Breakfast with Santa

Not Too Close Santa

Several weeks ago I had Steven make reservations for A Breakfast with Santa at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill. If I'm being totally honest, this was not because I wanted my child to have some extravagant outing with the big guy, but because I myself wanted to eat at the Carolina Inn for less than $100. Steven and I aren't big eaters, so fancy places are out. With as little as we eat we can't justify the cost. The entire event was only $15 per person with kids under 3 being free. This is probably the last event we'll attend before Edmund qualifies as a citizen worthy of full prices. Truthfully, if Edmund weren't free we probably wouldn't have gone, but I'm glad we did.

When we arrived at the Carolina Inn Edmund immediately spotted a gingerbread castle sculpted from sand. The previous two weeks at school were all about gingerbread, so Edmund couldn't contain his excitement. He would have stayed at the castle much longer were it not for the fact his mommy and daddy were freezing their pants off outside. When we entered the inn we were directed to a large ballroom full of close to 300 parents and children. I was expecting something a little more intimate, but I was immediately able to adjust my expectations. There were two breakfast buffet lines. As a nice touch, the waffle and pancake line was at perfect kid height. It was fun for the children to see the options without having to be lifted up. Ever since his first hotel experience, Edmund has held a place in his heart for hotel breakfasts. This was a treat for Edmund, Santa or not.

Edmund loved the breakfast and probably had about three servings when all was said and done. The people at our table wandered over to the place where Santa would be, but we thought it best Edmund eat and jump in at the end of the line. As Edmund continued eating Santa made his way through the ballroom to the sounds of jingle bells. He shook hands with children as he made his way to his place of honor in front of the Christmas tree. We expected a bit of a wait so we decided to get up and tour the inn while we waited for the line dwindle.

The Carolina Inn has a "12 Days of Christmas" display every year that I'd always wanted to see. This wasn't really Edmund's thing, but he did have fun seeing "Bill and Coo", the two live partridges at the front of the Inn. As we wandered the halls of the inn we stumbled upon a gingerbread house contest. Edmund wondered aloud if a gingerbread baby was in one of the houses, as his favorite book at school the past week was The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. I was most impressed by a gingerbread display made to look like an old covered bridge and cast my vote. Edmund couldn't choose just one house, so he passed on the voting.

After seeing as much of the inn as we could without surprising guests by entering their rooms, we returned to the ballroom. Unfortunately the line for Santa hadn't moved much. We decided we would stake out a place in line and take turns with Edmund. Edmund loves to wait for Santa. The problem is he will wait hours for Santa, but as soon as his turn arrives, gets cold feet. I know this because sometimes on cold afternoons we wander the mall. Edmund asks to wait in line to see Santa. He has a blast in line. Other parents comment on how patient he is, and when it's his turn to see Santa guess what? Edmund will turn to the child behind us and say "it's that kid's turn mommy." At this point I encourage Edmund to wave or give Santa high five and then we're on our way. Thus I knew Edmund would have no problem with the wait. It was mommy and daddy who would need to practice patience.

Fortunately there was a magician working the crowd in the ball room. He did some amazing magic, but Edmund was unamused. That is, until the magician made mommy's nose squeak. Edmund laughed so uncontrollably that the magician squeaked mommy's nose several times. I had a bit of a sore nose after that. Edmund also received a chocolate coin the magician found hiding behind his ear, but that couldn't compare to mommy's squeaky nose. Eventually even the magician had to depart, so Edmund decided to watch as the other children talked to Santa.

After a rather lengthy, but fun-filled wait it was Edmund's turn to sit with Santa. Edmund of course didn't want to sit on Santa's lap. He did however, agree to sit next to Santa. Santa asked Edmund what he wanted for Christmas. Edmund responded by pointing to a mini gingerbread Beannie Baby in a basket and said "I want a gingerbread baby for Christmas." Santa said "yes and what else would you like." Edmund gave Santa a puzzled look and said "a gingerbread baby." After hearing several long Christmas lists that included Wiis and Leapfrogs, Santa seemed shocked and perhaps a bit relieved that all Edmund wanted was the little gingerbread toy all the children at the breakfast would receive. When Santa handed Edmund his gingerbread baby, Edmund was thrilled. He held and cuddled his gingerbread baby the whole way home. The breakfast was indeed the perfect way begin our weeklong countdown to Christmas.

Melty the Snowman

Edmund and Melty

Greeting blog followers. This past month I have been taken hostage by a person of short stature who thinks communicating through raspberries is the way of the future. Fortunately, I have managed to escape for this one night to give you the report on our latest adventure.

Steven was on call today, which means I do my best to find activities to fill up our day. It's not that I mind staying at home and playing with Edmund. In fact this would be great, but the distractions of home life beckon to me from every room. It's great that Edmund can play by himself for longer stretches now, but I hate to spend the whole day saying "go play, I need to do laundry" or "go play, I need to vacuum up this minuscule crumb I just spotted." It is curious to me that these things that really can wait seem so pressing if I'm at home. I've discovered that if I take Edmund somewhere I'm able to just "be" with him. Thus I was excited to read about a children's concert at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro and was pleasantly surprised to find it took place on an "on call" day.

We arrived at The ArtsCenter a little early to participate in the Art's Sampler taking place this morning. The Sampler as its name states was a sampler of children's classes offered. Edmund was still a little young to quite enjoy the offerings. He was given the opportunity to make a pinch pot out of clay. He stuck his thumb in and was "all done". He also listened to a story by one of the art's teachers, but when she began doing interpretive dance he was "all done." As soon as the doors opened for the concert we headed in. Edmund could have his pick of any seat in the house, but he chose to sit several rows back. To my surprise he was very well behaved during the twenty minute wait for the show to start. He has been all about instruments these days, so it didn't hurt we were able to talk about the various types of guitars and trombone propped on the stage.

At 11 am sharp Lunch Money took the stage. The sound wasn't phenomenal in the auditorium, but then I really wasn't expecting it to be. Not the band's fault, simply the nature of the room. The great thing was it didn't matter. This indie rock children's band knows how to put on a show. Soon my little child who always refuses to dance and instead play air guitar, was begging to get on the dance floor. Edmund's dance move of choice was hopping up and down then falling down and squirming on his belly in the middle of the floor. This is why I never have a chance to sit back. Edmund is a very sweet child who has 100x more energy than most kids I know. Apparently he gets it from Steven, who is said to have had Edmund's energy times ten. Yikes! At least Edmund uses his powers for good and not evil. Nevertheless, I must be within arms reach of my child at all times, lest he get a little out of control.

Edmund danced through the entire hour long set. The majority of songs were interactive. I loved that they were short and about things kids can relate to. Edmund and I are both major Raffi fans and this is because his songs are short and sweet. Raffi's songs are catchy and hold a child's attention. A lot of the new children's bands have songs that are simply too long to be memorable. Lunch Money was refreshingly the opposite. The trombone is a recent addition, but I love that this band wasn't simply the typical vocals, drums, and guitar. Not that there is anything wrong with guitar, as it seems master Edmund is heading toward a career as a lead guitarist. However, I like that Edmund was exposed to an instrument we've often talked about but don't often see or hear. The concert was the perfect length for young attention spans at one hour. And Edmund loved it. His feet were still a dancin' when we walked to get lunch at the pizza place next door. I am a new Lunch Money found and will definitely be looking for a CD soon.

