Return to the Pumpkin Patch

We went back to the pumpkin patch the same day because the corn maze didn't open until 3 pm, and Gabriela loves mazes.  The only problem was that it was a really tricky serious maze, and it was dark and we didn't bring a flashlight. whoops.  Gabriela wasn't excited to run around through the maze, so we found our way through and just decided to go back for a THIRD time the next day when we could enjoy the maze together in the daylight. 

 Thank goodness we had our camera with us. We used the flash as a light. We might never have gotten out without that!

 

Gabriela and Daddy

 Gabriela found the water pump.  She pumped tons of water. And then she made a couple new friends. She couldn't be convinced to try out the tractor ride because it was still too loud.

 We found a pumpkin that really needed to be pulled through the pumpkin patch in a giant wagon.

 Gabriela got to snack on some of her Boo at the Zoo loot while she rode around in the wagon.

 Then she got tired, so we left to go home.

But don't worry, we went back to the pumpkin patch a FOURTH time with cousin Natalie. She led us through that corn maze like it was nothing. She convinced Gabriela to finally hop on the hay ride, and Gabriela showed her where all the ladybugs were hiding.

Jollie Update

Since her grand appearance on Tuesday, we've been hearing more and more about Jollie.  Not a day goes by without some new Jollie story.

We've learned so much!

Jollie has a doggie named "Twee Twee"
She is a pirate
She lives on an airplane
Jollie spends lots of time at school
She wants to go back to the pumpkin patch.

Jollie also ate lunch with us yesterday.  She needed a timeout for not being nice. Jollie wanted a cookie at dessert after dinner. Gabriela helped her eat it.

The Pumpkin Patch

We visited the pumpkin patch on Tuesday and Gabriela had a blast!  We saw goats, turkeys, miniature donkeys and a gigantic horsey.

Gabriela and I sat on a huge tractor.  She enjoyed using the steering wheel and sitting up high, but was not at all interested in riding on the tractor for the hay ride because "it was too loud".

So many pumpkins! 

Gabriela wore her special Halloween dress that Auntie Meliss made her. It's full of black cats, just like Kitty Buddy and Kitty Buddy Clio.

We found a lady bug jackpot in some dried up corn stalks.  Gabriela had so much fun spotting all the lady bugs.  Although she was hesitant at first, she enjoyed letting them walk around on her hand.  See the lady bug flying away here?

And here she is with her daddy watching a lady bug fly away home.

Just look at all these pumpkins! 

This one was a little heavy.

 

Gabriela thought pumping water was the coolest thing ever. She could have stayed here all afternoon!

It's Starting

you know, the inappropriate and embarrassing children comments in public...

Yesterday we were at the grocery store and saw a lady wearing a tall hat. Gabriela asked me, "Mommy, is that a witch??"

It *is* Halloween time and the lady *was* wearing a tallish hat, but still.  so special.

Gabriela's new friend

Gabriela is always the last to finish her dinner at our house. This is because she has turned into quite the storyteller.Here's the story she told us at dinner tonight:

"My friend Jollie. She's 5 years old. She at my school.  Jollie has brown hair, and she's 5 years old.  Maybe she wants to go back to the pumpkin patch.  I went to her birthday party and I sing her happy birthday and she had cupcakes. They were doggies, they were very special.  She ate all her birthday cupcake and she didn't like it and she threw it on the ground and she say to her mom, OH MY GOD!"

Boo at the Zoo

We had such a blast at the National Zoo's Boo at the Zoo last year, I was bummed about missing it this Halloween.  So I couldn't pass up the chance when I found out that the Santa Barbara Zoo was hosting its own Boo at the Zoo.

Gabriela already knew what Boo at the Zoo was from her Father's Day book that she made Daddy.  She was so excited when we told her we were going. In fact, after she woke up from her nap, she announced that she was putting on her shoes so she could go to Boo at the Zoo.

Gabriela wearing her pirate costume, with the pumpkin hat Nana made her. I also sewed her a matching pirate bandana as part of her costume, but as soon as she saw it Gabriela said, "no hat! It's too short!" Every time I get it out, she says it's too short and won't have anything to do with it.

Gabriela approached the first trick-or-treat booth with hesitation, meekly said "Trick or Treat" and politely thanked the lady for her candy, which happened to be m&ms (her favorite).  Well, that was the end of the hesitation.  She happily went from booth to booth after that, no longer nervous at all.

Gabriela LOVED the mazes at Boo at the Zoo.  She ran through two different ones for ages and ages. In fact, we had to pull her away from both of them! They also had a big section of carnival like games that the kids could play to earn tokens and redeem for prizes. 

We were thrilled to find a real pirate ship there, with pirates and everything.  Gabriela has been saying, "ARRRR, Matey!" since then, and asking where the treasure map is.  We loved that all different stations at the zoo had volunteers dressed in costume who interacted with the guests.


Then we went to the kids playground in the zoo where there were fairies there playing with the kids. Gabriela's favorite thing to do there was sit on cardboard and slide down the giant ant hill.  She did this about 87 times.

 

When we left, I told Gabriela to say thank you to Daddy for taking her to Boo at the Zoo. She said, "It was spooktack-lee-er!!" instead. 

Nana's Pumpkin Patch

Nana is so cool, she had the forethought to grow a whole pumpkin patch just for her grandkids.  The kids picked out their pumpkins long ago and watched them as they grew.

Here's Andrew with his super pumpkin.

Thanks Nana, what a fun memory.

I just wanna go to school

I was showing Gabriela how excited I was to display her halloween craft today and this conversation happened.

Gabriela: I made that at school. (she made it at the kitchen table, by the way)

Daddy: Do you want to go to school?

Gabriela: Yeah, like a big kid. And I will put on my clothes and get my diaper bag.

Daddy: You mean your backpack?

Gabriela: yeah, my backpack. I want a blue backpack.

Daddy: And what's in your backpack?

Gabriela: Money, and books that I borrowed from the library.

Daddy: What will you do at school?

Gabriela: ummmm, just play school with the other kids.

It's Halloween around here

 We left Oakland the other day for a long trip.  We won't be back until after Halloween.  Beau and Chaney left these sweet notes.  And I couldn't leave without taking pictures of all the spooky and fun Halloween decorations.

 Chaney left us cookies since he baked them that morning with his mom.

 Isn't this the cutest Halloween banner???  Meliss sewed it all up.

Our Little Monkey

 

Check out our rock climber! She was so determined to climb the rocks all by herself.  When Gabriela was finished, she was proud as can be and just had to do it all over again!

Gabriela is also part monkey.  Look at her just swinging away.... on the slide.
She is a total playground champ these days, and could hang out for hours.  In fact, we usually see several groups of kids arrive and leave before Gabriela is done swinging, sliding, climbing, and running around.

Gabriela puts on "lipstick"

She was so proud of herself!

The Man Lounge

Lane and Noal recently fixed up one of the (three) sheds in Nate's backyard. It is now officially the Man Lounge and where the dudes spend lots of late evenings together.

Yes, the Man Lounge has a now functioning fireplace, lighting, music, Man signs, and it's always had a kegerator.  What more can a dude ask for in life?