Philly Spotlight: Cobblestone Kids

Leo just had his third dentist appointment and for the third time, he left smiling.  I think this is a major testament to his dentist.  Leo is a nervous kid.  He's shy and he takes a bit to warm up to new people and new situations.  Before his first dentist appointment, I worried we would have a slow and painful acclimation to dental visits...but I was pleasantly surprised.

Cobblestone Kids is the pediatric dentist office where our family has fallen head over heels for Dr. George.  Located in Center City, the office is perfectly adorable.  From wooden toys (and a TV and video games) and tooth shaped stools in the waiting room to exam rooms with themes like "Under the Sea" or "Dinosaurs."  The receptionist (Thank you for helping me figure out my insurance!) and dental hygienists are warm and friendly.  There is nothing we don't like about Cobblestone Kids - but the real reason I shlep two kids across town on two trains is Dr. George.

Leo loves him because he's funny, silly, and easy to talk to.  I appreciate that he's knowledgable, non-alarmist and gives clear and direct answers to questions.  We all are grateful to have a healthcare professional who is calm, patient, kind and really takes his time.  He explains everything in terms that I can understand and makes sure Leo understands basics about dental care.

The dental chairs have TVs overhead - which was helpful to get Leo to relax.  Dr. George always takes the time to explain what he's going to do and show Leo the tools he is going to use (he even uses the tooth polisher to "polish" Leo's fingernails) and has Leo assist by holding the toothpaste and mirror (genius for nervous little hands) during the exam.  Leo delights in choosing from the extensive list of toothpaste flavors - he almost always chooses chocolate.

Then, to top it all off, at the end of each visit Leo gets a little bag with a toothbrush and other dental goodies along with a coin.  Why a coin you ask?  Because of this baby:

Image courtesy of Cobblestone Kids

Yes, the coin can be redeemed for a number of awesome toys dispensed in a plastic egg.  As you can imagine, Leo thinks this is the coolest thing ever.

An added bonus for me is that Dr. George is an out gay man and is active in the local LGBT community.  Cobblestone Kids has sponsored the Philadelphia Family Pride newsletter on several occasions and I've see Dr. George out and about at events.

I know we aren't the only West Philly family that love Cobblestone Kids - whenever anyone on our neighborhood list asks about a pediatric dentist recommendation I always chime in with a glowing endorsement of Dr. George, but lately, others are beating me to it.  The word it out - and I'm so glad because everyone deserves a dentist like Dr. George.  I'm so very glad he is my kids' dentist and that their first dentist experiences have been so positive.

(I'm not working for/with Cobblestone Kids and haven't received any compensation for writing this review - I just really am happy with out experience there!)

My Chat With Jaime Grayson At MommyCon

(Disclosure: I was invited to attend as a guest of MommyCon)

This past weekend MommyCon was in Philadelphia and they invited me to attend and sit down for a chat with Jaime Grayson, aka The Baby Guy.  I jumped at the opportunity because 1. Cloth diapers, babywearing, breastfeeding and natural parenting are my jam and 2. I've long admired Jaime's honest brand of baby expertise, LOVE that he's an out gay man working in the baby industry....AND is a strong (but non-judgmental) advocate for natural birth, breastfeeding and other natural parenting issues.

When I arrived at the hotel to register I knew I was in the right place because there were about a gazillion (give or take) parents (and not just mommies, as the name of the conference might imply) wearing their babies in the lobby.  Upstairs in the expo hall I was thrilled to see so many of my favorite companies and brands in one place.  There were national brands like Ergo and Motherlove as well as local businesses like Cloth, Nest, Fancy Cloth and Soapbox Holistics.

Soapbox Holistics and Fancy Cloth are companies with West Philly
roots and their products are available at Cloth.

Loved seeing Ergo represent!

Have you checked out CLOTH in South Philly, yet?

