Pam's 50th Birthday

The "excuse" I needed to head out East was the birthday of my good friend, Pam Main.  She is one of the most beautiful, wise, hilarious, real people I know.  She's one of the things I miss most about living in Camden.

It was a surprise birthday with lots of people I knew "back in the day."  It gave me the opportunity catch up with a lot of people...except the guest of honor.  So Pam and Jodina (another dear, dear woman and friend) went to breakfast with us before we left on Sunday morning.  Since Camden didn't get to go to the party, I was glad to be able to give her some time with these great women.

Jodina made fast friends with Camden when she whipped out her Ipad with "Talking Tom" on it.  We had never seen it before, but Camden took an immediate interest - especially when she learned you could press a button and make Tom fart.  Apparently it's not just a boy thing.  She giggled so much! 

She and Rimere "fought" over who got to press the button.  Good thing Jodina's such a pro with kids...

Snow and Cheesesteaks!

It had only been raining when we entered the Franklin Institute, but there was snow on the ground when we left.  

Despite the weather (and it was gross!), we knew we wanted to swing by the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.  Camden still won't remember it, but the boys will.  We only went in the building with the bell and snapped a few pictures, but they can now put a location with these famous sites when they learn about them in school.

By the next morning, we had gotten some good snow coverage.  At one of our stops, Camden got out and wanted to touch it.  She couldn't believe how cold it was to pick up, but she enjoyed throwing some snowballs and stomping around in it.

Most of it had melted where traffic was flowing, but you can see the covered ground in the back of this picture.

We Pricelined our hotel and got a pretty good deal.  Little did we know it had a huge waterpark inside.  We hadn't brought our suits because we had so little time in our schedule (plus it was a little pricey).  However, it was fun to go look at...and the arcade next door was a nice place to take a break in between activities.  Next time we come out to NJ, we will plan a day here, though!

I also have to get a few of my East Coast food favs in whenever I visit.  It was also great to introduce Camden to these Philadelphia traditions.

There is no pizza like a good Italian pie.  It's New York style...and you can't explain how different and how good it is compared to other pizza you get across the country.  We stopped at Fabrizio's which is right down the street from UP and where I had many a slices in my day.

We also had a cheesesteak.  It wasn't as good as my favorite spot (Jim's on South Street in Philly), but it was still miles better than all the "imitation" cheesesteaks they try to sell everywhere else besides Philadelphia.

Finally, we got a cannoli at Gallo's Bakery.  They do the best ones I've ever had.  We got the chocolate covered shells with ricotta-chocolate chip filling.  Camden got a small one that had sprinkles.  I got a large one!

These three treats made the rainy/slushy/snowy day worth it!



Franklin Institute

This trip corresponded with the big snow storm that hit the East Coast.  The huge snow fall, fortunately, missed us, but we got freezing rain, slush, and COLD!  It was pretty gross to get around in on Saturday.  We had already decided to go to the Franklin Institute, the large science center, but the horrible weather sealed the deal.  Both of us had passes through memberships at our local museums, so our admissions were free!

The exhibits were geared more to Salim and Rimere's ages, but Camden had fun none-the-less.  There were plenty of buttons to push and wheels to turn that she was engaged.  Plus she wasn't strapped into a car seat for 5+ hours...I think she was happy.

The Institute has had a heart exhibit since I was last there and it is great fun to climb in and walk through.  Camden liked all the stairs, but the beating sound of the heart was a little scary for her.  I had to carry her past the speakers a few times.

The large fighter plane was a top pick.

The sports themed room was my favorite for her.  There were race cars, balls to kick and throw, things to jump on and spin in, and walls to climb.

I love that this picture makes it look like she threw a 70 mph fast ball.  However, it was the guy just before her...her throw didn't even register!

We finally found a section that was geared for the under 7 crowd.  Camden and I spent the most time in this area.  She loved all the water and boat stuff.

Next was the train room. 

There was a full size locomotive engine that you could "ride."  Camden actually got to drive it.  It moved about 2 feet backward and 2 feet forward again, but it was pretty cool to be able to work the various gears and levers.

We enjoyed our morning exploring...and out of the rain! 

Camden Does Camden

Camden and I made a long weekend trip to Camden, New Jersey.  This is the city where I worked and lived for 15+ summers/years.  We stopped in Pittsburgh to pick up my friend Elizabeth and her two boys, Salim and Rimere.  It was two long days of driving.  I appreciated having the extra hands to help with Camden...Rimere was particularly good at assisting his God-sister.

When we arrived at UrbanPromise Headquarters, the elementary school was just letting out.  What a surprise when one of "my boys" stepped out of his car to pick up his daughter.  Big Joe is a "kid" I've known since the 80's.  He now is married and has a family of his own.  He was thrilled to tell his daughter that I taught him to drive a car....he was only 14 at the time, but was always the size of a grown man.  I have many, many interesting stories about Big Joe (including the time I had to literally stop him from killing one of the staff...oh my).  He really is a gentle soul and I always try to see him when I come back to town.

Two of the teachers at the school are also former kids in my program.  Tony (on the left) and Greg (right) were both boys in the afterschool program when they were like 7 or 8.  They grew up attending all the programs and being StreetLeaders as teenagers.  Tony went to Eastern College and Greg went to Azusa Pacific University on scholarships through UP.  What success stories!

A few of my staff members are still at UP.  I used to hold the record for length of time, but they have since surpassed my time.  Brian (one of my directors) and his wife Sandy had us over for dinner.  What a wonderful time with old friends.  Camden especially liked their doggie!

Rimere and Salim loved all their toys and books!

I was thankful that they were willing to let Elizabeth and the kids stay a little while that evening so that I (and Sandy) could go to a funeral for the grandmother of two of the boys that I was closest to.  Despite the circumstances, I was moved to be able to hug Jeremy (who now lives in Boston) and Jacob (who is the StreetLeader director - another success story).  Jeremy has always called me "twin" since we share the same birthday.  They were in my first afterschool program in 1990 and were boys that I spent one evening a week with for 12 years.  They are my kids in a lot of ways.

We also stopped for a brief visit with another former staff worker, Michelle, her husband Andy (who is still with UP) and their three kids.  Abria is just a week older than Camden.

Allette is a few years older and their foster daughter is in between (she was taking a nap).  Camden was in hog-heaven with all the girl toys, books, and pets.

Trick-or-treat

Details about Miss Octopus to follow...

Fire!

The Crawfordsville Fire Department came to Camden's daycare on Wednesday.  They brought the big fire truck and several firemen talked to the kids.

When I picked her up on Wednesday afternoon, her teacher was quick to tell me a story about our little girl.

The fireman were explaining about needing to talk to your mom and dad about what to do if there is a fire in your house.  They gave them a few pointers, then asked the kids, "What do you do if there is a fire in your house?"

Camden immediately screamed out, "Make s'mores!"

Pumpkin "Treats"

For Camden's treat for her friends at school this Halloween, she and GaGa made pumpkin faces. 

Each of them have different hair and facial expressions.   The boy pumpkins wear cowboy hats and the girls wear straw ones.  Some have curly hair, some straw.  Some have red hair, some are blond.  Each of them have a sunflower. 

All in all, they made 16 pumpkins - each of them unique!