All that dancing wore Edmund out and he easily went down for a nap. As he napped a blanket of snow began covering our yard. I had heard tell of snow this weekend, but ignored it 1.because if I get excited about snow it never happens and 2. what fun is it if it happens on a weekend when there is no chance of school closings? When Edmund woke up I showed him the snow. He of course wanted to go out in it. I kept telling him "later" as I really didn't want to venture into the cold. However, I do love snow and couldn't deny Edmund the opportunity to play in it any longer. In North Carolina you have to take snow when you get it. For all we know this could be it for the winter.

When we walked outside Edmund immediately spotted the neighbor's snowman. He wanted to play with it and was disappointed when I told him he couldn't. So I suggested we build our own. It's been a long time since I've built a snowman, mainly because they are so time consuming. I forgot how quickly you can build one when the snow is perfect, and today we had perfect snowman snow. I rolled three balls for the snowman in less than ten minutes. Edmund helped me collect stick arms. We then went inside to find objects for eyes, nose, and mouth. Unfortunately we didn't have any carrots, but we did have some old green beans I felt bad about throwing away. So our snowman ended up with a green bean nose, raisin eyes, and an almond mouth. He also donned Edmund's hat from last winter. The perfect snowman with treats to share with the animals.

I got so caught up in the snowman building I forgot about the cold and our dinner engagement. I quickly threw Edmund in the car. As we drove away I noticed our snowman starting to lean. I thought I must not have balanced his segments well and hoped he would be in one piece when we returned. An hour later we pulled into the driveway. Our snowman had met its demise. Perhaps I'm slightly off my rocker, but seeing that the neighbor's snowman had met a similar fate made me feel much better about my snowman building capabilities. Edmund and I said good-bye to our frosty friend and headed inside to bid farewell to a day well spent.

Edmund Lets Loose and Dances with a Goose

Edmund Shakes His Vegetable

Edmund is so into music these days that I've been looking for an appropriate children's concert or music event to take him to. Edmund went to the benefit concert at my school a couple of months ago and loved it, but it was in an open air theater with tons of space to move around. Now that the weather is getting nippy, the concerts around the area tend to be indoors. I can't say I blame the musicians one bit, but there's always the chance for chaos when you put a bunch of toddlers in a room. I was delighted when I read about a children's musical act taking place in downtown Durham at The Broad Street Cafe, but didn't know what to expect.

Every 1st and 3rd Sunday from October through March The Broad Street Cafe offers kid's shows. Some of the acts are more appropriate for older elementary and teens, but this past week's act was for the young preschool set. We went to see an interactive performance by Mother Goose herself. And at 163 years old can you believe she was up dancing and shaking with the best of them?

Mother Goose performed with her guest Sir Anthony (a guitar playing pageboy) and was accompanied by her dear pet goose, Gwennyblossom. I won't spoil the fun for the children, but I'll let the adults in on a little secret. Mother Goose is actually a woman named Dr. Laura Royster who developed a preschool curriculum entitled "I Feel Better with Music" for children with cancer. The night's show was based on the curriculum. It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to curriculums for young children, but this one certainly did.

Mother Goose started out the evening by asking if any children would like to help her strum her guitar. As the children strummed we welcomed them in a "hello" song. As you may well know, Edmund loves his guitar, but he wasn't quite sure about Mother Goose yet. Fortunately, right before she closed the "hello" song Edmund mustered up the courage to strum. Can you believe he got to strum his first full-size guitar?

The Broad Street Cafe is like any cafe and had limited seating. However, Mother Goose came prepared with her very own "fairy blanket." This gave the children a nice, soft (and clean) place to sit, as well as gave the show a more intimate feel. The songs were perfect for preschoolers, short and catchy. Often children's musicians will write long songs that will lose a two year old's interest in the blink of an eye. These songs were a little longer than a blink, but were interactive enough to keep the children engaged. The children helped Mother Goose correctly complete the rhyme "Humpty Dumpty," as after 163 years one can get a bit forgetful. The children also used vegetable shaped shakers while singing and dancing to a song called "Vegetables Dancing on the Table." Edmund had a blast with this one.

Between songs Mother Goose would return to the stage to read bits from her book. During one reading she asked Edmund to care for Gwennyblossom. I wanted to warn her that perhaps another child would be better suited for the job. Edmund quickly fell in love with Gwennyblossom and kissed and hugged her repeatedly. He got a little too excited about Gwennyblossom's beak and needed a few reminders to simply pat her on the head, but all in all he did his job well.

For her final act, Mother Goose passed out Bubble Bears for the parents to blow bubbles. Edmund squealed uncontrollably as the bubbles bounced around him. In case you didn't know, when Edmund gets excited, he really gets excited. He danced and laughed while Mother Goose finished her song. When Mother Goose concluded her "set list," Sir Anthony passed around a tip jar. We gave Edmund a few dollars to contribute because we all had such a great time. Edmund took the money, looked into the bucket, clutched his three dollars in his right hand, and went to grab the money in the bucket with his left. Sir Anthony cracked up at my son's antics. It appears we have a little way to go on the "we don't take money from other people front." But hey, he's only two.

The evening was a success. At a little under an hour, Mother Goose lasted the perfect amount of time to hold a two year old's attention. It didn't hurt that we were able to order some delicious wood-fired pizza. It really is a testament to what a great time Edmund was having, that he didn't ask for pizza until 10 minutes before the show finished. For a boy who would eat pizza for every meal, that really is saying something.

The Broad Street Cafe
1116 Broad Street Durham, NC 27705

Kid's Events:
1st and 3rd Sundays of October-March
4:30 unless otherwise noted
*see website for acts

Trick-or-Treat

Enjoying the Night's Bounty

In Edmund's class this past week there was nonstop chatter about Halloween. This would be unnoteworthy in any elementary school class, but was rather comical given the fact that these particular children can barely remember what they had for dinner last night, let alone last Halloween. Last October 31st most of the kids were having their first bites of non-pureed food, so the chances are slim that any of them tasted candy then. If they did, their parents aren't fessing up. However, most of these kids have now tasted the sweet stuff and know what they were missing. Can it really be? There's a night when people hand out candy without mommies and daddies saying "eat your veggies first?" These kids were sold, and Edmund was no exception.

Last year Edmund donned his adorable pirate costume and I thought there was no way we were going to top it this year. Edmund's recent visits to the Museum of Life and Science had him in awe of space and he went around telling everyone he was going to be an astronaut for Halloween (not that he knew what Halloween was). Surprisingly astronaut costumes are hard to come by or really expensive. I know I could have made one, but as crazy as work has been that would have been one more stressor. So after talking to several friends with children Edmund's age, I concluded it was fine to go a little crazy with this year's costume. He's only two once. The years of cheap Darth Vader costumes aren't that far off, so I decided to splurge on a space suit with a little help from Kay Kay.

