Callian, France

The last time I was in south of France visiting my brother-in-law and his family I was about five months preggers. Now with a babe and 3 ½ year old tow, and my husband acting as pack mule (bless his heart), we descended Cote d Azur not knowing what to expect. We took the red-eye to Heathrow airport then connected into Nice. We had done the same thing with my son from Hawaii and it wasn’t the best plan then, but this time around the red-eye worked out and both kiddos, and they slept like the sweet little babes they are, and woke up just before we touched down in London. Customs was a breeze in Nice, with very short lines. We got those smart carts to help with the luggage and the car seats. The only pain was that we rented our car through Avis, which made you take a bus to terminal 2. It took us a while to figure that out at the empty Avis desk, right outside baggage claim. All the other rental companies had people at their desks, so I don’t know why Avis didn’t. We did get a great deal on the car and got a USAA discount, so I guess I can’t complain. Make sure to book early as cars with automatic transmission are hard to find. My husband and I know how to drive manual, but with the hills and distractions that come with the kiddos in the back, who needs more to worry about, ya know. We got the Premium size and the BMW 3 series fit us perfectly and also fit the roads perfectly. I did pack relatively lightly: a small suitcase for the kids clothes, a medium suitcase for my husband and my clothes, and two carry-ons each, plus the car seats, but we fit with all the bags and nothing had to be at our kids’ feet.
We headed out of the airport through a series of traffic circles (most area uses these circles—A LOT) going off in the wrong direction, but the toll booth guy was happy to tell us how to turn around. Make sure you have euros for the tolls before you leave the airport as the tolls averaged about €6 and you want to account for any wrong turns. Also, try to get directions to your destination from a local. Our google maps lead us astray by cutting out three traffic circles and causing us to aimlessly drive down narrow streets where sometimes we had to back up since the roads are often not big enough for cars two cars. Another thing to note is that even though you set your mobile phone to have international coverage, don’t count on it. We were never able call anyone but my sister, who lives in Washington state, the whole trip. That was convenient since her birthday was during our vacation, but not beneficial since we couldn’t connect to anyone else, especially my brother-in-law, whose house we were trying to find. Thankfully, my broken French, plus the kindness of the locals to break out in great English after my efforts to speak was enough to get us to our destination.

We stayed at the Resort & Spa Château de Camiole and it was lovely. Our relatives told us about the place and we found them on hotels.com. I can't believe how inexpensive it was. For some reason, hotels.com had very, very low rates. Too good to believe, but in this case it was exceptional!

Resort & Spa Château de Camiole
Road 56 Route de Fayence, Callian
83440 France
866-538-0187


My brother-in-law works for the Four Season there, and we almost stayed there, but the Camiole Resort proved to be so much more kid friendly and very, very nice. We got the 2P room, which had one master bed room with a double bed, and another bedroom with a set of bunk beds. I loved that we had a full kitchen and the playground there was like an enchanted forest with fun equipment.

Here are a few pics of the place.


Things to know about this resort, which aren't a big deal, but would have been good to know ahead of time.

1. There isn't someone at the desk 24/7, in fact they don't open until 9:00 am (something we didn't know when we needed to check out and leave for the airport)
2. You need to do all the dishes and put them away upon check-out. Leaving them washed in the dishwasher is not the same thing.
3. You have to take your trash out yourself, which is near the Kid's Club
4. You need to request new towels and it is an additional cost to get new ones.
5. No one tidies up the rooms and there isn't a broom in the units, so you may want to request one, especially cheerios, goldfish and kids!

All the above aren't negatives, just things we've learned and wanted to pass on to make the visit even better. We really liked staying at the Chateau de Camiole and plan on staying there again for future visits.

As for our activities, we hung out at our families beautiful home in Callian and also took the kids around for some fun. Fayence is a neighboring town and they are known for their gliders-the gliding capital of Provence. The kids really loved watching the gliders get pulled up by a small prop plane and then released. We were able to take scooters and bikes to ride down to the runway and watch up close the planes taking off. There is also a nice cafe connected to L'aerodrome de Fayence, where we stopped to get drinks and some refreshments, which was very kid-friendly. I would sip on the Orangina and then chase the kids around in the fields, with the owners looking on approvingly.
http://www.aapca.net/

Here is a video (not a good one) of the planes taking off with the gliders. Del said that people take off from there and can glide to Switzerland and stay up for 8 hours! There was this cool experimental helicopter too. Something I might have been brave enough to try before I had kids, but no longer!




We also went to Frejus to the beach and then a playground area called Base Nature. They had everything there from bike trails, many playgrounds, trikes, scooters with ramps, roller skating, sports fields, and an indoor swimming pool. The kids loved it.


