Pumpkin Patch Tradition

We usually visit a handful of different pumpkin patches each October. There are so many around here and they are all so different. There is one patch, however, that we always visit with our friends Whitey, Dan and Lily. It's become a tradition to visit the patch and get a picture of the 3 girls in the same spot each year. It's fun to watch them grow! Thanks Whitney for the pics!

Year One (Esme and Ellerie: 7 months)

Year Two (Esme and Ellerie: 19 months)

This Year - Year Three (Esme and Ellerie: 2.5 years)

Christmas Photo...A Little Late

I have realized that I never posted a picture of the girls in their Christmas dresses. Here is one of the photos that made our Christmas card!

Merry Christmas!

We wish you a Merry Christmas...

Christmas Lists

I've been asked a few times for the girls' Christmas list in the past few weeks. I thought I'd post some ideas here so that family will have a list they can access, and maybe some of the rest of you, who may be looking for toddler gift ideas, can get some suggestions as well.

The teacher in me prefers to have toys serve a "purpose." Is it a toy that stimulates them in some way, or encourages imaginative play, curiosity and problem solving? Most toys, if age appropriate, will do this...especially if you engage your child and perhaps show him/her new ways to play with a toy.

The girls have several toys that they have "outgrown," but they still play with some of them on occasion. I have started clearing toys out to sell, donate and stash away for a few months. We are limited on space, too, so I just need to make room!

Here are a few thoughts for Ellerie's List:

1. Ellerie is in love with wooden train sets wherever we find them! They hold her attention for quite some time. They have basic sets at Ikea or this KidKraft Figure 8 Train Set, or this Maxim Train Set 40 Piece, are great starter sets as well.

2. Battat Bristle Block 85 Piece Set or B. Stackadoos

3. Lego Duplo Sets

Specifically ones that have animals like the LEGO Brick Themes DUPLO My First Farm and LEGO DUPLO My First Zoo. The LEGO Duplo My First Set would be a great start too!

Also, we saw these little Lego Duplo with a book sets at Target and both girls wanted to bring them home!!

LEGO Duplo Grow Caterpillar Grow 6758

LEGO Duplo Busy Farm 6759

Can you tell Ellerie has a passion for building and constructing? :)

4. Skip Hop Zoo Pack Little Kid Owl Backpack

Here are a few thoughts for Esme's List...

1. Puppets! It's hard to find good quality puppets, but I don't think we really need more than a few. We saw a set at Costco recently...

2. Small animal play sets - Some examples include: Soft & Squeezy Animals (any set), Learning Resources JUMBO Animal sets (I would suggest Zoo Animals, Ocean Animals or Dinosaurs), or Plan Toy Farm Animal Set.

3. Draw & Write Touch Board and Color-Changing Touch Board

Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Classic Doodler with 2 Stampers

4. Skip Hop Zoo Pack Little Kid Ladybug Backpack

Here are a few ideas for either/both of the girls...

1. They both love puzzles, but the kind where you just match the piece to the correct spot are WAY too easy now. Here are a couple examples of some more challenging puzzles: Melissa & Doug On the Farm Jigsaw (12 pc), Melissa & Doug Playful Pets Jigsaw (12 pc) and My First Chunky Puzzles. There are others out there too!

2. Games

Peaceable Kingdom Alphabet Match Ups Game

Peaceable Kingdom Animal Alphabet Match Ups

Cranium Hullabaloo

3. LeapFrog Tag Junior Get Ready To Read Book Set

LeapFrog Tag Junior Book, Christmas in the Manger

4. God Gave Us You book

5. SweetPea3 2 GB MP3 Player for Kids (Violet)

I may come up with more ideas (I'll add if I do)...it could become a birthday list in a couple months!

Perhaps my next post will include a list of toddler gift suggestions based on what we already have...

Pumpkins!!!

This was a great year to visit pumpkin patches. We had an exceptionally dry October for Oregon and the girls are now old enough to really have fun! It worked out, this year, to visit three different pumpkin patches.

The first visit was actually at the end of September. We visited Liepold Farms for the annual Fall Party with our families with multiples group in the Portland area. The farm was filled with young twins, triplets and their families, all having fun picking out pumpkins, taking a hay ride, racing through a corn maze and hay maze and participating in the many other activities on the farm.

Our second pumpkin patch visit was to Bella Organic Farms on Sauvie Island. We planned a trip with the Colvin family (also a family with 5-year-old twins). Our main reason for the visit was to venture through the corn maze that was cut to look like a duck to honor the University of Oregon Ducks. The maze was a big one, but the kids just had a blast running through the isles of corn while their daddies had fun solving the clues to the puzzle in the maze.

Being the middle of October, and the clouds that were in the sky in the morning, we chose to all wear long pants and sleeves. Well, the sun decided to make an appearance and we were walking that maze in 85 degree heat. The kids, and us moms, decided we were done with the maze after about an hour or so, and made our way out (kids in tow via a wagon) to get some water and snacks.

Once the boys finished their clue tracking, we all took a hay ride to a not so pretty pumpkin patch.

(Esme in "Lil Pumpkin" shirt, Ellerie in "Cutest Pumpkin in the Patch" shirt with orange sleeves)

Our third, and last pumpkin patch visit for the year, was a very last minute trip. We had been wanting to go with our friends (Whitney, Dan and little Lily), but it didn't look like our schedules were going to allow for it this year. Well, one afternoon, Whitney's photo shoot was cancelled, so we all decided to see if we could squeeze in a visit in between downpour. It poured rain the whole drive there, but just as we pulled in to the parking lot, the rain let up and a double rainbow appeared in the sky. Perfect! Our visit was short, however, because the dark clouds rolled in after about 40 minutes, and we just dodged the next down pour. We did manage to fit in a hay ride and some pictures with pumpkins.

My camera's memory card decided to be full after just one photo...of course! Thankfully, Whitney snatched some photos with her camera, so I'm stealing some pics from her blog post here.

Here is the one photo I got...

Here are some photos from Whitney, starting with a flashback photo to the girls last year, at the same place...

Ellerie, Lily, Esme

(Esme - Grey Sweater, Ellerie - White Sweater)