a little more than a year ago, my Portland heroine* Sarah Gilbert blogged about something that i was thinking. how she did that i'll never know. i was about 10 sleepy months into motherhood in desperate need of a shot of espresso, (make that a double), woman-to-woman, mom-to-mom, and just plain adult conversation, and a few shiney toys to hold my baby's attention for just a sec.
Sarah, aka cafemama, blogged about this very need. which, in turn, flipped on the dimming light bulb in my head. when there is a need for something i have an innate drive to fulfill that need. even if said need is so overwhelmingly unspoken of...like this particular need of whom i like to call the underground moms of babies and toddlers who are former posh Starbucks patrons and now badly want to go to a place like Starbucks, except not Starbucks, because they want a place that is welcoming of colicy infants, rambunctious toddlers, sippy cups, Goldfish crackers, Legos, playdates, playgroups, spitup, diapers, Pull-Ups, and mom talk. that's the long-winded way of saying "Gorbella's." or, if you're a Portlander, you can call it Cafe au Play.
here are some snippets of my thoughts and, coincidentally, Sarah's blog from that cold December day back in 2005...
"The ideas we've been discussing all center around providing a large space with a respectably active outlet for our kids to dance, play, run, tumble, climb, plus caretakers who assist us by negotiating disputes, watching the kids while we order coffee or use the restroom or hang out with our bloggity buddies. We want a space a little ways away from the play area for parents to sit, relax, eat, work, breastfeed. Wifi. Good coffee. Organic tea. Baked goods. Protein-packed snacks.
If you're not happy with your options? Don't fret. There are a lot of moms, and dads, out there with great ideas and business plans, working to bring you places that are truly child-friendly. Watch this space, watch that beat-up old warehouse in your neighborhood. Change is a-coming."
those moms and dads with business plans she mentions? yeah, i think she was talking about us. that beat-up old warehouse-turned child-friendly coffeeshop? yeah, i think she was talking about Gorbella's.
i should also mention that not only did Sarah blog about this brilliant concept. she, like me, looked right at that light bulb that lit up like a strobe and did something about it.
now...let us do something about it too.
*unbeknownst to her, i call Sarah my heroine because she's about 5 gigantic steps ahead of me, practically inventing the wheel and literally paving the way. without her guidance and inspiration, i'd probably still be pondering if such a thing as child-friendly coffeehouse could ever be possible.
