Pumpkin Patch 2012

We helped little Miss K celebrate her 2nd birthday at the pumpkin patch early October. It was a chilly morning, but that didn't seem to bother the boys any. They bundled up in their winter jackets and raced off to see the livestock...goats, cows, and their favorite, a snorting pot-bellied pig. After meandering around the farmyard, a tractor ride was a must. The boys ended the morning picking some dandy pumpkins for future carving.

Apple Season

Nothing says fall like a trip to the apple orchard. Minnetonka Orchards has become our apple picking destination of choice. The boys were completely and utterly happy for four hours. Yes...four hours! This orchard has so many activities to keep a family with two young boys who seem to need constant stimulation entertained...rides on the Apple Express, a corn maze to explore, barn animals to observe, hay bales to jump on, tractor rides, the best apple donuts to snack on, face painting, live music and the primary reason for the visit...apple picking. We stayed until closing time, and if the sun weren't going down, the boys would have stayed longer.

Saying Goodbye to the Dolphins

We made an impromptu trip to the zoo this afternoon and were just in time to watch the dolphin's last training show. The boys rarely sit still for longer than a few minutes, but they were so content to sit and watch the dolphins perform their tricks. William clapped and clapped for his friends in the water. It was really quite emotional watching the trainers as they ended the program. They were all in tears and having a pretty hard time holding it together. While it was fun to be there and see the animals in action, there was also a sad undertone, knowing they won't be there on our next trip to the zoo.

Kamp Dells in Insta

Our last camping adventure of the summer was spent with the Willanders at Kamp Dells in Waterville, MN. Not only did Greta, Hannah, Lucas and William have each other to entertain themselves but this campground offered just about every amenity a kid could want...parks, a pool, a water park, mini golf, pony rides, a petting farm, tennis courts, and even shuffle board.

We just happened to go to Kamp Dells the weekend of the annual Halloween celebration. It seemed like just about every child in the campground was in costume Saturday night. Fortunately for us, the kids had just as much fun "trick-or-treating" without costumes on. We ended the weekend with a campfire and were entertained by the multitude of bats flying above us. The quote of the weekend just may have been Greta stating, "I don't hear the bats echolocation." I'm not even sure I knew what echolocation was until 4-year-old Greta explained it to me.

Cross Lake Camping

We spent a few days of our week off in early August camping at Cross Lake. This campground has quickly become a family favorite this summer since Cass Lake has been closed due to storm damage. The boys absolutely love camping! They love being able to spend the day outdoors...exploring, chasing, hunting for acorns, swimming, feeding the fish, and having adventures. They love having campfires at night and indulging in graham crackers and chocolate squares...no marshmallows for these two! They love waking up in the mornings and being able to pick out their own mini box of cereal from the variety pack that has become a camping staple for us. I remember loving this as a child as well! We took in a bit more of the city this trip with a visit to a local ice cream shop. We also did a little driving around the actual lake (prompted by the boys being in desperate need of naps) and dreamed about what it would be like to own some of the houses and cabins we saw there. Unless I can talk Leo into a September camping adventure, we won't be back to this area until next summer.  I'm glad we found another campground to add to our list of summer outings and traditions. 

Edina Aquatic Center

Day 1 of our stay-cation vacation was perfect. The boys spent almost three hours swimming and playing at the Edina Aquatic Center.  Their favorite activity just may have been hunting for acorns in the Oakwood Forest.  William was also a fan of the twisty water slide, though.  Every time we asked him if he wanted to go on the slide, he would yell "yeah!"  Bonus - After our fun at the water park, the whole family enjoyed a nap!

Como Zoo

Yesterday's 60 degree forecast just begged for a trip to the zoo. So, spring jackets in hand, we made our way to St. Paul for a Como Zoo adventure. The Carpenter family was there to join us as we made our way through the animal exhibits. William wasn't too sure about the polar bear as he played and dove under the water; the barrier separating us from the big white bear must not have seemed secure enough to him. Calvin and Lucas raced from exhibit to exhibit, always asking to see more animals!

Pumpkins and a Pot-Bellied Pig

We enjoyed our second annual trip to Eveland Family Farm on Sunday morning. Calvin and Lucas thoroughly enjoyed checking out the farm animals and feeding the goats and pigs handfuls of hay. William wasn't overly excited about sitting in a field of pumpkins but did enjoy watching the rather large pot-bellied pig that roamed freely throughout the farmyard.

Apple Orchard Images

Our afternoon at the Minnetonka Orchards involved plenty of animal watching, hay bale jumping, rides on the Apple Orchard Express, hayrides, apple picking, apple eating, face painting and corn maze wandering. It was an awesome afternoon with our little people.

Arboretum

On Sunday, we spent a few hours at the Arboretum, enjoying the warm weather.  My goal was to snap a few pictures of the boys playing in the leaves.  Unfortunately, they weren't all that interested in playing in the leaves.  Lucas' favorite part of our Arboretum adventure seemed to be checking out the many different scarecrows on display, while William enjoyed chasing the geese.  Leo and I could have spent several more hours walking the grounds, but our little people were ready to leave by the end of the morning and asleep within minutes of our car ride home. 

Raspberry Picking

As soon as William realized what the fruits of his labor were providing, he loved raspberry picking. Leo couldn't get raspberries into the container fast enough before they were staining William's mouth and hands red. It's good no one was paying attention to how much was being consumed in the raspberry fields today!

Cass Lake 2011

We spent a few days camping at Cass Lake this week.  It was such a fun time and definitely one of the highlights of the summer for me!  If the campground was just a bit closer we would make the trip more often because the boys are great campers!  We spent a lot of time on the beach, taking walks, feeding squirrels and chipmunks, and chasing Lucas and William around the campsite.  Lucas enjoyed making marshmallow sandwiches (i.e. smores) but didn't really enjoy eating them very much, except for the chocolate.  The highlight for him was probably the puddle we found that I let him and William jump in to their hearts' content.  William seemed to enjoy being outside and was content to take walks in the wagon, push the wagon, and eat food made over the campfire. 
      

Zoo Outing

We spent the morning at the MN zoo and enjoyed checking out the new penguin exhibit. Those little critters were pretty cute and just about the only animals that were awake during our visit! The boys had a bit of role reversal out at the barn. William was a tad timid with the animals this time around, and tightly clung to his Daddy anytime he got near something furry. Our normally apprehensive Lucas eagerly pet the cows and jumped right into the goat pen with a brush in hand so he could find himself a little goat to take care of.

Scoops

The boys enjoyed an ice cream treat at Scoops this afternoon.  Lucas's request after studying the many different colors of ice cream was pink.  He enjoyed a delicious bowl of raspberry chocolate chip and even shared a few bites with William.

Winnie the Pooh

Leo and I were able to take Lucas to his first movie last weekend, the new Winnie the Pooh movie. He did pretty well for his first theatre experience, alternating between his own seat and our laps. Although he was hesitant about the popcorn at first, he was digging in to the bag by the end of the movie.  Leo and I look forward to many more movie nights with our little man in the future.

The Perfect Morning

It was the perfect morning for a trip to the zoo. Between the cool weather and early start to our day, we found that the zoo was not overly crowded, which meant getting up nice and close to the animals. Lucas had close encounters with an otter, tiger and lynx.  William was reacquainted with my favorite animal at the zoo...the goat.  And it just so happened there were a few baby goats at the farm today!