Living in Mayberry....

What you say?? Don't you live downtown ATL? Yeah, yes but I moved in to an area with a big community. I don't go to neighborhood meetings anymore.. but those things are packed with all kinds of people who know each other!

I loved it when I first moved to Atlanta. I could go to the store in jammies and not see a single soul that I knew. I liked it that way.

Then, I moved to Grant Park. Here in Grant Park... I know lots of people. First I knew all the people who congregated in the evenings at the dog park. I knew Sarah - a cute little blonde dog. Wurstig figured out another dog was dying.. he would whine when ever this dog came near him. The owner was determined that Wurstig had the cancer pegged. I never knew the owners name but would say "hi Sarah's dad" whenever I saw him. Anyway, that was like 2004.

I grew to know my neighbors well. I knew (and know) Michael the mailman. I even was familiar with Hank's nephew who owned Hank's Ice Cream.. gosh I loved that place!

Now Grant has started school and sports.. I don't have the names down... but everywhere we go, we see someone we know. I see Jennifer with her twins at Target all the time! I see the neighbors across the street (Tim and DeDe) at Kroger weekly. I can't go around in my jammies and not see someone.. I will always see someone.

Now, I love this community... it is nice! I love that we can send Grant across the street to play. I love as the boys get older, I can let them roam the hood. Because...because... everything that happens will get back to me. It takes a village people.

What I don't like is in instances like this.... Grant does not like movement class. I know his movement teacher. She took yoga with me at the neighborhood yoga class. Grant misbehaves in movement... I get embarrassed since I know her. On Sunday, I see her at the coffee shop. She smiles and waves hi! I wave back and then Miles flips out! Toddler tantrum full swing... he has a lot of those when I don't get what he wants. He can't talk so you can imagine how much fun I am having trying to get what he is saying!

I am sure she is thinking "Why can't she control her kids?" And with this.. I am embarrassed.