Kindergarten Adventures

Today was Eva's first day of kindergarten and it was almost her first absence! Eva and Stella and I left the house this morning at 6:40 a.m. to get to Stella's "school" which is approximately 10 miles from our house and generally takes us about 15 minutes. One hour later we pulled into her school! The flooding is so bad in Hillsborough and the surrounding areas that many roads were closed and traffic was diverted such that I would like to say (in my best hick sounding voice), "You can't get there from here!" I thought I would lose my mind and that Stella would hop out of her skin! Poor Eva who was so excited about kindergarten had to sit in the car all that time, knowing that it would be at least another 1/2 hour before we got to her new school (which is directly behind the high school in which I work). Eva was SOOOO good. No, "are we there yets" or "it's really taking a long time" which is what she generally says when she is in the car for a lengthy amount of time. Maybe she is maturing!!

Recent Stella-Isms

Stella is cracking me up lately...soon she will be two and she is talking up a storm. Some things that she says:

1) All monkeys are Ooo Ooos...including her most favorite one (I will come back and post pics)
2) All kitties are Ya Yas...I believe that stems from the fact that we have a cat named Olivia and when she first learned that she just decided it was easier to call all of them Olivia - which comes out Ya Ya. Though, today, Eva said, "Hi Boo" to my parents' cat and Stella immediately repeated, "Hi Boo" as clear as day!
3) All dogs are Ar Ars...which I believe is because that is the sound they make! Stella has an absolute love hate relationship with fuzzy critters. She loves them from far away...but they get close and she freaks out!
4) Her sister is Eee Eee...which I think is funny since Eva Elizabeth is E.E. How perfect!

Finding the Perfect Tree(s)

For our first X-mas in our new house, we felt that we needed to find the perfect tree. And then, we realized that no new house with two families combined would be complete without two trees. So, where to put them....well, one had to be in the family room b/c that is where the fireplace is and Santa needs a tree to put presents under....and the second one just had to be in the front window so that everyone could see it when they drive by (by everyone I mean the people on our street, because we have to have the world's quietest street!) But then, my parents wouldn't have a tree in their living room. So, three perfect trees it was!

And the final products....

My little ballerina!

Eva takes ballet every Tuesday and she is really enjoying it. It is really sweet because her friend Lexi that is in her ballet class is the daughter of Matt's fraternity brother and his wife, both of whom we went to college with. Things definitely come full circle!

Recent Eva-Isms

Eva: "I want macaroni and cheese."
Mommy: "If you keep eating macaroni and cheese you are going to become macaroni and cheese."
Eva: "I would love to become macaroni and cheese so that I could eat myself!"

________________________________________

Eva: "Mommy, I'm really snuffy."
Translation: "Snuffy" = "Stuffy"

________________________________________

Radio: "Blah, blah, blah...the tree for Rockefeller Center will be coming from....blah...blah...blah County and will be cut down today and moved to Rockefeller Center. Visitors will begin arriving in throngs....blah, blah."

Eva: "Why are they cutting down the tree?"

Me: "It is tradition."

Eva: "I want to see the tree before they cut it down."

Me: "Um, yeah, that is happening in about an hour and the place they are cutting it down from is about 2 hours away! Sorry, Eva, can't do it."

Eva: "Will the tree die?"

Me: "Um, good question. Eventually, but not before it makes a lot of people very happy."

Eva: "Why does it make people happy for it to die."

Me: "Good question" (Thought to self..."uh oh, are we allowed to get a tree this year?")

Big House = Less Candy

Had a great time for our first Halloween in Hillsborough but we quickly noticed one very important thing - when houses are bigger and further apart, it takes a lot longer to cover the same number of houses as we used to do in South River!! So, end result = less candy!!

Eva had a great time, though!





We introduced ourselves to many of the neighbors (only a few of whom do we remember the names of!) and poor Stella got shoved into a stroller w/ a puffy lady bug costume so that she could freeze to death while Eva got all the candy!! Sucks to be the younger sister!!

I LOVE my Gourd!

Today we went pumpkin picking.





Eva had a really good time going off by herself or with Nana looking for the perfect pumpkins. And then she found the little gourds. Needless to say we have MANY decorative little gourds that Eva could not be without.



Stella went for her first pony ride, not because we thought she would like it, but actually because Eva wanted to ride the pony, we paid for the ride, and then she got cranky and wouldn't do it. So Stella had her first pony ride!



Stella was too funny. She had a love affair with this gourd that she found and would not put it down. (She is even holding it on the pony ride!) She actually seemed to enjoy it! This is the first time we went pumpkin picking in Hillsborough. The place was really cute - called Norz Hill - and a good size for a family with two little children. The wagon ride was SUPER bumpy but we survived!

We decided to forego the farm tour and the corn maze this time - save that for another day. A good time was had by all!

Recent Eva-isms

Eva literally says things that make me pee my pants. Here are a few:

1) After going out to dinner w/ my mom and I to our favorite wing place in PA: "Mommy, I love these chicken flaps." Um, Eva, they are chicken wings. Chickens flap their wings, but these are chicken wings!

2) After Matt bought her a smoothie from McDonalds (yes, who knew McDonalds had smoothies): "Mommy, look...Daddy bought me a Snoopy."

3) "Freezing, party of one." Oh, she has learned so well from Mommy. Now let's hope she doesn't repeat all of my curse words!!

Some pics of the new house

The dining room (this room is on the left when you walk in the front door)


The Formal living room (this room is on the right when you walk in the front door)The hallway leading from the kitchen/family room area to the front door



The Main Kitchen looking into the Family Room



My parents' kitchen




My parents' living room

Eva's "4th" and Stella's "1st"

We had our first party at the new house for Eva's 4th birthday and Stella's 1st birthday. Eva is a lucky duck because she had her "summer" birthday at Lake Hauto on her actual birthday. Here are a few pics from that....















And then she also had her NJ birthday the day after Stella's 1st birthday with all of our NJ peeps. (we missed you Danalisa & fam and Susan & fam and wish you were all closer)! Here are some pics from the Lollipop party!