There is something really powerful about being in a space with like-minded parents.  I know I'm very lucky to have a network of parents right in my own neighborhood from which to draw insight and advice about natural parenting topics.  I spoke with some parents who travelled a long distance to be among other babywearers and breastfeeders and cloth diaperers.  I love that MommyCon is such an awesome resource and haven for people who might feel isolated in their parenting choices.  I know I made some great connections - I hope others seeking to connect did as well.

There were workshops and plenaries dedicated to natural parenting issues of all kinds - the ones I was most excited about were, of course Jaime's talk and the Normalizing Breastfeeding presentation by Jessica from The Leaky Boob.  I can't believe I was lucky enough to sit down to lunch with them (Luke's Lobster, if you were wondering) and pick Jaime's brain a bit about what it's been like for him as an openly gay man in his line of work.  Here are some highlights from our chat:

They both look adorable, and I kind of look
like a serial killer, but it's the only picture I took, so...sorry.

Do you think being gay gives you a unique perspective vs others in your field?
Absolutely.  I think it's weird to think about what the perspective is.  I'm more in touch with things than most people by nature.  I was raised by a single mom so I've always been very in tune with women.  I grew up in the south hearing in church that I was awful, so I understand what self-worth is on a different level.  So I don't know what comes from my own internal sensibilities vs. how being gay has informed my openness and acceptance of others.


Have you ever experienced discrimination because you were a gay man working with families (either homophobia from straight families or misogyny from the gay community)?

No.  I am very fortunate.  The families that have hired me have been wonderful.  I have friends who have had clients that were very demanding and awful, but because I'm a little bit more of a personality, known for being easygoing and gay, families are on board with who I am.  When I was in retail I got some flak because I don't have kids, but because I'm very opinionated and matter of fact, people know that my opinions are backed up with facts. People trust me.

Have you worked with any/many queer families? Any take aways from that experience?

Yes, it's interesting because it's made me aware of the different options out there for me should I want to start a family.  I recently worked with a gay single dad who used a surrogate. He was just the coolest guy.  When we talked for our first phone consult we talked for four hours and not about baby stuff.  We talked about life and politics and it was fun.  I love working with families that have gone through adoption or surrogacy.  They are one of my favorite family groups to work with because the energy is so different.  It's not like "Oh, we got pregnant and now we are having a kid."  It's more like, "We have worked our ASSES off to have a family."  And it's just the most special thing in the world to work with those families.

One thing I really appreciate about your work is that while you are widely known as a baby gear expert, you are also very knowledgeable about birth and breastfeeding as well.  Did you ever considered being a doula or an LC?

I was my sister's doula when my nephew was born.  I started my certification process to be a doula and I also signed up to go through the process of becoming a CLC, just for the knowledge because I thought no one would want a male lactation consultant - but I've actually have people interested.  I've gotten lots of emails asking if I could be a doula, but I just don't have time for it, unfortunately.  

I LOVE your lists of what moms and babies "need" - it wasn't "a $2,000 stroller!" but rather "a place to sleep and diapers" (with a shout out to cloth, even!).  As someone who works reviewing baby gear how do you balance that minimalist mentality with a consumer driven business?  Is it difficult to be clear about what parents need and don't really need while working well with brands?

I think brands respect me for it.  I don't have exclusivity with brands.  I work with everyone openly.  I will travel to headquarters of companies and train them on their competitors and because they know I will work the same way with every brand they like me.  It's a very open relationship I have with everybody.  They know my recommendation can't be bought and it's not something I just throw out there.  If I work with a product, regardless of price point, I make sure it's a good match for that family.

Would you like to be a parent one day? If so, how do you envision that journey?

I know I want to adopt.  Nia vardalas from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, she adopted and she wrote a book about it and it's beautiful.  I think it's one of the best books I've ever read just about parenting.  I was reading it and crying on the plane - it's just a beautiful, beautiful book.  When the time comes for me to have a family I'm very excited.  I'm also scared because I know every company on the planet with try to send me everything like they did for my sister.  I don't have a five year plan - not for work or family.  I do know that personally I don't want to do it as a single man, because I saw how hard it was for my mom.  Even if I had all the money in the world and all the support, I still think it would be hard, so I'd like to wait until I have a husband - but I'm never in town long enough to date anyone!