About a week ago, Edmund was invited to a pumpkin hunt at his friend Logan's. This was the perfect place to do a test run with the costume. We had to coax Edmund into it with the promise of candy at the party. He wasn't completely sold, but it's amazing what a two year old will do for chocolate. After a few minutes at the party he threw off the astronaut hat and wandered around in only the suit. I was in for a shock the following Friday when we attended a jack-o-lantern festival in Fearrington Village. Not only did Edmund willingly put on the costume, but refused to take off the hat. Steven was afraid the hat was obstructing Edmund's view, but Edmund didn't care. He was the cutest astronaut ever and he knew the hat completed his look. That night Edmund also got his first taste of trick-or-treating. We walked into a store and prompted Edmund to say trick-or-treat. Edmund complied and was able to take one Tootsie Roll. We asked him "what do you say?" Edmund's response? "Open it." "Thank you" was the answer we were looking for. After that Edmund wanted to go to more stores. He liked this candy thing. After one more store we called it a night. That was enough practice for the time being.

Finally, the big night rolled around. Edmund had been invited to go trick-or-treating with the kids in the neighborhood. We thought about it, but decided they were setting out too far past bedtime. Not only that, but Edmund is about 2 years younger than the next youngest child. The neighborhood kids love Edmund, but we think it's because they've figured out how to get him to do their bidding. "Ah man our Frisbee went all the way over there." "Hey Edmund do you want to play Frisbee with us?" Edmund happily runs after the Frisbee none the wiser.

As we approached the first house on our trick or treating route, Edmund couldn't contain his excitement. He eagerly rand the doorbell and said his "trick-or-treats" and even "thank yous" right on cue. However, he thought we were supposed to mosey on into each house. It took a couple of houses before he realized we weren't going in for a play date.

All was going well until we came to a house with a giant inflatable spider and Frankenstein's monster. Both were cutesy, but Edmund ran and clutched his mommy. Edmund had seen both decorations at Lowes earlier in the month and with fascinated curiosity asked, "What's that mommy, what's that?" I gave him a quick answer and he stood before the creatures dancing his silly dance. Seeing them at Lowes is one thing, but I suppose seeing them in the dark on the neighbor's lawn is quite another. Our neighbors thought Edmund was adorable, but Edmund kept saying "I go home now." We convinced Edmund to stay and take his treat. Edmund should be happy he stayed for he got his favorite treat of the evening. They had stuffed animals for the younger set. Edmund got a cute pug that barks when you push its tummy. He didn't let go of it all night. After the spider house, we had to convince Edmund to keep going. It didn't help that the neighbor kids had now congregated next door. They were all dressed as Star Wars characters. Edmund was a little wary, and the kids were so sweet as to show Edmund how they looked without their masks.

We continued on. Although now mommy was responsible for carrying Edmund to each house lest any spiders jump out at him. He also had daddy carry his pumpkin basket so he could ring the doorbell, then would quickly take it back in time to retrieve his loot. This slowed us down a bit and the neighborhood kids nearly made it around the entire cul-de-sac before we got home. We raced home to greet them for their "trick-or-treats', then hit up two more houses. By the last house, Edmund was a pro at this candy thing. The lady attempted to give Edmund a red lollipop. Edmund took one look at it and declared "green" as he reached in the bowl. He's had one lollipop in his life and already he has preferences. When we got home we allowed Edmund one lollipop. The lollipop kept him still enough for some pictures. We told Edmund he could have one more treat before bed. He chose pretzels the bag of pretzels he got across the street. The kid is making good choices already. It's been two days since Halloween night. Edmund seems to have forgotten about the candy, but his mommy and daddy haven't.

Go, Heels Go!

Edmund and Rameses

This past Saturday, Edmund attended his first UNC football game. Grandma and Grandpa were so kind to invite us to the game against William and Mary. Several days prior to the game we prepped Edmund by telling him we were going to see Carolina play football. From then on every time we got in the car to go somewhere Edmund was convinced we were headed to a football game. All this anticipation meant that he could not contain his excitement when the moment actually arrived.

Football is not my game. I enjoy being surrounded by fans and get caught up in the excitement, but I simply don't get football. Basketball I understand. It's a fast paced game with clear, simple rules. Football is a bunch of guys running and falling, followed by what seems like an eternity of stop in play. I probably could learn the game if my heart was in it, but it seems my brain has put up a shield preventing me from learning even the most basic rules of the game. This was evident when I pointed out the goal to Edmund and said "see that? If Carolina kicks the ball through that they get a touchdown." Steven heard this and quickly corrected me, "Um they get a touchdown if they run the ball over the line over there." My mistake.

As a parent you start seeing everyday things differently. When the fans started cheering at the first tackle, I couldn't help but wonder what Edmund was thinking. As a parent and teacher of young children I spend a good portion of my day saying how unkind it is to jump on people. And now people were cheering and clapping uncontrollably as several big guys piled on top of one another. Edmund hasn't tried to make a tackle since the game, so for now I think we're safe. Edmund enjoyed himself immensely throughout the first quarter. After that he was all done. "I go home now, ok." We had to get creative in order to keep Edmund interested enough to stay the entire game. Earlier we had seen the Rameses mascot walking around. Edmund said "Rameses, I give him hug and kiss." So during the second quarter when Rameses approached our section I decided to take Edmund to greet him, as a distraction. I wasn't sure Edmund would be quite as enthused when he came face to face with the giant mascot. I was wrong. Edmund immediately threw his arms around the big ram and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. We got quite the keepsake picture to capture the moment.

During half-time we got a hot dog and some popcorn. That most certainly kept Edmund entertained. He also loved watching the instruments during the marching band's show. He is becoming quite the musician and now relishes in any live music.

Half-time concluded and it was back to the game. Edmund was getting a bit antsy. He asked grandma to take him on several walks up and down the stairs. When he returned, he started to get into the cheers. Edmund loved the opportunity to scream without anyone telling him not to, and as he has quite the pair of lungs on him, made quite the contribution. I may not know football, but I knew well enough to know the Heels weren't doing all that well in the second half. Steven's earlier reminder of how the game works was a good thing because I was able to cheer extra loud as the team made their way down the field for a touchdown. By this time Edmund had caught onto the chant "Go Heels Go" and said it so sweetly that the spectators around us couldn't help but smile.

When Carolina scored the touchdown, a round of fireworks was set off into the early evening sky. To everyone's great surprise, Edmund, who normally shies away from loud noises, simply looked at us and said "I see fireworks." This was a good test. Maybe he'll be ready for his first big fireworks display by next 4th of July. The touchdown and the plays that followed were enough to put Carolina in the lead. All they had to do was keep William and Mary from scoring. With our football team's track record, this was easier said than done. What do you know? They actually played great defense and earned themselves a win.

