What we DID do on Saturday

It took a few days for me to recant this day. After the 8am traffic nightmare on Saturday morning we headed home only to turn right around go back to Philly. Insane? Quite. Not my idea.

And guess what, we got stuck in more traffic on I-476 South (The Blue Route). My head almost exploded.

We finally got to Nick's Original Roast Beef in South Philly for lunch. If you've never been, you must find your way. Without a doubt the finest roast beef/roast pork sandwiches you will ever have the priviledge of tasting. It was our lovely daughter's first Nick's Roast Beef sandwich and she loved it.

We didn't drive all the way back into town for a sandwich though. The end result of this trip to Philly was to be a visit to the Franklin Institute, in time for the 2pm NIGHT SKY Planetarium show. During the world-renowned King Tut exhibit all but one of the hourly Planetarium showing is the standard Night Sky, the rest are "Stars of the Pharaohs" (which I am sure is lovely, but we wanted the plain jane night sky version). Weeeeellllll...we entered the building with 5 minutes to spare only to find the admissions line about 40 people deep. AAAAHH!

The Franklin Institute might be the only major museum NOT to have installed automated ticketing machines to facilitate the crowds and complex menu of packages, add-ons, etc. So, instead a handful of probably-poorly paid workers must go over the variety of choices to each and every person. It is no surprise then that the line is over an hour deep. Completely flustered by this point, staring around the giant, packed full of people, great hall of the Institute I spotted the membership booth completely empty. 8 minutes later, I was a member at the 2xMyAge Under-35 member rate. This gets me one year of entry plus a guest each time. Since kids under 4 are free, it made no sense to spend $23 more for the family membership - only to get the same thing. We were offered, and took, $15pp King Tut tickets good between now and the end of the exhibit (9/30/07) - that is 1/2 price - so expect a full review in August.

We had a pretty nice time, although I was unable to shake the disappointment of not being in Vienna, VA for the Joe McDermott show. We never did make the Planetarium show either. The doors closed just as we ran down the steps after becoming members and because it is first come first served seating, the line for the next show begins to form as the doors close for the prior show - meaning someone in your group must give up an hour of their life to stand there are wait.

After leaving The Franklin Institute we walked across the block to the Logan Square fountain and played around in the water for about an hour. At one point, my girl was lying flat in the very public fountain water with her dress still on and soaked. Pretty funny. She had a blast and that is what counts. Dad was a sweaty mess ready to go home.

I have a lot of photos and info on The Franklin Institute and hope to turn all of that into a full review, at least of the membership options (very reasonable) and the sections we visited (Kid Science, Space Travel, Franklin Air and of course, the famous Heart). Stay tuned!

If our family car was a helicopter...

We would be in Vienna, VA right now getting ready for the Joe McDermott show. Since we have a grounded Subaru, we are home this morning. What a crap-fest our attempted drive from Bucks County, PA (where our girl was, spending the evening at Grandmom's) to Virginia turned out to be. We hit bumper to bumper traffic just south of the Philly airport on I-95 that had us sitting pretty much still for nearly an hour. By the time we got past the small amount of Saturday morning construction causing the mess, it was way too late for us to realistically have a prayer of getting passed D.C. and to the venue for the show. Considering McDermott doesn't seem to get to the East Coast very often, miserable doesn't quite capture my feeling right now.

Here is some of the traffic, so you can visually share in the fun we had.







We saw a dozen or so planes coming in to land from our spot on the highway. What fun.

The Ballad of Phineas McBoof

Playing out like an audio-only E! Hollywood Story for the preschool set, this fictitious tale of a wayward musical genius, who also happens to be a monkey, is as original as children's entertainment gets. Phineas is a banana lovin' guitar wizard who has attained an insane and unwanted level of fame which has him itching for a change of scenery. His live performances are a sea of Beatles-esque screams from the crowd, making it impossible to hear his music. As a result he ditches his home, his fans and his fame to reconnect with his passion, the music itself. After a bit of table-setting, this is where our peek in on the life and times of Phineas McBoof commences. His efforts to stay under the radar, however, prove to be short-lived. Along the way on his nautical adventure he meets a crazy collection of fine players and forms The International Band of Misunderstood Geniuses. The band goes on to become world famous, propelling Phineas back in the public eye.

