Special Wedding Post: Things to Do In Harrisburg, PA

I disappeared from this blog for a bit because.... JAMES AND I ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!!

And now, today, I'll be using this blog as a platform for communicating with our lovely guests.

Today I'll be telling you about...

Our Favorite Things To Do In The Harrisburg Area

Some of our out-of-town guests have asked us, "What is there to do in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?"

I spent most of my life looking for answers to this question. And I have TONS of gems I'm excited to share with you, beloved wedding guests and blog readers! And, I promise you that central Pennsylvania IS more than Amish country and Hersheypark!
These are just a few of my favorites. For a complete listing, check out the Harrisburg Hershey Visitors website

NOTES BEFORE LIST STARTS:

• If you're looking for something specific (for example, you know you want to camp, or fish, or see a movie, or go to an art museum) ask me via phone or email and I'll try to point you in a direction!
• If you're a local and you'd like to add to this list --- please do in the comments section!
• Click the bolded name of the attraction to visit the webpage. Click the address below the attraction name to get directions in Google Maps (you just have to fill in your current location.)

 
Microbreweries and Music Venues

Troeg's Brewery (13.9 miles from church)
200 East Hershey Park Drive
Hershey, PA 17033 
(717) 534-1297
Most famous among our group of friends for their Nugget Nectar beer, Troeg's Brewing Company was started by two brothers from the area, and, until recently, was headquartered in a garage in downtown Harrisburg that had free and generous tastings on Saturday mornings. Their new facility is much more sophisticated, and although it's a bit of a drive from Harrisburg, it's well worth it (and you'll be close to Hersheypark if that's your thing.) Set up a brewery tour - or stop in for a self-guided one, and be sure to try the food: it's as good as the beer. Disclaimer: As all true NN fans know, Nugget Nectar is not in season in August.

Appalachian Brewing Company (5.8 miles from church)
50 N Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17011
(717) 221-1080
Another local brewery. They often have live music and sometimes, bluegrass dance parties. One of my favorite old stomping grounds!

Midtown Scholar Bookstore and Coffee Shop (5.9 miles from church)
1302 North 3rd St
Harrisburg, PA
Another place to catch live (acoustic) music, poetry readings, and local artists, this used and rare bookstore is in the newly emerging arts district of "midtown." Their coffee shop is the best in downtown Harrisburg.

Stage on Herr in Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (5.9 miles from church and near the bookstore!)
1110 N 3rd St,
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 412-4342
This place appealed to me most when I returned to Harrisburg from the funky, alternative, colorful Pacific Northwest; it feels straight out of Portland, Oregon. Expect to find lots of kitchy lite-up figurines on the stage and staring you down at the bar (yes, that's art!), colorful murals, and bohemian and hipster folk looking for a place to catch up with friends, listen to their friend's band, or simply drink good beer (one of the best selections in the area.) One of the most intimate live music venues in the area, Stage on Herr and HMAC are keys to growing the arts in the burg.


Family Fun

Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts (8.7 miles from the church)
225 Market St, 
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 221-9588
Hands-on science exhibits, an imax theatre, an area for young toddlers/kids to built, play and create...this is the perfect destination for families of all ages. Fun fact: I used to work in the on-site Starbucks.

Lake Tobias Wildlife Park (20 miles from the church)
760 Tobias Dr, 
Halifax, PA 17032
(717) 362-9126
I haven't been here since I was a kid, but I remember riding around in a school bus with the top removed to go on a safari through Pennsylvania. But instead of seeing wild turkeys, I saw big cats, zebras, and other animals from Africa. Basically, when I was about 7 or 8, I thought Lake Tobias was the coolest place ever. I think this place keeps a few animals in cages (monkeys come to mind) but I remember many of the animals just wandering around. Perhaps that has changed. There's a petting zoo with baby goats and other farm animals that is always a hit! (Although one of them bit my figure once- be careful!)

Hershey's Chocolate World (13.2 miles from the church)
251 Park Blvd, 
Hershey, PA 17033
(717) 534-4900
This is separate from HersheyPark, although it is right next to it. It is FREE. Take a tour of the chocolate factory and you get your photo taken AND a piece of chocolate at the end. But watch out for the tourists and the several other ways you can spend money (there's a bakery, tons of Hershey paraphernalia for everyone in your life, maybe even a 3-d movie and other touristic adventures that you could never imagine came from a chocolate bar...

