Embracing the Camera

It is entirely possible that I was the last mom on earth to read The Mom Stays in the Picture but now that I have, how could I not make a concerted effort to appear in more photos with my kids?

 

So, from the weekend's pumpkin patch visit, here is the latest:





 

Lilah was busy munching on an apple (and giving the mascots the hairy eyeball), and Henry was busy sleeping, but the Hubs managed a shot of the three of us together, so I'll take it.

Patch.

Last week, I was worried that the torrential downpours that have begun in Vancouver would prevent us from making it to the pumpkin patch on a weekend before Halloween.  But on Saturday, after it rained, then hailed, then rained some more, the skies cleared, sending us running frantically around the house preparing for a visit to our closest pumpkin patch.  I don't believe we have thrown things together that quickly since before Henry was born.

It was one of those rare and magical parenting days when things just work out perfectly and everyone is happy.  We managed to arrive just as the farm was opening, which meant we didn't wait in the mile-long lineup that formed just half an hour later. Everyone in the lower mainland had the same idea on the first (and possibly only) dry Saturday in October.  The sun peeked out for a good portion of the morning and took the edge off the chill.  And little Henry slept through most of the outing, easygoing baby that he is.

Lilah quickly put herself in charge of picking out the perfect pumpkin for each family member.

(A job she excelled at, natch.)

I remembered to accost a fellow patch-goer to get a family photo. That black dot below my chin and those two feet sticking out above my right leg?  Yep, that's Henry.

And what is a visit to the pumpkin patch without mini donuts?

And hay! Lots and lots of hay.

(Oh, these boys.  Be still my beating heart!)

Only two months old and this kid has already perfected Blue Steel.

I could not have asked for a more perfect fall day with my family.

Mwah! Happy fall.

10 Things Pumpkin

As you may have figured out by now, Monday Listicles is the bright spot at the beginning of my week.  This week the topic was a no-brainer: Halloween!  And what's more Halloween-y than pumpkins, I ask?  The answer is... nothing.  At this time of year, we can't get enough of them.  And lucky for you, I'm willing to share.  Here is my list of ten things pumpkin:



1.  First up?  The pumpkin patch, of course!



2. The Pumpkin Princess at said pumpkin patch.

3.  Carving pumpkins and frolicking elbow deep in pumpkin guts.

4. Daddy's pumpkin. 5. Lilah's pumpkin. 6. Mummy's pumpkin.  Can you guess which is which?

7.  Roasted pumpkin seeds, fresh out of the oven.

8.  Lilah's trick-or-treat basket.

9.  Pumpkin seed cookies. Recipe here.  (Okay, so they don't look quite as good as the originals.  That's because I let Lilah help.)

10.  And finally, my favourite little pumpkin of all:

Patch It Up

Consider this my obligatory October pumpkin patch post. It's an annual tradition.  If you were expecting something less predictable, you've come to the wrong place.  This is, after all, a mommy blog.

Last weekend, Lilah arranged a trip to the pumpkin patch with some of her besties.

(I know, I know, only one of them is looking at the camera, but I took about a dozen and this was the best of the bunch.  You try getting four two-year-olds to look at the camera at the same time!  The fact that we got them all sitting for the same 30 second period was a feat in and of itself.)

It was a beautiful fall day in Vancouver, and it appeared that the rest of the city had the same idea about heading to the patch.  The place was totally bumpin' by 10 am.  But once we made it through the ticket line-up and got inside, the fun began.

The pumpkins weren't the only things looking good on this particular visit.

 

 

There was music and there was dancing and there was a giant cob of corn with questionable rhythm.



But then, I guess it's hard to dance when your range of motion is restricted by a costume like this.

Lilah's friends danced their little hearts out and repeatedly stuck their little hands through the railings of the stage, patiently waiting for one the giant corn and pumpkin mascots to take pity and offer them a high five. Apparently the secret to achieving true rock star status is donning a giant corn suit.

 But there was one little girl who preferred to dance and admire from a safer distance and the protection of Daddy's arms.  Yep, you got it, that was my li'l Lilahbility.  It's times like these when I see so much of myself in her.

She may be shy when it comes to mascots, but girl throws herself whole-heartedly into the task of eating, and the farm fresh apples included in the price of admission were no exception.

 Neither were the donuts offered by a friend.

Once again, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  (A terrible pun, for which I am simultaneously gleeful and apologetic.) 

It was a great trip, made all that much sweeter by the extra-long nap it induced. 

Have you made your trip to the patch yet this year?

Wordless Wednesday

The Obligatory Pumpkin Patch Edition:

*Pictures of my kid should be enough for you, but just in case you're greedy and need a little something extra to entertain you, check out the gradual disintegration of the apple in Lilah's hand.  She was working on that thing for over an hour - and the repeated mud dunkings apparently just made it that much tastier.  Judge if you will, but you try prying a coveted mud-spattered apple out of a toddler's hand.  I dare you!