When we met up for pizza with Aunt Alison after the game everyone talked about how proud Edmund's Granddad would be that Edmund saw his first football game. Tar Heel football made quite an impression on young Edmund. Today while all the other kids were relaying tales of Halloween night, Edmund was running around the playground shouting "I got a football, Joshua. Go, Heels, Go!" Edmund has the most infectious excitement, so by the end of outside time more than half the class were playing imaginary football and shouting "Go, Heels, Go!" Only time will tell whether Edmund will be a basketball or football fanatic, but we all know where Granddad stands.

*Don't worry. A Halloween post will be coming your way by the end of the week.

The Leaves They Are a Changing

We followed our trip to the State Fair with a mini getaway to Boone, NC. Boone is located in the mountains of NC and to our surprise was only about three hours from our home in Durham. We decided to split up the drive a little by making a stop at the Greensboro Children's Museum for Edmund. It was a dreary day and the museum was dimly lit, but it still had a lot to offer. GCM isn't as big as Marbles Museum in Raleigh, nor was it as elaborate as the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, but it had its own charm and enough novel exhibits to keep Edmund entertained.

From my extensive research into children's museums I have concluded that each one is required to have a grocery store section or risk losing children's museum status, but Edmund wasn't complaining. He would have spent the entire visit in the "grocery store" if we didn't gently guide him someplace else, which after twenty minutes I must admit we did. Edmund found a steam engine in another room and spent the rest of his time there. He happily sang "Down By The Station" while taking tea in one of the box cars. He helped one of the "big boys" shovel coal to keep that train moving and he rang the bell to send the cows a message to get off the tracks. GCM has a plethora of other activities, which I must admit I spent several minutes exploring myself. While I wanted Edmund to be able to experience all the museum had to offer, Steven cautioned me to let Edmund choose what he played with while there. If you'll recall, Edmund was still recovering from a cold, and Edmund is not what you'd call an ideal patient. We were traveling with a ticking time bomb, and it was best just to let him be.

We were able to steer Edmund to a few other exhibits, where he briefly explored a mail room, a pizza shop complete with brick oven, Nonna's house, and a gas tank (another favorite). There was a real fire truck and police car which Edmund had the opportunity to drive , but he ignored these. In another room was a real airplane cockpit with a slide coming out of the emergency exit. This looked like so much fun, but Edmund is still wary of tunnel slides. Perhaps in a year or two he'll realize how awesome it is and his mommy can go down the slide without looking crazy. Edmund ended his museum trip with one last "ride" aboard the train. It was time to hit the road for Boone.

Our drive once we got near Boone was gorgeous as the leaves on the trees were just beginning to change with the autumn weather. We settled into our hotel and headed into the town of Blowing Rock for dinner. Blowing Rock was a quaint town with such personality that we spent much of the time of our two day trip there. The following day we went to the park in the center of Blowing Rock, which Edmund loved. He loved being able to stretch his feet and run after being cooped up in the car while mommy and daddy drove around leaf watching.

Part of the reason we ended up spending so much time in Blowing Rock is that we had to cut short our trip to our main destination, Grandfather Mountain. We had planned our trip to Boone specifically to go to the mountain, but it turns out wind can shut down a mountain. I can't say I blame them. When we arrived at the fudge shop part way up the mountain, the flower pots located outside blew off the porch. Edmund was screaming because the wind was so strong. The fudge makers saw us outside and kindly let us in, despite it being 15 minutes before opening. The fudge makers kept giving Edmund free samples, which he was more than happy to accept, but Steven and I felt a bit guilty as the store wasn't technically open yet. After chatting with the fudge makers about the famous Chapel Hillians who oft made their way to the fudge shop, including the "coach no-one liked, what's his name, Mike Doherty?"(actually Matt for those not in the know), we purchased some delicious cookies and cream fudge and went on our way.

Despite the top of the mountain not being open we were able to visit the Grandfather Mountain museum where we viewed the largest amethyst mined on this continent. Opportunely we also were able to go to the wildlife habitats. To be honest, this was plenty for me. Even if we had gone to the top of the mountain, the chances I'd let my wannabe independent two year old loose on the Mile High Swinging Bridge were nil. Maybe we'll come back in a few years when he's done testing limits. Will that even happen? Make that when he has some a bit more self restraint.

We saw a deer, but those come in our yard and poop on the walkway, so that wasn't anything new. We had the most fun looking at the bears. Edmund was very proud of his observation "bear sticking its tongue out," and indeed it was. From then on Edmund entertained us with his best bear impressions. We had passed the otter enclosure earlier, but figured there was no otter. Then we learned the otter will appear if it hears a girly voice. Edmund still has a girly voice, but I do believe it was I who lured the otter out of his hiding space in its trash can. Once the otter learned I wasn't a zookeeper, thus bearing no treats, it had seen enough and retreated back into its trash can den. I felt a little better that we were able to spot some animals. The wind was still fierce and Edmund was glad to return to the car. Steven was a little disappointed, but at least now we have an excuse to return to Grandfather Mountain in a few years. If Edmund is lucky he may find the bears have a new impression of their own. They'll call it "The Edmund."

Greensboro Children's Museum
220 North Church Street Greensboro NC 27401 Phone: 336-574-2898

Grandfather Mountain
P.O. Box 129 US 221 & Blue Ridge Parkway Linville, NC 28646 Phone: 800-468-7325
*We learned the hard way. Be sure to call to check weather status.

A Fair and A Bear

Edmund and A Bear

Despite two sicknesses and Edmund's new found ability to throw prize-winning temper tantrums, the Pattishalls have managed to have a myriad of adventures over the past two weeks. Steven and I both took off from work last week and got to explore many a thing in NC. Unfortunately, I'll probably only document two of our adventures as memories are fleeting fast, what with my mommy brain and all. We made the decision not to take a laptop on vacation, which made for a much more relaxing time, but means you won't get a second-by-second recap. Come on, you know you wanted one.

The first day of our vacation we headed to Raleigh for the annual NC State Fair. The last time Steven and I went was the year before Edmund was born. Since we had a weekday to take Edmund this year we decided better now than never. For a Tuesday morning, the fair was packed, but we did find space to maneuver the stroller. Edmund was just getting over a cold, so any suggestion of activity was met with a whine and a big, loud "NO." I do believe Edmund enjoyed seeing the pink piglets and grand champion bunnies (one of which he named Puppy) despite his huffing and puffing.

On our last excursion to the State Fair I stumped the carnie at the Guess My Age booth so much I won two prizes. I was 26 at the time and he pegged me for 14. I had grand plans to win Edmund a prize this time, but not only was the guesser within his allotted 3 years, but he aged me 2 years. I guess that's what a child will do to you. Steven said it's because I wasn't in jeans and a t-shirt this time. I've always hated how people think I'm 16, but I don't want to look older than I am either. To make matters worse, no prize for Edmund. Fortunately, we did locate a "win a prize every time" game in the Kiddieland section. Of course we know that means pay $2 for a 50 cent toy, but Edmund relished his chance to catch a fish. In actuality he couldn't get enough of splashing in the water. In the end he "won" a small, white bear, which he descriptively named "A Bear." He seems to be inheriting his naming skills from his mother. We can all be thankful Steven stopped me from naming Edmund "A Baby."