_______________________________________________________

Thanks to MommyCon and thanks to Jaime - I had a great time!

A Philly Summer Day

[Thank you so much to everyone who reached out to me about my dad - through comments, social media, e-mail, phone or text.  It felt really, really nice to get that avalanche of love.]

Today we had the perfect Philly summer day (assuming you ignore the City Council letting down the children of Philadelphia by standing by as the public education system is gutted - but that's another post for another day - back to our perfect day).  

We started out the day at home with a hearty breakfast while I packed us up for the day.  The kids could tell we were in for an adventure because it wasn't the usual diaper/water/snack bag.  As they watched me pack a full lunch and breakout the swim suits they knew I meant business.

After breakfast we took a train into Center City - where we admired some of the subway art.

Then we walked over to Sister Cities park where The Academy Of Natural Sciences introduced us to blue tongued skink.  

Zoe was napping at this point so I changed Leo into his swim trunks, slathered him in sunscreen and watched him play in the sprayground area of the park.  He would run towards the sprays - just barely touch them and then run screaming gleefully back to me.  Over and over and over.



When Zoe woke up we sat down in the grass for a snack and I changed her into her suit and gave her a generous layer of sunblock.  Then I let them loose in the wading pond.  They both had a freaking blast and I think they would have stayed in there until nightfall if I let them.









I finally convinced them to get out and dry off with the promise of lunch.  Do you remember that feeling after being in the pool for several hours as a kid?  When you suddenly realize how cold and hungry you are and warm, dry clothes and sunshine feel amazing and any food that is put in front of you tastes like heaven?  Yeah, they totally had that.



So then once they had played hard in the water and the sun and they had full bellies my plan was to walk through town with them until they fell asleep - then I would install myself in a coffee shop and relax for a bit.  I mean they were happy and exhausted - of course they would nap.  Well, they didn't.









I finally gave up on the nap when it was time to meet jb for a school funding rally.  The kids love a protest and were tickled to each have their own sign.  The whole school situation is so scary here - I really don't know what we are going to do when our kids are ready to start kindergarten.



After the rally we finished up the day with yet another picnic.

At the end of the day both Leo and Zoe fell asleep in car on the ride home.  Neither one of them even stirred as we transferred them to their beds and we changed them into pjs.  I think they both had a great day and I hope they look back on their childhood with many memories of fun and sun and engagement and love.

West Philly Review: Philadelphia Zoo

One of the gifts we received for Christmas was a membership to the Philadelphia Zoo - and what an awesome gift it has been!  I didn't think we'd get much use out of it until the Spring, but with some unseasonably warm weather we've been there several times already over the last month.  


I love that the zoo is right here in West Philly (34th and Girard Ave). Not quite close enough to walk to - but still feels like it's right in our backyard.

West Philly Review: Honest Tom's Taco Shop

 The beloved Honest Tom's Taco truck has a new(ish) storefront on 44th St. between Locust and Spruce.  Leo, Uncle Julian and I stopped by for a late lunch the other day since I'd never been able to pin down the truck and have been wanting to try their tacos since we first moved to Philly.

Honest Tom's Taco Shop can be found in an unmarked small, orange gingerbread-house looking building.  There's not a ton of seating - some counter seating and one four person table, but I imagine they do a lot of take-out business.  It was a cozy and clean space and the staff was friendly.

What I loved:

• They take credit cards!
• The sweet potato taco - DELICIOUS and a big hit with my toddler
• The fact that guacamole and pico de gallo are included.  Nothing worse that having to pay an extra $1 for a little guac.
• They carry Mexican Coke!  In addition to the superior taste - it also is (usually) sweetened with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup.  Still not a health food, but a nice treat.

They mentioned that they were going to add fish tacos to the menu in the Spring and I've heard great things about the breakfast tacos.  All in all our experience was good and I'll definitely be back for more sweet potato tacos.

