Pumpkin Patch

This past Monday we finally made it out to the pumpkin patch.  Elsie and I have had plenty of opportunity to get our pumpkins but it is something we like to do as a family so that means John needs to be available to come along.  He has been so busy with work that we haven't had too many opportunities.  We could have gone on Sunday but the orchard is a zoo on the weekends so we opted to go Monday after work and it worked out just perfect!  It was a little chilly but not too bad.  

We decided it was best to head out on the hayride to the pumpkin patch first because I figured it would take a while and we were going to be cutting it close to Elsie wanting dinner/bedtime since we didn't get out there until 5:00. That ended up being perfect because it took a little over an hour before we got off the hayride. 

Elsie was so happy her daddy could join us.  I can tell she is really missing him lately.  

Elsie enjoyed running around and checking out the pumpkins, although the vines were a little tricky for her to navigate around.  

She found her pumpkin...

It was a little heavy though...

Daddy can just carry it :)

Oh what a difference a year makes 2012 (left) 2013 (right)

Elsie loved this little tunnel!

When it was time to go check out Elsie was insistent that she pull the pumpkin wagon...

She didn't get very far

But she enjoyed trying

And one more comparison photo...last year vs. this year

Play Dates

This fall we have been having a lot of play dates.  John is gone just about all the time so it mixes things up and Elsie doesn't get so sick of me :)  Last Tuesday my friend Hillary and her little boy Owen came over.  We did a little swap of watching the kids.  I went for a run first and she watched the kiddos and then when I got back she went for a run.  It worked out well except for the fact I only got two miles in because I rolled my ankle.  After both of us finished our runs I had dinner ready and the kids played.  One thing I noticed is we don't have other kids over enough.  Elsie does not like sharing "her" toys.  It was a great night though and Hillary had a great idea about trading off watching the kids (her husband is out in the field a lot this time of year too).  

Then Wednesday morning Elsie and walked to the park with our good friends Kari and Briggs (who are also our neighbors).  We walked to a park we don't go to very often but it ended up being perfect!  Well except the slides were still wet from the dew.  So they played on the swings, the sand diggers, and the teetor toters.  After that we set off to explore and found an apple tree (Elsie loves all things apples these days) but the apples were too far up so I ended up climbing the tree to fetch a couple of apples.  I seriously can't remember the last time I climbed a tree haha.  

Oh but it was worth it to see these two happy kiddos!  

Elsie loves giving hugs and kisses :)  The funny thing about Elsie and Briggs is that Elsie does not like it when he wanders over into our yard to play.  She whines, clings to me, and asks to go inside.  She does not care for Briggs at our house.  Well she just loved it when they played together at the park.  I think it all leads back to not wanting to share her toys...definitely need to work on this.  But it was such a fun morning.  

On Saturday morning I planned another playdate.  This time at a park in Ames.  We have been to this park before in August but it seemed so different during the fall.  The park was just perfect!  We met up with Hillary and Owen again.  

We started out on the playground....

Then headed to the famous antique fire truck.  

Then just had fun running around, playing in the leaves, and walking to the bridge.  

Elsie was in such a daze and we could not get her to smile-but boy was Owen being a ham :)

"Why doesn't the water work?"

The kids discovered leaves on the bridge and had so much fun throwing them down into the river and watching them float down. 

These two are so cute.  I mentioned before Elsie loves hugs and kisses but she also adores holding hands.  She will try to grab for your hand and say "hand" and gets so dissapointed when the other person doesn't oblige.  Thankfully, Owen was more than happy to hold her hand :)