I was having difficulties getting into our blog so sorry for the delay in an update. Sadly, there isn't much of an update to give.

Our Falls Church location is still held up in county red tape. I've had my county supervisor looking into it, but no action.

The Kingstowne location has been moving forward at glacial speed (pre-global warming) but now the landlord is throwing a wrench in the works by changing the terms we had previously agreed upon.

We are continuing to spend money on storage, telephone, database, key employees, etc, and this cannot be sustained indefinitely. At some point, the funds for build out, deposit, etc will be depleted. We continue to look for the "perfect site" that would be relatively turn key and quick to open, but I'm not holding my breath.

I understand that people are frustrated by the length of time this is taking. I sincerely wish we had reopened in November/December, as we had orginally planned. We have received a few inquiries about refunds. MoBu Kids has had a longstanding (read: pre-Jill's ownership) of no refunds. All punch cards will be honored at the new location(s), when it opens. If you have class credit, we have it on record and you will receive it at the new location(s).

This week, we received approval to use the new space as an indoor playground. Yay! 

Now for the groan, from our landlord, "I met with county staff regarding our parking reduction request.  They were receptive to our request for an increased parking reduction and believed we had sufficient justification.  There is some more formal procedure to go through which I will be starting on today. The staff informed us that action items for the Board of Supervisors must be submitted (in their finalized form, after all reviews) at least one month in advance of a meeting.  As such the staff estimated  we are about two months out at this point, assuming everything goes smoothly."

Ah mah gah!!! Argh. Head on keyboard. This space has been empty since November 1st. We have been waiting to get in and operate since then. I do not want to cut off my nose to spite my face, but I am NOT a patient person. I could pull the plug on this space, but where would we go? We have few other options that meet our specifications. So I will try to wait this out and be patient, and hope all my money doesn't go to storage space and other bills before it's time to move in.

My head is spinning - and not in a good way. More like Linda Blair from the Exorcist. We did not get approved today. We didn't NOT get approved, either - we got punted to next month (my term).

The county supervisor for the Providence District, Linda Q. Smyth, has requested more information about the project before she will recommend it to the full Board of Supervisors. The staffer that we need to work with to provide the answers is OUT OF THE OFFICE until February 1st. Do you know when I learned of this? Around 1pm today, the day of the meeting. So there is at least another month of being shut down.

What does this mean for MoBu? It means that we cross our fingers and hope we can float another month of expenses while not bringing in any income - and still have enough funds left to open. It also means that we are actively pursuing our hope of another location elsewhere in the county. We had hoped to open the new location in the greater Falls Church area first, as we consider that our home base and where most of you live. However, there is a space I've had my eye on for awhile that will not need a parking and traffic study, and that might be faster to open than our home base.

I appreciate all the messages of encouragement we have received, as well as the inquiries coming in daily on when will you be able to book birthday parties, why aren't we taking reservations for summer camp, and what in the heck is the hold up? I'm impatient as well. 

Great news!

Fairfax County is considering our parking and traffic issue at tomorrow's meeting!! This has been the most significant hinderance to our reopening. Once we get the approval, we can move forward with our space. 

I will let you know how it goes. Please keep your fingers crossed!

Hi friends - 

As I write this, it has been nearly two months since we closed our doors at the old location. We are getting calls and emails daily asking when we are going to reopen. I had thought we would be open in early November, Thanksgiving at the very latest. Now, I have no idea. We are waiting for word from the county about our occupancy/use permit. 

We moved from the City of Falls Church into Fairfax County, and the county is not familiar with MoBu Kids and what we do. Even though there is plenty of parking in the new location, there is some doubt as to whether we will be within the ratio of spaces per square foot. Someone mentioned the phrase "traffic study" and I shuddered. I should be honored that the county perceives MoBu Kids as being a gigantic traffic generator, drawing crowds from near and far, but the reality is that we are a very small business that is really struggling to wade through the red tape. 

I'm beyond ready to be open. We missed sharing Halloween with your children  - I adore kids in costumes. We missed Small Business Saturday - there are very few businesses smaller than MoBu - we had awesome promos lined up (we will offer them once we get a date to open.) We haven't planned a Santa event because we don't know if we can hold one. The weather has turned colder and your kids need a place to play - and you need a place to have coffee! In the meantime, we are working behind the scenes to do what we can to ensure that the new MoBu is fresher, better, and more awesome than we were before. 