The dialogue and interplay between the characters is charming and funny. The story, in addition to being extremely clever, also teaches listeners about the instruments being played, the sounds each makes and the variety of musical genres employed by the Misunderstood Geniuses. Oh, and there are terrific songs as well! The story is so endearing and funny that the music can be overshadowed but shouldn't be at all. You will enjoy the musical adventure of The Ballad of Phineas McBoof as much as the story itself.

With a new CD (The Return of Phineas McBoof) and storybook due this fall, one can envision Dr. Noize's creation becoming as adored as Morgan Taylor's Gustafer Yellowgold.

Doctor Noize Official Website

Listen to the entire album (from CDBaby)!

The Rest of the Story

On Sunday, Greg from MindFlakes invited my family to a charming nature area called Robbins' Park and to lunch at a cool spot in Ambler called K.C.'s Alley. It was a wonderful time, their nearly 5 year old boy and my 3 1/3 year old gal ran, raced, jumped and played like best friends - despite only seeing each other a depressingly low number of times, maybe once or twice, each year.



In creepy pond we saw a big bull frog, a handful of turtles and some neat little orange fish. It was a swell time with old friends.





My gal was a sweetie all Sunday and I woke up Monday unable to shake the feeling that we should do something fun. So we played hooky from school and work and drove out to Hershey, PA for a tour of Chocolate World and a stroll around the Hershey Gardens. We had a blast. We rode the free tour of the "Factory" (once the home of the actual factory - now just a neat show about how Hershey's makes their world famous Kisses, Hershey Bars, Resees, Kit Kats and more). They give everyone a free mini-bag of Kissables after the ride.

It is possible to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the sweetest place on Earth for hardly a dime (even parking is free for the first two hours - although it jumps to $8 for the next couple), although it is not likely that you and yours will be able to escape the huge gift shop without flashing the plastic. Luckily, the good people at American Express had my back.

Be warned that lunch inside Chocolate World is pretty lame, although dessert, as you could imagine, is not. The menu options are limited and the $7.99 Kid's Lunchbox special was a make your own PB&J (or a premade Ham/Turkey and Cheese). Seriously, there were two pieces of white bread and little plastic containers of peanut butter and jelly inside.
Is too much to ask that for $8 they assemble the food for us?


Dessert, in the FactoryWorks section, was better. A singing bakery worker made a custom cupcake for my gal. You choose the cake (vanilla or chocolate), the icing (those same two plus peanut butter are the options) and the toppings (anything Hershey makes). That was yummy, cool and reasonably priced.

You would be better served packing a lunch and enjoying the free Chocolate World tour as many times as you wish. Despite how long the lines look, it moves very quickly and remember there are three lines down the steps to the platform to board the little cars! (you may be able to get right in front of the line, as we did, because the herd will line up behind one another leaving 2 of the 3 lanes wide open).

The Hershey Gardens are worth the visit. In addition to the cool view of the amusement park below, there is an impressive Children's Garden with a butterfly house - featuring over 300 butterflies. Inside the Children's Garden is a little maze, Kisses-shaped Old-Faithful styled water fountains, some percussive musical "instruments" and a ton of herbs, flowers and more to scratch and sniff. The Gardens encourage contact with the flowers to learn about the fragrances of peppermint and more. Really, a fun time. We spent hours in the kid's area and never felt bored. Each summer Sunday evening their is a musical performance in there.

