Friday

apple picking!



yay, it's september and fall is practically here! on wednesday, we were supposed to go to sesame place, but as it turns out, the park is only open on the weekends. so we decided to trek back up to northern new jersey to alstede farms and we ended up picking our own produce. i used to go apple picking every year with my own family but I haven't since I gave birth, so this is Sofia's first time. i forgot how much fun it is. i miss going with my family though, but with just us three it was the beginning of our own family tradition.












we got apples, peaches, eggplants & raspberries.



fuji apples




the animals there were so friendly.




picking raspberries



you could also cut your own flowers there



there was us and a few other people there, but the farm is so big that it felt like we were the only ones there. it was nice to be surrounded by all that greenery and it was so peaceful and beautiful, it was truly a perfect day.




Tuesday

old friends, new friends.

i met my friend Qawi in 5th grade. we did a lot of things together for the rest of our grammar school years. we signed up for after school programs, hung out at the roller rink, chased after boys at the park (and got chased by some weird ones too), we slept over each others houses, joined gymnastics, played basketball, we even did cheerleading. i wouldn't have done any of those things if it wasn't for her. after 8th grade she moved to the suburbs and saw her once during high school. after that we lost touch. it wasn't until the day that i was moving to new jersey that we got reunited. 15 years since we last hung out and her presence still feels as if it were only just the other day since we last saw each other. i love that we can still hang out and still feel comfortable telling each other secrets. and i am even more grateful that she also has a daughter who is the same age as mine! it was such a wonderful thing to see Sofia and Chloe get along so well. they took upon each other like old friends. it was like seeing ourselves in the two of them. childhood buddies. there is nothing like it.

\\at the children's museum of manhattan//









\\at fao schwartz//









\\at central park//









"new friends put a smile on my face, i'm so very happy that you're visiting my place."

- yo gabba gabba