Impromptu Halloween party...

I dedcided to have a Halloween Party for the little ones because my teens were having one at my sisters' and I offered to babysit for my neice and nephew. Apparently I have a way with young children. I was told that by my teens. My ideas for their party were not embraced but were good enough for preschoolers. So, along with my wounded pride, I went and planned a very simple and last minute party at home. They had so much fun. Heck, Bobby and I had a blast with them!
We played Bingo, decorated cupcakes, had wormy pasta for dinner, bobbed for apples and played pass the apple. I really appreciate having had the chance to plan and hang out with them. You can't put a price on memories like these!

Are you wondering why Caleb is upside down??? Is Bobby bathing him?,teaching him a lesson?
No, silly. He's teaching him to swim.
Roci, is that the stem??? Does that count?

Oh, another stem grabber...

Playing Pass the apple... this was a hoot! I have it on video and boy were they funny!!!!!!

Hey, no funny business... honest

Oh, Caleb did get his apple!

Decorating cupcakes

My mom took them to her company Halloween Party.

Echo Hill is really Yucky hill

I know that sounds harsh, but we went apple and pumpkin picking at Echo Hill last year and they did not have a good crop of apples. I threw out the four bags we picked. The pumpkins were okay.
So, why did we go back? Well, they have a tractor ride that is fun and their cider doughnuts and cider are very yummy. They also have a cute gift shop. I also love starting traditions. With my sister living so close, I thought going to a new place would be cool. (We used to go to Atkins Farm.)
Fast forward a year and we decided to try Echo Hill again.
Let's just say that the doughnuts were yummy, the cider nice and hot and the tractor ride was fun. Oh, the weather was nice to. Please don't ask about the apples or about the pumpkin 'patch'.








We did get to visit with Sparky from the fire department and of course we had fun visiting. I mean, come on. Who wouldn't have fun with us....

ahhhh..... new york

My friend Jen invited me to join her and her sister Sara on a trip to New York. This is truly one of my favorite places to visit.
It was Sara's first trip to the Big Apple. Her husband got us a room one block over from Time Square! It was a nice room. For those of you who know how picky I am about my hotel rooms, you know this had to be real nice for me to say so!
We arrived Friday night, checked in to the hotel and went straight to Time Sqaure. It is most impressive at night I think. We saw that TKTS was open and I was surprised by that! We decided to get tickets for a show that night since we had the time and went to see The Fantasticks. ( Tickets at 6:45 pm were limited.)
I have seen quite a few Broadway shows in some of the most amazing theatres so I was stunned when we walked up to the Jerry Orbach Theatre and saw how small it was. Not just small, but on the 6th floor! When we got to our seats, I couldn't get over how small the theatre was. It was about the size of the Majestic in West Springfield and set up the same way. The 'orchestra' was a piano and a harp. I broke into a laughing fit and I could not stop. I was so surprised and a bit disappointed for Sara because it was her first time there and I felt she was being cheated of the full theatre experience.
I think she thought I was a little disturb because I could not stop laughing. I have to say though, that the show was wonderful and after the first few minutes my anxiety melted away. The music was great and because the stage was in the audience, we got a nice closeup look at the actors. I am ashamed to say that I did 'judge the book by the cover'. The show was great and recommend it!
We went sight seeing in Time Square and got back to the room after midnight.
The next morning we went to the pier to catch the Circle Line to the Statue of Liberty. We were just going to tour the harbor since there are no tickets available to the statue until December. It was kind of pricey, so we decided to go to Battery Park. We walked a while until we realized that it was much farther than it looked on the map! On our way to the subway, we walked down NY's finest streets! I know it was one of the finest because it held the sanitation department and the street was decorated with clothing and a variety of fine bottles. We were the only ones on the street so I figured it was very elite. We took the subway to the park and caught a fun trip on the harbor and saw the Brooklyn Bridge, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

We then went to Canal Street to experience all the fine shopping it has to offer. You didn't have to worry about looking around because the vendors came straight to you and rattled off a list of all the wonderful handbags you could have; Coach, Louis Vuitton, Prada. Every few feet they were in stores, on the streets. Miles and miles of vendors. It was overwhelming.
We decided to eat at a chinese restaurant at... well, chinatown. Do you see the ducks in the window? I'd always wondered if they served them with the head on and they do!

it was a little windyAfter Canal Street, we took the subway again to Central Park. We rode with this not-so-cute guy in a polka-dot speedo with $1 bills tucked in the band. He really thought he was something else. I think that he is competing with the Naked Cowboy, which we did not get to see on this trp.

We went to Fifth Avenue to do some shopping and to St. Patrick's Cathederal and to Magnolia Bakery, which is my favorite place now, for some yummy treats. We went to dinner at a place called Azteca because my favorite Puerto Rican place closed. I was sad, but the fajitas at Azteca were yummy.

Jenn learned a painful lesson on this trip. Sometimes you have to sacrifice style for comfort. She wore sandals (I know), to walk around for the time we were there and boy did she pay the price! She had so many blisters that I cringed every time she took a step. She was a trooper, though. She did not complain ONCE. I can't say I would have been as nice.

I am grateful for the invite! It was a much needed break from reality!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kaleigh's Kindergarten open house

Warner School on Boston Road

Kaleigh invited us to attend her open house. She was so excited to show off her new school.

Her teachers had nothing but nice things to say about her. She's very helpful in class and attentive. Her teacher, Mrs. Gardocki, said she's always organizing and arranging things in class. Melisa said it must be her way of burning off nervous energy because she is always moving around.

I was very proud of her. She has her picture on a board in the hallway labeled 'superstar'.

She loves school and I'm sure she will continue to impress her teachers. How can you not be impressed with little Kaleigh?? :)