HersheyPark (13.2 miles from the church)
100 W Hersheypark Dr, 
Hershey, PA 17033
(717) 534-3860
I haven't been here in many 7 or 8 years but spent summers here grades 4-10.

Hershey Gardens (and butterfly house!) (13.4 miles from the church)170 Hotel Rd, 
Hershey, PA 17033
(717) 534-3492 


City Island (Walk, Water Golf, Train, Swim, and Kayak) (9.1 miles from church)
Click for Google Map directions
The island in the middle of the Susquehanna River overlooks Harrisburg city. Rent a kayak or join a tour with Susquehanna Outfitters, a company that's doing some really innovative river floating (Have you ever heard of birding floats or yoga floats?!) The water golf here is THE BEST mini golf in the area (again, overlooking the river.) If you're lucky, you may catch a soccer game from the hometown favorites, Harrisburg City Islanders or a baseball game at the Harrisburg Senator's stadium! (Yes, we have sports teams!)

Outdoor Activities

City Island (see above)

Wildwood Park and Nature Center (4.8 miles from the church
100 Wildwood Way
Harrisburg, PA 17110
I practically grew up in this park (we lived walking distance from it.) It's much more well-maintained now than it was in my childhood - with a nature center with binoculars, interactive exhibits, bird walks - and even an outdoor art exhibit throughout the park. It's just 3.1 miles around the lake, with plenty of trails around the park; perfect for a short hike that's not too far away!

Susquehanna Outfitters  
(Kayak Tours and Rentals) at City Island (9.1 miles from church)

Appalachian Trail (click for maps from Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club) (trails 20-30 minutes from church)

Big Boyd's Tree Preserve (8.1 miles from church, close to reception venue)
Fishing Creek Valley Road 
Harrisburg, PA 17112
(717) 567-9255
The Fishing Creek Valley is one of my favorite "wild" places around Harrisburg. These trails have been a favorite of mine for the last ten years or so. It's "where the mountains begin" and you can hike to points where you'll see farmland on one side and mountains on the other. There's a few ponds and swimming holes too!

Stony Valley Rails to Trails and the Saint Anthony Wilderness (14 miles from church, 9 miles from reception site.) 
Click for Google Map directions to the parking area.
Check out the website for other parking areas. Things you can expect to find along the trail: an abandoned 40 foot stone tower, two abandoned coal mining towns, a reservoir, sand springs, mosquitoes and forests!

Mount Gretna Lake, Beach, Artist Community and JiggerShop (Ice Cream Shop), (34 miles from church)
130 Lakeview Dr.
Lebanon, PA 17042
(717) 964-3130
It's a big of a drive, but Mount Gretna has something for everyone. Cool off in the lake and get an adrenaline rush on their high dive and swing. Lay out on the beach, or go for a hike in the mountains (trails were a favorite of my high school cross country team!) Then end your day with dinner (and ice cream) from the Jigger Shop and a stroll through the colorful artist's cottages. The community hosts an annual Art Show each year (August 16 and 17 this year!)

Reservoir Park (4.4 miles from the church) 
100 Concert Drive 
Harrisburg, PA 17103

Tubing and Swimming in Yellow Breeches Creek (21 miles from the church) 
Click for Google Map Address

State Parks: Pine Grove, Little Buffalo and Gifford Pinchot. Check out PA DCNR for a complete list.

Historical Sites and Museums

Fort Hunter Park and Mansion (6.3 miles from the church)
5300 North Front Street 
Harrisburg, PA


The National Civil War Museum (4.4 miles from the church)
Reservoir Park
100 Concert Drive 
Harrisburg, PA 17103

Gettysburg National Military Park (50 minutes from the church) 
Click for directions in Google Maps

Pennsylvania State Capitol Building (4 miles from church)N 3rd St 
Harrisburg, PA

Pennsylvania State Museum and Planetarium (4 miles from church)
300 North St, Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-4980

Cafes and Restaurants

Looking for several options? Opt for a walk along restaurant row, on 2nd Street in downtown Harrisburg and take your pick of dining options nestled between the state capital and the Susquehanna River.