Thank you for your patience. 

Thank you to everyone who voted for us in this year's Most Awesome Awards. We were so excited to be voted Easiest Drop Off Play Spot for 2016! It means a lot that you feel safe knowing your kids are well taken care of during Mom's Day Out and Parents' Night Out.​

During this transition time, we have paused PNO, but Mom's Day Out continues to be offered every Tuesday. There are a couple spots open on a week by week basis, but you must register in advance. We look forward to getting back to date nights next month!
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Exciting things are happening this fall at MoBu Kids, and we want to share some important news with you. MoBu Kids is moving to a new location, just down the street from our current facility. The new space is being built out specifically for MoBu Kids, and will allow us to better meet the needs of your family - including improved parking, separate areas for babies and bigger kids, additional bathroom stalls, and a variety of other improvements. 

Sadly, our new facility will not be completed before we have to vacate our current premises at the end of September. The good news is that we were able to partner with local businesses to find space to accommodate our weekday classes as well as weekend birthday parties. Open Play will continue to be offered albeit on a limited basis. Please check the Open Play schedule on our website for updated offerings. 

Starting October 3rd, weekday classes (except dance/ballet) will be held at LCF Kids, located at 150 South Washington St. LCF Kids is an adaptive children’s fitness center focusing on therapeutic exercise, weight management, physical education, social skills, adaptive physical education and athletic development. You can find out more about LCF Kids here, http://www.lcfkids.com/about. ​Dance classes will be held at Body Dymanics, located at 410 South Maple Street, Suite 100.

On weekends, we will be holding birthday parties at either Play, Work or Dash or Body Dynamics. Play, Work or Dash is a family-oriented collaborative work space targeted to entrepreneurs and freelance professionals who are also parents. Its playroom is designed for children to use their imagination, socialize with other children, and learn through play. Body Dynamics has a unique approach to providing physical therapy and wellness services. We are reaching out to parents with birthday parties scheduled to discuss options with them. 

We thank you for your patience during this time and look forward to seeing you at our new facility. Please contact us if you have any questions at info@mobukids.com, or by calling 703-241-7529. 

Hi friends!

The rumors are true, we are moving and we are thrilled! We will be moving a couple miles down route 29, to a space that is being custom designed just for us. It should be much more usable than our current location though I am most excited about the parking!

Stay tuned for details. There are several glitches to our well laid plans (aren't there always?) so final details will be released soon. and we are thrilled! We will be moving a couple miles down route 29, to a space that is being custom designed for us. It should be much more usable than our current location. I am most excited about the parking! Stay tuned for details. There are several glitches to my well laid plans (aren't there always?) so final details will be released soon.

Vote for MoBu Kids! We have been nominated for Red Tricycle's Totally Awesome award as the Easiest Drop Off Spot in the DC Area!! Shucks, we're blushing..but we would love to win! Please vote for us by clicking on the badge above.

Thank you for your nomination!

The first time I flew into National Airport (yes, before the name change) from my native West Coast, I was amazed at how green everything was. Looking down from the air, the amount of green grass was overwhelming. My astonishment only grew throughout that summer when I discovered it rained on a regular basis. That was unheard of - even in Oregon. Now, many years later and after a record setting 15 day stretch of rain, I'm a little over it. C'mon, Mother Nature, give us some spring. Please?? 

The only good news on a day like today is that MoBu Kids has lots of Open Play scheduled! We have Open Play on the calendar six days a week (and sometimes, seven days a week - depending on our party schedule). We have listened to your suggestions and comments and scheduled morning, afternoon, and weekend Open Play to accommodate your schedules. 

Recent changes to our program allow for all day in-and-out privileges when you pay or use a punch card (single visit pass cards are excluded), because sometimes you need to break for lunch or a nap but want to come back when you're done. The best value for your money comes with class enrollment. You pay for one class a week, but you get UNLIMITED Open Play all session long - for FREE. Do the math however you want, but it adds up to a significant savings. 

Rain, rain, go away...but until then, Come Play with Us!