Notebook

Tonight as we were getting MDF ready for bed, she had to have a bandaid put on her leg. While CDF put it on they talked about when she used to be a nurse. Later MDF told me about it.

“Dad, did you know that Mama used to be a nurse?”

“Yes, I did.”

Looking thoughful, she asked, “Did you used to be a doctor?”

I laughed, and said I have always worked on computers.

“She’s not a nurse any more,” MDF continued, “now she’s just a mama.”

Today for MDF’s birthday CDF and I took her to Wilmington as a special thing for just the three of us. We went to Greenfield Lake to walk around, play at the play ground and “hunt for alligators.” We actually saw an alligator when we went over the big footbridge on the north side of the lake.

Alligator Goes By

Enjoying the Park

After the park we went to Chic-fil-A for lunch. MDF played in their play zone too. Then when lunch was over we went back across Market Street to Walmart and let her pick out something to buy as a birthday surprise. From Walmart we went over to Cold Stone Creamery and got ice cream. MDF picked strawberry ice cream with M&M’s on the top. CDF got cheesecake with Snicker’s bars mixed in.

A Surprise Present

Then after we got home, and MDF had a short rest time, she and I went for a bike ride on her new bike! She did great — exept for when she almost crashed head first into a big ditch, before she learned about brakes. Later this afternoon we went back out on the street, this time I pushed CEF in the stroller, and she rode without incident, having learned how to work the brakes.

Ready to go for a Ride

Right before bedtime prayers, CDF and MDF usually talk about their favorite and least favorite things that day. Sometimes MDF will ask me too. Last night she told me that the worst part of the day was when “Mama mowed my cattail.” She had a sad look on her face, but I had to try hard not to laugh.

MDF likes to pick the cattail seed heads that grow in the ditch on the north side of our driveway (actually they are closer to Huntingtons where the ditch gets lots of water and sun). This year there have been very few, mainly from the mowing and weed-killer that the city has used to keep the ditches clear. So a week or so ago I picked the last stalk for her, she played with it a while but then left it on the front sidewalk.

So when CDF was mowing the front yard yesterday evening she didn’t see the catttail in time until a plume of seeds started spraying out from under the mower. Then she looked over and saw MDF crying. They did go to see if there were any more growing in the ditch, but there was not.

I told MDF that we’d ride the bike this weekend and see if we could find any more cattails.

Saturday morning I took the girls to the Burgaw park. I hooked the bike trailer up to my bike and we rode over. I was a little hesitant about riding on Freemont Street, but I found that I had plenty of room on the side of the road and even if one wheel went in the grass, I didn’t notice it much.

When we got to the park we found that the church across the street was having some sort of revival, and there were a number of youth groups parading from the pavillion down the street ot the church steps. MDF and CEF watched from the jungle gym, and while CEF danced to the parade music, MDF was discussing how she would like to join the marchers.

A little while later we went to the swings. The parade was finished and they were starting to have people perform on the street. A man set up two congas and played for a while. MDF and CEF both just watched and smiled.