West Philly Spotlight: Walnut Street West Library Branch

I feel very lucky that we can walk to two different branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia from our West Philly home.  One of the branches is the Walnut Street West branch which is on the corner of Walnut and 40th St.   I love the location because it's within a block of a bank, grocery store and post office - so I can combine the trip with some errands.

 We focus our time at the library almost exclusively in the Children's section - so that's what I'm going to cover for the review, but I would like to mention that I browse the online card catalog at home and place holds on any books I'd like to read so I can just pick them up when I bring Leo.  It's a great tool because toddlers don't really have the patience for browsing the adult books.

Beach The Sequel: Now with Jellyfish

I spent most of the day happily chasing him

Aunt Fanny took him into the "deep"

 With Abi, Aunt Fanny, and Uncle Nick visiting we took another day trip to the beach.  We stuck with the Atlantic City beach we went to last week since it had gone so smoothly.

Just Beachy

 

Yesterday we took Leo to see the ocean for the first time.  It was amazing.  I love the ocean, and haven't been for a few years now.  Between living further from the shore in Pittsburgh and having the cafe - there just wasn't an opportunity, and I'd been missing it sorely. It was so nice to be back - but it was definitely a whole new experience with a baby in tow.  

Busy, Busy Bees

We've had a busy few days.  On Thursday we attended a rally in Center City - complete with drumline.  Leo loves rallies, going to center city, and drums - so this rally was a major hit with him.  I doubt he understood that we were calling out corporations that aren't paying their fair share in taxes - but he was shaking his little fist anyway.  You can read about the rally and the organization that organized it here.  Uncle Julian joined us for the rally and we all got these sharp t-shirts.  It was certainly a good way to spend a summer afternoon.

Wissahickon Hike

On Saturday jb, Leo and I joined Philadelphia Family Pride for a Spring hike in the Wissahickon Valley.  The weather was perfect - sunny and not too hot after a week of rain and wind.

Leo had a blast riding on his dad's shoulders, in the Ergo, and even walking (with assistance) a little.  He was super aware of all the animals we saw - horses, dogs, goslings, and he even found some earthworms wiggling in the dirt.   

Summer Bucket List

With Spring springing all around us, my mind is full of all the awesome warm weather things I want to do. Between getting to share these fun things with Leo and getting to know our new city better I'm positively giddy with excitement. To ensure I can stay focused and pack in as many of these things as possible before the season kicks the bucket, I'm compiling a list. Any excuse to make a list, right?

The Little Treehouse

Over the weekend we took Leo to The Little Treehouse and he loved it. I thought he would be too little (at 10 months) to get very much out of it, but he was crawling from toy to toy and was enthralled watching the bigger kids play.

Best Year Ever

This was absolutely the best year yet. I started it out pregnant (turns out I love being pregnant!), and about midway through we welcomed the most amazing tiny, little, itty-bitty newborn into our lives, and then for the rest of the year we watched him grow into the smart, active, funny, mischievous baby he is today. So so so much has happened this year, but most of it can really be boiled down to Leo. So many firsts, so many milestones, so many amazing moments. Watching Abi, Grandpa and Pops effortlessly slip into their roles as doting grandparents and our siblings shine as Aunts and Uncles. Learning things about ourselves and getting to know this amazing little person. I want to recap every moment - but that's what archives are for, so I'll spare you. Basically, this year has been incredible and I'm looking forward to many more good years ahead.

Other notable things from the past year:

• Snow storm - In February we had a crazy snowstorm fondly referred to by many as "snowmageddon". It was a disaster for many left without heat or electricity, but for us it was kinda awesome. The cafe became a gathering place for neighbors who lost power and wanted hot cocoa or soup. Talula and I took a walk through the neighborhood which was transformed into a winter wonderland.
• Job #1 - jb got a job at a local non-profit. This was the first step in our (still in progress) recovery from the financial mess of the year before. jb was good at it, valued by her coworkers and earning a paycheck.
• Generosity - I guess this is somewhat Leo related, but I think it deserves its own bullet point. This year was full of love and generosity from our family, friends, and community. We had two amazing baby showers that totally set us up for everything we could possibly need when Leo came along. We had amazing support on every level - from food delivery, to doula services, to company, to hand-me-downs to...well, everything.
  