We also dined at an amazing restaurant in downtown Callian that was in the center of the town next to a gorgeous fountain. I think it was the Bellevue,but I will double check. The food was delicious, portions were surprising large, and rather reasonable. Keep in mind that dining in France is a delight and not rushed. We enjoyed the views and the food a little too long with our three year old, who had his only tantrum of the trip as we were finishing our cafe au lait. But the food was worth the tantrum! Needless to say, I got no pictures of the restaurant or the charming town of Callian since I was wrangling my son back to the car. I did get one pic of him mesmerized by the fountain that was next to our table.


It was a very quick five days vacation and I wished we had more time, but I know we will be back there many, many times in the future.

Smith Kids Play Space in the Park

The weather was so spectacular this weekend that we opted to go to a new venue in Philly rather than be indoors at Please Touch. So after we tried getting a family shot at the church where my husband and I were married, we had lunch at the Cassidys and then we drove down my favorite, Kelly Drive through Fairmoount Park to get to SMITH. We've driven past this place a million times when we lived in Philly, but the Cassidys let us know that they had just renovated and reopened the outdoor play space. The grounds are marked with an amazingly huge mansion that also has an indoor play area. That too is being renovated. SMITH was started by Sarah and Richard Smith in the 1890s when the health and welfare of urban children become a big priority. Supervised play was encouraged and so SMITH built this amazing area for kids to play in Philadelphia. There is an indoor play space within the Smith mansion and it is 24,000 square feet! We didn't go in, but it's supposed to be great. I think they are renovating the inside and updating quite a bit, but it's good now for a rainy day, and I am sure it will be spectacular when they are finished updating. Here is a link that gives a virtual tour. http://www.youtube.com/user/SmithKidsPlayPlace The outdoor play area is newly renovated and is incredible! It is the size of six football fields and has equipment and play areas for kids of all ages! The site says it has over 50 piece of state of the art equipment, and I'd completely agree. My son's favorite was the renovated wooden slide. Per the SMITH Web site--"The Giant Wooden Slide was added to the Playground in 1905. In 2005 through a generous gift from Ida Newman, who used to play at SMITH in the 1920s, the Slide was restored and dedicated in memory of her daughter Ann Newman. The one-of-a –kind Ann Newman Giant Wooden Slide is 39’ long and 13’ wide." The slide looks like a large sloped wooden floor and when you get on that burlap sack, you really fly! There is also a little tots play area with equipment perfect for the smallest of our babes to age 5 and then the rest of the amazing playground goes up to ages 10 and is packed with the best equipment and play structures I've ever seen. We packed it in and headed home after our visit to Smith and said farewell to our friends, but we immediately started planning our next trip to come back and check out the other hidden treasures in the playhouse. What a fabulous place and we love that the people of the community started it and have maintained this wondeful play space. You must visit and support this place too! Days and Hours of Operation Playground (for children 10 and under)

• Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 4pm (April – October)


• 10am – 7pm (Saturdays and Sundays ONLY; last weekend of June – last weekend of August)


• Playhouse (for children 5 and under) Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 4pm (year round)

How to Get to SMITH SMITH is located in East Fairmount Park just above Kelly Drive near 33rd and Oxford Streets. For printable directions, please click here. There is plenty of FREE parking on site and SMITH is also easily accessible by public transportation. From Center City Philadelphia: •Take Kelly Drive away from Center City •Turn right at the equestrian statue of General Grant (Fountain Green Drive) •Take first right onto Mt. Pleasant Drive •Turn right at stop sign onto Reservoir Drive •Bear right into Smith’s circular drive From 76 (Schuylkill) East or West •Take the Girard Avenue/Zoo exit •Cross over the Girard Avenue Bridge •Turn left at the end of the Bridge onto 33rd Street •Proceed to the next traffic light and make a left (33rd and Oxford) •Drive 1/3 mile and turn left into Smith’s circular drive Public Transportation Take SEPTA bus #32 to 33rd and Oxford. Walk 1/3 mile into Fairmount Park. Smith will be on your left. OR Take #3 bus to 33rd & Cecil B. Moore walk one block south to 33rd & Oxford St. Walk 1/3 mile into Fairmount Park. Smith will be on your left. Please note that GPS or any Internet direction sites will not provide accurate directions to Smith.

A First Visit to Tastee Diner

Technically today really wasn't my daughter's first visit to Tastee Diner. Unbeknownst to her, she was there numerous times while I was pregnant for various cravings--chocolate milkshake, burgers, mash potatoes... Fred was ever so grateful to have a venue with so many options. Fred stumbled upon Tastee when he was a visiting medical student at Walter Reed. After we moved from Philly down to DC, we renovated our house and were often in need of a low key place for many evenings. We just love the place!