We finished our morning at the fair with some requisite fair food. Steven got a funnel cake, Edmund got a foot-long hot dog, and I got my caramel apple. This writing makes our day sound so peaceful. Stick in a few kicking and screaming fits and you'll get a better picture. A fun morning to be sure, but we have definitely hit the terrible twos.

Edmund's Picks for a Sweet Treat

Doggy Eat Ice Cream

I honestly have got to get better in the picture taking department. I feel so slack now that I rarely have any pictures of our adventures to post. We've probably taken a total of 10 pictures of Edmund since August. I know people who take more than that each day. Part of the problem is my inability to wink. Seriously, I can't wink. I was never very good at those winking games played at birthday parties because it's hard to be subtle when you have to blink or pull down one eyelid with a finger. Digital cameras with their view finding screens have been a lifesaver. Then Steven had to go and get a digital camera with a view finder so small it's worthless. And to think at one point in my life I wanted to be a photographer. I promise photos with the next post...I hope.

Edmund and I have tried out three local sweet treat shops in the last month. Following are Edmund's and my thoughts on what we experienced.

Orange Leaf:
1129 Weaver Dairy Road
Suite V, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Open Hours: Mon - Sat : 11:00AM - 10:00PM, Sun : 12:00PM - 9:00PM

Tabitha's Take: This is a self-serve frozen yogurt chain that recently made it's way to Chapel Hill. I love that you pump your yogurt flavors by yourself. Unfortunately, for those with small children this can also be a disadvantage. The pumps just happen to be at 2 year old level, so if you have a child as mischievous as mine, you'll be watching him like a hawk. You can choose just one yogurt flavor, or if you can't decide, go for them all. The toppings are also self serve. There have been several toppings at ice cream shops I've always wanted to try, but I hate to pay for a full topping of something I'll end up disliking. At Orange Leaf you can get as much or as little of any topping you choose. The best part...the price is done by weight. For some of you this may be a disadvantage if you like to go all out. For me, someone who simply wants a taste of everything, I always come ahead at these pay by weight places.

Edmund's Take: Pushing a lever to get yogurt out is the most fun I've ever had in my life. The modern chairs were so cool and the little table was just the right size to drip yogurt on. Those screens that have giant pictures of people eating yogurt were awesome. Let's go back again mommy.

Locopops:
Locopops has taken off in the last year. It now has several main locations and many sattellite locations. Check out http://www.ilovelocopops.com/ for business hours and your nearest location. Also check out the Locopops story. It's rather fascinating.

Tabitha's Take: Locopops is a local shop that carries popsicles in both classic and exotic flavors. Before Edmund was born Steven and I would occasionally head over to the Locopops location on Franklin St.in Chapel Hill. That particular Franklin St. location has since closed its doors and moved over to Elliott Rd. in Chapel Hill. While I liked the previous location better for children due to its semi-enclosed courtyard, the new location shares a street with my place of work. You can't beat a hop, skip, and a jump when you're in the mood for a popsicle. I often forget about Locopops until Edmund reminds me when we make a stop at the eye doctor or The Great Harvest Bread Company located on either side. At $2 for a child's popsicle I can almost always scrounge up enough change to get one for Edmund when the mood strikes. You can choose from water or cream based popsicles. I have to say I almost always choose cookies n' cream for Edmund. It's the least likely to get everywhere. I prefer the cream based popsicles myself, but sometimes the water based flavors, such as pomegranite tangerine, are just too intriguing to pass up. The downside to this location is that the outdoor seating is located right next to the parking lot. I don't have to worry too much because Edmund loves sitting in the brightly colored Adirondack chairs, but I have to keep an eye out nevertheless. An added bonus is the free wipes sitting on the counter. They come in very handy when moms such as myself come unprepared for the inevitable stickiness that comes with a popsicle.

Edmund's Take: Locopops are yummy and cold. For some reason mommy never says no to a Locopop, but I'm not complaining. I like to sit in the orange Adirondack chair. I always meet a new friend at Locopops. I love big kids and I'm so outgoing I'll start chatting with anyone. I like to start my conversations with "boy sitting in the pink chair. My daddy sleeps at hospital." Somehow I always make new friends this way. Mommy and daddy say they don't know where I get my outgoing personality. I hear they're both a little shy. I never want to share my Locopop with mommy, but she makes me because she says I'm taking too long to eat it. I think that's just her cover story. I'm on to you mommy.

Lickity Split:
503 Meadowmont Village Cir Chapel Hill, NC 27517
(919) 929-8402 (call for hours)
Lickity Split also sells hot dogs, but on Sunday you can only get dessert. So if you're in the mood for a hot dog and ice cream like I was one Sunday, you'll be out of luck.

Tabitha's Take: I went here about 6 years ago right before my parents' move and a slightly trying time in my life. My parents were living in an apartment nearby and a friend (I use that term loosely) and I decided we should try it. I honestly don't remember a thing about my first visit and honestly didn't think I'd go back. Then I read some blog entries about this being a fun place for kids, so I decided to try it with Edmund. I loved the ice cream decor. It truly reminded me of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. When I saw Lickity Split offered peppermint ice cream I couldn't pass it up. That was my favorite flavor as a child and unfortunately is also a difficult flavor to locate. I ordered vanilla for Edmund (again less messy). Of course Edmund wanted my brightly colored peppermint, but he didn't seem to like it. It was a bit funny to watch his confusion as he ate the ice cream. "This ice cream looks fun, but I don't like it. I'll eat my vanilla, but wait that ice cream looks fun. I need to eat the fun one, but wait I don't like it." That's about how our ice cream excursion went once we had ordered. Lickity Split has a train table and children's games in the back. I really liked this because I could order without having to constantly worry about Edmund. I could see him and knew he wasn't going to run out the door or into a street. He was content playing with trains and wasn't hanging on me as I tried to make an ice cream decision. I've mentioned before we don't use the stroller much, but this can be a problem when I try to take Edmund somewhere by myself. Edmund may or may not have tried to slip out the door once while I was doing the single parenting thing one Friday night at our favorite pizza place. I saw him pushing the door open and had to drop what I was doing to stop my little escapee. So train table...huge plus for those solo outings.

Edmund's Take: I wanted to sit at the table with ice cream cone pictures. The other tables were colorful, but ice cream pictures can't be beat. The train table was fun, but then I saw the show "Maggie and the Beast" on the tv in the corner. I kept saying "what's that mommy" as the silly cartoon creature talked to the red headed little girl. Mommy seemed a bit frustrated that I seemed more interested in the tv than the ice cream I had begged for all day, but hey I know I've got to take tv when I can get it. Mommy chose a funny flavor. I think I'll stick with my white ice cream, but I told mommy next time I'm going to get brown.

