure it is not supposed to rain (it can be rather demoralizing to see your hard work literally washed away).
• Roll up all the car windows - you only want to wash the OUTSIDE of the car!
• Have a few extra towels set aside for drying (waterstains will make the car look dirtier than when you started). You will also want to dry yourselves off before heading back indoors.
• If employing your real little ones in this endeavor, have a separate bucket just for them with water and a gentle soap (Mr. Bubbles from the bathtub will work perfectly!). You will not want your young kids working with a Mr. Clean-type of chemical product.

Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com