What Ana Does

 We were long time New Jersey residents, so it's been fun to be back and taking time to re-explore places we used to spend a lot of time in.  Here's a few photos from two recent trips; to Hoboken and Princeton.  We lived in Hoboken for about 10 years. WOW. So it was exciting to drive the almost-two-hour ride to walk around and remember about all the crazy 20-year-old-just-out-of-college times we had.  Then there was an afternoon in Princeton catching up with friends. We all decided we're going to study at Princeton. It's magical. Kinda like Hogwarts. Sign me up!   How lucky to be back in familiar ground again. I just love living here. 

We're MOVING!  One thing that this COVID pandemic has made super-clear to us, is that living near family and life-long friends is no longer just a dream or luxury, it's a must.  We moved out to Illinois nine years ago with two baby girls and a goal to live within our means in a larger home with no commute and a big yard. And we succeeded. It's been a really great place to raise our kids and build a life, but we don't have any big personal connections here.  I made friends with the girls' friends' mothers, but those relationships have started to disappear as their friendships haven't survived adolescents.  Meanwhile, we have friends and family we see annually on the East coast that continue to be important to us. And in normal years we get to see them enough to satisfy our itch for close social ties. But this year, when travel has not been possible, we've really seen how our life is lacking without that connection.  It's something we even talked about...

I was tip-toeing through some old blog posts and discovered these early photos of our living room ... Living Room: Before Our house in New Jersey was much smaller, so we didn't have a lot of furniture when we moved in. I didn't want this "formal" living room to turn into a kids play room, this space was too valuable to me to make it into a toy dumping ground as I've seen other families do. I wanted a true Living room where I could chat with visitors and family, without the TV blaring in the background. A comfortable place to read books and the New York Times. Maybe nibble on some cookies and drink tea. Living Room: Before 2 First we found the sofas. The coffee table and the grayish wall color. It's my favorite room in the house (other than my bedroom). Follow the evolution here . And what we ended up with is pretty nice! Here's the rooms from the same angle today ... Complete with Halloween decorations this year. Spooky! I have been ...

We just arrived home after spending a fantastic week in New Jersey and New York seeing friends and family (oodles of time with the grandparents!). It's always delightful to go back to familiar territory seeing places that stir up memories. We've only lived here in Illinois for five years and while we have a few oft-visited places, we don't have the roots here that we have back east. The girls especially loved our two days in New York City, riding the subway, visiting the holiday markets at Bryant Park and Union Square and, as is tradition, having breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup.

This year we flew into Philadelphia and drove to my in-law's house in New Jersey for Thanksgiving because we got a great deal on the airfare. Also an added plus: we spent a night in a hotel in downtown Philly the night before we flew out. Did we see some of the amazing historic sights there? Not really, though we DID see the Liberty Bell on the way to the airport. (It's really small!) No, the main event for us was a visit to the Reading Terminal Market for the BEST COOKIE EVER. Dave talks about these cookies all year and when we get a chance to be in Philly, this is the first place we go. The stall is all the way in the back corner. It's called Hope's Cookies at the Pennsylvania General Store. At the end of the day each cookie is $1. We bought more than enough and not a crumb went uneaten. (Go there, you will not be sorry.) In addition, there's a bunch of other seriously delicious food stuffs here. So we split a grilled cheese sandwich -- amazing. At Re...

For a family that travels quite a lot, it doesn't escape me now lucky we get sometimes by not getting sick before or on our trips. So it's especially relevant on this trip, our annual journey  back to New Jersey to be with Dave's family, that I'm reminded of our little luck --- by all getting the flu.  All of us, except for Leah, laid out with coughing, fever and runny noses.  For days.  Easily the worst trip ever. We even infected our hosts --- the good friends we stay with each year. Horrible.  So, let's all take a moment to give thanks for not being ill or contagious around your family.  Happy Thanksgiving! Homeward Bound

Dave unearthed these two adorable pics from deep in his laptop. This is what these ladies looked like when I started this blog in 2011. Lunch With The Girls Alice - Halloween 2011! She Was Blueberry Muffin Relate posts: More more and more Alice

We got out of town this weekend for a wedding in New Jersey. Sans children. This was a good good thing. We flew into Jersey on Friday and spent Friday night and Saturday with the in-laws. Quality time. Then, we saw "The Maze Runner" and I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH how much I super-really-totally enjoyed it. As a fan of the series, I was nervous they wouldn't get my favorite scenes right or cast it correctly. My worries were unwarranted. Chunk was exactly as imagined. Theresa was good. And Thomas, seriously, do NOT get me started on the PERFECTION of Thomas. I feel so totally relieved that Hollywood didn't screw this one up. So, good job! Go see it, even if you didn't read the book. (But WHY didn't you read the book? Seriously?) From there, it was time to get all prettied-up for the wedding. We stayed with our friends Josh and Lauren -- so there were a few girly moments spent over shoes and lipstick. (You know how it is.) It's been years since we've been...

