Buon Appetito!

We went to the Mercer County Italian American Festival on Saturday. I had heard that the food there was fantastic, and it did not disappoint! We shared a chocolate cannoli and fresh squeezed lemonade, but what made my belly the happiest was the amazing vodka rigatoni with sausage. Brad and I shared a plate, but I probably could have eaten 2 plates of it all by myself! I knew I had to figure out a way to make it at home. So, last night was my first try, and it wasn't too bad! Maybe just a couple of tweaks to the recipe -- I actually chose 3 recipes I found online and used elements from all of them, so I'll claim it as my own! Man, those guidos sure can cook!

Preschool Is Exhausting!

(Yes Mom, this non-napping kid did end up sleeping after school!)

A Week of Firsts

On Sunday we marked our first anniversary of living in New Jersey. What a year it has been!

On Monday, Natalie and I went to our first class at The Little Gym. She loved swinging on the bars and doing flips. After class I was over I had to wrestle her shoes back on her...she said she wanted to stay and exercise more! Once I finally managed to get her shoes on her feet, I was buckling her into her carseat after class was over and she yelled, "that was so fun!" I can't wait to see what other tricks she learns over the course of the semester.

Yesterday, Natalie went to her first day of preschool! She did so great. I walked her into her classroom, she gave me a hug and a kiss and said bye, and that was that! She started playing and let me walk out. I am so proud of her!

Mamaw and Papa!

We had such a fun week with Brad's parents! I didn't manage to do a daily post like I did when my mom was visiting, so here is all the fun packed in to one BIG blog post!

Brad and Natalie have a Saturday morning tradition of going to Terhune Orchards and bringing home a bag of apple cider donuts. We decided to make a morning of it and spent a few hours at the farm doing some of our favorite things -- hanging out with the animals, riding the tractors, and exploring in the farm store. We even came home with a couple things we'd never had from the farm before, corn on the cob and a freshly baked pie! Cherry, to be exact. Delish.

Natalie fed the ducks...
...and fed the ducks some more...
...and fed the ducks even more! She loved doing it. We had to practically drag her away kicking and screaming and convince her to do something else.
We also went to Animal Kingdom Zoo. This is a definite must-see for visitors. It's unlike any other zoo I've been to...you can get so close to the animals. So fun!
We loved this chicken and his crazy hair!
More bird feeding. Crazy hair chicken is down there on the left.
And some monkey feeding! You drop food down the PVC pipe...

...and the monkeys know to wait at the bottom of the pipe and catch it! They eat popcorn, peanuts, Fruit Loops, and animal crackers (of all things).
Another day, we went to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden (in New Jersey, just across the river from Philadelphia). We had never been here before, so it was really neat to watch Natalie's fascination.

Shark Tunnel!


And since the weather was so beautiful practically every day of the week, we spent a good amount of time outside and at the park.
Natalie climbed up the slide (we lost count of how many times she did it) and yelled "Look how tall I'm are!" every time she got to the top.

Between all our outings, we managed to have some fun at home too. One benefit to having a yard covered in leaves during the fall is playing in them!
We played some washers.
And Natalie acted like a drama queen :)
Mamaw and Papa also stayed home with Natalie one day so Brad and I could go on a day trip to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. We were enjoying a peaceful hike and decided to stop and take a rest. We hadn't seen anyone else on the trail for a while, but eventually a family with a little boy walked by. They didn't get very far past us before the mom snatched up her son and started walking back very quickly. There was a BEAR on the trail! If we hadn't stopped to take that rest, we would have walked right in to it! We were finishing up our hike anyway, but we decided that we were definitely done at that point. What an adventure!

It's That Time of Year...

We are getting hints of fall weather. Never mind the fact that it is in the mid-90s today -- this weekend the highs are in the 70s. Perfection! Apple picking season is in full swing. Brad is gearing up for the start of his semester. Even Natalie is getting ready for school! She got a haircut yesterday in preparation for starting preschool (how is our baby old enough for preschool?!) in a couple of weeks. She is so excited about "going to school" and is dying to buy a new backpack. Unfortunately I am having trouble finding a toddler-sized backpack that is not plastered with Dora the Explorer, Barney, or High School Musical logos. We are also getting ready for the arrival of Brad's parents, Mamaw and Papa, in a couple of days. Can't wait for that!

So sorry for the lack of blog posts recently. I feel like life has been busy with playdates and other activities, but nothing too blog worthy. I promise I will (try to) do better!