Mommy FTW

I’ve done many posts about the Wilson Aquatic Center in Tenleytown DC, but I still get tons of questions about it, so I decided to make one super post that will hopefully be very informative for visitors.  And since it’s winter out and the pool is FREE (to DC residents) it’s a great indoor activity for you and your baby / toddler / kids!

Here’s the important info: (If you have other suggestions / tips please leave a comment!)

1) They are currently doing construction on Wilson High School which has caused the regular entrance to the Aquatic Center to be closed.  The temporary entrance is on Nebraska Ave near Albemarle.  There is generally plenty of free parking on Nebraska ave.  There are signs that will point you towards the entrance.

2) You must have your ID – no exceptions!  Of course, your child doesn’t need one.  If you are not a DC resident, you have to pay a $4 fee to get in.  They don’t take cash, so bring your credit card.  You can also use a utility bill to prove your DC residency if you don’t have a DC licence yet (like me – eep!)

3) Your small child needs to be wearing a swim diaper AND a swim suit – they can’t just wear a swim diaper.  I am guessing if they just had a swim suit on there wouldn’t be any way for them to tell if there was a diaper on underneath.  Besides, who is to say your kid isn’t potty trained?!  If you are wondering where you can get swim diapers in winter, check on Diapers.com or Amazon.com.

4) There are men’s, women’s, and family locker rooms.  Both the women’s and family locker rooms have diaper changing stations in them (I’m not sure about the men’s…)  Children over the age of 3 of the opposite sex must change in the family locker room.  AKA, you can’t take your son into the women’s locker room.   I used to prefer the women’s locker room (the showers are generally warmer) but I got a lot of dirty looks for having Cam there (even though he is just 2)  so now we stick to the family locker room.  There they have large private changing rooms – there are 4 or 5 of them available.

5) There is stroller parking available at the base of the stairs that lead from the lobby to the pool – just outside of where the elevator lets you off.

6) Things to bring:

A combo lock for the lockers – they do not provide them.

You might want to bring flip flops / sandals for yourself and your child.  I’m not really a fan of walking barefoot in public places – but maybe that’s just me.

I also bring shampoo, conditioner, and some liquid soap.  The showers have soap dispensers in them, but they are often empty.  I just keep travel size bottles in my swim bag to have on hand.

I always bring 2 towels – one for me and one for Cam.  The pool is very warm, but it feels COLD when you get out!  I also got Cam another bath robe to wear post swim.

Toys – one father I’ve seen there a few times has a great set of bath squirter toys that are a big hit.  They also have a basketball hoop and a few balls, but those are often in high demand – so feel free to bring some of your own things.

The children’s pool itself is a “beach pool” meaning it starts at 0″ depth and gradually gets deeper, just like at the beach.  It tops out somewhere between 2 or 3 feet.  There are several water features – some water jets that shoot up, and some buckets that fill and dump which are often off.  They seem a little scary and loud for little kids, but older kids LOVE them.  You can always go talk to the people in the office and ask them to turn them off or on.  They are very friendly.

Then there’s a semi separate deeper area (5 feet?) that the less serious swimmers do laps and water aerobics in.  There is also a HUGE lap pool if you really want to get your swim on and go without your child.  And, there is a “therapy pool” (gigantic hot tub) that only adults are allowed in.

There is always a lifeguard on duty at the kid’s pool and the main lap pool.  They are very attentive and I always feel safe having Cam there.

Phew!  That was a lot of info – I hope you find it helpful.  I can’t stress enough how great this pool is – especially on a rainy, snowy, or cold day.  And, after you’ve gone swimming, hit up the Whole Foods across the street for lunch.  They have an upstairs seating area that has plenty of high chairs!

The Wilson Aquatic Center is open Mon-Fri 6:00am – 9:00pm; Sat,Sun 9:00am – 5:00pm.  It will be closed December 24 and 25 for Christmas, and December 31 and January 1 for New Years.  You can call them with any questions at: (202) 730-0583.  If you are interested in learning about classes at the Wilson Aquatic Center, check out the DC DPR website.

