So forget the holidays and look at these pictures I took yesterday!

It cracks me up that [...]]]> Sometimes: when you haven’t updated your pictures in a month… and your holiday cards went out in January… and you spend all your time working on other people’s WordPress websites… it’s just too much to get caught up.

So forget the holidays and look at these pictures I took yesterday!

It cracks me up that among all of the blurry cell phone pictures I took, two look like Eva was posing for The Sartorialist: Playground Edition.

Aside from the grown-up looking posts (they are an illusion of photography), there was quite a bit of imaginative play going on behind the scenes – which I can’t get enough of. Take a look at where Eva was traveling at our new favorite playground.

Grandparents, et al., I will get the holiday pictures up. Someday.

ALLEGRA: Eva, [...]]]> Two weeks ago we purchased the new Muppets movie soundtrack. I already have most of it committed to memory. One week ago we took Eva to see her very first movie. Guess what that was? This week we are having dance parties to “Me Party” and we have a new topic of conversation:

ALLEGRA: Eva, are you a girl or a Muppet?

EVA: [in a grave whisper] A Muppet.

MATT: Is Mama a girl or a Muppet?

EVA: Mama is a grey Miss Piggy.

ALLEGRA: Okay. Is Daddy a boy or a Muppet?

EVA: A Muppet.

And then there’s poor Kermit, who just joined our Muppet family yesterday. Let’s hope he survives the experience.

Now, Eva did not understand this question at all. She probably still doesn’t know what happened last night, except that our street was filled with kids in costume, [...]]]> If you asked Eva any time in the last month, “What do you want to be for Halloween?” Her answer was, “A queen.” Said with grave solemnity.

Now, Eva did not understand this question at all. She probably still doesn’t know what happened last night, except that our street was filled with kids in costume, which was awesome, and our neighbors had a fog machine in a pumpkin, which was scary.

Because Eva does not understand Halloween and was actually just referring to the name of her favorite song, Dress Up Queen, I took some creative license with her request. I give you, the Queen of Hearts:

While I was searching for a queen costume, I found this hat, and discovered I needed to be the Mad Hatter.

I also found a White Rabbit hat. Matt stayed in his suit after work, dug out the bow tie that goes with his tuxedo, and grudgingly obliged. Poor Matt, forced to wear crazy hats once a year.

I found great meaning in all of our costumes. Matt, like the White Rabbit is very busy, always running off to meetings. Eva, like the Queen of Hearts throws tantrums while I pardon people in her wake. And I, like the Mad Hatter, find life can be a never-ending tea party.

(See also: the self portrait leaf dance video, where Eva can see herself in the camera while I take the video.)

Why go to Home Depot [...]]]> I am having a hard time keeping up with my errands this month. Who wants to go to the grocery store when there are leaves on the ground?

(See also: the self portrait leaf dance video, where Eva can see herself in the camera while I take the video.)

Why go to Home Depot when there are so many things to see in your yard? Like the tiny helicopter seeds in the Japanese Maple and the willow tree in the back yard that “swings” when the wind blows. And this amazing tree in front of our house:

I think Eva best expressed the awesomeness of this tree when she said, “WHOOOA! The tree turned to red leaves!”

Note: I wrote this post last week. Since then, we took a spontaneous Friday night trip to Home Depot (this is the excitement of the suburbs, people). And I finally made it to the grocery store on Sunday during Eva’s nap. But not before I found the back of the freezer – and I think it’s good to do that once a year.

And I have to say, fall in the suburbs is pretty great. [...]]]> Fall is my favorite season. When I hear the first real cold front is coming through and temperatures are going to drop, my heart speeds up. I love pulling out sweaters and socks, and teaching Eva to say, “It’s jacket weather. Yay!”

And I have to say, fall in the suburbs is pretty great. Especially when you have a two-year-old to help you stomp through leaves.

It wasn’t enough that the girly world suck me in. The equally jaded Uncle Austin was in town, and is now also under [...]]]> And I thought succumbing to pink was the end of the girly invasion. I give you the cutest thing ever: a leotard, tights, and tiny ballet shoes. Upside-down, of course.

It wasn’t enough that the girly world suck me in. The equally jaded Uncle Austin was in town, and is now also under the spell of ballet.

Joking aside, ballet is the perfect activity for a two-year-old. It involves music, funny stretching, hand motions, a teddy bear dance, and movements that mimic animals. Eva was enraptured for 35 minutes.

And the best part? No Mamas allowed! 35 minutes to sit and read. Or obsessively watch the video monitor. (Austin and I might have chosen the latter.)

I put a few more pictures up in the photo gallery, and if you’re the kind of person that likes to decipher Eva’s speech, watch this video on YouTube.

While Eva was eating breakfast yesterday I asked, “Eva would you like to visit a farm today?” She nodded thoughtfully, and continued to eat her oatmeal.

I thought I hadn’t made much of an impact, but [...]]]> Note: There’s something wrong with the spacing around punctuation in the post. We must be due for a redesign.

While Eva was eating breakfast yesterday I asked, “Eva would you like to visit a farm today?” She nodded thoughtfully, and continued to eat her oatmeal.

I thought I hadn’t made much of an impact, but as soon as she finished her breakfast, she ran to turn off the radio and attempted to open the garage door… while still barefoot and in pajamas. This was a girl trying to get out the door and to the farm as quickly as possible.

We drove about an hour to get to our cousin’s farm, and the moment I took Eva out of the car she squatted, picked up a handful of gravel, and threw it on the ground. Throwing rocks must be an innate toddler instinct, and one they know is likely bad – Eva looked surprised when I didn’t put a stop to it.

We rode out into the fields with our cousin Gay in a golf cart to find the inspiration for our trip, a motherless calf who needs a bottle of milk twice a day. For Eva it was pretty much love at first sight. Unfortunately, the calf didn’t feel the same way.

After feeding the calf, Eva spent some time running across the fields saying, “You pet the cowwwws!” But the cows would have none of it. Matt asked Eva later that night if she petted any cows. She nodded, but that might be wishful thinking.

After chasing the cows and shredding some wildflowers, we got back in the golf cart to go see a tractor. At this point, Gay and I learned that Eva had not enjoyed her first trip in the golf cart. By the time we reached the barn Eva was in full flailing meltdown. As soon as she was out of the cart, she refused to get back in saying in between sobs, “All done with bolf cart!”

Luckily we found cousin David picking produce in the garden. As soon as Eva saw his basket of tomatoes, got her hands on a pepper, and discovered she was allowed to organize the produce, she decided everything might be okay.

We got to take some of the vegetables home, and we’ve been having fresh tomatoes on our salad every night. I also have a giant zucchini I’m looking forward to turning into bread this weekend.

It was a lovely day at the farm. All of our pictures, including plenty of cows and rolling fields, are up in the photo gallery. Now we just need to find a petting zoo with cows that actually want to be petted by an enthusiastic two-year-old…

This is a girl who likes her hummus:

PS - Do you like her first haircut?