Now that we have kids, we love it even more. Diners are always kid-friendly venues, but this place just exudes cheeriness when it comes to kids. And it is not just the staff, it seems the patrons also just love kids and every time we come, we get fellow diners oohing and aahing over our little ones. All this positive attention makes for a relaxing meal, even while Izzy is cooing a little loudly. All we got today were warm smiles and sweet comments while she and I polished off pancakes and eggs, while my dad ate a cholesterol delight concoctions of chipped beef and gravy on biscuits.

Come check them out at three locations-Silver Spring, Laurel and Bethesda. You and your little one won't be disappointed.

Tastee Diner of Silver Spring
8601 Cameron Street

Silver Spring, MD 20910

301-589-8171

Tastee Diner of Bethesda
7731 Woodmont Avenue

Bethesda, MD 20814

301-652-3970

Tastee Diner of Laurel
118 Washington Boulevard South

Laurel, MD 20707

301-953-7567

Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia, PA

I was taking a walk down memory lane and stumbled upon some photos from our visit to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. Philly is near and dear to my husband and my heart since we were married there. My husband went to medical school there and I commuted back and forth to my job in NYC for a short time before finally becoming a Philly resident. I dragged my heels a little, but I found Philadelphia such a charming city and I miss our quaint Philly home, neighbors, Rittenhouse Square, the museums, Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, and the Wissahickon--I have the fondest of memories. It is great that we can hop in the car and be back in just a few hours. It wasn't until I had moved that I finally got myself to the Please Touch Museum. It had just reopened in Fairmount Park and it is spectacular. I drove back with my mom and my son to meet up with one of my old neighbors and her kiddos. It was the museum experience of all museum experiences and one of the first I had with my son.

There are six interactive areas in the museum--City Capers, Flight Fantasy, Roadside Attractions, River Adventures, Wonderland, Centennial Exploration--plus two other fun sites--the Liberty Arm and Torch and Woodside Park with the Dentzel Carousel.

City Capers creates a mini-Philadelphia that is exactly for the toddler's taking and creates a Philly neighborhood within the museum.
http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/exhibits/city_capers/

Flight Fantasy is a physical science wonderland where anything goes and nothing is beyond the imagination. Our favorite--the hamster wheel, even I wanted to get on it!
http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/exhibits/flight_fantasy/

Roadside Attractions takes the transportation theme to new heights with experiences with engineering, designing, role playing and more.
http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/exhibits/roadside_attractions/

River Adventures was my son's favorite and was perfect for his 24 month status! There you will find the biggest water exploration exhibit I've ever seen and there is also the Rainforest's Rhythm area that allows children to discover nature-inspired instruments and experiment with sound.
http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/exhibits/river_adventures/

Wonderland let's you enter the world of fairy tales and also has a fantastic area for wee-little ones in Fairytale Garden. My friend's daughter loved playing dress up and having tea with the mad-hatter. My son loved the maze and it wasn't so complicated to freak out the first time mother in me at that time.
http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/exhibits/wonderland/

I somehow missed this, or Liam wasn't the right age for it, but Centennial Exploration is one of the last remaining pieces of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia and displays some inventions revealed at the fair back then.
http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/exhibits/centennial_exploration/

The Hamilton Hall's architecture in itself is jaw-dropping and there is a replica of the Statue of Liberty's arm and torch made out of found art. It's importance here is that this is where the arm and torch were displayed originally at the 1876 Centennial Exhibit as a fund-raiser to help with funding to obtain the pedestal that the statue sets on now.

And finally, take a ride on a 100-year-old Dentzle Carousel--another one of my son's favorites.

My description doesn't even do the museum justice, and reminiscing about it just now just required me to stop typing and actually call my friend to set up our next visit to the Please Touch Museum. I miss it so much, we are going in two weeks and I can't wait to see what new adventures my son finds and new experiences my one-year-old daughter will have--new post on that soon!

Hours of Operation
General Hours:
Monday thru Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Admission
Members: Free
Under the age of one: Free
Children and Adults: $15
http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/

Be With Me Children's Playsuem, Bethesda, MD

My family has been to the Be With Me Children's Playsuem a handful of times and we always have a good time. It is located in a strip of shops on Wisconsin Ave in Bethesda as you approach Chevy Chase, right next to Orvis Sporting Goods.

It is a bright and fun play space developed around themes, including a grocery store, firehouse, building zone, nature area, dentist, doctor, pet store, pizza parlor, bakery and more! Most of the above is sponsored by a nearby business and I just love how the community comes together to support one another. Below is a link to all the adventures your little one can have while there.
http://www.playseum.com/adventures

You can also decorate your very own cupcake to eat or take home for an additional $3. That is how we get my son to leave-otherwise we'd have to sleep there.

