Super Mondays

Parachute Time at Gymnastics

* Disclaimer: The photos are a bit shaky. It's hard to catch a 3 year old in action, especially when he doesn't want his picture taken.

When I began staying home full-time last month Edmund began a new preschool. He loved his old "big boy" school, but with the distance and cost Steven and I knew we would have to make a change. Edmund now attends Resurrection United Methodist Preschool which he refers to as "Jacob's School." (Jacob is our neighbor who also attends.) Despite the transition, Edmund seems to be loving Resurrection and often has to be told to wave good-bye to mommy because he is just "too busy." Steven and I have definitely been happy with our decision to move Edmund and Edmund has enjoyed getting to make new friends and having a multitude of play dates with the old.

Because Edmund only attends school Tuesdays through Thursdays we now have Mondays and Fridays to fill with our own activities. I've found getting around a bit more cumbersome as my pregnancy progresses, so I try to stick with simple adventures. Some days we take a short walk to the neighborhood park to skip stones in the pond, other days we go to our favorite nearby museums, and still others we simply set up shop at home doing crafts or playing sports galore in our driveway. Recently, we've gotten into a Monday routine of activities. This began when Edmund tried out gymnastics in mid-February.
In January Edmund passed by a gymnastics facility that had briefly relocated to a small mall in Chapel Hill and got it in his head that, by golly, he was going to try gymnastics. When he didn't forget, I signed him up for a trial class at Orange County Gymnastics. He had a great time and the teacher was phenomenal with his age group. I was able to register him for one month instead of a whole semester, so until the end of March, gymnastics is Edmund's weekly activity.

Because of Edmund's gross motor delay there are some aspects of gymnastics that are tricky for him, and he often wants to give up. The teacher and her assistant are both parents themselves and encourage him to try at least once. They don't force him to go beyond the one try and will give him assistance to build his confidence. I've been so pleased with this because, "I can't", is a phrase we're hearing more and more from Edmund. He's a kid who doesn't want to fail, so instead refuses to try. Knowing I was a similar kid myself it's important to me that Edmund gets that one try in. As much as I'm loving that Edmund is enhancing his gross motor skills in gymnastics, I'm even more thrilled the teachers are reinforcing the lessons we are teaching at home. Gymnastics won't be a long-term activity for Edmund, but I'm so glad he pushed me to sign him up. He's excited about being eligible for sports next year, and gymnastics has taught him that if you want to be an athlete you have to try and practice to learn new skills.

After our first day at gymnastics Edmund and I left and headed to Chapel Hill Public Library. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that story time for 3-5 year olds is offered just following gymnastics since our library in Durham only offers preschool story time while Edmund is at school. Edmund enthusiastically grabbed a ticket for story time that first day, and has asked to go back almost every Monday since. It is the perfect cool down after an exhausting physical workout. The parents at preschool story time sit back and for the most part act as if they aren't there. We are given the option to leave, but I'm so glad I haven't yet since Edmund has said some hilarious things.

Today's theme was bugs. The librarian asked the children if they like bugs. All but one little girl raised her hand. Edmund said "I like bugs, but not mosquitoes and bees because they sting." I'm with you on that Edmund. The librarian and the children spent the next few minutes discussing different kinds of bugs before jumping into stories and songs. Edmund said, "you know what? Beetles are bugs that roll poop." Not missing a beat the librarian said, "yes, dung beetles do that." Then Edmund replied, "you know what poop is? OK let me tell you." At this point I kind of wished I had left and sunk down against the wall. I wasn't sure where this was going. Edmund continued, "first you eat food, then it goes into your tummy and gets smushed up, and then it comes out your bottom." To my surprise the children took in this science lesson with no silly giggles and the librarian acknowledged Edmund and moved on. It was the parents who had to do their best not to laugh. Edmund remained engaged for the stories and had a great time with the hide-and-seek rhyming activity, "Bug Under a Rug." When gymnastics ends we'll definitely continue with story time, especially on those days we simply have to get out.

Our adventures over the past month haven't been exciting in the traditional sense, but as they've been things we would not have been able to do while I was working they're exciting for us. I'm liking our little routine for the moment, but also look forward to finding out what other mischief we can get into now that I have the flexibility.

