a lot of sweet

I'm on solo Junie patrol for a few days. We're off to a hot start.

Yesterday afternoon she shuffled around in my running shoes. I hope she never comes close to actually fitting into them...

Bless her soul, she didn't wake me up this morning until 8am. Why doesn't Adrienne ever get so lucky?

June had a surprise present waiting for her downstairs. Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Barnett! As you can see, June made quick work of the wrapping paper, and before you knew it, she had Raggedy Ann in quite a headlock. I think Raggedy Ann knows who's boss now.

After some oats and mango, we headed to Pullen Park in Raleigh. It's a true gem. We started on the paddle boats...

made our way over to the beautiful, historic carousel...

from there we took a ride on the "choo-choo"...

then to the kiddie boats. I think June liked these the most. She especially enjoyed ringing the bell. We barely escaped without a tantrum...

And one of the best parts, all this for just $10. That's a bargain.

We went to lunch just down the street at Cloo's Coney Island. Yes, that's right, we have a Coney Island here in North Carolina. The owner is a transplant from Rochester, MI and he sources his hot dogs and sauce from back in Detroit. The coney dogs are very good. Not Lafayette good, but delicious nonetheless. One thing the restaurant lacks is speed. It's undoubtedly the slowest Coney Island I've been to, and unfortunately, they also forgot the extra coney that I ordered. We sat there waiting and waiting, but we eventually couldn't wait any longer so we packed up, got a refund for the extra hot dog, and headed back home. Nevertheless, June loved her grilled cheese...

For those wondering what a Coney Island is, here is an explanation from Wikipedia...

The term "Coney Island" is also a type of restaurant in the state of Michigan. They typically serve diner-like food as well as breakfast any time, and many are open 24 hours. A lot of Coney Island restaurants in the city of Detroit also have drive-through windows. They are independently owned and often the name reflects such, for instance "George's Coney Island." The more popular local chains include National Coney Island and Leo's Coney Island which are both popular in the nearby suburban areas. A distinction is made between inner city Coney Island restaurants and those in the surrounding areas. While inner city locations only provide a fast food menu and service, restaurants in the suburban areas are geared towards dining in and provide a larger menu selection. These additional menu selections usually include Greek and Mediterranean style foods, such as saganaki and gyro sandwiches. In addition, inner city coney islands such as Lafayette Coney Island have a carnival-like atmosphere with waiters calling out orders and the ever popular "Coney Island Tricks" made famous by former Lafayette employee of 43 years, Demos Lembesis.

June hasn't yet tasted her first coney dog. We'll wait until we can take her to the best, Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit. Here are some photos of us at Lafayette after our wedding reception...

Oh what will the afternoon bring??