A smile costs nothing, but gives much.
Rebecca's preschool took their annual field trip out to the pumpkin patch last week. It was the coldest day of the week, but that didn't stop them from having continual fun for two & a half hours! It all started with the thrill of a bus ride,
then pumpkin picking,
hayrack riding, 
friends smiling, 
photo shooting, 
window peek-throughing,
& slide 
after slide
after slide. This "new big bumpy gray one with the rainbow" was the biggest hit of the day. 
Rebecca was a tad hesitant at first
but Teresa showed her how it was done... about 20 times in a row!
Their spider web was in a LOT better shape than the zoo's. 
Bouncing pillows were brisk but fun. Teresa was jumping so much for so long that even in the 40 degree weather she started handing me clothing... mittens, then hat, then coat, then she tried to take off her socks! That's when we called it quits & headed for the morning snack.
On the way we found the Corn Bus & had a blast. Teresa did not want to leave. She tricked me three times, THREE TIMES, into thinking she was walking with us but then jetted back straight to the corn bus. 
She was sentenced to the evil confines of the stroller for half an hour after that!
The goats, sheep, & donkeys weren't much interested in the animal feed (& I wasn't interested in spending the 50 cents) but were going crazy for the hay. The girls were very excited to pick out a few pieces & feed them to the donkey.
There was an attempt to get all 21 MWF preschoolers to take a photo before we left. Quite the show! It felt a little odd having all this pumpkin patch fun without Andrew, but we gals had a really fun morning. It was nice to meet a lot of the other parents & see Rebecca interact with her teacher & classmates. So many sweet kids! When I heard her friend Anna ask on the way to the slide if Rebecca would like to play flying unicorns, I knew that she'd found a perfect match. :) She's so full of energy, joy, & quirks. I love watching her grow.
I am not a prolific pumpkin carver. In general I'm more of a fan of paint, but our friend Anne has generously hosted a Fall Pumpkin Party for the last two years so I had to at least give it a try. Last year I just scraped off the outside layer of the pumpkin into that funny little guy on the left. It turned out cute & I continued to rescrape it out every few days so it stayed nice for a long time. 
This year I went the more traditional route & carved away. Here's my feline creation! It turned out really cute & the kids loved it. Unfortunately, Halloween is still a week away & I tossed it today because it was totally moldy. We're planning on doing some more carving with the kids; anyone have tips for keeping them nice a little longer?
It was a lovely night with a fun group of ladies...some of whom I haven't more than chatted with for years. Most of us went the carving route, but Annie did some cute painting & Karen was a flourish of turkey feathers. :) I had such a nice time. Thanks for all of the good food, great laughs, & amusing conversation! Hope to see you again next year!
Rebecca found, caged, & cared for a tiny praying mantis she discovered under this tree. She was VERY excited! She even had to bring it along to preschool to show everyone.
Teresa loves to swing, but she can't get in or out of her favorite one consistently safely yet. So, while waiting for me to give her a ride, she grabbed her dolly to enjoy the thrill instead. She pushed her for 15 minutes!