Neato Burrito: Mission Style Burritos (several locations)
209 N. 2nd St.
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 232-7467

Gabriella's Italian Restaurant (seriously the best Italian food in town!)
3907 Jonestown Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17109
(717) 540-0040

Tomato Pie Cafe (for some tasty desserts, amazing coffee and acoustic music)
3950 Tecport Dr
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 836-7051

Carly's Ristorante and Piano Bar (so much fun for music lovers!)
204 Locust St.
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 909-9191

Duke's Riverside Bar and Grille (for water views and a casual atmosphere!)
313 S Front St,
Lemoyne, PA ‎
(717) 737-1313
 
3B's Ice Cream
2199 Colonial Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17112
(717) 545-6355

7 QTs: It's been a while...

What we've been up to since my last post.

1. Life without a smart device requires more planning, less pictures, and me being less lazy. 

This post will have no cute photos of Caleb in his Halloween costume (my guess is that means most of you will stop reading right now). Why? Because I have to go search the house for our camera, then search the house for the USB cord, then plug it into the computer and then wait for it to upload and then get it on here. I'm way too lazy for that. Remember those times back in the olden days? Instead I'll just try to make my prose extra interesting - and split it up into numbers so it qualifies for that "Quick Take" theme and seems like you're not just reading one. big. stinky. paragraph.

2. On the upside, 

In the half second window where I was doing something like pulling my hair up after coming home from work, Caleb found my phone and threw it 95 percent into the toilet. The phone broke into 3 pieces and was still turned on. I was impressed. Also, he's getting really into putting things into the toilet and even reaching to play in the toilet water.
(I've seen toilet-childproofing devices online that you could buy to prevent situations like these, but I refuse to childproof my toilet.)
Anyway, based on toilet-fascination - if I believed in past lives, I'd say he was a dog.

3. Things that Caleb has been doing since last blog (this one's for the fam we haven't seen in a while!)

- Says "banana" and "more." (His first food is also his first word!)
- Eats anything that isn't a green vegetable (lasagna, butternut squash lasagna, goat cheese, turkey...you name it) and will only feed himself with his own fingers (no spoons, no more mommy bird-feeding)
-  Imitate several letter sounds like... m p b t r c/k g n v !
-  Blow goodbye kisses, clap hands, pat on head/so big, wave hello/goodbye.
- Walk really well, with shoes, outside, without falling (for a while)
- Drink milk all the time!
- Get dropped off at daycare without crying! (yay!) Makes this easier for mom and dad!

4. All that reading to a 1-2-3 month old baby paid off, maybe?

Caleb suddenly LOVES reading books. He came up to me with a book this evening with a look that said "Mom, please read this to me" and even though we had read "Fifteen Animals" four times already today, something in me felt like I had really succeeded as that mom whose kid likes to read - at least for now (I'm using this space to brag, yes!) But reading has also been our way to spend time together, so maybe that's what he likes. I know, dad spins him in circles and plays chase and I read books to him (lame, right?!) Glad he doesn't think so!

5. Living in suburbia in a big house with dogs while working/living is actually way harder than it looks.

We are currently house sitting for James' parents about 30-40 min North of Baltimore City. It's beautiful here, especially with all the trees changing colors, and Caleb has plenty of space to run and play with dog, Winston. In a way, I love it and it fit in with the dreams of the picket fence/ house/family/dog (there's even sheep here to add to that) But daily life takes a different turn here: we sat in traffic getting to work/daycare this AM, the dogs woke us up at 2am begging to go outside, and the house is so large that I cannot let Caleb play/roam around the house while I do something like make dinner. There's too many places to roam; I would lose him and run through non-childproofed space in a panick with spatula in hand. 

6. Caleb was a puppy for Halloween. 

Photos forthcoming! (Sorry I'm too lazy to upload them right now)

7. Inspiring Quote

An old roommate from a while back posted this quote as her Facebook status this week. I don't talk to her anymore and but the quote inspired me. Funny how Facebook makes things like that possible. Thought I'd share:

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain." 

- Maya Angelou

Word.

7 QT's: Wine buttons, 20lbs of apples and Funfetti

 

Happy Friday! This seems to be the only day I blog.  Oh well, here's the quick takes on the rest of our week: 

--- 1 ---

My one-year-old just may be an artist.

He can hold a marker the right way and draw.

Not sure if this is normal for a 1-year-old, but I have to say, I was impressed. Maybe it's because his mom is an artist : )

He also went to daycare today with orange and yellow marker all over his legs because we made this picture after bath time last night.

