boo at the zoo...take two!

Our second year attending Boo at the Zoo was just as much fun as last year. Emma Jane was an adorable whiskerless kitty cat since she refused to let us paint whiskers on her face. We met Lily and her family again this year. I had to include a few pictures from last year so you can see just how much our girls have changed. It was funny to see how their personalities haven't changed at all in a year's time, but they were so much more independent and opinionated this year! There was so much to see and do and the girls didn't miss out on anything. They trick-or-treated at the booths set up around the zoo, rode the merry-go-round, roasted marshmallows, and boogied on the dance floor. At the end of the night, Emma Jane was NOT ready to leave. The final picture proves just how distraught our little girl was when it was time to go home.








Last year our little climber was a cave girl...



The costume has changed, but she still loves to climb!



Last year the girls couldn't say, "trick or treat" just yet!



This year they knew just what to do and remembered "please & thank you" too!














It's so hard to leave when you're having so much fun!

a star is born

Emma Jane had her very first onstage performance at the preschool fall family fest last night. After eating a yummy spaghetti dinner with chocolate cake for dessert, the children took to the stage to sing some fun Halloween songs. At first, Emma Jane was in the back timidly looking on, but towards the end of the performance, she made her way to the front and did her thing! At one point she saw me and got a little nervous. I saw the tears start to well up and she suddenly lifted her dress up to combat the nerves! She was quickly able to move past her fears and put on quite the performance. After the show, Emma Jane took Paul to see her classroom and meet her teacher for the first time. We had a great time watching her interact with all the other kids and parents. She is quite the social bug!

day trip to greenville

We took a day trip to Greenville, SC this past weekend. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed strolling through the downtown area with Emma Jane in tow. We took a walk across Liberty Bridge in Falls Park. It's a cool suspension bridge that wobbles as you walk along it. While walking downtown, Emma Jane liked saying hello to the statues of historical figures and searching for the mice from "Goodnight Moon". We also did a little shopping and ate lunch downtown at a sidewalk cafe. For a final treat, we enjoyed some Italian gelato at Luna Rosa. By the time we got back to the car, Emma Jane was zonked out and ready for a nap! We hope to take a few more day trips like this before the baby arrives and our ability to just up and go comes to an end for awhile!

fearless at the fair

We took Emma Jane to the South Carolina State Fair last week. She had a ball and wanted to ride EVERYTHING! Luckily, she was tall enough at just a little over 36" to ride several things, but we weren't ready to let her ride anything on her own. Paul rode the dizzy dragons and flying bumblebees with her. After riding the dizzy dragons, she cried when it was over (you can see the tears in one of the pictures). We rode the merry-go-round together as a family since that was the only ride my big belly could take! Emma Jane was in awe of everything at the fair, including the food! We shared a funnel cake and she told us that it was "yummy for my tummy!" As many times as Paul and I have been to various fairs and amusement parks over the years, this was probably the best time I've ever had. Emma Jane's expressions were priceless and there is nothing better than experiencing something like this for the first time through the eyes of a child.