October in a Nutshell

October has been a weird month. When I look back at my photos, I have almost none. I think the reason for this is that the weather has been SO glorious, I have just wanted to soak it all up. Instead of pulling out the camera, I've been snapping pics with my mind which we all know is a bad idea. 

So because I truly can't remember anything without a photo prompt, let's have a short picture show of what we've been up to.

We managed a trip to the pumpkin patch.

The girls ate donuts, played on the playground, rode the train and picked pumpkins...yet this is the only picture I snapped. 

Like I said, the weather has been ideal. Truly my favorite time of year. Sunny and warm, yet crisp. We've gone on LOTS of walks...during daylight hours even! woo hoo!

Charlotte is REALLY into bandaids at the moment. She wants to put bandaids on everything. Grace went through this phase too. So the other morning, we weren't too surprised when we discovered she'd put a bandaid over most of her eye and eyebrow. To remove the bandaid would mean removing most of her eyebrow. Not a good look.

So we left it. 

Then we REALLY got concerned when we found a rubber band - the tiny kind for thin toddler hair - around her wrist. I TOTALLY freaked out. We had a shake down in their rooms for any rogue rubber bands and SO SO SO thankful this ended up being nothing worse than an important reminder!

Caught a great pic of Charlotte sleeping...on top of Lucky.

He is SUCH a good dog!

Grandma sent some super cute Halloween outfits. The girls LOVED them and when I tried taking pictures of them in the outfits, they kept pretending they were spiders. 

We carved our pumpkins weeks ago and the insides have already turned black. I didn't get any pictures - of course - so I tried to get a picture of the girls outside by our front door. 

This was the best picture - by far - for a couple of reasons. The first being the 50 mph wind gusts that were steady ALL DAY. The other was Stranger was about to jump up and tackle both girls out of pure excitement.

And those winds? Those damn winds did some damage. They ripped off the roof of our outdoor dog kennel. Stranger has a wound that we think was caused by a bungee cord. At our old house, a tree fell and damaged a bit of the roof over Grace's old room. 

Scary.

The wind also ripped my car door right out of my hand and the force was so hard that now my door creaks and groans like I am opening a tomb in ancient Egypt. 

Super.

That'll be cheap to fix.

Merry Christmas to me.

So that's what I've got for October. 

Hopefully, more Halloween posts to come!

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

Grace's pre-k class took a trip to the pumpkin patch and Charlotte and I got to tag along.

(Mind you this was after a trip to the doctor's office for Charlotte's 3 year check up and flu shots so to say our tanks were low is an understatement).

Last year when Grace's class went to the pumpkin patch, I made them each a Halloween skirt and matching top. This year, because of the driving and running around we are doing, my creative time is severely limited. I was only able to muster up little t-shirts this year. With all the rain and cold weather we've been having, I figured this was the best option. Why ruin a good outfit or good fabric at the pumpkin patch, right?

It was a bit chilly in the shade but the kids got to learn all about apples and farm life. 

Charlotte got upset because she wasn't picked to go up and count apples with the teacher. Mind you, this is Grace's class and Grace's teacher. That doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be in the mix of everything.

The kids got to visit the petting zoo, go on a hayride and pick out a pumpkin. 

Charlotte picked this first pumpkin she saw but Grace took her time and found the perfect pumpkin. 

After the pumpkin patch, everybody got a fresh, homemade doughnut and some time to burn off the sugar high on the playground. 

Both girls eventually erupted into tears because of this and that, clearly it had been a looong day but a trip to the pumpkin patch is always fun and totally worth it!

We'll be going back in a week or so - as a family - to pick out some big pumpkins for carving and for decorating. They have the best pumpkins!

I really do love this time of the year! I wish I had more time to REALLY enjoy it...I just find myself hopping from one thing to the next and waking up far too early and going to bed far too late. 

I'm tired (all the time) but it's the kind of tired that is worth it!

All Aboard!

On a recent visit to Boise we got to experience a different kind of pumpkin patch.

One accessible only by train!

So fun for the girls to ride a train. To watch the country side whiz by!

Horses, pheasants, hawks - all viewable from our seats while sipping hot chocolate and coffee!

The overalls from Grandma were just the ticket too! The perfect place to store our toys all while keeping us warm and not to mention cute!

Thanks Grandma!