--- 2 ---

Birthday parties for little kids (or maybe just your own kids) are so much fun.

We've had 3 celebrations for Caleb in the past week. More photos coming soon. It was a great chance to see relatives we only see on the holidays. And everyone got to shower Caleb with their love. And he was on pretty good behavior. And I made this cake 3 times:

I love funfetti for kid's birthdays, but this one ended up being more like a cookie cake...which for me, was even better. (Cookies > Cake)

The recipe I used is from a site called Sally's Baking Addiction, so clearly it's fantastic.

--- 3 ---

Antique roadshow 

James' grandma came to Caleb's party and gave us several pieces of vintage-wear. Since we are true hipstas, we were down.

Among the awesome things were Natty Bo glasses and Natty Bo coasters. (Natty Bo is the Baltimore beer that was once brewed in the building where Caleb is in daycare) .

Also included were these glasses from some company called "Valley Forge Beer" and buttons for what appears to be a 1979 mayoral race and wine. I never knew wine buttons were once a thing.

I'm hoping these are worth lots of money on Ebay or Etsy. Takers?

--- 4 ---

We have 20 pounds of apples

...from apple picking last Saturday. The price went down if you bought enough! Wholesale produce! Guess who's having a peeling party this weekend and making some applesauce? Any other tried-and-trued suggestions welcome!

--- 5 ---

Swings are fun.

--- 6 ---

Funny things on the internet make life tolerable, like the "when-you-work-at-a-non-profit" Tumblr (especially when you actually work at a nonprofit.)

When a co-worker keeps writing "Hi" or "Hey" in email subject lines

Maybe it's because I worked 3 days last week, and now I'm working five and around 1pm each day I look up from my computer screen and realize I haven't eaten anything or gone to the bathroom since I woke up that morning. (How's that for "work is flow", for those of you who attended Mount St. Mary's University with me and read that lovely piece by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - I totally copied and pasted that word from Wikipedia.) But this little website really gets a laugh-out-loud moment from me once in a while.

--- 7 ---

Fall is here!

Even though it was 88 degrees in Baltimore this week. I got to go to my first pick-your-own pumpkin patch this weekend, which was so much fun! We were in the field for a long time picking out "the perfect one!" Caleb loved the orange colors.

Happy weekend! Thanks for stopping in!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

True Story: Friday Flashback, the Face of God, and helping your neighbor (for real)

You know how we all have moments where something seemingly small touches us in a huge way? I had one of those moments Friday afternoon around 5:30, when I was finally able to leave my office for the weekend.(And here I am writing this on Tuesday and wishing for that moment again!)

Oh, but there's more to the story...

I was speed walking to the parking garage, eyes straight ahead, focus solely on getting out of traffic ASAP so I could hang out with C-man. I admit I was a little angry I was at work kind of late on a Friday, but I guess that's the best you can hope for when you take two sick days in a week.

Let's say first of all, I should have been paying better attention to my surroundings; I work in Baltimore City, the Westside. It's in no way the worst part of the Baltimore, but it isn't the prettiest. On my walk between my office and Starbucks that particular morning, I passed two men who were tripping - at 9am- on whatever drug it is that makes you droop your head and neck down towards the sidewalk as if you were slowly falling into the sidewalk face-first. I did not think anything of this because I see people tripping like this every single day near my office, I kid you not. (BTW anyone know what drug this is? There seems to be a lot of it near my place of employment.)

There are a lot of other things I see during this walk that scare the heck out of me, some that make me cry and some that make me laugh out loud on a street full of strangers and then proceed to take photos/videos with my phone and text them to friends. (Subscribe to my blog and I promise you that one day I'll post a video of the woman that shows up in front of the Rite Aid every single day with a different costume and a boombox blasting Christian music that she dances to beautifully and expressively amongst the mayhem of bad things going on around her; girl is spreading the good news!)

But these things surprise me so because I'm a white girl from Pennsylvania and this Baltimore City stuff is still new to me...

So anyway back to Friday afternoon:  A couple walking towards me stops after we pass each other. They stop because there is a man laying on the sidewalk, eyes closed, right next to the light rail track (train.) He was just a few feet from me, and I had walked right past him! Had I seen him and thought nothing of it because I see people laying on sidewalks on Howard Street fairly often? Or had I actually not seen him? I couldn't remember...How long had he been there? How come no one has stopped except for this couple; it's Friday afternoon and this street is crowded and bustling with people!

