Archive for December, 2007

So, for Christmas this year, we had to do something a little different.  Having started my new job mid-November, I didn’t have enough vacation to do the long trip to Florida, so we went to Philadelphia.

We arrived at about 10pm on Saturday and stayed up until Sophia was good and ready to go to sleep. 

Sunday morning, we went to the Reading Terminal Market.  It was a pretty good time.  We bought some Prosciutto di Parma, Mozzarella, and a baguette and had a little picnic on the tables in the rear of the market.  There were several entertainers, including a little jazz band and a pianist.  Sophia liked watching the hands of the pianist, as she has a couple of pianos at home and was interested in learning some new tricks.

From there, we went to Independence Hall.  It was an interesting tour, though we bowed out a little early, as Sophia was in need of a nap.  The tour was of the East wing and the main building.  The West wing was a separate tour, so we went to see that.  We would have had to wait some twenty minutes, but a ranger came out and offered to give us a private tour.  The West wing was the original Capitol, with the House convening downstairs, and the Senate upstairs.  After the signing of the Consitution, this building served as our nation’s legislative center for ten years, at which point it moved to its current home in Washington, D.C.  One curious note, there were two large portraits of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI on the walls of the Senate, gifts from the monarchs before they got guillotined.

From there, we trudged back out into the rain and off to see the Liberty Bell.  The bell is housed in its own building, between the visitor’s center and Independence Hall.  It still amazes me how a defective bell is a symbol of our country, but it is.

We then went on a Hansom Cab tour of Philadelphia.  The guide told us a lot of interesting facts, such as Carpenter’s Hall was more significant than Independence Hall, as it was the meeting place of the First Continental Congress, where the decision was made to sever our ties with Britain.  We also saw the home of Roger Penske and some others.  He told us that Robert Morris was the inventor of Morse Code.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it wasn’t true, and even the spellings were different.

On Monday morning (Christmas Eve), we went to the Museum of Natural History near Logan Square.  It was much colder than the previous day, and the wind was blowing pretty hard.  It took a little while to get situated when we got there, as Sophia was a little cranky (sick, sleepy, and hungry).  We went down to the snack bar and gave her a bottle of milk and then started our tour.  There were quite a few dinosaur skeletons, but I think our highlight would have to be the Amazon exhibit.  There was a little stage where kids could dance and music was playing.  Sophia ran around and danced for about thirty minutes, until she was ready for a nap. 

After we left, we went to our friends’ house in New Jersey, just on the other side of the Delaware River from us.  They had prepared a big seafood feast including crab cakes, coconut shrimp, broiled tilapia, lobster, Clams Cassino, Mussells Marinara, and Calamari.  The kids opened presents and ran around and played together.

Christmas Day, we decided to bide our time until we would return to our friends’ house at 4pm by going to Penn’s Landing.  We found an ice skating rink that was open, though we passed on skating this time.  We had a small lunch and walked down the riverfront to see the Olympia (WWI-era battleship) and some of the other ships berthed there.  It was windy and pretty cold, so we didn’t stray very far.  We returned to New Jersey and Sophia got to play with Isabella and Giorgio again.  She really took to the cozy cars that they had, so we may have to get her one here soon. 

The next day, we went to visit the “Please Touch Museum” near Logan Square.  It is a museum for kids 1-7, that they can learn and run around in.  It had several parts, including “Alice in Wonderland” and “Things That Go Bump in the Night.”  It was a little pricey at $10/person, but it was worth it.  What’s more, we will plan to go back next Fall as they are expanding the museum.

After that, we started to head back the 3-1/2 drive to Leonardtown, exhausted but reasonably sane.

The wife and I went ice skating at the mall in Washington.  I had seen it for the past two years and figured we had better try it while our bones are still non-porous and can heal within a few months.

I busted my butt twice…once a slide, the other a fall onto my hip that still smarts a little.  It was pretty fun, though.  I figured it had been 20 years since my last time skating, so I figure I am good for at least another 20 years.   If other people want to go, sure I’ll go.  I just don’t think it will be my idea next time; however, Antonella thinks it would be good for Sophia to get exposed to it in another year or so.  We’ll see.  I imagine we will both be a complete wreck watching her.