The owner is very nice and the environment is clean, warm and inviting. The only downside that we have found is the price is steep at $6 per person for ages 0-100. meaning anyone who steps through the door. Also, parking is a bit of a pain since we usually park across busy Wisconsin Ave and it a little more challenging to cross with little ones and a little scary even with the crosswalks. Also, it gets VERY crowded and the lobby area is very small so leave your strollers at home. I try to bring the smallest diaper bag and the lightest of coats since the coat racks are overflowing. Other than that, it is a lovely way to spend some quality time with your kiddos, especially when it is too cold to go outside.

Try it out and tell me what you think.

BE WITH ME PLAYSEUM
1-888-5PLAYSEUM
301-807-8028
7000 WISCONSIN AVE
BETHESDA, MARYLAND

HOURS:
M-SAT 9AM-5:30PM
SUN 1PM - 6PM

ADMISSION:
$6 PER PERSON

Prepping for our big trip to Provence!

PASSPORTS! That was the first thing on my mind last week. I have to get the kids their passports for this trip. We've known for some time now that we were going to visit my husband's brother and his family to welcome their new baby into the world. But here we are, with no passports for the kids. Wait, where are our passports? The ones that haven't seen the light of day since we came back from, could it possibly be??? Our honeymoon? No, we fly to Provence when I was preggers with Liam, but that was almost four years ago!

I am happy to report that we have indeed applied for our passports and it was very easy!

The first place I looked was on the State Department Web site
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html
You will need the original of your child's birth certificate with both parent's names listed and identification for yourself to prove that they are your children. We used our passports--I found them! It is much easier to apply for a passport if both parents go in person to either the State Department or as we did, a post office designated to process passports. Some post offices have special appointments, others have special times. Be sure to contact your local office for more information. There are special forms that must be filled out and can be downloaded from the State Department site above or at this link http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html
You can either print and fill out or type the information in and then print. Whoo Hoo!

Also, if both parents cannot apply in person, then there are other forms that must be also filled out for permission-Submit the second parents' notarized Statement of Consent

As complicated as this all sounds, we were in and out with the passports submitted in less than an hour and they took the pictures there for us for a $25 fee each. Keep in mind, with expedited service, the passport application process, including the pictures was over $300. It is $105 each without pictures for regular processing times and an additional $60 to expedite the service. The postal worker who helped us was wonderful and let us know that the passports have been coming in within three weeks, but we didn't want to chance it because it states clearly to expect 4-6 weeks.

One note, they will take your child's birth certificate and mail it back with your passport. AND make sure your child is not wearing any clothes with logos, etc. In fact, let me copy the info on the requirement for pictures.

Your Photographs Must Be:

Identical
In color
2 x 2 inches in size
Taken within the past 6 months, showing current appearance
Full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background
Between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head
Taken in normal street attire:
Uniforms should not be worn in photographs except religious attire that is worn daily
Do not wear a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hairline
If you normally wear prescription glasses, a hearing device, wig or similar articles, they should be worn for your picture
Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons (a medical certificate may be required)

NOTES:

Vending machine photos are not generally acceptable
Professional photographers, see Guidelines for Producing High Quality Photographs for U.S. Travel Documents


I am still waiting to get them--so keep your fingers crossed for me, but both kiddos smiled beautifully and I will be so proud to present them with their fabulous pictures and say we are from the U S of A!

Dynamite Gymnastics in Rockville, MD

Dynamite's Open Gym may be the coolest indoor play area EVER! It was made for kids like my son and you walk in and he can run, run, jump and run some more. What struck me first was how wonderfully clean it is. They ask that you sterilize your hands and FEET with wipes. Make sense, bare feet are nothing more than hands walking on the ground as far as germs go. And all the mats and equipment are new and are rotated out when there is any sigh of wear. Check out the facility with this link
http://www.dynamitegc.com/facility.php

There is a special area for kids 6 and under and an area that is great for my little girl who is now almost a year. My son loves running and jumping into the pit full of red and black styrofoam like blocks. I think they use it to train their students to vault. I must say, I am tempted to jump in it too. It looks like he is swimming in a sea of red and black blocks and it looks like so much fun!

Dynamite Gymnastics
Rates:
Daytime Open Gym (before 4pm)- $6 per child (under 18); $10 per adult
Evening Open Gym (after 4pm)- $10 per child (under 18); $15 per adult

4956 Boiling Brook Parkway
(at the top of Wyaconda Road)
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: 301.770.2700
Fax: 301.770.2727
Email: info@DynamiteGC.com
http://www.dynamitegc.com/
Open Gym Schedule: http://www.dynamitegc.com/DynamiteFebruary2011EventsCalendar.pdf