The woman bends down to see if he is okay and sort of slaps him on his face.I am shocked because the man is not someone I think I would've bent down for. I hate to write that there like that. But really, I wouldn't have. Everything about him is dirty - his face is dirty, his hair, his clothing is ripped; he has a scent. I would have kicked him with my shoe first because he's probably a drug addict, because he might have gun, because he might snap at me for scaring him or waking him up from his nap, because he looks dazed and there's no telling what he could do...But no, here's this little lady bending down to look in his face and yelling "Sir!" loudly in his ear, addressing him politely like you are supposed to address another human being.

She gives him a shaking to see if he will wake up, and finally he shows one sign of life; he blinks, and then goes back to sleep. I ask her if we should call 9-1-1 and see she already has her phone out.

She shoes me on as if to say "I got this" and I believe her. I get into my car feeling a little bit refreshed, like I just saw God at work right then and there on a Friday afternoon on Howard Street. Maybe I am being emotional and over-interpreting here; maybe I needed to see something like this. But here's this man that is on the margins of society; here's this man who, one could argue, chose to lay on the train tracks in some form or another, through choosing drugs or alcohol or whatever makes people do these things; here's this man who (I know I am assuming here) has received help from someone before and fallen into a pattern of addiction again and again.

And despite assuming all that (I'm guessing you'd assume this too if you saw this guy), this couple stops and helps him. It's helping in a way that is so concrete that I am floored. (Ironic, too that I work at a humanitarian aide agency and we use the phrase "loving our neighbors" on all our fundraising materials when we ask people to "help the poor"?)  I don't suggest that my surprise says a lot about our world at large, but maybe more about my own demeanor as an urbanite who has grown numb to seeing despair and utterly confused about how to address it.

So I get into my car and drive around the block, back towards home and I see an ambulance on the street where the man was and I see the couple still there, waiting on the sidewalk, as if they knew this man and wanted to make sure he was okay. I wondered, who else would this man have waiting for him when he gets better? Maybe nobody. But God would definitely be there...

Yep, I think I just saw Him at work!

What's your seeing-God-or your higher power in real life story?

Don't have one? Find one. I know you can.

And if you have a blog, let's link up sometime and write about it together on a designated day of the week...Wouldn't that be great soul food?

7 QT's for a Cute-E

Here's this week's QT's - thanks again to Jen at Conversion Diary for this great idea to get my posts to be short and sweet (although we're still not quite there yet..)

This week, QT apparently stands for "CUTE-EE". I spent a lot of time with Caleb this week (yay for 2 days off!) so here ya go!

--- 1 ---

Once upon a time, James and I cooked meals together -  that is at the same time, making the same meal. But these days, we have to take turns; one of us chases C around - or rests from chasing him around all day. One night this week, we decided to do a throw back and tried to make dinner together: breaded chicken (and without eggs in the breading because we all know eggs are a source of protein in themselves and too expensive to waste on breading! recipe coming soon!)

Cute. But how did we entertain C-man? Especially since our hands were all floury- and-raw-chicken-y? Classic: Moved his high chair into the kitchen and poured a bunch of flour on his tray. Truth: He didn't end up letting me get too involved in the meal and James took the lead and did all the cooking...BUT C stayed in his chair much longer than I expected. Plus now we have these funny photos of him.

--- 2 ---

I love the Baltimore Aquarium.

We have lived about 1.3 miles from this place for over a year and haven't gone until this week. I took off work on Monday for Caleb's birthday and we brought him here because we thought he would enjoy the fish tanks (he saw one at the zoo a few weeks ago and we had to drag him away!)

Prices have been kicked up a lot since I last remember going (high school) But...there's a rainforest inside! And a dolphin show! (Yeah, like Sea World.) And the entire continent of Australia!

There was a time when I thought of aquariums as merely gigantic fish tanks; that time has ended. I walked into a section of this aquarium and a colorful, tropical bird almost hit me in the head! It was about 100 degrees (I had to strip down to my tank top!) and REAL waterfalls were everywhere. Hello, rainforest! I never expected to find you in an aquarium!

The only down side is you can't bring a stroller and have to put your child in this back pack carrier instead. Since all Caleb wants to do these days was walk, we were constantly taking off the carrier for him to get down and stand up at the fish tanks. But he loved all of it! I can't wait to bring him here year after year and introduce him to all these animals!

