Tradition resumed

This  year, we resumed our tradition of visiting Kruger Farms.  Although we had already been to a pumpkin patch, we had not had the opportunity to enjoy a hayride, wander through the corn maze, or partake in some wonderful and festive hot apple cider.  So, we chose Sunday to enjoy some more Halloween fun.  And, it was a great time.  Both kids especially enjoyed the hayride and meandering around the farm--we saw lots of animals, flowers, BIG farm equipment, and, of course, pumpkins.  And while I am glad we are exploring some new Halloween adventures this year, it was very special to resume our old tradition.  Some things just can't be beat! 

En vogue Francesca

Head to toe, Franny's style is always all her own!  Her fashion focus, however, does change with the seasons--she has recently traded in her sun dresses and sandals for long-sleeves and tights.  Although she does still run around in her swimsuit from time to time...

Out with the old, in with the new

Today, we emptied Franny's room to set up her new bed.  With the size of it taking up so much more space than her little toddler bed, I wanted to clear the room, in order to find the best location for the bed, as well as to see how much of her current furniture would fit without it feeling too crowded.  And, it was the perfect time to do the thorough cleaning we don't do on a regular basis! 

When we shopped for her new bedding, I selected some cute polka dot sheets which she was not too enthused about.  Since it is her bed, I allowed her to choose what she wanted, and she opted for the princess set.  And there was absolutely no wavering--these were, without question, the ones she wanted.  Now, we call it her princess bed, and she loves it.  I don't expect her to fall asleep too quickly tonight, as it is such an exciting transition for her. (For us too!)  She is becoming such a little girl, it is nothing less than amazing.

 

Little people, big pumpkin patch

Halloween is such a fun holiday to celebrate with kids.  This is the first year that we've really been able to to see Franny's excitement and increasingly mounting anticipation.  Fortunately, we already have our costumes determined, so we can really focus on all the fun activities and adventures we can do this month.

With the first weekend of October forecast of heavy rain, I was a little hesitant to venture out to a pumpkin patch, but in true Oregonian style, we packed up extra clothes and shoes and headed out to Roloff Farms (and yes, we did see Matt, Amy, and Jacob Roloff).  Unfortunately, the recent heavy rains and left the grounds too muddy for a complete tour of the farm, but otherwise, our timing was ideal, as we were welcomed with blue skies and sunshine.  Both Franny and Cole enjoyed riding in the wagon and picking out a variety of different pumpkins.  Since our annual pumpkin patch trip usually falls much later in October, we were thrilled this year to have such a big selection to choose from. It was definitely a great way to begin our lead-up to Halloween, and everyone is looking forward to decorating and carving our new pumpkins!

 

The new fashion statement

Yesterday, Franny had an unfortunate collision with the sofa.  With the exception of about an hour when this picture was taken, Her small abrasion, as well as most of the rest of her black-eye, is continuously covered with Thomas the Train Band-Aids.  These, of course, must be changed with the utmost regularity.  Hopefully, her eye will be healed quickly, but until then, she is making the most of it in true Franny fashion--the only difference is in the changing of accessories, rather than ensembles!

Whoops

As I was sorting through all the pictures from our week in California, I realized that I had uploaded, but yet had somehow forgotten to post this entry. I've blogged before about Franny's love of roller coasters, so I'll let the video clip speak for itself...

The last hurrah

 

Of course our last evening had to spent on the beach.  Taken that final excursion, these are two of my favorite pictures from the entire trip, as they seem to capture it all.  We had such wonderful, special times and we can't wait until we go back!

Like peas and carrots

Franny missed Thomas as soon as we pulled out the driveway and made our way to the airport. From her comments, I think she thought that Thomas' house was like a Sunriver house and we'd all be going home together. She has talked about him everyday since and I can tell when we look at pictures from our trip that she misses her sweet cousin and their fun adventures together.

Beach girl

Of our three incredible evenings on the beach; two of these were spent at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas.  As would be expected, Franny loved playing in the ocean.  The air was warm, as was the water, and the sunsets beautiful.  Such fun times!

    

Isn't it ironic

I'm not sure how many blog entries I've posted about Franny loving the water--the Oregon Coast, lakes, rivers, fountains, swimming pools--but I do know they have been numerous. Given that we know how much Franny loves water, I am not sure why we would take Franny to a warm Southern California beach for the first time without her swimsuit. Needless to say, rolling her pant legs up wasn't sufficient enough to allow Franny to enjoy her beloved water, and she soon shed her wet clothes and was running through the surf in her underware. While this in itself was definitely not my proudest moment as a parent, my devestation was even more exacerbated by the fact that sometime during her afternoon quiet time she had changed into Thomas' underware. At this point, I've gotten over my embarressment and can see the humor in the whole situation. I will add, however, that we did not make the same mistake twice!

