Tacoma Kids

We’ve heard all of the following within the last 48 hours: “I don’t like chicken.” “I don’t like cheese.” “I’m not hungry.” “I don’t like ANYthing.”

So, if your child survives on snacks the way ours does these days , you will share our dismay that the only snack food we know of that makes spinach and kale palatable to kinder has been recalled.

Robert’s American Gourmet, the manufacturer:  http://www.robscape.com/files/prod-veggie-booty.php

and the FDA article, which notes that there have been 4 cases of salmonella poisoning in Washington state:

 http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01661.html

Looks like it’s finally getting warm enough to get out to the pool, and the Stewart Heights Pool is a fantastic one. We have not been yet this year, but are looking forward to it soon. It’s more of a water park than a pool, with a beach-like entry area great for tots, a bubble pool, water play structure, a “lazy river” kids ride through on inner tubes, and a water slide for older kids. (more…)

This is a great café (with a fireplace - nice in winter … or in early June …) on the corner of 27th and Proctor that happens to have a paint your own pottery studio in back. I was going to suggest this as a great place for making Father’s Day gifts, but as you can tell by our lack of entries lately, time has gotten away from me!
The good news is it‘s a great place for making gifts for any occasion. Reilly and I made Christmas presents for all of his grandparents here when he was less than a year old by putting different colored hand prints all over mugs, platters and teapots. It was a little hairy when I got overzealous about the number of things we could paint in a session, and there are plenty of breakables all around the place that gave me a heart attack or two when Reilly started getting restless, but overall, a very satisfying experience, and we came out with some really priceless gifts. I think this is just going to get better as he gets older and more into painting, too. (more…)

Blooming kids is a locally owned small business consignment boutique that has some great stuff, and classes too. It’s at 3810 N 27th St., Tacoma, WA 98407, in a little house next door to the karate dojo. It’s right across the street from the post office, and near the dry cleaner, which is convenient for errand running in the Proctor neighborhood if your kid can take that many stops!
They are having an open house July 7 from 10 to 3. They offer art, music, birthing and sign language classes. Check out the website to see what they are offering right now. Bloomingkidsboutique.com

I have only been in once because it’s been closed at odd hours, but the time I was in I loved it, and after my last experience at Once Upon A Child, which required 2 trips within 24 hours and didn’t accept half of my items, I’ll be taking my hand me downs here from now on.

So Reilly and I let Ruth have a little alone time and headed over to Jefferson Park after we heard from a friend that they had completed a new water feature/park/thingy. It’s really cool! I may have had more fun then Reilly. We have visited a similar park near Ruth’s fathers place in Vancouver B.C. and Reilly had a great time there. The one at Jefferson Park is a little smaller, but really nice non-the-less!

There’s water coming down, up and from the sides from many different spouts (not sure if that is the right word since plumbing is not my strongest suit, ask Ruth about my experience with our upstairs bathroom sink, I may still have a crick in my neck from it).

The park service took out a wading pool and set up at least a dozen different water features that allow the kids to run through or stand under as they are showered. If anything, it’s an easy way to finally get your kid clean (so they can then go over and get dirty again on the very cool play set a couple of yards away). When Reilly and I showed up at about 11 in the morning last Sunday there were only a couple of people there, but by the time we left at 1:30, at least a dozen families with screeching kids were having a great time. Even saw a couple of rough looking pre-teens hop off their bikes and join in the fun.

Anyway, get out the sun screen and towel and head on over, and don’t forget to read the rules (I like the last one the best!). Free fun! Jefferson Park is located on 9th Street just west of Proctor, and if I got that wrong, here’s the link on Google.