There was an assortment of pumpkins and the girls got busy choosing the perfect one! A fun little tradition at one of my favorite holidays with some of my favorite people! Thanks Mom and Dad for making it happen! 

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip with Grace (and Charlotte!)

Grace's class had their very first field trip!

I got to tag along as a parent volunteer and Charlotte got to be dragged along by default.

I don't know why but I felt a strong desire/obligation to make Halloween outfits for the girls. 

I don't know where this came from or why a t-shirt with a pumpkin on it from Target wouldn't suffice but it wouldn't.

On Monday, a quick trip to the fabric store sealed the deal!

I got to  work Monday afternoon - field trip being Wednesday morning - and although I made every mistake possible while making Grace's skirt, I somehow saved it (AKA ripped it all out and started over) and sailed through making Charlotte's on Tuesday.

With a little fabric leftover, I decided to jazz up some t-shirts from Target (found in the boys section...did you know boy toddler sizes run bigger than girl toddler sizes? I didn't!! I could have easily gone down an entire size for both girls. Live and learn)

Anyway, getting out the door Wednesday morning was - for some reason - an ordeal.

I don't know what they were upset about but neither wanted to pose for pictures. 

But luckily the big slide at the pumpkin patch cheered them both right up!

A trip through the dustiest corn maze ever!

Charlotte, the youngest by far, joined right in with the big kids. 

We hit the petting zoo...

and hit it hard! I think the kittens were by far the favorite pumpkin patch activity!!

Then it was off to roast marshmallows!

 Snack time was interrupted by the cutest Halloween kitty ever!

It almost made me want a cat!

Before the morning at the patch ended, all the kids lined up for a class photo.

Charlotte, feeling like part of the class, tried to join.

When I pulled her down from the hay bales, she threw a FULL on temper tantrum.

Full monty!

On the ground. Rolling in the dust.

The only clear picture I was able to snap of the class was this one...

and I cut out one of the kids.

Oops!

Luckily, I was able to hijack a few from Facebook!

And with that, our pumpkin patch field trip concluded.

Fun times!!

Bill's Berry Farm: Take One

I don't know what the weather has been like in your neck of the woods but ours has been ideal.

Cool and crisp in the mornings.

90's by late afternoon.

Followed by cool, crisp evenings.

Fall at perfection!

(Speaking of fall...can you believe it is Autumn?!! I think in the 34 years I've been on this Earth, this is the first time ever that I am not excited to leave the blazing, hot summer behind us. I blame this entirely at being able to tire the girls out every afternoon in the pool. Not sure what we I'm going to do once swimming weather is officially over. I usually can't wait for fall - it's my favorite time of the year - but this year, everything has just gone by so fast. I feel like I just got used to our summer routine and BOOM, we are starting the Christmas countdown!! 92 days by the way! If I thought summer went by fast, welcome to the fastest, there-isn't-enough-time-to-get-anything-done-but-you-have-to anyway time of year!)

To kick off fall, we visited Bill's Berry Farm yesterday. I take the girls every year.

For a trip down memory lane visit 2011 and 2010. 

But because I know you are too lazy to click on the links, humor me for a minute.

Grace and Charlotte - 2010

Charlotte wasn't even a month old!

Both girls last year...

and here they are in 2012!

Bill's Berry Farm is our local pumpkin patch/family fun place.

They offer hay rides, pony rides, train rides, cider making, berry and apple picking - anything farm related all through the harvest season! They even sell Christmas trees.

While they offer all these activities, they are especially known for their homemade doughnuts...at least in my house!

While we normally go to Bill's late in October, we have quite the lineup of activities in the next few weeks, so I thought we'd go a bit early this year. You know, to take in the doughnuts fresh air!

So off we went!

Seeing these pumpkins got me excited to decorate for fall. 

I love knobby pumpkins!

The doughnuts weren't ready when we arrived, so we killed time.

Just as I thought, they are growing like weeds!

Funny. Charlotte wouldn't use a binky the first year of her life. The second year has been dramatically different. 

We noted the first signs of fall and what's that? Rain drops you say?

Impossible. It's supposed to be 80 something degrees today!

Finally! 

Seconds after this pictures, the sky burst open.

 

And we ran - doughnuts and all - to the safety of the car!

So this visit was a bust in the pony and train riding department.

But our doughnut timing was perfect!

Luckily, Grace gets to go on a field trip with her class in a few weeks so there will be more to come from Bill's Berry Farm!