In this super cold weather I like for Cam to wear something on his feet even when we are indoors.  He isn’t really a fan of socks – but I have found a solution that keeps his feet warm, keeps him from slipping on hard wood floors, and that he is willing to wear – Nowali Moccasins.  And now, they are on sale at the Mini Social for a great price ($12 a pair!)  These Moccasins make great shoes for early walkers and also are nice around the house slippers.  If you have a little one or are looking for a gift to give someone else – it might be time to snatch up a pair.  Here’s a sample of the styles that are on sale now:

If they don’t have the style or size you want, check Amazon – that’s where I got Cameron’s – though they will be a bit more expensive than at the Mini Social!

Lately Cameron has been refusing to get dressed after the bath, which has resulted in lots of naked time.  In the summer this wouldn’t bother me, but it’s pretty darn cold out lately so I wanted to find him a bath robe in the hopes that he would find it acceptably cool and would wear it.  Success! 

I found this great one on Amazon – it’s a little pricey but the quality is great, and it’s super plush and cozy.  The size I got is X-Small which is for “2-3 year olds.”  Cam just turned 2 and it’s on the bigger side for him, which in my mind makes it perfect.  FYI, it comes in several colors including  blue, white, and pink and various kids sizes.

For those of you out there looking for Holiday gift ideas – Cameron just had his 2nd Birthday last week and there were a few presents that were the clear winners in his mind.  I thought I would post them for your info (of course every child is different but….)

The Kid Galaxy My First RC Go Go Firetruck was clearly the most exciting toy Cameron got.  It’s a super simple RC vehicle (the only controls are forward and turn – in one direction).  Cameron LOVES firetrucks so this is right up his alley.  FYI, this toy also comes in Dump Truck, School Bus, Police Car, Bubble Gum Racer (which is of course, pink,) Train, Wheelie Cycle Speedster (a motorcycle,) and several more.  Basically, no matter what your child is obsessed with, they make an RC for it.

Cameron has always had a blankee that his Auntie Kate gave him at birth which he absolutely must sleep with.  But, we thought it was time to get him a full sized “big boy” blanket to sleep under in his crib.  Well, he’s not exacltly sleeping under it (yet) but he LOVES the cars, trucks, and snuggle-ability of this blanket.

This MEGA Bloks Fill and Dump Wagon was bought by Cameron’s other Aunt Jen – who just had a baby (Congrats!)  Not only does this wagon have awesome blocks which Cam loves to stack, it is also portable and he can fill it with all kinds of junk.  By the way, it comes in pink too.  I think this toy is a great one for encouraging your little one to clean up – a key skill!

Recently I was talking to a friend who is 7 months pregnant and I asked her what she was using on her baby belly to prevent stretch marks.  She said she had just run out of what she was using, and was thinking of trying something else.  That reminded me of an amazing product I used when I was pregnant with Cameron which another mom friend had recommended to me – L’Occitane Shea Butter.

This product, while not specifically marketed as “stretch mark cream” is, I think, the best thing out there for the job.  Most stretch mark creams have shea butter in them, but this stuff is 100% pure shea butter!

I knew from my own experience this stuff really works(I didn’t get a single one *knock on wood* for next time) but I wondered why shea butter actually helps prevent stretch marks so I asked my friend Google!  Here’s what I found out:

Because of its high concentration of non-saponifiable fatty acids, shea butter has a moisturizing and healing effect on the skin. The lipids contained in the butter are highly beneficial to the cells found in the epidermis and promote skin healing and improvement. Shea butter works well to improve the skin’s elasticity, thus enabling it to stretch with greater ease.

Sounds good to me!  You can buy this cream on Amazon.com, on the Sephora website, in Sephora stores, or at L’Occitane stores. It is a little pricey, but I would say that not getting stretch marks is worth it! One 4.9 oz tin will most likely get you through the whole pregnancy.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

For many people, summer time means lots of travel.  When we travel with Cameron, we always take along our Baby Bjorn Travel Crib.  We bought it last summer, and used it many times – it’s super light, easy to set up, and folds up into it’s own neat little suitcase.  I was worried that this summer Cameron would have grown out of it – but he hasn’t!  In fact, he seems to really love sleeping in his own personal pup tent.

Let's go!

