A few months back we decided it would be a great idea to purchase a family membership to the Academy of Natural Sciences here in Philadelphia. We had gone with friends of our prior to that and Eamon absolutely fell in love with it. Over the previous few years we had stuck with the smaller museums such as The Delaware Museum of Natural History because they are super (younger) kid friendly and do not put that much of a sensory overload onto him. All of the yelling of kids, echoes, feet stomping, and attractions can make life difficult for kids with sensory issues, but DelMNH was (and still is) always a place he loved to go (and the price for admission is great...and I always found coupons using my Recyclebank Account!). But thanks to a discount coupon we found, we were able to afford the membership - which has already paid for itself AND MORE!



The Academy of Natural Sciences is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas. At its inception, Philadelphia was THE hub for education and culture in our new nation, so, as explorers were venturing deeper into the western part of North America (and the rest of the world), the artifacts and species being collected were brought back to be studied and cataloged. The collections expanded so rapidly through gifts, purchases, and exchanges - as well as expeditions - that the Academy outgrew its building three times in 60 years. In 1876, its present home was built at 19th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, then the outskirts of town and now the heart of Philadelphia's cultural district. With the opening of the new building, the Academy became a modern museum with areas for exhibitions and public lectures. *

When visiting the museum it is difficult to imagine but it is still largely used for scientific research in fields such as biochemistry, ecological modeling, botany, entomology, and, of course, paleontology. In fact, there is a room where you can watch them chip and brush away at dinosaur bones! In addition, the building holds the Ewell Sal Stewart Library, which holds nearly 200,000 volumes of works on natural science research dating back to the early 15th Century and is a logistical hub for environmental policy and urban sustainability.



There are several levels of the museum dedicated to the education and discovery of the natural world with everything from giant dinosaur bones, a butterfly house, a theater, and dioramas of animals from around the world. Eamon's favorite is the North American Hall, where we absolutely MUST visit the moose (Dubbed the "FrankenMoose" thanks to the story shared by our friends as well as one of the curators. The original moose had its head swapped out for one with larger antlers as a form of friendly competition with other museums.) The "Outside In" playroom is also a must do, especially if your kids are younger. There is a little sand pit that is great for sensory play as well as several animals to see and sometimes touch including turtles, snakes, a rabbit, and bugs. There is even a large bee hive!




Every few months there is a special exhibit on the firs floor of the museum. During the summer there was a great one called "Backyard Adventures" where you could play mini golf, see how fast your pitch was, ride a bee bike...oh, and learn some great things about the plants and creatures that live right outside your door. Now, that has been swapped for a great exhibit called "Tiny Titans" showcasing real dinosaur eggs and embryos as well as even more fossils and another great dress up/play area for kids.


My favorite exhibit, however, is the Butterflies From Around the World exhibit. The exhibit changes every day as a result of the lifespan of each species. When you enter the exhibit, you are surrounded by tropical foliage with the butterflies landing on the plants and fruits to feed right there in front of you. There is also a place where you can watch them emerge from their cocoons if the time is right. If you are lucky, one might even land on you.

We made a video of our last visit to the museum. Check it out below! And make sure to give the museum a visit the next time you are in Philadelphia!











 * ansp.org

This past summer, after wanting to go for a while, we decided to take a trip to Smith Playground, a giant, nearly six acre playground located in the Fairmount Park vicinity of Philadelphia.

The park and accompanying mansion sized playhouse has been part of the city for over a hundred years, however, was shut down back in 2003 for some much needed restorations. Until then, the maintenance of the playground remained as part of a trust created by Richard and Sarah Smith, two wealthy Philadelphians who built the playground so that children could have a safe place to play outside of urban areas of the city. Now, the park collects donations from members and visitors to maintain and staff the park and its amenities - including a giant, 39' wooden slide, the multi level playhouse, and several, modern play facilities for children of all ages.