Apparently I was also walking around the aquarium with a fuzzy green blanket wrapped around my shoulders:

--- 3 ---

I know many of you may not be reading this to hear me rant...but I have to let you know that we paid $395 for Caleb to go to day care for one day this week. That's just plain silly. (Even if you send your kid part-time, you're charged the full-time rate.) I am starting to feel like we are literally taking our money and throwing it out of the window.
Why aren't there more options for part-time care for infants? What do other people do? Are we the only ones in this situation?
That's it. Done ranting.

--- 4 ---

Spices

I grew up in a meat-and-potato household; my tolerance for spice is LOW. James has gotten my tolerance to go up just a little bit, and so the Mexico taco meat I cooked a few days ago was a happy medium: still on the spicy side for me, but edible.

After C finished his sweet potatoes, bananas and cheerios dinner, I noticed him eying my taco meat. He wanted it so of course I went ahead and gave him a bite. He loved it! So much that he cried when we weren't feeding him constantly.

Another conclusion drawn from featured video: We feed our child like birds; don't judge.

--- 5 ---

Potential dumb phone
I'm thinking about NOT paying Verizon $1,200 next year for my cell phone service and downgrading to a traditional phone.

The thing is, I never talk on the phone to anyone except Caleb's day care, James and my mom. (You shouldn't be surprised; all of us bloggers are introverts!) And I have a bunch of apps on my phone that I've used maybe once. You'll find me on Facebook, Pinterest, and sometimes, if I remember, Instagram.
You'd probably find me on my blog more often if it didn't require me turning on the dinosaur computer that James built (with his bare hands)...it IS a well-structured and smart dinosaur that never breaks, just old-school.

So given the problem of dino computer + expensive smart phone, I'm thinking of going the route of non-cell service ipad  (with keypad) that uses WI-FI (we have it here at our house) + basic cell phone. Get it?

Truth: I am nervous that I will fall over in shock if I get rid of iphone that has been attached to me for the past 2.5 years. HELP! Anyone else have experience (or frustration) in this area? Perhaps my biggest concern is losing the Map App!

--- 6 ---

Uncle Mike rocks. Uncle Mike + Laundry Basket Really Rocks.
Videos say enough. Enjoy!

--- 7 ---

If you haven't already, read Heather's article: I'm No Theologian.... It made me cry - but in a happy way.

My first 7 Quick Takes (#7QT)

Ok, I' m new here (to the mom-blogging world), so when I kept coming across funny posts titled "7QT's" I was like, "what can that abbreviation stand for because all of these posts are about completely different, random things...hmm..."

7QT is "7 Quick Takes".  They're supposed to happen on Fridays but we've had a busy week(end).
 

"Quick" implies that your blogs should be short and sweet, which is what blog posts are supposed to be anyway. (One time, when I managed a blog for an organization, my boss told me that you should be able to read a blog post while going #2 on the toilet; I hope that's not true.)

Anyway, it's the weekend and we both need a break from reading things. So I'll shut up now and give you the first 7 QT's because I'm ruining the point of this short list thing:

 

--- 1 ---

Pumpkin spice lattes are the bomb diggity.

I've gotten two this week. If you add up all the PSL calories that I've consumed in my lifetime, I'm pretty sure it'd hit the 5 or 6 digit realm.

--- 2 ---

You can get free money for buying a house in Baltimore City?! What?!!!
 

We had a health and benefits fair at work this week (yay free flu shot!) where I learned that the City and my employer will help me with a down payment for a house in a certain geographic boundary.

James and I aren't serious about buying a house yet, but I was so excited about this that I took all of their pamphlets and folders because all I kept hearing was "FREE MONEY".

 

--- 3 ---

City life = living in close quarters with other people (sharing walls, living in an alley)= certain things that are normally ok to do are inconsiderate because everyone can hear everything.

I know our neighbors have heard Caleb screaming in the middle of the night sometimes ...but we do our best to prevent our noise from reaching these levels.

