GO DUCKS!

Ready, Set, Let's GO! To the Pumpkin Patch!

This was the little bird's second trip to the pumpkin patch and it was much easier this time.
Walking makes such a huge difference!
She carefully watched as her friends selected theirs...

then she picked through looking for perfect roundness, carveablilty and general "coolness..."

Ooh! This one was too cold!

This one was too small...

This one was too bumpy...

This one was too far out in the weeds!

At last! This one was just right!

Afterward, we got to climb a pyramid,

Go to the petting zoo and see the flies, I mean, the animals,

and navigate our ways through the hay maze, I'm in there somewhere, look for the cute blue hat with the cherries bobbing up and down on it.

We finished with juice and cookies and lots of fun friend time, it was a great trip, I can't wait to go home and carve it now!

Mommy came back from her yoga class and taught me what she learned, I really liked it!

Daddy bird helps the wee one take out the "gooies" from inside the pumpkins...

Then he gets a little excited about drilling some nostrils on the "Spooky" pumpkin...

Baby bird carved a kitty all by herself (okay, Mommy bird and Daddy bird helped maybe a little).

The finished product complete with spooky nostrils!

Our Trip to the Tarheel State...

First, we took the train to meet Grandmama and Papa and Uncle Gecko so we could all fly out together. I loved the train, I got to sit in the viewing car with windows all around me and eat my breakfast muffin.

Finally, at the hotel. Whew, what a long train ride, I needed to relax in a hot bath...what?!? You've never seen toddler spa treatments before?

The next morning, I got to have breakfast with Uncle Gecko before heading to the airport...

Speaking of airports, there are some crazy people there, Mommy and I posed for a picture with these ones, they were quite the characters welcoming some East Coast family members to the Great Northwest.

I know, I look like I'm bored, but the flight wasn't too bad, honest, it was only a few hours and we were there. The only part I didn't like was take-off and landing, I felt like we were falling from the air and it was scary.

When we got to the N.C. family's home, I got to dance with Uncle Jim while he played some awesome music!
And, in keeping with true family tradition, I had to check out their vacuum, to make sure it was up to par (can't visit a home unless you know what kind of vacuum they use, it says a lot about a person, my Papa always tells me).

Now this thing was COOL! I don't know why I've never seen one before, but you put these little pins into this black thing and they light up, it's the most awesome invention ever!

We were there for a wedding, and I got to be a flowergirl, so during the rehearsal, I got to sit in any pew I wanted and listen to the instructions from the minister.

At the rehearsal dinner, I finally got to touch baby V.'s toes, she was so soft and cuddly, don't tell my babies at home, but I like the real babies better than the pretend ones, except when they cry.

At Aunt Judy's house, we got to listen to her play the Cello, she played during the wedding and is really good, I loved listening to her, it was so relaxing...

Uncle Gecko got to play it too...I was SOOOO wanting to pluck those strings, they looked just like a giant guitar of Daddy's!

They let me play with these jingle bells...

And they let Mommy play the cello...

Then finally, FINALLY, I got to play my very own-sized violin...

After my performance, I put it back in its case and headed off to bed.

The next night, we all made pasta.

I got to turn the crank and watch it ooze out!

I also got to stand in front of the fan like a photo shoot model, it felt funny in my hair.

While Uncle Gecko serenaded us on the piano, I added my own to the duet.