I love the idea of playing hooky. I announced my intention to do this kind of thing several times a year throughout their school years long before the kids were born. I think it is fun, of course, but also critical as a way to show that while school is important, so it getting out there in the world as a family and experiencing life together with some spontaneity. That is what OWTK did this week and it was worth every minute (and penny)!

Where to begin

I have been woefully absent from this page lately. Work is busy, home life hectic, blah blahblah...

Anyway, the OWTK 4 had a pretty cool, long weekend. So, let's begin at the start. On Friday (my Friday off - man I love that schedule at work) we decided on a trip to the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown. Last time there we became members and this was our triumphant return. We arrived 1/2 hour after they opened to find about a dozen school buses just unloading their cargo. ugh!
As a result, we did not have as good a time as I envisioned. The place was mobbed and we could hardly move around the smallish animal park.

Afterwards, we stopped at the very cool Frosty Falls for ice cream cones. Little did we know, Frosty Falls also serves as a sandwich shop. I spotted Sarcone's style sesame seed rolls in a brown paper bag above spotless stainless steel deli slicers and couldn't help myself. I passed on a cone for an fresh sliced Italian hoagie. We would end up eating lunch and ice cream, enjoying the amazing breeze coming off the falls at their one high top table in the corner.

With bellies full, we sat outside on one of the benches angeled to look towards the scenic vista, watching the falls, looking for bugs and seeing our girl jump and dance around.

Not wanting to head home just yet as the weather was so incredibly perfect. Seriously, when was the last time it was 70 degrees, sunny and breezy with no humidity in late-July around these East Coast parts?

while the kiddies slept soundly in the back. We were listening to the So, we took a very out of the way drive up Rt 422 to Pottstownsuperb new album from Okkervil River called "The Stage Names" (when you pre-order from SCDistribution.com you get an email with a link to download the full records two weeks early - how rad!) so I did not mind the drive at all. With nice weather and great music, I could drive forever.

We ended up at March Creek Park where we considered a lake boat tour (1 hr tour would cost $45 for the three of us over the age of 3 - that is nuts! Almost at much as the NY Waterway tour of New York Harbor!). We passed and instead just enjoyed the wind and watched others paddle, sail, and (wind) surf. #2 likes the feel of the grass on her little 7-week old toes. Too damn cute.

An awesome day, mostly out of doors. Okay, this is getting too long. I will spread it out a bit and post separately about the fun we had on Sunday and Monday (when my gal and I played hooky!)

Empire Today, Finger Snaps and 1 Organic Baby

What a craptastic night. We are hoping to have some serious work done on our home and as a result the Mrs. has been having a sort of Open House for contractors. Tonight, a salesman from Empire Today - the large siding and window place - stopped over for a prolonged visit. We have not been so annoyed since the water softener guy from many years ago. That visit ended in me slightly verbally abusing the nimrod until he split. This character was dealing pretty much solely with my wife as I was in the bedroom on the laptop trying to see if Adobe lets you install Illustrator on more than one computer after you purchase it (we are close to buying a new MacBook Pro). Seems he put the hard make-up-your-mind-now sales pitch on at the end and said that he could not guarantee the quote come tomorrow. How freakin' insane is that? What about the job - labor or materials - will change overnight. What a lame fool. When the Mrs. explained that she would be an idiot not to obtain more quotes he acted like a child (this is when I returned - unfortunately a bit too late to catch the brilliant exchange) and did not say a word as he packed up his glorified girl scout kit and left in a huff. What a professional. Keep this in mind if you would ever think about calling Empire Today for one of those "free in home quotes."

In cooler news, my gal can snap her fingers - on both hands at the same time too - which is pretty awesome.

Naomi from superdumb supervillain sent this link over to show off her pregnant self in a maternity t-shirt I designed and she won during the OWTK 1st Anniversary Party. If you too would like to look this stylish, head on over to The World's Fair T-Shirt and Gift Shop. The prices are sweet right now but I can't guarantee them if you wait till tomorrow. ha!
Thanks Naomi and Happy Birthday to Jasper! I hope everything goes swimmingly for you and your little baby boy!

