Lake Highlands feels fresh and rejuvenated this spring, with young moms pushing strollers to neighborhood parks and ball-capped dads throwing baseballs to sons in their front yards. If you enjoy seeing happy young families flocking to LH and rolling up their sleeves to make it their own, you’d have loved attending the Lake Highlands Area Early Childhood PTA Home Tour and Auction yesterday. The organization’s name is a mouthful and its members naturally age-out when the baby of the family heads to kindergarten, but don’t feel sorry for the LHAECPTA. They’re celebrating their 50th anniversary and they’re as vibrant as the young moms choosing LH as their families’ home. We have pictures.
Everyone in my tour group had at least one child in college – some of us have college graduates – but we were welcomed heartily to the tour and brunch, and we got some decorating tips along the way. We admired the young women for knowing what they want – things like expanded kitchens, bright family rooms and spaces to entertain. All had backyards that beckoned visitors and plenty of built-ins for displaying travel memories and family photos.
The homeowners weren’t afraid to tear out walls and mix decorating styles, which the friends in my group admitted they wouldn’t have had the guts to do as youthful new moms. My personal favorite was the dress up costume area in the second floor playroom at the Ragsdale’s home on Highedge and the inflatable frames around toddler art projects. Adorable.
The tour ticket included a lovely brunch with chicken and fruit salads, and we devoured our delicious desserts from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Our table wasn’t far from the large group of LH Exchange Club members who came to support the cause, and we were happy to see the spirited bidding war erupt at the tables full of donated auction items.
Congratulations, LHAECPTA, on a successful fundraiser and enjoyable event. And to those of you far removed from the life of a preschool mom who don’t understand the importance of this group and its impact on our neighborhood, remember: when you decide to sell your LH home, whether to upsize for your big kids with big bodies or to downsize as an empty nester, it’s likely to be the friends of one of these young families that answer your ad.