I found this little gem on the blog we created for Leah when she was a toddler. Sometimes I can't believe I'm not her anymore. I can't believe Dave and I are not just building our family. Getting to know our little Leah. Waiting to meet this little baby. Leah on Her New Playset in our New Jersey Backyard. Alice is in the Photo (Under the Stripes), You Just Can't See Her Yet. This time went by in a blur of sleepless nights, tantrums, tickling, laughter, dancing, chasing, zerberts, worry and tears. What would I tell her if I could get a message back in time? A Few Minutes Later ... Snotsville!

Thanksgiving belongs to my mother-in-law. This is the law. And, luckily, we all get along fine (mostly) -- so the holiday is pretty low-stress. It does involved a long drive from Illinois to New Jersey, because flights are too dang expensive -- especially to sit is someone's dining room for the day. I'll pay $2,000 to sit on a beach or walk wide Paris streets but for suburban New Jersey? Um, no. So we rented a Ford Escape, loaded it up with snacks, goodies, kids and Hanukkah presents and headed out of the midwest. Because we don't like (understatement) fast food, we found a little hole-in-the-wall pizza place in Montpellier, Ohio for dinner on our first night. And for Ohio pizza, it wasn't too bad. We did the bulk of the driving in the evening, which meant the kids slept for much of the drive to our overnight in a hotel. The next morning, they swam in the pool and jumped in the car for the final leg. Here's the things I really miss about New Jersey. - the pizz...

Leaving New Jersey we had some serious goals. I mean, we didn’t just pick-up and leave, right? I think about those goals everyone once in a while and stifle a laugh. Then, a sob. Because some of those goals were not met. Not even close. And it frustrates me. Killing my commute time was high on this list. In New Jersey, I was reliant on NJ transit to get me into New York City each day. There was a train strict schedule, so every morning and evening I felt the stress of hitting all the milestones that meant I would be on time for the train. And home to the kids. One of the catalysts for the big move out was to be freed of train schedules and that hectic morning stress. Not to mention the 2.5 hours a day that was spent in transit between work and home each day. Sure, I read a lot and got to talk to my friend Sonja, but getting home at 6:30, throwing together something frozen or pasta -- or even toast -- was not going to fly once elementary school homework and after-school extracurri...

What is it about the Rockettes that make me teary? Thanksgiving morning I'm sitting on Lauren's sofa watching the parade. My girls and Lauren's kids (Heather, who is a day younger than Leah) are running around, screeching and playing. The Rockettes are about to go on and I'm yelling for the kids to come over and watch. They are beautiful. Graceful. I think about how they were once little girls watching the parade, too, telling their families they were going to Rockettes someday. And the commitment and work and rejection they endured to get on the squad. To be out there on Thanksgiving morning, high-kicks in a line. Call me sentimental. But, I find myself tearing up. Clearing my throat. Go girls! Go!   Future Rockettes? To be honest, I'm an easier crier. I was nearly in tears the night before over a coffee commerical. It's why waterproof mascara is for everyday, not just to weddings or whatever normal women do. Later today, we'll go to Thanksgivin...

It occurred to me on the drive to the farm for eggs (I missed the farmer's market on Saturday ... and farm-fresh eggs just taste better!) that there are a few special places in the area that I really want to visit before we skedaddle. Here's my working list (and, yes, I'm fully aware of what a geek I am): - The Thomas Edison Lab : you can walk the lab Edison actually used to make all the cool stuff we take for granted -- phone, tv, movies! And it's just 20 minutes down the road in West Orange. Not sure what I'll do with the kids while I totally indulge my nerd side, but don't think I'll let it stop me. - George Washington's Headquarters in Morristown : Again, just 20 minutes away is the winter camp that housed General Washington and his army during the Revolutionary War. You can walk around the estate he stayed and strategized. I'm not a crazy Revolutionary War buff, but how can you not see that? - The Metropolitan Museum of Art : My own mec...