Just the two of us.

This morning Julia and I spent some time in a park that houses a carousel, a train, a zoo and a few playgrounds (most of which were closed due to some sort of construction).

She went on a carousel, rode a train, played in a playground and then we both had a little picnic which included peanut butter sandwiches, juice and pieces of a watermelon. It is so simple to make an ordinary day into a special one when she is only 2.

We're No Spring Chickens, But We Can Still Outlast Our Children (Barely)

I'm not certain, but I think that today, Saturday, our kids beat their own records for the shortest stay indoors. With quite a few activities planned and no time for a nap, it was a very busy day for our munchkins.

I can't find the words to describe how happy we are that the winter is behind us. We barely see the inside of our house nowadays except to sleep and an occasional meal. (Some meals are enjoyed right outside!) The kids even play in the driveway while I am cooking and David is in charge of making sure Julia doesn't wander into the street, although she already knows not to do so. We love this weather and take full advantage of it.

Anyway, Saturday began with a trip to Van Saun Park before it got too crowded. Since the park was practically empty, Julia was making friends with the park's local residents.

They enjoyed the sound of the water running over the rocks in the stream, taking a few quiet moments to relax and throw an occasional rock into the water.

Since the zoo and carousel wasn't open, they played in the park and enjoyed the beautiful spring weather. David tried his hand at climbing the wall - something he wasn't able to do last autumn.

Ahhh, carousel! Open once more for our kids to enjoy! Seth and I can already feel our wallets getting lighter.

After a couple of trips on the carousel, we headed to the zoo. That's when we met up with David's "girlfriend" which made the zoo much more fun!

Then it was back home before David headed out to a Birthday Party. David's friend at school had just turned 3 and it seemed as though half of the kids in town came to a party. It was so much fun watching him interact and play with the kids.

The biggest surprise was having David's idol, Mr. Kurt, come and perform at the party. (I can't believe I didn't think of asking him to perform when planning Julia's 1st Birthday party!) I have never seen a better child entertainer than him. Every single kid at school adores him and watching him perform and engage the kids, now I know why.

After the music, the kids painted a mural.

Once back from the party, we all went to another park and had a blast there with some of our friends. Julia had a great time playing on the swing.

By the end of the day, the kiddies were so exhausted that they were looking forward to going to bed - at 7:30 pm! This hasn't happened... ever. In the last few weeks, we've been coming home from the local parks at around 9 pm, so Seth and I didn't know what to do with this extra time. Exhausted ourselves, we settled for some wine and cheese.

Finally enjoying some time alone, we start to recharge our batteries. By 7am tomorrow morning, the kiddies will be ready to repeat another fun-filled day. *sigh*

Van Saun Park in The Autumn

The crisp air of Autumn has finally arrived to NJ and with it come sweatshirts and runny noses, but it doesn't mean the end of fun. The family went to Van Saun Park today to spend some time on the train, the carousel, and of course, some fun in the park.


The park has slowly been getting its Halloween flavor as well, complete with cut-out boards with holes for putting your faces in. David and Julia got into the act, posing for some pictures.

First David:


And then Julia:


Next they took one together, but David started getting mischievous. Careful Julia - Big Brother is watching!


One thing we did notice is that the park was very quiet - too quiet. The temperature drops below 70 and the NJ parks are practically empty! The temperatures might be cooler, but it doesn't mean that the fun's all gone!