Ever wonder how many butterflies are needed to hold a "Butterfly Festival"

Me neither, but we found out yesterday. Seems only three (3) butterflies are required to hold and heavily promote/advertise a Butterfly Festival. We traveled to the Shadybrook Farm Butterfly extravaganza on Sunday only to discover what may have been the world's lamest "Festival" - of any kind. They had a caged up butterfly bush with three - 1,2,3 - butterflies inside. WOW! That was entertaining for all of 18 seconds.

There were arts and crafts for the kids that consisted of a sticker sheet and a piece of blank paper. On a half dozen picnic tables, there were coloring sheets and cheap crayons that were unusable because they were melting in the sun. Shadybrook Farm also had dollar store quality plastic visors ($2), shirts ($8) and butterfly wings ($5) for sale, for coloring with markers (available to borrow, only with a purchase). But that's not all! The kicker was the $3 fee to get and release a butterfly. So, just so you understand fully - they wanted you to give them $3 for the chance to hold in an envelope - for a brief moment - a butterfly, only to set it free with all the other suckers who coughed up $3. Yeah, the 2007 Butterfly Festival!

We spent the rest of the day poolside, where we saw fluttering by my mom's cage-free bushes at least 4 butterflies - each with a rye smile on their face.

Get caught up with OWTK

Has it really been a week since my last post? I am fairly certain that OWTK has never been dormant for such a length. Here is a quick run down of life in the OWTK house over the past 7 days.

• My oldest gal is now 3 1/3 and is swimming without arm swimmies/bubbles. She began the season in an over the head tube-like device around her waist, quickly moved up to inflatable arm bubbles and this past weekend ditched even those as she doggy-paddled the width of my parents in-ground pool.
  

• Last week, we discovered that we lost a dear friend. Pinky the dog was left outside a couple weeks back and after braving the elements, including multiple thunderstorms, he had to be put down (into the garbage bin.) A painful lesson was learned that day, about taking care of your belongings. She was one of my girl's favorite bedtime snuggle puppies.

• Drop offs at the new school are now without incident. No clinging - just a kiss, a hug and a lot of waving goodbye. Can't tell ya how happy that makes me.
  

• Really digging the band Pela. Discovered the DINNER WITH THE BAND video podcast (awesome) and A Better Offer is featuring this wonderful group for the next couple weeks. Check that out.
  

• I have a couple nice coupon codes for Cafepress. In case y'all wanted to pick up a little something from World's Fair. Save $10 off $40 - use code DES159 - Expires July 15 or Save $3 off $10 - use code NCD159 - also Expires July 15.

• Finally executed a perfect shopping trip at Whole Foods on Sunday which means I was able to cook real meals all week, well not tonight - we got a pizza and fries. Monday night was Bone-In Pork chops with applesauce (more on that in the next bullet) and a baked potato. Tuesday night was crumbled sweet Italian sausage with red sauce over spaghetti. Last night I did flank steak over yellow rice with chips and salsa. Yummy!

• So, we normally make our own applesauce. It is insanely easy and quite fun to mix in pears, cinnamon, etc. But at the store, I picked up a big glass jar of Ela Family Farm's Organic Gala Gala Applesauce and man, let me tell ya - it is the best stuff I have ever tasted. Find it, buy it and enjoy. You will not be disappointed.
  

• I finally got back to the gym. Now that #2 is getting into a little bit of a routine, the Mrs. can pick up #1 from school and allow me to workout after my boring day at the office.
  

• While I have been absent from this space, I have been busier than usual over at Families.com. Read my review of the board game Sequence Jr. or 5 cool ways to beat the heat.
  

