Mommy and Me Class

I signed Emeline up for a Mommy and Me program to see how well she would do in a structured setting and if she was ready for preschool.  She loved it.  She played with all the toys that were set up at each station.  She listened to the books, sang the music with Mrs. Hoppy and ate the snacks.  As you can see below she made herself right at home.  I think she is ready...am I?

Tiger and Minnie

Okay so, last minute I found this cute Minnie Mouse costume at Target.  It was so perfect on Emeline and she looked adorable. Zackary was a tiger, I found this at Land of the Nod.  He wouldn't put the mask on his face because it itched, but I had to show you the tail (picture above). 

The kids did so well walking up and down the streets of Balboa Island.  They loved getting the candy (especially Emeline, she was not shy).  There were several houses that were decorated to the max.  The amazement on the kids faces, and some houses brought some fear, was priceless.  We were lucky to have some help with parking and spend a wonderful night out as a family gathering candy that we promptly gave to the Witchy Witch in place for a toy the next morning. 

 My little real live Minnie Mouse!  She was a proud Minnie.

Cuteness

 Always trying to make people laugh and succeeding. 

Carving Time

Second year in a row Emeline did not want anything to do with getting her hands dirty and carving the pumpkins.  She helped coordinate and oversee the production while remaining clean!  Zackary on the other hand had so much fun with the pumpkin guts and carving with Daddy.

Pumpkin Picking Tradition

Look closely, there's Emme...part pumpkin, naturally!   Our annual tradition since getting married here in 2007 is to visit Tanaka Farms for our pumpkin picking.  We eat chocolate covered strawberries, we visit the farm animals, we take funny pictures, and we pick our perfect pumpkin!  Emme makes a lot of funny faces like the one below that crack me up.

Zackary loves coming here every year and gets way more into it than Emme.  Emme likes the animal part and Zackary likes the pumpkin picking part.  

Auntie Sara came with us, Zackary is hiding behind the sign!

We got a great huge pumpkin this time.  It was fun carving that monster! (pics to follow)

It was a good morning! 

Boo

If only we could have a cat...the kids would love it.  Apparently this one lives in the neighborhood but this is the first time I have seen him.  His name is Boo and he was very sweet with my kids.  He let them pet his body for quite some time and both loved every moment.

Rogers Gardens at Halloween

Fountains galore, amazing flowers, cool garden tools, expensive boutique nicknack's for all holidays, toy trains at Christmas, patio furniture...it lures in all of us that live here.  The kids love it, they expend their energy and I expend my wallet...but we also get cool pictures and family memories.  The holidays are the best time to go because of the rooms they have all decorated of the one of a kind stuff to buy.  The above mask that Zackary's holding, I would have loved to buy for his costume but it was $80.00-wow.  I will just take a picture for now and remember.

Every Thursday is Hike Day

A hike every Thursday?...yep that's right.  Every week on Thursday Zackary's classroom is outside via a hike. They learn without even knowing for a second they are learning.  Mrs. B (Zackary's teacher) is amazing.  She is singing, telling them stories, finding special rocks, vegetation and so on.  2 parents volunteer to help out and it is a fun 4 hours.  And you really do get to watch your kids closely, which is always interesting.

The kids all wear these hats, each with their own symbol on it.  On this day it became hot fast, and I had Emeline with us too.  There were so many parent volunteers that I think Mrs. B upped the anti and made the hike more challenging and broader than normal.  But I like that, but it was a long morning.  We carefully picked rocks to step next to down a steep hill to a stream.  Then we went back up the steep hill and headed over to this grove above that was so thick with these bamboo sticks or something it was wild.  You could get lost in them, but the kids had fun.  Then we heard a story while sitting along this other stream below (which was a hit with Zackary because it involved water and a small waterfall) 

We then headed out to a field for a very long snack and more stories.  Then we walked along a bike path and headed back to the classroom for pick up.  It was a great morning-hope to repeat it soon.