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.

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!