And the winner is...Locopops. All the places were good, but you can't beat a $2 treat, made with local ingredients, within walking distance from work. Locopops is simple, a room with a freezer full of popsicles, but sometimes simple is all you need.

Wave Your Pennants

*Flyleaf Story Time*

For awhile there I was keeping to my promise of updating the blog more frequently. Then life set in. If blogging were my daily job you'd have daily posts, but I have a daytime job that takes priority. Oh phooey! The past two weeks I've been preparing for parent-teacher conferences. The conferences in themselves aren't that bad, but the preparation takes my every waking moment. I've never been in the 2 year old room and I must say the seven portfolios I now have to keep up with versus the three I had become accustomed to in the infant room are much more daunting and time consuming. These children have better documentation of their short 2 year old lives than I have of my whole 29 years. Conferences aren't done yet, but the write-ups and portfolios are up to date, so I have more time to write about what I love, Edmund's adventures.

Yesterday Edmund and I hopped on over to story time at a relatively new independent bookstore in Chapel Hill, called Flyleaf. As a working mom I've always felt Edmund and I must be missing out on a childhood rite of passage. It seems every stay-at-home mom I know, and even those I don't know, live to take their children to story times. Because most story times occur during school hours, Edmund and I haven't had an opportunity to attend. Sure there's the occasional story time at Sea of Learning, but those are major events centered around characters. Thus, I've been looking for the quintessential story time for Edmund and I to attend ever since he demonstrated a love a reading.

Last month, the day after Edmund received his cherry flavored medicine, Edmund had a day at home with mom to fully recuperate. Edmund hadn't been on antibiotics for 24 hours, so he couldn't return to school, but he was well enough to attend a story time at Barnes and Noble. One of the employees read two books about trains while the majority of children in attendance ran around the store. Edmund will listen to any story, so he sat and enjoyed, oblivious to the chaos around him. The employee's reading left something to be desired. The "craft" that followed was a coloring sheet of a train, which Edmund had no interest in completing. If my early childhood professors had anything to say about the coloring sheets they would probably have collected them all and burned them.

I left the Barnes and Noble story time feeling better about not having the availability to take Edmund. Was it a waste of time? No. We were able to get out of the house for a few minutes after having been cooped up for days and Edmund got to hear a story. Could I have done a better job myself? Not to toot my own horn, but yes. Thus, when I found out about Flyleaf's new offering of a story time on Saturday I didn't have high hopes. Edmund and I went because Steven was working and I needed to get out of the house before I went stir-crazy.

There were only a handful of children at Flyleaf's first Saturday story time. I loved the intimate feel. I'm sure as word spreads the story time will fill up, but I must say it was nice to have a group of kids who truly wanted to listen to the books. The day's theme was sports and the employee, Sarah, had picked out three books for a variety of ages. The first book was slightly advanced for Edmund, but he listened just the same. Sarah was a great reader. She clearly had read the books beforehand and her enthusiasm for each and every book shone through. She did voices and if the books called for a little dance or cheer, she made up a little dance or cheer. The children were thoroughly engaged. When she finished reading, one little girl brought over a book about the potty. Sarah didn't turn her away, but added the book to her line-up. She knew the book and read it with just as much energy as she had the books she had prepared.

When she finished reading, Sarah led the children and parents into the conference room for a craft. The children were able to design their own pennants using foam flags, letters, and sports balls. Edmund got into this since the majority of balls were stickers. He also found an E sticker for Edmund to proudly display on his pennant. He especially liked that the big basketball he found required glue. He's all about the glue these days, and lots of it. There were indeed the prerequisite story time coloring sheets, which Edmund of course ignored, but the older girls who were present spent quite a bit of time coloring. I liked the fact the crafts truly met the theme and kids had the opportunity to be as creative as they wanted.

If we are able, Edmund and I will be back next month. Sarah told us that library science students from UNC will be practicing their story telling skills then. It sounds like a blast. We rounded out the morning with a trip to one of my favorite restaurants, Fosters, conveniently located right next to Flyleaf. By the time we finished with story time, the craft, and our own reading session in the children's section it was 11:00. The perfect time for a brunch at Foster's and the perfect way to end a morning out at story time.

Location: Flyleaf Books 752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (Historic Airport Rd.) Chapel Hill, NC 27514

For events and story time listings see link in posting.

*I apologize for yet another lack of an Edmund picture. I finally remembered the camera, but when I went to get a great shot of Edmund with his pennant I discovered the battery was completely dead.

Carolina Brown

Have you ever felt like you just can't catch up? That's the way I've felt the past two weeks. I've felt like I've been at least an hour behind most days from the moment I wake up until the moment my head hits the pillow. For a person who always wants to be ahead of schedule this is rather disconcerting. There were times I'd occasionally oversleep before motherhood, but now I'm doing it constantly. I try to wait until Edmund is in bed to complete my daily tasks whenever possible, but when things are hanging over my head I find it hard to truly be in the moment with Edmund. This is not how I want things to be, so I'm trying my hardest to let the little things go. Quitting my job would be the easiest solution to constantly being behind, but this is not a realistic option. So for now I've learned to (gasp) leave unwashed breakfast bowls on the table to be washed at a later time. That's as far as I've gotten thus far in not sweating the small stuff. I still can't leave the house with an unmade bed, lest the stuffed animals shame me for my untidiness. Baby steps I say.

On Tuesday evening I was itching to check my email. Ten years ago I barely knew how to use email, but now this electronic form of communication threatens my time with Edmund. I went to our office, despite the fact Edmund would be in bed within the next 30 minutes. Because updates on where to park at school the next day just can't wait. Edmund followed me into the office. I noticed the card we got for Aunt Becca sitting on the desk and decided email could wait. Edmund and I needed to sign Aunt Becca's birthday card.

I retrieved the box of 64 crayons from the office closet and situated Edmund at his table. When Edmund signs cards he is very deliberate in his choice of colors and makes small strokes each time. No scribbling for Edmund. It may be that Edmund gets the most joy from removing and replacing crayons so much that he rushes through each mark, but I'll stick to the theory he is formulating each and every waxy line of color.

At first Edmund was choosing only the very few colors in the box of crayons that barely show on white paper. White and yellow-green are lovely to be sure, but the recipient of the card may miss the signature entirely. Thus I encouraged Edmund to find some colors with more oomph. He chose shade after shade of brown. Edmund is his own person and I didn't want to dissuade him from his choice of colors, so I commented on his marks and the colors he chose. "You made a line using burnt sienna. Look at the squiggle you made using tumbleweed. Wow you're drawing an E using raw sienna." Who knew so many shades of brown existed? Finally Edmund found a crayon with some color. I told him the shade of blue he had in his hand was called Carolina Blue. Edmund looked at it and decided to replace it in the box. Edmund reached back into the box, pulled out yet another brown crayon, and proudly declared "I'm going to color with Carolina Brown."

