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.