Breakfast with Santa

Santa and Edmund

My birthday was this past Saturday, but with a husband in residency, I knew to expect that the day would be much like any other. Steven was on call (read working all day and night), so my celebration will have to take place at a later date. Fortunately, a few weeks ago Steven sent me an email detailing a fun Christmas event at Spice Street, a local restaurant. He thought it would be a good way for Edmund and I to get out and celebrate even if he would have to sit this one out.

Last year you may recall we went to a fancy breakfast with Santa at the Carolina Inn. This year's event may not have been held at a 5 star hotel, but was very similar and dare I say, better. The Spice Street event is open to anyone, but since it is sponsored by the hospital, most of the attendees are hospital affiliated. We didn't have to make reservations, the cost wasn't astronomical, and the breakfast buffet was phenomenal.

The breakfast was drop-in and since I'd never been before I decided to get there early. We arrived at 8:30, a little later than I planned, but things weren't busy at all then. Edmund was very excited to see Santa sitting by the entrance when we walked in. We decided we would visit the big guy after breakfast. One of the things I absolutely loved about the event was it was also a way to help Edmund be involved in giving. In order enter the event we dropped off a Toy Story truck that Edmund had picked out on his own to donate to Toys for Tots and also two non-perishable items for the food pantry. I loved that this event wasn't just about getting, but giving as well. Some of the breakfast proceeds also went to the hospital, but I liked that Edmund could have a tangible way to see how we were helping other people. He asked if he could pick out a child at the breakfast to give the toy we brought to. This led to a discussion about how we were helping children who might not have much and how the volunteers would bring his toy to just the right child.

After dropping off our donations Edmund asked to have his face painted. Never mind the Christmas choices on display, he wanted a purple and blue butterfly. The color choices I understood. Those are his two favorites, but the picture choice baffled me. Then I realized that the only thing he has ever had painted on his cheek at school events are butterflies. I'm assuming this is because they are easy, or maybe this is all he ever asks for. Either way,the volunteer did a splendid job. My hat goes off to her as I stay as far away from the face painting table as I can. Cheek donned with the unseasonal butterfly, Edmund was ready for breakfast.

As we headed to the dining room, Edmund told the hostess that he wanted eggs and bacon. I told Edmund that might not be a choice, but she told him he was in luck. We were about to sit down by ourselves when a friend of mine from a medical spouse playgroup I attend invited us to sit with their family. They have 11 month old twins and a 3 year old boy whom Edmund loves. It also worked out well as all the adults were able to take turns hitting up the buffet.

Normally Edmund is all about his food, but he worked quickly so we could take our turn with the guy in the red suit. At our breakfast last year we wandered the hotel for nearly 2 hours waiting for a turn with Santa. Here we simply walked up. A few other children lined up behind us to watch, but there was virtually no waiting. Edmund was a little shy at first. Who wouldn't be? Eventually he made his way onto Santa's lap. Santa was having trouble getting Edmund to talk. Edmund shook his head yes when Santa asked if he wanted a variety of things including a "knuckle sandwich." At the end of the visit Edmund quickly said he wanted a ball. A very easy request to fill I might add. We got an adorable picture with a smiley child, and for simply the cost of printing.

While we waited for our picture to print, Edmund and I headed over to the craft table. Edmund, with lots of mommy help, made a "Santa." Later we realized we forgot his beard, so perhaps it was simply one of Santa's elves. Edmund also had fun coloring a picture of Santa as he talked to a few other children at the table. This event had enough activities to keep both Edmund and myself occupied, but wasn't overwhelming. I'm thinking we have a new tradition!

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.

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.

Just Two Friends, Two Best Friends

Riding Elephants

Toddler friendship is a funny thing. One minute the children are hugging each other, the next minute they have each other in a headlock. In the end these toddlers that can go from one extreme to the other in a matter of minutes truly do care for each other. Thus is the friendship of Edmund and Emma.

Some of you may remember that Emma is the daughter of my co-teacher Jennifer. Emma is a spitfire to say the least. If you think Edmund is full of energy, multiply his energy level by 1000 and you get Emma. Emma is hilarious with her squeaky voice, bouncy walk, and I-can-do-it attitude. No wonder Edmund is drawn to Emma. Amidst our move in the past month our family was able to squeeze in some fun outings, and much to Edmund's delight, many of these outings involved Emma.

