Pumpkin Patch 2009

Our annual trip to the pumpkin patch provided the kind of fall weather I've come to expect around here: lots of early low-lying fog draping the landscape like a sheet, then warmth and sunshine later on. And lots of mud in the fields. Good thing we remembered our rain boots! Last year you may remember that Brett missed out on this outing (he was in Australia, the poor guy...), but this year we had quite a crowd which included both Grandma and Grandpa and the Pacynas, plus the four of us. Wyatt and Larson had a blast riding the hay wagon and running around the fields looking at all the pumpkins and farm equipment. The biggest hit of the day with the boys was the apple cider press. It was actually pretty cool, and the young man making the cider was kind enough to let the boys throw some apples in the hopper. All I kept thinking was, "I sure hope this gets pasteurized!"

Because of all the wet fall weather, we had to be careful to choose pumpkins that were actually still intact and not a little, shall we say, soft (ie, rotten!). This farm also grows gourds around the perimeter of their pumpkin patch that you can cut for yourself, so I had fun filling up a bag with the cutest and weirdest little shapes for our table. I'm a total sucker for things like that!

Aargh!

Larson's friend, Lily (also pictured below) turned 4 in October and she had a pirate birthday! Lily and Larson have known each other since before Larson could walk, so it's not surprising that he was the only boy that she wanted to invite to her birthday party. It was pretty cute to see Larson hanging out with 5 other girls! (although, yikes! I had a flash of the future and got a little scared for a second - let's not go there...) The party included painting outside in the autumn sunshine and champagne for me! Now, that's my kind of preschooler birthday!

Brunch w/Grandma & Grandpa

We were excited for another visit by Grandma and Grandpa in October, which included brunch out at their favorite place on the water. Larson loves to look at the boats, bridges, etc. that are all within view from most of the tables. Don't you just love this series of photos? The first one was taken unawares, in the second he's expressing his opinion about having his picture taken and finally softens up with some cajoling from Grandma. That scowl is just precious!

Big Girl

Getting up into the big kid chair all by herself!

Helping

Cora helps dad put up curtains. I love how little she looks in this picture. Now if I could just figure out how to get her to stay that way...

Dad's Birthday

Dad's birthday celebration this year was a little bigger than usual, as the Pacyna clan dropped in for dinner and cake. Can you guess what kind of cake? If you know Brett at all, you know that in his mind dessert = chocolate. I wouldn't dream of ever suggesting any other kind of cake! This year was chocolate cake with chocolate swiss meringue buttercream. Very, very good.

The boys had their own little kid table on which to devour their cake. I think Cora and Claire took advantage of the adults having conversation and found a few choice morsels dropped beneath...

Cora's first taste of chocolate. I think she liked it.

Here's a random shot of Larson helping with the dishes. I'm enjoying the fact that such a chore seems like fun for now!

Happy Birthday Dad!

We have a very special dad with a birthday today! Larson and Cora would like to share all the things they love most about their daddy:

1. Runs in Bob. If we added up all the miles that dad has pushed, hauled, carried and pulled Bob (our jogging stroller), we could probably go across the country and back again. What a great way to start the day: cruising through the 'hood, snacks at the ready, in Bob. Which also leads us to...

2. Street Scrambles. Dad makes the best Street Scramble partner. And he lets Larson eat as many cookies as he wants afterwards!

3. He loves to joke! Dad has taught Larson all number of silly joke lines, such as "Poop! there it is", "D-O-W-N that's the way to get down", "Mom, it's chile con carne outside", and my personal favorite: "Vikings, vikings, vikings are coming, there is no place you can hide!" (this last one is more popular during football season) Now that Larson is older, every one of these comes out spontaneously at random times. With a giggle or two, of course.

4. He makes great scrambled eggs, with lots of shredded cheese on top.

5. He answers our probing questions. Dad can explain just about any science-y type question that Larson can dream up, such as "Dad, why can't we see air?" or "What do jellyfish eat?"

6. Supplies. Dad always makes sure that we are never caught without: a wipe, a lovey, a pacifier, a toy car/truck or a snack when we need one.

7. Wrestling moves! Larson and Cora both love to climb on, around, and over dad, which he happily allows. Larson especially likes the faux "back breaker" move. Cora just loves to get in on the action.

8. Awesome trips! Dad is responsible for organizing the majority of our family's travels. This includes our recent road trip, our trip to Hawaii in 2008 and scoring tickets to the 2010 Winter Olympics! (yes, we have tickets to two events...still no place to stay....). He is the most expert person we know on working the airfare system and finding awesome places to stay on a budget.

9. He's handy. Dad can fix just about broken toy and pretty much anything around the house that's just not working. Every once and a while, something is beyond salvaging, but the majority of the time he can work magic!
10. Matching Turkey shirts! (need I say more?)

We love you, dad and wish you the happiest of birthdays!

(Photos from last weekend's trip to the zoo)