Keeping Promises

Promises, their importance and, specifically, the importance of keeping them, has been a big topic in my home recently. My girl has gotten into the habit of promising not to talk back, promising not to flip out when I drop her off at camp, promising to put her shoes and clothes away when she takes them off, and so on. I have been stressing the need to keep such promises, to follow through on what you say you will do in life. There is, after all, not much worse the dealing with an individual (adult or child) who talks to much and acts to little. A major thing to keep in mind when trying to teach a child any lesson is to live the message yourself ("Be the change you want to see in others", to quote Gandhi), so I have been taking extra special care to follow through on every single promise I make to her and her mother.

Recently, on our short trip to camp/school, she asked to listen to "Ride, Ride, Ride" by Joe McDermott. The song was about half way through when we pulled into the parking lot. We hung out in the car, listening to the end before unbuckling and heading towards the school's bright red door. That song was recorded live and is still her favorite on the disc. I said to her how cool it would be to see him perform it live in person. I told her that if McDermott ever came to town, or to any town within driving distance, we would be there.

Her response: "Do you promise?"

Well, I am super duper excited to have learned that Joe McDermott is playing in Vienna, Virginia at Jammin' Java (a venue I just read about in Paste Magazine) on Saturday July 28th.

We are so freakin' there!

And we will be able to make a day out of it with her and her little sister, in either D.C. or Baltimore's Inner Harbor on the way back home. Yippie!

Arnie the Doughnut Contest - Winners!

Congratulations to Phil from A Family Runs Through It and Jill D. They each won a copy of the new Scholastic DVD - Arnie the Doughnut and Other Fantastic Adventure Stories. Thanks to everyone for reading and playing along!

Sucky Weekend (almost)

OWTK was teetering on the brink of a crappy weekend. It was so very close to being a miserable waste of two gorgeous days.

On Friday night, I conjured up whimsical visions of a metropolitan weekend affair - Philly on Saturday and the Big Apple on Sunday. There's just something about mid-70 degree summertime temps that push me downtown rather than to a local park.

Our start on Saturday, however, was so damn late that my goal of being inside the National Constitution Center as they opened at 9:30am did not even come close to happening. We got to the city around noon and had a quick pizza lunch at Rustica in Northern Liberties. Olde city was packed, so we ditched the original idea and just popped over to Franklin Square Park for an hour - enough time for 5 carousel rides and some playground time for #1 and myself - while the Mrs. fed #2 in the car parked along Arch St.

Sunday was better. I made it to NYC - from driveway to parking garage near Battery Park - in 1 hr 45 min. I was pretty impressed with myself. It was an idyllic day in Manhattan, perfect for #2's first trip to the big city. Even better, she slept the whole way up and for much of lunch. That is quite a rarity. She, unlike her older sis at the same age, is not able to get comfortable for long stretches (say 10 minutes at a time...maybe). We ate at the pleasant, but grossly overpriced tourist destination Battery Gardens. Do you have to pay $21 to eat a cheeseburger with a view of the Statue of Liberty? No, you don't at all...but we did. It is places like Battery Gardens that make everyone who doesn't live in the city think that NYC is WAY out of their price range - which is completely false. In NYC, it is easy to have some of the best food and experiences of your life for the same price as a crappy Outback Steakhouse meal and a trip to the local multiplex back home. Don't let people tell you otherwise.

While in the city, we again rode the NY Waterway Lady Liberty boat around the East River, New York Harbor, Statue of Liberty and Hudson River. I spent the previous night dreaming of being on the water in NYC and was fortunate to be able to make that dream come true the following afternoon. After lunch we strolled up Battery Park, hung out at a cool little dog park so #1 could watch and giggle at the antics of the nearly dozen dogs playing together, and watch the bikers, rollerbladers and city kids playing freely along the Hudson. We also enjoyed gelato while looking out over a fancy boat slip.

I cannot visit Manhattan without wanted to start looking for a place to live. Luckily my wife is there to remind me how we have no chance of affording such a lifestyle. If only I could sell more tee shirts (hint hint...buy something!)