When you enter the park, it is asked that each family make a donation of $5, however, for $30 you can obtain an annual membership. Since we have already gone a few times, the membership pays for itself. There are also several member only events, including Halloween events, concerts, and meet and greets with characters from PBS Kids shows like Daniel Tiger. Visiting the playground can easily take up an entire afternoon, so if your little one likes to explore, climb and play, make sure you bring food and drinks with you...although occasionally there ARE some amazing food trucks on spot to try some gourmet food.

The multi-level playhouse is aimed for children five and under, although you do see some kids a little above that enjoying time with their younger siblings and gathering around the wooden train tables (which there are three of now with all the amenities). There are also soft blocks, doll houses, kitchen sets, and explorations drawers - although these can rotate since sometimes thing break or wear out form the thousands of visitors every week.



Besides the wood train area (of course), Eamon loves to explore the "woods" - a play area dedicated to getting dirty while balancing on logs, climbing branches, and digging in holes. In other words, it's a little boy's dream! There's even a mud oven, mud sink, and utensils to bake mud cakes (worms optional.)




You cannot visit the playground without at least one roll down the giant wooden slide. Marked as one of those "must visit oddities" of the city, the forty foot wooden slide is over a hundred years old (although recently refurbished) and lets kids and adults ride in packs atop burlap sacks until thy tire out. The sheer width of the slide, allowing around five kids to ride at a time, keeps the line at a minimum on most days.

In addition, there are several 'regular" playground areas that are sectioned off so parents don't have to chase after their kids through the entire park. There is also a dedicated play area with slides, swings, and more specifically for kids five and under away from the rambunctiousness of the older children so there is less of a chance of an accidental collision.

If you're interested in seeing more, check out the video Eamon and I made on our last visit!

This past weekend we visited one of our favorite historical parks, Washington's Crossing, to celebrate General George Washington's 284th birthday. This is the second year we visited the park for the event and, luckily, it wasn't 18 degrees with snow and ice covered grounds this time around (although the snow did make for a beautiful scene).

Anyone who has ever been to our house or who know Eamon knows one things: he is obsessed with trains, especially Thomas the Tank Engine. There are literally hundreds of the wooden, metal, and now "mini" trains in strategic areas of the home along with their corresponding tracks, buildings, and other accessories and other items he likes to fabricate into his own little Island of Sodor. What began as a 20-minute nightly routine on Sprout TV has grown into a life of its own - and guess what? I am totally fine with that.

Today marks the feast of the Epiphany and for many, like myself, the end of the Christmas season. (Boo!)

A lot of people like to end the holiday season January 2nd, when it's back to work, back to school, and back to the daily grind. A lot of Christians, however, continue the celebrations throughout the days of the revelation of the Christ child to the Gentiles through the visit of the three kings. For Western Christians, that day is the 6th of January.

I think everyone here is pretty much familiar with the 1843 story of The Christmas Carol: you know, the one about that old miser who hates everything, especially Christmas, until he is visited by four ghosts  (yes, there are four - everyone leaves out poor old Marley), who tell him if he doesn't change his ways he is pretty much going to die alone and miserable and everyone will spit on his grave for all of eternity. (Okay, so the story is really far more elegant that that crude description, but you get the point.) But what you probably aren't familiar with is the Dicken's Village right here in Philadelphia!

I took the day off from writing yesterday to celebrate Little E's Fourth Birthday. It's hard to believe that four years ago I was laying in a hospital bed nursing our beautiful little boy for the first time. I never once though in my wildest dreams I would ever have a baby let alone be a mom to the amazing little boy he has become.

For many the beginning of the Holiday season begins on Thanksgiving Day, however, for us, it *officially* begins on Thanksgiving parade day...no, not the big New York parade or even the Thanksgiving Day parade here in Philly. Every year we take Eamon to get his first glimpse of Santa Claus at the Mayfair Thanksgiving Parade in northeast Philadelphia. There are dancers, Irish bands, the all-important Mummers appearances, and, of course, Santa. It's a simple parade full of average, everyday folk, and things like that are just what we like.