Herr's Factory Tour

Today we went on a tour of the Herr's Factory in Nottingham, PA.  This was a highly talked up outing because supposedly, it culminated in getting to taste hot-off-the-line potato chips.  

After driving almost an hour and a half (the boys were such troopers!), we arrive in the middle of nowhere at a rather plain looking factory (I'm used to Jelly Belly!).  Naturally, we got there early, and I was super excited because I thought the tour was going to be small and therefore it wouldn't be an issue if the boys were getting out some of their bottled up energy.  

Everything was going great until a bus load of about 70 Amish/Mennonites pulled up.  I have nothing against anyone, but I do have something against 70 more people showing up in this little factory.  I was a little bummed...and the boys were too because the previously empty atrium that they were playing "hot lava" in was filled with people.

Oh well...it's not anyones fault.  The tour begins and it was pretty ok.  Half the time we couldn't tell what we were looking at and the tour guide was pretty ambiguous when pointing out how the pretzels and chips were made.  It would have been a waste of time...had those hot potato chips never emerged.  But when our tour guide went into the factory and pulled a tray hot out of the fryer, the trip was well worth it for the boys, so much so that C announced he would throw up if he saw another chip all day (not because they were bad, but because he was eating them by the handful--thank God for their fast metabolisms).

Becky's Last Words: If I lived closer, this would have been better, but being that it took an hour to go on a 30 minute tour, I would probably never do it again.

Rating: 3/10

P.S.  This is in no way a reflection of my opinion on Herr's snacks....I love them all, especially the popcorn. 

Adventure Aquarium, Camden, New Jersey

This Thursday, we decided to check out the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey.  At first thought, I was terrified.  Camden is one of the most dangerous cities in America and is home to a street where you have a 1 in 4 chance of being shot.  No thank you.

With that being said, the boys really wanted to go (and we were going in daylight), so we crossed the bridge.  We get there without much ado (thank goodness) and waltz into the aquarium.  I am always weary of this underwater zoos because I grew up with the Monterey Bay Aquarium...and honestly, nothing will ever compare; nonetheless, I tried to remain positive and unbiased.  

I must say, I was pleasantly surprise.  For what they lacked in space and habitat, they made up with touch pools (there are 5 of them!!!) and hippos (we came right at feeding time).  How many kids can say they have touched a jelly fish, a shark, a shrimp, and a sting ray?  Any kid that has been to this aquarium.  My hands were in there too...COME ON!  HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET TO TOUCH JELLY FISH?!?  The only thing that "ruined" the experience was when one of the docents told us not to touch the jelly's underside because it could rip off their feeding limb and then they get fed to the turtles.  

The whole outing took almost 3 hours, which in nannying time, is HUGE!  The kids were very entertained (as was I), and the animals seemed well taken care of (expect for a bald/molting penguin that troubled both the boys and I).  

Becky's Verdict:  If your child has any interest in fish, hippos, penguins, seals, or frogs, this place is definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 7/10

The Philadelphia Zoo

So, let me start out by saying that normally I LOVE my GPS...but was an exception.  First off, my GPS doesn't have the Philadelphia Zoo programed into it, which I would let slide if it wasn't the first zoo ever in the United States!  I know for a fact that my GPS was created far after the birth of this zoo, so TomTom, you have no excuse.  And I digress...

After typing in the zoo's address, rather than taking us the easy, family-friendly, route, it drops us off smack dab in the middle of a stereotypical, terrible Philly neighborhood.  Winner!  It was the opportunity to discuss how fortunate we are s well as have a four year old ask why some man was peeing on a car.  Again, WIN!

Anyways, we finally get to the zoo.  We arrive pretty soon after it opens.  The boys, who haven't been there in two years, were gushing.  There are two huge advantages to going early: the crowds are substantially less and the temperature is WAY cooler which leads to the animals (and the kids) moving around more.

The zoo itself is pretty clean and overall sprawling (which leads to some tired legs by the end.)  The layout of the zoo is pretty disorganized and somewhat haphazardly put together, but considering its age and how many animals it holds, it's easy not to be bothered by this.  With that being said, the kids loved it.  The baby otters were on display today which was fantastic.  Who knew that the babies just screamed constantly.  It was hilariously adorable.  The zoo also features several docents at the popular animal sites to help answer questions (the kids weren't interested in these people, but I was!)

Becky's Bottom Line: While it isn't the best zoo, it is certainly not the worst.  Get some good walking shoes, and a quality GPS, and check it out.

Rating:  8/10

GPS Rating: 2/10

The "nanny notebook" that I have created for this job.  I have listed several kid-friendly ideas around Philadelphia, their cost, location, and hours.  I'm most excited about the Insectarium, but we'll see if I can persuade the kids to go.

#1: Tees Mini Golf in Conshohocken

Today we went to Tees in Conshohocken to play some mini-golf.  I will begin with this caveat--the boys that I nanny for are PHENOMENAL golfers for their ages.  The whole process was pretty cheep ($5 for kids, $6 for me).  It wasn't crowded (we went at 10:30), and the help was ok (they grumbled a lot, but the guy was really old, so I don't blame him.)  

First off, this was not the mini-golf of my youth with fun obstacles, bright lights, and Disney-esque obstacles (read: Golfland), but for the kids, who are all really good at golf, this was right up their alley.  It is more or less actually set up like little greens everywhere rather than kitschy windmills that kick up your ball and send it forty feet away.  I was a little bummed, but the bottom line was: the kids weren't.  

The water that surrounds the holes was downright disgusting though, which led to a gigantic phobia of putting the ball into the water.  The kids and I took turns guarding any holes on the course to guarantee this didn't happen.  The water was SO gross, in fact, that there was a dead toad floating in it that looked like it had been there for days (this actually upped the entertainment factor for the boys though).

Becky's Final Say: For children (and adults like me) who are more into the carnival-like ambiance of mini-golf, this place isn't for you.

RATING: 5/10

*For lunch, we went to Sam's Grill in Wynnewood.  It was okay, but pretty expensive considering everything was off the kid's menu.  Also, there were only 4 options on the kid's menu (so picky eaters, be warned!)

Tomorrow we are off to the zoo, which I am already quite partial to, but I am nonetheless excited to see the boys' views of it!

Welcome!

My name is Becky and I am a nanny on the Mainline near Philadelphia, PA.  I work with a family that has three boys.  The oldest, C, is 10, the middle child, S, is 7, and the youngest, J, is 4.  I have started this blog as a resource to other nannies and stay-at-home parents in the area who want/need ideas.  I plan on rating our adventures, sharing some stories, and talking about the trials and tribulations of keeping three young kids entertained.  I will rank every activity on a scale of 1-10 (1 being not kid friendly at all and 10 being up there with Disneyland).  I will not rank the restaurants we go to unless they directly cater to families/children.  In advance, I apologize if I offend anyone, as my sampling demographic only consists of three boys and my opinion might not always be yours.  I hope you enjoy my blog and I look forward to embarking on this journey!