Thank you Becca for having a birthday. If I weren't behind on your card (it should be there soon), I would have checked email and forgotten my vow to make sure I truly enjoy every moment with Edmund. And I wouldn't have been privy to the knowledge that the baby blue color used to define UNC-Chapel Hill is about to get a complete makeover. Tar Heel fans prepare yourselves. The boys in blue are about to become the boys in brown.

Edmund and the Magical, Mystical Pumpkin

Pumpkin Cultivator Extraordinaire

A few weeks after we moved into our new house Steven noticed a very large vine slowly taking over our back yard. Steven became convinced we had pumpkins growing in our yard and began nurturing this vine. I was far from convinced. Because this vine appeared shortly after we had a ditch dug around the house for a french drain, I assumed the people who reseeded the yard mistakenly planted some foreign weeds instead of the grass seed most commonly used to reseed a yard. Nevertheless I let Steven carry on with the delusion, occasionally asking him to prune the vine when I began to fear the neighbors would report us to the homeowner's association.

As time went on I decided to "Google" pumpkin and squash leaves. I have very little knowledge of gardening, but from what I found online we most likely had some sort of squash growing in our back yard. Only time would tell what kind. On Sunday we finally got our answer. We indeed have pumpkins growing in our back yard. We have one small, hardy green pumpkin on the vine and three or four mini pumpkin sprouts.

Now during our afternoon yard play Edmund will frequently ask to touch the pumpkin. He gets a kick out of giving the pumpkin a quick pat, then giggles as he announces, "I touch it." After touching the pumpkin on Monday he discovered a bale of hay, again left by our french drain diggers, and began bouncing on it. This gave me a great idea. The Pattishalls are going to have their very own pumpkin patch this year. $5 gets you your pick of the finest pumpkins Durham has to offer followed by a frolic in a very filthy bale of hay. You think I'm kidding? Just wait until the goats arrive!

Ready, Set, Get Wet

The Epitome of Water Play

On Sunday, at Nan's (my mommy group's coordinator) suggestion, Edmund, Steven and I made our way to Northgate Mall. Steven hadn't seen Edmund in several days due to his hectic WakeMed schedule and wanted to tag along. I told him that when the mommies showed up he could get a pretzel. Fortunately, Nan's husband, Scott, also came along for the afternoon, so Steven would have a guy to hang out with. Nan and Scott have two boys, L who is Edmund's age and 4 month old C. The bonus of having the daddies around was that the mommies could talk while the dads chased the kids.

I actually remember the last time I went to Northgate Mall. I was a sophomore in college and my mom took my sister and I there to do some Christmas shopping. This was in the days before Southpoint Mall and the suburban sprawl that came with it popped into existence. I can't knock the suburban sprawl too much as our house was a direct result of that very sprawl. Northgate wasn't a very nice mall back then, was quite a drive, but at the time was the best we had. Steven said his last trip to Northgate was even more distant than mine.

I can't say that a whole lot has really changed for Northgate. It is still reminiscent of its days back in the early 90s despite a minor facade overhaul, and the store selection is still subpar. The one thing this mall has going for it, however, is its kiddie entertainment. We didn't plan to hit up the carousel, train, or my personal favorite The Sea of Learning teacher store inside the mall. Sunday was all about the water. Northgate has a beautiful arrangement of fountain jets near Entrance 2. If my memory serves me correctly these fountains weren't around when I was younger. The great thing about the fountains is that there is a sign clearly inviting people to jump on in, unlike those fountain plaques that boldly state "KEEP OFF".

I thought it pointless to put Edmund in his swimsuit. He was definitely timid at Sesame Place when it came to water jets, and we had two days to break him in there. I told Steven to pack a change of clothes and a towel and be done with it. For some reason, however, the towel didn't make it.

When we arrived L. was surveying the water. Edmund took one look at the water and began saying "no, no, no." I tried showing Edmund how much fun it was to get wet. He seemed to find it perfectly fine for mommy or daddy to get wet, but he was not getting near the water. His plan was to involve L. in a game of chase around the perimeter of the fountains. Eventually L. tired of this game and bravely made the first entrance into the water. Edmund wanted nothing to do with this. As Edmund saw L. having more and more fun, he shyly inched his way nearer to the fountains. A little mist was all he needed.

After his misting, Edmund got even more brave. He found a wall between the jets and discovered he could basque in their glory without getting wet. He was laughing hysterically. That is until we noticed that his laughter was now screams of panic. The wall was no longer his protector and Edmund was drenched. Steven calmed Edmund down. Then suddenly Edmund had no fear. The drenching seemed to have taken the fear away. Edmund swerved in and out of the fountain jets chasing L., all the while laughing and squealing. The two boys relished in the excitement of the water for about 20 more minutes, until their 2 year old batteries had little charge left. We decided to call it a day, but first we had to get our special treat.

Although Northgate may not have much in the way of shopping. it does have a strategically placed Marble Slab Creamery near the fountains. Can you think of a better way to end a fun day at the fountains than with a creamy cup of cold ice cream? I know Edmund can't!

I have to thank Nan and Scott for these gorgeous pictures. Steven and I have gotten a bit lazy with the camera, so perhaps we'll take our cue from them and start snapping away again.

Who Likes Cherry?

Edmund has been sick this week, so we haven't had too many adventures to speak of. Edmund has probably run a fever higher than 100 degrees once in his life, so on Wednesday when he spiked a fever close to 104 degrees I decided to take him to the doctor. Despite having a doctor in the family, I try to avoid doctors as much as possible. I know that for most children's illnesses, nature simply has to take its course. I also have this fear of being viewed as the over-reactive mother who takes her child in for every minor cold and scrape. However, in this instance I thought Edmund's high fever warranted a trip to see the doctor.

Edmund's illness seemed to be viral based on his complete blood count and symptoms. The doctor did hear a slight rattle in his chest, so he wanted to err on the side of caution and prescribed antibiotics. We left the doctor and headed to Walgreens to pick up Edmund's prescription.

Fortunately, Edmund and I didn't have to wait long for his prescription was ready when we arrived. The pharmacist asked if Edmund liked cherry flavor. I said "I suppose so, but he hasn't had medicine very often, so I'm not sure." I should have asked if she could add chocolate, but although she asked, it didn't appear as if we had much of a choice.

The medication flavoring discussion in Walgreens brought back a childhood memory. To this day I despise anything grape or cherry flavored because most often the antibiotics I received for strep throat were sweetened with these syrupy flavors. My sister, Rebecca, was allergic to penicillin. For some reason this seemed to open up a plethora of flavoring options. It seemed she was always coming back from the doctor with some new, exotic flavor. After Rebecca was diagnosed for yet another ear infection (for which she later got tubes), she came back with bubblegum flavored anitibiotics. I remember wanting so desperately to steal a taste of the bubblegum medicine. Fortunately, I was a child who understood that medicine is only to be taken when sick. There is certainly a reason for those childproof caps, for had I been a child of less restraint, I'm not sure I would have been able to stand the allure of the pink stuff beckoning to me from the refrigerator.