Our first outing was "Touch a Truck." You may recall I wrote about this event last year. Edmund was barely a year old and probably had little idea why we were sitting him on various trucks. He loved it all the same. This year we invited Emma and her family to join us at the event. Our first stop was the bus, as Edmund's shrieks of "on the bus, on the bus" could not be ignored. If it were up to Edmund, we would have spent the entire event on the bus, but there were other things to see. This year Edmund probably sat on less trucks than he did the previous year. Despite being in awe of the various trucks and vehicles, he was a little scared when it came to actually climbing inside one. Even Emma couldn't lure him in as she climbed in and "drove" every single vehicle available. Did I mention Emma's a spitfire? Emma and Edmund did have loads of fun running on a trailer bed. Running is a toddler's dream and since it didn't involve sitting up high, Edmund was all for it. The two children stomped, ran, and laughed until we told them it was time for other children to have a turn. In typical toddler fashion, neither one wanted to share, but we were able to lure them away with a toddler sized fire engine. In the picture you'll notice Edmund taking the wheel from Emma. Steven said I should insert a comment about women drivers here, but seeing as I am a woman I think I'll steer clear. Eventually we were able to get Edmund on a motorcycle. He may have been slightly nervous, but his current obsession with motorcycles overcame the fear. We're hoping the motorcycle obsession is a passing fad, or we're in for it. After sitting on the motorcycle, Edmund was a little more willing to sit in the driver's seats, provided he had a mommy or daddy lap to sit on. Several vehicles later we gave Edmund the "it's time to go, choose one more activity " speech. Thus we concluded "Touch a Truck," where else? You guessed it..."on the bus."

Last Sunday Steven, Edmund, and I went on another big adventure with Jennifer and Emma (Jennifer's husband is currently teaching a class in Italy). We squeezed (not an understatement) into Steven's car and headed to the zoo. Emma had already made two trips to the zoo, but this was Edmund's first time. Edmund's first animal encounter at the NC Zoo was with some very tall giraffes. According to Jennifer we were lucky to see them as they normally don't appear during rain, and it had been raining earlier in the day. I'd like to tell you more stories about Edmund and Emma's awesome encounters with animals, but to be honest, the two of them were much more interested in pushing their strollers around the zoo. Who needs to ride in a stroller, when you can push one? Despite having two very active toddlers who refused to ride in their strollers, we somehow made it to every animal exhibit. Of the animal exhibits the chimpanzees appeared to be the biggest hit. Edmund did his best to give the chimps kisses. He came closest to giving a chimp sculpture a kiss outside the exhibit. So we took our toddlers to the zoo for a little animal culture, and what topped their lists as the day's highlights. In no specific order they are... painting a chalkboard wall with water, playing in a helicopter exhibit, pushing strollers, and wait for it...riding the bus back to the parking lot. Did you notice I didn't mention any animals? Oh well. As any early childhood teacher will tell you, it's the experience that counts. And I don't know any adults who confuse tigers with frogs, so I think these kids will be just fine.

If You Need Directions, Ask Edmund

Elmo Loves Edmund

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. Three weeks ago my computer crashed. I went into a bit of internet withdrawal, and I don't even use my computer as much as most. What did people do 20 years ago? It was around that time I had big plans to blog about Edmund's visit with Elmo. Edmund is a big fan and showed Elmo he has skills when it comes to dancing the Hokey Pokey. Edmund's friend Emma joined us and we had ice cream after meeting the furry, red monster. Edmund somehow stayed relatively clean while insisting he feed himself some of daddy's chocolate ice cream. Emma on the other hand, covered her white, Italian coat in chocolate ice cream. She certainly knows how to make a fashion statement.

Steven and I also began house hunting around that time, so our time has been sucked up driving around neighborhoods and touring houses. Surprisingly, Edmund enjoys house hunting. He loves bathtubs and steps. If his current new saying "steps, steps, I love steps" is any indication, as long as the house we purchase has steps, he will be sold.

I hadn't felt there was anything too out of the ordinary on the Edmund front to blog about recently , but Edmund did something today that had Steven saying "if you blog about that, I'll give you the time." So here goes. I hope you find it blogworthy.

*Words in parentheses are Edmund to English translations.