The other night this guy was knocking (loudly) on our neighbor's door from about 2am to 3:30am. Not only had I never seen him before, but he continued to knock loudly after James and other neighbors told him he was disturbing the peace. Not cool, strange dude. (I know I should be more compassionate here and think about how the Bible tells us to treat our neighbors and even strangers, which means I should've invited him in for food and drink). Instead, I  asked James to tell him something like,

Normally it would be okay to knock on someone's door for as long as you want to, but hey, we all share a wall so when you knock on her door, it sounds like you're knocking on my door and that actually woke up my one-year-old child .....and forced me to get a Venti PSL (Pumpkin Spiced Latte) in order to stay alive at work the next day.
Did I mention this guy was not sober? And that I had also never seen him before? So when he didn't leave and continued knocking, I called 9-1-1.

This may seem like over reacting...but that guy could've been a drug dealer looking for his money, could've followed the girl that lives there home from the bar, who knows.

Note to concerned friends and family members reading this: Our neighborhood is safe; it turns out this guy just moved in and left his keys at the bar.

--- 4 ---

Caleb can walk - FOR REALS. And he almost ate an ant trap.

Don't worry. It's all okay. He had only licked it really, and thank goodness James was right there to prevent him from doing more. (He's a superb stay-at-home dad!)

But yes, we have called the police and the poison control center in the last 24 hours!
Poison control later explained that the ingredients at 99.9% sugar and peanut butter and 0.1% bad stuff, so it's not as bad as we thought.

The walking has happened within the last 24 hours. I blame it on daycare. I can no longer constrain him.
 

--- 5 ---

How to have a 1-year-old's birthday?
 

I first went to Pinterest with this question and ended up pinning a bunch of themed birthday cake ideas that required me to make a cake in the shape of a dinosaur, with matching themed cake pops, party favors, and invitations for other baby children who can't even read yet. It felt like this party was going to be more for me to exhibit my craftiness than a chance to get together with family and friends who have made this first year so special.

But here I am the night before the party and I'm wondering if I should have done more; I'm asking myself, Wouldn't it be nice to show video clips from Caleb's first year in the background as people are eating? (Maybe I should go make a DVD...) Why don't I have his first year photo album done yet?!
 

Also, my mom is making all of the food. Which is super sweet. Yay, Baba!
We are so hyped for tomorrow and hoping Caleb gets a nap in before his big day.
 

--- 6 ---

Homemade funfetti cake.

Tonight, James and I have a date to make a funfetti cake for Caleb's birthday tomorrow. I found this very thorough recipe, which I plan to use as guidance, but like whenever I cook, I'll probably just make things up as a I go along. *hooray for improvisation* I'll let you know how it turns out!
 

--- 7 ---

There are so many amazing bloggers out there.

I keep learning this bloggin' thing from so many eloquent ladies out there and I find myself again and again saying, wow there's actually a lot of good stuff out here on the internet. Your writing is inspiring and hilarious. To capture your thoughts and share them with the world takes bravery AND patience!

On that note, a college roommate of mine has her own funny blog about her experiences working in an all-boys school in Baltimore and even sells beautiful handmade crochet items in her own Etsy shop. Tip: check it out if you know someone with a baby on the way!

What are some of your favorites that I should be reading??
 

 

Thanks to Jen from  Conversion Diary! for hosting the 7QT's each Friday! (yay, I'm late!)
 

Do you clean toys too, or am I crazy?

I will preface the following by saying that here in our house we just got over a bad cold. (We think we got it when we dropped off our registration forms at our day care center - before we were even officially enrolled...ut-oh here we go!)

So after the crib sheets were changed, the bottles and pacifiers sanitized, the blankets and clothing laundered, the high chair cover in the wash, the bathroom cleaned...I turned to the toy box.

And the last half of my evening was spent washing Caleb's toys with soap and boiled water.


Pre-child- like less than 1 year ago -  I never thought toy washing was even...a thing.

I don't remember my own mother (of 5) ever doing it.

And if a mother ever told me she did it, I would probably think she was a crazy germ-o-phobe. (Okay, maybe some of you are thinking that about me...and who knows maybe I am?! But I promise you this cleaning-everything-my child touches thing doesn't happen often.)

Anyway, now my kitchen counter looks like this:

 


Why do I spend my evenings this way?

Because my child puts everything in his mouth, and then he throws it on the kitchen floor, which I haven't had the chance to mop in days, then he brings it outside while we water the garden together and he puts it in the flower pot full of dirt, and then after all that, he decides to put it in his mouth again - while he eats his dinner.

So, do other moms do this? Or am I insane?