This crib is a litle on the pricey side, but I think it is WAY better than any other Pack N Play I’ve ever seen – and the convenience factor makes it totally worth it for me and my little guy.  By the way, don’t bother buying a specific sheet for this crib, just use a regular crib sheet and tuck in the extra sheet around the edge.

I wrote a write up on the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib last year – check out my review here.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Today I stopped in at the Home and U store on at 394 Myrtle Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbuilt.  I found some really great items there for Cameron (at LOW prices) so I wanted to share so it was on your radar!

In the back by the cash registers I stumbled upon the most amazing Truck book (it’s called My First Truck Book).  Apparently the version I got isn’t made anymore (which I am guessing is why it ended up at Home and U).  But honestly, I don’t care if it’s a few years out of date – since the book itself was still brand new!  Anyways, I paid $2.99 – on Amazon a newer version is over $7, and is smaller in size.  Not too shabby!

And, picked up a small Elmo doll which Cameron immediately fell in love with.  At $1.99 it was worth every penny.

They also have lots of spray bottles to choose from – which are great fun at the sprinklers and playgrounds.  And plenty of other odds and ends toys for summer fun.

And, don’t forget I got Cameron’s little watering can there, which he uses to help me water the plants in the garden.

I will certainly be back to dig for more items.  The store can seem a little cramped and disorganized, but if you take a look you can find some low cost treasures.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Cameron’s favorite books are always changing as he grows – but I wanted to let you all in on his current favorites (FYI – he is 20 months old).

Cameron is obsessed with Cars (which for some reason he calls “choo choo”) and Trucks (“tuck”)  He also loves Cats (“tat”) since we have two of them.  So, his favorite books revolve around these items:

My Car – Byron Barton – This is a book about a man named Sam who loves his car and drives a bus.  There are lots of pictures of all kids of vehicles.  Sam also wears a hat and shoes which Cameron likes to point out and say on every page.  It is required that this book is read at least once before bed time.  This book has thick pages, but is a step below a board book in terms of durability.

Find the Kitten – Find it Board Books – Each page of this book has a picture of a kitten and Cameron loves to point it out on every page.  There’s also other things to point out to help build vocabulary.  As you might have guessed, this book is a board book.

Trucks Roll! – Richard Jackson Books – I’ve been reading this book to Cameron since he was born, but he loves it more and more every day.  It’s got so many pictures of semi trucks in it, Cameron is in heaven.  He always pulls it off the shelf for me to read every morning.  This book is more of a “big kid book” as the pages are not cardboard or thick.

Goodnight Moon – Margaret Wise Brown – If you didn’t get at least one copy of this book as a gift, I would be shocked!  Did you ever notice how many kittens are pictured in it?  Well Cameron did, and he points them out on every page.  A classic goodnight story.  We have the large “Lap Edition” and a smaller travel size both of which are board books.

Toes, Ears, Nose – Karen Katz – This is one of many “Lift the Flap Books” by Karen Katz, all of which Cameron enjoys (we find them at Clinton Hill Library) but I really like this one because it helps Cameron learn his body parts.  Unfortunately, some of the flaps have been removed due to all the tough love that Cameron has shown this book.

Also, check out my post about Bath Books Cameron Loves – I wrote in in September 2009 (almost a year ago!) but Cameron still loves all these books, and they are still a big part of bath time.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Last year we were visiting Cameron’s Great Grand Parents in Chicago and he fell in love with this little rocking chair they had which belonged to another Great Grand Child.

This chair is just right...

When we got home, I looked it up on Amazon and bought it for his first Birthday.  7 months later, he is still loving it (and so do all his friends that come over!)  If you are looking for a simple and affordable chair for your little one that is just the right size, then check it out!

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Although I try and do most of my shopping on Amazon (with their subscribe and save, the prices are great) more often than I’d like to admit I realized that I’ve almost run out of diapers…. Tragedy is at hand, and in that situation Diapers.com is my savior.  Here’s a cool video I saw recently that shows just how amazing they are behind the scenes.  I know here in Brooklyn, NY I get my orders next day – even on Saturdays – which has saved me for more than one birthday party.  Anyways – they are, in a word – awesome.  Enjoy the vid!

I can’t wait to try out Soap.com when it launches!