If you know me well, you know I am directionally challenged. Give me directions that say go 1.2 miles and turn left and I'm set, but give me a map to the grocery store and I might just wind up in Nebraska. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that my 21 month old son knows where we are going before we even get there. Steven, Edmund, and I go to a local pizza place called Tomato Jake's every Friday night. About a month ago he started crying "pizza" whenever we passed the building. It's rather non-descript except for a small picture of a tomato on the side. We thought the fact Edmund could recognize the building was rather impressive, until recently. In the last few weeks Edmund now starts saying "pizza" when we reach the sign for the exit. This Friday night we decided to throw him off a bit and take a completely alternative route. Edmund wasn't fooled. His happy squeals of "pizza" could be heard before we turned onto the road for Tomato Jake's.

You're thinking to yourself, "maybe he just wants pizza." We too thought Edmund might think a car ride signaled pizza, but we've found that isn't so. Today we turned onto a street we use to get to The Community Center Park, Edmund's favorite playground. We've been a few times in the couple of months, but not a lot since the summer as it has been too cold. What do you know? Edmund inquisitively asked "geegound (playground)?," as we drove on. His inquisitiveness turned to whines when he realized that wasn't where we were headed. Don't worry, we don't deprive our child of outdoor time. He'd already visited the church playground earlier that day. Fortunately for him we had other child friendly plans. We pulled into University Mall, a place we visit maybe once every 2 months. Immediately Edmund asked "Thomees (Thomas)?." There is a great locally owned toy store in the mall that has a Thomas train table set up for children to play with. Somehow Edmund knew we were at one of Thomas the Tank Engine's hang-outs. When we got inside the mall, Steven set Edmund down. Edmund knew exactly how to get to the toy store. When Edmund finally located Thomas, squeals of excitement echoed throughout the store. There's nothing like a little "Thomees" to brighten a toddler's day.

Ho Ho Ho

Santa, Edmund, and Rameses

Last Sunday, Steven and I took Edmund to our local mall to visit Santa. There was no doubt in my mind that Edmund wouldn't be scared of Santa, although I knew it would be near impossible to get Edmund to sit on the jolly, old elf's knee. Edmund loves people, especially those who say "ho ho ho." The problem would be that Edmund would fear we were going to hand him over to the man in red and book it, just like we do with those people in the church nursery. When our turn arrived to visit with Santa, I simply held Edmund. Edmund said a "ho ho ho" to Santa and briefly chatted with the man of the hour. When we asked if Edmund wanted to sit with Santa, Edmund shook his head and said "no." We thanked Santa for his time and headed on our way.

The next day I was reminded by a parent in my class that Santa would be decked out in Carolina gear and accompanied by UNC's mascot, Rameses. Steven was in Virginia for a residency interview, and Edmund had shots scheduled for early afternoon, so I figured it best to pass. However, Edmund was in such a friendly mood at his doctor's office, chatting up Dr. Morton, Nurse Charlie, and the office staff that I thought he might enjoy another visit with Santa Claus. Fortunately, I made a good call. Edmund and I only had to wait a minute to see Tarheel Santa. Santa remembered us from the day before and encouraged me to try my young fellow on his knee. Santa asked for a high five. Edmund happily obliged, as well as offered a high five to Rameses. I put Edmund on Santa's knee. At first he reached for me, but after distracting him with some brightly colored jingle bells, he was just fine. However, Edmund was quite the serious lad. His mommy played peek-a-boo with Rameses, made ridiculous noises, and did some silly dances. All to no avail. Edmund didn't even crack a smile, although Santa and his elves were cracking up. When I said "Edmund you did a great job," Santa replied, "Mom you did too." So we didn't get a happy picture with Santa, but we didn't get one of a screaming child either. That's pretty impressive for a toddler if I do say so myself.

Was it the fact that Santa was decked out in Carolina blue that made Edmund so willing to sit on his knee. We may never know, but we're hoping Edmund never turns to the dark side, or in this case, NC State, as his older buddy Michael has. Edmund and I saw Michael's family in line to see Santa later that day. Michael's sister Kelly was enthusiastic about sitting on Tarheel Santa's knee. However, Michael, who used to be the world's biggest Tarheel fan, would only sit on an NC State Santa's knee. I told Michael's parents there was hope for him, as I had once chosen UK over UNC. However, I eventually saw the light and returned to my beloved Tarheels. Edmund watched the UK-UNC game with us recently and began saying "Tucky." We quickly intervened and Edmund is now proudly saying "Alina." So Merry Christmas and Go Heels to you!