Before


After

Far away, but near in our hearts

We have just returned from a week long vacation in the San Diego area.  This time, our trip was all about reconnecting with family.  We had tremendous fun--we had many adventures, including a tour of the San Diego Zoo; an excursion to La Jolla; breakfast in Oceanside; and trips to Mission Beach, the Sea Life Aquarium, and Legoland!  Still, probably our best memories were those where the main event was just spending time together--cousins, brothers, sisters-in-laws, and every combination therein.  We shared very special times, and it was sad to leave them.  But it was comforting to be reassured that special relationships are not affected by distance or time spent apart.  And although we unquestionably miss them, it makes our reunions very memorable and dear.  MCTM--thank you for a wonderful week--we'll see you soon!

Sweet September

September is an incredible month in Portland:  the weather is warm, the evenings are cool, and the summer slowly transitions into Fall.  But while this month is unquestionably beautiful, there is also a sense of urgency present to maximize every sunny day to the fullest, as we know all too well that the upcoming rainy season is long.  Today, Franny's playgroup met at Magnolia Park in Hillsboro.  It is a brand new park, complete with great structures for toddlers and preschoolers, a large covered picnic area, and a spray park/fountain.  Fortunately, Cole was feeling well enough for us to go, as it was a perfect September day at 75 degrees with a light breeze--ideal for playing and picnicking in the park.  Both Franny and Cole had an incredible time and both are now blissfully napping.  September is sweet, indeed!

Fall Festival

Our neighborhood enjoyed it's Fall Festival in the park this weekend.  It was a beautiful evening and there was plenty of music and fun for the multitudes of residents, families, and kids (lots of kids!) that attended.  All made for a fun a very festive atmosphere.

 

 

Cole is saying "eat" but, in actuality, did not eat any of the yummy German, Italian, Indian, Greek, and American foods we had a sampling of.

 

Franny enjoyed her ice cream cone while Cole hung out with Daddy.

 

Both Franny and Cole enjoyed being amongst the absolute chaos that overcame the play structures in the park.  

 

As we left, Franny told us That was a fun party!  And, we would have to agree.

Portland's new star

Portland has been fortunate to be able to take a needed reprieve from partisan politics and focus it's attention on it's newest arrival, the yet-to-be-named baby Asian elephant.  Born on August 23rd, it is one of more than 25 Asian elephants to be born at the Oregon Zoo since the 1962 birth of Packy.  The sweet little guy has been very gracious in tolerating thousands of curious visitors, of which we joined the ranks today.  Franny was intrigued, but not overwhelmed, as we took our turn and spent a few minutes viewing the new  calf.  Of course, she doesn't understand the significance of such an event, but it was still very special and fun to take part.  We signed his guest book and Franny drew a little picture for him.  Hopefully, he will have a name sometime soon!

Franny always finds the water...

During a recent playgroup trip to the zoo, Stellar Cove was a tremendous hit with Franny and the other the kids. After several rounds of this, Franny was soaked! Fortunately, it was a beautiful day and we were headed home, anyway.

Who has the silliest daddy?

Thomas Town

When we decided to spend the day at Discovery Kingdom, I knew that both Franny and Cole would love it, but nothing could have prepared me for the absolute joy Franny found when she came to Thomas Town.  With the exception of the plane ride down, it was by far, my favorite part of our entire trip to California.  Ever since she started reading the different Thomas books, when Franny sees train tracks, she often says she wants to see Thomas; I always tell her that Thomas lives on the Island of Sodor, and that is why we never see him.  But this day, Franny not only could finally see Thomas chugging down the track, but ride him, as well!

 Franny catching view of the giant Thomas up ahead

Face to face with Thomas the Train   

Checking out the Shed with Percy, James, and Gordon

And it's Thomas!

Checking out the view from Clarabel

                       Riding Bertie                          

Steering Harold with Daddy       

Day 2: Pixie Land

Our second day in the Bay Area found us at Pixie Land, a cute little amusement park for young kids.  It was perfect for a morning's adventure--it was just the right size with about seven rides and had a great picnic area for when the kids ran out of tickets.  Franny was definitely in her element.  I wish I had pictures to show of her on the roller coaster (where she kept yelling faster!) and the tea cups ride, but these were the two rides where I needed to ride with her, as she didn't quite meet the height requirement.  While it was fun to go on the rides with her, I must say that her stomach is much stronger than mine!

Pile driver

Franny and Cole both love to be upside down.  And, their daddy is just too happy to oblige.  Their latest game, which begins almost immediately after he comes home from work, is Pile Driver.  Apparently, this is some sort of professional wrestling term, but as far as the kids go, it's just great fun!