All this is to say, it probably doesn't matter if Edmund likes cherry flavored medicine. In fact, his medicine should be disgusting enough that he doesn't see it as some delicious treat, yet palatable enough that he doesn't spew it on me each time I have to administer it. I may have been the only child in the history of the world who was jealous of her sibling because of medication flavorings, but pharmacists do your clients a favor and flavor siblings' medications the same way. Perhaps you can spare at least one family an unnecessary case of sibling rivalry.

Edmund Update:
Edmund is feeling much better today and was fever free as of 8 am. We have had another mommy and Edmund day at home because our school's policy states he must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. I love Edmund to pieces, but I'm so glad he has his preschool friends to keep him entertained and encourage sharing. He's starting to get a little bossy with mommy. Just a few more days and his friends will put him back in his place. Until then, I'm just thankful he's feeling better.

Tiger Jennifer

No Edmund Photos Available:
I Give You the Binturong

Steven is doing one of his pediatric rotations at WakeMed in Raleigh this month. WakeMed has a totally different call schedule than UNC. Almost three weeks in and I'm still not accustomed to it. Instead of being on-call 36 hours at a time every fourth night, Steven works a 7 pm to 7 am shift three nights a week. While this means he gets to come home the next day, neither Edmund or I see him much. Steven uses this time to sleep. I suppose I would too if I were up all night. His current schedule also seems to have no rhyme or reason. While I'm sure the schedule makes perfect sense to the powers that be at Wake-Med, I often find myself scrambling to find some way to occupy my time when I discover a whole weekend will pass without crossing paths with my husband. Last weekend was one such weekend.

I can be painfully shy at times although I try my best to hide it. I am some strange mix between an introvert and an extrovert. I really don't like boisterous parties, but I also don't like to spend my days alone in thought. I love being with people, just not huge groups of them. So it can be very difficult for me when Steven isn't around. I want to be able to do things with people, but I also don't want to impose. I couldn't take another weekend cooped up by myself without adult company, so after two days of mulling over how I should approach the issue, I decided to casually mention to Jennifer that if she had some free time we should take our kids somewhere. She said she'd been wanting to go to the Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro, but her husband wasn't interested. Lo and behold, I'd been wanting to see some tigers myself, and Steven wasn't interested. Perfect!

I wasn't sure what to expect from the Carolina Tiger Rescue (formerly Carnivore Preservation Trust). When we arrived we had to sign our lives and our children's lives away on a very lengthy release form. We then sat in a room with about twenty other tour group members while the tour guides went over some rules. As Emma and Edmund ran around the room we listened as the tour guides relayed the two most important rules for viewing carnivores: no running and no screaming. If we hadn't already driven more than 30 minutes and paid for the tour, that would have been my cue to get up and leave. We hadn't even started the tour and my child was breaking both rules. I didn't feel too embarrassed. His partner in crime, Emma, was breaking the rules too.

The tour guides didn't seem to mind (or be aware of) our screaming, running children, so we set off. Of course Jennifer and I constantly reminded our kids about the rules. We didn't want to be escorted off the premises for unruly toddlers. The first animal we encountered was an ocelot. I'm all about some wildlife education, but the ten year old boy who kept pushing his way to the front asked question upon question. He also made certain we knew he was a carnivore expert and gave a small speech in front of the ocelot that lasted nearly ten minutes. If this was the way our tour was going to go, there was no way Edmund and Emma were going to make it past the ocelot. After our young carnivore expert finished his lecture, our main tour guide began hers. Her speech was peppered with "oh honey" this and "oh honey" that. She liked to spook us all with her warnings of "oh honey, that cat may be small, but she could rip you to shreds with her front paws." And so it went the next hour and a half.

The Carolina Tiger Rescue is all about tigers, but my favorite animal of the tour was the binturong, or Asian Bearcat. They live in rainforests and hang around in the trees. As we learned on our tour not all carnivores eat meat. Carnivores are so-called based on their jaw structure. The binturong we saw enjoyed a diet of fruit, most especially bananas. Edmund was most impressed with the climbing ability of the binturong and commented that he wanted to play on its playground one day. I was most impressed with the fact this carnivore was about as likely to attack me as a snail. Emma and Edmund both decided after seeing the binturong they were ready to go home, and made sure our fellow "tourists" were aware of this fact. Unfortunately, we would have had to ask a tour guide to escort us back to our cars. We had been locked in the "compound" and were unable to travel without trusty tour guide Jim, so we pressed on.

The tigers were interesting, but weren't interested in meeting us. They had just received food and that took priority. We walked past a tiger named Emerson, but he was having a "bad day," so we were quickly escorted to the kinkajous. Edmund really had had enough. He was tired and sweaty. Despite this fact he was the only one on our tour to spot the kinkajou. His excited squeal of "it come out" was enough to make the entire group make a u-turn. No animal to see meant the tour would adjourn, but Edmund's keen eyes earned us one more lecture. I'm pretty certain Edmund would have kept his kinkajou spotting a secret if he knew it meant we weren't leaving. Jennifer and I could no longer let our little toddlers suffer. It had been a long day of carnivore learning. We asked Jim to take us back, but what do you know? The tour was over and we all made it back unscathed.

Jennifer wanted to get Emma a Carolina Tiger Rescue t-shirt before we left. I'm fairly certain she has a few years before she'll be able to walk in it without tripping, but at least she'll remember our fun-filled (make that sweltering) day. I never buy trinkets for Edmund when Steven is around, but he wasn't, so I let Edmund pick out a small stuffed tiger. And Edmund deserved it. Asking a toddler to go that long without running and screaming is like asking a doctor to go 36 hours without sleep. It can be done, but at a cost. When we got home I asked Edmund what he had named his tiger. Her name is Jennifer and she has been a beloved sleep friend ever since. Jennifer feels honored to have such a wonderful namesake too.

To Parents of Toddlers:
Although I enjoyed learning about the carnivores with Edmund and Emma, this is an activity best left for the older kiddos. Or better yet, leave the kids with a babysitter and learn about the carnivores with your hubby (that is if they have interest in large cats). There is no stroller access on the tour. I thought this would be fine, as I rarely use the stroller these days. Edmund hates strollers. However, he decided he hated walking this particular day too. My back and neck are still recovering from carrying Edmund through the sweltering heat. His refusal to walk helped with the no-running rule, but not with my already bad back. However, if you want your toddler to take the best nap of his life, take this tour. Edmund slept nearly four hours when we got home, which meant I was able to do all the laundry and have some me time. I also heard that Emma enjoyed quite a lengthy nap herself that afternoon.

One Other Piece of Info.:
I have no pictures to post because I was cheap and didn't want to pay the $3 to take pictures. Even photography requires a lengthy release form at this place.

Location and Contact Info:
1940 Hanks Chapel Rd.
Pittsboro, NC 27312
919-542-4684