Pumpkin Goo

There's our industrious but observant girl, overseeing all that is pumpkin-y and gooey.

Stella isn't a big fan of getting dirty. As she's heard me say a thousand times, she now says "It's no big deal, Mama...?" whenever she finds herself in a goopy mess. But I can tell she's just a clean kid at heart. So when we set out to carve pumpkins this weekend with Grandma Jannie and Grandpa Harte, Stella quietly observed with great curiosity. It was so sweet to watch her try to figure out why in the world we were cutting up these perfectly good pumpkins and sticking our hands into a gloppy mess of pumpkin seeds.

But she eventually recognized that we were all having fun, so she sat back and enjoyed all the adults scooping and carving to their hearts' content.



And here's Grandpa Harte, documenting the whole event. On behalf of Harte, thank you to all of you who have been sending good wishes his way. He's improving a great deal - thanks, for the most part, to the loving care of Jan! - and was able to enjoy the pumpkin carving extravaganza as well as one of Brian's cyclo cross races. It was such a pleasure to see Harte and Jan out and about and to see Stella sink into the groove again with her B'ham grandparents. Thanks for making the effort to come out and play!

You Know You're Someone's Mama When...

...you find this sight adorable...



...and this downright beautiful.

Hmmm.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Stella Scout

It's been a beautiful Autumn so far, and Stella is seriously tickled that pumpkins are popping up everywhere. This past weekend, we hit Stoney Ridge Farm in Everson for some pumpkin fun.

This scene caused a bit of confusion for our little naturalist.

There is absolutely nothing so wonderful as picking your own apple from the orchard for a mid-morning snack.

Our adventure was made even more special by a ride in the wheelbarrow and....

...friends!

Stella's best buds, Isaac and Scarlet, joined us for the morning, and the kids had a blast. It's such a pleasure watching these kids grow and learn and stumble and discover together. We feel fortunate to have such great parenting partners and such dear friends for our wee one.

This picture cracks me up. What are they talking about? There was some serious conspiring taking place...

...and, of course, some serious love.

The Zoo, The Zoo & Some More Zoo

This week, Stella and I headed to Seattle for a few days while Brian worked on some house projects. While Stella woke up each morning missing her Papa, she was more than thrilled to hang with Grandma Carol, Poppy and her zoo pals. Yup, we have a zoo-obsessed kid on our hands. I have to admit that I never mind visiting the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. While I'm well aware of the complicated politics of zoos, I also understand how attached and amazed my kid is to see the astounding animals she sees with each visit. She literally talks about the hippos and otters on a daily basis, so to see them in person is an unbelievable treat. On our first day at the zoo, Stella and Poppy searched for the elusive but ridiculously cute sloth bear (imagine a ridiculously cute and floppy live muppet) after watching a giraffe drink and then chase a zebra.

On our second day, Grandma and Stella took to the merry-go-round after watching the grizzlies eat sweet potatoes and the otters give Michael Phelps a run for his money.

And, of course, a visit with Grandma and Poppy isn't complete without cozy story time.

(And yes, Stella is sticking her "Cuddle" (aka her security blanket) up her nostril. We have no idea why this comforts her, but every time she needs a quiet moment or is a little nervous, Stella shoves that puppy up her nose. Strange? For sure. Soothing? Always. Whatever it takes, little one. Whatever it takes.)

Harvest Girl

This weekend marked our third annual trek out to Cloud Mountain Farm's Fruit Festival in Everson. Walking through the farm's beautiful orchards, sampling a billion apples, and enjoying the sight of Northwesterners donned in their freshly fetched woolies marks the official start of Fall for us, and we look forward to it all year along. This weekend lived up to our expectations. We enjoyed our first true Fall weekend of the season with chilly winds and beaming sunshine. Idyllic, for sure.

While Stella didn't exactly swoon at the prospect of tasting over fifty varieties of apples - the girl likes fruit, but come on - she dredged up some serious enthusiasm and artistic vision when we spotted the pumpkin painting table.

Summoning her vision...


...and diving in.

And who knew planting a lavender seedling would be that much more thrilling when you get to paint your own terra cotta pot.

I love how Stella quietly sips her freshly pressed apple cider with all the big guys.

And of course, no visit to the farm is complete without a ride in the wheelbarrow with a load of apples, pumpkins and gourds. After such a fabulous Summer, we're thoroughly enjoying the onset of Fall and all that such gorgeous harvests bring.