The Long and Winding Post that Leads to Your Door

This week is going to be hectic, so I wanted to get a post in before I'm too far behind.  

In case I forget (as I tend to do)... Enid has been wanting to see My Little Pony Live, but it never comes close enough.  So instead, we're going to the Backyardigans Live and we have pretty good seats.

We've had some bad news... Englewood United Methodist Preschool has closed. After 51 years, their board decided that due to low enrollment they could no longer efficiently function. It's understandable in this day and age, but it's terrible for all of the families and staff. It was a great program, and Enid is having a hard time grasping exactly what has happened. Although there have been lots of sad faces, there haven't been any tears, so that's good. We toured another preschool in the area this morning. It's my second choice, and they only have two openings for her age. Wish us luck!

For our 8th anniversary, Gerald and I got a night and partial day out in Raleigh. We even had a free hotel room (thanks to Marriott Rewards racked up via Gerald's work). We had dinner reservations that night at PF Chang's, which I always love. We hadn't eaten at one in a very long time, so it was deliciously missed. We shared Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps and Spicy Green Beans. I had Coconut Curry Vegetables with tofu, and Gerald had Lemon Pepper Shrimp, all with brown rice. I hated leaving food behind, but since we didn't have a fridge at the hotel, we decided it was best. If I had known a shelter that could take it, I would have done so. I hate wasting!



Enid's art has recently started evolving into more recognizable images. Here is a house she drew, and if you look closely (and use your imagination a little) you can see the windows and door etc.



Here's a gratuitous cat shot.



Last week, I took Enid to BB&T Noah's Arc Childrens Playground. It's an inclusive playground that the Arc of Wilson raised money to build, but it's mostly for school age children. There's a sand area, swings, and some toddler activities. Enid loved it, but I had to help her with most of the climbing parts because of the size and spacing. The equipment is from Miracle Recreation Equipment Company.









Since it was pretty hot Saturday, we had some water play in the backyard. Enid was pretty soaked, and Gerald and I got pretty wet ourselves. Too bad there's not a way to conserve water AND play for long periods of time. Even well and collected rain water aren't totally expendable. Here are some other outdoor photos from this month. One day while kicking the big ball around, Enid disappeared. We found her sitting under a tree in the shade "because it's hot out here!". Oh.. and she caught her first butterfly all on her own!









Speaking of butterflies... Remember that cocoon? It had hatched when we got up one morning. You can barely see the hole in the top of it.



My butterfly garden pot is growing so well. I'm amazed.

BEFORE


AFTER


Pumpkins are always so easy to grow. If you're new to gardening with kids, that would be your safest bet. Here's my hand just above one hill for size comparison.



PaPa's grapes are beginning to appear. I keep thinking we'll go see Great Grandpa's blueberries, but we haven't made it over there yet.



There's a family of 4 black cats that hang out in the backyard. They seem to be from the neighbors' place, but I don't think they're taken care of very well. Whenever I take out leftover scraps, they swarm around... one female and a more timid male in particular. They eat just about anything, including cantaloupe rind. Here you can see them by the tomatoes.



And lastly... I found part of an egg and had to share.