• Niagara Falls - I went on a road trip with my parents, brother, and sister to the Canadian side of the falls. I was pretty pregnant at that point, so I was slow and a little grumpy, but it was so great to get to spend time with them all like that before Leo came along.
• Camping - Soon after welcoming Leo my whole family joined us for a week-long camping trip. We hiked, swam, kayaked, campfired, bocce balled, puzzled, and generally enjoyed each other.
• Bye-bye Aunt Fanny - Aunt Fanny set off to spend some time in Mexico. We miss her tons but are super glad that we have phone, email, facebook, and skype to make the distance seem non-existent.
• Philadelphia/Job #2 - We moved across the state. In like a week. jb was offered a good job out of the blue that needed her to start asap. So we up and moved to a new city in a leap of faith. So far we are liking Philly and beginning to make friends and find community. I am grateful that we are still close enough to Pittsburgh to visit about once a month so that Leo (and we) can see the family and loved ones regularly.
• The Boys - Uncle Daniel has joined our household, which has been great because three adults to one baby seems like just the right ratio; two isn't quite enough. Also, since we are in Philly we have gotten to see a lot more of Uncle Jared who lives in DE.

Epic Year. How did it compare to 2007, 2008, and 2009? Best Year Ever.

Pennsylvania Fall

And we are back in Philly! I can't say I love the drive back and forth across the state, especially when Leo isn't loving being stuck in the carseat for hours on end - but I'm very grateful that we are able to make the trip fairly easily and often. This time though, the drive was actually a treat - the leaves are turning and the day was clear and crisp. It was a lovely fall drive. It made me think of last year's fall drive - when jb and I were still just dreaming of what our baby would be like and I was pretty darn nauseated. What a difference a year makes.




The weather has been unpredicable this fall. We've been making lots of use of the umbrella in the diaper bag and we swapped out the sun hat for a warmer hat. Hopefully we still have a solid month of comfortable walking weather left.



Today's weather was gorgeous, though. We took advantage by going to Linvilla Orchards to pick our pumpkin. This is the lucky pumpkin that came home with us!


Uncle Daniel came with us.


Leo is not quite sitting on his own reliably yet, so we had to prop him up for this photo op (I know, I know, I'm mother's daughter) - jb said that this big gourd that wrapped around him is "just like a boppy" :)


We also took a hayride to tour the orchards. The orchards are really lovely - but Leo didn't see any of them because he was captivated by the hay. We couldn't get him to look up for more than a moment, he just wanted to play with the hay.



Yesterday we attended a conference for LGBT families. It was organized by Philadelphia Family Pride and was held out in Bryn Mawr. It great to meet other families in the area and attend workshops geared toward LGBT families.


The best part of the conference, though was this:



I can't believe Leo is five months already. We did break tradition and did not order pizza last night, instead we ordered Thai to celebrate this fifth month. In just one short month Leo will be starting solid foods - and will be half a year old! Wow time goes quick.

Leo is super curious about food and drink. He watches with complete fascination whenever one of us is eating something (especially apples!) and can't get enough of watching us drink. Water bottles are perhaps his favorite toy.


Or at least they were until recently... We've recently invested in our very own Sophie the Giraffe. Everyone raves about them and Leo has been chewing on everything to soothe his gums, so despite my hesitance to spend $20 on a squeaky chew toy, I picked one up when we were at Happy Baby Company. SO worth it. Leo adores it. He loves that he can hold it easily, he loves that it squeaks, he loves the sound it makes when he's chewing on it, he just loves it. It has quickly become a diaper bag essential.


And of course I'll leave you with some more shots of Leo the Lion from Abi's photo shoot.