Where Oh Where Oh Where is Ellie?

Way down yonder in the pumpkin patch!

Here she is, hatching her pumpkin.

On Monday Ellie's class had a field trip to the Irvine Park Railroad to visit the pumpkin patch. I opted to go along as a chaperon because for one, I didn't want to try getting my car seat out of the car to put it into another parent's car, and for two, my child is a bit of a dumpster fire about her new classroom (still) so I thought me going with her would be the best plan. PLUS I didn't want miss out on her fun!

We got to take a train ride around the park (this is the same place we go to ride the train and meet Santa in December) and then they led the kids through a little maze of hay bales, and a "spooky house," which Ellie went through quite happily. The kids got to pick out a small pumpkin and have lunch and then we were done! I liked watching her play with her class mates - there was a lot of running around and squealing. I think it is still a bit of an adjustment because she's new, and because she's turning three while a lot of them are turning four, but all the other kids are very sweet to her.

Her favorite part was afterwards, when we went to the moon bounce house.

She was so into it that at one point she actually SLID back out the opening. And promptly scrambled right back in to bounce some more. I remember when she was tiny (or before I had kids) we'd go to kids birthday parties and they'd have a rented bounce house dominating their back yard, and I would be sort of mystified by it, but turns out, ALL kids love them. Even my kid, who sometimes seems to dislike all things fun.

Otherwise, it's been a quiet week. She had her school pictures yesterday (we did not opt to get her individual picture taken because the prints are expensive, she hates having her picture taken, and we're having family photos done next week) but she was there for the class picture (and hopefully is smiling, or at least not actively screaming.) We've had a lot of fun play dates this week with her little pals, and the weather has been so nice that on Monday Ellie and her little gal pal ended up starkers in the back yard, climbing into the water table and chasing each other with the hose.

Mostly we are gearing up for the big 0-3 this Saturday. Hard to believe three years ago today was her due date!

I also thought everyone would enjoy a little more fun from the game this Saturday. We have lots of good game faces.

Yes, all the children in my lap, even though we had four seats. That would be grrrrrrrreat.

Cheering for the band with her daddy. I don't know which fact I'm proud of: the fact that she is potty trained by age 3, or the fact that she can perform the 8 clap by age 3. Probably the latter, even though the former helps improve my life more.

And if you haven't gotten enough of her singing voice, let me present the Family Band: